The Little Mac Boxing Workout
Shoutout to Antoine for recommending this character to us!
Contact us for any workout recommendations!
On this episode of the Character Training series, we will be covering the workout of Little Mac!
We've covered some boxing workouts on this site, our most popular being Ippo Makunouchi.
Let's dive into this breakdown. Stay tuned to the end for the full comprehensive workout plan!
Little Mac physique ranking
Over at Action Hero Athletics, we devised a system for physique analysis. We call it the attainability scale.
This system helps us discover the realistic aspects of a character's physique and if it is genuinely realistic/attainable.
Tier 1: Realistically achievable (Natty)
Tier 2: Giga Genetics (Natty, but maybe not as easily attainable)
Tier 3: Not natty (requires PED's for maintenance)
Little Mac's physique is in the Tier 1 ranking - realistically achievable.
Fandom
Little Mac Training Principles
This is the part where we break down his training, and see if it would work if done in real life.
Boxing Training
This modality is the foundation of his training, given he is a boxer. This specific way of training will help with punch speed and accuracy, foot placement, power, and head movement, which is pretty much everything a fighter needs. Little Mac is seen doing lots of drilling, incorporating mitt work, bag work, and shadowboxing.
Fighters Endurance
Just a little bit of context as to why I strongly emphasize stamina and endurance for boxers: when I first started competing in boxing, I was already 3 years in with my fitness training, so I had a bit of confidence in the ring.
On my first day, I nearly quit entirely because of how taxing it was. Fighting endurance is very crucial to achieve when it comes to what you are looking to train for. Little Mac trained his endurance through lots of roadwork, aka running/sprints.
Strength Training
Little Mac was seen doing various types of bodyweight training and lightweight lifting. This included basic calisthenics exercises and dumbbell exercises.
Just know if you want to pack some power in that punch, we would realistically need more than just bodyweight and dumbbell training.
Agility and Explosiveness
One aspect we can see in Little Mac's training is how fluid and explosive he is when doing things like mitt work and shadow boxing. This will all involve various agility exercises like lateral jumps, rope skipping, and jumping.
Now that we've pretty much got everything, here is what would be required of us to train like Little Mac!
How to Workout Like Little Mac in Real Life
From a gym bro's perspective, here is what we need to workout like Little Mac:
Little Mac Boxing Training
Little Mac's agility, speed, and quickness
Little Mac Strength
Now, let's get into some training!
AntMan3001/Flickr
Day 1: Boxing Fundamentals
Warm-Up:
Jump Rope: 5 minutes
Dynamic Stretching: 5 minutes
Boxing Technique Drills:
Shadow Boxing: 3 rounds x 3 minutes
Heavy Bag Work: 3 rounds x 3 minutes
Speed Bag Drills: 3 rounds x 3 minutes
Strength Training Circuit:
Push-Ups: 3 sets x 12 reps
Bodyweight Squats: 3 sets x 15 reps
Plank: 3 sets x 30 seconds
Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets x 12 reps (each arm)
Cooldown:
Static Stretching: 10 minutes
Day 2: Interval Training
Warm-Up:
Jumping Jacks: 3 minutes
Dynamic Stretching: 5 minutes
Interval Training:
Tabata Protocol: Alternate between 20 seconds of maximum effort and 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds.
Burpees
High Knees
Mountain Climbers
Jump Squats
Strength Training Supersets:
Dumbbell Thrusters: 3 sets x 10 reps
Superset with -
Pull-Ups (or Assisted Pull-Ups): 3 sets x 8 reps
Russian Twists: 3 sets x 15 reps
Superset with -
Plank Jacks: 3 sets x 15 reps
Cooldown:
Foam Rolling: 10 minutes
Day 3: Active Recovery
Active Recovery:
Light Jog: 20 minutes
Yoga or Pilates: 30 minutes
Mobility Exercises: 10 minutes
Day 4: Power and Strength
Warm-Up:
Jump Rope: 5 minutes
Dynamic Stretching: 5 minutes
Power Exercises:
Medicine Ball Slams: 4 sets x 10 reps
Box Jumps: 4 sets x 8 reps
Plyometric Push-Ups: 4 sets x 8 reps
Strength Training Circuit:
Barbell Deadlifts: 4 sets x 8 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets x 10 reps
Renegade Rows: 4 sets x 10 reps (each arm)
Cooldown:
Static Stretching: 10 minutes
Day 5: Endurance and Conditioning
Warm-Up:
Jumping Jacks: 3 minutes
Dynamic Stretching: 5 minutes
Endurance Circuit:
Jump Rope: 3 rounds x 3 minutes
Shuttle Runs: 3 rounds x 3 minutes
Battle Ropes: 3 rounds x 30 seconds
Conditioning Finisher:
Hill Sprints: 8 rounds x 20 seconds (with 40 seconds rest)
Cooldown:
Foam Rolling: 10 minutes
SHYCITYNikon/Flickr
Little Mac Boxing Workout: Additional Resources
Little Mac Strength Workout: Additional Resources
