How Does Saul Canelo Alvarez Train For World Championship Fights

Currently ranked the number one pound for pound fighter in the world, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is an incredible force in the ring.

The Mexican turned professional at the age of 15 and has worked tirelessly throughout his career.

Alvarez’s dedication to his craft is second to none. When he’s in camp, he spends long hours in the gym and doesn’t mess around when it comes to recovery either. 

That commitment is the reason a sole defeat to Floyd Mayweather in 2013 is the only loss on his record.

While IBF super-middleweight champion Caleb Plant will be hoping to change that in their unification fight on November 6th, Alvarez is the strong favourite.

Here’s a detailed look at how Canelo trains for big fights.

Canelo Alvarez’s Training Routine

Alvarez has a military-style approach to his training and never misses a workout.

Every day except for Sundays, he’ll wake up and go for a run at 6am. He doesn’t have to go that early because he then spends the rest of the morning recovering and preparing for his afternoon session.

But staying disciplined by getting up and out that early helps him stay focused and is part of the lifestyle he needs to prepare his mind for the fight to come.

He’ll then head to the gym for his afternoon session from 2pm-5pm. The nature of the session changes on alternating days.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Alvarez will do strength and conditioning as well as some skill drills. This will typically involve a lot of core work as well as mit work and shadow boxing.

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays is when he spars. The sparring is critical to help him prepare for the specific threats his opponent will pose, and specialist sparring partners with similar characteristics will be brought in. 

Canelo Alvarez Strength & Conditioning

A lot of Alvarez’s strength and conditioning sessions have a strong emphasis on core work.

He’ll do a lot of medicine ball circuits and other exercises that either work the core peripherally or isolate the abdominal muscles. 

His trainers prioritise this because a strong core will help Canelo put power behind his attacking punches while also aiding his defensive movement and balance. 

Squats are also used to build a strong base to work from, while shadow boxing with dumbbells improves his hand speed.

Interestingly, Alvarez also does a lot of light plyometric work by using ladders and bosu balance boards. This helps improve his trademark footwork as well as explosive power.

Then there’s old school neck training which is never ignored because it helps minimise the risk of concussion. He does this using a variety of bodyweight and weighted exercises.