ANTHONY YARDE has built his explosive strength and power by following a strict training regime - which includes NO weights.
The British light-heavyweight brute is on the cusp of unified world title glory this Saturday at Wembley Arena.
All that stands in his way is Russian Artur Beterbiev - boxing's only champion with a 100 per cent knockout ratio from his 18 fights.
But fearless Yarde, 31, is up for the challenge and has whipped himself into sensational shape for the WBC, IBF and WBO title bout.
In 2021, the Londoner revealed the secrets behind his gruelling training camp in an interview with online outlet Coach.
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And Yarde is no fan of new-school techniques, preferring to keep it tried and tested, swerving weights for the classics.
He said: “Some people try to complicate things but, for me, doing old-school long runs works well.
“Of course, different things work for different people but I don’t really touch weights – it’s mainly explosive bodyweight stuff.
"Most of the time I’m just running with my dog! What do I say to people who don’t like that part of training?
"Well, if you want the results you need to do the work. That applies whether you’re training for a fight or running a business.”
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Yarde is known as one of the most feared punchers in the country, with 22 KOs in his 23 wins, and revealed it is all in the legs.
He explained: “Legs are so important in boxing. It’s about being explosive and agile, and you also want to avoid being static in the ring.
"I do jump squats at the end of my sessions. They are just bodyweight but the intensity is an all-out effort.
"I also do explosive press-ups, which help with punching power.”
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Yarde also insisted letting his body recover is just as important as the tireless training in the gym.
He said: “I’ve changed my nutrition a lot in recent years.
Of course, different things work for different people but I don’t really touch weights – it’s mainly explosive bodyweight stuff.
Anthony Yarde
"Now I work with a nutritionist through Maximuscle and the biggest difference I see is in my recovery.
"I always just used to deal with the post-training pain - but now, with more attention to detail with my nutrition, I recover faster.
"A big thing for me is using BCAAs during training and then in my post-workout shake.
"I also get cravings for sweet things and I find the flavour satisfies that, which means it helps to regulate my appetite.”
Yarde was once a budding footballer before switching to boxing and likes to freshen up his sessions with a good ball game.
He revealed: “When you see some guys who’ve only ever done boxing they can be a bit stiff in their upper body and a bit flat-footed.
“My football background taught me to have quick feet and my athletics background gave me dynamic flexibility and explosive power.
"Having different influences also makes you open to new training ideas – I’ve always been open-minded about how to train.”
