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American Nick Curson steps up Filipino boxers' strength and conditioning


Modern day boxing has a lot of science behind it. Unlike traditional/old school training methods, boxers nowadays don't go to the gym just to sweat it out on the heavy bag. Proper strength and conditioning drills have quickly become a necessity for most boxers; exercises are well thought of and calculated, backed with a scientific explanation as to why and how it must be done. In the case of Manny Pacquiao, he needed Alex Ariza as his conditioning coach to take his game to the next level.

While most Filipino boxers are definitely fit, strength and conditioning has long been a gray area in Philippine boxing. It is exactly for this reason why Nick Curson of Los Angeles, California has been tapped to train some of the country’s noteworthy boxers. Curson, who has been working with ALA boxers Donnie Nietes and Rey Bautista since April 7, has also been hired by none other than Nonito Donaire himself.

The 40-year-old Curson runs his own training facility called "Speed of Sport" in Redondo Beach, California. Besides boxing, Curson also handles a wide array of athletes from MMA, baseball, volleyball and football. Amongst his list of notable clients are 2011 world amateur boxing champion turned professional Taras Shelestyuk (8-0, 6KOs) and UFC lightweight contender Rafael Dos Anjos.

"Unlike most strength and conditioning trainers I don't use traditional or Olympic weightlifting methods which are so common these days," said Curson, who set the record straight that boxers are not supposed to lift. "Weight training with heavy loads has been scientifically proven to be detrimental to boxers’ speed, force, and accuracy."

Engaged to a Cebuana, it has always been his dream to work in the Philippines. Curson first handled Donnie Nietes and Merlito Sabillo in America and after impressing team ALA with his services, was then later invited to fly to Cebu and work with Nietes yet again and Rey Bautista as they prepare for Pinoy Pride 25.



Curson uses a variety of training methods to help athletes improve kinesthetic awareness, overall athleticism and coordination. Backed with effective manual therapy techniques, Curson firmly believes that anyone can improve and be more athletic from his his training regimen. The results of his training are apparent as Nietes looks to be in the best shape of his career, heading to his title defense this Saturday, May 10. Donaire on the other hand, can't help but say that he feels like a 21-year-old all over again.

"I've been studying various training modalities and martial arts for about 18 years," says Curson. "I was fortunate to be a training partner of former UFC champion BJ Penn for his successful title defense against Diego Sanchez. It was then that my training methods really rose to a higher level."

To be a successful conditioning coach, Curson believes that one must think outside the box and not just learn from fellow trainers, but also from athletes themselves. He vehemently opposes use of illegal substance, citing that his clients only takes multivitamins and nutrients from natural food.

He realizes that his fitness goals cannot be achieved if not for an athlete's dedication. And when it comes to Filipino boxers' will and work ethics, Curson has nothing but praises for them.

"I can say that they are the most humble and dedicated athletes I've ever worked with. If I ask them to do something, they never complain. They follow instructions well and they're always on time. They're so dedicated that most of the guys live at the gym during training camp."

"My goal is to help them implement a more scientific approach to training using methods that are much more advanced than what others are doing. My training offers a significant advantage to anyone doing it with proper supervision. I know that Filipinos can be great athletes on an international level and this can help unlock their true potential. If given the chance I would love to train many more Filipino athletes in various sports like soccer, basketball, taekwondo, triathlon. etc." - AMD, GMA News


JM Siasat is a boxing journalist based in Manila, Philippines. He can be reached at jmsiasat@ymail.com



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