"Gone are the days of getting up at five in the morning and running ten miles. You've got to optimise the boxing"

Elite boxing coach Shane McGuigan tells MF about the new way of doing things

- By Rob Kemp

At 35, Shane McGuigan is one of the most respected coaches in boxing. The son of former featherweight world champion Barry McGuigan, his modern methods have helped propel the likes of Lawrence Okolie, Josh Taylor, George Groves and Carl Frampton to world title success – establishing McGuigan as one of the most in-demand trainers around.

Men’s Fitness: Was boxing a natural career path for the son of a world champion?

Shane McGuigan: Not really. I took it up when I was 14, but dad didn’t want me to box. I just wanted to get fitter. I went running at first and then decided to give boxing a go. I started sneaking off school to go to the local boxing gym. When dad got wind of it, he said, “Well, if you’re going to box, I want to help you do it properly.”

MF: You boxed until you were 22 and won three national titles, so how did the move to coaching come about?

SM: I didn’t enjoy the competition side of boxing, but I enjoyed the preparation side of it. I was interested in the coaching and the science. I stopped fighting and learned about anatomy, and did personal training courses at the elite Irish Strength Institute in Dublin. I got fascinated by things like the anabolic diet. I got an internship with the Charles Poliquin school out at Rhode Island, and learned a lot about the old-school methods of training and diet, which were ahead of their time.

MF: How does your approach differ when it comes to strength training?