This routine sits at the heart of the new Nakatani x BOXRAW collection, a collaboration built around the kind of work people don’t see, the uncomfortable, stripped back training that sharpens elite fighters behind the scenes. This is a small window into that world.
The Work Behind The Work
There’s a difference between going through the motions and training with intent. Junto Nakatani sits firmly in the latter. His shadowboxing isn’t just a warm up, it’s a calculated way to push his body into places most fighters avoid.
Junto is preparing for the biggest fight of his career, The Day. Junto comes head to head with Naoya Inoue in what promises to be the biggest fight Japan has ever seen..
The Routine, Broken Down
The first four rounds at a steady pace. Nothing too explosive just controlled shadowboxing with intent, building rhythm and getting the body fully switched on. Forty seconds rest between each.
Then the intensity starts to climb.
The next four rounds shift into intervals, 20 seconds sprint, 20 seconds relaxed.
Back and forth for the full three minutes. The pace lifts, the output increases, and you start to feel the workload stack.
Then comes the final four rounds, the hardest part of the session. 10 seconds all out sprint (holding your breath), 15 seconds relaxed. This is repeated over the entire round until four rounds of 3 minutes have been completed this way.
The oxygen drops, the fatigue builds, and everything tightens up but the expectation stays the same. Sharp, fast, and controlled.
Twelve rounds in total. Each phase building on the last. Perfect preparation for what undoubtedly will be the toughest test of his career against Inoue
Pad & Bag Work
Consisting of two three minute rounds, the first is about timing and accuracy, working clean combinations at a measured pace. Then it shifts into interval work, mixing short explosive bursts with brief resets. By the final round, reactive combinations under fatigue begin to show a test of willpower.
Next we move onto two rounds on the heavy bag. Proper shots now driven, committed punches. Mixing in body work, sharp combinations, and bursts of speed that echo what came earlier in the session. The same intensity carries through, only now there’s something solid in front of him taking the impact, this is again done for two three minute rounds.
Core & Cool Down
From there, it’s straight down onto the floor.
The sit ups follow a simple pattern, but they’re anything but easy. Three regular reps, then one excruciatingly slow, controlled descent really taking the time to lower himself with no momentum at all. It’s that fourth rep that does the damage. He keeps repeating the sequence until he hits sixteen in total.
It’s less about chasing numbers and more about staying in control when everything’s already tired.
The focus then shifts to stretching but not the lazy kind. These are deep holds for the legs and lower back, each one lasting anywhere from thirty seconds to a full minute. It’s deliberate, uncomfortable, and necessary. A chance to reset slightly, but still very much part of the work.
Why It Works?
What stands out with Nakatani is how he uses shadowboxing as more than just a technical drill. It becomes conditioning, discipline, and mental work all in one. Training the body to stay sharp when it’s short on oxygen, when it’s tired and when it would be easier to slow down.
It’s not complicated, but it is highly demanding and takes a huge amount of self discipline and focus.
Try It Yourself
10 minute stretch at the start
Shadow boxing:
- 4x 3 min rounds (40s rest)
- 4x 3min rounds – 20s sprint / 20s relaxed
- 4x 3min rounds- 10s sprint (hold breath) / 15s relaxed
Pad work:
Bag work:
- Bagwork – 2x 3min rounds
Finishing exercises:
- Core finisher – 10min
- Stretch to cool down – 10min
NAKATANI x BOXRAW
It’s not built for comfort, it’s built for results.
That’s exactly what the Naktani x BOXRAW collection represents. The same mindset, the same attention to detail, and the same focus on performance under pressure. No excess, no shortcuts just gear designed for real work.
If you want to train like this, you need kit that holds up when sessions get uncomfortable.
Explore the collection now while stocks last.
