On 28 June, Jake Paul and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will meet in the ring for the former’s 13th professional boxing bout, and the latter’s 62nd. This is one of many stark differences between the pair.
As a fitness writer, my main interest is what they have been doing to prepare physically for the fight, and there have been contrasting approaches here, too.
Over the last few months, Paul has been perennially online, as is customary. Across various videos he can be seen training on the track, in the ring and in the gym as he primes himself for the cruiserweight clash.
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Chavez Jr, on the other hand, has been less forthcoming with details about his preparations. There is one clip from last month showing him hitting a circuit of hurdles, sled pushes, Versaclimber intervals, slam ball chest throws and battle ropes, dressed in head-to-toe sweats. But beyond this, training insights have been few and far between.
A recent video with DAZN captures him working through some footwork techniques, with coach Jorge Capetillo revealing his “conditioning is very well [sic] – he’s been doing between 10 and 12 rounds [in training] so I feel comfortable he will put in a great performance”. After this, Chavez Jr heads home to put his feet up on the sofa while watching TV with his team.
As he does this, he is zipped into a pair of inflating boots that rise up to his hips. So what are these odd-looking contraptions, and how could they help Chavez Jr’s training efforts?
Chavez Jr’s recovery secret
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The boots are called Hyperice Normatec compression boots, with the latest release – the Normatec Premier – costing a cool £999. They are a popular recovery tool among elite athletes, with users across the NBA, NFL, top-level tennis, PGA Tour and more. But how do they work?
They contain five chambers which inflate from the bottom up, applying “dynamic air compression” to your legs like a pump-operated masseuse. You can select from seven compression levels, and choose to apply extra pressure to any of the five compartments to target areas in need of particular attention.
“Our patented Pulse technology delivers precise treatment to five overlapping zones by using biomimicry to replicate the natural muscle pumps and one-way valves of the legs,” a Hyperice spokesman explains.
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The idea is that the pulsing compressions improve circulation through the limbs, removing waste products and acting as a catalyst to recovery. The intended result is a body that feels fresher post-exercise, with freedom of movement and minimal delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
The scientific term for these compression boots, and others like them, is ‘pneumatic compression devices’. Over the last 25 years, there have been several studies exploring the effects of ‘intermittent pneumatic compression’ (IPC) administered in this way.
A 2024 review of existing research, published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, concluded: “The wide and diversified use of IPC as a recovery method demonstrates the existence of benefits made available by it, although empirical due to the few studies carried out for this objective.”
It went on: “There is a positive response from the IPC when compared to passive recovery, which seems to make it an equipment of interest and efficiency for the recovery of athletes and exercise practitioners after competitions or even training stages.”
Or, in layman’s terms, athletes subjectively report feeling good after using the boots. For recreational fighters, £999 might be a tall price to pay for this. But for the sporting elite like Chavez Jr, every little helps, and if it means he can train with greater quality and consistency it may be worth it.
The review goes on to say that more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind IPC and uncover the optimal protocol for using it with various types of training.
“There is a need to find the best form of recovery on an individual basis and according to the sport practice,” the study adds.
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