weight training in boxing

[Gaz Youngs]

probly been 100's of threads like this but everytime i search I get an error so thought i'd ask ..

how do people incorprate weight training into their boxing, I used to only do weight training before I got back into boxing so everytime I do lift I still end up training asthough I was body building and find it hard and not very benificial doing light work outs with weights etc , been going to the gym on my days off from boxing 3 days a week, I stopped lifting all together but after having a bad back I ended up back in the gym just trying to stengthen my back I ended up almost back into a body building routine after getting the buzz back a little

read allsorts of different stuff , and others have said things like boxers should stick to things such as just deadlifts, bench press & squats , just woundering what people who box on here do or any routines they have and how many days per week they lift between boxing , do people just have whole body light work outs? or just stick to the routines ive heard people mension that i said above

im not in top shape or anything but quite strong and fit , just woundering what people do and whats going to be most beneficial

[~AK49~]

Depends on how serious you are taking boxing. I have no immediate plans on competing, so i dont mind putting on extra weight on my frame. If you are planning on competing, putting on that extra weight isnt to your advantage, as somebody that is naturally that weight will probably be naturally stronger than you.

If you're serious about boxing, just work on explosive type exercises, like plyometric type stuff for lower and upper body. If you're lifting weights, lighter weights and higher reps. If you are doing bench press (which you probbaly shouldnt for boxing), instead of doing barbell, do dumbells. Pullups are legit. etc.

Im no scientist tho, just how i see it.

[DaveJH]

Ignore all the bull**** that weight training is bad for boxing - that is outdated nonsense. Provided you train smart, you can get stronger, more explosive without any added bulk.

http://www.rosstraining.com/articles...htraining.html

This article explains it far better than I can, and Ross really knows his stuff and backs it all up with relevant studies.

And to the above poster, high reps low weight? No. That promotes sarcoplasmic hypertrophy which adds unnecessary mass. You want low reps, high weight which promotes myofibrillar hypertrophy - the increase in density of the muscle fibres without really increasing their size.

[~AK49~]

Ignore all the bull**** that weight training is bad for boxing - that is outdated nonsense. Provided you train smart, you can get stronger, more explosive without any added bulk.

http://www.rosstraining.com/articles...htraining.html

This article explains it far better than I can, and Ross really knows his stuff and backs it all up with relevant studies.

And to the above poster, high reps low weight? No. That promotes sarcoplasmic hypertrophy which adds unnecessary mass. You want low reps, high weight which promotes myofibrillar hypertrophy - the increase in density of the muscle fibres without really increasing their size.

Lol, no. Ultimately, it depends on diet, but lower reps, i.e. higher weights mean you are breaking your muscles apart more...i.e. they rebuild bigger...i.e. you add on bulk. Again, depending on diet, but it is not advantageous for you to break your muscles down, and not rebuild them with proper nutrition. You will get bigger.

What you are talking about is lifting heavy weights, and not having a proper diet. Your muscles will get stronger, but you wont get bigger, might even get smaller as your muscle will actually shrink. Ultimately, this is not advantageous for you. You want explosive speed and power, not one rep and gass out power.

[DaveJH]

Low reps are more conducive to explosiveness and power. High reps fill the muscle fibres with blood and plasma bulking them up. Hence the 'pump' that bodybuilders seek. Bodybuilders perform 8-12 reps so surely if low reps were 'so good' for bulking up they'd do that. Take the time to read the link I posted.

Also - you admit you're no scientist and it's just your opinion on things. The article I posted cites scientific studies. Ross has trained professional boxers and has worked for Chad Dawson before so it's evident that he knows what he's on with.

Yet another edit - you say low reps break down the muscles more. While this is true to an extent, it is 'time under tension' that does it the most. Higher reps = more time under tension.

It's all covered pretty comprehensively in the article I linked to - particularly this passage.

''
Thus, if you only lift very light loads, you will not adequately target the fast twitch muscle fibers. When lifting heavy loads (training maximal strength), a high percentage of motor units are activated. During such intense loads, fast twitch motor units are recruited. For this reason, maximal strength training is considered the superior method for improving both intramuscular and intermuscular coordination.

So, while excessive max-strength training can lead to problems, this strength quality must not be ignored. Through proper program design, max-strength training can be used to enhance the power potential of any athlete (ie. improve your ability to recruit, hence utilize your fast twitch muscle fibers). ''

[~AK49~]

Low reps are more conducive to explosiveness and power. High reps fill the muscle fibres with blood and plasma bulking them up. Hence the 'pump' that bodybuilders seek. Bodybuilders perform 8-12 reps so surely if low reps were 'so good' for bulking up they'd do that. Take the time to read the link I posted.

Also - you admit you're no scientist and it's just your opinion on things. The article I posted cites scientific studies. Ross has trained professional boxers and has worked for Chad Dawson before so it's evident that he knows what he's on with.

Again, diet is crucial. Its all about caloric intake if you build muscle or not. Thats why i asked op how serious about boxing he is, in anycase he ought to have a proper diet. You....need to educate yourself. Bodybuilders perform 4-8 reps for bulking, 8-whatever reps for stamina, etc.

As far as admitting im no scientist, i know a little more than that lets on, but im just calling it as it is, im no scientist. and neither are you.

educate yourself on what bodybuilders do atleast
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/index.php

then, please tell me the last prevalent time you saw boxers under a weight bench, doing squats, deads, etc. Not often. They do pullups, dips, pushups, plyometric pushups, plyo rows, plyo leg exercises for a reason.

[~AK49~]

It's all covered pretty comprehensively in the article I linked to - particularly this passage.

Once again, strength training will not lead to mass if the athlete utilizes the correct program, while also paying careful attention to his nutritional intake. The food that you consume is the real cause of weight gain (or loss).

translation, if you starve yourself you wont get bigger. Ive already said this.

[CymruAmByth]

I don't know about weights, but after my first am. fight i got a bad case of runners knee so took a couple of months away from boxing. In this time i done alot of calisthenics eg. working towards 1 arm press ups, 1 arm pull ups, handstand press ups and rope climbing etc. plus atleast one day a week of plyometrics. When i went back to boxing last week my power seemed through the roof and i noticed a good change in my hand speed. Was thinking of incorperating some olympic lifts into my strength plan aswell

[~AK49~]

Now i agree that higher weights and low reps does lead to strength, but it would behoove op to add in plyo exercises. Boxers and trainers swear by it for a reason, the results are real life verified.

I just box for fun (sparring, heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag, etc), and also lift weights (squats, deads, bench press, etc). Im bigger than what would be best for me as a boxer, by about 20 lbs. It would suck for me to cut that weight at this point, those additional 20 lbs ive added pretty much all muscle, with a sub 5 percent body fat.

[DaveJH]

Oh I'm definitely an advocate of plyometrics - they're perhaps the greatest tool for increasing power throughout the body, but I'm just saying that strength training methods such as those I've mentioned can't be discounted. Again, 4-8 reps is a different beast to 3-5 reps.

I've just found a book which covers the matter. Here's an excerpt:

"Q: Should a fighter lift with high or low repetitions?

A: There is no single answer to this question. Different rep schemes will target different objectives. Anyone who suggests one rep scheme is ideal in all situations does not understand the intricacies of program creation. Those who search for a silver bullet will not find one. It does not exist. Estimates of various rep ranges are provided below.

- Strength = 1 to 5 repetitions per set, with 80 to 100% of the individual's 1 rep max. Focus on maximal tension.
-Power = 1 to 5 repetitions per set, with 70 to 100% of the individual's 1 rep max. Focus on speed of movement.
- Hypertrophy = 8-12 repetitions per set, with 60 to 80% of the individual's 1 rep max.
- Muscular endurance: 15 or more repetitions per set, with lighter loads (ex. 50% of the individual's 1 rep max.)

These numbers are estimates, and do not make considerations for various forms of strength (ex. speed strenth).

What the figures do show, however, are a few simple guidelines. Clearly, heavier loads are more suited to maximal strength development. Lighter loads lifted for higher repetitions, are more suited for hypertrophy and muscular endurance. As the load is decreased, your focus shifts first towards hyppertrophy, and then towards muscular endurance as the load continues to decrease"