The advantages of fat in boxing

[NEETzschean]

Having a naturally high body fat % can be a considerable advantage provided the fighter is also well-conditioned, muscular and has a sufficiently large frame to carry it well:

1. Wrestling/clinching benefits (easier to push them and harder to push you, easier to hold and nullify their offense while punching them, harder for them to get their arms around your waist, more sweaty and slippery for them, more able to conserve your energy and sap their physical and mental stamina through leaning and domination in the clinch)

2. Psychological factors (less bodily neuroticism, narcissism and pressure, fewer dietary restrictions, underestimation from the opponent and judges or greater fear of humiliation and loss for the opponent, mass as powerful and intimidating in itself)

3. Fat is easier to pack on than muscle and doesn’t require many hours in the weight room to build and maintain, increasing your time and energy for boxing training and reducing the risk of injury

4. Being overmuscled makes an otherwise well-conditioned fighter gas more quickly than being fat because fat is much more inert

5. Increased punch resistance (layers of protective fat provide superior shock absorption and make you harder to knock down)

6. Increased punch power (provided the fat is not grossly excessive)

[War Room]

Looks like we got a fresh alt for tonights festivities!
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[MartialMind]

Does anyone miss the 70s era HWs who actually looked like fit athletes?


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[GrandpaBernard]

advantage: instant fanbase: dorks who always go for the underdog will relate to fat boxers

[NEETzschean]

Does anyone miss the 70s era HWs who actually looked like fit athletes?


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Athletic Ken Norton got KO'd in less than two rounds by every decent puncher he ever faced: Shavers, Foreman, Cooney and even got KO'd by a bummy cruiser earlier in his career. 70's Ali was usually up in the 220's with visible bodyfat, no longer the slim borderline cruiser he was in the 60's and he claimed that carrying extra fat improved his punch resistance. Foreman of course packed on the flab in his comeback and was far more of a physical presence in the ring when 40 lbs heavier than in his younger days and never got KO'd or even dropped in the 90's.

If you're the kind of guy who wants to see men with far more bulging abs and pecs than were around in the 70's, just look at Klitschko or AJ. But being ripped doesn't win you fights as AJ found out against Ruiz. As Fury said the other day, this is heavyweight boxing, not a bodybuilding contest.

[Zaryu]

Not rolls of fat, but no need to cut down to single digits bodyfat for heavyweights

[Roadblock]

Not rolls of fat, but no need to cut down to single digits bodyfat for heavyweights

True there is no need unless you are trained to perfection hitting a weight where the perfect balance of speed power and endurance is met, anything outside of perfect will affect those attributes in some way, fat for instance stores energy and is needed it also takes the place of muscle so too much fat will cost you muscle strength and muscle endurance,

Its all about balance not excess in anything, the body is nothing more than motors pumps and levers, all parts have an optimal setting in the end result.

[just the facts]

Having a naturally high body fat % can be a considerable advantage provided the fighter is also well-conditioned, muscular and has a sufficiently large frame to carry it well:

1. Wrestling/clinching benefits (easier to push them and harder to push you, easier to hold and nullify their offense while punching them, harder for them to get their arms around your waist, more sweaty and slippery for them, more able to conserve your energy and sap their physical and mental stamina through leaning and domination in the clinch)

2. Psychological factors (less bodily neuroticism, narcissism and pressure, fewer dietary restrictions, underestimation from the opponent and judges or greater fear of humiliation and loss for the opponent, mass as powerful and intimidating in itself)

3. Fat is easier to pack on than muscle and doesn’t require many hours in the weight room to build and maintain, increasing your time and energy for boxing training and reducing the risk of injury

4. Being overmuscled makes an otherwise well-conditioned fighter gas more quickly than being fat because fat is much more inert

5. Increased punch resistance (layers of protective fat provide superior shock absorption and make you harder to knock down)

6. Increased punch power (provided the fat is not grossly excessive)

No such thing as far and well conditioned.

[NEETzschean]

No such thing as far and well conditioned.

How do you think natural middleweights James Toney or Jared Cannonier (mma) would have faired at heavyweight without being fat? Why is it that in many other fighting sports as well as boxing (sumo wrestling in particular) fat is either necessary or complimentary for certain fighting styles? Some fat men can do 12 hard rounds no problem, while muscular athletic types often gas after 3-4 hard rounds.

[NEETzschean]

Not rolls of fat, but no need to cut down to single digits bodyfat for heavyweights

If a heavyweight who frequently likes to use his physicality can carry another 10-15 lbs of fat without really compromising his speed, agility or stamina, the benefits far outweigh the costs.