Does fat make you better at heavyweight

[1lparm]

Fury has ripped up the book of what a world class heavyweight should look like physically the same with Andy Ruiz. Two tubby lads that dominated this era without looking like a bodybuilder. Is the extra fat but superior fitness the way forward for the division.

[Cypocryphy]

Fury has ripped up the book of what a world class heavyweight should look like physically the same with Andy Ruiz. Two tubby lads that dominated this era without looking like a bodybuilder. Is the extra fat but superior fitness the way forward for the division.

It's weight, not fat, per se. Weight makes you take punches better and hit harder. It's simple physics. Muscles burn up oxygen, so in a sense, less muscle and more fat will allow you to hit harder without getting gassed as easily. Of course it's not that simple, but that's a rule of thumb. You obviously don't want to be fat just like you don't want to be a bodybuilder.

[NC Uppercut]

Fury has ripped up the book of what a world class heavyweight should look like physically the same with Andy Ruiz. Two tubby lads that dominated this era without looking like a bodybuilder. Is the extra fat but superior fitness the way forward for the division.

Muscle weighs more than fat. Fat requires les oxygen and blood flow though. Take your pick

[sicko]

Extra Weight can help with Punch Resistance for sure

[GelfSara]

Fury has ripped up the book of what a world class heavyweight should look like physically the same with Andy Ruiz. Two tubby lads that dominated this era without looking like a bodybuilder. Is the extra fat but superior fitness the way forward for the division.

The primary benefit of excess bodyfat--for boxers--is that it does provide additional cushioning to protect against punches to the body. One rarely sees heavyweights KO'd by body shots; this may be one reason why.

Generally, of course, bodyfat above a certain minimal level (typically 6-12% for men, depending on genetics) is simply dead weight that makes everything more difficult. Strap on a weighted vest loaded with 20-50lbs and try sparring to get a reasonable approximation of what 20-50lbs of extra bodyfat will do to a boxer.

It's intriguing to contemplate how much better Fury and especially Ruiz would be if they could improve in this area.

[sherdog]

I literally cannot believe there are people in this thread arguing the benefits of carrying excess fat

[GelfSara]

It's weight, not fat, per se. Weight makes you take punches better and hit harder. It's simple physics. Muscles burn up oxygen, so in a sense, less muscle and more fat will allow you to hit harder without getting gassed as easily.

All voluntary movement is mediated through skeletal muscle while bodyfat is "just along for the ride".
The greater metabolic demand of muscle--the fact that an athlete who gains 10lbs of muscle will increase his caloric expenditure more than he would if he added 10lbs of fat--is due to the fact that muscle powers movement as opposed to being an inert storage depot of surplus dietary energy.
I am not sure if the statement "less muscle and more fat will allow you to hit harder without getting gassed as easily" was intended as a joke, but obviously this is untrue; the "hitting" is powered by muscle, this statement is tantamount to claiming that "If I reduce the power of my car's engine (read: less muscle) and fill the trunk of my car with bricks (read: more bodyfat) I will drive up a hill faster and will minimize strain on the engine and save gas."

[tritium_arma]

Tyson Fury is peak boxing physique.

[deathofaclown]

The thing with Fury is that a lot of his “fat” is excess skin from dropping 140lbs after he went obese, giving him the illusion he’s fatter than he is. He’s never been the ripped type anyway though. His family said for years he’s better when he’s around 260-270, so obviously the added weight helps him. He was in the 240’s for the Wlad fight. I’d have personally thought excess fat isn’t helpful to anyone, but who am I to argue with the people that watch them fight/spar/train every day.

Ultimately I don’t think it matters too much, unless you’re too muscular to the point it’s affecting your stamina (AJ). Or your extra fatness is down to not training, like Ruiz in the AJ rematch.

Of course lower weight fighters are usually going to look ripped because most of them are boiling down to the weight of a teenage girl instead of their natural walking around weight.

But obviously heavyweights don’t need to make weight. Some will naturally have the body type to look muscular just from training, some won’t. Some will do it for aesthetic reasons I suppose but that won’t win a fight.

could Fury and Ruiz look like Frank Bruno in terms of muscles? I don’t know, Maybe if they completely dedicated their like to a bodybuilding routine, training and diet like some Instagram person, But what use would that be at the expense of boxing training? We know fury can fight 12 rounds and has good stamina and Ruiz has shown it too, so it wouldn’t really serve any purpose to become ripped as long as they work hard in camp

[Silence]

Yep no one can KO Fury and Ruiz by body shot.