Weights

[Chris46]

i dnt lyk the whole brightness idea wen ur training, i prefer a nice dark place were i can strut my stuff

[platinummatt!]

I just ordered a set of 35kg weights. 2 single hand, and 1 long bar. and the weights come off and you lock them on.

[Darkstranger]

I've only just started boxing training, but I've been lifting weights for about 8 years and quite bulked up. The first thing my trainer said to me is that I'm too bulky and need to get a little more slender in order to get quicker. I have noticed that boxers tend not to have bulky looking biceps. The heavyweights are full of big men that may appear to have big biceps but they're actually small in comparison to bodybuilders. I'm guessing that the biceps doesn't have a huge part to play in punching as the power comes from the hips and the transferring of your weight like many throwing and athletic sports. Boxing probably relies a bit more on the fast twitch explosive fibres in the muscles rather than the slow twitch muscles used for heavy lifting and bulking up.

[fraidycat]

I can only relay what has worked for me.

Squats, cleans, and deadlifts.

I do one day of each, 6-8 sets with about 50% of my max for 6-8 reps. I do these on the days when I'm not boxing. Bigger biceps will not help your boxing. Having any one muscle group overdeveloped will not improve your boxing. Boxing requires you to coordinate many muscles and train them to work together. A good punch starts from your toes and uses nearly every muscle in your body, from your feet, through your legs, cranking down with your abs, rotating the shoulder, tensing and relaxing the arm, and even clenching your fingers. It all has to be strong, and it all has to be conditioned to work in concert if you want to hit really hard. This is one reason that you'll be told again and again to hit the heavy bag if you want to develop punching power. This is true; weights won't teach you to punch. But compound lifts -- squat, clean, deadlift -- will do a thousand times more to strengthen your skills than curls or tricep kickbacks will.

The squat and the power clean each use about 75% of the muscles in your body. The squat builds stability, balance, and lower-body strength. The power clean builds coordination and explosive power, and probably helped my punching power more than anything else I've done since learning how to throw my punches properly. The deadlift builds hand strength and posture (it loosens up your pecs and forces your shoulders back) as well as building leg and back strength.

If you do multiple sets with a lighter weight and controlled movements, you'll build up your endurance, you won't get "huge," and it will be easier to learn the forms. Get a trainer to show you the proper way to do these lifts. They are skills and they require practice and instruction. There is a very good chance that a trainer at a "fitness gym" will know ****-all about compound lifts; this is why you should go to a serious gym or shell our the $50 for a pro trainer to show you the proper form.

I hope this helps.

[Chris46]

yeh it does, thanx very much

[mistahay0]

ya dont use weights to get a lot bigger. It will only slow you down. Try using around 2 pounds of weight in ur hands while shadow boxing. You can keep your speed while making your punch stronger. Its important to have definition, but you dont have to overboard. It isnt necessary to develop large muscles. Try handgrips, sit-ups, running and conditioning drills along with the right wieght training and youll get in fighting shape.

[fraidycat]

ya dont use weights to get a lot bigger. It will only slow you down. Try using around 2 pounds of weight in ur hands while shadow boxing. You can keep your speed while making your punch stronger. Its important to have definition, but you dont have to overboard. It isnt necessary to develop large muscles. Try handgrips, sit-ups, running and conditioning drills along with the right wieght training and youll get in fighting shape.

I agree that shadowboxing with weights will help your punching. But boxing is not just punching. Boxing also entails breaking clinches, feinting, coming out of weaves explosively, pivoting, leaning, changing direction in a split-second. . . it goes on and on. Whole-body strength, explosive power, and coordination is just as important as the ability to hit hard. I agree that you don't have to be big or heavily-muscled, but strength training (not bodybuilding) will benefit you in the ring past just punching. JMO, and I know it's not a popular one.

[PunchDrunk]

I agree that shadowboxing with weights will help your punching. But boxing is not just punching. Boxing also entails breaking clinches, feinting, coming out of weaves explosively, pivoting, leaning, changing direction in a split-second. . . it goes on and on. Whole-body strength, explosive power, and coordination is just as important as the ability to hit hard. I agree that you don't have to be big or heavily-muscled, but strength training (not bodybuilding) will benefit you in the ring past just punching. JMO, and I know it's not a popular one.

Exactly. The problem is mistahay0 doesn't seem to be able to tell strength training and bodybuilding apart. Lifting heavy does NOT have to be something you do to gain size, but to gain strength (and yes, that can be done without gaining size).