Few questions

[JayCoe]

Hi, well i'm new here so here's some details, i'm pretty slim (I think). I'm 5ft 11.5/6ft, ~ 151lbs, 13% bodyfat, (annoying rose from 8% whilst at Uni'). I don't box yet but I am really kean to actually start doing it rather than just have an interest in it. So, first of all, how much work have I got cut out? I'd like to be in no lower class than the middle weight. I know i've got the heart to fight, the aggression but also calm to but I feel as if I don't have the muscle.

What kind of things should I focus on doing? I've got about 4 weeks until I go back to Uni' and i'd like to get going when I get back. So, any suggestions on where I should start?

[Clegg]

First of all these are just my opinions based upon my experience and my boxing knowledge, both of which are outweighed by other posters here and elsewhere. Different people have different perspectives and can offer help in different ways. You can probably find some good articles online also.

Apologies if this post is a bit long but when I do something I always like to know why I'm doing it, the thinking behind it etc. so I try to provide that here.

First of all I wouldn't worry too much about muscle. Having good punching power has a lot more to do with technique and how you place your feet than muscle. Muscle can also slow you down. Aside from your punches possibly being slower because of being heavier, it can also slow down how quickly you move around the ring.

In terms of punching power there are several fighters without much muscle at all who punch very hard. An example would be Kelly Pavlik. Julian Jackson is possibly the hardest punching middleweight ever and had a good physique, but he wasn't any more muscular than Jermaine Taylor.

If you think of the example of runners. Sprinters are often muscular, but long distance runners aren't. The sort of exercise that requires/results in good stamina doesn't often go well with the sort of exercise that requires/results in big muscles. Example of boxers with impressive muscularity but questionable stamina would be David Haye and Frank Bruno.

A final point on this is that heavier weight lifting requires and builds muscle fibers built for strength but not endurance. The heavier the weight the more these come into play. Boxing on the other hand requires muscle endurance, and so slow twitch muscle fibers are required. In a weight lifting gym I'd do less than 100 reps per session. In a boxing gym I probably throw more than 1000 punches per session. Most people are the same.

I'm not saying don't lift weights, but it isn't essential that you do so and in my opinion certain boxers would've had better careers if they had done a bit less of it.

What I would advise you to do is to improve your physical condition by sorting out a diet and an exercise routine that is reasonable. If you aren't doing this at the moment then whatever you do will result in improvements. Set yourself realistic goals so that you have a target to work towards. Do some running and see what level of fitness you're at, then try and improve upon that each week.

What makes you want to be no lower than the middleweight division? In the UK MW is 69KG-75KG (just under 12 stone). It might be slightly different if you're in the US.

Good luck

Edited to add: Sorry if I'm telling you what you already know, I had a look through your posts and you seem a knowledgeable guy.

[JayCoe]

Hi, thank you for all of your help, much appreciated. It doesn't matter if you tell me stuff I already know because it just means I can confirm what I already know.