weights

[Hearnsz]

Hey I just started doing deadlifts, benchpresses, squats and latpulldowns.
The thing is I don't really look to gain weight. (I do 5x5, once a week)
So my question is: can you actually get stronger doing weights, without gaining weight?

Only educated answers please...
PS: also read this thread http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=233927 because no one has answered there so far

[PunchDrunk]

Yes you can. It's called neural adaptations. It means that your body adapts by activating more of your existing muscle. You can only activate 40 to 50% of your muscle mass. Training can increase this number, thereby making you considerably stronger, without adding mass.
The key to gaining size is eating enough, just like the key to losing weight is proper dieting, training alone won't accomplish either.

Weight training once a week, you have nothing to worry about size wise, but you should maybe step it up to two ro three times a week, depending on your training schedule.

[Hearnsz]

Yes you can. It's called neural adaptations. It means that your body adapts by activating more of your existing muscle. You can only activate 40 to 50% of your muscle mass. Training can increase this number, thereby making you considerably stronger, without adding mass.
The key to gaining size is eating enough, just like the key to losing weight is proper dieting, training alone won't accomplish either.

Weight training once a week, you have nothing to worry about size wise, but you should maybe step it up to two ro three times a week, depending on your training schedule.

Thanks
I have read before about the neural adaptions but it said you're body is almost fully adapted after just one month, and after that you start gaining muscle mass.

I can't really go weight training more than once a week because of time.
-wed/fri I go to the boxing gym
-saturday I go weight training + 20min HIIT
-sunday in the morning I go swimming (1hour) + in the afternoon: short workout with 6kg shotput-ball (or whatever its called): explosive slams, throws...
-tues/thurs I train a bit at home (explosive push ups, pull ups, jumps, heavy bag) (1hour)
-monday is my day off (sometimes I go boxing though)

So my next questions are:
1. Does weight training once a week make sense, without eating more/getting bigger? And will it maybe stop making sense after my body is adapted?
2. Are there any boxers that do weights and aren't moving up in weight? Or do boxers only do weights when they are trying to move up in weight?
3. Did the big punchers in history even use weights? Or what did they do to increase power/speed? (Gerald McClellan, Julian Jackson, Naseem Hamed,...)

Thanks in advance

[PunchDrunk]

Thanks
I have read before about the neural adaptions but it said you're body is almost fully adapted after just one month, and after that you start gaining muscle mass.

I can't really go weight training more than once a week because of time.
-wed/fri I go to the boxing gym
-saturday I go weight training + 20min HIIT
-sunday in the morning I go swimming (1hour) + in the afternoon: short workout with 6kg shotput-ball (or whatever its called): explosive slams, throws...
-tues/thurs I train a bit at home (explosive push ups, pull ups, jumps, heavy bag) (1hour)
-monday is my day off (sometimes I go boxing though)

So my next questions are:
1. Does weight training once a week make sense, without eating more/getting bigger? And will it maybe stop making sense after my body is adapted?
2. Are there any boxers that do weights and aren't moving up in weight? Or do boxers only do weights when they are trying to move up in weight?
3. Did the big punchers in history even use weights? Or what did they do to increase power/speed? (Gerald McClellan, Julian Jackson, Naseem Hamed,...)

Thanks in advance

Your body is not fully adapted after one month. They have weight categories in power lifting and Olympic weightlifting too, you know. Those guys get stronger for years and years.

1. It makes sense. The result won't be as good as if you train more, but on the other hand, recovering will be easier. Even when you get to a point where you don't keep getting stronger, you'll maintain the strength you have.
2. All my boxers do weights. I've even moved some of them down a division, while they're getting stronger (and faster).
3. Hard to say who did what, when. There are countless rumours though, I wouldn't listen too much to hearsay though... Big punchers are born, not made. Some guys can punch a hole in a steel plate without lifting a finger, and some guys can do all the training in the world and they'll never have a big punch. However, everybody can become a better version of themselves with the proper training. "Rocky didn't do weights and he had KO power" - Okay, but have you considered whether he could have been even more powerful if he had done weights? Beware of anecdotal "evidence"....

[Hearnsz]

Awesome,
great thanks for the very clear answer once again!
I see how squats, deadlifts, benchpresses and latpulldowns can give you more power, but not really how they can make you faster though... (I can't really afford to explode with those exercises because that would be too dangerous I think. It's also too difficult to explode because of the high weight.)

What kind of exercises do you let your boxers do to get faster than?
I currently just spend a few minutes a day single jabbing as fast as I can. I've heard it trains the nervesystem and therefore makes you faster.
I'm also going to buy a resistance band soon so I can get some horizontal resistance on my punches. That should also make them faster no?

Alot of people say you should shadowbox with handweights but I don't see how that would work. The vertical resistance (gravity on the weights) only works the muscles that keep your arm up - with other words: the shoulders.

[Trrmo]

great answers Punchdrunk, should be made a sticky

[Squirrel]

Yes, for strenght you need to be performing few repetitions (1-3) of weights ~90% of your max lift.

Moderate weight and more reps (3-5 x 8-12) will result in hypertrophy, ie gaining muscle mass.

Low weight x lots of reps results in muscular endurance.

Training with weights and resistance bands increases hand-speed yeah, though dont expect to end up like RJJ or something.

[PunchDrunk]

Awesome,
great thanks for the very clear answer once again!
I see how squats, deadlifts, benchpresses and latpulldowns can give you more power, but not really how they can make you faster though... (I can't really afford to explode with those exercises because that would be too dangerous I think. It's also too difficult to explode because of the high weight.)

What kind of exercises do you let your boxers do to get faster than?
I currently just spend a few minutes a day single jabbing as fast as I can. I've heard it trains the nervesystem and therefore makes you faster.
I'm also going to buy a resistance band soon so I can get some horizontal resistance on my punches. That should also make them faster no?

Alot of people say you should shadowbox with handweights but I don't see how that would work. The vertical resistance (gravity on the weights) only works the muscles that keep your arm up - with other words: the shoulders.

Speed or explosiveness is correlated to your strength. The higher your strength, the higher your potential for speed and explosiveness. Don't be fooled by the fact that a heavy lift moves slowly. As long as you accelerate the weight as much as you can (which will obviously be slow at 85% or higher), your neural system and fast twitch fibers are working overtime.

With my fighters I use a system of punching drills (not shadowboxing per se) with hand weights, medicine ball drills where you mimick straight punches, hooks, and uppercuts. Depending on the duration/reps/timing of these exercises, I use for both developing power and power endurance.

You've misanalyzed the handweight thing a little IMO. Yes, when you hold it still, the resistance is vertical, but when you start moving it horisontally (by punching), the resistance actually shifts to horisontal. Think about it, it's the exact same type of resistance as your hand and/or the glove when you punch. Therefore it is absolutely a functional tool, when used correctly.

[PunchDrunk]

Moderate weight and more reps (3-5 x 8-12) will result in hypertrophy, ie gaining muscle mass.

Only when combined with a proper diet.

[Trrmo]

Moderate weight and more reps (3-5 x 8-12) will result in hypertrophy, ie gaining muscle mass.

Only when combined with a proper diet.

Thats right, without a calorie surplus you won´t gain any muscle mass, in fact you may lose it.