Hey. I'm 16 and am considering having an amatuer bout. I have been hearing mixed opinions about whether boxers should lift weights, and how heavy. One of my trainers is worried about me becoming to 'heavy' for my weight division and fighting taller fighters with longer reach. Do you think weight training would be good? thanks.
Hey. I'm 16 and am considering having an amatuer bout. I have been hearing mixed opinions about whether boxers should lift weights, and how heavy. One of my trainers is worried about me becoming to 'heavy' for my weight division and fighting taller fighters with longer reach. Do you think weight training would be good? thanks.
Lifting weights is very bad for boxing. All of the guys that do it have horrible stamina (Briggs, Bruno, post prison Tyson). You can get muscle by doing pulls ups, push ups, etc. Stay away from the weights.
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MEMBER OF BOXINGFORUM.COM HALL OF FAME-JANUARY, 2008
Body building is bad for a boxer
Not lifting weights.
When lifting weights don’t go too heavy
But go for lots of reps.
Reps help stamina.
My old trainer gave me this simple advice
If you can max out at 200# at 10 reps
Lift 50# 75 times or until you can’t do anymore.
Ill look for my old logs and post them up.
Resistence exercise includes any form of movement where resistence is put against a muscle, and the muscle is required to push or pull against the resistence.
The most common form of resistence training today is weightlifting. Maybe you have heard some refer to it in boxing as strength training today. However, in my veiw, not only is it the wrong way to exercise. It's most especially the wrong way for a boxer to exercise. It is an unnatural form of exercise. Chimpanzees, as an example, are eight times stronger than a man, yet do not lift weights.
Lifting weights can increase the size and strength of muscles ... but genenally only increases the size and strength of muscles than are seen that have aesthetic value. It does not address the majority of muscles that have no aesthetic value such as ligaments and tendons, and leaves ligaments and tendons weak.
Weight training also does not increase flexiblity --- it actually reduces flexibility, thus hindering the flow of energy through the body.
Lifting weights in my veiw is the wrong way to exercise ... strenous pulling or pushing of weights in lifting weights ... can also affect your heart, kidneys, and other vital internal organs.
Old fashion Hard calisthenics like pushups, knees bends and things such as that as well as Isometic exercises in my veiw is over all by far better than lifting weights.
It should also be realized that boxing, like many other sports ... is not all about brute strength, but skill.
__________________ "The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."
In regards to strength training ... I read once about a guy named Danny Hodge ... who was a professional wrestler in back a lot of years ago ... who had also been prior to that a champion amateur wrestlers and had won the national title ... and later took up amateur boxing and excelled in boxing as well and was a champion and had won the national title.
He did not lift weights. Few wrestlers and boxers, few athletes exercised by lifting weights in those days. Football players didn't either.
If you were to see pictures of Danny Hodge ... you would not think imagine really just how strong he was. But did not have a musclebound physique ... but he was a very, very strong guy. And as for being a wrestler ... he was a small guy for being a wrestler. He was of average height ... not tall, and weight around about 200 pounds or less in the 190's.
He exercised by just doing old fashioned push ups, situps, knee bends and stretching exercises as well as Isometic exercises ... and this kind of thing. He especially did a lot of Isometic exercises. He did not lift weights.
He was so strong that he could break a steel pair of plyers in his hand ... that's how strong his hands were. Early I mentioned that generally exercising by lifting weights does not address the majority of muscles ... by generally only muscles that are seem that have aesthetic value. It does not address the strength of ligaments and tendons. This can create an in balance, where some muscles are strong and abnormally large, and other muscles, ligaments and tendons are weak and disportionate in size. In part, this is why I say that are for strength training doing old fashion hard calisthenics such as push ups as well as other old fashioned exercises as well as doing Isometic exercises is by far better than doing any form of exercising by lifting weights.
Much of Danny Hodges strength ... came from muscles he had that were very strong that had no aesthetic value ... it was from muscles he had that were very strong that were unseen ... having strong ligaments and tendons. And it was for reasons of the way he exercised, is why, and that gave him the strength to be able to break a steel pair of plyers in his hand. Can you who exercise by lifting weights break a steel pair of plyers in you hand? (smiling)
While I do realize this whole generation has been brain-washed to lift weights. But I don't see it as being the best way to exercise. It's an unnatural form of exercise ... and I believe it's the wrong way to exercise. I'm always impressed when I think about the fact that Chimpanzees, for example, are eight times stronger than a man, yet do not lift weights.
__________________ "The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."
I do weightlifting in combination with mma, so i also train boxing(it's my speciality within mma) and i don't think it makes me slower or something. But you mustn't become a powerlifter or a bodybuilder because they only have power (only the powerlifter) or muscles to show without speed, flexibility or condition. So just lift weights with many reps +25.
Comparing chimpanzees strength or excercise to a humans is hogwash. Yes there strength is impressive. They also have a different muscle density and structure than a humans. Its irrelevant.
Lifting weights is NOT harmful when done properly. JCC will name plenty of succesful people in many sports who never lifted weights, and thats just great. But the fact is that all of your methods of exercise that you mention are resistance training. Much the same that lifting weights is a resistance training form of exercise.
Dave made a great point above about lifting low weights in high repetitions. This can increase your strength and explosiveness without packing on size. Working with the elastic bands while shadowboxing is also a nice way to mix up your training routine, and keep your muscles guessing.
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Member of BoxingForum Member H.O.F. (Nov 2007)
This is a very interesting post, so I had to comment.
The chimpanzee argument caught my attention so I did a little research. The above poster was correct in stating that their muscles, and muscle structure is different. Also all of their body proportions do not match a humans. That pretty much kills the chimpanzee argument.
I believe every guy is different. If a guy starts boxing and really lacks any type of muscle or strength, I can see why a little weight-lifting, if done correctly, can help him.
Personally, I have found out that the boxing training (heavy bag, mitts, and even shadow boxing if done correctly) can actually add muscle mass. I also like to swim laps.
Boxing and weightlifting
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