Boxing and Working Out

How would boxing affect my results in the weight traninig gym? At the moment im still trying to add weight and strength to my lifts but im also very interested in joining a boxing gym as well and going there 3 times a week. Will my gains suffer a lot and what are some things i should change in my training and diet?

If weight training is your focus, guys in the other forums will be able to help you with adding cardio to a training routine. If you’re looking to be a boxer, the advice is the usual: ditch the weights for the time being until you become a competent fighter, then worry about supplementing that. If you just want to impress your friends and play at being a tough guy, you’d be better going to a boxercise class and not wasting anyone’s time. You can still tell your friends you’re a fighter if you’d like.

[quote]LondonBoxer123 wrote:
If weight training is your focus, guys in the other forums will be able to help you with adding cardio to a training routine. If you’re looking to be a boxer, the advice is the usual: ditch the weights for the time being until you become a competent fighter, then worry about supplementing that. If you just want to impress your friends and play at being a tough guy, you’d be better going to a boxercise class and not wasting anyone’s time. You can still tell your friends you’re a fighter if you’d like. [/quote]

lol touchey .

[quote]DazeDolo wrote:

[quote]LondonBoxer123 wrote:
If weight training is your focus, guys in the other forums will be able to help you with adding cardio to a training routine. If you’re looking to be a boxer, the advice is the usual: ditch the weights for the time being until you become a competent fighter, then worry about supplementing that. If you just want to impress your friends and play at being a tough guy, you’d be better going to a boxercise class and not wasting anyone’s time. You can still tell your friends you’re a fighter if you’d like. [/quote]

lol touchey . [/quote]

Boxing is very physically demanding. I thought the forum was bullshitting until I took mostly a boxercise class taught by a boxer. Fucking A.

[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:

[quote]DazeDolo wrote:

[quote]LondonBoxer123 wrote:
If weight training is your focus, guys in the other forums will be able to help you with adding cardio to a training routine. If you’re looking to be a boxer, the advice is the usual: ditch the weights for the time being until you become a competent fighter, then worry about supplementing that. If you just want to impress your friends and play at being a tough guy, you’d be better going to a boxercise class and not wasting anyone’s time. You can still tell your friends you’re a fighter if you’d like. [/quote]

lol touchey . [/quote]

Boxing is very physically demanding. I thought the forum was bullshitting until I took mostly a boxercise class taught by a boxer. Fucking A.
[/quote]

I’ve actually done boxing strength conditioning. I used play baseball when i was younger and our coach was a boxer and made us all go to the boxing gym and do similar workouts. I can definitely say it was one of the hardest things i’ve ever done in a gym in my whole life.

Don’t want you guys to think that i think boxing is a piece of cake. I understand the work that needs to be put in as well.

The point is, if you’re not looking to compete, you’d be doing yourself and the gym a favour if you did boxercise or bought yourself a bag. I coach at a gym where a lot of nights we have more regular fighter’s than heavy bags (despite being a very well equiped gym compared to most). If some weightlifter who wants to keep fit joins, I have to find bag space for him, at the expense of someone who is looking to compete. Most kids in my gym don’t have a pot to piss in. When they are in the gym, they have discipline, structure, and access to the resources to better themselves.

If I have to dilute the resources because someone wants good cardio, I’m not going to be very happy. I encourage any one, from any background or whatever, to join a gym, learn and compete. If you’re there to fight and fight hard, you’ll be welcomed with open arms. If you’re only there for cardio, you’ve got to ask yourself how you feel about taking opportunities away from kids who already have two fifths of fuck all. I meant nothing personal by my first post, but boxing gyms are not like other gyms. They are not just spaces with bags. They are often safe places for kids who spend most of their lives terrified, places where people who’ve fucked up can find discipline, and without being dramatic, places where lives are sometimes saved.

I heard pole dancing is good for conditioning.

Seriously, what London said… end of story and questioning

[quote]LondonBoxer123 wrote:
The point is, if you’re not looking to compete, you’d be doing yourself and the gym a favour if you did boxercise or bought yourself a bag.[/quote]

Nailed that. If you are gonna go to a straight up boxing gym that trains real fighters just for the cardio, it is probably best to just buy a bag and hit on it in your garage or shadowbox in front of the mirror. I can understand if you want to not punch like a dumbarse by getting a private or 2 but I wouldn’t waste my time and the aspirations of true fighters that are there to compete. I would hope that gym owners would weed out these types but sometimes $$$$$ plays into those decisions.

What London said about boxing gyms is generally true.

If you still want to learn striking, get a good workout, but aren’t looking to compete, you might also want to look around your area for a MMA gym. You will likely have to pay significantly more than at a boxing gym, but many gyms/schools have specific conditioning based classes (which sounds like what you are looking for), and even if you wanted to do regular classes (many will have a class geared solely towards striking), the fact that you are paying more makes it less of a “waste of resources” for whoever is running the class.

Just thought I’d throw this third alternative out there in the case that it might suit your needs better.

Who’s said about me not wanting to compete?? I’m willing to make changes to my diet and training in order to progress in boxing. I haven’t mentioned about me wanting to do boxing just for the cardio.

Is it that big of a deal if a guy is interested in boxing and weight lifting? Seriously, chill out.

[quote]DazeDolo wrote:
Who’s said about me not wanting to compete?? I’m willing to make changes to my diet and training in order to progress in boxing. I haven’t mentioned about me wanting to do boxing just for the cardio.

Is it that big of a deal if a guy is interested in boxing and weight lifting? Seriously, chill out.[/quote]

Your whole post is about the effect of boxing on your precious gains. It was a natural assumption that you are not serious about competing, as there are already 3 or four threads on this front page of this forum about how stupid it is for a beginner to try and prioritise weight training while they try and learn to fight. If you want to compete, drop the weights, take the sport seriously or you’ll get yourself hurt.

[quote]DazeDolo wrote:
Who’s said about me not wanting to compete?? I’m willing to make changes to my diet and training in order to progress in boxing. I haven’t mentioned about me wanting to do boxing just for the cardio.

Is it that big of a deal if a guy is interested in boxing and weight lifting? Seriously, chill out.[/quote]

Yes, most boxing coaches will tell you that those goals are at odds with each other, if you are serious about competing that is. That is why you got the response that you did. If you are just looking to box for fun, exercise/cardio, or self defense purposes, then you can probably do both ok. But, like others have said, many boxing gyms and coaches charge peanuts for their time.

No love for meatheads in the combat forum :frowning:

[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
No love for meatheads in the combat forum :([/quote]

Actually, I think meatheads have potential when it comes to combat sports. Fight sports take hard work, dedication, and sacrifice to get anywhere. Someone who has consistently put in the work to achieve good results in weightlifting probably has the right fundamental attitude to stick it at a fight gym, where most people don’t.

My two primary objections to meatheads are:

  1. Many think that just being big makes them a hard nut. In my experience, they’ll often walk into a boxing gym and throw their weight around outside of the gym, staring people down, gorilla walking etc. They’ll then get fucked up by a small kid who’s balls haven’t dropped yet. Then they’ll never be seen in the gym again.

  2. Most are unwilling to sacrifice their ‘gains’ to become competent fighters. No problem with that, just don’t waste my time playing at being a fighter. Being even a halfway decent fighter is time consuming. I don’t compete any more, and I lift a few weights, but when I’m lifting, I’m thinking about boxing, when I’m resting between sets I’m shadow boxing, hitting bags, etc etc. The result is, I will never be a high level weight lifter, because I’m always distracted. My every spare moment is still focused on being a fighter, it’s who I am. I could never bulk up, or reduce my conditioning below a point where I was able to spar twelve hard rounds. The point basically is that being a meathead is at odds with being a good fighter.

Just a side note, but if you enter a boxing gym and muscle building is still a priority it can be frowned upon. Not by the coaches, but by the fighters that have grown up in the sport starving for weigh-ins and sacrificing birthdays, holidays and family time to get as lean as possible.
Someone coming in worrying about retaining muscle mass… It just doesnt go down well.

Aside from that, the cardiovascular demands make it difficult to retain mass. Of course boxing can be terrific for developing an aesthetically pleasing physique, but given that every round should essentially be a HIIT session, getting bigger is a struggle. Muscle can actually impede boxing also. Robust gym abs make a welcome target for an experienced boxer.
Anyhow, pardon my mostly negative post and good luck if you try take up boxing and enjoy the experience.

Really depends on how serious you are about boxing vs. how serious you are about lifting.

I was 20 pounds lighter than I am now when I boxed regulalry (4-5 days a week). Once I got good, it became VERY addicting. My focus in the gym was either skill work or conditioning. I did a little bit of lifting…like very little, because by the time I finished all that jump roping, shadow boxing, focus mitts and bag work I really didn’t have much left in the tank. And once I started sparring, all I wanted to do was work on boxing (vs. weights) to prep me for the sessions. But that’s “boxing” vs. hitting the bag or working the mitts a few times a week for a couple of rounds.

[quote]LondonBoxer123 wrote:

[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
No love for meatheads in the combat forum :([/quote]

Actually, I think meatheads have potential when it comes to combat sports. Fight sports take hard work, dedication, and sacrifice to get anywhere. Someone who has consistently put in the work to achieve good results in weightlifting probably has the right fundamental attitude to stick it at a fight gym, where most people don’t.

My two primary objections to meatheads are:

  1. Many think that just being big makes them a hard nut. In my experience, they’ll often walk into a boxing gym and throw their weight around outside of the gym, staring people down, gorilla walking etc. They’ll then get fucked up by a small kid who’s balls haven’t dropped yet. Then they’ll never be seen in the gym again.

  2. Most are unwilling to sacrifice their ‘gains’ to become competent fighters. No problem with that, just don’t waste my time playing at being a fighter. Being even a halfway decent fighter is time consuming. I don’t compete any more, and I lift a few weights, but when I’m lifting, I’m thinking about boxing, when I’m resting between sets I’m shadow boxing, hitting bags, etc etc. The result is, I will never be a high level weight lifter, because I’m always distracted. My every spare moment is still focused on being a fighter, it’s who I am. I could never bulk up, or reduce my conditioning below a point where I was able to spar twelve hard rounds. The point basically is that being a meathead is at odds with being a good fighter.[/quote]

I largely agree with your post. Just a few thoughts, There seems to be an underlying buthurt with some combat athletes that are good fighters yet don’t look good. Laymen, meaning most of society will always think the jacked out of his mind guy is a better fighter.

Isn’t their room for a comfortable equilibrium between fight skills and aesthetics? I’m not talking about being a competitive fighter either. More training to defend yourself, which for some like is me escaping the situation or being able to escalate the level of violence to survive the situation.

[quote]anothrjrzmike wrote:
Really depends on how serious you are about boxing vs. how serious you are about lifting.

I was 20 pounds lighter than I am now when I boxed regulalry (4-5 days a week). Once I got good, it became VERY addicting. My focus in the gym was either skill work or conditioning. I did a little bit of lifting…like very little, because by the time I finished all that jump roping, shadow boxing, focus mitts and bag work I really didn’t have much left in the tank. And once I started sparring, all I wanted to do was work on boxing (vs. weights) to prep me for the sessions. But that’s “boxing” vs. hitting the bag or working the mitts a few times a week for a couple of rounds. [/quote]

When I boxed as a competitor, I wasn’t really worried about muscles although I grew up in the Mike Tyson era when he was knocking dudes out by just stepping in the ring. He was muscular so I wanted to be muscular. I lifted a little but I know my coaches didn’t exactly like very muscular guys in the gym. I guess for some reason they thought it would make them slow.

Big difference in mind-sets with MMA gyms. Lots of MMA schools advocate weight training to some degree.

[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
Isn’t their room for a comfortable equilibrium between fight skills and aesthetics? I’m not talking about being a competitive fighter either. More training to defend yourself, which for some like is me escaping the situation or being able to escalate the level of violence to survive the situation.
[/quote]

Heh.

I would love to have the physique Pacquiao or Marquez had during their third and fourth fights. I will absolutely not be able to drop weight as much as they have. Iirc, they were at 150 during those fights? I currently stand at 158 with four-pack. If I can get to 155-160 with a six-pack, I would be a very happy man.

But it needs to be stated that bodybuilding is a sport, just like how combat sports are… a sport. Getting the jacked, muscular body-shape requires sacrifices that a professional boxer cannot achieve. Professional boxers frequently fight at weights far, far below their actual natural weight. Good luck getting a jacked body when you’re fighting at weights 10-30lb lower than you’re supposed to.

I’ll return to Marquez. I am the exact same height as he is, and I feel most natural when I’m sitting at 155-165. The man fought at weights ranging from 120-140 for most of his professional career. I simply cannot imagine looking muscular at that weight. Hell, I cannot imagine myself fighting a 12 round fight at that weight.

But that’s boxing. Professional boxing requires tremendous sacrifice, and that is largely incompatible with body-building or having an aesthetically pleasing body.

Grappling, on the other hand, is a different story. Making weight is far less punishing for grappling (many contests and tournaments that I know of don’t even have weight requirements), and as such you have people who look far more like they’re supposed to for an athlete of their caliber and size.

Not to mention, having a 300lb bench or a 400lb squat won’t make you punch faster in the slightest. Having a 300lb bench does give you the power to push off that 170lb guy lying on top of you when compared to a 200lb bench.

So, if you want to having an aesthetically pleasing body while doing some combat sport, look into either MMA or pure grappling, not boxing.

[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:

[quote]LondonBoxer123 wrote:

[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
No love for meatheads in the combat forum :([/quote]

Actually, I think meatheads have potential when it comes to combat sports. Fight sports take hard work, dedication, and sacrifice to get anywhere. Someone who has consistently put in the work to achieve good results in weightlifting probably has the right fundamental attitude to stick it at a fight gym, where most people don’t.

My two primary objections to meatheads are:

  1. Many think that just being big makes them a hard nut. In my experience, they’ll often walk into a boxing gym and throw their weight around outside of the gym, staring people down, gorilla walking etc. They’ll then get fucked up by a small kid who’s balls haven’t dropped yet. Then they’ll never be seen in the gym again.

  2. Most are unwilling to sacrifice their ‘gains’ to become competent fighters. No problem with that, just don’t waste my time playing at being a fighter. Being even a halfway decent fighter is time consuming. I don’t compete any more, and I lift a few weights, but when I’m lifting, I’m thinking about boxing, when I’m resting between sets I’m shadow boxing, hitting bags, etc etc. The result is, I will never be a high level weight lifter, because I’m always distracted. My every spare moment is still focused on being a fighter, it’s who I am. I could never bulk up, or reduce my conditioning below a point where I was able to spar twelve hard rounds. The point basically is that being a meathead is at odds with being a good fighter.[/quote]

I largely agree with your post. Just a few thoughts, There seems to be an underlying buthurt with some combat athletes that are good fighters yet don’t look good. Laymen, meaning most of society will always think the jacked out of his mind guy is a better fighter.

Isn’t their room for a comfortable equilibrium between fight skills and aesthetics? I’m not talking about being a competitive fighter either. More training to defend yourself, which for some like is me escaping the situation or being able to escalate the level of violence to survive the situation.

[/quote]

  1. I don’t disagree, but as Donnydarkoirl mentioned above, there are many other reasons why muscle bound guys have to work hard for a fighters respect. You’re certainly right that that laymen will always think the jacked guy is the real danger man. That said, most of society would get whooped up and down the street by a real fighter, so the value of their judgement could be called into question. Looking scary only keeps you safe around guys who don’t want to fight.

  2. I think there is certainly room for guys like you to do some aesthetic training. Noone on here would deny that for street violence, being a bigger, stronger FIGHTER, is always an advantage. The emphasis is just on being a fighter, rather than the big and strong part. With that said, I know a decent number of guys who are enforcers, prizefighters, or generally all round dangerous characters, and none of them have particularly aesthetic physiques. For most of them, being able to carry an extra stone or so of fat is more valuable than pretty muscles, the extra weight they can bring to bear without sacrificing performance is worth disregarding aesthetics for.