The second myth is that weight lifting for fighters is okay if it is done with low weights at high repetitions. The fact is, if you want to enhance your boxing workout, you need to focus on moving larger volumes of weight in the range of four-six repetitions.
Boxing does require adequate flexibility. Excessive flexibility is detrimental to force production (we will discuss this further in Part 2 of the article). High reps and light weights are the chosen weight training method for most boxers.
Work from 3 sets of 3-6 reps up to 6 sets of 3-6 reps before adding weight and starting again at the 3 set range and continue adding incrementally as such. Remember that a strong punch needs a firm foundation to generate its power from, which is why developing explosiveness in your legs is so important!
So, in general, low reps with heavy weight tends to increase muscle mass, while high reps with light weight increases muscle endurance. This doesn't mean that you have to rely on one method exclusively. Alternating between the two may be the best approach for long-term success.
Performing reps and sets triggers the muscles to increase strength under controlled conditions in much the same way your muscles build strength naturally – in cycles of repetition and recovery!
Do Heavyweight Boxers Lift Weights? Yes, heavyweight boxers lift weights. Lifting weights is a great asset to boxing training for every weight class, but heavyweights in particular make this a core part of their workout schedule.
Boxing requires quick snapping movements and many of them. A single fight can have hundreds of quick snappy movements in all sorts of directions. Lifting weights is a relatively slow movement using a relatively limited range of motion, making it less effective for boxing training.
Doing around 6–20 reps per set is usually best for building muscle, with some experts going as wide as 5–30 or even 4–40 reps per set. For bigger lifts, 6–10 reps often works best. For smaller lifts, 12–20 reps often works better.
The truth is, there's no correct strategy -- both are valid choices. Lifting heavy dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells will certainly make you stronger. But lighter weights can help you get stronger too -- it just may take you a bit longer. It all comes down to one important factor: muscle fatigue.
More repetitions with lighter weights can build muscle as well as heavier weights -- assuming they are done to the point of exercise-induced fatigue. And fatigue is the important point. That means even with light weight, the last two to three reps should be hard.
A frequent question when it comes to boxing is “does punching a bag build muscle?” Oh yes it does. Power punches, just as they sound, are more focused on the form and power behind a strike, than speed, and are the ultimate way to build lean muscle.
Workouts with slower reps cause your muscles to experience more time under tension, much more than with faster reps. The amount of time your muscles stay strained beneath a certain amount of weight will lead to an increase in muscle size.
But all trainers and conditioning coaches agree that too much muscle is never good, and that no strength training can substantially increase punching power. Artificially going up in weight can lead to disaster. “It's a matter of physical structure.
Many athletes think that weight training would be an advantage to their punching power in boxing. Weight training helps out in building strong muscles; however, it does not enhance punching capacity.
Unfortunately, doing too many reps may actually cause injury and limit your ability to train. To make sure you're maximizing the efficiency of your time in the gym, here are seven things to consider when determining how many repetitions you should do based on your personal fitness goals.
Reps for muscle growth
In order to get bigger and stronger, you must ensure your muscles work harder than they are used to. Generally, between 6-12 reps for 3-6 sets will help to build overall muscle size.
Low repetitions with heavy weight increases strength, whereas high repetitions with light weight increases endurance. According to the concept, as repetitions increase there is a gradual transition from strength to endurance. Below is a commonly used graph of the strength continuum.
If your objective is strength or power (think: heavy lifting), the textbook advice is to perform 3 to 5 sets of 2 to 6 reps per exercise. For hypertrophy (building muscle), the sweet spot is 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps. And if your objective is muscular endurance, shoot for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps.
Three sets are not enough to build muscle. Increasing the number of sets of each exercise, even while only performing 10 reps, can build muscle because you will be pushing your muscles to fatigue because they are under tension longer. Don't stop at 3 sets but complete 4 or 6 or 8.
Training for Muscle Size (Hypertrophy)
In other words, after your warm-up sets—which are never taken to failure—you should select a load with which you can complete at least 8 reps but not more than 12. That means if you can do only 6-7 reps, the weight is too heavy, so reduce it on subsequent sets.
Boxers tend to avoid large muscle gains for several reasons. Extra weight on the body means you must work harder to move around while boxing and the bigger your muscles are, the more oxygen necessary. But as we've mentioned, that doesn't mean you won't still build muscle through boxing.
Only hitting the bag and boxing all the time. I did lift later in my career, when I came back in '95. I started lifting weights because that's what everybody was doing. Everybody had strength-and- conditioning guys at that time.
To punch harder, a boxer must increase their momentum.
A boxer can improve their momentum by increasing their mass, however, a boxer is limited by the amount of mass they can gain, due to weight category restrictions.