{"id":3774,"date":"2020-10-16T21:59:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T21:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brawlbros.com\/?p=3774"},"modified":"2020-10-16T21:59:30","modified_gmt":"2020-10-16T21:59:30","slug":"strength-training-for-boxing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fightmap.app\/blog\/strength-training-for-boxing\/","title":{"rendered":"Strength Training for Boxing, Get Strong Without Becoming Slow"},"content":{"rendered":"When it comes to strength training and boxing, not many people agree on one specific method. These days a lot of strength and conditioning coaches in boxing aren’t boxers. Some of them stake their claim to fame by having trained good boxers, but those boxers were good before they were trained by them, so they\u2019re really just piggybacking off their success. Strength training can be tricky in boxing because it comes down to trying to develop strength, without sacrificing speed, mobility, and endurance.\n\n\n\n\n\nThis is why there is a debate when it comes to strength training for fighters. The fix to this is always to experiment and see what works for you. The following will be a combination of what\u2019s worked for me, fighters I trained with, and the boxing greats that I\u2019ve studied.\n\n\n\n\n

The Calisthenics vs Weight Lifting Debate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\nI once asked Shannon Briggs on his take of what\u2019s better for boxing, weights or calisthenics, and he said the following:\n\n\n\n\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s not either-or champ, this is a new age, you gotta do both if you stick to one thing you going to get the hell beat out of you.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat Shannon is saying is mostly true, but also keep in mind he is a heavyweight boxer.\n\n\n\n\n\nHere are a few reasons boxers don\u2019t lift weights:\n\n\n\n\n\n1. It can add size\n\n\n\n\n\nThis is something a lot of fighters in lower weight classes try to avoid because they don\u2019t want to fight taller and bigger guys. Bigger biceps don’t always equal bigger punches.\n\n\n\n\n\n2. It can slow you down\n\n\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re weight lifting like a lifter, it will 100% make you stiffer, slow you down, and destroy your mobility and agility in the ring. There is a right and wrong way to lift for boxing.\n\n\n\n\n\n3. It takes time away from more efficient ways of strength training\n\n\n\n\n\nAgain, this is more in the alley of lifting for the wrong reasons, but it can take valuable time from the training you should be doing.\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Can make you tire quicker\n\n\n\n\n\nThe more muscle you have, the more oxygen they will need and will gas you out quicker in a fight.\n\n\n\n\n\n5. Higher risk of injuries\n\n\n\n\n\nFor those that choose to lift heavy or are inexperienced lifters, the risk for injuries becomes much greater, especially if you tear muscles before your boxing training.\n\n\n\n\n\nWhile it\u2019s not all drawbacks, these are some reasons boxers don\u2019t lift weights, however, let\u2019s dive into more detail on why to do calisthenics, why and how to weight lift, and which you should do for what.\n\n\n\n\n

Calisthenics for Boxing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\nIn one of his older interviews, Mike Tyson was asked about Frank Bruno\u2019s physique prior to fighting him. The interview asked something along the lines of him looking like a bodybuilder and Mike Tyson said \u201cweight lifting has a smooch to do with boxing as cheesecake.\u201d I\u2019m personally a big believer in that. Later in the book, we will detail Mike Tyson\u2019s workout and you will see evidence of that. As a small preview though, Mike Tyson in his prime did not lift any weights.\n\n\n\n\n\nAll of his workouts for strength training revolved around high rep calisthenics in multiple sessions throughout the day. He would do 500 or more reps of pushups, dips, pull-ups, and bodyweight squats. On some occasions, he would do 1,000 squats in the morning after his runs. Even during his time in prison, his workouts revolved around calisthenics and shadowboxing.\n\n\n\n\n\nThere are other fighters like Roy Jones, Ali, and Pacqiou, and more that do not lift weights. Calisthenics is a perfect strength training program for boxers and my personal favorite. Let\u2019s cover why it\u2019s good, and a few ways to do it.\n\n\n\n\n

Benefits of Calisthenics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\nCalisthenics is the most popular form of strength training for boxers, even in modern-day. While not many fighters took it to the level of Mike Tyson, they clearly should. This has been around for centuries for boxers and will continue to be the best form of strength training. Here is why:\n\n\n\n\n

It Creates Whole Body Strength<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\nCalisthenics, unlike most weight lifting movements, don\u2019t isolate your muscles. Instead, it is a compound exercise that works more than one part of your body. Most importantly, all calisthenics movements engage your core in some way, which is one of the most important strengths a boxer can have. It also gives you a better level of control and mastery over your body.\n\n\n\n\n

Explosiveness<\/h5>\n\n\n\n\nOne of the first things you will notice when beginning to do a high rep calisthenic routine is that you will feel much more explosive. It will help you develop the muscles and the reflex to explode with your punches when you need to. It gives you an ape-like factor in terms of strength, that can be used functionally because of the interconnectivity it trains between the muscles.\n\n\n\n\n
Increase Punching Power and Speed<\/h5>\n\n\n\n\nMy first two years of boxing didn\u2019t include much if any strength training. I was still a pre-teen and my coaches didn\u2019t feel the need to put me through the wringer outside of some pushups and situps. They warned me against weight lifting as they didn\u2019t want me to bulk up or slow down, but I was ready to start getting stronger as I was facing older kids in our gym to gym matches. I started with pushups first, then added pull-ups, and would do it every day. Over the next few months, I had multiple sparring partners tell me they\u2019re feeling my punches more, except they attributed that to me \u201cbecoming a teenager,\u201d but I knew better.\n\n\n\n\n\nCalisthenic exercise develops your body and muscles ina way that gives you more mobility, and most importantly, more access to the muscles that you are building. Because it does not consist of isolated movements, you will find yourself working all of the big and small muscles that will allow you to hit harder, and faster.\n\n\n\n\n
Great Overall Endurance Training<\/h5>\n\n\n\n\nBecause you will have to hit high rep numbers and multiple sets, bodyweight exercises are the perfect endurance training for boxing. Not only do they work your lungs and heart, but they also help a ton with muscle endurance. The last thing you want in a fight is for your shoulders to get heavy and be unable to keep your hands up. Or worse, get so beat down to the body and arms that they give out.\u00a0 For this reason, it’s important to keep your body hard, ready to take punishment, and in good shape. Calisthenics is the best way to do all of that in one workout.\n\n\n\n\n
Mental Training<\/h5>\n\n\n\n\nBoxing is a lonely sport. You may have partners with you in the gym and a coach that helps you, at the end of that day you step into that squared circle by yourself against your opponent, and to win you will have to have to focus for every second of every fight, even when your mind takes you to a dark place or asks you to quit. When doing high reps of bodyweight training over and over again, you will have to force your mind to keep pushing if you are to hit your rep goals. Unless you want to practice quitting in a fight, do not under any circumstances quit before you hit your goals. Calisthenics is the best mental training because it is the most treacherous, repetitive work that you can do.\n\n\n\n\n

Calisthenics Workout for Boxing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"calisthenics<\/figure>\n\n\nAbout two years into boxing, my coach had to take a few months to leave from the sport. During that time, we had a replacement fill in coach come in who was an ex-navy seal. I\u2019ll never forget the first day of class, when he introduced himself and said \u201cI\u2019ll tell you what, none of you here look like fighters, and we\u2019re not going to do any boxing until we get you into fighting shape.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\nThat began an 8-week strength and conditioning program that revolved around running, doing stairs, pushing trucks, and most of all strict calisthenics workout with no \u201ccheat\u201d reps. By the end of the 8 weeks, I was surprised to see that despite missing most of my boxing work (I would cheat and sneak some in at home) I was faster and stronger than ever.\n\n\n\n\n\nMy sparring partners told me how much harder I was hitting. From then, I included a pretty strict calisthenics regimen in any workout I do, even when I turned part-time weightlifter in my later years when taking a break from boxing.\n\n\n\n\n\nThat being said, calisthenics can be a great way to increase strength, speed, endurance, and mental toughness. Let\u2019s dive into the workouts you should be doing.\n\n\n\n\n\nI\u2019ve warned you guys multiple times throughout this book and I\u2019ll keep doing so, I’m all about simplicity, so you won\u2019t see any cross-legged squats while holding a pineapple or any pinky pushups whilst staring at goats here. We\u2019ll be focused on doing a lot of the classic calisthenics workouts.\n\n\"\"\n\n\n\n\n

The Exercises<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\nThe exercises we\u2019ll be focused on are the following:\n\n\n\n\n