Quote (rsm @ May 26 2016 12:57am)
heavy deadlifts and squats strengthen your core... I see no reason not to lift heavy as a boxer, maybe unless you dont want to gain weight from mass
a boxer gains little from raw strength. punching power comes largely from technique. while it's true stronger legs will make for a stronger punch, there's a lot to be considered before going full meathead on your lower body. more weight and more muscle mass makes you slower, and put in a higher weight class. more muscle mass makes staying in good shape cardio-wise more difficult as well over time (due to the obvious, more muscle = more demand for oxygen). if you are naturally a welterweight, train as a welterweight, then put on mass to fight as a middleweight or even a light middleweight you will feel the difference and be at a marginal disadvantage. in the long-term, continuously gaining weight/mass steepens the learning curve in a sport that already has a tremendously steep learning curve. i think these are the most important reasons why boxers don't ever aim to gain mass.
if you'd like to seriously pursue the sport it isn't recommended
as for workouts to do, you'll have a few different categories. first and foremost!!! never neglect drills - forcing these skills into muscle memory is important, and is a key to overall speed. (speaking of speed, paying attention to how fast your hands return to you will help and is often overlooked by noobz)
secondly, make your neck strong. this is especially important if you notice you have a weak jaw.
a heavy bag workout is much more than meets the eye. it's a combination of technique training, drill training, and conditioning. you get to hone your punching techniques and gauge your power. you get to practice footwork in a format that could include offensive and defensive maneuvers. this is the only place where your joints and muscles will be conditioned to the extreme, since in sparring/drill training you clearly don't get to use as much power. using all of the muscles used in a fight, in unison, is hard to replicate outside of a heavy bag session. be conscious of it and make good use of your time with the heavy bag. it's lots of fun too, obvs.
train your pecs and lats for endurance. they act as stabilizing muscles when you're on the defense, blocking punches.
abs and obliques are your fucking armor. train them hard.
/edit oh yeah, and the speedbag is great. it's not just a thing that looks cool, it's hand speed, timing, mind/body connection with your fists, and a really REALLY good shoulder endurance workout.
This post was edited by Wretch on Jun 6 2016 10:46pm