Does Lifting Weights effect handspeed?

[Luke.l.08]

it has been proved that lifting weights improves your punching power by only 7-11% max!

[Coeco]

Source?

[JayCoe]

Luke, that's absolute crap haha. Weights build muscle mass which increases punching power but can also tighten your muscles which decreases speed. A proper boxer who wants to build muscle for fighting will keep this in mind, stretch very well before and after weight sessions and alongside weights would probably use one of those silly overpriced elastic stretching ropes which you, for example, stand on and use this light resistance to build the small muscles in the arms, shoulders, back and chest that may have been missed by lifting weights.

Punching power comes from velocity and mass. Lighter punchers can still be powerful, in fact, in the last Olympics they attached monitors onto a punchbag and tested the U.S boxing team, the hardest hitter was, I think, 165lbs. Look at Tommy Hearns aswell, 160lbs but a very powerful punch. This doesn't mean that somehow boxers like this manage to get around the laws of physics, what they have is technique. They properly push their whole body through the shot and transfer all of their weight, rather than some of it. Also, just as mass is important, so is velocity so they may have abnormally fast hands which equals them to a 220lb heavyweight (or super, depending on whether it's pro or amatuer).

I like to use the example of Mike Tyson which alot of people, at first, think is weird because he was about 218lb at fight weight which isn't light. Mike Tyson was probably one of the hardest hitters in boxing history right? Well he is considered a "little heavyweight", very strong though but some heavyweights are 250, 260, 270lbs! Now for some reason people only think of weight in boxing in divisions which is wrong. Mike Tyson's last fight was Kevin McBride who weighed 171lbs. That is a difference of some 50lbs, which can be the difference between a middleweight and heavyweight! Yet people seem to accept that it's entirely possible that Tyson's punching power is far greater than Mcbrides but usually believe that if somebody says a middleweight has a harder punch than a heavyweight it's all hype, or incredibly rare...

Now i've gone way off from where I started. What I was originally saying is using weights can increase punching power, it can also make it stagnate or increase it but slow you down. It all depends on how well you do it, the same way as working on handspeed but not mass will lead to the same. You need to find your weight division and then find that balance between mass and speed where your punch is optimum.

[PunchDrunk]

Good enough Jay, except the stretching part. Stretching before weights can decrease you strength by up to 30%. Not the best way to start a strength session. Stretching after isn't much better in my opinion, no reason to mess with the neural pathways at such a time. Stretching would be better done on it's own. Just my opinion, based on what I've read, and subsequent experience.

Also remember that using weights is not just a question of mass. As a boxer you should focus on strength not mass, when doing weights, and yes it is entirely possible to become much stronger without gaining any significant mass.

[Banderivets]

Well I lift now but not too heavy after not lifting for years. Ive lifted for 2 months now I think and I have to say I havent felt any loss of speed, it only made me feel stronger. On the downside it does make me feel tighter, but after a 2 hour basketball game I feel flexible again.

On the other hand Im not sure what kind of weight you guys are talking about. Im 195lb now and I lift between 180-200lb during the week( depending on how strong I feel when Im on the bench).

I'm sure if I was getting into 220lb Id be wrecked.

Im also talking about pure bench press.........prolly the most useless exercise, but it still makes me feel stronger in the arms.

[Machine Gunz]

Yes, don't lift weights up to a fight. Lifting weights up to a fight will tire your muscles greatly as they need so much rest to recover and regenerate. Weight lifting should only be a cross training exercise or an off season program. It shouldn't be part of your actual boxing routine and fight prep routine leading up to a fight. Too draining on your muscles to be doing it close to fight time.

Alright cool, i thought so! BTW, BennyST where in Aus are you? do you train/fight?

Luke, that's absolute crap haha. Weights build muscle mass which increases punching power but can also tighten your muscles which decreases speed. A proper boxer who wants to build muscle for fighting will keep this in mind, stretch very well before and after weight sessions and alongside weights would probably use one of those silly overpriced elastic stretching ropes which you, for example, stand on and use this light resistance to build the small muscles in the arms, shoulders, back and chest that may have been missed by lifting weights.

Punching power comes from velocity and mass. Lighter punchers can still be powerful, in fact, in the last Olympics they attached monitors onto a punchbag and tested the U.S boxing team, the hardest hitter was, I think, 165lbs. Look at Tommy Hearns aswell, 160lbs but a very powerful punch. This doesn't mean that somehow boxers like this manage to get around the laws of physics, what they have is technique. They properly push their whole body through the shot and transfer all of their weight, rather than some of it. Also, just as mass is important, so is velocity so they may have abnormally fast hands which equals them to a 220lb heavyweight (or super, depending on whether it's pro or amatuer).

I like to use the example of Mike Tyson which alot of people, at first, think is weird because he was about 218lb at fight weight which isn't light. Mike Tyson was probably one of the hardest hitters in boxing history right? Well he is considered a "little heavyweight", very strong though but some heavyweights are 250, 260, 270lbs! Now for some reason people only think of weight in boxing in divisions which is wrong. Mike Tyson's last fight was Kevin McBride who weighed 171lbs. That is a difference of some 50lbs, which can be the difference between a middleweight and heavyweight! Yet people seem to accept that it's entirely possible that Tyson's punching power is far greater than Mcbrides but usually believe that if somebody says a middleweight has a harder punch than a heavyweight it's all hype, or incredibly rare...

Now i've gone way off from where I started. What I was originally saying is using weights can increase punching power, it can also make it stagnate or increase it but slow you down. It all depends on how well you do it, the same way as working on handspeed but not mass will lead to the same. You need to find your weight division and then find that balance between mass and speed where your punch is optimum.

Very good helpful info

[Feint]

As far as increasing your hand speed learning proper technique and continuing to perfect it will help infinitely more than weights will.

If you mean will it hurt you, then the answer is no, not really. The reason is that for muscle to become a burden to your speed you would have to get huge, and most people who lift weights can't get that big.

[Rafael Benitez]

Weights take the snap out of your muscles and make you slow. They tighten them up. They don't give you power just strength. Two different things. Punching power comes from technique nature and timing. A boxers punch mainly comes from hip so how would benching suddenly add significant amounts of power? Weights are a gimmick. It is make believe bollocks sold to bums who don't have power and want to believe it is in their control. Sounds good but they never do become decent punchers! Just slower bulkier bums! I don't know a single fast fighter that does alot of weights. Some of them use it as a supplement but most decent fighters stick to the good ol' press ups and pull ups. I also know fo some people who want the easy route and do weights because press ups and pull ups are too hard! That is why they work better.

[Khalid X]

Its not the weight lifting but how your lifting. Im gonna make a seperate thread that breaks in down in detail but to sum it up...lifting alot of weight in minimum sets slowly will cause you to loose speed. I lifted weights and have experience in this a found out that explosive weight lifting will actually increase speed and quickness while improving your power.


Here is what you do. Lift less weight at a faster past. On the bench if you bench 225(just throwing #'s out there) dont lift 185 x amount of times. Lower it to 150-160 etc and focus on alot of reps lifting as fast as possible without sacrificing your form. What that does is it works on your endurance, builds explosive power without putting on unnecessary bulk, and increases speed and quickness. Its also key to keep good form because it helps with accurancy. Im tired but i will post links on workouts and futher break down what im talking about


The key tho is EXPLOSIVE power

[Khalid X]

Its not the weight lifting but how your lifting. Im gonna make a seperate thread that breaks in down in detail but to sum it up...lifting alot of weight in minimum sets slowly will cause you to loose speed. I lifted weights and have experience in this a found out that explosive weight lifting will actually increase speed and quickness while improving your power.


Here is what you do. Lift less weight at a faster past. On the bench if you bench 225(just throwing #'s out there) dont lift 185 x amount of times. Lower it to 150-160 etc and focus on alot of reps lifting as fast as possible without sacrificing your form. What that does is it works on your endurance, builds explosive power without putting on unnecessary bulk, and increases speed and quickness. Its also key to keep good form because it helps with accurancy. Im tired but i will post links on workouts and futher break down what im talking about


The key tho is EXPLOSIVE power

Another important key is to stretch b4 and after you lift. You also might consider jump roping along with running after you lift to keep flexibility.