Anyone here box?

[Alphamazing]

I'm going to take a 6 week long boxing class (1.5 hour classes, 3 times a week) starting in early June. I doubt I'll enter into any sort of competitive boxing as I value my brain, but as an exercise and strength training sport/self defense it seems interesting and fun. Right now I'm right on the edge of Lightweight and Super Lightweight classes depending on what day and when I weigh in at. The class I'm taking is a non-contact class (unfortunately, actually) but I figure 6 weeks of training and proper eating should net me some weight. I'm hoping 10-15lbs of muscle in 6 weeks, do you think this is unreasonable or do you think I could gain more?

At 5'10 and 135ish I think my style would be more of an out-fighter (or standard boxer) since I am not exactly compact and powerful. Style discussions? Strategy discussions?

Anything I might want to look into? Since the class will concentrate on teaching me proper form, I might stick around the gym and see if I can get some bouts in to actually learn what it's like to be in the ring with someone. You can only learn so much from training and exercises, but some stuff you just need to learn by actually putting it into practice.

Thoughts? Ideas? Commentary? Well wishes? Opinions? Condiments?

[Turd Ferguson]

I guarantee that you cry on the first day.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Keep your chin down.

[spc]

Without *ahem* 'juice'  10-15 of muscle is very unrealistic in 6 weeks..........Generally a pound of muscle mass a week is very difficult to obtain.  To get the maximum amount of power out of your training for your weight get a protein powder ( doesn't matter what brand.....they really are all very similar )  and try to take in about 200 grams a day when you train and 125-130 on off days  ( this includes what's in your diet normally so you'll have to pay attention to the labels on what you eat )  Boxing/martial arts are the best ways for people in your weight range to build muscle though so great choice there    Ummmm...I would hold off on the extracuricular boxxing until you finish at least 12 weeks    I've boxed guys in you're weight class who just pull some crazy shaZam! out of nowhere   It's a good way to help you're dentist buy a new Porsche   If you must, spar with someone else in your class who is in a similar weight class and progressing at  a similar rate.........Concussions suck

[Alphamazing]

Without *ahem* 'juice'  10-15 of muscle is very unrealistic in 6 weeks..........Generally a pound of muscle mass a week is very difficult to obtain.

Yes, I was thinking that too, but I also figured that since I have never exactly worked out before I might get a little jump on those numbers simply due to my body reacting to a drastic change in excercise regimen. My fencing really only works my legs and I've noticed improvements there, but I have always proportionately stronger legs than arms.

To get the maximum amount of power out of your training for your weight get a protein powder ( doesn't matter what brand.....they really are all very similar )  and try to take in about 200 grams a day when you train and 125-130 on off days  ( this includes what's in your diet normally so you'll have to pay attention to the labels on what you eat )

Yeah, I know lots of protein is important, especially for bulking muscles up. I might try and get a free appointment with one of the campus nutrionalists on campus and get some more accurate numbers. How much benefit does the protein powder give over simply eating meats and other stuff? Just more protein in more meals, or more protein spaced throughout the day?

Boxing/martial arts are the best ways for people in your weight range to build muscle though so great choice there    

Yeah, and it changes things up to keep things interesting too. Lifting weights just never really appealed to me, which was why I could never get into it. Same problem my father has always had. He and I share the same body type, but the only time he was ever toned was when he water skied competitively. Kept things interesting and worked pretty much all the muscles. I miss water skiing

Ummmm...I would hold off on the extracuricular boxxing until you finish at least 12 weeks    I've boxed guys in you're weight class who just pull some crazy shaZam! out of nowhere   It's a good way to help you're dentist buy a new Porsche   If you must, spar with someone else in your class who is in a similar weight class and progressing at  a similar rate.........Concussions suck

Yeah, I'd definitely try to keep it in my weight class but you'd be surprised how quickly I pick things up. After 2 months of fencing I was competitive with people who had fenced for over a year. Thing about fencing is... getting beat doesn't usually hurt as much as boxing! 

[spc]

Most of my experience is either
Combatives: Complete dominance/debilitation/death...........not exactly the same aspect as boxxing
Power Lifting:  insane protein loading on the 'on' days, insane carb loading on the 'off'  very low rep, high weight......again pretty far off from teh development associated with boxxing

When I'm training heavy ( like I just started back )  I dive in hard for two weeks and completely burn out then take a week completely off then run into an even tempered ( by my standards) training schedule.  At peak I'll take in about 400-450 grams of protein on the 'on' days and 300 on the 'off' with very limited carb intake  until I have  a PT test or some other event coming up.
As far as dietary/nutrition finding one of the campus people is the best bet.......I don't think you'll be willing to eat the amount of food necessary for the appropriate protein intake ( I figured mine up once and I would have had to eat like 4 dozen eggs and 5 lbs of lean steak on 'on' days )

No matter how fast you pick it up be careful, people can be everything you expect them to be, nowhere near what you expected or 40X the fighter you expected.

I sparred with a friend once
Him: 6'3  280    4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do
I don't do that with friends anymore
He expected he would overpower and incapacitate me
I tried telling him that the Army spent way too much money teaching me to fight and not in the most kosher of manners
He ended up with a concusion, a broken nose, 2 missing teeth and bruises everywhere   Whats really bad is he landed the first blow, a solid kick to the shoulder that really pissed me off

So in summation:
Seek nutrionist advice on what will work best for you as far as supplementation
Know your opponent before you fight but never pretend that you know what they will do, people are completely unpredictable
And have fun

[Jake D]

Putting on 10 to 15 pounds of muscle in six weeks is easy.  But you will need some D-ball, some Winstrol V, or some other synthetic testosterone.  Any type of horse steriod.   Check out your local gyms and go up to the biggest meat head there and hint around.  Should come up with something.

[Dan02GS]

OK trying to see how this relates to motorcycling, I heard that the less you weigh the more HP your motorcycle has....I wrestled competively in high school and college and two years ago had to have a total hip replacement because of the arthritus I had developed over the years. I am fine now doing almost everything I can to stay healthy, but remember this, what you do today can live with you the rest of your life so make the right decisions when it comes to your health. That said, I wish you the best with boxing and take care of yourself kiddo....

[spc]

Well, yeah if you want to go that way..............................just find the guy whose arms are as big as your waist    seriously........there's a guy here with 28 inch bicep measurements    Just remember, watch out for the violent mood swings, undercover cops, and the ill side effects of taking a massive dose of hormone replacement without one of the stabilizer drugs

[Jake D]

I was just saying that I have seen plenty of people put on 15 lbs of muscle in a summer.  But with very few exceptions, they were juiced up.  Which is a terrible idea.  Obviously.

[Egaeus]

Tai Chi is where it's at.  Take the long road to self defense, the journey is much better and doesn't hurt your body nearly as much.  Just be sure you find a place that actually teaches Tai Chi.  If they don't teach "push-hands" then it's not somewhere you want to go.  My kwoon taught Chen style Tai Chi.

If you really want something like boxing, try Wing Chun Kung Fu (aka Chinese Boxing).  It's similar to boxing, but with low kicks as well (think kneecaps).  I even have a mook jong I'd sell you.  Wing Chun was too hard on my wrists between the ganglion cysts and arthritis.

I've never liked boxing.  They focus on some kind of "fair fight" ideal (or something) of using just your fists.  That's great until you get kicked in the head.

[spc]

I've been wanting to take Tai Chi.......but this shithole of a town doesn't have anywhere that teaches   Fighting fair is a damn good way to get yourself killed   But if ya really want to learn how to fight join the army or marine corps enlisted in a combat MOS and volunteer for additional combatives training   there's nothing quite like 6 weeks of beating the shaZam! out of the guy that sleeps above you

[scottpA_GS]

I even have a mook jong I'd sell you. 

Oooo SWEET! I have been looking for a new mook jong!

[Egaeus]

It's not new.  The body (PVC) is broken.  Oops.  Me and my badass self.  That, or I used drain pipe instead of schedule 80.  One or the other....

But yeah, I know, not exactly a high-demand item.  But hey, if you're taking Wing Chun, it's a useful thing to have. 

[Alphamazing]

I was considering doing Tai Chi for a while, but it's a little too meditative and passive for my tastes. I did Aikido for a while and got kinda bored; I like a little aggressiveness in my combat.

As for the weight gain, we'll see how that goes. Hopefully I can learn some good techniques and continue them after the boxing class ends.

[Egaeus]

Yeah, but how many 85-year-old boxers can knock you down.  Most of them are wiping up their drool because of the brain damage. 

[Alphamazing]

Yeah, but how many 85-year-old boxers can knock you down.  Most of them are wiping up their drool because of the brain damage. 

That's why I said I doubt I'd ever do it competitively. The class I'm taking is non-contact, and I'd only get in the ring for a few fun fights (amateur boxing is done by points, rather than KOs).

[spc]

I could use a llttle calming   I've seen guys that have been doing Tai Chi for years completely dominate other high level martial artists while barely breaking a sweat   Current guidelines incorporate Tai Chi into the morning PT for SFQC and most Special Forces units in the Army

[PuddleJumper]

I just started taking some of that passive Tai chi.

I could barely walk for the last 2 weeks. LOL
Or maybe it was the 2 hrs of San Shou before the Tai Chi class that
got me sore.

If you don't know what San Shou is, think Chinese Hapkido.

BeSafe.

[spc]

Be safe seems to be a recurring theme.......Brain damage sucks, trust me I'm experienced with that