Is 5X5 good for building muscle?

[chunky_mcdaniels]

I’m not a “serious” competitor. I spar a lot in my gym and have had fights, but they didn’t require a weigh-in. It’s just more of a hobby, so gaining weight is fine.

If it’s a hobby then prioritise weight training for at least 2-3 months over boxing if you want to increase weight as you said.

End of discussion.

 

[Swirv]

Why do you want to put on mass as a boxer? It’s unorthodox to want to be going up in relation to weight for boxing?

Those that do go up weight as boxers (usually professionals) are doing so for the financial windfalls that the heavier weight classes provide (lighter weight classes less popular with the masses.)

Those same boxers (professional) that go up in weight, tend to have the added benefit of dieticians, strength & conditioning coaches, rest and recovery, and most importantly, peformance enhancing drugs.

Point out a champion boxer to me that has gone up in weight and I can guarantee you they take a cocktail of drugs to do so. I’ll prove it too.

My point being that it is difficult to go up in weight as a boxer. Age is the major ‘natural’ determinant in weight gain if you’re an active boxer.

If you’re really, really serious about boxing and wanting to put on weight then my advice is to get a strength and conditioning coach and plan it out with them.

If you can’t afford it then work out a way to afford it.

Please show proof of which boxers have moved up in weight with history of PEDS. I’m just curious.

 

[chunky_mcdaniels]

Please show proof of which boxers have moved up in weight with history of PEDS. I’m just curious.

RJJ
Holyfield
Clenelo
Paquiao
Gamboa
Toney
(all substantial jumps up in weight whilst competing, which the discussion is looking at.)
All the above popped dirty in one fashion or the other in relation to weight gain.
Others obviously too, not just limited to weight gain (epo, lung capacity peds etc.)

PEDS in sport is a skill in itself. Some are better at it than others.

 

[Swirv]

RJJ
Holyfield
Clenelo
Paquiao
Gamboa
Toney
(all substantial jumps up in weight whilst competing, which the discussion is looking at.)
All the above popped dirty in one fashion or the other in relation to weight gain.
Others obviously too, not just limited to weight gain (epo, lung capacity peds etc.)

PEDS in sport is a skill in itself. Some are better at it than others.

Why the need to use anabolics to support the weight gain though? Strength naturally comes with increased weight.

EPO i can understand the appeal in boxing, but not anabolics.

 

[chunky_mcdaniels]

Why the need to use anabolics to support the weight gain though? Strength naturally comes with increased weight.

EPO i can understand the appeal in boxing, but not anabolics.

Because it’s very hard to go up in weight and also doing specific boxing/roadwork in a short period, whilst maintaining low body fat %. Aka 12 rnd preparation (which is reallly 18rnd preparation.)

Boxing requires tremendous cardiovascular and anaerobic capacities/training . Additionally, it burns a lot of energy.

That makes it harder to gain lean, heavy muscle in a short amount of time.

If you’re training to gain legitimately serious muscle and do high level boxing and boxing training simultaneously, then you’ll be really pushing the body to its limit. Peds (various forms) will help to add muscle, but also let the athlete recover in time to be able to keep up with the huge training volume, both in the gym and the ring.

If you look at boxers from the 90’s-early 2000’s and the boxers today, there’s a significant difference in the body styles. The training has changed, the output has changed, the cycles have changed, the peds have changed (or at least how they cycle peds.) It was easier to get away with it back then.

(As an aside)
Conor Benn abdominals looked very abnormal in a few fights prior to his ban, why is that? How did Canelo’s abdominals change in size and appearance in such a short period?

 

[Swirv]

Because it’s very hard to go up in weight and also doing specific boxing/roadwork in a short period, whilst maintaining low body fat %. Aka 12 rnd preparation (which is reallly 18rnd preparation.)

Boxing requires tremendous cardiovascular and anaerobic capacities/training . Additionally, it burns a lot of energy.

That makes it harder to gain lean, heavy muscle in a short amount of time.

If you’re training to gain legitimately serious muscle and do high level boxing and boxing training simultaneously, then you’ll be really pushing the body to its limit. Peds (various forms) will help to add muscle, but also let the athlete recover in time to be able to keep up with the huge training volume, both in the gym and the ring.

If you look at boxers from the 90’s-early 2000’s and the boxers today, there’s a significant difference in the body styles. The training has changed, the output has changed, the cycles have changed, the peds have changed (or at least how they cycle peds.) It was easier to get away with it back then.

(As an aside)
Conor Benn abdominals looked very abnormal in a few fights prior to his ban, why is that? How did Canelo’s abdominals change in size and appearance in such a short period?

Thanks for the breakdown breh, makes perfect sense from this perspective. I always looked at clen and epo as drugs that made sense for weight and cardio ability. I didn’t account for recovery.

I checked out that Conor Benn pic and he looked massive.

 

[chunky_mcdaniels]

Thanks for the breakdown breh, makes perfect sense from this perspective. I always looked at clen and epo as drugs that made sense for weight and cardio ability. I didn’t account for recovery.

I checked out that Conor Benn pic and he looked massive.

They (athletes) also run Clen to speed up / mask other PEDS.

Lets say -

• Athlete A takes HGH and a steroid 12 weeks from a fight
• Athlete B takes HGH and a steroid 12 weeks from a fight
• Athlete A takes Clenbuterol 9 weeks out from the fight.
• Athlete B doesn't take Clenbuterol 9 weeks out from the fight.

Theoretically, Athlete A has a higher chance of not being detected for the HGH/Steroids in their system by say week 7. Sure, they run the risk of the Clenbuterol being detected, but if they time it right, they fly under the radar of detection (remote camp, or hard to travel to destination.), still getting the benefit of strength early in pre camp, whilst cutting down and getting the supposed anabolic benefits of Clenbuterol start of camp.

This is why it's rare to see boxers agree to fighs on less than 10-12 weeks notice. A-side team/boxers will often offer fights to the B-side in this manner (often older fighters or fighters just coming off a big fight). They know that the B-side won't have recovered or wont be able to prepare in the same PEDS manner that they're already ahead of them with.

(Recent examples include Canelo v Kovalev and Fury dangling Joshua a carrot post Usyk fight for a fight in 11 weeks.) Fury knew that wouldn't eventuate, but it's a win/win for him if it does.

It's a dirty game.

 

[Swirv]

They (athletes) also run Clen to speed up / mask other PEDS.

Lets say -

• Athlete A takes HGH and a steroid 12 weeks from a fight
• Athlete B takes HGH and a steroid 12 weeks from a fight
• Athlete A takes Clenbuterol 9 weeks out from the fight.
• Athlete B doesn't take Clenbuterol 9 weeks out from the fight.

Theoretically, Athlete A has a higher chance of not being detected for the HGH/Steroids in their system by say week 7. Sure, they run the risk of the Clenbuterol being detected, but if they time it right, they fly under the radar of detection (remote camp, or hard to travel to destination.), still getting the benefit of strength early in pre camp, whilst cutting down and getting the supposed anabolic benefits of Clenbuterol start of camp.

This is why it's rare to see boxers agree to fighs on less than 10-12 weeks notice. A-side team/boxers will often offer fights to the B-side in this manner (often older fighters or fighters just coming off a big fight). They know that the B-side won't have recovered or wont be able to prepare in the same PEDS manner that they're already ahead of them with.

(Recent examples include Canelo v Kovalev and Fury dangling Joshua a carrot post Usyk fight for a fight in 11 weeks.) Fury knew that wouldn't eventuate, but it's a win/win for him if it does.

It's a dirty game.

You’ve definitely enlightened me on the complexities of doping. Any fighter not agreeing to VADA testing is getting the side-eye from me.

I’m surprised that an organization that receives from VADA a notice of a failed sample doesn’t have to act on it. I wonder how many fighters get a pass and who, if any.

 

[chunky_mcdaniels]

I’m surprised that an organization that receives from VADA a notice of a failed sample doesn’t have to act on it. I wonder how many fighters get a pass and who, if any.

Right.

And VADA if I recall correctly, is only in competition, so that’s just the camp and fight. There’s nothing to stop fighters going ham out of comp.

 

[Waterproof]

You wild build strength, Size and Mass