How do boxers have so much muscle but not lift weights?

[Sandro17]

I look at guys like Pacquiao and Floyd and they dont do heavy lifting, so how do they have so much muscle?

[Elroy1]

I look at guys like Pacquiao and Floyd and they dont do heavy lifting, so how do they have so much muscle?

The question itself really is a bit silly.

EVERYBODY has muscle that looks like that underneath the fluid and fat that normally accrues over it.

The difference with ripped athletes like Floyd and Pac whom have to make weight is that they have burned all that fat away.

The exercises which boxers perform does NOT really build much muscle at all.

Shredded boxers historically were much larger guys than their fighting weight normally and then stripped down to the weight almost uniformly.

Now days though, through strength training and PED's and ultra high-calorie diets, it is just as likely the athlete can build up to a heavier weight from lower as well.

Manny and Floyd have done just that. BOTH of them DO lift weights for their physiques, as do most modern boxers, which is why they look different from mollusc bodied olden days fighters. And BOTH of them use PED's.

Their build along with their skills and performance related training simply would not be possible without them! Fatigue, sickness and injury would quickly result with the necessary level of training.

Manny Pacquaio for instance requires about 8000 calories a day!! To maintain a weight of 147 under full training. This is far more than the average bodybuilder who weighs triple MAnny, who lifts weights but otherwise sleeps and does F/A.

[nivek535]

type ii muscles bruh

[Redd Foxx]

Boxing is really a full body exercise. Besides the arms, the legs get tortured, back and chest do a lot of work, and the shoulders do the most work of all. Also, training isn't just hitting a bag, you run, do body weight exercises, etc, etc. If your genetics are so inclined, you can even get petty muscular on boxing. Then again, some guys just stay skinny. Personally, I gain quite a bit of muscle when I box for a few months, even when I restrict my diet. Your genetics have a lot to do with it (it took me years to come to terms with that).

[Elroy1]

Boxing is really a full body exercise. Besides the arms, the legs get tortured, back and chest do a lot of work, and the shoulders do the most work of all. Also, training isn't just hitting a bag, you run, do body weight exercises, etc, etc. If your genetics are so inclined, you can even get petty muscular on boxing. Then again, some guys just stay skinny. Personally, I gain quite a bit of muscle when I box for a few months, even when I restrict my diet. Your genetics have a lot to do with it (it took me years to come to terms with that).

Are you sure??

I reckon boxing changed my shape into a fitter look but for the slight build of shoulders and lats that was achieved by pure boxing exercises I feel they looked more prominent because the leaner and thinner waist I got made them larger only by proportion. I felt that boxing made me too skinny always.

I think boxing totally destroys muscle mass by itself until an equilibrium is reached between a suitable body weight for your level of training.

I may be mistaken though because I have also lifted weights before and then stopped them to focus on boxing and then cried when I seen myself shrink.

Most lately my missus convinced me to cut back on boxing and do more weights because I LOOK better when I do them, given that I likely wont fight again anyway.

[Suckmedry]

with good genetics some boxers have physiques a fitness model/bodybuilder would be envious of. i wish i had some photos on this computer of when i was 16 yo fighting at 57kg...i was like honestly 5-6% body fat and didn't have huge muscles or anything but looked pretty bloody good..

Look at how Monroe looked at todays weigh in...perfect physique

[Elroy1]

with good genetics some boxers have physiques a fitness model/bodybuilder would be envious of. i wish i had some photos on this computer of when i was 16 yo fighting at 57kg...i was like honestly 5-6% body fat and didn't have huge muscles or anything but looked pretty bloody good..

Look at how Monroe looked at todays weigh in...perfect physique

Yeah he is ripped either through lots of high intensity sprint work and/or weights.

General skills training for boxing or paced rounds style training doesn't get you that kind of look. HIIT can.

[ShoulderRoll]

Manny and Floyd have done just that. BOTH of them DO lift weights for their physiques, as do most modern boxers, which is why they look different from mollusc bodied olden days fighters. And BOTH of them use PED's.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

Just look at these mollusc bodied old timers!

[2ofEverything]

They're just cut, any strain on the muscles will make you gain more, it's just in bodybuilding you're always adding weight to get bigger, with boxing your body only develops what it needs. If you get down to a really low bf% you'll look pretty "muscular" as well.

[Redd Foxx]

I think boxing totally destroys muscle mass by itself until an equilibrium is reached between a suitable body weight for your level of training.

I am not sure how you think boxing would destroy muscle mass. Exercising muscle is never going to ever diminish it. The body just doesn't work that way unless you're doing something odd like starvation. Now, there's a myth that low reps build bigger muscles and high reps make you leaner. The reason someone training for size wants lower reps is simply because that accommodates high weight. Some people respond very well to high reps and the higher level of cardio associated with this often lends to a more cut physique. I've known guys who never went low reps or high weight and were just huge. There are also boxers and MMA guys who don't lift and are still huge/ripped. Their bodies respond to things like striking/grappling/etc. Many/most fighters can't cut weight past a certain point because their bodies put on too much muscle from standard training.