Weight Increase Techniques Used by Boxers

A key part of boxing is weight gain. Boxers need to approach the top of their weight class to be as effective as possible, and they must ensure that the weight they gain is composed of muscle rather than fat. A 255-pound boxer with 10 percent body fat is going to be more effective than a 255-pound boxer with 20 percent body fat because he has an extra 20 or so pounds of muscle. Diet and strength training are therefore key parts of a boxer's weight gain technique.

  1. Carbohydrates

    • The human body needs carbohydrates to burn during an anaerobic activity like boxing. So a boxer's diet should be composed of 45 percent to 55 percent carbohydrates to give him fuel during his bouts.

      However, carbohydrates come in a number of different forms. Complex carbohydrates are found in vegetables, whole-wheat breads, pastas and rice, and oatmeal that the human body can more efficiently process. They are also less dense in calories --- the boxer can consume a lot of carbohydrates without consuming a lot of unnecessary calories that will not fuel anything.

      Simple carbohydrates, on the other hand, should be avoided. These are the carbs found in things like white bread, alcohol and sugar, and they are far more dense in calories and turn to fat more easily than complex carbs.

    Fat

    • Fat is not necessarily evil. Indeed, the human body needs fat to function. However, there are a number of different kinds of fat, some of which are better than others. Good fats include the oils found in fish and polyunsaturated fat found in olive oil. Bad fats, on the other hand, include trans and saturated fats found in processed food.

      A boxer who wants to gain weight will focus on the good fats and avoid the bad fats, and fat will make up around 15 percent of his diet.

    Protein

    • Boxing training and practice leads to muscle tears, which in turn leads to soreness and weakness. Protein fixes these tears and helps the muscles develop faster. So a boxer's diet should include a lot of low-fat protein sources, such as skinless chicken breast, tuna, beans and lentils.

    Strength Training

    • Boxers need to be strong, and their muscles need to be capable of delivering and taking big hits. So another part of a boxer's weight-gain regimen is regular strength training. This is performing large compound lifts, such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses and overhead presses that work multiple muscles at once.

      In these exercises, the boxer should perform four to six reps in each set. Fewer reps than this, and the boxer will be developing power; more than this, and the boxer will be developing growth and tone, which, although attractive, is not very effective in a fight.