Why were many old time boxers so scrawny looking

[Johnstown]

Originally Posted by janitor

It is actually a very good question.

The answer is that they came from a different place, and were going to a different place.

A fighter back then likely came into boxing malnourished, while a modern boxer likely comes in needing to cut some excess body fat.

A fighter back then focused on stamina training primarily, while a modern fighter takes a more multi faceted training programme.

many modern fighters still practice old school training methods and are ripped. they did, on average do more long distance running than today (although many did do sprints..hell even jack dempsey in his book championship fighting recommends interval sprint, slow jog training, he just doesnt all it that). they didnt do weights but many today still dont....they did do heavy duty push ups, pull ups, chin ups, dips, and medicine ball throws.

as far as being malnourished....i would say most guys from the 30s into the 50s were not really that malnourished. I think it mostly has to do with bad photography. You can find pictures of dempsey (again a bit before the 30s, but thats the old timer i look at most) in which he looks ripped to fuck and than others where he looks almost soft. now in some cases that could be because he might have been inshape for one photo and out of shape for another. however, i have seen two photos from the same fight one in which dempsey looks awesome another one in which he looks meh....i think the photography has something to do with it.

[brnxhands]

also basic shit look milk an meat back then was lean n natural. loaded with hormones today

[Jamal Perkins]

Originally Posted by gentleman jim

If you took the fighters from that era and time machined them to today, you'd probably see that they're not scrawny at all. We're used to seeing athletes in modern film and pictures. High definition color and up close camera angles using the very best in modern photography. Overall I would agree that the fighters today are bigger due to nutrition, supplements and other factors such as length of bouts, time off in between fights etc..A twelve round fighter may not have to train down as intensely as a fifteen or twenty round fighter would. Strength, body mass and power would then take a back seat to conditioniong and endurance. The old timers didn't have a McDonalds or Burger King or KFC on every corner while growing up but that didn't mean that they weren't tough as nails or physically strong..just generally leaner...and n many cases better conditoned.

The problem with your theory is black and white pictures always bring out a muscle definition that colour ones cant. Thats why the best bodybuilding pictures taken even today are the black and white ones. Otherwise i agree with your post totally. These days protein shakes, weight training, and steroids have made many fighters slower, bulkier and bigger for the weight. Thats why u no longer see the technique or hand speed of past years with some fighters unable to pull of skills you saw not so long ago in people like marlon starling. Than again a noted weight trainer like r jones jnr disproves that theory too. But Jones jnr was a genetic freak the exception not the norm

[brnxhands]

at the elite bodybuilding level black n white pictures look better sometime... color you can see the graniness on them n the conditioning. where talking about average dudes.

Originally Posted by Jamal Perkins

The problem with your theory is black and white pictures always bring out a muscle definition that colour ones cant. Thats why the best bodybuilding pictures taken even today are the black and white ones. Otherwise i agree with your post totally. These days protein shakes, weight training, and steroids have made many fighters slower, bulkier and bigger for the weight. Thats why u no longer see the technique or hand speed of past years with some fighters unable to pull of skills you saw not so long ago in people like marlon starling. Than again a noted weight trainer like r jones jnr disproves that theory too. But Jones jnr was a genetic freak the exception not the norm

[thistle1]

Originally Posted by Jamal Perkins

The problem with your theory is black and white pictures always bring out a muscle definition that colour ones cant. Thats why the best bodybuilding pictures taken even today are the black and white ones. Otherwise i agree with your post totally. These days protein shakes, weight training, and steroids have made many fighters slower, bulkier and bigger for the weight. Thats why u no longer see the technique or hand speed of past years with some fighters unable to pull of skills you saw not so long ago in people like marlon starling. Than again a noted weight trainer like r jones jnr disproves that theory too. But Jones jnr was a genetic freak the exception not the norm

don't be so 'young' and can't see past your own little today existance, these are tiring rediculous questions.

It's NOT Simply B & W pictures, it's the Quality of them and likewise Old Film Footage, much of it was simply SHIT, not the people.

as BB says, "I can assure you, people walked the same, fucked the same, shit the same and fought the same, the difference is in the Film & Camera technologies and Proper Use of them!!!

[Unforgiven]

Originally Posted by Jamal Perkins

The problem with your theory is black and white pictures always bring out a muscle definition that colour ones cant. Thats why the best bodybuilding pictures taken even today are the black and white ones

In proper lighting, with proper cameras. Obviously bodybuilding posing and photography is all about capturing the definition.

It's hardly the same as Palooka Maloney posing for a publicity snap for the hacks in some dusty gym in 1930.

[dyna]

Reason why heavyweights today are heavier besides being on average maybe a little more fat is the increase of hip size (Yes, hips are wider today generally) and hws being slightly longer.

[Seamus]

Frail. Old Timey. Footnote.





Shredded. Modern. ATG.

[Icemmann]

Originally Posted by Seamus

They just plainly weren't yoked. Today's fighters are much more yoked...ergo much better. Just compare...

[Manassa]

Originally Posted by highguard

hey asshole
have you ever done any sports

if you ever did, you would know
many times
nonathletic looking people are often actually NON ATHLETIC



i posted capes vs arnold actually to prove that
more muscles doesnt always mean
more power
and while capes was a beast,arnold was not a weakling by any means


but in general, i will tell you a secret
a guy with fucking 16 inch thighs is usually not that strong
and yes being strong matters to some degree in any combat sport


have you ever done any fucking sports? because if you did, you would know that
power much like speed is important

please dont lie
idiot

Shit, you're right, thanks for enlightening me, perhaps you could let the bottom of the ocean know as well

[highguard]

Originally Posted by Manassa

Shit, you're right, thanks for enlightening me, perhaps you could let the bottom of the ocean know as well

idiot, interesting
you didnt answer the question about ever doing any
combat sports yourself

WHY????
cause you havent and all you can do is talk theory
with no experience


leave your smartass remarks to yourself
and stop talking about things you know nothing about

[Flea Man]

Seeing as their are fighters on here, fighters probably far more accomplished than yourself, that validate the old school fighters as superior, you should stop posting your spasticated monginess and fuck off back to the General.

[Synthetic Decay]

Why don't you fuck off back to the bodybuilding forum you little twerp.

[highguard]

Originally Posted by MadcapMaxie

Yeah boxers back then only did exercises that would be beneficial to a boxer. Running, sparring, skipping, speed and heavy bag plus push ups, sit ups, wrist and neck exercises was basically all that was done, because that was all that was needed. Additional exercises like swimming, rowing and axe training all had benefits to a boxer compared to something like bicep curl which has no benefits beyond aesthetics.

all that was needed lol,

first off, if you really think that lifting weights is only for aesthetics
thats just clueless, and i hate to tell you this but doing push ups
is also resistance training,

so if weights make you still, so will push ups and pull ups

[highguard]

Originally Posted by Synthetic Decay

Why don't you fuck off back to the bodybuilding forum you little twerp.

wow someone is inscure about weight training lol

yes idiot
any training with weights is bodybuilding
lol

go join a gym before opening your retarded mouth