I just rewatched the first Fury vs McDermott fight and couldn't help wondering how those guys managed to step into the ring in that sort of shape. Im no nutritionist but surely, with the amount of training required to become a professional fighter, they should be able to step into that ring looking pretty trim? Im amazed someone of McDermott's size can keep up a decent pace for ten rounds. On the other hand there have been some pretty good fighters over the years who have been successful whilst still carrying some blubber. Does the fat matter? Whaddya reckon?
I've read several times that former heavyweight contender Lawrence Cley-Bey would starve himself eating the same amount of calories/diet doing the same workouts that middleweights in his training camp would eat while they were training to make weight in an effort to lose his flabby physique and it never worked I think genetics plays a huge role and some people will just never look cut or as in shape as others might .
theres plenty of heavy weights that have carried a bit of fat and done well.. but these days it seems most of them dont care , they dont even try and get themselves in shape! if you go back to the 70s and your watching ali, foreman, frazier or whoever , even the guys they were fighting early in there careers so called bums , even they came in decent shape.
If you consume more calories than you use then the excess will be stored as fat. These heavyweights obviously use up a large number of calories in their training. However, because they do not have to make weight, they also consume more than they need. This gives them plenty of energy for workouts and means they can get the best out of each session. If you are on a restricted diet and trying to train at high intesities then your training will suffer as you do not have the energy to sustain it. Some of them consume so many calories that they store far too much fat and the excess weight just becomes a hindrance. You shouldn't need a six pack, but you shouldn't look like Fury or McDermott either. How you look doesn't have a refelection on your level of fitness though- that is just an ignorant misconception. Look at the difference in bodies between on stage bodybuilders and your average "strongman" I'm sure if you had to choose you would rather look like the bodybuilder- but he is weak and ill, while thestrongman is fit and strong.
That is something i'd always assumed, and being the case, is carrying excess fat due to bad diet/nutrition or just the wrong kind of training?
Each individuals case would be different but my guess would be that it would be due more to eating too much, or eating the wrong things rather than a lack of training, most heavyweights are going to train alongside fighters of other weights so they will be trained mostly the same. There maybe more focus on strength and power in a lot of heavyweights training compared to other weights though. Bigger people are naturally less mobile and quick than smaller people, you will see evidence of this in loads of sports and in life in general.
As has been said, I believe its mostly diet related. The amount and quality of training is only as good as your diet allows. Some is genetics too. Bruno running out of gas against a fat Tim Witherspoon being a good example.
Haye and the Klits eat healthy and train hard. They are always in shape and are the best in the division. Surely contenders must see this and stay in shape or get KTFO!