I'm currently trying to work on my speed, which I think is one of my weaker areas. However, I also need to keep a decent amount of muscle mass/ maximal strength (I play rugby as well as box and don't want to lose muscle). My current solution is to do my weights session first, then do a load of shadow/speed bag/double end bag work afterwards to try to work speed. However, I wonder if doing this stuff with tired muscles might actually be hindering the speed development? Perhaps because the muscles can't move at their fastest so might not be building the right type of fibres. Should I be doing the work in seperate sessions? Does anyone know about this stuff? Any advice really appreciated. thanks in advance.
Unfortunate as it is, if you're wanting to take either sport seriously then you're going to have to give one up at some point. Cross training like that will probably hinder both speed ad muscle development.
Well, this really really depends on your goal. If you want to "look" as ripped as possible, expending all your carbohydrate supplies on lifting makes sure they are channelled into muscle development, and that they are not sacrificed when you do more cardiovascular things like shadowboxing for long periods or bag work after ... but while you will look better, this won't help your speed, but may help you keep some semblance of form when you are tired. I do strength training after a warm up, sparring, bag work, but this does not permit muscle growth, honestly, beyond what I already have. I would recommend this if you want speed and only switch it up when you want to work on keeping your form after your muscles are exhuasted. But honestly maybe spending 80% of your workout on speed and technique and punching output might be wiser now and then when you feel faster re-implement some of that strength stuff, because you have to feel comfortable with it. I will say before a real fight I never lift for that week, the first time I ignored that I pulled my bicep something fierce in my right arm, it was just too tight for the way I like to throw in the lower weights, but others might not be as adversely affected. Even heavy sparring though I still lift a little, as I am not predisposed to out of control muscle growth anyway and it doesn't affect my weight that much.
Thanks for the input guys. I'm not going to take either sport that much more seriously than I do now. I'm 28 so no danger of turning pro at either, but I enjoy both and care about my performance in both. I think that the ideas of keeping the two workouts seperate and laying off the weights for a time while I develop speed might be ones I take on board though. Thanks.
Ah, please don't give advice when you don't know what you're talking about. 1) It's not ideal, but muscle growth can and does occur even when weight training is done after sparring etc already. However, strength training should not be done after boxing simply because your ability to increase efficiency or neuromuscular coordination (strength) is hindered when your CNS is already fatigued. And, to bring up a dead horse, if you're doing your strength training and controlling your calories properly you have absolutely nothing to worry about in regards to gaining mass regardless of when you lift. 2) @ the OP, doing weight training and boxing training in the same day is not ideal for either to increase at maximum rate. If you have no other options, I would advise doing weights in the morning and boxing in the evening. I occasionally do this and find that neither are really affected this way. For working speed, you're better off using shadows and heavybag (pads if you have a good padholder handy). Simply racking up repetitions with the right technique should do wonders for your punching speed, as long as your don't load up.
He was asking about before or after, I've done both, I'm just saying I think he would get more out of doing speed work before he lifts or separating the exercises instead of doing it after, when he would just be working with fatigued muscles.
Everything Virus wrote is completely 100% correct. Just to add a little something extra from point #1 to drive it home: strength training after boxing could lead to an increased risk of injuries due to the very things he described, specifically CNS. Scott Robson's advice is sound also, but if you cut way back on one or the other, you can train both. I agree though that one will inevitably have to be given up because nobody gets good at a sport training half ass unless you are simply a phenomenal athlete.