Gaining mass + Strength

[JohnnyCage]

Is there a way I can gain muscle mass on my arms and gain decent strength without sacrificing speed? I box and I know that boxers dont need to be symmetrical and pretty looking, but my arm development is lagging in comparison to my torso and it looks funny.

[Camilo]

Actually I would like to know exactly the same thing.  I asked about it I think like a year ago and got no answer, so I hope this time things work better lol

Cheers,

Camilo

[queenofthedamned]

i have a friend who boxes and he was just talking to me the other day about this. he has a huge set of guns and finds it more of a problem than anything with his sport. he stays dieted down now, this keeps his arms from getting too over developed. the biggest beef he had was the fact that he couldn't jab/punch as fast and his arms got tired too fast. he even tried practising with weighted gloves....didn't help. if you look at most pro boxers, especially the big boys, there isn't alot of bicep development (same goes for olympic lifters) it's just something you have to except if you are serious about your sport.

[p.s.]

What QOD has written is the truth, and if you two were to step back a moment and think it through you'd realize that having the arms of a bodybuilder (and chest for that matter) is counterproductive in so many ways to your sport. Now if you're interested in bodybuilding and looking like one then drop the fighting and become a full time bodybuilder and I can help ya with your arm goals as best as your genetics will allow.

[JohnnyCage]

I was thinking about just bodybuilding, but I might not have the genetics for it, theres alot of guys at my school that have bigger muscles than me, but I have not seen guys at school lift heavier than me on most lifts and I have been making good progress in speed, coordination and gotten better when sparring. Seems like I do better at this sport and I have fun doing it and stay motivated. But every now and then I would like to be huge like that dude in my gym class, he is starting to compete in bodybuilding sometime soon.

I realize that muscles are heavy and will slow me down, but I dont have arm developement like the professionals do even so I dont think it will make much of a difference unless I add more mass to my chest or abs. Its a very tough choice wether to stick with boxing or not.

[p.s.]

Johnny back when I started BBing I was a massive 145 @ 5'10 ish and had little that would indicate that I was genetically gifted enough to attain the physique I currently have (same height but a lean 270). Mind you it has also taken me many years, but in that time I have also been successful in PLing and to a degree strongman.

Johnny what you want to do BBing wise is a journey and not something that one can attain after only a few months/years. Sure this guy in your gym class may appear to be something special right now, but in all honesty if you stick with it you may find that 5 years from now he has stopped and you have surpassed anything he may be/have right now.

I know that in my case I have surpassed any and all of the "freaks" I used to admire way back when I started, and that includes the guy that was my mentor (he was a NABBA heavyweight Mr Universe competitor). Therefore if ya have a goal and stick with it you may find that you not only fulfill this lofty ambition but totally crush it in the process.

Keep your mind open, be patient, never stop asking questions, and for heavens sake make a long term goal and stick with it no matter what.

[JohnnyCage]

Ok p.s., you conviced me, I will go back to bodybuilding. Now to get my old schedule and modify it to see what I was doing wrong or if I can make it better. Maybe I can ask that guy for advice too.

[p.s.]

Ok p.s., you conviced me, I will go back to bodybuilding. Now to get my old schedule and modify it to see what I was doing wrong or if I can make it better. Maybe I can ask that guy for advice too.

Johnny I'm not trying to convince you of anything, but I am saying that you need to pick one sport over all the rest and set some goals or you'll never become successfull (have a chance at succeeding). I've seen many guys/gals bounce from one sport to another without ever maximizing their potential in any of them, and I've also witnessed their frustration that they don't get very good at these sports either.

[JohnnyCage]

I would rather bodybuild though

[p.s.]

I would rather bodybuild though

Well then set some goals long term as well as short term, and then work hard to achieve these goals. And as one short term goal it sounds to me that you want bigger arms, so get to work on that goal.

[JohnnyCage]

I will get working on that. I have two questions about the lifting though, when you do military presses, is it better to bend the hands back a little so they face the ceiling or keep the knuckles facing the ceiling, and also, is rest pause training used for strength or bodybuilding?

[p.s.]

I will get working on that. I have two questions about the lifting though, when you do military presses, is it better to bend the hands back a little so they face the ceiling or keep the knuckles facing the ceiling, and also, is rest pause training used for strength or bodybuilding?

I tend to keep my hands in between being totally bent back and knuckles facing the ceiling, as this works best for me. I also use the smith machine for heavy military pressing as this is easier on my shoulder/pec problem area. As far as rest/pause goes this is strictly a BBing style of training, as it allows for more reps with a given weight. It's a big part of HIT training as well as DC training, and I believe that Dorian was also a big fan of rest/pause (he was a HIT deciple). Rest/pause allows for more time under tension with a heavier weight than one could otherwise use for a high number of reps, but you should only use this technique once in a while as it is VERY intense, or at most for one particular exercise for no more than a couple of weeks and then move on to another bodypart.