I am not sure how to begin my post. Here is the deal. My exams period is over so it's time for me to resume my boxing training, but I am thinking to put it aside for the time being and pick up weight training in order to make some drastic changes to my body, that I've been planning for a long time now. I have no prior experience, so the first thing I did was to read several threads of this forum and do some search and now here I am, asking for your advice. My goal is to put about 10 kgs for a start, although I feel I need around 20 kgs in order to catch my proper weight. I mainly want to bulk up and make my body looking sharp, but I prefer to do that through strength training than training only for the sake of looking good, if you know what I mean. So here is some information about me. - I am really tall. About 2,2 meters. - I weight 81 kgs. - I eat about 3-4 meals a day, but there are also days that I only eat 2 times. - When I eat a breakfast, it's a big cup of cereal, oatmeal, some kinds of grains and sliced pieces of green apple. - I haven't been doing any exersice consistently for about 4 months. Only some shadowboxing rounds I do daily and some push ups whenever I feel like it. I was never very fit to begin with. I could do 25 pushups maximum when I was training in the boxing gym and I had a relatively low stamina and muscle endurance. So I think that weight training will help me a lot in general and I would be a different guy when I pick up boxing again. Here's hoping.. Now, what I have in mind to do is a 3 times a week program of about 1 hour of exersice. I was thinking to try either the 5x5 stronglifts program or a program Kuma recently posted http://www.muscleandstrength.com/wo...t-jim-wendlers-5-3-1-powerlifting-system.html . As for my diet I was thinking of eating 6 times a day, and drinking 4 galons of milk for a couple of month until I reach my goal according to the GOMAD program. I don't know though if it would be a good idea for a guy like me to begin with free weights right off the bat. Should I start with machine exercises? To be honest these lifting programs confuse me a little. I should also mention that because of my large skeletal frame, I feel my lower back pretty weak and that my muscles can support fully my body. Well this is about everything I had to say. Please ask me for anything I phrased poorly or I wasn't very clear about. I am looking forward to see what you guys think.
are you sure you want to start weight training and putting on weight? at the height and weight you wll have a great reach advantage over your opponents which will be a big plus for an amateur fighter. especially as boxing is a speed strength sport and not one relying on max strength in the same way MMA or wrestling does
Well, that's what a boxing trainer, I talked to about a year ago, also told me. I have thought about that and I am interested in fighting in amateur competitions, but I also want to stop looking skinny. I would really like to put some muscle. Plus, I have pretty long limbs and my reach is even big for a guy in my height. I would probably have a reach advantage in any weight class..
Ice brings up a good point but if you really want to put on weight you can't go wrong with free weights and multiple sets of low reps. Being very tall you might have a problem learning squats on your own just as a fair warning. Will you continue to box during this time or do any additional training?
I would really like to continue boxing, but I don't know if I can afford doing both at the same time and I am also wondering how it would fit with the weights. I guess for this month I will only lift weights, try to get used in my new training program and then see if I can resume my boxing training as well. I was thinking Kuma to follow Jim Wendler's work out and GOMAD. They look like a good combination to me. I don't understand though, the part that is talking about the workout waves. It includes some percentages I don't understand what they stand for. Can you enlighten me? I am also worried about my squat form and especially I am worried about how much weight I should lift for starters. I will read any post that has to do with the proper form and see some videos and hopefully I would get it right.
Strength athletes: powerlifters, strongman generally don’t look fit and sharp, if it’s the look you want train like a bodybuilder. I would suggest not doing wendler, especially if you aren’t sure of your squat form, just follow any simple body building routine for a month and eat lots of protein. Do sets of 10 in the squat, bench, pull up and overhead press, start light add 5 pounds each week and just keep eating get in lots of volume and eat lots of food and you will grow
Thanks for your advices. I definetely want the look, but at the same time I am interested to increase my maximal, speed, explosive and endurance strength. I don't intend to look like a guy in a poster, if you know what I mean. I just want to increase the size of my shoulders, back and limbs as far as appearance goes and I figured 10 to 20 more kgs and a strength training routine would do the trick.
Gomad was normally done with 20 rep squats and pull overs. I'd definitely the onto a higher rep program than Starting strength or 5x5. Try starting strength with 3x10 instead of 3x5 to learn the skills involves with lifting
Well, guys thank you all for your posts! They were helpful! From tomorrow I start my weight training. I visited today the gym and had a talk with the trainer and owner of the gym. I asked him to make a program from me and to put more free weight exercices than machines in my routine. I am gonna start slow, working on a different muscle group at a time, 4 or 5 times a week. He said 3 times of week would be too much for a beginner. I also asked him some questions, in order to check his knowledges. I was surprised that he hadn't heard of GOMAD before and he didn't seem to find it a good idea at all. It seemed a little absurd to him. Anyway, I'll start slow as I said and when I get the hang of it, I'll follow Starting Strength or the other weight lifting programs we talked about above.
