Lower body workouts needed?

A_N_91 · 05-04-2006, 10:27 PM

Right now I have no gym memship or at home setup. I've been doing bodyweights for the past few weeks and I found a good price on a bench with some weights, but I'm paying it myself and my buget won't give me any leftover money to buy a powerack. I'm currently training for boxing and I know lower body isnt THAT important and I'll be getting some work from the running.

So I just finished my cutting and I'm going to be bulking and hopefully, I can start a 5x5 or maybe a Starting Strength routine. For these routines, will they be as effective and will I still out on mass/gain strength even without the squats incorporated?

And once I build myself a good base on move on to Westside or something, will doing only upper day workouts be good?

**madman911** · 05-05-2006, 12:57 AM

Do you have dumbbells? At the very least, do some db squats, lunges, and deadlifts, that'll at least allow you build up some strength and make some progress. Eventually, you will have to join a gym and have access to the proper equipment for leg work if you want to make serious progress. I would absolutely not cut legs out of your workout under any circumstances.

A_N_91 · 05-05-2006, 12:59 AM

The new set of weights I'm getting has adjustable dumbells and a barbell but it's standard plates and it's hard to deadlift because the plates are shorter than olympic ones. Even when I'm running 5x a week and my legs get a little sore, leg work is still needed?

Keep in mind this is for boxing which needs little leg strength.

**madman911** · 05-05-2006, 01:25 AM

I wouldn't agree with needing little leg strength for boxing. I used to be into martial arts and all the torque that goes into a powerful punch requires a strong base and hip strength. Certainly lifting for your legs is not required, you can build the power by just practicing your punching, but I can definitely see weight training helping to build MORE power. Running will build your leg muscles, if it is explosive sprinting type running, not endurance running. Look at a sprinters legs, they are big and powerful; distance runners have much less mass to their legs. Most boxers don't have big thick legs, so if boxing is your passion, I guess leg lifting is really not gonna be all that important.

Isn't there a boxing board you can post on, rather than a bodybuilding board? Not that I'm saying you shouldn't post here, but that a boxing board would be more useful to you. Good luck with the boxing, it is a very physically demanding sport and is great for all around fitness.

A_N_91 · 05-05-2006, 01:31 AM

That's what I thought too for the hip strength but that comes from punching. So I guess leg strength won't be that harmful. For the running, I alternate them on how I feel but mostly it's interval sprints because most of my conditioning I do in sparring etc.

I tried posting in a boxing board but most of the responses are just do bodyweights because free weights slow you down, etc.

**madman911** · 05-05-2006, 01:47 AM

The freeweights slowing you down thing is a myth. Gymnasts train with weights and do they appear slow and clumsy? Resistance is resistance, whether bodyweight or free weight. Just with free weights you can add much more resistance and therefore build much more strength than you can with just your bodyweight. Honestly, I think a boxer who does incorporate free weights along with their boxing specific training would have an advantage in terms of raw power. Raw power isn't everything in boxing, there's the matter of natural talent... and a million other factors, but power definitely can be increased with weight training.

A_N_91 · 05-05-2006, 01:49 AM

Yeah, I know that already, it's just that other boxing boards don't :p.

So would you think for example a Westside routine with max effort and dynamic effort days be good along with some bodyweight stuff on off days?

A_N_91 · 05-05-2006, 12:43 PM

And since Leg strength isn't what I'm look for and it's mostly core/hip area for lower body, on the Strating Strength routine could I replace the squats with Deadlifts and if I do 5x5, replace the squats for Deadlifts and Deadlifts for Stiff-Legged Deadlifts?

05-04-2006, 10:27 PM	#1
A_N_91 Pro Stature Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 849 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	Lower body workouts needed? Right now I have no gym memship or at home setup. I've been doing bodyweights for the past few weeks and I found a good price on a bench with some weights, but I'm paying it myself and my buget won't give me any leftover money to buy a powerack. I'm currently training for boxing and I know lower body isnt THAT important and I'll be getting some work from the running. So I just finished my cutting and I'm going to be bulking and hopefully, I can start a 5x5 or maybe a Starting Strength routine. For these routines, will they be as effective and will I still out on mass/gain strength even without the squats incorporated? And once I build myself a good base on move on to Westside or something, will doing only upper day workouts be good?

05-05-2006, 12:57 AM	#2
madman911 Metamorphosizing Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston Area Posts: 1,543 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 62	Do you have dumbbells? At the very least, do some db squats, lunges, and deadlifts, that'll at least allow you build up some strength and make some progress. Eventually, you will have to join a gym and have access to the proper equipment for leg work if you want to make serious progress. I would absolutely not cut legs out of your workout under any circumstances. __________________ Millennium Sport Technologies Sponsored Athlete http://www.millenniumsport.net IMPC 2006 Novice Division Champ IMPC 2007 Open Division Champ Never underestimate the power of the bandana.

05-05-2006, 01:25 AM	#4
madman911 Metamorphosizing Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston Area Posts: 1,543 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 62	I wouldn't agree with needing little leg strength for boxing. I used to be into martial arts and all the torque that goes into a powerful punch requires a strong base and hip strength. Certainly lifting for your legs is not required, you can build the power by just practicing your punching, but I can definitely see weight training helping to build MORE power. Running will build your leg muscles, if it is explosive sprinting type running, not endurance running. Look at a sprinters legs, they are big and powerful; distance runners have much less mass to their legs. Most boxers don't have big thick legs, so if boxing is your passion, I guess leg lifting is really not gonna be all that important. Isn't there a boxing board you can post on, rather than a bodybuilding board? Not that I'm saying you shouldn't post here, but that a boxing board would be more useful to you. Good luck with the boxing, it is a very physically demanding sport and is great for all around fitness. __________________ Millennium Sport Technologies Sponsored Athlete http://www.millenniumsport.net IMPC 2006 Novice Division Champ IMPC 2007 Open Division Champ Never underestimate the power of the bandana.

05-05-2006, 01:47 AM	#6
madman911 Metamorphosizing Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boston Area Posts: 1,543 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 62	The freeweights slowing you down thing is a myth. Gymnasts train with weights and do they appear slow and clumsy? Resistance is resistance, whether bodyweight or free weight. Just with free weights you can add much more resistance and therefore build much more strength than you can with just your bodyweight. Honestly, I think a boxer who does incorporate free weights along with their boxing specific training would have an advantage in terms of raw power. Raw power isn't everything in boxing, there's the matter of natural talent... and a million other factors, but power definitely can be increased with weight training. __________________ Millennium Sport Technologies Sponsored Athlete http://www.millenniumsport.net IMPC 2006 Novice Division Champ IMPC 2007 Open Division Champ Never underestimate the power of the bandana.

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05-05-2006, 12:59 AM	#3
A_N_91 Pro Stature Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 849 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	The new set of weights I'm getting has adjustable dumbells and a barbell but it's standard plates and it's hard to deadlift because the plates are shorter than olympic ones. Even when I'm running 5x a week and my legs get a little sore, leg work is still needed? Keep in mind this is for boxing which needs little leg strength.

05-05-2006, 01:31 AM	#5
A_N_91 Pro Stature Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 849 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	That's what I thought too for the hip strength but that comes from punching. So I guess leg strength won't be that harmful. For the running, I alternate them on how I feel but mostly it's interval sprints because most of my conditioning I do in sparring etc. I tried posting in a boxing board but most of the responses are just do bodyweights because free weights slow you down, etc.

05-05-2006, 01:49 AM	#7
A_N_91 Pro Stature Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 849 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	Yeah, I know that already, it's just that other boxing boards don't :p. So would you think for example a Westside routine with max effort and dynamic effort days be good along with some bodyweight stuff on off days?

05-05-2006, 12:43 PM	#8
A_N_91 Pro Stature Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 849 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	And since Leg strength isn't what I'm look for and it's mostly core/hip area for lower body, on the Strating Strength routine could I replace the squats with Deadlifts and if I do 5x5, replace the squats for Deadlifts and Deadlifts for Stiff-Legged Deadlifts?