Kinda confused... Where do I start?

[Trainer Monkey]

Understood, but I want to be a fighter, I just need to gain weight and mass to do it.

By gaining weight you are sacrificing a huge natural advantage in boxing competition; in terms of height and reach.

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean?

What he's going for,is if you can learn to drive with your hips,and stay down in weight, you can stay down in weight class
If you can do that you should have reach in your division,which means you can pepper your opponent,and if your throwing your punches right,you'll maintain speed
Not everyone has the build to be a Heavyweight,play to your natural advantages,Tommy Hearns had a very long career doing that

[aburwell89]

By gaining weight you are sacrificing a huge natural advantage in boxing competition; in terms of height and reach.

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean?

If you fight at 140lbs, thats light Welterweight. The average Light welter is 5' 6''

You will have a huge height advantage over your opposition.
Your arms will also be far longer allowing you to pick him off with your reach.

If you go up in weight, you'll fight taller guys, that can hit harder and like to hit.

But I'm a rail at 140, I can't even concieve putting on enough mass to do any sort of damage to anyone competing at that weight. I mean, maybe I'm just a dumb kid and don't know what I'm talking about, but I just don't think it's manageable given my frame.

[Trainer Monkey]

TM, he can't PM you until he has 20 posts. But if you send him a message he will get it.

Hadnt checked his post count,got ya

[Youngblood]

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean?

If you fight at 140lbs, thats light Welterweight. The average Light welter is 5' 6''

You will have a huge height advantage over your opposition.
Your arms will also be far longer allowing you to pick him off with your reach.

If you go up in weight, you'll fight taller guys, that can hit harder and like to hit.

But I'm a rail at 140, I can't even concieve putting on enough mass to do any sort of damage to anyone competing at that weight. I mean, maybe I'm just a dumb kid and don't know what I'm talking about, but I just don't think it's manageable given my frame.

I was fighting at 6' and 140 and kicking ass. I'm now at 152.

[aburwell89]

By gaining weight you are sacrificing a huge natural advantage in boxing competition; in terms of height and reach.

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean?

What he's going for,is if you can learn to drive with your hips,and stay down in weight, you can stay down in weight class
If you can do that you should have reach in your division,which means you can pepper your opponent,and if your throwing your punches right,you'll maintain speed
Not everyone has the build to be a Heavyweight,play to your natural advantages,Tommy Hearns had a very long career doing that

I'm not trying to place myself in any particular class or anything, but if you were to look at me, there's almost no way I could fight efficiently at this weight. Sure, it may sound great on paper, but I'm borderline skin and bones right now and really dont see how I could change that.

[donnydarkoIRL]

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean?

If you fight at 140lbs, thats light Welterweight. The average Light welter is 5' 6''

You will have a huge height advantage over your opposition.
Your arms will also be far longer allowing you to pick him off with your reach.

If you go up in weight, you'll fight taller guys, that can hit harder and like to hit.

But I'm a rail at 140, I can't even concieve putting on enough mass to do any sort of damage to anyone competing at that weight. I mean, maybe I'm just a dumb kid and don't know what I'm talking about, but I just don't think it's manageable given my frame.

Check out Kelly Pavlik, Gerald McClellan, Alexis Arguello, all very slim men, all monster punchers

Sometimes being thin is a big advantage, just work on the tum!

[Trainer Monkey]

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean?

What he's going for,is if you can learn to drive with your hips,and stay down in weight, you can stay down in weight class
If you can do that you should have reach in your division,which means you can pepper your opponent,and if your throwing your punches right,you'll maintain speed
Not everyone has the build to be a Heavyweight,play to your natural advantages,Tommy Hearns had a very long career doing that

I'm not trying to place myself in any particular class or anything, but if you were to look at me, there's almost no way I could fight efficiently at this weight. Sure, it may sound great on paper, but I'm borderline skin and bones right now and really dont see how I could change that.

Bro,honest injun,look at prime Hearns,he looks like a stick figure,toning you might need. But honestly Im 6'5" and fought almost allways fought at Supper Middle. I dont have to make weight anymore but I allmost garuntee you if I checked the scale,Id be around 178.
Theres a stickied thread on what to eat,theres a start.
Id start lifting light weights,but high reps, to build tone up

[Salty]

Man with height and hence reach you have the advantage in punch power as well, T= F x R. It's physics man your power (torque) is going to be that much greater. If you learn to punch with your whole body you will be able to throw bombs. Even if you move up one weight division you will still be huge, i'm 5"11 and 72kg, you'd still have a massive advantage over guys like me and Donny. Don't let this discourage you, boxing is like 90% mental and when you realise this you know your mind is the limitation not the body. You should work on yourself mentally more than your body, not only will this help you in boxing but in life.

[aburwell89]

Now that I think about it, you guys are probably right about me keeping down in weight. Not having to feel like I have to gain a ton of weight definitely speeds up the process of actually getting started, too. I would like to be on a tad bit of weight though.

[Youngblood]

Now that I think about it, you guys are probably right about me keeping down in weight. Not having to feel like I have to gain a ton of weight definitely speeds up the process of actually getting started, too. I would like to be on a tad bit of weight though.

Yea, there is nothing wrong with working towards getting to a weight you are comfortable with and feel good at. It is important for you to be happy with your own personally body image.

What the point we are getting at is, we often see a lot of people who feel they need to do things like gain or lose weight before starting boxing. This mindset often keeps them from actually starting. For to box...starting out, walking your butt through that gym door, is the fundamentally most important first step there is.

[aburwell89]

Now that I think about it, you guys are probably right about me keeping down in weight. Not having to feel like I have to gain a ton of weight definitely speeds up the process of actually getting started, too. I would like to be on a tad bit of weight though.

Yea, there is nothing wrong with working towards getting to a weight you are comfortable with and feel good at. It is important for you to be happy with your own personally body image.

What the point we are getting at is, we often see a lot of people who feel they need to do things like gain or lose weight before starting boxing. This mindset often keeps them from actually starting. For to box...starting out, walking your butt through that gym door, is the fundamentally most important first step there is.

You're right, I'm gonna check to see what all gyms I can find in my local area and talk to as many people as I can. I can worry about my body once I start learning the skills and can get advice from a trainer who can take a look at me in person.

[Bomp]

Now that I think about it, you guys are probably right about me keeping down in weight. Not having to feel like I have to gain a ton of weight definitely speeds up the process of actually getting started, too. I would like to be on a tad bit of weight though.

Yea, there is nothing wrong with working towards getting to a weight you are comfortable with and feel good at. It is important for you to be happy with your own personally body image.

What the point we are getting at is, we often see a lot of people who feel they need to do things like gain or lose weight before starting boxing. This mindset often keeps them from actually starting. For to box...starting out, walking your butt through that gym door, is the fundamentally most important first step there is.

You're right, I'm gonna check to see what all gyms I can find in my local area and talk to as many people as I can. I can worry about my body once I start learning the skills and can get advice from a trainer who can take a look at me in person.

You finally got it. When you get the technique right you'll be excercising the right muscles in the right way when doing boxing excercises on the bag and sparring. I was a strong gym rat when I started boxing (I was 22years old and weighed 225), but didn't stop me getting my nose busted by a 15 year old welter in my second sparring session.

Concentrate on just improving your overall strength with bodyweight excercises and abdominal work rather than going for muscle specific excercises like arm curls and that.

[aburwell89]

Okay guys, I've run into a bit of a problem here. I can't find a gym within managable distance of where I'm currently living, but I feel like I should be doing something. I'm afraid to do anything related to technique ( I won't even shadow box because I'm afraid I may build bad habits ) because I don't want to make the learning process harder on myself later. Am I right for being concerned about this?

Also, what kind of things could I do in the mean time that would be both physically beneficial and give me an edge going into training once I get set up with someone? I know it's probably hard to tell me exactly given that I'm basically just a blank face to you guys, but I really want to do something now that can at least get me moving in the right direction.

[Youngblood]

Maybe have a look thru some of the training logs, and try to find something that seems reasonable for you. You likely could put yourself together a good workout routine using bits and pieces from others.

Maybe do that and run it by us if you have questions. Also, I don't see a problem really with you shadow boxing and so on. Again, this time maybe look thru some of the assembled video's for tips.

[aburwell89]

Maybe have a look thru some of the training logs, and try to find something that seems reasonable for you. You likely could put yourself together a good workout routine using bits and pieces from others.

Maybe do that and run it by us if you have questions. Also, I don't see a problem really with you shadow boxing and so on. Again, this time maybe look thru some of the assembled video's for tips.

Thank you very much for your help and the help of everyone else here. Really, it means a lot more to me than you guys probably realise to have someone communicate things to me and take my desire to learn and participate in this great sport seriously.