Waz up, this is only my second time visiting this site and my first time posting anything. I have read some of the messages that other people have wrote and I've read the responses and for the most part it seems like people really give good advice and tips and really try to help people out, some I'm hoping that the same will be done for me. So here is my message. I have enjoyed boxing ever since I was a little kid, and for as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a professional boxer. the problem is I was never that big, I mean I know that there are plenty of light weight classes but my dream is to be a heavyweight, or at least a middleweight. I have been lifting weights for a couple of years now and have gotten alot bigger and stronger. I am 18 now soon going to be 19, and I now weigh 180 pounds. I have been training by myself and feel that I am doing good and improving. Infact I recently sat down with my best friend, the only person I have ever told about my dream, and I told him about a plan I made for myself that I call my 9 year plan. And here is how it goes, within 2 years I plan on getting a trainer and take my abilities up to the next level. I plan on being close if not at 200 pounds by then. Then I figure within 3 years after that I turn amateur, now hopefully weighing in at about 215-220 pounds. Then within 4 years of this I expect to turn pro, weighing at about 230. I know with this plan I would not become pro until around 27 or 28, but that's fine with me, because I would still be living my dream. I'm not looking to have 50 fights and go 47-3 and be known as one of the greatest fighters of all time, I just want to live my dream. If I only had 10 fights and went 8-2 I would be happy. I just want some people to respond and tell me what they think and give me some positive advice. Another thing I am worried about is my heighth, see I am only about 5'7 and I know that's pretty short but I feel that I can overcome this obstacle. I also want to know how my heighth may effect my dream. If anybody reads this please respond, I need to know how things are lookin and what my chances are, Thank you very much.

I am a natural Middleweight... Ive been as heavy as 173lbs, but that requires me to eat over 4000 KCal per day, 250grams of protien, and a 4 day a week lifting routine... My body fat is a trim 4 % without me leaving my house... Im 5'10 and plan to go pro in the super-middleweight division...

Here's the thing... being 5'7, you will lack the reach and height of bigger opponents... Also, taller opponents carry their weight better as heavyweights... What that translates to is your stamina will always be a concern in professional fights because it will be too simple to just lean their weight on you... But enough of this pro talk, and lets get down to business...

I wanted to be a heavyweight, but now dont plan on it unless the opportunnity arises, and here is why... I have never fought one pro fight at any weight, let alone heavy weight... I dont want to sound like a bragging type, but i am a very gifted athlete... I played 2 varsity sports in HS, and dont have an athletic weakness... My 40m dash is 4.62 seconds, and will continue to go down as my plyometric training increases... I bench press more then twice my weight, squat nearly 3 times my weight, and am 5'10... Do i think i can be a sucessful heavyweight, hell if i know... The point i am trying to make is where will i be the most sucessful at... And right now, im not in the situation to make that decision...

So here is my advise to you... First off, get a body fat % test... The reason for that is once you start to fight, its important to be the leanest as possible... Fat = a jump in weight division... If you could stand to lose 15lbs of fat, it would really hurt you... Because you will be fighting people who are 240lbs with 5-9 % body fat... Which means they will usually be stronger... And with all the "empty extra weight", you will be slower... Second, how fast are you... Honesty is appriciated, due to the fact that it makes no difference what anybody thinks of you on this board, they probably will never meet ya until you are Heavyweight champ ;)! So that means i would like to have a 40 time... So do you want to box, or do you want to be a heavyweight??? Take it one step at a time... First find a gym, second, train... Its all in your hands...

Speaking of gyms, where are you located??? I just might be able to find you a gym...

you can be anything you set out to be. i can't see why you couldn't become a pro. and Troy how the he** did you get to 4% body fat. my body fat is about 10%.

4% body fat? ACHHOOOOO!!!....sorry, im alergic to bull****.

that classifies as a very very dangerous amount of body fat. u need at least double that. anyone with 4% body fat has an eating disorder or they're sitting on their death bed, and lots of times its both

the lowest body fat you can have is 3%. and that along with 4 is just plain unhealthy.

Me and my best friend went the other day to get our body fat checked out...weve been athletic as hell all our lives...i came out at about 10. but he came out as 2...but hes healthy and all, just scrawny as hell, and dont even doubt that hes not strong cus from him and i just messing around he can almost knock me out

Hey Nathan why don't you shut the f*** up. It doesn't seem like you know **** about boxing, and it seems like Troy does so why don't you do everybody a favor and go to hell.

if nathan goes to hell you have to go first!!!

ya troy knows a lot, he knows he fights amatuer boxing and he THINKS it means he's 5 steps on top of everyone.

how about you quit trying to feed us bull****, and then you won't have to get all upset and have hissy fits when you get caught at it.

i guess i should mention here that a good conditioned athlete should have at least 8% body fat. the "essential" fat level for men is around 2-4%, and its not that its impossible to reach 4%, I'm just saying that troy is so knowledgable he already KNOWS this and wouldn't let his body fat get that low.

H ey RM422 why don't you shut the f*** up dumb b****, ain't nobody tryin to talk to you. I'm the one who posted this message and it was mostly directed at Troy because he seems like a guy who can help me unlike your stupid ass.

What do you think will make you a better boxer??? Reading and typing online to people you will never see, or going to an actual boxing gym???

The only advice i have been preaching is GO TO A FREAKING BOXING GYM!!!!!!!!!
Thats the only thing that will make you a world champ, or a powerful puncher! Nothing you do at home by yourself without committed assistance will make you a champion. Im sorry to burst your bubble, but you are not a good boxing trainer... Its not your fault, your young, what are we to expect??

There are countless "little things" you learn that seperate a street fighter from a boxer. In any case, if they were to put gloves on, its a predictable outcome. Being told to keep your chin down for a week straight, followed by getting hit so hard you dont eat that night, cannot be taught at home... Or being able to spar 8 rounds a week, is something that wont happen at home. Until you know about boxing, keep your opinions to yourself.

And find a danm gym!

yo michael dont diss up nathen , i always c him give out good tips on this site , and so far from wut ive seen hes a good boxer and he nose hes stuff so y dont u go to hell

actually you're wrong about that Nathan, in order to survive healthy you need to have more than 3% body fat, anything under that is unhealthy. My body fat is 4.2% and I plan on gettin down to 3.5 to 3.7 before competition. So before u say its bull***t, go read some facts about dieting and nutrition.

Hey waz up Troy. I appreciate you trying to help me, as for where I am located, I am located in Warrensburg, Missouri. I think the closest boxing gyms near me are in St. Louis and Poplar Bluff, but if you find any more please let me know, thank you. And as for my forty time it is about 4.76, I know it's not that good, but I'm workin on it.


thanks again Troy,
Michael Latta

im not arguing that u can learn more by training yourself. getting trained by guys that study the philosphy and theory, yet have actually experienced what works and what doesnt, is the best way to go, but that option isn't always available.

that is very true. but i have one arguement. even though being taught by experienced trainers will most often or always bring some success,training yourself isn't always such a bad idea. because if you train yourself you can go by some of the techniques of trainers but also train yourself in another fashion that may even be better than what a trainer could have done for you.

RM, you develop your own sort of "fashion" over time, doesn't matter how a trainer teaches you, but the thing a trainer will teach is the technique. over time each boxer will develop his own system or set of rules to follow so he never goes out of his own boudaries and puts himself in a situation he can't get out of.

You seem pretty far from Kansas City... But ill give you the contact info anyways...

Kansas City, East Side Boxing Club, 1510 S. Prospect Ave, Kansas City MO 64127, Office phone: (816) 483 4448 or (816) 472 4448, Gym (816) 241 0200

Kansas City, Kansas City Boxing Inc, PO Box 411672, Kansas City, MO, 64141-1672, Ph:913.384.6400

Hey thanks alot Troy. I appreciate the info on the boxing gym. Looks like thanks to you I am on my way to learning the fundamentals and techniques of a sport that I have a real passion for. I looks like I'll get a trainer alot sooner than the two years I had projected, and hopefully have tooken the first step in reaching a dream that i have had for so many years now. Thankis Troy I'll never forget this.




Thanks again,
Michael Latta

hi u seemed to know a lot about boxing so i thought i'd ask u for some tips. I'm 14 about 5'10 and have a large build and i've been boxing for about a year now but i only get the chance to go to a gym 2 times a week and i was wondering if u know of any ways i could improve my boxing skills by training at home although i dont have a punch bag i am saving up to get one i also wanted to ask what u think about free standing punch bags

Most boxing/kickboxing experts would tend to lean in the direction that freestand bags are designed better for kickboxing...

I trained with a guy in FL, (Tommy Fiore) who was the US light heavyweight kickboxing champ. He eventually became a trainer, and has held training camps for Mike Tyson, and Don King currently rents his gym for his fighters from the hours of 9am to 3pm...

He would teach mixed classes, and would stick kickboxers on the freestanding bags. So basicly, its a judgement call...

As for some tips to get better. You say you can only go to the gym 2 days a week. So why not make those days mostly for sparring and Shadowboing (in front of a mirror, with your coach watching). Bags are just bags. Ive heard stories of sucessful pro fighters who have never touched a speed bag.

Since you do train at a gym, i can offer some more detailed advice.
1. When shadow boxing, always extend your straight punches to the fullest. A good way to test to see if you achieve this is pretty simple. When you throw a left jab(im assuming your a righty), your chin should touch your inside of your shoulder at peak extention. Remember, most of your power comes from the last three inches of the punch.

2. Train with a mouth peace. I have a very reflexful gag reflex. Almost want to puke when i have my mouthpeace in my mouth. So i train every day with it in, that way its not so much of a distraction when i spar, or have a fight.

3. Advanced ab training. The guy i previously mention (Fiore) turned me onto a sick way of training your mid-section to take a punch. His motto was that in order to train your stomach to take a blow, one must be administered.
What he would do is duct tape a towel to a baseball bat. You would lay on a declined ab board, and every time you would go down, he would hit you in the abbs with the bat. We got sick with it. Eventually we would wack eachother so hard, that the blood vessel's in the skin would break (blood blister) but it wouldnt knock the wind out of us anymore. My advice start out slow. Also, USA boxing doesnt like that methode because of the chance to damage organs. But there is an age difference they must take into consideration, and you might want to do the same if you feel you are not ready for that step. A medicine ball drop is effective as well, but not as effective as a bat!

So if you want to, incorperate these three things into your routine for 1 week. Tell me the effects, and ill give you three more. Good Luck!

hey pal boxer 219 i just wanted to say thanks 4 the tips i have already tried out your first tip and i can immiediatly feel more snap in my punches although i dont know if my parents will allow me to try your third tip about the baseball bat

dude seriously you suck just go and die cause you will never have a chance at this. You are too weak.

shut the hell up peniswrinkle!!!

i didnt bother to read what you said there bud, i didnt bother after reading your name.

wtf is peniswinkle supposed to be?

I am just writing about your firstpost and i would say if you are not a natural heavy weight it would be better to fight at your natural weight because if you saw de la hoya last night even though he is an amazing boxer he could not beat hopkins because hopkins was a natural middle weight so what i think is instead of being a good heavyweight whynot be great middle weight (or whatever your natarul weight is).