Need help choosing a weight class

[maalik310]

I want to start competing in November but not sure if I should choose Light Heavyweight or Heavyweight. I walk around at 205 pound rn, 6'2, and very solid (Maybe 10% body fat, six pack and all). My coach told me I should cut down to a walking weight of 190 but I haven't weighed that since I was 19 (21 at the moment). Or should I try to bulk up so I can fill in my frame and just try and fight heavyweight.

FYI. Light heavyweight cap is 178, while Heavyweight is 201

[Dip_Slide]

The lightest you can be without being drained.

[palacboxing]

Why drop to 190 when heavyweight limit is 201lbs? Makes no sense.

Drop the extra 4-5lbs and fight heavyweight instead of dropping 15lbs

[Eff Pandas]

Probably don't get the best natural weight for boxing's weight divisions, but wtf can you do lol?

At 201+ you'd be a smaller SHW. At 201 you are walking around within a couple lbs of your division, but I guarantee you got some cats weighing 10+lbs more than you cutting down to 201 giving them some edge in power. And 178 is waaaaaaaaaaay too f#cking low from your walking weight, which sounds like a pretty in shape weight too & imho its still too low even if you got down to 190 & cut weight as I believe what is being suggested. This is amateur boxing so cutting 12lbs (190 to 178) isn't going to be a one time thing (like in the pros) in any tournament (unless you lose the first fight which obviously isn't the goal). You would need to weigh 178 the whole tournament as you advanced which would be rough on your body & likely hurt your chances to win/be your best the whole tournament.

So all that being the case I think for sure you just wanna stay with 201lbs.

[salem-no1]

Dint worry so much in your first fight, you need these marginal gains as your career progresses but the first fight get in there healthy and as soon as your ready. As you said your already in shape at 210, so if the skills are there fight at 210 and maybe in the future work towards going to a lighter weight class.

For example my first fight as a fat kid with way less muscle than now was at 75 kg and I won, I now fight at 64kg and even once as low as 60kg. But over about 10 years almost its been a gradual process, I went from 75 to 73 to 70 to 69 to 66 then when I entered my first tournament I got the weight class of 63.5 kg. Because my level of competition has progressed I wouldn't dream of fighting at 75 kg now, but in your first fights it dosnt matter as much.

[Mr.MojoRisin']

At Heavyweight in the amateurs you don't need to worry too much about who has the weight advantage. A 190 lb guy vs a 197 lb guy is still going to be an even fight. Choose the weight that you are most fit for. Don't eat a bunch of excess calories just eat what you need in order to have good energy. A lot of guys bulk up into a weight class which isn't the way to go.