What is my proper weight class?

[Legendary]

I am 5'9 and just woke up at 151. I have always been naturally light and lean. I began strength training at 142 pounds 8 months ago and I have gained roughly 10 pounds. I am wondering how much weight I should gain before it starts becoming a diminishing return? I think 145 would be my realistic weight class. I would ideally fight at 155 if weight cutting wasn't a factor, but the fighters there would have 20-30 pounds on me.

Do you think 155-160 is a good number I should try to hover around?

 

[cincymma79]

What sport?
At 69 inches you could easily hit 185 or so if that’s your goal

 

[AusTosh]

What sport?
At 69 inches you could easily hit 185 or so if that’s your goal

174 cm and 84 kgs... that's insane bro.. i understand if your focus is bodybuilding but unless you're a genetic freak i don't see how that's possible if you're competing at a high level and training 5-6 x + a week... unless you're i guess somewhat fat? but what's the point of that, you'd want the cut to be swift.
LOTS more endurance/cardio/burst workouts than hypertrophy related excercises in martial arts lol

 

[cincymma79]

174 cm and 84 kgs... that's insane bro.. i understand if your focus is bodybuilding but unless you're a genetic freak i don't see how that's possible if you're competing at a high level and training 5-6 x + a week... unless you're i guess somewhat fat? but what's the point of that, you'd want the cut to be swift.
LOTS more endurance/cardio/burst workouts than hypertrophy related excercises in martial arts lol

That doesn’t rally answer my question
What sport are you trying to play?
I was 170 at 5’10 before lifting as an adult at all. Played soccer did tae Kwon do ran and played basketball

 

[AusTosh]

That doesn’t rally answer my question
What sport are you trying to play?
I was 170 at 5’10 before lifting as an adult at all. Played soccer did tae Kwon do ran and played basketball

What??? I'm not OP? lol

 

[cincymma79]

What??? I'm not OP? lol

Mma kickboxing boxing ?

 

[cincymma79]

How about this
At 5 10 I fought at 185 with a weight cut from about 200

 

[aus101]

How about this
At 5 10 I fought at 185 with a weight cut from about 200

Most 5’10ers (or 5’9ers like TS) are hardly going to be 185+ in lean condition without superb genetics, that’s like GSP size.

For the average framed 5’10er performing in a cardio intensive sport 165 ten percent body fat or so is probably a good goal (cut to 145). Holloway has a thinnish frame at 5’11 and he makes the cut down. For the more solid framed among us (mark hunt) that would be silly but on average 165 at ten percent bf 5’10 will be a good fighting build for the average male.

 

[Legendary]

What sport?
At 69 inches you could easily hit 185 or so if that’s your goal

MMA

 

[cincymma79]

MMA

Without knowing your build id say 155-170
185 if you like to lift

 

[j123]

I am 5'9 and just woke up at 151. I have always been naturally light and lean. I began strength training at 142 pounds 8 months ago and I have gained roughly 10 pounds. I am wondering how much weight I should gain before it starts becoming a diminishing return? I think 145 would be my realistic weight class. I would ideally fight at 155 if weight cutting wasn't a factor, but the fighters there would have 20-30 pounds on me.

Do you think 155-160 is a good number I should try to hover around?

You have to look at the stats on the opponents you'll be facing. The ammy scene is different from the pros. Very rare are guys going to be doing full 20lb cuts, most are probably around 8-10lbs.

So it will depend on the area as well, an area that doesn't have much wrestling but striking will have you facing guys who are lankier and taller in build, whereas the opposite will be full of short, stocky grapplers.

See where you feel most comfortable and gets fights there, then when you're more serious and want to get competitive, drop down a class.

But number-wise without seeing build pics, I would say you would be 145 for now, ideally probably 135. You gained 10lbs in 8 months, I doubt its lean weight, there's most likely fat in there as well.

 

[Legendary]

You have to look at the stats on the opponents you'll be facing. The ammy scene is different from the pros. Very rare are guys going to be doing full 20lb cuts, most are probably around 8-10lbs.

So it will depend on the area as well, an area that doesn't have much wrestling but striking will have you facing guys who are lankier and taller in build, whereas the opposite will be full of short, stocky grapplers.

See where you feel most comfortable and gets fights there, then when you're more serious and want to get competitive, drop down a class.

But number-wise without seeing build pics, I would say you would be 145 for now, ideally probably 135. You gained 10lbs in 8 months, I doubt its lean weight, there's most likely fat in there as well.

I hear you. I dont plan on ever fighting at 135. On paper it looks like I could, but I am very lean would have a hard time getting any lower then 140. If I wanted to get big I could get up to 180ish, but that would be around the maximal natural mass for my frame and wouldn't be fight shape. I think 165 is the biggest I should get if I plan on fighting at 145. Weight cutting is fucking stupid man.

 

[Phlog]

Pay attention to your performance metrics and eat enough to give you sufficient energy without putting on too much fat.

The weight you end up at should be the one that allows for peak performance, I'd not see it not the other way around and fit my performance to a weight.

I'm personally against weight cutting unless you're a professional, even then I'd ensure its minimal. Amateurs have no business risking longterm damage for a win.

 

[j123]

Pay attention to your performance metrics and eat enough to give you sufficient energy without putting on too much fat.

The weight you end up at should be the one that allows for peak performance, I'd not see it not the other way around and fit my performance to a weight.

I'm personally against weight cutting unless you're a professional, even then I'd ensure its minimal. Amateurs have no business risking longterm damage for a win.

It becomes even more retarded when they cut for same-day weigh in events, most ammy events are that. Not much 24h unless its by a well organized promotion.

 

[Phlog]

It becomes even more retarded when they cut for same-day weigh in events, most ammy events are that. Not much 24h unless its by a well organized promotion.

Yeah it was always same day for me, usually hours before. I was lucky to be a hw so weight cutting wasn't even on my horizon, if I was lighter I'd probably have thought about it, I had gym mates who did.

 

[Ultra O’Dia]

What sport?
At 69 inches you could easily hit 185 or so if that’s your goal

not everyone is a monster like you. some of us are narrow and birdboned. i know guys at 5’8 who are in reality much larger in frame than myself at 5’10, and they gain way easier.

 

[Ultra O’Dia]

That doesn’t rally answer my question
What sport are you trying to play?
I was 170 at 5’10 before lifting as an adult at all. Played soccer did tae Kwon do ran and played basketball

ah, nice to know this (as i have seen your lift numbers in that squat thread)
i played sports, and threw in pushups and pullups and running throughout my teens, was 5’10, 130 at 19. it was a lot of work just to get to 170 (properly)

 

[Ultra O’Dia]

I am 5'9 and just woke up at 151. I have always been naturally light and lean. I began strength training at 142 pounds 8 months ago and I have gained roughly 10 pounds. I am wondering how much weight I should gain before it starts becoming a diminishing return? I think 145 would be my realistic weight class. I would ideally fight at 155 if weight cutting wasn't a factor, but the fighters there would have 20-30 pounds on me.

Do you think 155-160 is a good number I should try to hover around?

how old are you? thats important. also, if you are creatining, you are carrying extra water. even if that nine pounds of gain of yours isnt fat, it probably isnt all muscle, either. also, are you fight training? or even putting in hard cardio? because, if not, you arent 151 in fight shape right now.

these are important factors, but id say, without knowing the answers, i wouldnt be even thinking LW until I saw 160 on the scale.

keep lifting, and fight training, and go from there. right now you are a small FW. average FW on local circuits, probably.

 

[Legendary]

how old are you? thats important. also, if you are creatining, you are carrying extra water. even if that nine pounds of gain of yours isnt fat, it probably isnt all muscle, either. also, are you fight training? or even putting in hard cardio? because, if not, you arent 151 in fight shape right now.

these are important factors, but id say, without knowing the answers, i wouldnt be even thinking LW until I saw 160 on the scale.

keep lifting, and fight training, and go from there. right now you are a small FW. average FW on local circuits, probably.

24. No creatine. Olympic lifting and strength training 2-3 times a week. Boxing, heavybag work, roadwork, shadow boxing 5 days a week. Physical labor job 5 days a week. Intermittently did about a decade of grappling.

 

[JabToucher]

How much height would you be willing to cut?