Something really bothers me... Please help!

[bushido_man96]

With respect guys, I don't think telling SBMForLife to just put on weight and gain muscle mass to be a better sparrer is a good suggestion. We don't know anything about his build, his height etc. 57 kg might be alright for how tall he is and how he is built.

Additional muscle mass alone isn't going to make him a better fighter either. If anything he'll just be a bigger, slower target to hit unless he trains technique and speed! I'd go with Trevelyan's and Get'erDone's advice; train first and you'll see a much more noticeable improvement than just piling on the pounds.

Actually, getting stronger can be a big help. If size is a concern, which from his opening post, it seems to be, then hitting the gym to gain some strength can be beneficial. As long as he lifts and keeps training and working toward improving, lifting weights will only help him.

For some reason, Martial Artists tend to be scared of gaining muscle mass, because it will "slow them down." It just isn't true. Power training can actually help to increase speed. Look at a guy like Joe Lewis. Dude is still big. I don't think he was known to be slow.

If our poster is confident in his abilities for the most part, but finds size to be an issue, then adding a strength training regime 3 days a week will do nothing but help any athlete, including Martial Artists.

[DWx]

^ I agree getting stronger can help but I don't think this is just a size issue and getting bigger isn't going to miraculously make OP a better sparrer. I know gaining muscle mass won't slow a person down, but if your timing, technique and footwork still suck all you've done is made yourself a bigger target. Sure you can probably soak up the hits better and throw a harder a punch but if you still don't know how to use what you've got, you're no better off.

Maybe I've got it wrong, I don't know, but I think that although OP thinks its due to size, it might be not. A lot of people think that bigger people are better sparrers because they seem to always get beat up by them but a lot of the time its just because heavier people also tend to be taller so have got a longer reach and they can naturally hit harder/take harder hits. A good technical lightweight or middleweight can take a mediocre heavyweight any day.

Also if OP is seriously considering tournaments then he needs to look at his height and build relative to other people in his weight category. As you go up the categories people get taller and its a good idea if SBMForLife either has a height advantage or matches the people in his weight. For instance, the guys in the top category, +70 kg or whatever it is, will often be over 6ft. If OP is 5 ft 5 then he's going to struggle no matter how bulky he gets... unless he's Kenji Midori in disguise.

[brickshooter]

You guys sound like the OP is going to become Arnold Schwarzenegger overnight by lifting weights.

He won't. Weight training isn't an overnight result. And because of his (likely) smaller frame, he'll never bulk up due to genetics. And if he wants to actually bulk up assuming good genetics, it's take years of dedicated training.

Abeit I don't know the OP's height. IMO, a majority of males at 18 years old doing contact sports should be 135lbs and above, with most of their muscle in their legs, back and shoulders; and body fat under 15%.

Yeah I know... what about athletes in the "lightweight divisions?" It's called "cutting weight." Your typical 115 lbs wrestler's real world walking around weight is roughly 130lbs. They cut weight for their weigh-ins. For example, GSP's fight weight is 170lbs. His real daily life weight is 200lbs.

[evergrey]

My Sensei used to win k-1 style full contact tournaments... when he weighed 115 pounds and the next lightest guy was 140 or so. Part of what really helped him was weight training, to get as much strength as he could as a force multiplier. It added some mass, but not much. He had to use speed, technique, and strength to make up for it, and develop really thick skin. Back in those days, he became very tough, and they called him "tank."

But no, it certainly does not happen overnight.

[sensei8]

Weight isn't the key, imho, it's having tangible techniques!! Oh yeah, spar until the wheels fall off and then some.

Good luck and welcome to KF!!!!!!!!