147 lbs, 5'2"

againwiththerelapsing

i'm currently training for amateur boxing. should i maintain my welterweight status? or should i try to gain/lose a little weight just to increase strength/speed?

cmriverside

That seems like a very personal decision.

List out the Pros and Cons for both and it should become clear.

JBanx256

Do you have a coach?

A coach, who knows you and your capabilities, is positioned about 1000x better to make such a recommendation than a bunch of randos online.

sgt1372

As a professional boxing fan of over 50 yrs, here's what I've learned about boxers (some very good ones) who decide or are forced to move up in the wt class that they compete in.

Boxers who have difficulty making the wt in their wt class often lose strength trying to make the wt and often lose or have difficulty winning as a result.

Boxers who give up trying to make the wt and move up in class end up facing other boxers who are naturally bigger and stronger than they are which they have greater difficulty beating as a result.

There are only a few very notable boxers who have been able to move up in wt class and still win championships but, if they move up too far and stay in the game too long, they will eventually get beat by bigger & stronger boxers.

Never heard of a boxer attempt to drop wt in to order to compete in a lighter wt class.

Lighter boxers are almost always quicker in hand and foot speed than heavier boxers.

While you may be able retain a strength advantage after dropping wt, you will not necessarily increase your hand & foot speed to be competitive in a lower wt class w/faster and more nimble boxers.

Most sucessful boxers usually do best remaining at their "natural" wt where they will face other boxers of relatively equivalent size, strength & speed and, if you are already competitive in your wt class, there's no good reason to chg.

So, my suggestion would be to stay in your natural wt class unless there's some overwhelming reason that requires you to move up or down and unless you are certain that doing so will give you a competitive advantage over other boxers in those wt classes.

Good luck!