Age Appropriate to Train?

One of the statements that you will hear often is that you need to "start boxing at a young age in order to be any good." Ok. Go tell that to Doug Wenner, author of the brilliant Start Up Series Boxing text. His book is a compilation of his training diary when he started up the sport when he was FORTY-EIGHT (48) years old.

When it comes to "starting young" this is true when it comes to having your sites set on being a pro or a golden gloves competitor. Being an amateur, you might be able to debut at a much older age. BTW - There is a new hobby in professional circles (I think this started at Wall Street) where older hobbyists form mini "leagues" where they can compete against other schools.

So...No, you do not need to be young to become a boxer if you are doing for a hobby. If you have no desire whatsoever to compete, then why on earth would age be a factor precluding you from competing? People of all ages hop into a boxing/kickboxing/martial arts gym and start up training. To prescribe to the notion that a person is "too old" to train is just dumb. It sort of reminds of the goofy notion people have about not working out in a gym because they are fat or out of shape and feel embarrassed about going to a gym. For the record: people who work out in a gym of of all sorts and varying degrees of fitness levels. The corner gym is not Gold Gym cira 1968 folks.

Don't sweat the age stuff. Just train at your own pace and have fun.