Fighting is probably the oldest sport known to man. It goes back thousands of years. Over those years a lot of things have changed, especially in recent decades. Weight classes were introduced around a century ago but it is only in the last few years that the art and science of weight-cutting has really been developed.
Back in my fighting days I competed as a middleweight, which meant I had to be 85 kilograms (187lbs) or under. As I walked around at no more than 81 or 82 kilograms, I thought I was fine and that I was in my right weight class.
Then I learned a couple of hard lessons at the hands of some bigger, stronger opponents and I thought to myself, “What weight are these guys walking around at?”
After a little bit of research and asking around it didn’t take me long to learn that most guys in my weight class were walking around at 90-92kg, cutting to 85kg in the days before their fight. I had to level the playing field so I started to gain weight too, taking creatine, protein and carbohydrate high supplements. Soon I was walking around at 88-89kg.
So now when fight week came around, I had to make a weight cut too. How was I going to do it?
Easy! Eat and drink as little as possible and sit in the sauna as much as possible. You can imagine how this brutal, basic process affected me. I always made weight but felt awful.
And I wasn’t the only one. For a long time the three ingredients of a professional fighter weight-cut were starvation, dehydration and making friends with the sauna.
These days, things are different. The weight-cut has been recognized as a key part of fight preparation and has been evolved and developed by professionals who have studied the human body at length.
And so in the modern day, fighters are walking around a lot heavier than the weight they step on the scales at. Sometimes they are dropping a full weight class. You can lose ten percent of your weight safely and easily - if you allow yourself the time.Most professional fighters have access to nutritionists who create tailor-made diets. Lean muscle mass? Not a problem, follow this plan. Need to lose weight? We’ve got it covered, here’s your diet.
Say you’re a GLORY middleweight fighter and you walk around at 94kg. You will want to start dieting six weeks before weigh-in. You can still eat a lot (6-8 meals a day) but you will need to lower your intake of carbohydrates (starchy foods) and replace it with protein instead.
This means less rice, potatoes, pasta and bread and instead more eggs, meat, chicken, fish, vegetables (broccoli, avocado, spinach etc). Your diet cheat days - when you are allowed to eat candy and junk food - will also be off the menu during this period.
You will also need to increase your cardiovascular training. Jump on a bike, treadmill or cross-trainer every morning on an empty stomach for at least 45 minutes and you will soon see the weight start to fall off as you approach your weigh-in target.
In the weeks before the weigh-in you don't want to lose too much weight. Ideally you would arrive in the city of the event at around 88-89kg. The last 3-4kg you will be able to lose easy in 4 days. This will be pure water.
Take the salt out of your food. Forget carbohydrates altogether and do some light workouts with thick clothes or sweat suit on. At this point you might even venture into the sauna. You shouldn’t need to be in there too long. That or some hot baths and you should be right on target.
Yet, cutting the weight is only half the journey. The other half - equally if not more important - is how you put that weight back on after the weigh-in.
Whatever you do, do not start eating and drinking like a maniac as it will backfire on you and make you feel horrible. You haven’t pigged out for weeks but take it slow and eat the right things. I’ve witnessed first-hand some big-name fighters rushing to a McDonalds right after the weigh-ins. Unbelievable.
Instead, drink some water with electrolytes (or even better, some fresh coconut water if you can find it). Wait for that to do its work then have a protein shake. Wait a little longer then have some solid food, some fruits or a nice fruit smoothie. After another wait you can get some carbohydrates in, along with some protein, and you can do this right up until a few hours before your fight. You will feel as strong as a ... heavyweight!
Ultimately, the key to getting a weight-cut exactly right is to work with a nutritionist. Every person’s body is different and there is no such thing as a perfect, standardized way to lose weight and then regain it quickly, though the guidelines I have given here are what you would call the ‘modern standard’.
By listening to your body and getting the right advice, you can fine-tune your weight-cut and achieve peak performance on fight day. Whether you are a first-time amateur or an experienced professional, I wish you the best of luck.
A former professional fighter turned coach, Martijn de Jong was one of the head trainers with the Golden Glory fight team, based in the Netherlands. He coached and trained world Champions such as, Marloes Coenen, Alistair Overreem, Siyar Bahadurzada. These days he works closely with GLORY as part of its talent scouting and talent development team. Follow Martijn on twitter: @martijn_dej and Facebook: martijn.de.j0ng
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