This information is tailored for high-performance athletes who have weight restrictions on their sport. I competed in the 184 pound weight class as an NCAA D1 wrestler. I weighed 210+ pounds any given week out of competition. Sports with similar weight-cutting requirements include MMA, sprint football, rowing, gymnastics, and boxing. The aesthetic results of this process could also be useful for figure competitions or modeling as well.
Cutting weight can be dangerous or even fatal. I have known men who have been hospitalized…and died…in the pursuit of becoming relatively competitive. There are few resources available on the subject. Oftentimes coaches will set unreasonable weight expectations and avoid providing explicit instructions for the sake of plausible deniability.
So, if you are going to cut weight: I have found this process to be *relatively* safe and highly effective.
t-5 days [10lb over]: Water load
We are 5 days from competition and 10 pounds over weight. Good. Right where we want to be. The most effective method of cutting weight is focused dehydration. Liquid is the heaviest element in our bodies as well as the easiest to consume.
Need proof? Drink a 16 oz bottle of water…you’ll gain 1 lb. Eat 2 large heads of lettuce…you’ll gain 1 lb. Which was easier to do?
We need to be hydrated during training leading up to competition, dehydrated while on the scale, and rehydrated while competing. This requires some body “hacking.”
Drink 1 gallon of water before training and 1 after (2 total gallons for the day).
We want to get your body accustomed to having excess water. This will lower our water retention, effectively “tricking” our bodies out of holding onto water later in the week when we dehydrate to step on the scale. Continue training as usual and expect to gain net 1 pound in water weight by the end of the day.
t-4 days[-2 lb, 9 over]: Eliminate water-retaining foods, continue water loading
Food intake is an important factor of water retention. For example, carbohydrates such as oats or rice will absorb and hold water within the digestive system just as it does in a bowl. We need to eliminate this water retention factor to cut weight.
Refrain from consuming any foods with high carbohydrate or sodium content from now until post-competition.
Aim to consume 1.5 gallons of water for the day and continue training as usual. Expect to drop a net 2 pounds on the day.
t-3 days[-2 lb, 7 over]: Nutrient-dense diet, heavy work load
Not all foods are created equal. In order to maintain healthy energy levels while losing weight, we’ll aim consume small amounts of nutritionally dense foods. For example: 1 ounce of bacon has 153 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 12 grams of fat (as well as a complete profile of vitamins and minerals). 1 whole head of lettuce has 54 calories, 4.9 grams of protein, and no fat. Replace carbohydrate-heavy (hydrophilic) food with high fat (hydrophobic), nutrient-dense foods. Choose bacon, not lettuce.
Plan your most physically demanding training for this day. Maintain a light, nutrient-dense diet and high water intake.
DO NOT lower caloric intake. This will cause exhaustion and burn-out leading up to competition. Anyways, it’s pretty easy to consume 3,000 calories of bacon.
t-2 days[-3 lb, 4 over]: Prepare to water flush, light work
At this point you may be getting sick of water. Good. We’ll be missing it dearly over the next few days. In preparation for focused-dehydration, gratefully chug a final 1 gallon of water.
Lighten training in preparation for the final cut and competition.
t-1 days[-2 lb, 2 over]: Final cut, water flush, employ necessary “hacks”
Home stretch. With 24 hours until weigh-ins, do as little work as is necessary to suck as much water as possible out of our bodies. This is where “Bio-hacks” come into play. “Bio-hacks” are any non-ordinary means of getting your body to do what you want. Saunaing is one such bio-hack. Saunas induce intense sweating which can result in the loss of up to 1 pound every 7 minutes along with a slew of other benefits. Some regulatory bodies in sports prohibit the use of saunas. A jacuzzi, hot bath, or hot shower could achieve the same effect.
Consume no more than 2 cups of water for the day while employing necessary bio-hacks. Go to bed within 1 pound of your competition weight.
Continue to consume small quantities of nutrient-dense foods.
Activities such as running in sweats or long workouts should be avoided whenever possible. Opt for low-effort bio-hacks over high-effort weight loss techniques. Use mental repetitions instead of physical training to prepare for competition.
t-0 days[-2 lb, on weight]: Pre-weigh-in, post-weigh-in
It’s go time. Wake up early enough to check you weight and deploy a final cutting strategy, if necessary. If under-weight, measure and consume nutrient-dense food (such as eggs, peanut butter, or butter) or sip water. A safe way to eat without becoming too heavy is to weigh yourself with food-in-hand before weighing yourself food-in-belly.
Plan your post-weigh in snack with discipline. Keep it simple. At this stage your body is hyper-sensitive to anything you consume. Over-eating or eating too much will significantly impact competitive performance.
If you are competing immediately after weighing in: 16 oz of water, an electrolyte packet, and 1 cup of rice + fruit is a practical snack. Slow-digesting fibers, glucose-spiking sugars, or complex proteins are impractical to consume at this stage. If you are competing later in the day or the following day, maintain your light, nutrient-dense diet while sipping water continuously. You’ve made it this far, do not sacrifice your competitive state for food pleasures!
Be cognizant of your mental state. Stay focused on the competition. Plan an emergency weight loss strategy, and post weigh in snack.
Tips and tricks:
Have a plan: cutting weight is physically and cognitively stressful. Having a detailed plan mapped out will reduce that stress as well as provide insight for improving your individual process.
Monitor your health: cutting weight is dangerous. You cannot afford to be foolish. Keep a coach or trusted friend nearby, especially when approaching weigh-ins. Advanced techniques include heart rate variability analysis, electrolyte monitoring, data collection surrounding performance, sleep, and blood sugar + ketosis monitoring.
Find additional resources: this article covers a practical strategy for weight-cutting, but every situation is unique.
For information on advanced bio-hacks, long term strategies, one-on-one coaching, and legal* performance-enhancing drugs/modalities: sign-up here.
Cutting weight is not for everyone, in fact, I do not recommend it to anyone. The reason being: I believe in striving to become the best version of yourself, regardless of any competition you may face. Cutting-weight for sport is, as a matter of principle, striving to become a relatively competitive version of yourself by constraining your competition pool to lighter (and presumably weaker) athletes. Even if you were to follow this guide with expert discipline; by focusing your attention on losing weight you will have diverted attention from preparation for in-sport performance and sacrificed your absolute potential.
