General guidelines for weight reduction - Fight Forum - MMA - UFC - Boxing - K1

Crashsti · 06-04-2008, 04:27 AM

Cutting weight has become a sport of its own within the UFC and all of MMA. The proven way, the safe way, is to gradually reduce your bodyweight to within a few pounds of your divisions required weight and then sweat out the rest. GSP for example, he will enter a training camp at a fit 188-190lbs and slowly, over the course of camp get to within striking distance of 170. This reduces the amount of energy he would waste, cutting a few pounds is less stressful than cutting 20. Here are some general guidelines to consider when trying to make weight.

Daily consumption of about 10 calories per pound of body weight when sedentary.

Daily consumption of about 15 calories per pound of body weight when training lightly.

Daily consumption of about 20 calories per pound of bodyweight when training hard. (e.g., twice a day)

About 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight when cutting weight and training hard.

Most fat should come from fish oils and flaxseed oil.

Organic foods and unrefined (low glycemic) carbohydrate.

AmErIcAnPsYcHo11 · 06-04-2008, 11:10 AM

i got a question about weight loss. How do you know what your weight needs to be. Im 6'1-6'2 and am at 188 right now how do i figure out what my target is and also how do you cut weight and get the muscle definition you want?

Crashsti · 06-04-2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmErIcAnPsYcHo11

i got a question about weight loss. How do you know what your weight needs to be. Im 6'1-6'2 and am at 188 right now how do i figure out what my target is and also how do you cut weight and get the muscle definition you want?

This is a very individual thing. I personally am 6 feet and when i am at my best weight in at about 197. For me thats a great weight for both health and performance. I don't have to lift heavy or eat excessive amounts of calories. I would say you might be in the same category. In all honesty, unless you need to fit into a weight class i would say not to worry about your weight but instead view yourself in a mirror and by how you feel. If you did fight MMA i'd have you fight at 185.

FatCat · 06-04-2008, 12:01 PM

The only way to truly know where your weight needs to be is by getting your body fat % tested. Healthy range is anywhere from 8% to 19 % for guys in their 20's. Twenty - 25% is considered overweight and anything over 25% is considered obese. Below 8% is considered unhealthy on the whole as well.

AmErIcAnPsYcHo11 · 06-04-2008, 02:19 PM

how do you measure the body fat ive heard of the caliper but dont want to spend alot of money on one.

Crashsti · 06-05-2008, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatCatMC

The only way to truly know where your weight needs to be is by getting your body fat % tested. Healthy range is anywhere from 8% to 19 % for guys in their 20's. Twenty - 25% is considered overweight and anything over 25% is considered obese. Below 8% is considered unhealthy on the whole as well.

Bodyfat testing as a whole is unreliable. Even some of the more advanced testing methods can be off by quite a bit. I still say the best way to judge your body is the mirror and a little common sense.

FatCat · 06-05-2008, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashsti

Bodyfat testing as a whole is unreliable. Even some of the more advanced testing methods can be off by quite a bit. I still say the best way to judge your body is the mirror and a little common sense.

Yeah, we definitely disagree here. You can use a few methods and get a ballpark figure, but the human brain and self perception are far more unreliable when it comes to judging something like body fat. I was once pretty darn fat, and I still have some loose skin which makes me look fatter to myself than I actually am. I average 16-18% body fat, and I'll see people with higher %'s and think they look skinnier than myself. Heh, even on myspace where it asks for body type I put "a few extra lbs" and people tell me I should put "athletic". Not saying this is the case for everyone, but most people have no clue about what they should look like or weigh in the first place to simply use "common sense".

I agree that skin fold tests can be unreliable when done by someone that's inexperienced or using cheap equipment, but hydrostatic testing is pinpoint. Hydrostatic testing takes your land weight and your "in water weight", then measures your buoyancy. Fat floats, bone and muscle don't so they calculate the difference and get a very accurate measure of your bf%. While not practical, it is extremely reliable.

Crashsti · 06-05-2008, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatCatMC

Yeah, we definitely disagree here. You can use a few methods and get a ballpark figure, but the human brain and self perception are far more unreliable when it comes to judging something like body fat. I was once pretty darn fat, and I still have some loose skin which makes me look fatter to myself than I actually am. I average 16-18% body fat, and I'll see people with higher %'s and think they look skinnier than myself. Heh, even on myspace where it asks for body type I put "a few extra lbs" and people tell me I should put "athletic". Not saying this is the case for everyone, but most people have no clue about what they should look like or weigh in the first place to simply use "common sense".

I agree that skin fold tests can be unreliable when done by someone that's inexperienced or using cheap equipment, but hydrostatic testing is pinpoint. Hydrostatic testing takes your land weight and your "in water weight", then measures your buoyancy. Fat floats, bone and muscle don't so they calculate the difference and get a very accurate measure of your bf%. While not practical, it is extremely reliable.

I just can't understand why people get so caught up in bodyfat percentages. From an athletic standpoint, when you can perform, you perform regardless of bodyfat percentages. Look at Fedor, his build was compared to a melted stick of butter by Jason "Mayhem" Miller. He is without doubt one of the most dynamic fighters in the world. On the other side of the coin you have Jason Miller himself, who looked like a chemo patient when he fought GSP at 170. Then there are guys like Micheal Bisping, good fighter at 205, potentially a great fighter at 185. So who is really to say what your "Best" weight is. To me its not something to worry about, much like how much you can bench or how fast you run the mile.

FatCat · 06-05-2008, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashsti

I just can't understand why people get so caught up in bodyfat percentages. From an athletic standpoint, when you can perform, you perform regardless of bodyfat percentages. Look at Fedor, his build was compared to a melted stick of butter by Jason "Mayhem" Miller. He is without doubt one of the most dynamic fighters in the world. On the other side of the coin you have Jason Miller himself, who looked like a chemo patient when he fought GSP at 170. Then there are guys like Micheal Bisping, good fighter at 205, potentially a great fighter at 185. So who is really to say what your "Best" weight is. To me its not something to worry about, much like how much you can bench or how fast you run the mile.

I agree with you. It's not super important, but the question was "what should I weigh" and the only way to truly know your ideal weight is to get your bodyfat % tested.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmErIcAnPsYcHo11

how do you measure the body fat ive heard of the caliper but dont want to spend alot of money on one.

Oh and to answer your question, at your height and weight, you're probably pretty lean already. I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep working out and eating right.

AmErIcAnPsYcHo11 · 06-05-2008, 10:22 AM

thanks for the info guys I got a good insight on this topic from reading your responses.

FatCat · 06-05-2008, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmErIcAnPsYcHo11

thanks for the info guys I got a good insight on this topic from reading your responses.

No problem man, glad we could help.

texmo · 06-05-2008, 06:02 PM

I agree with both of you two Crash and FatCat.
I always look at my self (I used to weight 40kilos more and had no muscle at all. I couldn't run for 10minutes nore could I do 10 push ups. Now I can run a marathon and do over 100 push ups) and I think man I could lose some weight, I still have bad self perception. Yet I sit at 8%body fat (looks like more due to skin).
Due to the above I had my fight at 76.5kgs (168lbs) but I cut way to much weight and I had no energy my fighting weight is more like 81kgs (178lbs) Sure its only 5 kgs or 10 lbs but it makes a massive difference. I also look light for my weight most people think I'm 75kgs. So as Crash was saying just because you look like a melted stick of butter is not to say your not at your most efficient fighting weight.

To cut it short I feel that Body fat % combined with your weight is a good way to monitor what your body is doing but you should fight at a comfortable weight one where you have strength and endurance to last the rounds. Not one where you are big for your weight class.
A friend of mine weights in at a kg or two under for every fight yet I am yet to see him get beaten and he is a pro boxer.

MTKrav911 · 06-05-2008, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashsti

This is a very individual thing. I personally am 6 feet and when i am at my best weight in at about 197. For me thats a great weight for both health and performance. I don't have to lift heavy or eat excessive amounts of calories. I would say you might be in the same category. In all honesty, unless you need to fit into a weight class i would say not to worry about your weight but instead view yourself in a mirror and by how you feel. If you did fight MMA i'd have you fight at 185.

That's about where I'm at and totally agree. You know, that last 10 lbs is a bitch.

I'm looking and feeling great and to me, that's #1 priority. My BJJ is coming around well because I'm smaller. I've always had good standup, even when heavy. My kicks will never go away simply due to the fact that's all I've done since I was 5.

I always said to myself (Criticize my rationale all you want, I don't mind), but I always said to myself that when i cut the weight down to where I want (between 190-205), then I would really hit my lower abs hard and fast (the only true weak part of my body.) I once had a six pack 13 years ago. What's funny again is that I have a 4 pack due to beer.

I have 4 upper abdominal quadrant muslces clearly ripped and visible even today, then BLAB (the beer) killed the two lower ab muscles hiding underneath the 12 years of too much beer.

I'm kinda like what Evan Tanner looked like when he lost it minus about 20 lbs.

Lol.

Anyway. It's nuclear war on the two little six pack muscles hiding. I started doing inverted crunches on my crunch bench, and this week I'm walking around like I pulled my testicles.

But I feel great.

And love your calorie breakdown Crash, I'm about right there with it. Lots of brocolli and fish in my diet now with very strong multivitamins and strong antioxidant supplements like green tea for treats to myself.

I'm gonna get there. At my age, I can't kickbox or compete in TKD anymore. I want to get small enough to be limber enough though to be competitive in BJJ tourneys (There are a ton out here in Northern CA Bay Area). I think I could really have fun competing again when it's just Jit-Su.