So you’re facing the trouble of cutting weight.
One certainty a boxer faces before a bout is weight cutting. How to cut weight effectively is in fact one of the most frequently asked questions I get by novice and expert boxers alike and also a huge topic in itself.
Of course, there are many different ways to cut weight effectively, although some are more dangerous than others, such as this. For today, I will provide you with some simple, yet effective tips that will allow you to lose weight without a hassle.
#1: Do NOT skip Breakfast!
Of course, cutting weight demands potentially cutting the number of meals or amount of food you take into your body, but do NOT cut breakfast!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it provides the energy for the whole day and forces your stomach to start working from early morning.
Cutting breakfast might have the opposite intended effect: due to the fatigue and a lack of energy caused by it, you might not be able to perform well enough on the training or during other exercises that will help you to cut weight.
#2: Cut Meals SMARTLY!
Before you decide to make a big decision about not eating lunch or going full vegetarian, try to realistically think about the junk and unhealthy food you are eating and start from that.
If you need to cut from 1 kg to 4 kg, cutting off sugar, processed food, beer and fuzzy drinks should already be a big help. Many people go from one extreme to another, such as the diet change from eating MacDonald’s everyday to having a extremely strict diet—that really isn’t the way you should go about it. Training hard and eliminating junk will really go a long way.
#3: Proper Dieting
I do not want to go in detail on this one. If you are seriously planning on cutting a lot of weight, you need to have a well-established diet.
Personally speaking, I have been always using the help of specialist on this one, and if you also do not have a clue about it, I recommend doing the same. I know many stories of people being their own dietician and it always ends the same—with failure. If it was so easy, nutritionists and dieticians would not be needed. If you are not sure about something, either do PROPER research or call somebody who has a clue.
#4: Improve your Sleep Pattern
It is an undisputed fact, that poor quality sleep is related to metabolic abnormalities.
If you want to digest food well and cut weight, you need to get a good-quality sleep every night.
Although the amount of sleep depends on the person’s age and other physiological aspect, one should aim at sleeping minimum of 7 hours per day. It is also crucial to keep the same sleep pattern—go to sleep and wake up everyday at a consistent time. This will adjust your body and regulate the metabolic processes.
#5: Increase your Water Intake
This method can and should be done approximately 4 to 6 days before the weigh-in (not before the fight).
The method is very simple: increase your water intake by 1.5x or 2x of your typical daily water intake. By increasing water consumption, you will flush out the salt that has the property of retaining water inside the body.
This will help reduce your weight naturally.
#6: Sauna Sleep
NOT literally of course!
That’s more of a household, old-school method rather than the sport science, but it always worked for me and my brother.
When we were younger and had to cut weight before competitions, our father was telling us to sleep in big sweatpants, socks, jackets and a hat. You can lose surprisingly a lot of weight by sweating it out at night.
It’s worth trying.
Falling asleep is hard, but after you make it, it is probably the most pleasant way of cutting weight.
#7: Sauna
If you have access to this blissful device, use it! Sauna is an epitome of weight cut. Few important things to remember about:
- it dehydrates, so don’t do it hours before your fight,
- don’t push yourself to the limit as it might end badly, and
- don’t do it more than 10 times per week.
#8: THE Fat Killer
Honestly, I would not recommend it if it did not work. Personally, it is a hands-down method of dealing with weight cut and I use it everytime when I have to cut weight for a bout. What I used is a weight-loss aid called Piperinox—several boxers I know and I have used it for years and it has worked for me like a charm. Check out the article here! I really recommend finding more about it (or check out the product directly here!)
Enjoyed Our Article?
Tell us how your weight cutting went! You can contact us through our contact form. If you still have trouble cutting weight after reading and applying our tips, then contact us through the email—we will try to help you privately!
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