Dos and don’ts of weight cutting
- DO find out whether your weigh in is on the same day as the competition, or the day before. How you go about making weight depends on how long you have to recover after the weigh in.
- DO understand what you are doing and have a clear plan as to how you are going to make the weight.
- DO consider consulting a nutritionist who has experience of working with weight class athletes.
- DO practice your weight cut beforehand. Do this while you don’t have a fight coming up, so that it doesn’t interfere with your training.
- DO be careful with dehydration, and keep this to a minimum – there is no “safe” limit. It has the potential to be one of the most dangerous aspects of MMA. (We’ll talk more about dehydration in a future blog).
- DO make sure you know how to recover correctly after your weight cut, what you should be eating and drinking (and what not to eat or drink).
- DO consult a doctor before attempting to cut weight if you have any medical conditions, especially anything involving your heart, cardiovascular system or kidneys.
- DON’T sign a contract to fight at a weight you don’t know for sure you can make.
- DON’T rely on short term weight loss if you have body fat to lose.
- DON’T assume that just because a team mate or someone in the UFC claims to cut a certain amount of weight, that you should do the same. Everyone’s body is different.
