They agreed to help me cut 20 pounds in one week, and then put it all back on again in 24 hours. Was I man enough to handle it? Or would I give up when things got tough? Is it really possible for a regular guy like me to drop 20 pounds in a few days then gain all of it back in 24 hours?Īnd if it was possible, what would it feel like? I heard cutting weight was one of the hardest things fighters do throughout their career. Recently, I told them I wanted to see what cutting weight was like. John Berardi and Martin Rooney, two guys who regularly work with UFC athletes. Just how do these guys do it? And what does this rapid weight loss and weight gain do to their performance? My Extreme Weight Manipulation Experiment He ends up cutting 25 pounds to make his 170 pound weight class, and then gains 20 of it back before his fight. Georges St Pierre - arguably the world’s 2nd best fighter – normally walks around at 195 pounds. A few days before he fights, Anderson “cuts” 30 pounds to make weight…then gains most of his weight back in 24 hours in time for his fight. That’s why Anderson Silva – arguably the world’s best MMA fighter - normally fights in the 185-pound class even though he actually weighs 215 pounds. The guy who weighs in at 170 - and then fights at 170 - often has a world of hurt coming his way. In other words, the bigger guy who retains more of his strength, agility, and endurance will likely win. They do this to gain a massive competitive advantage. Then they can gain nearly all of it back in the 24 hours between weighing in and going toe-to-toe. Most of us regular guys have a hard time gaining or losing just 5 pounds at a time.īut the top combat athletes can lose up to 30 pounds in just 5 days leading up to the fight. I find this kind of physiological puppetry very interesting. Friday night was the official weigh-in where you and your opponent both stripped down to your skivvies, stepped on the scale in front of the judge, and prayed that the number on the scale hit 170 or lower.īut once you stepped off that scale it was a race to gain weight. That’s 15-20 pounds more than the “cutoff” weight of 170.Ģ4 hours before you stepped into the cage, however, you did in fact weigh 170 pounds. The answer may seem obvious: 170 pounds, right? But if you followed the steps of extreme weight manipulation, the real answer is that you weigh somewhere between 185 and 190 pounds. Imagine this: It’s Saturday night and you’re a top-ranked MMA fighter who just stepped into the cage to fight for the 170-pound Welterweight Championship. Rather, it’s a fascinating look at how far athletes and scientists will go to manipulate the human body for competitive advantage.
This is NOT an article on sustainable weight loss or healthy living. “Cutting weight” has no place in real-world dieting or behavior. And though it’s legal in MMA competition, you should never try this at home or without medical supervision. There’s serious risk of organ failure if done haphazardly.Įven though boxers and wrestlers have been manipulating weight in this fashion for decades, it has the air of illicit activity.
It’s a game changer.ĭone wrong, it can make even the toughest guy lose his edge… and probably the fight. An athlete will artificially lower his weight for pre-fight weigh-ins, then show up to the actual fight 10, 20, or even 30 pounds heavier than his opponent. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters put it all out in the open for the world to see: they kick, punch, laugh, cry, and bleed in front of thousands of arena fans and millions more watching at home.īut even if you’re a hardcore fan who knows all the stats, there’s something behind the scenes that you’ve probably never seen in full: world-class weight manipulation…ĭone right, it can significantly increase a fighter’s chances of winning. Part 2 - the next post - will share how Nate used intermittent fasting and strategically planned eating to gain 20 pounds in 28 days, emulating a fighter who wants (or needs) to move up a weight class in competition. The idea was that by doing this with a guy who didn’t actually have to compete the next day, we could measure all sorts of performance variables that you’d never get with an athlete about to fight.” Berardi and team measured key variables throughout the entire process, including the last “rehydration” phase. Pierre rapidly lose 20-30 pounds for “weigh-ins.” To refine the method, Nate performed this on himself, losing 20 pounds in 5 days. Part 1 - this post - details exactly how top fighters like Georges St.
Absolutely no performance enhancing drugs of any kind were used. This is the first of two blog posts entailing extreme physical experiments. John Berardi, nutritional advisor to athletes like UFC champion Georges St. The following is a guest post by Nate Green, who works with Dr.