How Boxers Cut Weight? Why They Do It?

How boxers cut weight before a-fight. Today we will discus about this topic. If you think that the punches and the injuries are all-that the boxers have taken in to keep going then you have seen nothing yet.

In fact, even the pain seems like something not-worth risking life for. However, there is more suffering to a boxer’s life than just the injuries, bruises they take-inside the ring.

A boxer’s life starts differently from the very beginning of his boxing career. Apparently, they do not just practice for a fight, learn a few boxing techniques and win a match. Then, anyone could be a professional or an MMA fighter.

You should know that people in these professions get paid for a reason. Also, they earn their respect using each cell of their bodies. If you are thinking of start boxing you’ll be needed these boxing gears for beginners.

If you ever believed the notion that sportsmen lead healthy lives, you are in for a ride here. The level to which professional boxers can make their lives unhealthy, that too, for boxing purpose will definitely surprise you. However, you cannot but appreciate their passion and dedication. For starting a career in boxing you can start with boxing workout for beginners.

What we are talking about is how boxers cut weight before a-fight. If you are not familiar with the term, it is what it sounds-like. Boxers lose their weights before the weigh-in of a fight and gain it back up before the actual-fight.

You could say that anyone could do that. However, anyone could do that if it were a mere two-three or five to six pounds, we are talking about 20 to 30 pounds here. Surprising? Yes, it is.

It leaves everyone wondering how in the world they lose so much weight in a matter of 48 hours or just five days. On the other hand, there are people who can not lose five pounds even in a month. Now, extreme results need extreme measures and that is exactly what happens in case of weight cutting.

As we already mentioned, weight cutting is no healthy procedure but boxers still do it as a tradition. They must fall under the required weight range during weight range. But, there are other advantages to it too.

How Boxers Cut Weight: Why they do it

You do not lose twenty to thirty pounds so fast just by sitting and sweating. In fact, you have to put your body through hell and cope with it. Apparently, cutting weight is life-threatening without proper guidance. So, why do boxers all over the world still welcome it with a hug?

• Weight Range for a fight: People barely do things against their nature unless they are forced too. Weight cutting is something that professionals must do to even participate in a fight. Apparently, one day before the fight, the organizer holds a weigh-in session where the weight of the boxers is measured.

Only the boxers who have the weight within the weight range of the fighters can actually fight. This is why boxers work extra hard to fall within the weight range to be allowed to fight. After that, they gain as much weight as they can to be strong and energetic during the fight.

• Competitive Advantage: Other than being forced, people also look for benefits when they try something so hard. The benefit, in this case, is an advantage over the competitor. While size does not always matter, it sure does when it comes to combating stuff. So, in boxing, size is a huge deal.

When you lose weight, you do not really lose an equal level of your volume. So, technically you are the same size. However, the decrease in weight does make you faster.

So, you can use both your size and speed to gain an advantage over your opponent.

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How Boxers Cut Weight: The process with tips

You can lose weight in many ways but you do not necessarily lose it in the most unhealthy way possible. Other than that, your body will already go through something like a shock, therefore, it is best to go easy on it. While you do have to put your body through a lot, you can certainly decrease the damage to a certain level.

So, here is the process of how boxers cut weight and tips to do it in the most efficient way.

1. Start early.

The best way to reduce the negative impact on your body is to accustom it to the change gradually. Do not just start your diet and exercises one week before a fight because you will have to do that anyway. But, try keeping your weight at a level near the required weight range so that you do not have to lose too much weight in such a short span of time.

Begin to maintain a healthy diet and your weight from the very beginning of your life as a professional boxer.

2. Limit water intake slowly.

Water, apparently, makes most parts of our body therefore, most of our weight comes from water too. This is why dehydration is the first technique boxers use to cut weight. Although it is the fastest and most efficient way of losing weight, it is also quite drastic and harmful.

All your cells and organs need water to function and such a sudden decrease of it causes your body to react in different ways. In fact, boxers even die of organ failures due to dehydration. It also increases the risk of other kinds of diseases.

But, since you have to do what you must do, you can try doing it in the safest possible way. And, that would be too accustom your body to decreasing amount of water intake.

You should start a week early and slowly decrease your water intake from 2 gallons to 0.25 gallons in five days. After that, you can abstain from drinking water completely from one day before the weigh-in.

However, only dehydration without giving sufficient attention to other nutrient and mineral intake can cause more harm. So, you have to consider the other aspects of your diet as well.

3. Reduce Carbs.

Controlling only your water intake won’t help the extreme level of weight-loss you are looking for. Therefore, the first thing you should do to your solid diet is to reduce the amount of carb per day. Carbs contribute a significant amount to your weight. You can make your low carb lunch and dinner on your own.

Therefore, by reducing it you are decreasing more weight by breaking up the glycogen cells. Furthermore, carbs use water and help you excrete more of it.

4. Keep Strength- Eat Proteins and Fats.

Reduced weight will be pointless if you pass out right before weigh-in. This is why you have to balance your body with intake supporting the number of nutrients you are losing. Clever boxers mostly focus on protein and fat intakes for energy.

They are not as bad as carbs in contributing to weight and they do not retain as much water either. However, your choice must be a healthy version of them, not junk food.

5. Sweat.

Since your greatest priority is drastic weight loss through dehydration, what better way to lose water than by sweating? Many boxers do their regular exercise routine but in clothes or locations that provide extra heat to make them sweat.

For example, you could just exercise while sitting inside a sauna. Hot baths can help in this regard too with their hot and humid nature.

6. Consider Diuretics.

If the situation is getting very extreme and you are not losing enough weight when the weigh-in is knocking right on the door, your last resort can be a diuretic. It is a kind of drug that will help you pee often to lose the water you need to lose. However, only consider this as a last resort.

So, this is probably the safest, general way to cut weight before a weigh-in. However, the amount and nature of food may vary based on the type of body or the condition of it.

How Boxers Cut Weight: The phase after the Weigh-in

If you keep yourself dehydrated, stripped of nutrients and energy during the fight then the whole cutting weight phase is useless. Your opponent will knock you out even before the real fight begins. In fact, he may not even need to knock you out, your body itself will.

So, right after the weigh-in, boxers gain as much weight as they can before the fight. Usually, there is a period of 24 hours between the weigh-in and the fight. So, boxers dedicate this twenty-four hours to rehydrating themselves, drinking as much water as they can.

Furthermore, they consume glucose drinks, proteins, carbs, fats, etc. All of which they have been avoiding. As a result, a weight-regain of around 22 pounds become possible. This way the fighter gets ready for a fight properly after being selected strategically.

 

Conclusion

There is more to a fight than just the fight. This is more evident when it comes to boxing than any other combat sports. Even a single pound matters here.

You already know how tough the game itself is. Boxers, the strong, manly boxers cry and take a hard beating on the stage in front of hundreds of people. As if this was not enough, they have to go through the hard weight-cutting and training process as well.

However, what must be done should be done and the boxers do rejoice in their hard earnings and fame. But, always keep in mind that how boxers cut weight is an important matter as they have to do it safely. Otherwise, the whole point of the technique becomes quite meaningless.