What weight are you going to compete at? All of us who have ever competed in bjj have had and at the same time dreaded to answer that question from our coach before signing up for any competition.
In all the gyms and teams you will hear a few competitors comment on how difficult and dreaded weight cuts are. Hunger, dehydration, weakness and even insomnia are some of the symptoms of these drastic weight losses. Looking at how many of these competitors speak and act, it seems everyone should cut weight before a competition, but is this really the case?
Find out what cutting weight really means and in which cases it is correct to follow this measure.
Cutting weight Vs reducing body fat
Cutting weight means rapid weight loss in the last week before a tournament, usually by restricting liquids and / or solid foods. Reducing body fat is a process that includes the reduction of adipose tissue and the increase of muscle mass.
Why are competitors cutting weight?
Competitors often think that cutting weight will give them a better chance of victory. Going down to lower categories or weights, many times it is sought to gain an advantage in terms of size and strength . But this will only be possible if the athlete is in optimal physical shape, which is really difficult when you have severely restricted fluids and food in the week before the tournament.
Time of weigh-ins and Gi vs No Gi
If the tournament is with GI or Kimono, the competitor will weigh in with the same position. Keep in mind that this can add between 1 and 2.5 kilos to your total weight. In NO-Gi competitions, athletes will weigh themselves wearing shorts and a rashguard (a tight shirt, usually made of lycra, essential to exert less friction with the ground and make the fight more comfortable in general than with a cotton shirt, as well as to protect your body from rubbing and scratches. The use of the rashguard is much more hygienic than fighting with an uncovered torso, at the same time that the tatami is less dirty).
In IBJJ tournaments, the time between weigh-in and competition is too short to cut weight. In other types of tournaments, weigh-ins are carried out the day before, with which we will have a day before to rehydrate and nourish ourselves in case we have decided to make this weight cut.
Why shouldn’t bjj athletes cut weight?
Most bjj competitors shouldn’t cut weight. This may be contrary to what most people may think, but from a point of view that seeks to optimize the athlete’s performance in competition, cutting weight is not ideal .
In a situation in which two competitors find themselves in the last rounds of a tournament, after a few rounds of efforts to overcome the other rivals and in technical equality, the one who is fresher, will be able to “squeeze” more physically. , this being a tremendous advantage when you have already been several rounds in a competition. In technical equality, the one who is more whole and fresh will have more chances of winning. When the body is dehydrated and without optimal nutrition, physical performance fades .
Cutting weight is a mistake for beginners
A very common mistake made by beginning competitors is trying to follow training methods more suitable for professional competitors. A perfect example of this is seeing white belts cutting weight to compete in local events instead of focusing on enjoying the experience of competing and learning bjj itself. Cutting weight won’t make much of a difference if you haven’t yet learned to open your opponent’s guard.
Most of us who compete in bjj do it for fun. Most of us have lives, families, and jobs to tend to. Cutting weight would only add more stress to our daily lives. From the age of 35, drastic weight cuts negatively affect the body’s hormone levels.
Who should cut weight?
The only ones who should cut weight are high-level professional athletes in tournaments where the weigh-in takes place at least 24 hours before the fight. If done right, 24 hours is usually enough to replenish the fluid and nutrient levels of the human body.
Regarding bjj, the only ones that should cut weight are the black and brown belts . This does not mean that all brown belts should do it, only those who really want to pursue bjj professionally.
The first few times you lose weight is not fun at all, I still remember mine and believe me, it was not pleasant. Generally, your first major tournaments are not the best time to do these kinds of experiments. A good strategy would be to plan weight cuts when there is no competition around and see how they work in your daily workouts. Set a date, if possible for a sparring day, follow a weight-cutting plan, and weigh yourself the day before the sparring. The day you roll with your teammates, do it as if you were in a competition and take note of your performance and how you feel. Normally you will have to make a series of adjustments, but it is always better to do them in training than in a tournament.
All of this applies to tournaments that have the weigh-in the day before. For same-day weigh-ins, these weight-cutting practices are not recommended.
What alternatives are there to weight cuts?
On the other hand, everyone can benefit from an improvement in their body composition. Bjj fights require the fighter to be able to withstand frantic changes of pace and strength and high doses of explosiveness , for at least 5 minutes (depending on your graduation, the minutes per fight are increased). It depends on the size of the tournament, a competitor can expect a few such encounters, so they must be in good physical shape to perform at their best.
A competitor must have a good ratio of strength to weight , as well as good anaerobic conditioning. Improving these qualities depends on good nutrition and a good training program and this can take months, if not years.
In this way, if you want to participate in the highest level tournaments around the world, you must prepare for it, being in the best possible physical shape throughout the year. Step on the mat and compete, no matter what weight you are.
Conclution
Cutting weight is not for everyone. Beginning competitors should focus on learning bjj, increasing their strength, reducing their body fat and most of all enjoying the experience of competing. The only competitors that should cut weight are the professionals and in the case of bjj the black and brown belts that participate in events whose weigh-in is the day before.
