Let’s talk about the hardest part (or easiest part depending on who you are) of competing: making weight.
Weight classes in BJJ are an interesting topic because, despite weighing in the same day, most people still “cut” at least a few pounds.
Some people are very good at this. They have no problem making their goal weight by competition day while still feeling energized and ready.
The majority, however, do it completely wrong and end up being exhausted. In some cases, they still miss weight.
I am no expert on the subject, but I have done a few successful weight cuts in my time and have read a lot on the subject.
I want to note that under no circumstance should you attempt to cut more than five to ten pounds (depending on weight class) without the proper amount of time.
Here are the top five things you should be doing in order to make weight.
Diet
This is the obvious one, but people still do it wrong. You need to be able to eat enough to function and still get the benefits of training.
Don’t starve yourself. Instead, aim for a 300-500 calorie deficit per day and change your macro nutrient ratio. You need to increase the amount of protein in your diet while decreasing carbs slowly.
Hot Jiu-Jitsu
This can be accomplished many ways, but is most commonly done by adding a sweater under your gi. The goal is to increase the amount of sweat lost during your training sessions. This can also cause you to burn more calories which can aid you in making your calorie deficit.
Water Cycling
This is another huge one. You should start this process about one or two weeks before you compete. Aim for at least a gallon a day for the first week or so, and slowly decrease after that. The day before, you should be drinking very little, but your body will still be excreting a lot.
Be close to a bathroom at all times, too.
Routine
The weeks leading up need to be very routine. You should be eating similar foods each day because your body gets slightly more accustomed to digesting them. This can prevent any back up in your system.
It is also worth tracking your bathroom cycles if you are going to be cutting it close. Knowing what time in the morning you normally “go” can be helpful in predicting what breakfast you can eat and when you can eat it come competition day.
Sauna/Hot Tub
This is not something I advise for a huge part of the cut. You can use it throughout, but don’t rely on it. If you rely solely on the hot tube or sauna, you will not have fun come competition day.
Well, I hope this has helped some of the newer competitors who have had trouble.
Have you used these methods?
