MMA Weight Cutting: How To Cut Weight Safely And Effectively
One of the most important aspects of MMA training is correctly "cutting weight", or learning how to safely and appropriately monitor body weight while maintaining energy, strength, and performance. To do this, fighters must understand the effects that diet and exercise have on their bodies. Understanding the right balance of macronutrients like proteins, carbs, and fats, as well as ensuring adequate hydration during preparation for a fight, can help fighters succeed when it comes to cutting weight for competitions.
Need advice on how to cut weight before an upcoming Mixed Martial Arts competition? Check out our video series below for helpful tips and tricks on cutting weight responsibly and safely!
If you want to know more about our weight-cutting in MMA service, book your free consultation below.
Need advice on how to cut weight before an upcoming Mixed Martial Arts competition? Check out our video series below for helpful tips and tricks on cutting weight responsibly and safely!
If you want to know more about our weight-cutting in MMA service, book your free consultation below.
We are proud to support fighters in some of the worlds leading MMA organisations.
HOW TO CUT CARBS FOR MMA?
When it comes to fight week, reducing our carb intake has a significant impact in decreasing our scale weight
However, I hear too often guys reducing their carb intake 2-3 weeks prior to fight week. This is usually due to not giving themselves enough time to lose the fat mass required to safely make weight during their camp so they have to chronically restrict their calories and subsequently carb intake. This means they deplete their glycogen stores over these 2-3 weeks, and therefore water so when they get to fight week and reduce their carbs further, not much happens as you’ve drained the majority of your glycogen stores.
This highlights the importance of having a plan in place to give yourself enough time to reduce your fat mass while still keep carbohydrates moderately high. Then, you drop your intake to 50g or below per day for 5-7 days (depending on how much weight you need to lose). This reduction combined with a tapering of your training, naturally brings down your glycogen and bound water.
You can also do some trial carb manipulation out of camp or maybe the first week of camp when intensity isn’t too high. Any week you have a reduced training load, decrease your carb intake and track the changes in your body weight. This will give you a rough estimate of how much weight you can expect to lose from carbohydrate manipulation during fight week.
How long before fight week do you reduce your carbohydrate intake?
However, I hear too often guys reducing their carb intake 2-3 weeks prior to fight week. This is usually due to not giving themselves enough time to lose the fat mass required to safely make weight during their camp so they have to chronically restrict their calories and subsequently carb intake. This means they deplete their glycogen stores over these 2-3 weeks, and therefore water so when they get to fight week and reduce their carbs further, not much happens as you’ve drained the majority of your glycogen stores.
This highlights the importance of having a plan in place to give yourself enough time to reduce your fat mass while still keep carbohydrates moderately high. Then, you drop your intake to 50g or below per day for 5-7 days (depending on how much weight you need to lose). This reduction combined with a tapering of your training, naturally brings down your glycogen and bound water.
You can also do some trial carb manipulation out of camp or maybe the first week of camp when intensity isn’t too high. Any week you have a reduced training load, decrease your carb intake and track the changes in your body weight. This will give you a rough estimate of how much weight you can expect to lose from carbohydrate manipulation during fight week.
How long before fight week do you reduce your carbohydrate intake?
SAUNA VS BATH FOR MMA?
This one might tickle a few feathers but I believe the bath is more effective and safer than the sauna for cutting water weight.
We want the most favourable environment possible throughout this process as it’s not exactly enjoyable.
Ask yourself this, would you rather be in a hot oven continually overheating or in a temperature controlled bath with your head and some extremities in a cool air, while listening to some relaxing tunes?
I know which one I would pick.
You have probably chosen the sauna over the bad due to having a bad experience. Most of the time it’s because you haven’t used a water thermometer, boiled yourself to a crisp, stood up too quickly and fainted. I know I wouldn’t want to cut weight in the bath again if that happened to me.
However, if the bath is done correctly, it is physiologically the better option as explained by the mechanism in the video.
The aim of the final cut is to do it as safe as possible. We can use either method, but just make sure you choose the method that you have practiced and are most comfortable with.
Portable saunas are also a good option due to your head and in some cases your hands being out of the heat.
We want the most favourable environment possible throughout this process as it’s not exactly enjoyable.
Ask yourself this, would you rather be in a hot oven continually overheating or in a temperature controlled bath with your head and some extremities in a cool air, while listening to some relaxing tunes?
I know which one I would pick.
You have probably chosen the sauna over the bad due to having a bad experience. Most of the time it’s because you haven’t used a water thermometer, boiled yourself to a crisp, stood up too quickly and fainted. I know I wouldn’t want to cut weight in the bath again if that happened to me.
However, if the bath is done correctly, it is physiologically the better option as explained by the mechanism in the video.
The aim of the final cut is to do it as safe as possible. We can use either method, but just make sure you choose the method that you have practiced and are most comfortable with.
Portable saunas are also a good option due to your head and in some cases your hands being out of the heat.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR WEIGHT CUT EASIER AND SAFER?
Heat acclimation is essential if you plan on cutting weight through passive dehydration.
Some of the physiological adaptations include enhanced skin blood flow, reduced cardiovascular strain, enhanced cellular protection, improved fluid balance, lower body temperature and the main adaption you want for cutting weight - improved sweating!
Your thermal regulation and tolerance improves which means you are now able to carry more sweat from your blood to your skin where the evaporation of this sweat cools you down. If you are more efficient at sweating, you can lose fluid faster, do it for longer, feel better doing it, and protect your body from overheating, therefore making this process A LOT safer, so just DO IT!!
It’s not hard, get hot for 30 mins 2-3 times per week, drink room temperature fluid while doing it, take breaks and you have yourself a sweat making machine! You can progressive increase the duration and temperature over time but ONLY if you feel comfortable doing so.
I recommend doing this at the start of camp, but you can take this one step further and do it all year round. These adaptations are amplified depending on the duration, intensity, frequency of heat exposures. Have a plan, stick to it and you will reap the rewards, trust me this WORKS!
Some of the physiological adaptations include enhanced skin blood flow, reduced cardiovascular strain, enhanced cellular protection, improved fluid balance, lower body temperature and the main adaption you want for cutting weight - improved sweating!
Your thermal regulation and tolerance improves which means you are now able to carry more sweat from your blood to your skin where the evaporation of this sweat cools you down. If you are more efficient at sweating, you can lose fluid faster, do it for longer, feel better doing it, and protect your body from overheating, therefore making this process A LOT safer, so just DO IT!!
It’s not hard, get hot for 30 mins 2-3 times per week, drink room temperature fluid while doing it, take breaks and you have yourself a sweat making machine! You can progressive increase the duration and temperature over time but ONLY if you feel comfortable doing so.
I recommend doing this at the start of camp, but you can take this one step further and do it all year round. These adaptations are amplified depending on the duration, intensity, frequency of heat exposures. Have a plan, stick to it and you will reap the rewards, trust me this WORKS!
HOW TO CUT SALT FOR MMA?
As an athlete you should be consuming a decent amount of sodium in your diet compared to the average person due to the fact you lose so much sodium in your sweat when you train. If you consume a lot of sodium and then reduce your intake you will see a big drop on the scales compared to if you normally don’t consume a lot. This is not me saying for you to go smash loads of salt, but just make sure to be seasoning your pre and post meals around training. Better yet, get a sodium sweat test and you and really dial it in.
The main thing I want you to take away from this video is to not cut salt out too early prior to weighing in. This mistake I hear of too often and can bite you in the ass.
Instead aim for 2-4 days of 500-1000mg per day prior to weighing in.
The main thing I want you to take away from this video is to not cut salt out too early prior to weighing in. This mistake I hear of too often and can bite you in the ass.
Instead aim for 2-4 days of 500-1000mg per day prior to weighing in.