Cutting weight

I've not seen the film but I assume that we're talking about cutting weight as opposed to losing weight. Losing weight is about changing your eating habits and loosing weight over a period of time. Cutting weight is about squeezing as much water from your body as you can, long enough to be able to stand on a scale and be at a certain lower weight, and then rehydrate the water back on so that you're 20-30 pounds over the weight class limit come match-time.

Typically, cutting weight is done in the 24-48 hours before the weigh-in. It's an extreme method to make a desired weight and can be dangerous. It's hours spent in the sauna, total lack of eating, enforced vomiting, and so on. Cutting 20+ pounds in 24 hours is no joke. Typically though, weight-cutting techniques have been refined since the mid 80s and there's now a large body of experience to draw from, as opposed to guess-work. There are also various supplements available today (some legal, some illegal, in the competition rules) that open up the pores of the skin (increasing the ability to sweat) and force urination - thus helping the modern athlete to cut weight.

One could make the argument that since weight classes are there to ensure that those competing are roughly the same size, and that weight-cutting is an attempt to circumvent that and allow a bigger competitor to beat up on a smaller competitor, that weight cutting is all-but cheating. You can't stop someone from cutting weight, but typically it's used to enable physically-gifted but skill-lacking athletes use their size and strength advantage against smaller opponents. A bit like the main character in this movie, I suppose. I don't imagine that that's an ethical dilemma for the character, though,

Uhh maybe you failed to realized that he already cuts weight to fight at 190 so the extra weight cut is what is causing him to go through he is going through?

He probably has no issue cutting weight to 190 from say 210 but to 168 than yeah I see why it is an issue.

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The point is that Loudon was already down in weight at 190...

those ultimate fighters have tons of water weight because A. they're on steroids and B.because boxers and ufcers are known for waiting till the last minute to train....

in this case it was in season when he's already dropped to where he is at 190...

" Just seems like a lame plot for a movie"

SOrry if you thought that was the plot.

Just in case you were actually trying to use reason. This was done in the mid eighties, UFC wasn't a thing until the 2000s. That's at least 2 decades of sports tech. Second, as you pointed out the main character was in high; a teenager. losing that much weight in that short of time without a trainer can effect is development. Even UFC fighters use dieticians, and trainers to make sure they don't lose too much muscle mass.

This film was done in the mid eighties, UFC wasn't a thing until the 2000s. That's at least 2 decades of sports tech. Second, as you pointed out the main character was in high; a teenager. losing that much weight in that short of time without a trainer can effect is development. Even UFC fighters use dieticians, and trainers to make sure they don't lose too much muscle mass.

I wrestled in high school at about the same time as this movie, and I can tell you cutting weight was commonplace.

To make the kind of cut the character in this movie makes, it would not be something done a day or two before a match. He would be cutting for weeks.

Wrestlers do not typically have a great excess of weight to lose; they are usually very trim by the nature of the physical demands of the sport. Also, they have to stay near their cut weight for most of the season. The rules are different in each state, but I wrestled in Kansas, and every wrestler had to certify at a given weight; this was done by making that weight at 3 different competitions. Once you were certified, you got 5 pounds. A wrestler who certified at 167 only had to make 172 after certification. To certify at a lower weight, you had to make the actual weight 3 times while wrestling guys who had the 5 pound advantage. Normally, a coach and wrestler would decide on a weight class certify and that would be where he wrestled. Again, that was in Kansas many years ago; other states didn't have those rules.

Officially, a wrestler could only lose 10% of his body weight without a doctor's approval, but this rule was routinely ignored. I saw guys do drastic things to cut. Plastic suits, 100+ degree wrestling rooms, laxatives, diuretics you name it. I saw a state champion cut from his normal weight of about 180 to wrestle at 138. I had a friend get very sick cutting from a normal of about 150 to wrestle at 112.

I was a heavyweight, and that brought on strange challenges. You had to be over 185 to wrestle HWT or Unlimited. At that time, there was no weight limit for heavyweights; that has since been changed. I was about 260 pounds back then, and I wrestled guys up to about 400 pounds. Those matches were fun. It was pretty much whoever got on their back first was done. Even at HWT, the very best wrestlers were good technicians who were strong, fit, athletic guys.

I liked this movie, and I love wrestling. This is big time of year for it. January is the start of the hardcore tournament season which culminates with the state tournaments in late February.

Best Wishes,

Fitz

I remember when I wrestled in high school. Not as easy as you think to drop right through a weight class. I missed weight once and my coach had me running laps for an hour. I started losing weight determined not to have it happen again. By end of season I was in the next lower class but never told the coach.