Ideal fighting weight

[winkveron]

Just out of interest (I'm not looking to start fighting or anything) how do you know what your ideal fighting weight is?

You hear things like 'So and so walks around at so and so weight' but then they weigh in at a lower weight. Gatti, for example. It was said he walked around at 160 when he was fighting at 135. Then he weighed 150 approx. on fight night.

Certain people, like Froch and Mayweather, say they always stay in shape so therefore walk around roughly at their fighting weight.

So what do you think is the most effective way of deciding what weight to fight at? The lowest you can get to without taking away from your physical strength?

[toomanyshots]

This is a really good question and I hope it is repsonded to well as it would be interesting to read different people's theories.

To discover a person's ideal fighting weight would require a prolonged scientific study that would cost a lot of money. Without that resource, we can only estimate and it varies dramatically from person to person.

In the simplest of terms you need to be carrying the least amount of weight you can whilst maintaining comparable or (ideally) superior physical processes to those competitors in the same weight division. Taking this a step further, the weight division to which you are best suited is the one where your physical processes - or show the greatest potential to - compare most favourably in relation to those other competitors within the division.

Personally I don't think it is too hard to work out! Train hard, eat sensibly and drink plenty of water, don't starve. Starving slows down your metabolism and you will struggle to lose weight! If you can see you stomach muscles then their is not a lot more too come off, let your body find it's weight naturally! That way you will not take anything out of yourself come fight time.

Too many boxers starve and dehydrate themselves to increase the power to weight ratio to try and have an advantage over their opponent! If you feel you have plenty of energy and your body fat is really low then I think your a probably at the right weight!

Dehydrating is dangerous but I was told by a sports scientist that somebody round about 11 st could take off about 7 lbs max the DAY before or the morning of a weigh in, that way your are only dehydrating for a short period of time and your body will recover quickly!
But at the end of the day if your a good boxer then sit at weight you are comfotable with. For example Mayweather and Pac don't look to lose loads of weight! Gatti had to lose loads of weight because of his lifestyle like Hatton.

[kierny]

a fighters ideal weight is what they feel at there best at, whether thats 6% body fat or 16% body fat, look at gavin ree's, paul mcloskey for instance

[slapbangwhallop]

a fighters ideal weight is what they feel at there best at, whether thats 6% body fat or 16% body fat, look at gavin ree's, paul mcloskey for instance

is that your effort at trying to justify why you are a lardass?

[kierny]

haha i dont think i will ever see 8st, 8 st 3lb again! them days are over unfortunatley

[toomanyshots]

This is a really good question and I hope it is repsonded to well as it would be interesting to read different people's theories.

To discover a person's ideal fighting weight would require a prolonged scientific study that would cost a lot of money. Without that resource, we can only estimate and it varies dramatically from person to person.

In the simplest of terms you need to be carrying the least amount of weight you can whilst maintaining comparable or (ideally) superior physical processes to those competitors in the same weight division. Taking this a step further, the weight division to which you are best suited is the one where your physical processes - or show the greatest potential to - compare most favourably in relation to those other competitors within the division.

Personally I don't think it is too hard to work out! Train hard, eat sensibly and drink plenty of water, don't starve. Starving slows down your metabolism and you will struggle to lose weight! If you can see you stomach muscles then their is not a lot more too come off, let your body find it's weight naturally! That way you will not take anything out of yourself come fight time.

Too many boxers starve and dehydrate themselves to increase the power to weight ratio to try and have an advantage over their opponent! If you feel you have plenty of energy and your body fat is really low then I think your a probably at the right weight!

Dehydrating is dangerous but I was told by a sports scientist that somebody round about 11 st could take off about 7 lbs max the DAY before or the morning of a weigh in, that way your are only dehydrating for a short period of time and your body will recover quickly!
But at the end of the day if your a good boxer then sit at weight you are comfotable with. For example Mayweather and Pac don't look to lose loads of weight! Gatti had to lose loads of weight because of his lifestyle like Hatton.

I think you are over-simplyfying it a bit - and because of the cost incurred by scientifically calculating ideal weight, that is what most fighters have to do.

Having a low bodyfat percentage and being at your ideal fighting weight are not mutually exclusive. Professional cycling teams invest serious amounts of money calculating the ideal weight for their riders. It is not a simple as saying "right, I can see your abs, crack on with the race". Nor is it simply a case of if the athlete feels ready and raring to go he is right. He might be but he might not. In other words, conducting tests in the lab over a prolonged period of time (cyclists do this) is the only way to determine a precise ideal weight. Anything less than this is at best an educated guess and often a total stab in the dark.

I know what you are saying but I think you are over complicating it! Its right to say fight at the weight you feel good at but I still think for a boxer your mean't to be an athlete so get you body fat low and train hard! Then after that it's about MENTAL ability and talent!!!

[toomanyshots]

a fighters ideal weight is what they feel at there best at, whether thats 6% body fat or 16% body fat, look at gavin ree's, paul mcloskey for instance

Am not saying they don't train hard but you will probably find they like their food or drink a bit more than most but have the ability to get away with it!!!

[terrdilk]

I'm a 12st fighter I try not to let my weight go over 13 4 that usally works for me then when I get in the ring I'm usually around 12 10

[Matt W]

I believe that as professional athletes boxers should never be too far above their fighting weight. Training should be about achieving peak fitness and refining tactics rather than being a concerted effort to lose weight.

[Jeff Thomas]

Different fighters have different attributes and these need to be taken into account when choosing the 'right' weight. For example Diego Corrales was rendered ineffective in his move up in weight because he lost his biggest strength. Likewise Hatton seemed far less effective at 10st 7. In complete contrast Paquaiou seems in the finest form of his career up there where his speed is more evident then ever before. If your a physical fighter it makes sense to get your weight down to as low as possible while still been effective. If your fast handed and a mover, why not go up the weights?