Weight classes play an important role in all professional combat sports. The main purposes of weight classes is to keep a fight fair; since fighters are in such outstanding shape, it would simply be unfair to pit one fighter against another who weighs significantly more. From a fighter's perspective, however, weight classes can offer a serious advantage. Your goal should always be to be the strongest and heaviest fighter in your weight class. For a light heavyweight, that could mean dropping to the middleweight or welterweight division. You can achieve this by losing superficial weight right before the weigh-in.
Superficial Weight
People tend to think of weight in terms of fat and muscle, but a lot of other things account for a person's weight, including bones, organs, fluids, undigested food and waste. When fighters cut weight, they typically do not lose a lot of muscle or fat; they mostly lose water weight. This is how a fighter can weigh in at a particular weight the day before a fight, and then suddenly be 15 lbs heavier the next day.
Fluid Restricition
The quickest and easiest way to start losing weight before a weigh-in is to restrict yourself from drinking any fluids. Everyone, no matter how lean he is, carries several pounds of water weight unless he is severely dehydrated. Several days before a fight, you need to start monitoring your water intake and limit it to a certain amount. You should only consume the exact amount of water your body requires, which is approximately 1 oz. per pound of bodyweight. 24 hours before the weigh-in, you need to eliminate the intake of any fluids.
Dehydrating Your Body
In addition to fluid restriction, other methods can further dehydrate your body. You should urinate as frequently as possible. You should also sweat as much as you can. Fighters will often wrap themselves in heavy sweats and garbage bags while running, jogging, jumping rope or working on a heavy bag. Sweating alone can shed five to 10 excess pounds.
Dieting
Food is weight and food puts weight on you, so you want to eat as little as possible before a weigh-in, but you do not want to starve yourself. You also want to avoid salty foods that will make you retain water. The best thing to do is eat small energy bars the day before and day of your weigh in. Energy bars are good because they will provide your body with ample nutrients but they only weigh a few ounces. You can also supplement your diet with multivitamins.
Bowel Movements
Your intestines have about five to seven pounds of waste in them at any given moment. This is just more superficial weight that can be shed without doing any harm to yourself. The most effective and safest way to eliminate this waste is to take a natural laxative the day before your weigh-in.
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