How to Cut Maximum Weight for Competitions with a 24-Hour Weigh In
By Matt Kroczaleski
What follows is a brief summary of the process I have successfully
used to cut up to 30 lbs in less than 24 hours. (I went from 250 lbs to
219 lbs for the 2007 Arnold in 22 hours.) I put it all back on in less
than a day too. I did this without any type of diuretics or IVs. It was
all done entirely through sweating to lose the weight and
drinking/eating to replenish it. This process was designed for
competitions with a 24-hour weigh in period prior to the competition.
Now, I won’t kid you. This process is difficult and requires a great
deal of desire, discipline, and pain tolerance. It’s exhausting, very
uncomfortable, and certainly not beneficial to your health. However, I
feel it’s one of the safer methods for cutting a substantial amount of
weight in a short period of time because it doesn’t require any drugs
(prescription or over-the-counter) and it uses the body’s natural
cooling mechanism (sweating) to achieve the weight reduction. A 10
percent body weight reduction can be achieved easily and safely, and
I’ve personally used this method to cut up to 15 percent of my body
weight in less than 24 hours. Going above that amount significantly
increases the risk to your health, and I don’t recommend it. Remember,
athletes have died from excessive dehydration while trying to make
weight so this shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The key to stepping on the platform at maximum strength after cutting
weight is to spend as little time as possible with your body weight at
less than you intend to weigh when you lift. I’ve designed this method
to achieve the desired weight loss to make the weight class limit as
fast as possible and return the body weight to pre-cut levels as
expeditiously as possible without the use of IV fluids.
Essentially, I use a combination of hot baths and a steam sauna to sweat
out the desired amount of weight and then immediately replenish the
weight by drinking large amounts of Gatorade diluted in a 1:1 ratio with
water. In addition, I eat and drink copious amounts of other food and
liquids. I’ve streamlined this method to get my weight down as quickly
as possible while minimizing the health risks. I’ve also designed it to
be used in a hotel bathroom because that’s where most athletes will be
staying the night prior to weighing in for a competition. Most hotels
have small bathrooms that can quite effectively be turned into steam
rooms by closing the door and running the shower with the water turned
on as hot as possible.
I prefer to do my sweating in 30-minute cycles. I start by entering a
bath with the water as hot as I can get it without scalding myself, and
I submerse my entire body except for my mouth and nose. I prefer the hot
bath because it facilitates raising my body temperature as fast as
possible and being submersed in the water is somewhat more comfortable
(at least for me) than sitting in a steam room, especially a dry heat
type of sauna. After fifteen minutes, I get out of the bath. I leave the
shower running though on pure hot to maintain the steam and heat in the
room. I don’t know what the precise temperature gets up to, but it’s
typically as hot as any steam sauna I’ve been in. Next, I either sit or
stand in the steam for another fifteen minutes. At the 30-minute mark
(bath and steam time combined), I exit the bathroom for five minutes.
This allows me a break both physically and mentally and lets my core
body temperature return to a more normal level. I’ll feel much better
physically. After five minutes in the cool room, I return to the hot
bath (I drain and refill the water each cycle to keep the water as hot
as possible) and begin the process again.
The following guidelines on eating and drinking prior to and during the
weight loss process with the goal to drop approximately 10 percent body
weight (20–25 lbs for me) assumes an 8:00 am weigh-in time on the day
prior to the competition. At 24 hours out, I eat a normal breakfast
(usually oatmeal and whey protein) and then an hour or two later, I
consume a meal replacement-type protein shake. At about 20 hours out, I
cease to drink or eat anything substantial until after the weigh in, and
I’m ready to begin the sweating process. The only food I allow myself
during the cut is peanut butter on a slice of whole wheat bread because
it provides me with carbohydrates, fat, and protein as well as a decent
amount of calories without adding any significant weight. Additionally,
it’s easy to prepare and carry to a competition.
When there’s a very short timeframe, the only thing that matters for
the weigh in is how much the food physically weighs, not the calorie
content when I consume it. I allow myself two pieces of bread with
peanut butter usually spaced out evenly during the cut. The first piece
is typically consumed about eight hours into the cut (about 10–12 hours
out from the weigh in) and the second piece about six hours later. I
always feel a renewed energy and sense of well-being after these small
snacks. I don’t allow myself to drink ANYTHING during the cut because
this is counterproductive to what I’m trying to achieve. Any liquid that
enters the body during this time period is just that much more that must
be sweat out to achieve the desired body weight. I will chew on and spit
out ice chips during my five minute breaks, but that’s as close as I
come to drinking any type of fluids during the weight loss process.
I’m typically able to achieve a weight loss rate of two pounds per hour
early in the cut and approximately one pound per hour toward the end of
the cut as I become more dehydrated. I use this to gage how far out I am
from making weight and how much sleep I allow myself during the cut
because I perform this cut throughout the night prior to the weigh in. I
try to time the weight loss to reach my goal no more than one hour prior
to weigh in. Typically, I try to get as close to the weigh in time as
possible, erring on the side of getting down a little sooner rather than
a little after weigh ins begin so that I don’t decrease the amount of
time I have to replenish my body. I don’t plan to sleep more than three
hours or so during the night because taking more time lengthens the time
that the body is in a depleted state. The goal is to minimize this to
counteract any negative effect the cut may have on athletic performance.
Once I make weight, the first thing I do (and this is seconds after
stepping off of the scale) is to drink a half gallon of Gatorade mixed
in a 1:1 ratio with water. I drink this entirely within a few minutes
and then continue to drink often, finishing the gallon within an hour or
so. I normally eat breakfast right away, and I eat as much as physically
possible. I continue to eat every two hours or so throughout the day,
and I try to drink continuously. This is also a difficult process and
requires much discipline. At first, due to the depleted state, drinking
and eating is pleasant. However, soon you’ll feel rather full, and
that’s where the discipline comes in to keep eating and drinking. You
must regain all of the weight lost in order to prevent the cut from
affecting your performance. I often regain 20 lbs of body weight in the
first 12 hours after weigh in. This essentially means that I have
consumed a combination of liquids and food that if weighed on a scale
would equal that amount. Yes, that’s a lot of food, but it’s absolutely
necessary to use this method successfully.
How well does this work and how much does it affect an athlete’s
strength on competition day? I’ve used this method exclusively over the
last several years, dropping a maximum of 30 lbs in 22 hours for the
2007 Arnold. The fastest rate I cut weight at was losing 22 lbs in 15
hours for the 2007 Pro Am. I’ve always felt that I was at 100 percent
when stepping on the platform, and I almost always feel better after the
replenishment process than I did prior to starting it.
The key is to regain all of the lost weight. As long as the athlete
does this, his strength shouldn’t be affected when he steps on the
platform. However, if the athlete falls short during the replenishment
process and the difference between his body weight pre-cut and post-cut
is great, his performance will be affected negatively. This is both a
cutting and replenishing process, and both aspects must be completed
successfully in order for the athlete to compete at his best.
Matt made quite a statement at the 2006 Arnold Classic. Lifting in
the 220 lb class, he squatted 926 lbs, bench pressed 617 lbs, and
deadlifted 733 lbs and came away with the win. A cancer survivor, Matt
has overcome many obstacles on his way to becoming one of the most
dominant forces in powerlifting today. He currently trains in Michigan
and has competed in the USAPL, WPO, and the APF.
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