When you talk to an average person who isn't into boxing, wrestling or mixed martial arts, they're amazed at how much weight a competitor can cut prior to a weigh-in.It sounds crazy that the average person will spend all year on the treadmill to try to fulfill the New Year's resolution of losing 15 pounds, and then you'll hear about a fighter who lost 15 pounds in a couple of days to make weight for a fight. But it happens.
Of course, that's all water weight. And in talking today to the MMA fighter Duane Ludwig (who fights Sam Morgan on Friday night's Strikeforce card), I learned one technique of a man who says he can easily cut 10% of his body weight in 24 hours.
"I'm not giving away all my secrets," Ludwig said if the way he cuts weight. "But water loading is big. I drink about a gallon of water a day, and train the body to piss regularly. Then once the weigh-in is coming up, I stop drinking water -- but my body is still pissing. So all that water weight is gone."
Ludwig has to weigh-in at 165 pounds on Thursday, which means he has about 10 pounds to lose in the next 48 hours. He says that's no problem for him.
"I'm walking around at 175 right now," Ludwig said. "I've got to make 165. I've cut 15, 17 poiunds in 24 hours before, so for me to cut 10 is no problem. I've got it down."
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