Weight Control Through Diet and Conditioning

Controlling weight is one of the most important aspects of wrestling. Placing one's self in the proper weight class is very important. Maintaining the control of your weight is even more important. This is true because weight fluctuation is not good for the body.

When a wrestler goes through period of excessive weight loss and weight gain he may create problems for himself in the future. Because of the continual opening and closing of fat cells, which exists during weight fluctuation, we find that fat cells become larger, stronger, and more resistant to closing. This makes them more receptive to fat deposits. Weight control, then becomes much more difficult. The constant fluctuation also contributes to an unstable metabolism and creates a greater chance of fouling up the body’s complex metabolic mechanism, and possibly leading to other serious problems. Therefore, it is essential that wrestlers learn to control their weight not only for competitive reasons but for health reasons as well.

Of course it's no fun watching other people eat anything and everything they want while you sit back and starve yourself. Well, the diet program that is being suggested in this program allows you to be filled and yet lose your weight at the same time. You ask how can that be true? Well, it is and here’s how.

The body, when in use, burns up carbohydrates or sugar. The carbohydrates are used before the fat tissue which is stored up in your body and is used. When you begin vigorous exercise as you do in wrestling, you tend to burn up the carbohydrates and some of the fat tissues as a result of increasing your body's need for an energy supply. If you increase your exercise and not your sugar intake, then you will begin to lose some of your body fat because you are using your reserves. The result is loss of weight.

The whole process is very easy. All you have to remember is to decrease your sugar or carbohydrate intake and increase your activity level and burn up your fat reserves.

Remember, this concept is like a car with a gas tank. The faster you drive (more work you do) the faster and more gas you will burn in the tank. If you increase your workout and decrease the amount of fuel you will have to rely on your reserve fuels. This will cause you to lose weight.

The benefit for the wrestler is that if he/she eats fewer carbohydrates for a short period of time they will generate the need for the body to switch over to excess weight and not have to starve to lose weight for competition.

In my next article I will discuss the actual weight loss plan that has been used by my wrestlers for years.

Coach Hatfield