Thinking about things like Chris Byrd's capitulation when he dropped down and fought at light heavyweight and wondering what is involved in dropping down in weight. For Chris' case, as i understand, it was mostly running instead of weight lifting. But i am wondering, what is actually involved in the dropping of weight, for most fighters, nowadays. Do they simply stop weightlifting and do more running and cardio vascular work such as sparring and running? If so, would this really be a bad thing? and if it is, surely it would mean that it would be much easier to convert big bodybuilders and weightlifters into fighters than it actually is. Do they change their diet. Again, if so how could this be a bad thing? or would it be that they cut their water intake. This obviously is bad, but even if this was the main thing, surely dropping water wouldnt drop that much weight, would it? Does anyone here know what is involved (usually) in cutting weight.
Well back in my day we didn't lift weights so that was never a part of cutting weight. One thing many of us took from Archie Moore was the plastic sauna suits, those in the old hot gyms would take off pounds going into a fight pretty well. Most fighters don't have a junk food diet in training anyways but one change I saw quite a few make days before a weigh in was lots of orange juice or the like in place of a meal. Then theres drying out where a fighter finishes up his training the day before weighing in and doesn't take a drop of water or food until after weighed. Let me tell you that will take off the extra two or so pounds but its rough, one time I had to be carried under the shoulders by my brothers to it. The odd thing about drying out is that it often increases the fighters speed, endurance, the whole bit. I read a doctors explanation for this once but can't recall the details.
