Hey, you wrestling guys out there

[MargeGunderson]

No offer on the table in here; sorry if I got your hopes up...

Seriously though, you guys who wrestled in school: How it could it possibly be an advantage to starve, sweat, steam and over-exert yourself for days just to drop a five or 10 pound weight class?
It seems like all of that torture and depravation would cause more harm than benefit both short term for that match, and longterm for your internal organs, but so many do it that it must be worth it at least at the time?

We always see smaller guys pile driving bigger guys on the football field,or one guy dragging along three or four who can't bring him down (yay, Marshawn Lynch!), and they obviously fuel up on protein and carbs a certain time before a game.

[JasperST]

I think there is too much emphasis on sports in school and it isn't all for the better. I was in the sauna at the gym when a high schooler came in. He was in there for 5 minutes and not sweating, thin as a rail, trying to lose a few pounds for a wrestling match. I can see teach them discipline, teamwork and all that but when it goes to extremes and becomes unhealthy the balance is out of whack.

[Monty Ealerman]

Well, I never had an issue needing to cut weight. But, the sport in general instills a warrior spirit that bleeds into all of your life.

Mainly, it makes you tougher than railroad ties and gives you an ability to push through pain, both physical and mental.

I fully agree with this, and as a long-term MA practitioner, I do not underestimate wrestlers.

[MargeGunderson]

So right after completing the Marine Corps basic training culmination, the 54-hour Crucible is the ideal time to step onto the mat for your championship match?

Thanks, I love competition and do understand the warrior spirit, but they seem to be doing it solely to draw a smaller opponent in this case. Even the speedster football guys don't try to burn off weight that insanely fast; they actually bulk up a bit especially when they make it to the NFL. (yes, I'm biased; I love football! )

[Rettroop]

I wish I had wrestled in high school. I used to work with a wrestler that had ten years or more on me and I wouldn't want to take him on. The weight loss I don't agree with.

[EmmaPeel]

Hmmm, educational thread.

[MargeGunderson]

I wrestled for team that took it serious (as in trying to win state and national titles) and we were very restricted as to how much weight the coach would even attempt to let us cut. Putting a guy who is so weak from weight cutting that he loses instead of wrestling off the guy on the team at the higher weight class hits you twice: weak lighter wrestler and the heavier guy stays in instead of being wrestled off.

If you were too heavy to cut weight, then you decided if you wanted to attempt to wrestle off the guy at the next heavier weight. I pushed a guy that was a year ahad of me out of numerous weight classes as I grew through the years. Sometimes wrestling him off sent reverberations up several weight classes as bumped guys would keep wrestling heavier guys off.

Dog eat dog. Put up or shut up.

Thanks. Having never done it, I'd rather take on someone with another five or 10 pounds on her and me at full strength. But again, so many do the weight cutting.

[MargeGunderson]

Hmmm, educational thread.

With a crappy title! We've had female wrestlers at the local high schools; why did I specify guys?

[JasperST]

With a crappy title! We've had female wrestlers at the local high schools; why did I specify guys?

Yep, I only had one beat me but she had a suspicious looking Adam's apple.

[foodnerd]

Haha, but no shame even if she were real female, Jasper!

I agree with the excess fast track burning weight being dangerous when it's taken to an extreme. Dehydration can cause some catastrophic systemic problems especially if it goes to far or for too long.

[Monty Ealerman]

I wrestled for team that took it serious (as in trying to win state and national titles) and we were very restricted as to how much weight the coach would even attempt to let us cut. Putting a guy who is so weak from weight cutting that he loses instead of wrestling off the guy on the team at the higher weight class hits you twice: weak lighter wrestler and the heavier guy stays in instead of being wrestled off.

If you were too heavy to cut weight, then you decided if you wanted to attempt to wrestle off the guy at the next heavier weight. I pushed a guy that was a year ahad of me out of numerous weight classes as I grew through the years. Sometimes wrestling him off sent reverberations up several weight classes as bumped guys would keep wrestling heavier guys off.

Dog eat dog. Put up or shut up.

Right on Tick.

[Monty Ealerman]

...
I agree with the excess fast track burning weight being dangerous when it's taken to an extreme. Dehydration can cause some catastrophic systemic problems especially if it goes to far or for too long.

True.

[EricDel]

Pretty much every serious wrestler cuts at least 5lbs and more like 10+.

I think the most I cut was close to 15-20. I would start cutting the weight gradually a month or two before the season but some of my friends woud do it all in one week. If you are competing at the highest levels which in high school my team and I did you have to cut weight unless your a gifted freak wrestler.

[okgr2056]

I wrestled all through HS and was lucky enough to be on a great team and managed to not only win the Duel State Championship but also a I managed to win state my senior year.

I pulled alot of weight, regularly going from 147 to 135 in a few days. It was mainly dehydration but if done correctly it is amazing how little it affects your strength. The advantage was when I stepped onto the mat I had nearly ten pounds of muscle over a guy who hadn't pulled weight. Ten pounds makes a big difference when you need it.

Many guys try and just sweat the weight off in a suana, I preferred to work out and extra hour or two and sweat that way. I also gained conditioning by doing that. Then I would always eat, not alot but putting good protein rich foods into my body and never drank just water, always juice or milk so I got nutrients from everything I was putting in.

I hated wrestling at times but it made my who I am and made me mentally tough and capable of handling nearly anyone when I hit the ground.

[Rettroop]

OKGR that's what I'm talkin bout. Handling the ground game. Excellent!