WS wrestlers are dropping weight like it’s hot.
Cutting weight is limited to two pounds per week during the season, mandated by the Virginia High School League. Before every match, wrestlers are required to weigh in and if they come in more than two pounds under their previous weight they will be disqualified. Despite these regulations, many WS wrestlers attempt to shed all of their body fat in pre-season.
“I run in a sauna-suit for three hours on a treadmill, and I once jump roped for half an hour in a sauna,” said senior Cameron Husseini.
It’s safe to say that these methods taken to lose weight can be extreme. Although wrestling coaches do not encourage cutting weight before the season starts, they do not discourage it either.
“I’m considered the cutting guru. I always recommend doing an Epsom salt bath which can help you lose up to ten pounds,” said senior Alex Cady.
Although these intense methods may seem physically excruciating, they are effective. Not only do wrestlers have to lose multiple pounds in the span of a day, but they also have to monitor their diet and hydration. Wrestlers will try to limit the amount of food that they eat or hydrate frequently throughout the day.
“I drink a lot of fluids and soups and I drink about six bottles of water a day during the season” said Husseini.
Wrestlers try to lose as much of their body fat as they can before the season starts, so they are not limited by the two pound restriction. It also can be hard for wrestlers to maintain their weight during the season as drinking water and eating less can cause body weight to fluctuate daily.
“Ideally, you want to wrestle more with muscle than with body fat,” said Cady, “The lighter you are, the higher chance you have at being successful.”
In high school wrestling, matches are between two wrestlers of the same weight class. The reason that wrestlers do this is because they want to weigh as little as they can and drop to lighter weight classes before competition. By doing this, they have a better chance of pinning their opponent down.
These wrestlers do not see weight cutting as an impediment, but rather a challenge that makes them physically stronger.
“Pain is weakness leaving the body,” said Husseini.
Wrestling takes strong dedication to meet the high demands of the sport, and many believe that training and dropping weight is a matter of mind over body. Despite the intense pain and suffering of over-exertion, WS wrestlers find that they not only gain in physical strength, but in mental strength as well.
“It’s not about the weight you lose, it’s the experience,” said senior John Giordano.