Making Lightweight

[peglegjeff]

I'm trying to get down to lightweight for the spring season, and I was hoping to get some advice on healthy ways to do this (and hopefully not lose any power).

Currently, I weigh in at 171, and I'm 6'2". I don't have much body fat as it is, so I'm looking to try to trim down a little muscle mass. Right now, I work out every morning - around 30 minutes erging and an hour doing steady state on the water. I basically eat however much I please (healthy food, but large quantities).

I'm fairly competitive right now as a heavy (stoking the 2V for my team), but if I can get down, I'd be a very competitive lightweight and a great addition to our lightweight program. From what I've been told already, I should target 165 pounds for a comfortable weight, and then I'll be able to lose the final 5 pounds the week before a race (water weight, etc.). My teams light enough to make the boat average (155 lbs.) so long as I can be under 160, so I'm not looking to lose more than I need to.

My questions to y'all are what changes should I make in my training and diet? I need to make 165 by mid February, and I figure this should be very doable if I start now. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

[johnlvs2run]

I basically eat however much I please (healthy food, but large quantities).

The way to do this is with portion control.

You are close, so it should be quite doable.

Make a plan for your food intake, and then stick with your plan.

If you get sidetracked for a meal or two, then get right back on it again.

Overall, you can succeed with it.

Be sure to keep drinking plenty of water. Water helps with fitness and weight loss. Salads are good. I like chopped salads of celery, bok choy, cucumbers, zucchini, plenty of water, and sometimes a few slices of toast.

Also, drink water and eat as early in the day as is possible. Drinking water before and with meals is good. Avoid any eating at night, i.e. don't eat after 7pm or so.

[jbell]

I would say increase the amount of time you do on the erg. That should help somewhat. Also, monitor your sodium intake.

[Bob S.]

Jeff,

If you are still in high school or if you are in just the first year or two of college, you would probably better off staying heavy weight and bulding up a bit. If you are under twenty, it is possible that here is more growth in store for you. Even if you are a bit older, with your height, you might be better off as a heavy weight. One club sculler I know was in his late twenties and had been rowing as a borderline lightweight for several years, with so-so results. He gave it up, began doing resistance work, went up to about 190 pounds and started winning a lot more races. He looked a lot healthier as well.

Bob S.

[Ray79]

I agree with what Bob says above. But i do have a bit to add in terms of advice if you are going to pursue this.

Most of all if you are going to do this make sure you are not denying yourself any necessary nutrition. Lean meat and fish, calcium from milk etc and enough carbs to fuel your training (minus a little to aid the loss)

There is a short article on the C2 Uk site about making weight for Indoor racing - but the OTW regime is much the same.

http://www.concept2.co.uk/birc/news.php ... ightweight

Any weight you lose has to come off SLOWLY.

[peglegjeff]

Thanks everyone for the advice so far. I'm going to start by changing my eating habits (as seems to be the most common suggestion) - working a salad in for lunch instead of a couple of PB&J's should make a decent dent in my daily calorie intake. I'm also going to try and work in a few extra cardio work outs each week (stationary bike, running, etc).

Bob, I tried to gain weight most of last year - I lifted three or four times a week and increased both my protein and overall caloric intake, but I got little results. I gained only 5 pounds after 6 months of work, and when I went back to my normal cardio routine, I lost that weight within a month. I'm 20 right now, and my build just seems to naturally thin, despite my attempts thus far to change it.

jbell, I've heard the erg does more to build muscle then burn calories. Something about the normal resistance levels makes it more conducive to muscle gain compared to other forms of cardio. Has anyone heard anything similar?

[jbell]

Unless your resistance is set to 10 I dont think you will build too much muscle. Also, although it may look like your gaining muscle, you might just be slimming down and toning muscle, not building muscle.

[prezidentv8]

I started the year in pretty much the same boat (pardon the pun) as you. My starting weight was at around 188 and I'm currently in the midst of an attempt to reach lightweight for spring and summer (I'm now at 163) due to the glass ceiling of sorts placed on my progression as a heavyweight by my height (5'8"). The key I have found is to simply add massive amounts of cardio - erging and cross-training - to a diet of only slightly reduced calories, but consisting of highly nutritious foods (whole grains, leafy greens, lean meats, etc.). Not only have I lost the weight, but my 6k time has actually fallen 9 seconds from last year to a 21:41. So yes, weight loss and power maintenence are not mutually exclusive, and are both possible with the right amount of discipline.

[Dreadnought]

I'm trying to get down to lightweight for the spring season, and I was hoping to get some advice on healthy ways to do this (and hopefully not lose any power).

Currently, I weigh in at 171, and I'm 6'2". I don't have much body fat as it is, so I'm looking to try to trim down a little muscle mass. Right now, I work out every morning - around 30 minutes erging and an hour doing steady state on the water. I basically eat however much I please (healthy food, but large quantities).

I'm fairly competitive right now as a heavy (stoking the 2V for my team), but if I can get down, I'd be a very competitive lightweight and a great addition to our lightweight program. From what I've been told already, I should target 165 pounds for a comfortable weight, and then I'll be able to lose the final 5 pounds the week before a race (water weight, etc.). My teams light enough to make the boat average (155 lbs.) so long as I can be under 160, so I'm not looking to lose more than I need to.

My questions to y'all are what changes should I make in my training and diet? I need to make 165 by mid February, and I figure this should be very doable if I start now. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

What is the time of the weigh-in prior to the race? Depending on the time interval you should be very carefull of losing too much water weight. You may not be able to adequately rehydrate yourself. If your hydration status is off your performance will suffer.

I am currently about 175 and I would like to get down to about 160 as well. I also find it very hard to lose the extra weight. I was up to about 195 about a year ago when I had laid off on my workouts. Without modifying my diet I was able to steadily lose weight. The first 10 came off relatively quickly, the next 10 somewhat slower, the final 15 are quite a struggle. At my age (51) the basal metabolic rate is much slower so I 'll probably have to start counting calories.

Here are some of my strategies:
Instead of lunch, one of those protein bars (about 20g protein and about 200+ calories) The protein delays gastric emptying somewhat and acts as an appetite suppressant.
Minimal (if any) alcohol consumption. An occasional glass of wine is OK.
Beware of totally fat-free foods. A small amount of fat is necessary to give you a feeling of satisfaction. If you eat foods with no fat at all, you'll probably end up consuming more total calories.

If you are currently 6'2" and 171 you may lose power if you lose muscle mass. I would try to get an accurate measurement of your body fat % and see how much weight you can lose without losing muscle.