The Paradox of the Weight Class Athlete

 The Paradox of the Weight Class Athlete 

Overtime, our bodies change. My body from 19-29 has changed significantly. As we age and continue to get stronger, our weight is going to change. Forcing yourself to stay in a weight category because that’s where you have always been is counter-intuitive to the goal of strength sports; to become stronger overtime. There are some obvious caveats to this, and these caveats will be addressed. The goal of this article is to help you decide whether it is time to move up a weight class, or stay where you are. 

The Journey

At 18 years old, I was 175 pounds. I had just completed a cut from 250 pounds, with a goal of having “sweet” abs. Well, my sweet abs were of course skinny abs, but at that age any semblance of definition is narcissistically celebrated. 

I started competing in strongman at 22. At the time, I was 183 pounds. The decision was easy; I was a lightweight competitor. My composition was still skin, some muscle, and bones. I looked “good” by social media standards, but was weak. My obsession with retaining a six pack was severely impeding my progress as a competitor. As I continued to compete, my obsession with being ripped slowly began to sever. A year into competing, I began consistently weighing 188-193 pounds. This made the decision a bit more difficult. My comfort zone was the 80 kilogram class, and I knew I wasn’t quite strong enough to move up to the 90 kilogram division. Here we enter our first paradox: 

I’m too weak to move up! 

Now we’ve entered our first paradox. The, “I’m too weak to move up!”. And here’s why this attitude is contradictory to your long term goals. 

How the hell are you EVER going to be strong enough to move up, if you're constantly cutting back down to stay within your weight bracket? The answer; you’re spinning your wheels. You are worried about moving from the top 20% in your weight class to the middle of the pack. With this attitude, you will continue to cut weight, continue to stifle your progress, and be stuck on the weight class treadmill. 

What should you do instead? 

Take some time. Lower your expectations temporarily. Squat, press, and deadlift. Hit your accessory work, and EAT. Put on some quality mass! You will move back to the top 20% again. It’s going to take time. That’s okay! Be patient with yourself, and understand that moving up a weight class is going to result in getting your teeth kicked in a few times. That’s okay! It’s part of the game. 

I write this entirely out of experience. I’m no smarter, nor wiser, than anyone else. I’ve simply lived this paradox, and feel comfortable writing about it. Hell, I’d argue I’m living it right now !

The Journey Continues… 

Eventually, I was weighing 195-200 pounds consistently. I was still desperately trying to make weight as a u80. And finally, it bit me in the ass. At Hope for the Holidays, I missed weight. I was shocked. I had never missed weight before; not as a powerlifter, nor as a strongman. 

My mind was spinning. I was beginning to devise a plan to cut weight after the show, when it hit me. 

I hadn’t gotten fat, I had naturally gained muscle over time, and my weight was going up. Cardiovascularly, I was the healthiest I had ever been. Bloodwork superb, blood pressure great, and my body composition was solid. Cutting muscle wasn’t the answer to my problems, nor was killing myself via water cuts. 

Paradox 2: What am I actually going to cut? 

Body image issues aren’t isolated to bodybuilding. They are rampant in all strength endeavors, and competitors need to be aware of this issue so they don’t fall victim to it. We hold ourselves to ridiculous muscular standards created by society's narcissistic way of judging an individual's self worth. Whether it’s money, looks, or background, we do it. It’s messed up, dumb, and we need to do better. That’s for another article, back to the point. 

I see a lot of REALLY lean competitors tell me they are going to cut 3-5 actual pounds of weight to make a water cut possible. The issue? They don’t have 3-5 pounds of actual weight to cut. When they are performing these deficits, all they are doing is cutting into the hard earned muscle they have built overtime, and once again just delaying the inevitable. 

If you carry a significant amount of bodyfat and you tend to suffer on endurance events, cutting is probably a good call for you. However, your level of “ripped” is a poor indicator of cardiovascular health, especially when there are “extra” factors in the reason why you are so ripped. 

Back to the Journey… 

The past four years, I’ve competed as a u90 competitor. This has been a successful weight class for me. Two nationals wins, a major show (Clash)... moving up has been a superb choice for me. 

Now I’m entering a new phase of my strongman journey. I comfortably sit at 215-220, am fairly lean, my cardio is great, and my blood markers are within range. Cutting to 198 pounds is beginning to impede my growth as a strength athlete. Needing to consistently cut 3-5 pounds to get back to water cut range, then performing dangerous water cuts… It’s the same paradox I faced earlier in my career as a u80. 

Paradox Three; is the cut worth the stress? 

Here’s the deal; your hobby should improve your life. It should not be a significant cause of stress. It’s okay to want to be really good at your hobby. All the other hobbyists do it. Fishing, card collecting… Competition is part of our DNA as primates. We seek to be at the top. This primal urge to be the best is entirely natural. Isolating this primal urge to your hobby is a life detractor, however, and should be avoided. Take that attitude to work, your marriage, your community… Try to be the best at your job, the best significant other you can be, or the best “elevator” of the humans around you. These are healthy ways outside your hobby to meet that primal urge. 

My point? The stress of continuously cutting bodyweight to BARELY make weight via water cut is something that can be avoided. If your goal is a world title, a big show win, or a world record, sure, make the cut. If your goal is to win a local show, it’s probably not worth the stress. Life is a balance, and the activities we choose to do should add happiness to our cup, not make a mess on the counter. 

Weight Class Fluidity 

What’s the big takeaway? Our weight class isn’t fixed. As life changes, our body changes, and your weight class this year may not be your weight class in three years. When you make the decision to move up, be decisive. Put on that muscle, eat food, and do your cardio.