Weight

[Malleus]

Hey guys,

Just wondering about the weight of practitioners on the boards, as it can really help with power generation. Finding out could be interesting.

Myself, I'm about 87kgs and I'm currently working a hell of a lot on my cardio. I've dropped about 3 kgs in the last 3 weeks, and the weight lifting has been pushed to the side for the moment. Ideally I'd like to get back to around 93kgs and maintain it. No idea of a bodyfat %, but I'm happy enough for beach season . Also, I'm about 179cm/5' 11" .

How about ye? Do ye actively try and cut/gain weight for your sport? And if so, any tips?

Cheers,
Malleus.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

1. I don't speak kilograms.
2. I did the math, and I guess you're about 192. I'd love to be 192 (I'm 5-10). Right now I'm about 250. Was as low as 235 recently, but ballooned back up. Fighting to get it back down. Would like to be around 200.
3. I think my weight slows me down, regardless of my fitness level. Found that out in my last sparring match. So the weight has to go, at least for me.
4. It's not a 'sport'. I'm way too old to be doing 'sports'. This is my life.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Im 6 foot 2 inches tall and I am 78 kilograms. Late last year I was struggling a bit in sparring against larger opponents as they would use their size against me. For this reason I started putting on heaps of weight , I ate heaps and quickly got up to 87 kilograms and found my speed in sparring dropped dramatically. I then tried a new idea and tried getting incredibly fit instead of using size. I now jog 8-10klms 5 days a week and I am working hard on my core strength and I am the fittest Ive ever been. Im now down to 78 kilograms and my sparring feels great. Ive realised that physical fitness and core strength is much more important for me in martial arts than sheer weight and size.

 

[Big Don]

It's not a 'sport'. This is my life.

Should be on a t shirt.
Will be, as soon as I talk to my cousin the screenprinter

 

[derobec]

Hi,

At 6'3" I weigh in at about 111kg (something on 244lb imp). While I'm not carrying any real quantity of excess fat -on top of training I have a heavy physical job which tends to keep the weight down- I'm with Bill Mattocks with regards to the fact that I think I could be faster if I lost a few pound, but I'm not sure what the trade off would be. As I'm not broken I won't being trying to fix myself -yet!

All the Best,
William

 

[Bruno@MT]

I am 1m 76 (5'10" in ye olden units) and 78 kg (172 pounds for the SI impaired).
Currently I am trying to lose some more weight, down to 160 - 165 pounds.

I am also building up core muscle by doing large amounts of push-ups and sit ups, as well as other exercises. Every pound of fat that I lose is one less pound of fat to lug around during MA practice, slowing me down, stressing my knees and tiring my muscles.

 

[Makalakumu]

I've 5'11 and 180lbs. I stopped weightlifting and have been eating a natural diet for the last year and dropped down from 205. I've never been fat, I just had a lot more bulk. What I found is that my explosive power was impeded by that much bulk. I am way faster in sparring and randori now and I have plenty of power when I need it.

I don't know why I spent all of that time hitting the weights. I thought it was something that would help? I guess it was something I carried over from high school sports. Funnily enough, I decided that I wanted to change my body shape after learning how to surf. I learned that the explosive energy needed to paddle, catch waves, and ride was about the same as the martial arts and I didn't realize how much I was standing in the way of my own progress.

 

[Sukerkin]

I am afraid I can't answer this question as we don't have a set of scales in the house . The best answer I can give is "Too fat by far".

After giving up smoking and settling down and indulging my passion for fine wine I have ballooned up dangerously - most especially considering the 'brain plumbing' problems I have {there is an artery in my head just itching to pop for good }.

I am the worst kind of overweight as it is all "pot belly" and I really have to do something about it without putting myself under any dangerous stress blood-pressure wise.

As to the core question of the OP, yes, it most certainly does interfere negatively with my art. I am sandan Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu iaido and the work that involves the tate hiza posture (half kneeling stance) has become excruciating painful and difficult because of all the extra lard I am having to move about. Moreover, it means that when I demonstrate the kata it is positively embarassing and also does not show a good form for students to emulate.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

In the Martial Sciences weight can be a good thing or a bad thing. Take for instance one of my teachers who was 6 ft 4 and weight into the high 200 lb's. (more like 300 lbs +) He is a bear of a man that can make things work that well other people would have a very, very hard time trying to make them work on him. Or myself at around 180 lb's I am still pretty lighting quick and agile carried over from weighing less in the far past. I do not try to cut weight or gain weight. In a physical confrontation weight, size, strength can be a huge advantage just as speed, agility can have its advantages too. Health wise talk to your medical professional and get there opinion but everyone that I personally know encourages people to lose weight and get within the BMI for their height.

 

[Ken Morgan]

As to the core question of the OP, yes, it most certainly does interfere negatively with my art. I am sandan Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu iaido and the work that involves the tate hiza posture (half kneeling stance) has become excruciating painful and difficult because of all the extra lard I am having to move about. Moreover, it means that when I demonstrate the kata it is positively embarassing and also does not show a good form for students to emulate.

We have a Rukodan our this way who is down to 300+, and he still teaches and practices MJER. You adapt your iai for your body type, if your knees can't take it, do the kata standing, its acceptable for iai. That doesn't let you off the hook or give you an excuse though.....

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

Should be on a t shirt.
Will be, as soon as I talk to my cousin the screenprinter

I'll take one

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

Currently 6', 216lb (1.83m, 98kg) which is about 15.5 stone.

I just quit smoking and I'm doing my best to keep from overeating to satisfy the oral fixation. I was at 220ish when I quit smoking and now am here after 2 weeks of training. I'm assuming this weight that i've lost was superfluous as it left quickly.

I anticipate my cardio and speed will increase as the weight falls off.

I'm hoping they do, anyways.

 

[Drac]

Currently 6', 216lb (1.83m, 98kg) which is about 15.5 stone.

I just quit smoking and I'm doing my best to keep from overeating to satisfy the oral fixation. I was at 220ish when I quit smoking and now am here after 2 weeks of training. I'm assuming this weight that i've lost was superfluous as it left quickly.

I anticipate my cardio and speed will increase as the weight falls off.

I'm hoping they do, anyways.

You are so lucky..I quit smoking and gained 40 lbs that never left..When I screwed up my knee and back the pills they put me on made me gain more weight..

 

[Steve]

Funnily enough, I decided that I wanted to change my body shape after learning how to surf. I learned that the explosive energy needed to paddle, catch waves, and ride was about the same as the martial arts and I didn't realize how much I was standing in the way of my own progress.

I'm about 5'11" and 185 lbs. I'd like to drop another 10 lbs, but at 39, that's easier said than done. Lean proteins and no beer would probably do it, but dang... really? NO beer?

As was mentioned earlier in the thread, body fat % is more important to me. I'm at about 16% now, down from 25% when I began training in BJJ. I'd like to get down to 13 or 14% and lose the spare tire.

I do train for health and sport. My job doesn't put me in regular danger, nor do my personal habits. I don't hang out in bars or anything like that, live in a nice neighborhood and generally avoid trouble, so I won't need a "This is my Life" t-shirt. My family is my life, not martial arts. Frankly, I train and exercise in the hopes that I will be active and healthy enough to enjoy playing with my great grandkids. That's my goal. Not defending myself from ninjas in a dark alley.

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

Lean proteins and no beer would probably do it, but dang... really? NO beer?

Not an option. Understood.

Frankly, I train and exercise in the hopes that I will be active and healthy enough to enjoy playing with my great grandkids. That's my goal. Not defending myself from ninjas in a dark alley.

But, you can't discount the possibilities of encountering ninjers while you're walking your grandkids to the old chinese guy's shop down one of those alleys.

 

[Steve]

OnlyanEgg, you're absolutely right. I'm not saying I won't ever fight a group of ninjas... just that's not why I train.

Oh, and you guys are healthier as a chubby non-smoker than as a lean smoker. Congratulations.

 

[Haakon]

I'm 6' 2" and 301 lbs, but was 326 a couple of months ago. Is the weight interfering? Of course! Sore knees, slower to move, slower to get up from throws, and just plain getting tired from moving all that weight around. It's coming off though, I'm averaging 2.2 lbs / week so somewhere before the end of the year I'll reach my goal in the 239 range.

I'm not a fan of BMI numbers, they're WAY to general and can't be applied to everyone. For example when I was 17 and working out 6 hours a day I was 185 lbs and in GREAT condition but that put me up at the top of "normal" weight. Freshman year in college I went up to 220, not from beer but from growing - my suit size went up 4 sizes just to fit my shoulders. According to BMI that put me near "obese" even though I was still in great shape, training a lot and so on. Now when (not if) I get down to my 239 goal the BMI will still put me at "obese" which I think is BS.

I don't train for sport, I train because I really enjoy martial arts and for my health.

 

[Steve]

I'm 6' 2" and 301 lbs, but was 326 a couple of months ago. Is the weight interfering? Of course! Sore knees, slower to move, slower to get up from throws, and just plain getting tired from moving all that weight around. It's coming off though, I'm averaging 2.2 lbs / week so somewhere before the end of the year I'll reach my goal in the 239 range.

I'm not a fan of BMI numbers, they're WAY to general and can't be applied to everyone. For example when I was 17 and working out 6 hours a day I was 185 lbs and in GREAT condition but that put me up at the top of "normal" weight. Freshman year in college I went up to 220, not from beer but from growing - my suit size went up 4 sizes just to fit my shoulders. According to BMI that put me near "obese" even though I was still in great shape, training a lot and so on. Now when (not if) I get down to my 239 goal the BMI will still put me at "obese" which I think is BS.

Congrats on the weight loss. Two lbs per week is perfect. Keep it up.

I'm not a fan of BMI either, but body fat % is a terrific way to determine how "fat" you really are. At 39, if I could maintain a 14% body fat, I'd be very happy.

I don't train for sport, I train because I really enjoy martial arts and for my health.

I think we may define sport differently. In my mind, if my primary purpose for training is other than self defense, I'm training for sport. Maybe I should more accurately say "fitness."

 

[derobec]

I'm not a fan of BMI numbers, they're WAY to general and can't be applied to everyone. For example when I was 17 and working out 6 hours a day I was 185 lbs and in GREAT condition but that put me up at the top of "normal" weight. Freshman year in college I went up to 220, not from beer but from growing - my suit size went up 4 sizes just to fit my shoulders. According to BMI that put me near "obese" even though I was still in great shape, training a lot and so on. Now when (not if) I get down to my 239 goal the BMI will still put me at "obese" which I think is BS.

Hi, a very important point. As I wrote earlier, at 111kg I still perform a heavy, physically demanding job and manage to train (as well as go caving and various other hobbies), but if we take any notice of the BMI then I should actually fall into that section of the population best depicted by overweight/inactive/'couch potato' types.

Regards,
William

 

[Haakon]

Congrats on the weight loss. Two lbs per week is perfect. Keep it up.

I'm not a fan of BMI either, but body fat % is a terrific way to determine how "fat" you really are. At 39, if I could maintain a 14% body fat, I'd be very happy.

Thanks Steve! I'd agree with that, % body fat should be a much better indicator. I don't know what mine is, other than "WAY TOO MUCH!". I'm down 3 notches on my belt, that's as good a progress indicator as the scale is to me.

I think we may define sport differently. In my mind, if my primary purpose for training is other than self defense, I'm training for sport. Maybe I should more accurately say "fitness."

You're right, we were thinking differently. When I think 'training for sport' I tend to think of training for competition, even if it's just local or intermural type. But for the sake of discussion I can easily go along with your definition and split it between defense and sport.