Introduction
Wrestling is a wonderful activity with many advantages for the student-athlete. It is a sport that is highly
competitive, exciting and satisfying. It is a sport that provides for individual and team competition. It is -
and should be - fun. Unfortunately, the practice of losing weight by not eating, restricting fluid intake and
over-exercising reduces the sport's fun. This information is presented to help clear up misconceptions
regarding wrestling and weight loss. I also hope to give some guidance to those who desire to manage
their weight properly in preparation for and during the wrestling season.
History and Stigma
For too long, the wrestling community has unthinkingly accepted the myth that to be a good wrestler, you
must cut weight. The generally accepted thinking is something like this: if your natural weight is 135
pounds, you may be a good wrestler at 135 pounds. But if you wrestle at 130 pounds, you'll be a better
wrestler. And if you can make it down to 125, you'll be a state champion. No facts support that widely held
view, yet wrestlers and parents subscribe to that faulty reasoning. Looking further back, many remember
the days that losing excessive weight was a specific practice and expectation among wrestlers. It was
supposed to teach sacrifice, commitment, and the idea of “No Pain, No Gain.”
Regardless of the current attitude of the majority of the wrestling community, the stigma that an unhealthy
loss of weight is a requirement of wrestling among outside observers sticks. The Virginia High School
League has followed national guidelines to establish rules that encourage healthy weight management
among wrestlers.
Current Regulations
Preseason weight certification is accomplished with three steps. The first is determining each wrestler’s
body fat percentage using skin fold calipers. Next, the wrestler completes a hydration test, to insure
against a dehydrated weight measurement, and the wrestler weighs in. The third step is the calculation of
the wrestler’s minimum wrestling weight based on 7% body fat for males and 12% for females. The
wrestler may not wrestle at a weight class below his minimum weight during the season. The wrestler is
also restricted from losing more then 1.5% body weight loss per week (official weigh-ins at certification,
matches, and tournaments are used for this calculation). A one-pound per month growth allowance is
provided to allow for the natural growth of this age group. The VHSL advises, and we have instituted,
daily weigh-ins before and after practice to monitor weight-loss and dehydration.
Additionally, the National Federation of State High School Associations has adopted several other rules to
guide coaches and wrestlers while managing their weight. Wrestlers are discouraged from wrestling at a
weight class more then one weight class above their certified weight.
