Weight class advice

thym43 · Jul 16, 2007

5'9" 224# 43 years old 9%bf looking to do first show.
Been training my ass off to get to a show. About 14 weeks out right now. I'm being coached by a nationally competetive bodybuilder. Just need some input. It took me awhile to get to where I was @ 234#. now i'm cutting and my coach wants me in light heavy, 198.25#. I busted my ass to get up in weight, now I have to go back down 30#?? WTF?? I mean i'm not going to argue with him as he is doing this just cause he thinks I have a good shot at doing well, but the idea of going below 200# again sorta freaks me out. I don't have 30# of fat to drop, I'm going to loss some muscle. I don't know it just sounds like a BIG drop and he just told me so I'm a bit taken back. any words of wisdom out there??

ChisledFat · Jul 16, 2007

thym43 said:
5'9" 224# 43 years old 9%bf looking to do first show.
Been training my ass off to get to a show. About 14 weeks out right now. I'm being coached by a nationally competetive bodybuilder. Just need some input. It took me awhile to get to where I was @ 234#. now i'm cutting and my coach wants me in light heavy, 198.25#. I busted my ass to get up in weight, now I have to go back down 30#?? WTF?? I mean i'm not going to argue with him as he is doing this just cause he thinks I have a good shot at doing well, but the idea of going below 200# again sorta freaks me out. I don't have 30# of fat to drop, I'm going to loss some muscle. I don't know it just sounds like a BIG drop and he just told me so I'm a bit taken back. any words of wisdom out there??

You want to be at the top of your weight class and conditioning is far more important than worrying about having a heavier bodyweight. Listen to the experienced guys, they've been there.

km2000 · Jul 16, 2007

my advice is to start slow on the diet, you should never shoot for a weight class.... let your body weigh what it wants too... if you are looking peeled and you feel comfortable with your conditioning then step onstage at that weight...

shooting for the top of a weight class is foolish... i competed in my first show at a little under 210lbs. there were 6 other competitors that made the heavies by 1lb. it freaked me out being 20+lbs lighter but i won the class and overall... moral of the story, dont think about your weight, the judges dont care what you weigh, they care what you look like....

Dusty Hanshaw · Jul 16, 2007

I typically find out what I weigh when I sign in at a show. I don't even step on a scale after four weeks out. The mirror will tell you all you need to know.

Two years ago at the Excaliber in Cali the Heavy's were won by a guy who weighed 199lbs. That's .75lbs to heavy for the LHW class. FYI he would have wrecked either class.