cutting weight

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CUTTING WEIGHT

BRIAN CARROLLWORLD-RECORD POWERLIFTER

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MAKING WEIGHT

FOR POWERLIFTING AND OTHERWEIGHT CLASS SPORTS


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CUTTING WEIGHT:The Ultimate Guide to Making

Weight for Powerlifting and

Other Weight Class Sports

BRIAN CARROLL


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Copyright 2013, by Brian Carroll. All rights reserved. Original printing in USA. No

part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any way, nor electronically

stored, accessed or shared, without the prior written approval of the copyright holder,

except as may otherwise be allowed by applicable law.

Tis book is not medical or any other form of professional advice that requires licensing in

any jurisdiction. It is for scientific and educational purposes only. Please consult a qualified

health care professional for medical advice. Te author, any contributors, publisher, and

copyright holder(s) (and their successors) are not responsible for any adverse effects associ-

ated with any use of this book.

Where third party trademarks are used in this book reason- able efforts were made to iden-tify the trademark owner where first used, and in a customary manner. All such use is in an

editorial fashion with no intention of infringement. o be clear, all third party trademarks

are the property of their respective owners.

All photos by Ken Richardson and Ken Hicks. Cover and book design by Stephanie Bastek,

http://www.stephaniebastek.com


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CONTENTS iiiTESTIMONIALS............................................................. iv

ABOUT THE AUTHOR..................................................vi

INTRODUCTION............................................................ 1

TO CUT, OR NOT TO CUT......................................... 4

Decisions, Decisions.................................................... 4

My Cutting Progression................................................ 6

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR CUTTING WEIGHT........ 10

Consult Your Physician................................................ 10

Cutting For a Two Hour Weigh-In................................ 11

Restricting Carbs......................................................... 12

Drink Copious Amounts of Water............................... 13

Cleanse Your Colon...................................................... 13

Salt Loading.................................................................. 14

Water Pills..................................................................... 14

The Sauna...................................................................... 15

What If Youre Ahead of the Game?........................... 17

Be Patient..................................................................... 18

The Recap...................................................................... 19

PUTTING THE WEIGHT BACK ON........................ 20

You Can Eat Again........................................................ 20Bagging Up................................................................... 21

Take a Nap..................................................................... 22

Perform a Light Workout............................................. 22

Competition Day.......................................................... 24

CONTENTS iiiTESTIMONIALS iv

ABOUT THE AUTHOR vi

INTRODUCTION 1

TO CUT, OR NOT TO CUT 4

Decisions, Decisions 4

My Cutting Progression 6

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR CUTTING WEIGHT

Consult Your Physician 10

Cutting For a Two Hour Weigh-In 11

Restricting Carbs 12

Drink Copious Amounts of Water 13

Cleanse Your Colon 14

Salt Loading 14

Water Pills 15

The Sauna 16

What If Youre Ahead of the Game? 17

Be Patient 18

The Recap 19

PUTTING THE WEIGHT BACK ON 20

You Can Eat Again 20Bagging Up 21

Take a Nap 22

Perform a Light Workout 22

Competition Day 24

CONTENTS


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TESTIMONIALS

Brian Carrolls guidance with making weight has made a huge differencefor me. I love his methodical approach. More importantly, I appreciatethe thoroughness of his protocol. He gave me the easiest time Ive had incutting weight, and I maintained my performance as a result.

Al Caslow, world record holder in the squat at 165

I was close to a meet, and 20 pounds over my weight class, so I calledBrian. Everything he said would happen, did. I think he has a crystalball that tells him exactly what Ill feel, and when. I made weight righton time, and was able to focus on the competition in front of me. WithBrian, this isnt magic. Its experience and knowledge.

Jesse Burdick, 821 pound deadlifter at 220

Brians approach is simple: Hes no BS, straightforward, and refreshing.Everything he says works, and hes had me dialed in perfectly for myweigh-ins. With his protocol, I was able to cut 12 pounds effortlessly andearn an elite total at 165 pounds.

Allison Lockhart, Canadian elite raw and multi-ply powerlifter

Ive tried cutting weight on my own by doing it the old fashionedwaysweating it out, with no method or plan. With Brians advice andcoaching, I went from 215 to 198 and set numerous world records inthe squat and bench, along with an all-time world record total of 2620 at198 pounds. Brian made this easy, with no decrease in my performance.

Shawn Frankl, holder of multiple world records


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Brian helped me with my cut the last time I made 148. He laid out aplan, I followed it, cut 14 pounds, and ended up setting world records inthe squat and with my total of 1930, which still stands today.

Brian Schwab, holder of multiple world records

Brians cuts work well for me because we both squat big, and we bothlike to cut a lot of weight. His protocols work. Ive gone through themwith him, Ive experienced his results, and they work. For our last cut to198, I hit a world record 1050 pound squat.

Sam Byrd, holder of multiple world records


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Carroll has been a competitive powerlifter since 1999. Since fin-ishing second (as a junior) in the open class at the 2004 WPC Worlds(totaling 2000 pounds), hes been one of the most accomplished andconsistent lifters in the history of the sport.

Brian holds, and has held, multiple world, national, and state recordsin the 220, 242, and 275 pound weight classes, and hes one of a selectfew to ever hold a pro total in three different weight classes. Addition-ally, hes one of few lifters in history to be ranked in the top-ten in threedifferent weight classes at the same time. He currently lifts in the 275pound class, where hes ranked second in the world with a total of 2730and a historic then-world-record 1185 pound squat.

A member of eam Samson Powerlifting in Jacksonville, FL, Brian is aself-employed personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. His life-time powerlifting highlights are as follows:

220 Class: 1030 squat, 633bench, 755 deadlift; 2375 total(10th best of all time)

242 Class: 1064 squat, 785bench, 771 deadlift; 2570 total(5th best of all time)

275 Class: 1185 squat, 785bench, 800 deadlift; 2730 total(3rd best of all time)


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INTRODUCTION

I first started cutting weight for powerlifting competition about tenyears ago. Since then, refining my weight-cutting process has entailed alot of experimentation and a lot of conversations with people who knowwhat theyre doing. After a long career in this sport, Ive found sometechniques that really workand will continue to work every time youuse them. I started with a five-pound cut that first time out, but sincethen, Ive cut as much as 35 pounds to make weight, and Ive figured a

few things out along the way that I believe can help you optimize yourfull potential as a lifter.

After doing this successfully for myself quite a few times over the years,Ive become something of an authority on the subject, advising multipleworld record holders and coaching them to successful cuts. Tese liftersinclude:

Brian Schwab: All-time world record total in the 148 pound class. Shawn Frankl: All-time bench and total world records in the 198pound class.

Al Caslow:All-time squat world record in the 165 pound class.

Sam Byrd: All-time squat world record in the 198 pound class.

Additionally, Ive made cuts and set world records in the squat in both

the 220 and 275 pound classes, in addition to several other cuts whereIve won competitions and set both national and world records. Ive alsohelped dozens of other competitors, both male and female, successfullycut weight for local, state, and national powerlifting meets.


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What Youre Getting Here

Every cut is different, for every lifter. Some of the easiest cuts Ive seen

have happened when the lifter least expected them. Conversely, some ofthe most difficult cuts Ive ever seen were supposed to be easy ones. Yourbody is constantly changing, and itll respond to weight cutting in dif-ferent ways, with a lot of different variables in play. One thing, however,never changes:

By taking care of everything you can controlmeaning the things youabsolutely have 100 percent control ofyou can really help your chancesfor success. And by 100 percent control, Im referring to what you put

into your body.Te framework Im going to share with you in this eBook is more than

just a simple guide. Its also not a bunch of ridiculous bro-science ofthe type youll see all over the internet. Instead, this is a proven methodfor cutting up to ten percentor moreof your bodyweight while stillmaintaining the ability to perform at a high level. In fact, if you use mymethods, I believe youll perform better than you ever have in your life.

One thing youll need to keep in mind is the fact that there are risksinvolved here. Tings can go horribly wrong over the course of any weightcut. You can get sick, you can pass out, you can overheat and be worth-less on competition dayor you can even fail to make weight.

Teres no greater feeling, however, than the one youll have when youresitting at the rules briefing weighing 20 pounds heavier than anyonein your weight classwith your muscles popping with fullness. Youllknow youve defied logic at that point, and youll be competing in what

rightfully should be a class below you.My main goal in writing this eBook, then, is to help guide you and

improve your chances to succeed in the best and most efficient way pos-sible. Ive learned how to do this the hard way, and because of that expe-rience, I know exactly how to teach you what to do, what to avoid,when to let up, and when you have to push yourself. I know the tips and


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tricks that will keep you ahead of the curve, and Ill use lessons from myown career to show you how to avoid the pitfalls and dangers of cuttingweight.

Tanks for purchasing this book. Use it in good health.

Respectfully,

Brian CarrollSt. Augustine, Florida


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TO CUT, OR NOT TO CUT

Decisions, Decisions

Now that Im over a decade into my powerlifting career, I look at thingsa lot differently than I used to. After several years of cutting weight forevery meet, its not worth it to me to do this anymore. In fact, the onlytime I suggest cutting is if youre looking to compete against a particularlifter in a specific weight class, you have some kind of unfinished busi-ness in a weight class, or if youre going for a world recorda trueworldrecord, and not some cheesy federation record.

Wait. Tis is a weight cutting manual, right? So why am I telling youthat its not advisable to cut weight in the first place? Well, first off, I

meant what I said. Tings can go horribly wrong for you, both mentallyand physically, if you dont do everything right. You can have a great fif-teen-week training cyclealong with a lot of money and a big opportu-nitygo down the drain just because you did a bad job of cutting weight.

Te key? Pick your spots. If youre going to do this, do it at the righttime, do it carefully, and dont take it lightly. I say this because one of themajor reasons why I suggest that lifters notcut is the fact that it becomesan all-consuming process while youre doing it.

Once you have some experience under your belt, dont cut for smaller

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not attempt to cut more than 5 percent if youre mentally weak

and have no heart.

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meets. Save your cuts for the big ones. With that said, however, I wouldntsuggest trying your first major weight cut in the biggest meet of your life.If its your first time, try it out in a meet that doesnt have a world title

on the line.When I was making ten per-

cent cuts, it was all I could thinkabout. It was really the onlything on my mind during meetweekand then, once I actu-ally made weight, I needed toget obsessed with recovering so I

could have some decent strengthon the platform. Te problemwith this was that I wasnt ableto fully focus on competitionday and the things I had to do. Iwas always distracted, and thingsthat could have helped me wereput on the back-burner. Some-

times this was a good thing, butin general, I wouldnt suggestbeing distracted like this on com-petition dayespecially whenthe distractions are avoidable,and even more so if youre not ahighly experienced competitor.

It can seriously beat you downafter a while. I remember alwaysworrying about what I was eat-ing, and always being obsessedwith whether my weight was upor down a pound or twoandId be pissed if Id gained any-

Te meet doesnt start until thebar is on the floor, but a bad cutcan end your day a lot sooner.


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thing when I didnt want to. Tis type of thing can make you feel like asupermodel instead of a powerlifter, and thats bad. I wasnt able to enjoymyself, and constantly starving and dehydrating myself down to nothing

wasnt worth competing in a lower weight class after doing it for so long.I dont suggest cutting more than 8-10 percent of your body weight

more often than twice per year, because its so very taxing, both mentallyand physically. When you do it right, you can still perform at 100 per-cent and look like you belong two weight classes higher, but it takes a lotout of you. Use extreme caution, and do this sparingly.

My Cutting Progression

For my first meet, I didnt necessarily cut weight, at least in the strictdefinition of the term. I did, however, fast for some of the day to makesure I came in under 220 pounds. I was always on the bubble, and Iknew it would be close, so I didnt want to take any chances. For my sec-ond meet, my weight was up to 235, sobeing the experimenter thatI amI played around with some carb manipulation techniques and

cut down to 220 within two weeks. Te problem with this was that ithappened two weeks before the meet, and it screwed up my training forthose last two weeks. As a result, the meet didnt go as well as it couldhave, or should have, and my bench and squat suffered.

After two years in the sport, my weight was starting to creep up toabout 240, but I was getting more and more solid. Tis is where thingsopen up for a bit of debate. Tere are experts who say that guys withmore muscle can lose water more easily, while others will say that softguys can do this faster.

Im not sure which side of this argument Im on, but I can tell you thatafter cutting almost 10 percent of my body weight, I needed some helpwith rehydration. I contacted a friend who could get IV bags, and I hadhim show me how to hook them up. Since 2006, Ive bagged up for everymeet for which Ive had to cut more than five percent of my body weight.


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Tis changed everything with regard to the way I go about cutting,because it allows me to recover almost to feeling 100 percent within thefirst hour of the start of bag therapy. Having this as an option also made

me want to push the cuts harder. I knew I could tolerate the sufferingfrom the cut if it meant getting bigger and cutting more weight, becausethe option of immediately bagging up was now available to me.

I worked like this until 2007, which was when I competed at 220 forthe last time. For that meet, I came down from a body weight of 255.Tis was one of the hardest cuts I ever had to make, and my performancedefinitely suffered. At that point, I knew it was the right time to move upto the 242 pound class.

One major thing I noticedhere was that every time I cutdown from over 240 to makethe 220 class, each cut seemedto get more difficultandI became noticeably largerevery time I bounced backto my normal weight. Partof this was the gorging I didonce I made weight, as mybody grew from all the depri-vation because of all the extracalories that were suddenlyavailable to me.

By 2008, after only one

year of lifting as a 242, I wasalready up to 260. My bodywas now growing like a weed,and each cut was yieldingabout two pounds of massgrowth that stayed with mefor the following training

About to put on a show for thecameras at the EliteFS S4Compound.


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cycle. It wasnt long before I was cutting 10 percent of my body weightagain to get down to 242, and it was getting old. Fast.

When 2009 rolled around, I knew my days of lifting in the 242 class

were behind me. I had grown to over 270, and my body was obviouslytrying to tell me something. I made my debut at 275 in October 2009,weighing in at 270 without cutting any weight at all. Te following year,at the same meet, I had to scramble to cut ten pounds from 285 to 275.I did this with no water or carb prep, just managing to use some dande-lion root and spitting techniques to drop the weight with minimal effort.

Since 2009, Ive competed at 275 for every meet but one. In 2011, Idecided to make one final cut to 242, because I thought I had some ofthat aforementioned unfinished business down there. Te day, and themeet, didnt quite go the way Id planned, and everything was very disap-pointing. I didnt bomb, but it took everything I had to get down under242and I had to use every trick in the book (or this book, actually)to make it happen. In that meet my strength suffered badly, and it wasobvious to me which class I needed to lift in from then on.

My last meet took place in 2013. I cut from 290 to 275 using just a

simple low-carb diet for the final week. With a little bit of water loading,I stepped on the platform at 295. In fact, the most amazing thing aboutthis was that I was as strong on that platform as I was in my trainingcycle, if not stronger (my squat was bigger there than it was in training).I bagged up for this meet even though the percentage of my cut wasfairly small, and this just happened to be the first meet Ive ever com-peted in where I didnt have a single cramp for the entire dayor thatnight. It was an amazing experience, and one Id like to repeat for every

meet from now on.Te most important thing to keep in mind here is that you have to be

mentally prepared to do this the right way. Tere are so many pieces ofthe puzzle that come into play that you have to be ready for anything,at any time. In the next section, Im going to get into the real nuts andbolts of cutting weight, offering my best tips and suggestions for how toget the job done properly. Depending on how much weight you have to


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cutand how much time you have between the weigh-in and your com-petitionsome of these suggestions will be needed in full. For smallercuts (2-5 percent of your total body weight), youll be able to get away

with doing less, and other tips and tricks wont be necessary. Just knowwhat youll need to do, and prepare yourself psychologically to do it.

rust me: Tis is the last place in the world

you want to be worried about your weight cut.


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TIPS AND TRICKS FORCUTTING WEIGHT

In this section, Im going to get into specifics regarding how I performmy weight cuts, and how I program this for other lifters. Ill be jumping

around a bit from topic to topic in this chapter. Te reason for this, as Isaid at the end of the previous chapter, is that you may or may not needall of these tips. Some will describe your situation perfectly, and somemay not apply to you at all.

Te first thing youll need to do, then, is assess your situation. Know howmuch weight youll need to cut, know what type of meet youre compet-ing inhow much time do you have for your cut, and how much timewill you have between the weigh-in and the meet?and know what yourphysical situation is. From there, use this section as your guide, utilizingthe various methods Im outlining here to customize your own personalweight cutting regimen. Everything here works, and itll all work like acharm for you, but you dont want to overdo it and leave yourself weakand unmotivated on competition day.

Consult Your Physician

Ill preface everything here by saying the following, and you need tolisten to me carefully: Call your doctor if you have any questions or concernsregarding how cutting weight will potentially affect your heath.I dont sug-gest using diuretics or taking any extreme measures for any of this. If youget overheated, or you end up dehydrating yourself too much, serious

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TIPS AND TRICKS FORCUTTING WEIGHT


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medical situations can arise and you can be setting yourself up for trou-ble. Seek medical attention immediately if you cant keep fluids down, oryour heart rate elevates for an extended period of time.

Cutting For a Two Hour Weigh-In

Tis is a difficult situation, and its sort of a controversial subject forme to tackle. Te issue with two hour weigh-ins, obviously, is time andtiming. Its very difficult to cut more than a couple of pounds, then putthem back on and feel comfortable in time to lift.

Te best way to do this is to use IV bag therapy immediatelyafter youweigh in. Dont waste any time in getting this underway. IV bags are nota drug, and theyre not illegal. What you need to do here is find a medicalprofessional to hook you up, because you want this to be done properly.Hooking up an IV bag isnt exactly brain surgery, but its not somethingyoull want to play around with, either. Find someone who knows howto do it, then bribe them, take them out to dinner, or change the oil intheir car for them after the meet.

Sticking to a low-carb diet the week before a meet has been shown tonot totally kill strength. What kills strength, then, is dehydration andlosing five percent or more of your bodyweight, then not being able toput it back on. When you have a two hour weigh-in where youll be cut-ting approximately 2-4 percent of your bodyweightI dont recommendtrying to cut anything over five percent under these circumstancesthefollowing methods and guidelines are advisable:

Stick to a low-carb diet (under 20 grams per day via green veg-etables and protein shakes) for three days before the weigh-in.

Drink two gallons of water for three days, until the day beforethe weigh-in.

Drink one full bottle of magnesium citrate 36 hours before you


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weigh in.

Te day before the weigh-in, limit your water intake to one literall day, with only protein for food.

Sweat some right before the weigh-in if youre still over, andhave your IV bags ready for use immediately afterward. ime isof the essence here, and every minute counts, so use a sauna suitfor rapid sweat loss and quick results. You can also run in thesauna or on a treadmill.

Eat a full breakfast and have lots of salty snacks and carbs avail-able for consumption during IV time.

Restricting Carbs

Going low carb during the lastweek before a big cut is one of themost important things youll haveto do. Limit your carb intake tounder 20 grams per day of just

green vegetablesalong with(maybe) some cottage cheese,Greek yogurt, and protein shakesmade with water. Tis will primeyour body for the cutand,for some people, itll actually beenough to shed the pounds ofwater you need to lose.

Proteins are crucial here. Youllneed to consume low-carb shakes,red meat, turkey, chicken, fish,bacon, eggs, sausage, and otherforms. What youll really want todo here is eat enough without try-

When I stare at the chalk bowlhard enough, donuts appear.


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ing to starve yourself early in the week. Eat normal portions. Just skipthe carbs.

Also, make sure to keep the fats high. Use coconut oil and flax oil along

with your bacon and sausage. Caffeine is also a must at this point inorder to keep your energy up, especially once you get to the middle ofthe week.

Drink Copious Amounts of Water

If your weigh-in is taking place on a Friday, your water loading startson Monday. Tis is especially important if youre doing a low-carb week.Beginning on that Monday, youll load two gallons of water every dayuntil Tursday, the day before the weigh-in. I prefer to use distilled waterfor this purpose, because it seems to take more weight off me. Tis prob-ably has to do with the lack of minerals usually found in spring water.

Ten, once Tursday rolls around, youre limited to what I call sippytime. Every time you urinate, you can have a couple of ounces of water,but not until then.

During these combination low-carb/water loading weeks, Ill typicallylose 1.5-2 pounds each day until the point where I cut off water alto-gether. Tis would be typical for lifters from 220-275, as well. Tis adds

IMPORTANT NOTE: The week before you start a major weight cut, dont gorge on bad

foods that will make you hold water for an extended period of

time. This will just make the process more difcult. For the 2006WPC World Championships, I thought it would be a good idea to

eat a whole French silk pie two days before I started my low-carb

routine. This was not part of my normal diet, and it really made

things difcult for the cut. The water load actually worked against

me because I was so lled with carbs, and this almost prevented me

from making weight.


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up, and can be a ten pound weight loss just from the water loading andthe lack of carbs alone. For some lifters, this can be enough to simplycoast right into the meet.

Cleanse Your Colon

36 hours before your weigh-in, clean out your colon by using a mag-nesium citrate product. Te key to this is to do it before you cut off yourwater.

Why magnesium citrate? Its gentle on your stomach, and wont cause

cramping the way other products like Ex-Lax and Dulcolax tend to.For example, if your weigh-in happens on a Saturday, youll want to

drink the magnesium citrate on Tursday evening. Tis can sometimesdrop 3-4 pounds by itself. When you wait to use the magnesium citrateafter you cut off your water, youre holding onto 1-2 pounds of addi-tional weight from the product itself.

Keep in mind that this stuff is disgusting in terms of taste, and you

wont want to drink it when youre dehydrated. You need water in yourcolon to excrete waste, and your colon wont work properly when yourenot hydrated. From 36 hours in, the amount of food youll be consum-ing will be very low, so dont worry about the weight of your food afterthe cleanse. Its minimal.

Salt Loading

Also apropos to discuss right now with regard to the low-carb/waterloading strategy is salt loading. What youll want to do during this periodis load up on salt with all of your meals. You dont have to use stupidamounts here, but put some salt on everything. Tis will help you tobecome hyper-hydratedand that becomes very important when youcut off all your water the day before your weigh-in.


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Water Pills

Water pills are always a staple of my weight cuts. After Ive done all

of the things Ive mentioned previously, Ill take water pills (responsi-bly) throughout the day before weighing in. Tis is usually guaranteedto drop ten pounds or more. Ill cut water off at 10 AM, then start mydiuretics around noon. Ill then take them every 3-4 hours or so, moni-toring my weight whenever I do so.

Dandelion root works well. ake 1000-1500 mg every three hours asyou monitor weight, starting at noon. Note that this is also used as a lax-ative, and it has a host of health benefits. Tis is a much more moderateapproach, designed for times where you just need to get a last little bit ofweight off.

For more extreme cuts, you can go with the prescription diuretic Lasix.I really like Lasix for a variety of reasons. Its fast-acting and it wont stayin your system for a long time. Tis is advantageous because once youstart to approach your goal weight, you dont want something in your

system that will keep working for hours on end, like Spironolactone orother longer-acting diuretics.

Tere are side effects with this, but thats what happens when you cutlarge amounts of weight. For a 220-275 pound lifter, take 60-80 mgevery four hours. For lighter lifters, reduce this to 20-40 mg. If your cutis small, youll only need a dose or two. Along with each dose of Lasix,

IMPORTANT NOTE: Ive experienced times when diuretics didnt work, and Ive had to

drink a lot of waterup to a half gallonto get them going. This was

caused by waiting to long to start them. At this point, my body didnt

want to release any water. After three doses, the water kicked them

in, and I urinated like crazy. I dont recommend this, which is why I

suggest starting your diuretics at 12 PM.


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a 220-270 pound lifter should also take 500 mg of potassium, 1000 mgof calcium, and 400 mg of magnesium. If you weigh less than 220, thesedosages will be fine, but you can scale this if you want to.

Additionally, one of the great things about using Lasix is that itll helpyou avoid sweating most of the time. I dont know about you, but Idrather urinate than sweat when its 100 degrees outside. Te more youurinate, the more you can drinkand Ive had people take Lasix and beable to drink water and be comfortable all day.

The Sauna

When youre cutting weight, its extremely important that you haveaccess to a sauna. Sometimes, the last few pounds of a cut can be stub-born, and the only real way to get them off is to sweat it out.

My technique for this is to use a 10-minutes-in, 2-minutes-out inter-val. Tere are two things you should keep in mind for the sauna: First,make sure you have an ice pack at the ready to put on your head betweensauna bouts. Next, keep towels ready to wipe off your body once youreoutside, because you dont want to chance any water going back intoyour skin. Tis isnt likely, but I like to cover all my bases and make abso-lutely certain.

Finally, if youre taking diuretics, dont start sweating in the middle of

the day. Wait for your diuretics to work, and dont go into panic modeat 3 PM. Every minute counts during a cut, but you need to give eachindividual technique a chance to work. Wait until the evening beforeyou start to sweat. Here are some additional tips:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Lasix can be very dangerous, so consult your doctor before you use

it.


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Bring someone with you to monitor you in the sauna duringyour cut. If possible, have someone cut weight with you.

Eat ice in the sauna once you start to become overheated.

ake a break from the sauna if youre getting too overheated. Ifyou exceed your threshold of heat too early in your cut, youredone. ake your time, and dont panic.

Sour gum is a very useful product that can come in very handywhen you need to spit, and hard candy can come in handy duringbouts in the sauna where you need to keep your spirits high.

I suggest purchasing a sauna suit and using it for your cut. Tiswill help your body temperature rise faster, and itll bring on the

sweat faster. Steam rooms work very well. You can also turn your hotel bath-

room into a steam room. Block the air cracks around the door,hope that your bathroom doesnt have an automatic fan, thencrank the shower all the way up. Many hotels have extremelyhot water, but some dont. Make sure yours does.

Hot baths can be very effective. Fill the bathtub to cover yourwhole body with water thats so hot that it burns you if you move.Every bit of you has to be covered. Youll sweat in the water, andyoull continue to sweat when you get outjust like the othersweating methods weve coveredas your body attempts to cooloff. Use the 10-minutes-in, 2-minutes-out interval.

Dont take a shower or jump in a swimming pool until afteryouve made weight. Your body will want to get hydrated anyway it can. Dont let it. Stay stinky and look forward to feelingmuch better the next day, once youve made weight.

What If Youre Ahead of the Game?

Once in a while, youll make weight way ahead of schedule, hours beforeyoud planned to. If this happens to youand there are a lot of reasons


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it candont continue cutting weight. Get yourself some water, have afew sips of a sports drink, and procure some snacks, because theres noneed for you to suffer and stay dehydrated any longer than is absolutely

necessary.Its times like this where you realize how important it is to both pace

yourself and constantly check your weight. Tereve been many occasionswhere Ive had clients drop weight much faster than we expected. Withsome of these, weve even eaten a full dinner the night before weigh-ins,and theyve made weight with no problem the next day. Te last thingyou want to do to yourself is overshoot your goal weight and be misera-ble for no good reason.

Be Patient

With that said, however, its very important that you notmake weighttoo early. If youre only two pounds over weight, and you have a 24 hourweigh-in, youll want to take your time and wait until the eveningornightto shed these last two pounds. Te best case scenario in this case

is to be just a touch over at bedtime. When you do it this way, the ideais to wake up early and check your weight first thing in the morning. Ifyoure still over, you can take the rest of it off right before the weigh-in.Tis way, youll be keeping the time you spend in a state of dehydrationto an absolute minimum.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Plan your trips so you arrive early to the meet city, and dont count

on your ight showing up on time. Get in a day or two earlier than

necessary. I once had to cut weight in an airport, then sprint to the

meet weigh-in. I once also almost missed the time slot for my weigh-

in for the 2006 APF Seniors because my ight arrived 24 hours later

than scheduled.


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The Recap

Lets take a look at what weve got so far. For a Friday weigh-in:

Purchase a meet-like scale, andcheck your weight every day.Get accustomed to using it,and bring it with you to moni-tor your weight all weekandbefore the weigh-in.

Start your low-carb dieting onSunday of meet week.

On Monday, uesday, andWednesday, youre going todrink two gallons of watereach day and put a moderateamount of salt on each meal.

On Tursday, cut off your

water around 10 or 11 AM,then take water pills (if neces-sary) every three hours. Dontuse the sauna until the evening.

I always keep sour gum on handto spit weight if necessary. Tismay sound ridiculous, but Ivespit 3-4 pounds of weight off

in previous cuts.Do a light, high-rep work-

out on Monday, uesday, andWednesday of meet week toflush glycogen out of yourmuscles.

A few days of improper cuttingcan ruin months of intensity intraining.


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20

PUTTING THE WEIGHTBACK ON

You Can Eat Again

Tis section is about eating. Its about what to do once youve madeweight. Ive seen many lifters successfully cut tons of weight off theirbodies, only to screw up the entire process by mishandling what happensafterward. How you put the weight back on can be as importantoreven more sothan how you got it off in the first place.

As I did in the previous chapter, Im going to jump around a bit hereand give recommendations for what I typically do. Youll probably need

quite a few of these. Others, you may not. Either way, these are all provenmethods for optimizing your performance on competition day, onceyouve made weight.

Okay, so once youve actually made weight, carbs are your friends onceagain. Im not giving you carte blanche to eat nothing but junk, but itsokay to have someat this point. When Im putting weight back on, Illtypically eat pasta, potatoes, granola bars, peanut butter, and some saltycarbsand Ill have dessert with every meal. Fruits and fruit juices are

also very good carb sources.Youll obviously want proteins to be part of your intake, too, but carbs

have to be your number one priority here. Te best way to look at this isto not drift too far away from the things youd typically eat. Sometimesthis is difficult, especially when your diet has been so different fromnormal for a while during your cut, but do your best. Also, have some

3


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Immodium AD ready, just in case. Te last thing you want is for all yourhard-earned weight to come out the other end.

Its still very important that you keep tabs on your weight, even after

your weigh-in. Sometimes its hard to put weight back on after a cut,while at other times it flies back on to the point where youll have to pullback the reins a bit. Have your meet scale ready to monitor your bodyweight, the same way you did during your training cycle and your weightcut.

During this rebound period, its also possible to become heavier thanthe weight at which you trained during your training cycle. Tis isnt abad thing, because these rebounds can occasionally yield awesome results.Just make sure you dont go overboard, especially if youre lifting in gearthat has to fit properly.

Bagging Up

IV bags are the most important part of putting the weight back onwhen youre cutting over five percent of your body weight. You have toeat, refuel, and carb up, of course, but hydration needs to be your mainpriority. Its not that hard to have a medical professional around to helpyou out. We all know someone who can do this, even if we have to paythem for their time or fly them someplace. Heres my guide to doingthis, for a 220-275 pound lifter (adjust accordingly):

IMPORTANT NOTE: These recommendations are for a 220-275 pound competitor. Adjust

accordingly for your load and water loss expectations. For example, if

youre a 132 pound female lifter, you can probably get away with one

gallon of water per day during your water load. You will also lose less

water during the week.


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5% Cut: 2 Bags

7-8% Cut: 3 Bags

9-10% Cut: 4 Bags, and Lactaid Ringers

Tere are always variables, but here are some things to consider whenyoure using IV bags. Youre close to hydrated when:

You start to feel good from the immediate hydration of the bags.

Your veins come back and pop.

You have the need to urinate more than just the initial time or

two after the weigh-in.You feel and see your face start to fill back out.

Your eyes are no longer bloodshot from the diuretics and sauna.

Take a Nap

Make no mistake: Cutting weight is hard. Its a very taxing process,

and you shouldnt underestimate what it takes out of you along with thepounds. On both your cutting and rehydration days, take a nap in theearly part of the day, and stay off your feet. Additionallyand this maysound a little old-school, but its trueyou need to abstain from sexualactivity, especially on the day of your big cut. rust me, if you dont dothis, youre going to feel like crap when you get into the sauna to sweat,and youll think your legs are about to give out. Sexual activity takes a lotout of you, especially if youre big, so save it for the next meet. Just rest

as much as possible, and relax.

Perform a Light Workout

I advise doing a light workout in your hotel room or gymusingjust bandsto pump your newly fueled muscles up once youve made


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weight. Ive done this numerous times, and filling out my muscles canwork wonders at this stage of the game.

Te first time I ever saw this was when the Ukrainians came to Ohio

in 2007. Te squatted, benched, and did seated good mornings the daybefore they lifted. Tey also kicked everyones ass.

After bagging up, napping, resting, and getting 3-4 meals in you, do afull-body circuit that includes the following:

Stationary bike, or a 10 minute walk.

Bodyweight squats.

Push-ups. Stiff-leg deadlifts.

Quad extensions.

Curls.

riceps press-downs.

Good mornings.

After youve done everything Ive said to do, youre going to be prettyfull and bloated, so this will help loosen you up a lot. Itll also help cir-culate and pump nutrients into your muscles, helping them fill out andpriming them for the work theyll be doing the following day. I suggestdoing 3-5 sets of each exercise for 12-15 reps.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Never give up. Your body can do some very strange things. I dont

know how to explain it, but Ive seen people lose up to three poundsovernight, just from sleeping. If youre having a hard time cutting,

dont panic, because itll make you hold more water. Pace yourself,

set goals for meet week and stick to the, and be ready to adjust.


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Competition Day

On competition day, the idea is continue eating good sources of carbs,

to drink plenty of water, Pedialyte, and Gatorade, and to eat a good,solid meal every 3-4 hours. Also, make sure you have plenty of bananasaround, as well as magnesium, calcium, and potassium, just in case. Forcefeed yourself, but not to the point where you get sick.

For my competition days, Ill start off with breakfast at IHOP. Fromthere, Ill go with a burger and potato for lunch. If the meet is a longone, Ill do this again for dinner. My snacks will include fruit, trail mix,granola bars, and peanut butter crackers. Tis is pretty much the samestuff I eat on a regular basis. Make sure youre smart about the way youeat on this day. Again, the last thing you want on competition day is toget the shits because you were too cheap to buy Immodium and didntwant to eat good food.

In the hole: Tis is where youll know whether youve done it right.


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Copyright 2013, by Brian Carroll. All rights reserved. Original printing in USA. No

part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any way, nor electronically

stored, accessed or shared, without the prior written approval of the copyright holder,

except as may otherwise be allowed by applicable law.

Tis book is not medical or any other form of professional advice that requires licensing in

any jurisdiction. It is for scientific and educational purposes only. Please consult a qualified

health care professional for medical advice. Te author, any contributors, publisher, and

copyright holder(s) (and their successors) are not responsible for any adverse effects associ-

ated with any use of this book.

Where third party trademarks are used in this book reason- able efforts were made to iden-tify the trademark owner where first used, and in a customary manner. All such use is in an

editorial fashion with no intention of infringement. o be clear, all third party trademarks

are the property of their respective owners.

All photos by Ken Richardson and Ken Hicks. Cover and book design by Stephanie Bastek,

http://www.stephaniebastek.com

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