The idea that matside weigh ins will just magically eliminate weight management/cutting is just not based in reality.

Competitive wrestlers will ALWAYS want to put themselves in the best position possible to win. That includes both weight management (proper diet and aerobic exercise throughout the day to optimize nutrition and maintain high metabolism) AND weight cutting (reducing water intake and eliminating excess water from the body right before a weigh in).

The solutions to “weight cutting problems” are two-fold:

1. Proper training/information about #1 from coaches (weight management is NOT weight cutting, and is healthy) so wrestlers are maximizing their good weight and eliminating bad weight.

2. Coaches not letting kids get away with BAD weight cuts. The kids that eat like crap all week and don’t work out outside of practice. Kids trying to practice with 4 layers of clothes on to “cut weight” during practice. Kids that are 3-6+ pounds over weight at the end of practice the day before a match. Kids that hop off the scale and start shoveling garbage into their mouths 50 minutes before a match. Coaches need to put their foot down and not let kids get away with that crap. Don’t let them wrestle in that “lower” weight class unless they do it the right way.