Wrestling: An Athlete's Weight Class System

Some athletes do extra things to help them win, whether it be for a football player doing extra work outs, or taking steroids to a baseball player staying late from practice to work on his hit. In wrestling, some people do drastic things to help them be the best. “Kyle Talley of St. Mark’s, a state champion at 145 pounds last year, now wrestles at 152 pounds, about six pounds lighter than his natural weight” (Tresolini). Many wrestlers use unhealthy ways to cut weight; … “of 713 high school wrestlers studied in Wisconsin, almost half revealed weight cutting habits that included two or more forms of bulimic-type behavior such as food and water deprivation, laxatives or induced vomiting” (Tresolini). While

Wrestling is a sport with a long history and offers many benefits in today’s world. This paper will explore the history of the sport of wrestling as the sport of wrestling has been around since biblical times. There are many facts and myths about wrestling. This paper will take you through the history of wrestling and address the benefits it provides to children and athletes of modern times. Wrestling can change lives, let’s learn how.

At the beginning of seventh grade, I would always joke around that I would do wrestling, like with all the other guys. Later on that year when wrestling season was starting I decided to sign up. I didn’t know what being in wrestling was going to be like because it would be like nothing I’ve ever done before.

I started wrestling in sixth grade. Even though I didn’t win one of my first seven matches, I developed into a successful wrestler. In high school I won tournaments and beat high-quality wrestlers. During my junior year I was determined to become a great wrestler. I worked harder than ever and didn’t let anyone stop me. That year I lost the Illinois state wrestling tournament championship match by one point. Over the next six months between my junior and senior season I was runner up at AAU national tournament and wrestled at Disney Land in Florida at the Disney Duals with over 50 other teams and only lost 1 of 8 matches. These are a few of my achievements in high school. Now that I am in college there are many

An African Proverb states, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Throughout my life I have been involved with wrestling, and although physically I am not involved in the sport, I have been impacted by the coaches and the wrestlers. Wrestling drives an individual like no other. I believe wrestling helps make a person to be a stronger, not only physically, but mentally.

It is important to distinguish between normal eating and the behaviors that typify eating disorders or disordered eating. Even among those attempting to lose weight or maintain a lower percentage of body fat, normal eating is “flexible and not obsessive.” (Dunford and Doyle 455). Although athletes have a stricter nutrition plan versus the general population, their eating should actively support training through moderate levels of restraint yet should still allow for healthy eating patterns such as eating when hungry, not feeling the need to punish oneself after an indulgence through excessive caloric restriction or exercise, and the ability to participate in social events. Dunford and Doyle term this as “discipline, not…obsession” (456). While the eating disorders of anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating all have clear-cut clinical definitions, disordered eating is a more nebulous term that can define a wider array of

A simple strategy such as losing five kilograms has the potential to result in 27% to 34% fewer cardiovascular related hospital admissions and deaths over the next twenty years. Obesity plays a major role in todays and the future societies health and health care system. Action needs to take place in order to reduce the effects of this health issue. A few examples of this are: Creating more of an awareness of the effects obesity has on individuals and the community can help reduce the growth of this health issue. Educating people and children more on how to create a healthy lifestyle including healthy eating and exercise will reduce obesity greatly and describing practical strategies that would enable Australian to loose weight and keep the weight down will also have a positive impact on society.

The United States of America is nation that is known for its romance with guns and food. Not the most glamorous idea to be known for but in a way the comical characteristics fit the ever growing nation. Yet this obsession with the greasy, cheesy, and always supersized holds a much grimmer reality. Obesity in America is through the roof with 36 percent of American adults being classified as obese. This alongside the rapid growth of childhood obesity has created a love for shows about weight loss and health like those of “The Biggest Loser”. These inspirational shows help to show that “it” can be done, the seemingly impossibility of losing the hundreds of pounds that need to go. Though the shows are inspirational and entertaining, they are dangerous for all of the people who have lost all this weight disillusioned that they can keep it of, furthermore the

This is a date that is marked on everyone’s calendar: fans, wrestlers, and coaches. We talk about this match every year; it is a must win. In the center of this arena is a black and red wrestling mat in the shape of a square, around 12 meters long on each side. The bleachers are pulled out waiting to be filled by fans. But at the moment they are filled with famished men

However, the important factor may not be dieting per se, but rather the situation in which the performer is told to lose weight, the words used and whether the athlete receives guidance. It is very worrying to experience how unprofessionally some professional teachers and trainers may behave. There is anecdotal evidence of how they set their own standards for body shape and weight, and pass on abnormal eating and dieting myths to the new generations of performers.

Of the wrestlers who lose all of this weight in this amount of time, 4% of the wrestlers have higher levels of confusion than before (Berg). When Coach Banes was asked “There is a lot of negativity around cutting and gaining weight, how do you as coaches handle keeping wrestlers under and over weight and the negativity that comes along with it?” Banes answered with: “The state monitors weight management heavily. We have to enter wrestler weights after every tournament into an online system with the state.

Cutting weight for competitive advantage in mixed martial arts is perfectly legal and has been practiced for decades. Losing 15 to 20 pounds of weight in less than 5 days can be incredibly gruesome, but through discipline and close supervision, these professional athletes can actually regain all those lost pounds of weight and still be in their best fighting shape for the bout in less than 24 hours. Of course, there are a lot of techniques on how to gain all the lost weight back. However, because of the

Sweat sweeps out, slowly gliding down and finally dripping off his face. His heart races as he huffs and puffs. He stutter steps, pulls out, fakes again, and quickly turns from right to left outwitting his opponent and grabbing onto his leg. He doesn’t even think about it anymore. His movements steadily have become reflexes and his reflexes are second nature.

John was referred to the clinic by his wrestling Coach. His wrestling coach had caught John vomiting in the locker room before weighing in. John reported that he was embarrassed about his eat habits. He also reported feeling overwhelmed. He felt angry with himself. At times he felt frightened and depressed. He experienced mood changes, isolation, and loneliness. He reported an uncontrollable feeling of desire for sweets. After he ate until he couldn’t anymore or it hurt, he would feel guilty and disgusted with himself. The feeling of guilt and disgust led him to provoke his own vomit. He also provoked his vomit in order to meet weight before wrestling matches. John reported feelings of lack of control over his eating and purging habits. John

Weight management has been thought of as only weight loss by many. Weight management covers all aspects of attaining and maintaining optimum weight for a healthy lifestyle. Health professionals now realize that prevention of weight gain as well as weight loss and improving health status are important goals. These goals must be individualized for success.