This is not medical advice, and using the sauna for excessive water cut or weight loss can be very dangerous. Always consult a physician before attempting anything that can risk your health.
Introduction
So you may be searching for a site to learn how to properly cut weight for a competition, and in today’s video I will explain a couple of pointers that will make your life a little easier when attempting the cut.
I typically would suggest cutting no more than 10 lbs of water for more experienced people, and no more than 5 lbs for beginners. I’ve tried different amounts, and the variables depend on how much water you have in your body, and how quickly you can sponge out the water.
I used to think using a steam room would be more superior than a dry sauna, but I have found that the dry sauna work much faster since it uses dry heat instead of steam.
It’s highly suggested to look for a gym that has a sauna versus a spa. A spa will charge you outrageous amounts of $ to spend 45 minutes -1 hour in a sauna room, and if you have more than 3 lbs of water weight to lose it’s going to take longer than 45 minutes-1 hour to accomplish that. If there is no gym near you with a hot dry sauna, then you could try sleeping in a room with heaters for 2-3 hours with lots of clothes and sweat it out that way…I don’t think that’s a good experience for a beginner though.
Leading Up To a Competition
The week of the competition you will want to load your body with lots of water. I’m under a 140 lb category and aim for 2 gallons of water /day the week of a competition so if you are heavier you may need more water. This is a crucial part of the weight cut, and it will make it much easier for you to shed the water in the sauna - it takes roughly 1-2 lbs of water to shed/hr. I would suggest starting out about 5 days out from the day you have to weigh in. So if you are weighing in on Friday then starting the 2 gallons of water/day on Sunday of that week.
During the Sauna Session
I typically will use the sauna for 15-20 minutes then take a break and repeat that for however long it takes to meet the number. You can take a scale with you to the sauna, and weigh yourself every 30 minutes to track your weight cut progress. You can also get a sauna suit, which helps tremendously or you can use trash bags. As you are cutting weight you will have a urge to drink, and if you do you most likely with absorb all the water like a sponge so I typically do not drink anything until after I meet weight. If you feel light headed during your sauna sessions you can take a cold shower in between. Typically the saunas available at a gym are also next to showers, and you can wear a bathing suit under the sauna suit so it’s easy to keep track of your weight, and to shower quickly.
Diuretics
These can be dangerous so I wouldn’t recommend it (the non natural kinds). You can look into using dandelion root, which is a natural diuretic though. Specifically you can use a tincture formula (liquid), which you put in your water and this will help you urinate most of the liquid so that you aren’t relying solely on the sauna.
Timing / Post Sauna
After you use the sauna it’s probably not a good idea to drink water or eat until after your weigh ins. You want to use the sauna the night before your weigh ins or the day of the weigh ins, and you don’t want to go too long in this nearly dehydrated state as it can be very dangerous. After you meet weight it's very important to replenish the electrolytes that were lost so you can get some pedialyte or coconut water, and drink this right away. Depending on what you are cutting weight for, you can also get IV therapy after weigh ins which will get the electrolytes in your body much faster than the pedialyte.
If You Didn’t Meet Weight
Well you should’ve planned better, but if you didn’t meet weight and still have time to try to shed the water you can go in a car and blast the heat. Sit in the car with the heat super high while wearing a sauna suit, and in about 30 minutes -1 hour you should have lost some.
Conclusion
Using the sauna has many health benefits, but using it too long can be dangerous so tread carefully. The most important part is the week leading up to the weight cut as you don’t want to rely solely on the sauna.
If this helped you and are interested in a program tailored to you, email espinozi.yelena@gmail.com and i’ll get you started for strength/fitness/health optimization related goals.
Be well.
Yelena
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