"Doctor, what should my weight be?": is one of the questions that I am asked most often in the clinic. Difficult, very difficult to answer.
The correct answer should be: "It depends". But it depends on ... what?
First you need to understand what exactly is meant by ideal weight.
Il ideal weight should be defined as "the weight at which you feel good and healthy "in short, a mix of objective and subjective parameters.
In a previous article I told you about BMI (Body Mass Index) or BMI (Body Mass Index), or the parameter used to classify people on the basis of the weight / height ratio, and the serious limits of this calculation.
Talking about ideal weight it does not differ much from this classification if we refer to a theoretical numerical reference. There are in fact several formula to calculate it, like that of the ideal weight, which, however, as for the BMI, result valid only in theory.
Index
What does the weight depend on?
Certainly is not sufficient to consideration a formula to estimate the most suitable weight for a person.
There are several factors to consider:
- Body composition (hydration, muscle mass, fat mass and skeletal structure).
- Sport practiced (predominantly hypertrophic sport, predominantly aerobic sport, mixed sport).
- Weight history in recent years (minimum weight, maximum weight, variations and methods of achievement).
- Hormonal balance (presence of hormonal imbalances, female amenorrhea, menopause, hyperproduction of cortisol, etc).
You will understand that it is not so easy to estimate it.
The ideal weight in CrossFit®
As for the calculation of the BMI it is difficult to apply the theory in the sports world and especially in Crossfit, as particularly muscular athletes are far beyond the mathematical standards of healthy weight.
For this reason it is essential to aim for optimal body recomposition rather than changing the kg on the scale!
It often happens that crossfitters have very precise weight targets in terms of slimming (weight loss, , promising an article for dietary advice) or hypertrophy (weight gain, , promising e , promising two interesting articles). In terms of performance weight can be an advantage (or a disadvantage) depending on the skills requests: more aerobic jobs will benefit from a lower weight, while you work of force from a greater weight (provided it is muscles!). However not always expectations are achievable e need be aware of the real possibilities of your body.
For example, a too low (or too high) weight can seriously affect hormonal balance, especially for the women.
Summing up…
The weight does not exist…or better: it is not correct to focus on the numerical value but really understand what the most suitable weight can be for your body.
In any case if you can improve your fitness (a term I much prefer to "ideal weight") ... you need to rely on professionals to work hard on diet and training, without neglecting the health balance of the body.