Boxing is a laborious sport. Athletes work their whole lives under extreme conditions, just so that they can be best at what they do. Even after such rigorous training, a fighter remains open to injuries that not only affect their career but their lives, too. Athletes like Prichard Colon and Heather Hardy are examples of what boxing injuries can lead to.

However, boxing as a fitness workout is exceptional. Olympic medalists like Tony Jeffries have long advocated for the incorporation of combat sports into fitness routines for non-professionals. The public seems to be catching on to this idea, as evidenced by a viral video featuring a 19-year-old boxer, which has left fans astounded.

Boxing away the pounds

A viral video that originated on TikTok in 2022 was recently shared by the Instagram page ‘Source of Boxing’. The clip showcases a 19-year-old boxer performing an unusual post-workout routine. After an intense training session, the young athlete tears off his sweat-soaked tank top and wrings it out, revealing an overwhelming volume of perspiration. According to the caption, he reportedly lost 7 lbs in just one hour of training—a feat that many found astonishing. “19 years old boxer lost 7 lbs in one hour – Crazy (skull emoji),” the caption read.

Originally posted by Alberto Mercedes Contreras, a former professional boxer and head coach at AMC Boxing Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the video highlights the grueling nature of Contreras’ training sessions.

For over a decade, Contreras has been coaching both amateur and professional boxers, using the sport to instill mental and physical discipline in his students. Known for his emphasis on constant hard work, Contreras takes pride in designing rigorous workouts that push his young athletes to their limits.

However, fans could not believe that losing such an amount of weight so quickly was even possible, something they made evident in the comment section of the post. Many were impressed by the young boxer’s dedication, but others questioned the reality of such rapid weight loss.

Is that even possible? Fan asks

A user wrote, “Drink water,” stating that losing this much weight in just under an hour can cause severe dehydration. He further implied that this much sweat also indicated water weight which can come back very quickly once you rehydrate.

Another user echoed a similar idea. They wrote, “Cool and reall impressive unironically but judging from the amount he’s sweating that was mostly water weight and when he gets rehydrated he’ll gain most of it back.” While the dedication and hard work of the young boxer impressed him, the fan contended that most of the weight loss is just water weight. Which will come back once the fighter is hydrated again.

Another user, a combat sports athlete, wrote, “18 year old wrestler here, I lost 19.4 lbs in 6 hours. Tourney coming soon🫡🤟🏾,” stating that losing this amount of weight quickly is possible with a good training regimen and supervision.

Another user wrote, “I used to lose 12lbs in training camp days. I was like 19-20yrs old as well. Way harder now at 35 lol,” stating that cutting weight at such a young age is quite possible. However, it gets harder as the years pass by.

A user who was not ready to believe the unreal weight cutting wrote, “That’s impossible literally this all cap 😂.” However, losing weight like this is quite possible. Unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez once lost 10lbs in under 24 hours for his Gennady Golovkin fight. Former super middleweight champion Rocky Fielding was known to lose almost 7-8 lbs just hours before the weigh-ins to make the weight.

While rapid weight loss through methods like sauna sessions, sweat suits, and restricted fluid intake is achievable, it comes with significant health risks. Even seasoned fighters often caution against such practices due to the lasting damage they can inflict on the body. Consequently, most athletes aim to compete in weight categories that align closely with their natural physiques to minimize the toll on their health.

What are your views on the 19-year-old losing such an amount of weight under an hour? Let us know your thoughts down below.