When it comes to weighing in on a scale there are really two types of people. First, there are those who believe the scale is the ultimate metric of health success and should be measured daily. Second, there are those who feel the scale means nothing and should have no baring on fitness as a whole.

I believe in something in between these two; something I have been terming my “fight weight theory.”

It goes something like this:

  • your optimal weight is a fine balance of where you look best, perform best, feel best, and are clear of all major health markers
  • it should be about 80% of your peak in any of those individual categories
  • it should be super easy to maintain and require little or no effort
  • the scale really doesn’t mean anything, but it can help build a story of where you are at

Let me explain using myself as an example. When I was a full time athlete I was 190lbs and 6.2% body fat- what most would consider to be an ideal aesthetic leanness. My problem was at this weight I felt I was missing some raw power to help me get out of deep corners against the best players in the world.

So then I added 25lbs of muscle mass to my frame bringing me to 215lbs. Every measurable strength level went through the roof, and I absolutely felt it helped with my performance. Without a doubt I lost a bit of leanness, but it felt good.

Every once and a while I will experiment with going up to 225. At 225 I look big, and my strength is really good. But when i’m at this weight I can definitely feel a negative impact on my running capacity as I am carrying around another 10lbs of mass. I don’t love that feeling plus I find 225lbs unnaturally difficult for me to maintain given how much I have to eat just to sustain the weight.

So at the end of the day I usually sit around 215lbs. I feel amazing at this weight, it is super easy for me to maintain, and if I ever need to get in peak state for something I can do so pretty quickly. Metrics like body weight, body fat %, relative strength, relative peak power, body images, and subjective well-being can all help build this narrative.

In conclusion: instagram and social media would have you believe that the pursuit of leanness is the ultimate metric of health and fitness. Who cares how lean you are if you aren’t strong and don’t feel good? At the same time who cares how much weight you can lift if you are so big you risk major health markers? It is all a fine balance, and it is up to you to find where you would ideally sit.