It's fairly simple to determine a target weight range...

You will need to know your weight, and your %body fat. You can get this done accurately with calipers, or use a body fat scale, but the scales can be off by a few percent (search for other threads discussing this at length). I recommend calipers, cheap and can be done at most gyms by a professional.

ASSUMING you don't want to gain or lose any muscle, just lose body fat, you can pick a target BF% and figure out how many lbs of fat you need to lose.

Let's just say you are 150lbs and 25% BF, I'm just using these numbers because they are easy, round numbers. This means than 37.5lbs of you is fat. The other 112.5lbs of you is water, tissue, bones and muscle and other things. Again, assuming you want those 112.5lbs to stay the same...

If you pick a target BF% of 20%, your target weight is x, where 112.5+ .2x= x so x=141 lbs, thus, you need to lose 9 lbs.

If you pick a target BF% of 18%, your target weight is 137 lbs, and you need to lose 13lbs.

As you can see, height doesn't really factor in, the way I see it. You need to determine, based on the sports you do, your natural body type, your previous history as an athlete (were you a tiny runner in HS, or a strong water polo player, or non athletic at all), your desire, etc. what your goal BF% is, realistically, and thus you can determine what an appropriate racing weight range is for you. And still, it's a balance to get it right, and you don't know till you try.

And as far as the guys go, it's a bragging competition over there as to who is the tallest and weighs the least. You know they all weigh themselves after a hot six hour ride and subtract 5 lbs for good measure.

It is a race to see who becomes anorexic first.

I would think body fat percentage would be a better judge of race weight? Who am I to know, I've rarely been at what I think of as race weight. And I came up with that number fairly arbitrarily.

---

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

Bicycling magazine a month or two ago had a feature on calculating race weight--there were a bunch of different calculations you could do, depending on your goals and build and all that jazz.

Without reading all the way through it, I think this is it: http://www.bicycling.com/...ideal-cycling-weight

The ideal race weight depends on what you're racing, too. Based on anecdotal evidence, my ideal run weight is in the low 120s (ahahahahahhaha); for cycling it's in the 130s-140s. right now, I am about 133/16% BF give or take. It's a good compromise "duathlon" weight.

---

---

mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com

I do not think it is healthy to pick a "race weight" and move heaven and earth to get there. Weight is just one in a list of metrics to determine if you are carrying some extra. I am not a data fiend, so I choose to use the "does-my-belly-lop-over-my-waistband" and the "do-my-summer-pants-fit" metrics to see if I am at race weight or not. Currently, I am not at race weight, BTW.

Will it be easier to climb on the bike and run if you are lighter? Yes, it will. But then, you might turn into that person who won't have a beer or a piece of bread or birthday cake at a party because they might get fat. I don't want to be that person, so I just train more so I can haul my non-race-weight-self up the hills. ; )

Body fat percentage is the way to go. Have yours checked by a reliable tester. Once you know it, head on over to http://www.exrx.net, under 'fitness testing' there is a calculator for target weight based on your current body fat percentage and goal body fat percentage.

---

__________________________________________________
Twitter: @jayasports
Web: http://www.jayasports.com

Performance is closely (negatively) correlated with body fat percentage for endurance sports, to an extent, that's a fact. If the OP wants to perform better, she's asking the right questions. It's a race weight because it's a weight you aim to be at during your A race. Race weight typically cannot be held during the entire year, nor should it. Further, it can most certainly be achieved in a healthy manner.

And so what if the person doesn't want to have a beer or a piece of cake at a party? That's their choice and it's perfectly acceptable for somebody to do what they want to do!!

When I'm in a heavy training period and focusing on all of my calories being good calories and generally not drinking--- I drink a single beer and I can't even stand up straight, much less drive home. Not worth it, to "fit in" with my friends or risk a DUI. Same thing with cake and bread and other sweets- it's all just fuel. When you're in training mode, bad fuel is bad fuel, and who the hell cares what fuel you choose to eat at the party.

great site! the link wasn't complete so I recopied http://www.exrx.net/ :) I was shocked at my IMTX photos-ugh...

That site freaked me out. To get down to 20% bodyfat I'd need to lose 30lbs and weight 106. I'm already a size 6. I'd have to shop in the little girl's section! I'm confident my friends would arrange an intervention and throw me in treatment program.

---

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce