I’ve always felt that wrestling champions are made during the Offseason.  This is when you get yourself in top condition for the upcoming season. ( This is also why my Ultimate Wrestling Strength program has the 2 Phase Offseason and Preseason programs.)

But the Inseason is a completely different time for wrestlers.  This is when Recovery becomes essential while strength is maintained, not gained.  That’s also why I advocate strength training 3 x per week during the Offseason, 3 times per week during the Preseason, and only 3 times every 2 weeks during the Inseason.  This allows you to keep your strength gained during the Offseason, and prevent injuries while enduring your long Inseason… especially when you add the weight-cutting factor.

But sometimes you have to do things that can make a difference NOW… not later.  Here are 5 things you can do this week to wrestle with more speed, power and endurance within 7 days:

1.  Double Your Water Intake Your muscles are 90% water.  When you wrestle hard dayin and day out you need more water than you think.  You might be drinking plenty of water during practice and after practice, but how about the rest of the day?

If you want to feel more energetic, stronger and have more endurance within days, then double your water intake.  This of course, gets tapered down as you get closer to weigh-ins if you are cutting weight.  Check out my weight-cutting videos on this blog to learn how to tape your water intake if you are cutting weight).  The best way to get started is to have 2 glasses of water immediately upon waking.  This helps rehydrate you and will help you get more out of your muscles during times of stress (wrestling, training etc).  Have another glass of water mid-morning and before bed, without fail.

2.  Use a Foam Roller If you want to loosen up tight muscles, increase your range ofmotion as well as ability to “fire-off” more muscle fibers when you wrestle, you shouldconsider using a Foam Roller every day during the season.  Using a Foam Roller will help your muscles loosen up and recover from all of the wrestling, practices, training and running that you’re putting them through.  In fact, just a week with a Foam Roller will reduce injuries and put some “spring” back in your step!  Here’s a video I shot in my living room that gives you some exercises you should do with the Foam Roller (Notice my Schnauzer and Coach “Gracie” in the background…lol):

3.  Pre-Breakfast Meal Whether you are a cutting weight or not, you can really help reduce the muscle break-down that your body goes through during the season by having a Pre-Breakfast Meal.  What is it?  It’s a small, easily digestible meal that you consume as soon as you wake up (along with your 2 glasses of water).  This helps you stabilize your blood sugar for optimal muscular output.  You’ll notice that you will have more strength after a few days of ‘starting the day’ with the Pre-Breakfast Meal.

Here it is:

- 1 scoop of Whey Protein

- 1/2-1 Medium Banana

This is a fast-acting meal that will help deliver those all-important amino acids to your muscles, and help you keep up your strength throughout the season.  Oh yeah… don’t worry about weight-cutting.  This fast meal doesn’t have much weight, and is digested so quickly that you won’t be weighed-down for long.

4.  Stretch Every Night If you want to jump-start your speed and mat performance fast, then make a conscious effort to stretch every evening.  Along with your increased water intake, pre-breakfast meal and foam roller use, this will help you recover and feel more energized.

Wrestlers need to pay extra attention to the Hip Flexors, Hamstrings, Shoulders and Biceps when stretching.  These areas get extra tight due to their constant contractions while wrestling and drilling.  This is especially true with High School Wrestlers who are growing so rapidly that their Muscle growth doesn’t keep up with the growth of their Bones, resulting in really tight muscles.

5.  Get 1 Extra Hour of Sleep Each Night Your homework from me this week is to get one extra hour of sleep each night.  Whatever time you usually go to bed… go one hour earlier.  This will give you an extra 7 hours of sleep in one week… almost another full night of sleep!  This is one of the best things you can do to help counteract the overtraining syndrome that you start to feel throughout the Season.