Wrestlers either train all year round to keep strong and conditioned… or they don’t. Some guys follow a sound training system all year that keeps them in tip-top condition, like with my Ultimate Wrestling Strength program… and that’s a good thing:)

However, many wrestlers, coaches and parents wind up scrambling to get into shape fast with the season approaching quickly…

If you are one of these wrestlers, coaches or parents I have some training tips for you:

1. Give Yourself 8 Weeks: It takes 8 weeks to make a transformation to “wrestling-ready” condition when starting from scratch. In 8 weeks you can get stronger, faster and in total metabolic condition for wrestling. While working within the 8 week timeframe, I like to have wrestlers break it into 2-week phases of training: Basic Strength, Strength Endurance, Speed/Power, and Total Conditioning. Each phase has a specific goal and therefore the training is unique to that phase.

2. Build Your Strength Base FIRST: The biggest mistake wrestlers make when getting ready for the season is trying to get faster without first getting stronger. You must first build a base of strength from which to increase your speed and power. It’s just like the foundation of a house. You have to have the foundation or the rest means nothing. For this reason I like have wrestlers train a basic strength phase using “big-weight” exercises, followed by a Strength Endurance Phase where we increase the intensity of each exercise.

3. Train for Speed and Power SECOND: After you’ve built your base of strength you can really turbo-charge your speed and power for the wrestling mat. You do this by beginning your training sessions with explosive exercises and plyometric exercises. One tip to keep in mind when training “speed” exercises is that the bar (or your body) need to move fast throughout each set. You shouldn’t focus on training to failure (the point at which you can no longer complete a repetition in perfect form). That’s why I like to have guys do these exercises with multiple sets of low reps ie. 3-4 sets of only 2-3 repetitions. This allows you to develop the neuro-muscular connection between training and functional performance on the wrestling mat.

4. Develop Your Anaerobic Threshold: Wrestling is an anaerobic sport. That’s why I always frown upon hearing about guys going for long, long runs preseason and throughout the season. While jogging (and aerobic training in general) does have a place early on when training for wrestling, it is limited in its effectiveness. When you only have 8 weeks to work with it becomes even more crucial to minimize aerobic training and maximize anaerobic training. One of the best ways to do this is to add bodyweight/strength training circuits to your training. I like to do these on days that you are not strength training. Choose 10 exercises and do them back-to-back with no rest in between. Repeat a second of third time.

5. Get Your Nutrition On the Right Track: Intense training requires attention to advanced nutrition. It is even more important that wrestlers get this right than most other athletes. What you eat depends on who you are. If you have more than 10% body fat, you will probably do best with a 30% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 30% fats meal plan. If you have less than 10% body fat you need more carbohydrates to function properly, so you might go with a 30% protein, 60% carbohydrates and 10% fats type plan.

I hope this helps…

Steve

PS. On Monday, October 10th, I am releasing the new “Advanced Ultimate Wrestling Strength” program! This is something that I’ve been working on for almost 2 years. After testing, tweaking and assessing, I’m ready to make it available to YOU! It’s a complete 8-week blueprint to get as strong, fast and conditioned for wrestling as possible. It works BIG TIME!!  Stay tuned…