Grip Training for Wrestling!
Wrestlers need to have strong grips. This is crucial to being able to complete a takedown.
To improve grip strength I really like Towel Chinups! Here’s why:
Towel Chinups force your Forearms, Hand and Finger Muscles to act as primary movers. The Upper Back, Mid Back and Hamstrings act as secondary movers. This is different from a regular Chinup where the Upper Back is the primary mover and the Arms, Hands, and Fingers are secondary movers.
This makes Towel Chinups a favorite when wrestlers need to improve their grip strength for better takedowns.
(In fact, it’s one of the exercises in my up and coming “Ultimate Wrestling POWER!” manual that comes out next month. It’s a Year-Round Body Weight training program that complements the “Ultimate Wrestling Strength!” program… Look for it in January!!)
One important tip when you perform the Towel Chinups exercise is that you should keep a constant tension on the forearm during the exercise. You do this by slowing it up and squeezing…
Check out the video below, and I’ll show you what I mean:)
December 13th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
I have question that is a irelavent to the video but i feel is important to ask.
What kind of styles of wrestling do you advise for someone thats tall and lanky. what takedowns and breakdowns do you think will work out the best?
and thanks for the videos
December 14th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Honestly Nato…
I think any style works for any body type. You simply have to train your weaknesses, while developing your strengths to their fullest. You also must wrestle with this in mind.
I have short, thick legs and learned in High School that I wasn’t going to be a great ‘leg wrestler’. So I optimized my performances by using my strong upper body to gain an advantage.
I have seen many, many lanky, tall wrestlers that were devastating to the competition in Greco, Freestyle and Folkstyle.
Steve
December 14th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Steve , excellent pull up routine. Your viewers can also try something i used as a kid in martial arts training. Fill a standard bucket with sand. Place either hand into the sand (submerged just past the wrist). Start with the hand in a closed fist position then extending the fingers out(high five). Hold each position for a 1-2 count . Do 3-4 sets 10-15 reps. This can be done anywhere. Rice can be used as a subsitute for sand.
I am new to the wrestling world but not to training. I have an 8 year old (65 pounder) who brought home gold on his first tournament. Your articles are alot of help. Thanks and happy training.
December 14th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Nato: You should watch as many videos you can of Buvaisar Saitiev from Russia. He too is tall and skinny and has won 9 World Gold Medals and 3 Olympic Gold medals.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:16 am
@nato- my son was tall and lanky. He wrestles folkstyle….freestyle and greco. The good news is….your body changes and you grow. He WAS tall and lanky as a freshman in HS. He was pushing 6 feet and wrestling 112. Now as a Sr he is 6-2 and wrestling 189/215. The hormone fairy came this past year and with a season of heavy lifting….he is now tall, not so lanky, and dominant in any “style” he chooses. He will be wrestling at the next level next year at 197. Train. Lift. Eat. Sleep.