So, you want to learn how to make your takedowns faster?  No problem.

Before I describe the program, let’s look at what a takedown entails.  I’m assuming you are not going to tie up. You are simply looking for single leg and double legs takedowns.

As you’re standing in your “stance” on the mat, you generally have these traits:

* Knees are bent

* Bent at hip (30% or so)

* Elbows are bent

* Head is up

* On balls of feet

These traits necessitate the use of the quadriceps (front of thigh), hamstrings, (back of thigh), soleus (calf muscle), gastrocnemius (calf muscle), Rhomboids (back), Trapezius (back), Biceps (front of upper arm)and neck. Now, as each of these muscle shorten or flex to keep you in a good wrestling stance, its opposite muscle is stretching. So you have many muscles working side by side when you are taking a shot on an opponent.

Here’s a 2 day per week workout that will improve your speed when taking a shot, and finishing it strong!

Monday and Thursday

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Squats – 2 warmup sets of 8-10 reps.

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3×5 (Monday only)

2×20 (Thursday only)

Use a barbell, and learn to squat correctly. You should imagine that you are sitting in a chair behind you that you cannot see. This forces you to stick your glutes and hips back while sitting. This in turn keeps your shins upright. The result is a very effective squat, that is safe.

You will use most of the muscles that are used when shooting a takedown! Look straight ahead when squatting, and keep your head and neck in line with your torso.

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Jumping Squats – 2 sets max reps for 1 minute bouts

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Jumping squats will help you develop more explosive speed. Perform them after you’ve done your free weight squats. Crouch down on the balls of your feet so that your glutes are touching your heels. Explode upward as fast as you can with as much reach as possible. Your body should be off the ground, fully extended with arms towards the ceiling. If you are really exploding you should be able to extend so that your body is arched. Do these quickly.

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Dips – 1 warmup set with bodyweight then 2 sets of 6-10 reps with added weight (use a dipping belt) or if you cannot use extra weight, use your body weight.

If you can’t do ‘em, keep working on them. It’ll come.

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Reverse Close Grip Chinups – 3 sets of max reps.

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Use weight with a dipping belt if you get too strong! Keep going until you can’t budge.

This simple 4 exercise workout is just plain hard work, on the exact muscle groups that will move your body faster.

Keep your practice the same. You should be feeling faster, and getting more takedowns in practice within 2 weeks of doing this correctly (form is everything). Keep this up during the season, and don’t starve yourself when cutting weight. You’ll be amazed!