Unlike most sports, wrestling has a propensity to provide its athletes with everything they need to be successful. Many legendary athletes received their status from everything they got only from the wrestling room and nothing else. Yet the insatiable hunger for an edge continues to push the boundaries of performance science. Added with anecdotal evidence of ‘what works’, new methods become the norm and soon what worked of yesteryear no longer works. The fact is, in today’s extremely competitive environment, only coaches and athletes who are willing to risk trial and error with the latest methods will succeed. Additionally, athletes who are completely confident in what happens in the practice room are quickly defeated by those who employ other techniques as well. The best fighters continue to search and study to incorporate new methods of physical training to also improve speed, power and endurance when it comes to their sport.

Strength training for wrestlers can be divided into three separate but synergistic components: power, strength conditioning, and speed / agility. While some teams choose to focus on just one or two of these, the most well-rounded athletes include all three in their schedules. Power training is any type of weight lifting with the goal of improving absolute strength. For the best results in this area, repetition schemes and program concepts borrowed from weightlifting are the most effective. Speed ​​and agility are easy to improve with a combination of footwork, plyometrics, and speed drills borrowed from sprinters and conditioning used on the soccer field. Strength conditioning is a type of training that will develop endurance and strength in each fighter. The concepts here can be seen in the best football and cross fit programs, however most wrestling coaches are very familiar with this type of training. If strength training consists of lifting heavy weights for few repetitions, speed training consists of lifting extremely light weights or bodyweight exercises performed explosively, strength conditioning is exercises performed in the 8-20 range +.

To better define it, strength conditioning is any type of training that builds both strength and conditioning at the same time. While fighting is a combination of these two components, training to improve them at the same time makes perfect sense and produces quick results. If a fighter were to choose just one of these components, strength conditioning would produce the most remarkable results (if done correctly). Due to the extreme demand on the body and the high potential for injury, power training should be limited to the off-season, however this is not the case for strength conditioning. This style of training can be done at any time of the year both in the weight room and on the wrestling mat. Increasing strength conditioning weeks before the start of wrestling season is a great way to get in shape, improve functional strength, and build physical stamina envied by any serious combat athlete.

While there are many different types of strength conditioning and tons of different ways to do it, keeping an open mind and experimentation is key. A good start is to use as many compound exercises as possible performed with and without moderate to light weights. Keeping the exercises and exercises specific to the movements found on the wrestling mat will be a key element in producing functional strength here. For example, a series of 15 burpees or 10 light weight power cleans directly before executing 5 takedowns in a row. Perform this superset 3-4 times for a great workout that builds both strength and endurance. You can develop great strength conditioning by adding resistance with light weights or bands to certain movements you perform when fighting. For example, taking shots (without an opponent) against the resistance of a band attached to a chest harness is a great way to build a more explosive takedown. For more explosive leg or core power, combine a set of front squats while holding a kettlebell for 12 reps with 12-15 resisted band hits. Add 3-4 of these supersets at the end of a practice for an amazing finisher.

Another great concept to add to your strength conditioning program is chaos training. Chaos training is a group of sports specific exercises that will help you prepare for any ‘chaotic events’ that may arise in competition. A chaotic event is described as anything that could cause you injury or loss. For a weightlifter, one of those events that a smart lifter will train to prevent is falling forward when squatting. If a lifter falls forward during the squat and cannot recover, he could fall on his face and sustain a very serious injury. To prepare for this chaotic event, certain exercises must be performed so that the lifter can prevent this from happening. For example, exercises like good morning, heavy abdominal work, and many arch strengthening exercises will strengthen the muscles that the lifter will need to stay upright at all times. In wrestling, an instance of a chaotic event is being immobilized! If you are on your back and can maintain a long and hard enough spinal arch, you may be able to cope with your period. To strengthen the muscles that will help you do this, do a lot of heavy neck extensions, work out traps, and exercises to strengthen your lumbar erectors and glutes. Holding your bow with your partner’s body weight on you for a while is also a great exercise that can be performed directly in the practice room.