Workout Tips for Wrestlers

By Justin Graves , last updated December 14, 2011

Whether you are looking to increase your strength or takedown ability, there are plenty of workout tips for wrestlers that you can use to transform your abilities. By putting together a strong training system, you can develop new techniques and chart your progress over time. First, it is important to learn the fundamentals before jumping ahead to more advanced workouts. Also, you need to be honest with yourself and focus on improving your weaknesses so you become a better wrestler all-around. Once you have a training schedule set up, you need to stick with it, especially during the off-season. In fact, the off-season is perhaps the best time to train heavily with compound exercises.

Warm Up

Before each workout, you should spend a few minutes jumping rope to get your heart rate going. Next, you should engage in a 10 minute stretching routine to loosen your muscles up and prepare yourself for the workout. Generally, you should keep your weightlifting session to roughly 45 minutes. Remember, you are not training to be a bodybuilder. Instead, you are seeking to develop explosive muscles and all-around strength. After each workout, you might want to go on a two-mile run to keep your heart rate going and get yourself into optimum condition.

Dips, Squats, Deadlifts, and Leg Raises

Rather than focusing on bodybuilding exercises, you need to focus on compound exercises that increase your overall strength. These exercises include weighted dips, squats, deadlifts, and leg raises. First, when doing squats, it is important that you keep your back straight and use your legs to press the weight up. When training heavily with squats, it is also critical that you have a spotter on hand to help you if you run and to any trouble. Over time, the squats will allow you to develop explosive leg muscles, which will in turn aid you greatly on the wrestling mat.

Weighted dips are great for developing your triceps and chest muscles. As you become more advanced with the weighted dips, you should keep adding additional weight. Another great exercise is the deadlift. This exercise will help to strengthen your back muscles and your overall performance. Of course, you want to keep your back as straight as possible when doing deadlifts. During the off-season, you can train with these compound exercises roughly three to four times per week. During the preseason and regular season, you should keep your training to one or two times per week.

Focus on Weak Points

For instance, if you're having a hard time matching the strength of your opponents, you will need to focus on the deadlifts and squats during the off-season. However, if you're having a hard time with speed and agility, you should keep up a strong stretching routine and cardio routine during the preseason. Finally, it is absolutely critical that you maintain a good diet as well. After each workout, you should be consuming plenty of protein from natural food sources and protein powders, if necessary.

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