Off Season Conditioning Tips

by Mike DeRoehn

Head Coach - University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from an American Statesman named Henry Clay. It goes something like "The time will come when winter will ask what you were doing all summer". For some, the summer months are a time to relax, get outside, take vacations, or lay around and catch their breath from a long school year. To them, the summer is referred to as "the off season". However, for the serious wrestler, this term does not exist. For the serious wrestler, the spring and summer months are a time to reflect back on last winter, but only long enough to set his/her goals for next season, and then work arduously to attain them. This should be done through a variety of aspects that all championship athletes can relate with.

During the months of March through October, a wrestler needs to focus on gaining strength and building muscle that may have been lost during the grueling season. Too many high school kids tell me that they don't want to lift real heavy because they will have to cut more weight come fall. This just isn't true. A body that carries more lean muscle mass is shown to have a higher metabolism, therefore burning fat more readily. I recommend getting into the weight room at least four days each week. The days should be split so that two days you work on upper body, and the other two days, you work your lower body. The focus is on gaining strength and power, therefore you should be lifting heavier weights with lower reps. Time spent in the gym should be quality time, not a marathon session. Remember that we are wrestlers, not bodybuilders. The workouts should be short and explosive, lasting between 30-45 minutes. Increase the weight as you gain strength and can easily crank out 8 reps, while struggling on the last one or two. There is no substitute for strength training and it needs to become part of your training regimen if it isn't already.

To maintain a good level of cardiovascular fitness, you should also get out and run a few times per week. The runs can be combined with the strength workouts, or done on the off days from lifting. These do not have to be marathon runs either. A couple miles each day can be perfect to keep the weight down and the lungs fresh. Remember to change up the routine though, as running can get boring. I enjoy splitting up the two miles with different workouts each time. Sometimes I just jog, other days I run hills, and at times I run intervals. Intervals are great because they are similar to wrestling with the hard short bursts required in each. You may also choose to play some soccer, or dare I say basketball, instead of running. What's important is that you're out there putting in some quality time keep your lungs in shape.

The most important piece to the puzzle is getting mat time in. There is absolutely no substitute for time spent drilling and wrestling in the spring and summer. The very best wrestlers are competing in Fargo as you read this article. If you haven't already, it would be wise to wrestle freestyle and greco during this time. The benefits are endless and may be a topic for another article altogether. Regardless, you need to get into the room at least twice each week. Most coaches hold open mats at their school, or could direct you to a school/club that does. I'm not saying that you need to go in there and do a ton of hard live, but it wouldn't hurt. On the contrary, this is a time that you can spend on perfecting your technique through repetition drilling. Think back to the season on positions that you were weak in and master them. Review film from a match that you were taken down and correct your position, then work on the counterattacks. My coach used to tell me that it took 5,000 repetitions for something to become second nature. Using that mindset, you have no excuses to not be working on some aspect of your technique. When in doubt, drill 5,000 stand ups. Anybody who's been ridden before knows why.

In closing, I would like to say that becoming a championship athlete is no simple task. But we're wrestlers and we can do anything. I know it isn't always easy to fit all of this in with the rigors of a summer job, chores around the house, the sunny beaches calling, etc. But there are twenty four hours in a day. The ideas I have written about above should take around an hour or less each day. Out of twenty four hours, one seems like a small price to pay to become a champion. Just think about how long it took you to read this article. Better get going!