The 3 Essentials of Wrestling Conditioning
by Steve Preston
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"What it takes to succeed in wrestling conditioning
is an easy to follow plan".
There is so much information out there that
it can be confusing when you're trying to
get conditioned for wrestling.
There are also a lot of myths and fallacies
about how you get in shape for wrestling.
It doesn't help when you have some old-fashioned
types who insist that you do the same 'ole
stuff they used to do when they were a kid.
Here are the 3 things to get right if you want to
get into the ultimate condition for wrestling.
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1. Never Overtrain
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Practicing twice a day, starving yourself, and
running around in sweats is a sure-fire way to
overtrain your body.
If you remember to eat often, keep your meals
balanced with lean proteins, complex carbs, and
fibrous carbs, you will keep a positive nitrogen
balance and will feel good.
Remember, a tired body is incapable of learning
well. In order to perfect your wrestling moves
you can't have a broken-down body to work with.
Eat at least 5 times daily during the season...
even if you're cutting weight.
Make sure you have a recover drink after practice,
as we discussed earlier in this course.
Another way that you can help yourself with
recovery, and avoid overtraining is to use the hot/cold
treatment method. You need a bathtub and a shower
for this. You make the water in the bathtub as warm
as comfortably possible. (Be careful not to make it
so hot that you burn your skin).
Sit in the tub for 2 minutes. Immediately get out and
get into a cold shower for 2 minutes. Alternate these
for up to 16 minutes.
This is an excellent way to help your body with recovery
from practices, matches, and training.
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2. Don't Jog
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As a general rule, don't jog.
While we use it during the summer program to get
into aerobic condition, it shouldn't be used at
other times.
Jogging isn't effective at getting a wrestler into
shape for the mat.
Jogging is ineffective for fat loss as well.
If you try to use jogging as a means to get down to
your weight class you will burn-out quickly!
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3. Strength Train
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Strength training is the answer to keeping muscle
on your body when trying to cut weight.
Strength training will help you become faster,
stronger, more powerful, and have more endurance.
Strength training will keep you from becoming
Injured.
There are many types of strength training, and
every coach has his own beliefs.
You should have an off-season program, a preseason
program, an inseason program and maybe a functional
training program.
It doesn't matter if you are a youth wrestler or an
Olympic level wrestler. you should still have different
phases for your strength training.