Wrestling Workouts: The Best Way to Build Strength in a Pre-Season Conditioning Program

Wrestling season is just around the corner, so if you’re looking to get in top condition before the first day of practice, you better start now. Wrestling workouts should serve several purposes to get your body in the condition it needs to be a top contender. These are some of the most important things you should be working on right now.

overall strength

To really give yourself an edge over the competition, it pays to be stronger than your opponents. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this. The first way is a general weight training program with a variety of full body exercises that will help you achieve higher functional strength for your sport. Wrestling workouts should not be set up like a bodybuilding workout.

It is not important to really isolate each muscle for full development like in a bodybuilding workout. It’s best to do exercises that more closely simulate the demands of your sport. For example, if you’re looking to work your back muscles, it’s better to do standing dumbbell rows instead of seated cable rows. Grabbing a pair of dumbbells and bending over to perform rows will not only work your back muscles, but also the many stabilizers in your core, as well as your glutes and hamstrings. This pulling motion is much more functional overall than if you were in a stabilized position on a rowing machine. You’ll put more muscle into play and burn more calories.

Wrestling workouts should use exercises that work multiple joints and multiple muscle groups at the same time, they are the best option. Deadlifts, squats, pull ups, dips are some great core exercises for a general strength routine. They will build your overall body by putting a higher stress load and the strength you will gain is more functional for the wrestling mat.

Low levels of body fat

Low body fat is another part of the equation to be stronger than your opponents. Unless you’re in the heavyweight classes, it pays to be extremely skinny. It’s essential to lose most of your body fat in the off-season so you can focus on maintaining strength and gaining endurance throughout the season.

Wrestling workouts should be done to increase your metabolism so you can burn most of the fat from the exercise instead of cutting calories. If you spend time during the season to cut calories, your glycogen levels will be depleted and your strength endurance will be very low. This could cost him the match against an opponent in better condition. Hitting single digits of body fat in the preseason will give you a huge advantage over your opponents.

So when you prepare for the pre-season, make sure to include plenty of full-body exercises in your wrestling workouts. A program that is perfect for fighters or mixed martial artists is John Alvino’s How to Get Ripped Abs. It includes strength conditioning, flexibility, heavy anaerobic conditioning and a nutritional program to get extremely ripped. Following the program for 6 to 12 weeks before practice begins can give you a huge boost in competition.