Unilateral Wrestling Training

Unilateral Training Can Be Beneficial For Weakness

Unilateral training is also a great tip for any wrestler, and it can help build muscle, while at the same time negating any weakness that exists. As an athlete, it is important to know your weaknesses, such as if the arms are weaker than the leg. It is vital that a wrestler knows which muscles are weaker, especially before beginning a strength training program. Unilateral training is simply working one side of the body at a time, which is a way to have both sides of the body at the same fitness and strength level. More often than not, the non-dominant side of the body is weaker than the dominant side, and this could hurt the overall strength a wrestler needs to be successful. It is very easy to do unilateral training, since all a wrestler has to do is work one side of the body, such as doing a leg press with one leg. Doing the exercises unilaterally will help the muscles build up in the other side of the body, and it helps stimulate more muscle fibers. In wrestling, it is important that strength is about equal on both sides of the body, since wrestling requires a lot of movements from various muscle groups.

Unilateral Wrestling Training

Wrestling Strength Training

Morning Strength Training Works Best

A morning strength training routine does not sound like a lot of fun for most athletes, but for a wrestler, this is the best time to exercise. Wrestling involves a lot of strength, which is built up over time by strength training, but there are also chemicals involved as well. When you wake up in the mornings, this is when hormones and chemicals in the body are highest, and this is important for a wrestler to understand. If a wrestler does strength training exercises in the mornings, it will increase the level of hormones responding to the activity, which will then help build strength. Working out on any level in the morning is the best way to build muscle, burn fat, and get into an overall better physical shape. Strength training in the mornings is just a way to help increase the strength of a wrestler faster and safer, without having to train excessively. Considering the fact that a strength training exercise routine for a wrestler should be no more than 35 minutes, this can easily be done before heading off to work or school in the morning. A wrestler should only be performing strength training exercises three or four times a week, so it is important to stick to this guideline, to prevent overuse injuries.

Wrestling Strength Training

Workouts for Wrestlers

Shorter Workouts Are Better

As a wrestler, it is also important that strength training exercises are done in a short amount of time, as opposed to spending hours working out. Strength training and conditioning should only take a wrestler 40 minutes to complete, and going over this length of time is doing more harm than good. If it is taking more than 35 minutes to complete a strength training routine, then the routine needs to be cut down some, or the athlete is working too slow. Sometimes less is more when it comes to exercise, and for a wrestler, less time is equivalent to more strength in the long run. It is never a good idea to overdo strength training exercises, because this can cause injury, such as overuse injuries from the repetitive motions. If the wrestler is having a hard time fitting everything in to a 35 minute window, then it might be best to make a list of all the strength training exercises, and calculate how much time should be spent on each one. Shorter and more physically intense workouts will increase growth hormone, and testosterone in the wrestler, which allows strength to build up in the first place.

Workouts for Wrestlers

Strength Training for Wrestlers

Know Your Current Strength Levels

A crucial strength training tip for any wrestler is to do a pretest before beginning a strength training routine. This means that an athlete should perform basic strength training exercises such as a bench press, before starting any strength training routine, to form a baseline. Since the goal of strength training is to improve overall strength, you have to have some sort of place to start, which means you need to know where you stand physically. The deadlift is often a lower body exercise that a wrestler might use during strength training, so it is important to know how much weight he or she can handle before starting the program. It is almost like when you go on a diet, you often will weigh yourself beforehand to figure out a baseline, which can then help you figure out a weight loss goal. That is the same concept as doing a pretest before beginning a strength training routine, and it is something every wrestler should do, so he or she can know how much weight to start off with on the equipment.

Strength Training for Wrestlers

Wrestling: Mental Training

The mind can be a very powerful or damaging tool in all aspects of life, but in wrestling you must maintain a focused and sharp mental state at all times.  This is the single most challenging thing that wrestlers struggle with every season, but I'm going to give you some tips to help you stay sharp, keep the season fresh, and create a strong-willed mind that can deal with the ups and downs of the grueling wrestling season.  The below paragraphs detail 5 things you can do, in no particular order, to help strengthen your mind, fortify your will to win, and help you succeed. Read more...

Dan Gable Museum releases limited edition Dan Gable singlet

Sponsored by: Wrestling Coaching Videos from Sports Nation Video

Dan Gable Museum releases limited edition Dan Gable singlet

By Dan Gable Museum 
09/05/2013

WATERLOO, Iowa — The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum has released a limited edition singlet to commemorate Dan Gable’s coaching legacy at the University of Iowa. Gable coached the Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA team titles in 21 seasons of coaching (1977-1997).

This is the second in series of limited edition singlets. The first edition featured Dan Gable after he won the 1972 Munich Olympics. 

The singlet was created and designed by Cliff Keen Athletic. The front of each singlet features Dan Gable during his tenure as the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. The back of the singlet features the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum logo. 

Only 100 singlets will be sold. Each singlet will be signed and numbered by Dan Gable. The cost is $200 for each singlet. 

All proceeds benefit the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, a not-for-profit organization based in Waterloo, Iowa. 

Anyone interested in pre-ordering a singlet should contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at dgmstaff@nwhof.org or (319) 233-0745. All sizes are available.

Wrestling Moves

Wrestling Practice Drills - Here is your chance to add a wide variety of competitive drills to your practice arsenal - the same drills that will play a key role as you develop a championship team. Duane Goldman and his staff at Indiana University offer a variety of drills, from all positions, to enhance practice, develop skills, and improve the conditioning of your team. Each coach on the Indiana was a four-time All American during his wrestling career.

Wrestling Scoring Move - Learning to control the over/under tie will give your wrestlers the advantage to score on their feet from what is traditional a 50/50 position. Duane Goldman's technique from the over/under tie will allow your wrestlers to dictate the action of the match and give them and advantage over opponents who would rather wrestle from an open position and are not comfortable in this tie. You increase your offensive capabilities, while limiting your opponent's attacks, by putting yourself in an advantageous position within the tie.

Wrestling Takedown Drills - Learn the signature moves of four-time All American Joe LeBlanc! In this DVD, Coach LeBlanc focuses on scoring techniques from four areas: The 2-on-1 tie, the front headlock position on the mat, the tight waist tilt, and the low single leg takedown (including the defense to the low single and the defense to the defense of the low single).