Wrestling has always been a sport known for its toughness and need for discipline to achieve such physical skills and movements. The main emphasis in wrestling is the ability to create short, explosive bursts of energy during the match to be able to execute offensive attacks and defensive counter-strikes. There are many different styles of wrestling which not only require these short, explosive bursts of energy, but also require a high level of anaerobic endurance and flexibility.
Training for wrestling is extremely intensive and grueling. It forces you to work in an anaerobic environment where you are almost begging for air. Muscles grow when under stress, and the goal in wrestling is to make them grow as quickly as possible. This is the main reason why wrestlers are the most overtrained athletes in the world. There training split emphasises each muscle group during every workout session. The University of Michigan wrestling team uses the “full-body split,” as you can see in their workout:
- Manual Neck
- Any Shrug
- Any Shoulder
- Chin ups
- Hammer Flat Bench
- Rope Climb
- Hammer Incline
- Straight Bar Curls
- Rope-a-Dope
- Ground Base Push/Pull
- Dips
- Any Bicep
- Hammer Leg Press
- Wall Sit
- Blocks
- Calves
Wrestling is a combination of two different types of athletes: Power distance and endurance. A wrestler must get optimal energy from each of the three different energy systems. That means as a wrestler, you should plan your nutritional intake to support all three systems of energy. You also need to adjust your caloric intake in the off-season to suit your fitness goals. That means if you want to become quicker, simply cut your calories. If your looking to get stronger, then you should increase your calories.
As a wrestler, your body is craving more nutrients than that of the average person. That means it is vital that you supplement your already strong training and nutrition program. A good multivitamin that contains an adequate amount of Vitamins A, B, C, and Zinc should be at the top of your supplement list. However, the following supplements are also useful in helping you become a better wrestler:
- Ginkgo Biloba
- Citrulline Malate
- Calcium
- Whey Protein
- Glucosamine Sulfate
- Creatine
- Glutamine
Besides football, you will not find a sport that is more physically demanding than that of wrestling. If you`re not in decent enough shape during the match, you will simply be humiliated when you opponent crushes you to pieces in front of hundreds of people. That is why you need to be in great shape. Get your butt to the gym. Until next time, later.
