Hey just wondering what type of workout you wrestlers use in season. With the practices and matches and all i know im gonna be exhausted. I was thinking of just doing fullbody 2-3 times a week and try to at least maintain strength if not gain some. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
N. Robinson
Lifting two or three times per week would work well. Just make sure to limit volume. During wrestling season, I would always keep my reps low- usually below five sometimes less and my workouts would only last about half an hour.
If you are really exhausted from training and matches why should you be doing any more?
I would focus on recovery to improve the quality of my practices rather than trying to beat myself into the ground with additional workouts which have questionable value.
You could do two full body wo a week, focusing more on lower one day and more on upper one day. For example doing pretty heavy squats one day, say heavy sets of 3 to 5, and following up with repetition effort for the rest of the body. Same thing the other work out but doing perhaps heavy presses for sets of 3 to 5 and then everything else using repetition effort method.
Remember to include some unilateral lower body work.
If you have previous weight training experience I would suggest doing some kind of Squatting move (Back Squat, Front Squat,) some kind of posterior chain move (Dead Lift, RDL), and some kind supplemental work focusing on low back and shoulder pre-hab/mobility work (rotator cuff exercises, Hyper-extensions, Reverse Hyper)
Three or four sets of one to three reps in a range of 80% - 95% in the squatting and pulling movements will be enough stimulus to maintain your strength levels. The supplement work should be done with rehab level loads (3 sets 10 reps)
This should be done after practice 2-3 times a week. The other 4-5 days should be focused on recovery (swimming, contrast bath, massage ect.)
This routine should only be done if you have at least 2 off seasons of weight training experience. If you attempt heavy lifting in season without previous training experience you will negatively effect your performance.
I hope this helps
Sean
If your weight room is available to you in the mornings, I would go in and do a brief workout along the lines of Waxman’s advice. You will be fresher in the morning to get some good work in, and will have most of the day to recover prior to afternoon practice. Just make sure your recovery nutrition is in order, or you’ll still feel drained at practice.
This is from personal experience training MMA, I found I made better gains in strength(and size when that was my focus) by splitting my strength/conditioning work from my skill work. Since wrestling practice is a form of conditioning, just concentrate on lifting for strength, and I wouldn’t worry too much about energy system work during the season, you are probably getting plenty of that from practice.