Wrestling exercises for balance and muscle memory
Stay fit with wrestling exercises
As with any sport, it is important for wrestlers to perform a series of wrestling drills to stay in top shape on and off the mat. Since wrestling is a sport that requires brute strength and agility, repetition of these exercises not only builds strength in the necessary areas, but also helps develop muscle memory that can be essential to winning wrestling matches. Try these wrestling drills during practice or as part of your pregame warmup.
aim for the knees
First, here is an exercise called the “Knee Hold” that is appropriate for wrestlers of all ages. To begin, two fighters of comparable strengths stand facing each other in their regular stances. Both wrestlers should have their hands down and extended near their knees.
In this drill, wrestlers will attempt to use their hands to grab their opponent’s knees while trying to keep their opponent locked on the outside. Make sure the wrestler actually grabs their opponent’s knees instead of just a simple punch or slap. Perform this exercise for 2-3 sessions of 20-30 seconds duration, allowing fighters a 10-20 second break between sessions.
When done correctly, this exercise can be very physically demanding. Since performing countless wrestling drills can get monotonous, some trainers like to inject a little competitive spirit into their drills. This is one of those exercises that works great as a mini-competition, where the winner of each pair faces the winner of another pair until only one fighter is victorious.
Grabber-and-Go
Next up is the “Grabber” exercise, which is great for strengthening your upper body. To begin the exercise, two wrestlers stand facing each other in their regular stances. At the sound of the coach’s whistle, both try to make their opponent body block or get behind their opponent while remaining in an upright, standing position.
The best moves to win this drill are the squat, arm drag to body lock, or wrist lock. Some trainers will also allow headlocks for this drill. Do this exercise for 3 sessions of 30 seconds each, allowing at least a 10-20 second break between sessions.
a good balance
The next drill called “Hopper” is a simple yet effective way to help wrestlers develop and maintain balance. To begin the exercise, two wrestlers stand facing each other in their regular stances. At the sound of the coach’s whistle, one wrestler grabs and holds his partner’s foot at waist height. They are allowed to move their foot as much as possible without taking it above chest level.
The goal of this drill is for the wrestler on one foot to constantly readjust their balance to avoid falling to the mat. Do this exercise for 2-3 sessions of no more than 20 seconds, as it is quite exhausting for the fighter on one foot.