Wresting Endurance Drills [ARTICLE]

Wresting Endurance Drills

By: Bill Welker

Originally Published in The Wrestling Drill Book - Human Kinetics

Becoming a champion is like wrestling a gorilla. You don't stop
when you get tired - you stop when the gorilla gets tired. - Robert Strauss

I think that endurance for wrestling comes primarily from wrestling. An athlete can build up a lot of endurance by hard drilling of wrestling moves and a lot of live wrestling. If a wrestler stays active during most of his daily practices, he will naturally get into shape.

I believe in alternating hard workouts with moderate, less strenuous workouts so that the wrestlers have a chance to recover and rebuild. Endur¬ance drills can be varied by their level of difficulty and length, depending on how hard you want to push your wrestlers.

The following are endurance (or toughness) drills that you can choose for your practice sessions.

Shadow Wrestling The wrestlers should perform the drill described earlier in the chapter at the end of practice for endurance. It should last 30 seconds or more and be repeated up to three times in the neutral position and then on the bottom position.

Chain Wrestling Although this is an outstanding activity for promoting technique, it can also be used as a drill to increase endurance. I like this drill because it helps wrestlers avoid mental breakdowns (losing concentration, forgetting to continue movement by acting and reacting, and so on).

This drill should last anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes. Chain wrestling is discussed in greater depth in chapter 9.

Black Flag Day This activity allows wrestlers to devote an entire practice to "doing their own thing." The wrestlers are required to work out continu¬ously for approximately an hour, performing any physical wrestling-oriented activity of their choosing. Not only is this a great way to promote overall conditioning, but it allows the wrestlers the freedom to do what they want the entire practice, as long as they keep moving. They can do skill drilling as long as they wish or wrestle competitively until the end of practice. This activity is great for varying practice late in the season. The change of pace helps in eliminating staleness. It is a hard practice, but the tough wrestlers really like it.

Ironman

Setup
The participants start in a neutral tie-up position.

Action
The drill includes full-contact tie-ups, pushing and shoving your partner for 20 to 30 seconds. A variation involves the wrestlers trying to drive each other out of the circle. The wrestler who forces his opponent out of the circle or snaps him down to his hand(s) or knee(s) receives a point.

Coaching Point
This drill encourages mental and physical toughness and aggressiveness. Emphasize that the wrestlers should be very physical, almost to the point of fighting.

Common Error
Of course, you must monitor this drill carefully. The coach should make certain that the wrestlers keep their physical and mental composure.

Pummeling

Setup
The wrestlers start in the overhook and underhook neutral position, chest to chest.

Action
On the whistle, each partner works for underhooks while pushing into the other partner. This aggressive activity should last 30 seconds or more and be repeated by each partner up to three times.

Coaching Point
Do not allow the wrestlers to attempt throws or takedowns; just pummeling should occur. This drill is a great way to keep the sweat going. Use this drill as a warm-up activity, starting slowly and gradually becoming more intense. It is a good way to warm up the chest, arms, and shoulders. The activity is also appropriate at the end of practice.

Heavy Rope TrainingHeavy rope training has gathered much interest in the exercise world in recent years. The number of drills that can be done with a heavy rope are almost limitless, and the only constraint is one's creativity.

The basic stance for heavy ropes is a square wrestling stance (quarter squat position). The stance can be modified into lunging, kneeling, or sitting. However, we are going to focus on the wrestling stance.

The following is a sampling of five heavy rope drills that will work nicely in a wrestler's development. The drills should be done for a minimum of 30 seconds, with the same amount (or less) of rest between each drill. Be sure the wrestlers warm up (going slowly) before you go into the 30-second interval.

1. Alternating Ripple Effect
In the wrestling square stance, the wrestler alter¬nates each arm up and down to create waves.

2. In-Unison Ripple Effect
In the wrestling square stance, the wrestler moves both arms up and down together to create waves.

3. Slam
In the wrestling square stance, the wrestler alternates each arm up and down to create waves. On the coach's signal, the wrestler slams the ropes to the floor.