Strength & Conditioning for

Wrestling

L. Patrick Borkowski

Coordinator, Strength and Conditioning

United States Olympic Committee

Presentation Overview

• Impact of the new rules

• Periodisation of Training• Specific Phases

• Special Considerations

• Conditioning Aspects

• Question / Answer

Impact of the New Rules

• Shorter periods• Higher intensity

• Less grinding, more explosive

• Best of three• Even higher intensity

• Single day tournament• More matches, less recovery time

Benefits of Strength Training

• Increased performance • Stronger, more powerful techniques

• Faster body movements

• Increased balance

• Increased endurance

• Faster recovery from workouts

• Decrease chance for injury

• Decrease recovery time after an injury

Force – Velocity Relationship

Periodisation

• Manipulating training volume and intensity• Systematically

• 3 Week window for true peak performance• Olympics, World Championships

• Parallels wrestling periodisation

Periodisation

• Base Conditioning• Technique training

• Cross Training

• Strength Development• Introduction of explosive movement technique

• Progressive increase in intensity

• Power Development• Emphasis shift towards explosive movements

• Strength maintenance

• Taper / Peak

Base Conditioning

• Hypertrophy / Endurance Training

• High Volume, Low Intensity• 10-12 Reps, 3-4 sets, 3-5 x / week

• 60 – 75% 1RM

• 30 seconds – 1 minute recovery

• General Exercises, Complexes, Circuits

• Lactate Burn

Strength Development

• Gradual Increase in Intensity, Decrease in Volume

• Base Strength• 8-10 reps, 3-4 sets, 3-4 x / week

• 70 – 80% 1RM

• 1 – 2 minutes recovery

• General exercises, explosive technique introduction

• Advanced Strength• 5-8 reps, 4-5 sets, 3 x / week

• 75 – 90% 1RM

• 2 – 3 minutes recovery

• High force production exercises, continued explosive progression

Power / Peaking

• Highest Intensity, Fastest Movements

• Explosive Strength / Taper• 1-5 reps, 2-5 sets, 1-3 x / week

• 3 – 5 minutes recovery

• Primarily explosive, Olympic style movements, minimal strength

• Taper volume first, then intensity

Special Considerations

• Complex Training• Potentiation

• Workout Guidelines

Potentiation

• The occurrence of an acute, transient performance enhancement of an activity as a result of the performance of a previous and closely related conditioning activity

• An acute and transient improvement in explosive performance as a result of prior muscle activation• Post-activation Potentiation (Power)

• Potentiation until fatigue• Warm-Up sets

Complex Training

• Examples

• Back Squat Box Jumps

• Bench Press MB Chest Throw

• Pull – Ups MB Woodchoppers

• Hang Clean Vertical Jump

• Power Jerk Broad Jump

Hang Clean / Vertical Jump

Power Jerk / Broad Jump

Implementation

• Power and Peaking Phases

• Early in workout, before fatigue

• Initial power exercises• 40 – 60% 1RM

• 2 – 4 repetitions

• Initial strength exercises• 65 – 90% 1RM

• 5 – 1 repetitions

• Exercises must be similar in skill and execution

Complex Training

• Must not be fatiguing

• Initial exercise performed in explosive manner

• Advanced technique, requires a solid strength base and lifting experience

Workout Guidelines

• Always use proper technique on every exercise!• Almost every athletes weight trains; it’s the little things that will

make the big difference in the end

• Control the weight down, explode the weight up

• Perform any explosive or speed exercises first• You want to be as fresh as possible

• Make sure the workout is well balanced• For every pushing exercise make sure there is a pulling exercise

Conditioning

• What are the demands of the sport / activity?• Very High Intensity / Very Short Duration

• Moderate Intensity / Moderate Duration

• Low Intensity / Long Duration

• Lower intensity interspersed with high intensity bursts

• Does a typical competition consist of multiple races, games?

• Wrestling is not cut and dry but will require a mix in training intensities.

Conditioning

• What energy systems are associated with each demand• ATP / PCr (0 – 15 sec.)

• Anaerobic Glycolysis (15 sec. – 2 min.)

• Aerobic Glycolysis / Beta Oxidation (2 min. – hours)

• Work to Rest ratios to target specific energy systems• ATP / PCr – 1:3 – 1:5

• Anaerobic Glycolysis – 1:2

• Aerobic Glycolysis / Oxydation – 1:1

• Begin workouts with shortest, most explosive drills first

Planning Out The Year

• Hypertrophy Phase:• Develop base conditioning, i.e. aerobic base• Implement Cross Training

• Strength Phase:• Increase conditioning intensity• Anaerobic capacity, Lactate Threshold

• Power / Peak Phases• Plyometric, explosive movement training• Maintain Anaerobic conditioning• Maintain Aerobic conditioning ??

• In Season• Continue Plyometric and Anaerobic Conditioning• Let Sport practices dominate conditioning (Sport Specific)

Questions ??

L. Patrick Borkowski

Coordinator, Strength and Conditioning

United States Olympic Committee