Wrestlers do not need strictly resistance training. They need mobility training as well. Wrestlers have some of the worst movement patterns in the history of man, which is all due to muscle imbalances and structural and postural deviations. The issue with many generic workouts lies in their training ratios. To much focus to the anterior chain, what is seen in a mirror, and not enough attention/focus/muscle activation to the posterior chain, what is not seen in a mirror. It's all about the show muscles versus the go muscles. Most high school strength coaches have wrecked kids because they do the typical workout they got out of a magazine they think has been the "cat's meow" for 20 years. We don't use the same TV's, phones, or computers we used 20 yeras ago, but coaches give kids 20 year old workouts. Wrestlers need to train functionally, they need to be on their feet, they need to be in unfamiliar "situations," and they need to be progressed and overloaded with each session. The body makes maximum gains when it is in a constant state of stimulation. Functional training focuses on training movements whereas traditional modalities train muscles, training the entire body with each movement versus training a single joint muscle action. Sandbags, Tires, Suspension Training, Kettlebells, Dumbbells, Deadlifts, Body Weight Training, Ropes, and mobility training are what wrestlers need. Mobility training will make their lateral movement on the mat deadly. Certain forms of release are also necessary. The body is the king of adaptation. Movement patterns develop in muscles along the same tensile lines. Every time a movement takes place a tensile line of scar tissue develops in a muscle. That scar tissue negatively impacts movement. Breaking down that scar tissue with active release or foam rolling will engage the first step of breaking down a movement pattern to build it back properly. The next step is lower body muscle activation training coupled with total body training ratios and imbalances will be fixed to optimize performance.
Adrian Panko, www.pankostrengthandspeed.com
