As I scan the roster of my high school and collegiate clients over the last few years, I find the majority are from the ranks of wrestling. While I have enjoyed all the young athletes I have tutored, I consider these wrestlers some of the most focused of all athletes that I have had the pleasure of coaching.

For this month’s column, I would like to present a training template I’ve used successfully for the last two seasons with my wrestling clients. This is the programming used for the final 12 weeks prior to start of wrestling practice in November.



NUTS & BOLTS

This August—November template is a three-day per week training program. The training phase preceding this is typically a four day per week training program of heavy pressing, squatting, pulling. I have used modified Westside Programs, Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength and the Wolf/Everett Mass program. Very little if any metCon and lots of massing up!

While a part of me despises the weight-cutting aspect of the sport, there appears to be some win/loss support for being as strong as possible at the lightest weight possible providing the health of the athlete is not compromised in the process.

This lead up phase includes the following objectives.

1. Maintaining training qualities from the mass up phase
2. Introduce higher repetition/shorter rest interval
3. Lactate tolerance
4. Unilateral and contra lateral loading with my favorite tool—the dumbbell



PROGRAMMING

The program has a movement from the weightlifting world followed by a superset combination. This is then followed up with a limited CrossFit challenge. Since the majority of wrestling coaches include running as a conditioning move, support for more interval running work is warranted. If an athlete has any injury history, prehab moves are done prior to any focus work.

Weightlifting Moves

DAY 1
Push Press or Push Jerk (3-5 sets x 3-5 reps)

DAY 2
Hang Snatch or Snatch (3-5 sets x 3-5 reps)

DAY 3
Hang Clean or Clean (3-5 sets x 3-5 reps)

The second phase of the training day involves a number of supersets. These are 3 supersets of 8-12 reps. The rest interval is between 30-60 seconds between combinations.

DAY 1

1. Alternating supine dumbbell press
2. Single leg squat or step up
1:00 rest
1. Alternating dumbbell incline press
2. Single leg contra lateral dumbbell RDL
1:00 rest
1. Dips or decline alternating dumbbell decline Press
2. Chin-ups (Supine Grip)

DAY 2

1. Dumbbell rack front squat
2. Push-up (Cables)
1:00 rest
1. Dumbbell contra lateral lunge and press
2. Dumbbell alternating bent over rows
1:00 rest

DAY 3

1. Pull-ups (Pronated grip) Strict form add weight if 12 reps are surpassed
2. Single leg contra lateral dumbbell RDL
1:00 rest
1. Dumbbell Snatch from Deck or single dumbbell contra lateral overhead squat
2. Push-up (Cables)
1:00 rest
1. Dumbbell alternating curls
2. Dumbbell standing triceps extensions

CrossFit METCON

Rather than limit the CrossFit METCON selection, I would rather give time guides for each day.

DAY 1

8 Minutes: Something on the order of X number of reps in 8 minutes or 9 minutes of 2:00 sprint/1:00 Rest

DAY 2

10 Minutes: I like Helen on this day. You could do worse than Helen once a week to see how you are progressing or, more importantly, overextending and regressing.

DAY 3

5 Minutes: Something on the order of how many dumbbell Get-ups can you perform on 5 minutes? Or a timed mile.

While this template is a bit more traditional I believe your grapplers will perform very well that first month in the wrestling room.