7 best exercises for wrestling

As competition in the sport of wrestling continues to be fierce, the top wrestlers in the game continue to train in specific exercises that improve their wrestling skills and conditioning, ultimately setting them ahead of the competition. Wrestling is a physically demanding sport that requires dedication, discipline, and hard work. But with all the different wrestling exercises and workouts we’ve been shown, it’s hard to indicate which are the most effective regarding skills, strength, and conditioning.

As a wrestler myself, I’ve studied national and Olympic wrestlers to find out what are the most effective wrestling exercises in the sport. These wrestlers include Jordan Burroughs, Spencer Lee, and Cary Kolat. The exercises I will list in this article will strictly focus on the most important aspects of wrestling, such as strength, technique, and endurance. A comprehensive training regimen is crucial for developing the physical and mental attributes essential for success in wrestling.

So if you’re wrestling either at the high school level, college level, or Olympic level, pay close attention to these Top 7 exercises for wrestling we will show you below to help you improve as a better athlete to increase your chances of winning.

What are the most effective exercises for wrestling?

1. Shadow wrestling with resistance band

2. Neck bridges

3. Sprints

4. Pull up’s

5. Deep squats

6. Bulgarian bag swings

7. Core Exercises

8. Assault bike

These exercises help improve physical attributes like strength, endurance, and agility.

Weight training is crucial for wrestlers to build strength, power, and mental toughness. It is recommended to limit weight training sessions to 2-3 times a week and integrate them into the overall wrestling training program to enhance athletic performance and reduce the risk of injury.

 1)Shadow wrestling with resistance band

There isn’t without a doubt that shadow wrestling is one of the most highly important training drills in the sport of wrestling. Conditioning drills are crucial for improving anaerobic endurance for wrestlers, helping them reach peak physical shape for tournaments. But taking it a step further by adding resistance bands to your shadow wrestling drills will improve the difficulty which can lead to a more sufficient workout. Shadow wrestling can enhance your skills, stamina, and reaction time for when you step on the mat for your next match.

When I competed in high school, I made sure to do 5-10 minutes of shadow wrestling before and after practice started. I would drill different variations of shots and leg attacks such as sweep singles, high crotch, and blast doubles, as well as hand fighting. I did it all at a high intensity, making it a great warm up and cool down for practice!

2) Neck Bridges

Having strong neck strength is a must in the sport of wrestling, especially when you’re put on your back and need to bridge to not give up a pin (which happens to every wrestler out there), that’s where neck bridges come into play. Tripoding into a neck bridge can build powerful neck strength by regularly practicing it in your wrestling drills. It will not only help with avoiding pin falls but it can also help with improving the blast double takedown. 

3) Sprints

Endurance. Being able to sustain high levels of exercise for a long period is essential when competing in any sport, especially wrestling. Sprints are one of the best ways to build long-lasting endurance for wrestling, helping to improve your cardiovascular without having to use any equipment.

The best kinds of sprints you should be performing are interval sprints and hill sprints, here’s a quick guide.

Interval Sprints (maximum effort for a short distance): 

• Sprint at maximum effort for 30-60 seconds

• Rest for 10 seconds when completed

• Repeat at least 6 rounds or more

Hill Sprints:

• Sprint uphill at maximum effort for 15-30 seconds 

• Walk back downhill as an active recovery 

• Repeat at least 4 rounds or more

Repeat at least 4-6 sprints 

4) Pull-ups

All wrestlers must be able to easily carry their own body weight if they want a chance to succeed in wrestling, pull-ups are a great builder for upper body strength and will help you with just that. Push-ups are also crucial for developing functional strength. Hitting a few pull-ups after practice is an easy way to include them in your training, making sure you work those back and arm muscles consistently. Pull-ups require a strong grip to lift and control the body weight, grip strength is beneficial for wrestlers in clinches such as wrist control, matt returns, chest locks, and more.

Looking back on my wrestling career, I remember when I started I did not include any strength training to my workout routines during the season, now it made sense to me why I felt weak at times times during my matches and why I got out strengthed by other wrestlers. Once I started including strength training to my workout routine, I began to see massive improvements in my wrestling ability, and its safe to say that pull ups were one of the most benifital strength training workouts I did.

Look to perform 50+ pull-ups a day for maximum benefits

5) Deep squats

Leg strength is needed for wrestling, with many takedowns and sprawls that must be done repeatedly in matches, having strong quads and hips is a must for any wrestler. Core stability is crucial for maintaining balance during deep squats. The reason deep squats are a huge benefit is because the full range of motion when squatting deep can improve hip mobility and strength, and it also requires balance and coordination, (a demand for wrestling). Building leg strength is crucial for wrestlers to perform explosive movements, such as shooting for takedowns and driving through opponents.

If you really want to max out the power in your legs, performing weighted squats and body weight squats will get you to your goal.

When performing weighted squats you want to build explosive power in your legs, this will help you with gaining more power in your shots when looking for a take down. So keep in mind that you should be lifting heavy, with about 4-6 reps per set.

Here’s a good routine to follow when doing weighted squats.

• Choose a weight that is extremely challenging (but possible) to squat for 6 sets of 4-6 reps.

• For every completed set make sure to rest no more than 1 minute in between

• (Optional) Reduce the weight and Perform 1-2 supersets of 20 reps

Here’s one for bodyweight squats.

• Perform 50 reps of deep squats for 4 sets while maintaining good posture

• Rest no more than 3 minutes in between sets

6) Bulgarian bag swings

Bulgarian bag swings are a very sport-specific conditioning workout. They involve multi-joint movements that engage the entire body such as the shoulders, back muscles, and hips, which can improve strength and mobility in those areas. Bulgarian bag swings require thick implement training, thick implement training is crucial for strengthening grip in wrestling, as it simulates holding onto an opponent’s wrist and enhances thumb and grip strength. This workout can also help with balancing and controlling the shifting weight of the bag during swings that closely mimic wrestling scrambles.

If you have never done Bulgarian bag swings be aware that they will be challenging in the first few tries, but as you stay consistent you will adjust and become more balanced through the workout. Its important that your feet stay planted during the swings and that you maintain control of the bag at all times.

Be aware that not all Bulgarian bags are the same, don’t purchase one that’s too heavy or too light. Know your tolerance.

7) Core exercises for core strength

Having core strength is important for wrestling because it’s essential for many purposes, such as going for takedowns, defending with sprawls, and bridging off a tilt. Don’t make the mistake of going into wrestling without any core strength.

Body weight core exercises are hands down the easiest and most efficient way to build core strength right off the bat. But don’t start with just simple sit-ups; be more complex and hit the entire core area with many variations of core exercises such as planks, star crunches, mountain climbers, bicycle crunches, and leg raises.

During my wrestling season, I performed a total of 200 crunches a day. I would do 50 reps of 4 sets consisting of different core exercises for every set, and boy did it make a huge difference in my wrestling ability. That’s why I recommend that you find a variation of your own core exercises so you can build a similar workout routine as I did during my season.

8) Assault bike conditioning drills

Assault bike exercises offer great benefits for wrestlers, it’s a highly effective conditioning tool that engages both upper and lower body muscles such as the legs and core. Training on the assault bike can help wrestlers develop explosive power and stamina for takedowns and escapes. 

Here’s a good start for any wrestler looking to use this great tool

• 20 seconds at maximum effort

• 10-second rests

• complete 8-10 sets 

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Conclusion

At some point during your wrestling career, you will realize that just showing up to your daily wrestling practices is not enough to compete at the top. Training on your own time is important if you want to make it far in the sport of wrestling.

Prioritize strength training and maximize your endurance with the workouts listed above so you can b your best self on the mat when the time comes to compete. Be aware that with all the overtime you will put into your workouts, you must let the body rest more, be responsible about getting enough sleep for your rest and recover. Do Not Neglect your health.