Strength Conditioning for Wrestling L Patrick Borkowski Coordinator

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% 1 RM 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% 1 RM 1 – 2 minutes recovery General exercises, explosive technique introduction • Advanced Strength • • 5 -8 reps, 4 -5 sets, 3 x / week 75 – 90% 1 RM 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 • Bench Press • Pull – Ups • Hang Clean • Power Jerk Box Jumps MB Chest Throw MB Woodchoppers Vertical Jump 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% 1 RM • 2 – 4 repetitions • Initial strength exercises • 65 – 90% 1 RM • 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