There are a number of factors that go into how I design wrestling workout plans.

Rather than get into the boring science and minute details of what goes into the design process, I’ll instead introduce and discuss the basic steps I go through when writing wrestling workout plans for one of the many wrestlers that I train.
 

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Wrestling Workout Plans Design Steps

Step 1:

Select The Core Exercises

As a strength and conditioning coach for wrestlers, all too often I have wrestlers come to me and tell me that they want me to design wrestling workout plans to get in better shape or they want to get stronger. I always ask them what that means.

If you want to get in shape does it mean you want to run a 5K in a certain amount of time, are you gassing out in the 3rd period, do you want to lose 5% body fat so you can make weight easier, or do you want to do weighted chinups with a certain amount of weight so you can finish takedowns easier?

Putting a concrete number behind your goal will not only let you know when you’ve reached it, but it will also allow you to better select the exercises that are going to best measure the progress of your wrestling workout plans.

For example, if getting into better shape is your goal, and completing a 5K in less than 20 minutes is going to be your indicator and/or the first step major goal you set, then that is one of your core exercises.

In wrestling workout plans, the core exercise is the test that you use to measure your progress.It is used to determine the overall success of your program.

When competing in a strength sport like powerlifting the selection of the core exercises is easy; it’s the lifts you perform at the meet.

If your squat, bench, and/or deadlift go up, then your training cycle was successful. If one or all of the lifts didn’t go up then you need to re-evaluate.

When looking to select a core exercise(s) for vague goals like “get in shape” or “get stronger” you need to really spend some time thinking exactly what that means to you. What do you do that makes you feel out of shape or weak? Let those things help to determine what may or may not be a good core exercise and develop your wrestling workout plan from there.

Here’s the result of a number of well executed wrestling workout plans- HEAVY weighted Chinups performed by NCAA National Champion, J.P. O’Connor.

This video was shot at my old gym when J.P. was probably a Sophomore or Junior prior to his undefeated Senior season when he capped it off with a National Title. Sorry for the sideways shot on the first Chinup…I was still getting the hang of how to shoot videos apparently!

Step 2:

Select 2 Derivatives

There are a number of ways to prevent a training plateau from occurring while implementing various wrestling workout plans.  My favorite way to prevent this from happening is to rotate exercises.  Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that you select at least two derivatives that will mimic your core exercise.

That way you can rotate the core exercise with an exercise that is similar every 3-5 weeks to prevent boredom and plateauing.

For example, if one of your goals for your wrestling workout plans is to increase your upper body strength and you’ve selected the bench press to be one of your core exercises then you may select a floor press and a close grip bench to be two of your derivatives.

You’ll then rotate those exercises as your primary lift.  For 3-5 weeks you’ll bench press, then the next 3-5 weeks you’ll floor press, then the last 3-5 weeks you’ll close grip bench.  After you finish up that training block you’ll then return to the bench press to see how much your max has increased.

If it increased then it’s safe to assume that the floor press and close grip bench (assuming those increased as well) have a positive correlation with your bench press and that continued use of these exercises will lead to further increases in your bench press.

When you return to your core exercise after rotating through the derivatives used in your wrestling workout plans and you happen to find that your bench press did not go up even though your floor press and close grip benches did, then it is probably safe to assume that those two lifts do not have a direct carryover to your bench.

Once you reach this conclusion it is important to then select other derivatives to work into your plan to see what effects they may have both on your strength and wrestling performance.

As you can see, proper derivative exercise selection in your training plan can be difficult, but it will eventually provide you with a great understanding of what works best for you and what doesn’t carryover as well for you which will ultimately lead to better all around progress of your wrestling workout plans through a greater understanding in the long run.

Step 3:

Select Accessory Exercises

Once you have your core exercise(s) and derivatives selected for your wrestling workout plan, you can then go on to choosing your accessory exercises. 

Accessory exercises are utilized in a strength training program to provide a number of benefits- increased performance, better injury prevention, better muscular balance, etc.

Not every accessory exercise needs to directly simulate the core exercise.  For example, there are lots of great strength training accessory exercises for the lats/upper back to perform after you bench. 

Do the lats actually provide assistance during a bench press in that they help you press the bar?  No.  However, strong lats provide you with increased stability and help to keep your shoulders in balance from a muscular standpoint.

Additionally, as a wrestler, using lots of heavy pulling exercises will provide you with the strength to finish more takedowns and dominate more on top. 

Also, neglecting to work muscles on the opposite side of the body will lead to imbalances and instabilities which will ultimately lead to injury.

So selecting accessory exercises that may not directly complement the core exercise will lead to better long term gains in your wrestling workout plans.  Here are some examples of suitable accessory exercises if the bench press is one of your core exercises:

1. Dumbbell Bench Variations- flat, incline, floor, decline
2. Lat Exercises- pullups, pulldowns, different types of rows
3. Shoulder Exercises- overhead presses, different types of raises, internal/external rotations
4. Trap/Upper Back Exercises- shrugs, upright rows, face pulls
5. Tricep Exercises- pressdowns, extensions
6. Bicep Exercises- different types of curls

As you can see not all of the exercise categories listed above will directly carryover to a bigger bench, but they will all play a factor in your overall strength training.

For instance, while your biceps don’t actually move the weight while benching, curls help maintain proper balance around the elbow and may help prevent pain associated with overdeveloped triceps and underdeveloped biceps.  Additionally, from a wrestling perspective, adding curls into your strength training for wrestling plan will help increased your weighted chinup which will have you scoring more takedowns.

So while curls don’t directly contribute to a bigger bench, they will help to promote overall elbow health which will keep you benching for longer periods of time and off the injury reserve list which will also help your further development as a wrestler.  Remember- you can’t get stronger and better when you’re sitting on the sidelines.

Step 4:

Design Template

Once you have identified and selected your exercises and everything that you plan on programming in to your wrestling workout plan, you can then design the template itself.

The template is going to provide you with an outline for your strength training program and will enable you to add in and take out different exercises within a certain category so that you can constantly be making changes without missing a key component.

Below is a sample template used for the increasing the bench press and overall size when you’re out of season.

Exercise #1- Bench Press or Derivative (5×5)

Accessory Superset #1- Dumbbell Bench Variation and Lat Exercise (4×8)

Accessory Superset #2- Shoulder Exercise and Upper Back Exercise (3×12)

Accessory Superset #3- Tricep Exercise and Bicep Exercise (3×10-15)

Sets and reps are completely dependent upon your strength training goals. I put my suggestions in parenthesis but by no means are these set in stone.

In wrestling workout plans, I tend to favor going heavier with fewer reps on core movements and multi-joint accessory movements with a focus on developing strength and power.

I usually go lighter (especially in the off-season) with more reps on some of the single-joint accessory exercises with a focus on simply working the muscle and promoting equal development and balance within the body.

Step 5:

Implement Plan

Finally, once your work is done and your wrestling workout plan is ready to go; it’s time for the real work to begin!  Once you begin to implement your plan you must constantly be assessing how things are going.

Look back from week to week to see where you’re making gains and where you are stalling out.  If you have a good block of training, look back to see what exercises you were doing, what weights you were lifting, and what the sets and reps looked like.

Similarly, look at the same pieces of information if you have an under-productive block of training and look to make the necessary changes. 

I won’t lie to you, it’s a constant battle trying to determine the missing links in your wrestling workout plans especially when you have to factor in all of the wrestling you’re doing.

It’s situation specific and can sometimes take a while to figure it all out.  No matter how tough it can get though, it’s all worth it in the end so stay focused on the goals of your wrestling workout plans, keep an open mind, and train hard as often as you can.

Wrestling Workout Plans Review

Here’s a quick review on the steps I take in designing wrestling workout plans for clients.

1. Select the core exercises.

2. Select two derivatives.

3. Select the accessory exercises.

4. Design your template.

5. Implement the plan and evaluate.

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Wrestling Training For In-Season Power Development

Wrestling Strength and Conditioning Program

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If you have any questions on wrestling workout plans and how to design one, please leave me a comment below.