I’ve added 3 new things to my training over the last few months that have really helped with my ability to train at a intensity and frequency.
Ultimately these methods help me perform at my best when it matters most.
All three are focused on recovery, which I think is a hugely underrated part of training for wrestling.
To me, it just makes sense to take steps in aiding your body to rebuild itself. This ensures that you’re ready to train again with much less time between sessions.
The bottom line is this- the more training sessions you get, the better prepared you’re going to be.
Chiropractic care is the first of the three things I’ve added into my recovery routine. It has really helped me to recover and perform optimally and without pain.
Although I don’t have a regular schedule with Dr. Mike (my chiropractor), he’s always willing to take a look at me when he’s around the gym. One of the issues I was having about a month ago was some pretty regular pain in my right shoulder. I’m not sure what it was from, but man, was Dr. Mike able to fix it!
I never really bought into Chiropractors before getting to know Dr. Mike. However, since having the opportunity to have him work on me, I’ve definitely seen the light!
At first I thought Chiropractors only worked on the spine, but when he told me that he’d be willing to examine my shoulder, I was interested to see what he could do.
Over the course of 3 treatments (about a week apart with the last one 5 days before my fight), Dr. Mike was able to have my right shoulder pain free AND back to full strength!
Before the treatments I was unable to bench or do any pressing movement due to the pain I experienced. Grappling and wrestling was just as bad as I had absolutely no strength when I would put an underhook on someone. I may as well have been using a wet noodle instead of my arm.
However, Dr. Mike was able to address my issues with a pretty thorough exam, testing my shoulder strength and stability at tons of different angles and made adjustments accordingly. In fact, the last treatment I had I don’t even think he adjusted me, and instead just massaged one or two spots on my shoulder to get it firing correctly.
It was truly amazing to me that I was able to go from basically zero to full function so quickly. Not only do I feel strong on the mat again, but I’ve been able to perform a lot of lifts that, for a while, I was unable to do because of the severe pain.
Like I said, if I didn’t experience it first hand, I would not have bought into the idea of having a Chiropractor fix my shoulder. But let me tell you, if you have nagging injuries that are holding you back, get an appointment with one ASAP.
If you have any questions on how to improve your recovery for wrestling please leave me a comment below or email me directly at dickie@wrestler-power.com. Thanks!
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How To Keep Your Shoulders Healthy
Hi, I’m Dickie (the author of this blog). Here I am with my good buddy, Kyle Dake. While he doesn't have a nice coat like me, he is pretty good at wrestling. Here's what he said about my training system:
Before I began lifting using Dickie's system my wrestling skills were getting slightly better. I've now been lifting under his guidance for more than 5 months and I have begun to dominating ALL of my competition. At first I had little faith in Dickie and his program, but now I would run into a wall if he told me I would get stronger! I know it sounds insane, but I would. The bottom line is Dickie is an expert and knows what he is talking about. If you want to defeat those kids whom you've always lost to and reach a level you never thought possible, I suggest you start lifting using Dickie's system immediately.
-Kyle Dake, 4X NCAA Division 1 National Champion