I’ve written about it before based on the personal research I’m doing (Fixing Your Squat).
However, today I have some published research that should help to provide more answers regarding squats and their carryover to wrestling.
…by the way that’s a pic of my wife, Laura. She’s an elite-level powerlifter.
So yes, she’s stronger than I am.
Study Breakdown:
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between squat strength and various sprints.
The subject pool consisted of 17 Division 1-AA football players.
Height, weight, and squat 1 rep maxes were measured on day 1. The 1-RM squat strength was divided by the player’s body weight to arrive at a “pound for pound” number.
The sprints were tested within the week on an outdoor track and were measured using a digital timing system.
Findings:
A statistically significant correlation was found between both the 10- and 40-yard sprinting time and per pound squat strength.
A statistically non-significant correlation was found when comparing 5-yard sprint times and body weight squat strength.
Some of the players were also divided into 2 groups for further analysis. Players with a squat to body weight ratio greater than 2.1 were placed in one group. Players with a ratio less than 1.9 were in another group.
The players in the 2.1 or greater group had statistically significant lower 10- and 40-yard sprint times.
However, there was not a statistically significant difference observed in the 5-yard sprint.
Conclusions:
“This investigation clearly shows, in conjunction with previously reported data, that a substantial commitment to increased squat strength has a high likelihood of contributing to increased on-field sprinting ability.”
Tying this together with the 2 posts I just published regarding Ground Reaction Force (GRF 1 and GRF 2), the results of this study suggest that the subjects who could produce more force against the ground (as measured by 1-RM squat), were able to translate that into faster sprint times.
So, with a little bit of extrapolation, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that if you’re looking to score more leg attacks, increasing your leg strength via squats is probably a good investment of your time.
Paper Referenced
McBride, J., D. Blow, T. Kirby, T. Haines, A. Dayne and N. Triplett. Relationship between maximal squat strength and five, ten, and forty yard sprint times. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 23(6), 1633-1636. 2009.
Popular Posts
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