The last exercise in this series is the Reactive Box Jump.
I’ve found this to be great at building lower body power.
I’ve been incorporating reactive power exercises like this for a few months now and the wrestlers I train say that they all feel much quicker and more explosive.
There are a number of ways to perform this exercise.
Here’s a video of me performing the Reactive Box Jump on a bench.
If you have access to hurdles, try this variation out:
Finally, a series of boxes can also be used.
Any of the 3 variations above are great ways to build reactive speed and power for the wrestling mat.
Reactive Box Jump Technique
As far as technique goes, the Reactive Box Jump is very similar to the Box Jump.
However, there is one important technique point to keep in mind when performing it. The primary focus of reactive exercises is to minimize your ground contact time.
Think about it…
The better you train your body to react explosively, the faster you’ll be able to react on the mat, right?
So focus on being in contact with the ground for as short a time as possible. From there you can then work on increase the height of your bench/box.
Safety Concerns With Reactive Power Development
Exercises that build reactive power are going to help optimally prepare your body for high level performances.
However, reactive power exercises are the most taxing on your Central Nervous System. They also put you at a high risk for injury.
In fact, I’ve pulled muscles in college when performing reactive jumps. So be sure to start off conservatively.
In terms of how to prepare for them, there are a couple of steps I like to follow.
First, always perform a thorough full body warm-up. Start with bodyweight exercises such as squats, pushups, chinups, lunges in various directions, and core work.
Follow that with low impact plyos to “bridge the gap” as you further warm-up.
Some of these include Jumping Jacks, Seal Jumps, Pogo Jumps, Squat Jumps, Bounding, and Standing Long Jumps.
I’m not super big on sets and reps for these exercises because they vary day to day. For example, some wrestlers will come in and feel great and have a ton of energy.
Sometimes wrestlers will even ride their bikes or run to my gym.
Obviously less of a warm-up will be needed with someone like this.
A more thorough warm-up would be needed for a wrestler who just had an hour break after a brutal practice.
You’ve lived in your body long enough. You’ll know when you’re ready.
Just remember- always start off conservatively and focus on quality execution.
To check out the first exercise- DB Push Press.
To read the first post in the series- Weight Training For Wrestling.
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