…To find out why I chose a squirrel with an acorn keep reading.
Anyway, this is the next post in the series. Today I’ll finish up detailing the lifts in Day 1 of the program. Wrestling Training- In-Season Power Development is where you can read the original post.
Below is Day 1 of the program I designed for a college wrestler.
Day 1:
a. Kneeling Jump (4×4)
a. Speed Russian Twist (4×12)
a. Plyo Pushup (4×4)
b. Zercher Squat (4×6)
b. DB Windmill (4×8)
c. DB RDL (4×8)
c. Feet Elevated DB Pushup (3x AMAP)
c. Pullup (3x AMAP)
Today I will detail the final 3 exercises- the DB RDL, the Feet Elevated DB Pushup, and the Pullup.
Below is a video of me performing a Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (DB RDL).
There are a few key things to keep in mind when performing a RDL.
First and foremost- keep your back neutral throughout. This is regardless of the range of motion your flexibility allows for.
Ultimately as your flexibility and familiarity with the exercise increases you’ll be able to go lower. However, don’t compromise your neutral core for a larger range of motion.
Additionally, one of the most common problems I see with the wrestlers is that they want to drop their hips as they go lower. This ultimately turns the RDL into a squat.
While you should have a slight bend in your knees, the focus is on driving your hips back, not squatting. As you drive your hips back you counterbalance yourself as the dumbbells are lowered.
It can be helpful to imagine you are holding a barbell instead of dumbbells.
I’ve found if you hold DBs against the sides of your legs you’re much more likely to squat.
Finally, here’s an interesting technique tip that I picked up from Strength Coach Darryl Brixey. After years of formal education and TONS of internship hours with some of the best strength coaches in the country, I had the pleasure of learning one of Darryl’s biggest secrets to teaching the RDL.
One day while he was at my gym lifting, I happened to be working with a buddy on his DB RDL. My buddy was having trouble maintaining a neutral core and Darryl was able to help me out with this sage advice…
“Imagine you’re squeezing an acorn between your butt cheeks.”
I damn near pissed my pants after he said that, but was shocked to see that it actually worked. It completely eliminated the difficulty my buddy was having trying keep his back neutral.
Wrestling Training- Pushups/Pullups
I’m confident you’ve had plenty of experience with both pushups and pullups. Therefore, I won’t be getting into the technique.
Here’s a nice 2-step photo of a Feet Elevated Pushup. The only thing you’ll do differently is hold DBs instead of placing your hands on the ground.
This will add range of motion to the exercise which allows you to get a little lower than you would if your hands were on the ground.
Finally, I have him complete the triset with the good old fashioned Pullup for as many reps as possible (AMAP).
Here’s a 2-step photo demonstrating perfect, full range of motion. Hold yourself to this standard and you will be very pleased with your upper body pulling strength by the end of the season.
For the next post in this series check out- Day 2 Lifts.
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