Solo Wrestling Workouts

Wrestling, obviously, is a competitive sport that requires wrestlers to practice many moves and drills, but there are a series of effective solo wrestling workouts that can be used to supplement regular team practices as well. Whether for variety's sake or for extra practice when you don't have a teammate to work with, these workouts can help give you the edge at your next match.

1. Technique Repping The first and probably the most important solo wrestling workout you can do is simply to rep your techniques. Even if you don't have a partner to perform the moves on, simply going through the motions over and over again will do wonders for your speed and fluidity. Double and single leg shots, sprawls, sit outs and get ups are all moves that work well for solo repetitions.
2. Footwork Drilling Beginning wrestlers, in particular, will benefit from footwork drills, but even more experienced grapplers should practice with them periodically. Simply assume a good, low, balanced stance—knees bent, elbows in, back strong—and practice moving fluidly around the mat, forward, backwards and side to side. Make sure you keep your weight centered and balanced no matter where you move.
3. Shadow Wrestling Shadow wrestling is similar to shadow boxing—you practice moving through all your techniques as if you were in a real match, just without a physical opponent. Think of it as a combination of the first two solo wrestling workouts listed above. Move around in your stance, periodically mixing in shots, sprawls, etc. If you have someone to help you work (even if they are not a wrestler), they can blow a whistle to signal a shot or a sprawl to make the drill more unpredictable for you.
4. Strength Training You might not have as much fun with strength training as you do with drilling a flashy double, but it's still important. Take advantage of the training times you have without a partner to work with to get your strength training and conditioning out of the way, especially your weight training and roadwork.