Wrestling Workouts For Beginners

Wrestling workouts for beginners can be used no matter how new you are to the sport of wrestling. While conditioning for wrestling can be very challenging and a lot of hard work, with the right amount of effort, dedication and time, you will be able to become a better wrestler. Beginners should also take advantage of any resources available, such as senior wrestlers or coaches.

1. Develop your footwork. During a wrestling match, you will be moving around the mat quite a bit. You need to learn to keep a steady stance and move around effortlessly. To accomplish this, add footwork drills for your wrestling workouts. Stand on the mat and get into a wrestling stance. Bend your knees slightly and keep your feet a little over shoulder width apart. Then, pretend your opponent is coming at you. Move around the mat, backward, forward, from side to side and diagonally. This workout will make moving around the mat during an actual match much easier.
2. Practice takedown moves. Takedown wrestling moves are critical during a match. They help you score points and dominate your opponent. With a partner, go through the motions of typically takedown moves, such as the single and double leg takedowns. The more you go through the motions, the more natural they will feel during a match. Once you get the hang of it, ask your partner to start resisting you to make the workout more challenging.
3. Build upper body strength. Wrestling will require you to have upper body strength. Push-ups are an easy workout for beginners to start building up the strength needed. Start with two or three sets of ten push-ups in each set. Pull-ups are another great wrestling workout for beginners. Try to do at least six pull-ups in a row. Then, repeat one or two more times.
4. Work on your lower body muscles. Strength in your legs is also important in wrestling. Do about fifteen squats in a row and two or three sets. Then, do fifteen lunges with each leg and two or three sets.  As you get more comfortable with squats and lunges, hold some ten to fifteen pound weights in each hand to build endurance.
5. Try some piggyback carries. This is a wrestling workout that’s done with a partner on the wrestling mat. Basically, carry your partner around the mat piggyback style. Getting used to how the mat feels under your feet is an important part of this wrestling workout, but mainly, you are working on building both your upper and lower body strength.
6. Incorporate a resistance drill into your wrestling workout for beginners. The “Wrestlers Get Up” drill, for example, involves getting down onto the mat in a submissive position. Then, ask a partner to get on top, as if he were overtaking you. The partner should add about 75% resistance to your body. When your partner says “Go” use the power you’ve built in your upper and lower body to burst up and get to your feet. This exercise helps you learn to get out of the submission position during a wrestling mat.
7. Continue to build your endurance with practice matches. Once you start to strengthen your upper and lower body, your wrestling workout for beginners should shift toward focusing on endurance. Spar with a partner as if you’re in an real competitive wrestling match. Follow all rules and be sure each round lasts two to three minutes. Incorporate some of the things you learned during your workouts. For example, use the power you build up with your resistance drills to get out of submissive positions. Use the strength you’ve acquired for defensive positions and takedowns.