The Best Endurance Exercises For Wrestlers

So many wrestlers start out strong only to get tired later in the match. While most wrestlers know that strength, speed, and excellent technique is crucial to success, many neglect to work on their endurance, or they could be doing the wrong kinds of exercises. Working on your cardiovascular fitness is the secret to sustaining energy and excelling in drawn-out matches. But simply focusing on long distance running isn’t the best way to condition yourself for wrestling. Here’s why.

What Is Anaerobic Endurance?

While long-distance running does improve endurance tremendously, it’s not always the ideal workout for wrestlers. Many wrestlers who are able to run for miles without getting fatigued still get tired towards the end of a long match. This is because wrestlers experience a tremendous amount of anaerobic stress. This means that the body demands oxygen and fuel at a rate exceeding the supply, so the muscles are forced to rely on stored reserves. When this happens, lactic acid builds up in the muscles, leading to fatigue. This is precisely why experts recommend that wrestlers focus on anaerobic and speed training.

To build anaerobic endurance, wrestlers need to increase the amount of energy they can produce in the first 15-90 seconds of maximum effort. The training for this is similar to training for sprints, but a stationary bike is especially useful, as you can easily monitor your speed while minimizing knee stress. After warming up for four minutes, pedal all out for 20 seconds before taking it slowly for 10 seconds. Do this for eight intervals before cooling down. Make sure to get a suitable stationary bike by checking out the best stationary exercise bike reviews at HomeFitnessJourney.

Training Smart

If you want to focus on building your speed endurance, the training is similar to anaerobic endurance training. This requires running, swimming, or cycling at high speeds (135-145 rpm on a stationary bike) before resting at a slower speed (around 80 rpm). You can increase the length of your work intervals, as well as the number of repetitions, as you get closer to the season.

To improve your muscular endurance, you should aim to complete your anaerobic training before practice. By doing your takedown drills fatigued, you’ll be relying on your technique, and not your brute strength. Doing this will mimic an overtime period right off the bat. By being strategic with conditioning exercises, wrestlers can build up the endurance to stay agile and strong late in a match.