Weight Room to Wrestling Room

Add a new twist to the old classics for conditioning.

Conditioning is a critical part of any wrestling program. Having coached his UW-LaCrosse Eagles to top three finishes in each of his first five seasons, Dave Malecek has proven he can transfer work done in the weight room to the wrestling mat.

In this wrestling DVD, Coach Malecek demonstrates many of his favorite exercises that emphasize the specific needs of wrestlers. He shows you how to make simple strength training drills into wrestling specific activities that can be done before, during, or after practice. Each exercise is demonstrated, and then followed up with a wrestling drill/situation for your athletes to better understand the importance of the exercise.

Coach Malecek provides exercises that vary from old classics - such as pushups - to the trending tools of today - like battle ropes and resistance bands. All exercises can be completed in the wrestling room instead of traveling to the weight room. Exercises covered include:

• Push-Ups and Bench Press - Your wrestler will explode to his feet from the bottom referee's position and recover quicker when under a sprawled opponent.
• Cleans and Squats - Develop your wrestler's ability to return his opponent to the mat, to perform a stand-up, and to clear an opponent's collar-tie into a pass-by.
• "Stretchy Ropes" - Use these resistance bands to strengthen your wrestler's snap downs, snapping his opponents' heads down to the mat to score easily.
• Battle Ropes - Wave your wrestler's arms repeatedly in small or big motions to improve forearm and grip strength, leading to dominant hand fighting skills.
• Curls - Conditioning the biceps with curls allows your wrestler to win the underhook position.
• Quick Feet - These agility exercises improve movement from the neutral position, ensuring quick feet during takedown finishes and stand-ups.

Strength and conditioning is crucial to the development of any wrestler. If you are having a hard time setting up a strength and conditioning program to maximize your wrestlers' potential, this video allows you to get more specific training in a very efficient format.

61 minutes. 2012.