Wrestling Performance Tips

WE'VE MOVED!!

2010-04-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hey...

Thanks for checking out my blog. I've moved my blog to

www.ultimatewrestlingstrength.com/blog

Check it out now to see a ton of great strength, conditioning and nutrition tips you can use today to improve your wrestling performance!!

Eat this after a wrestling tournament!!

2009-11-03T05:41:00.000-08:00

I hope this week finds you well.

With the wrestling season just about here I wanted to share a recipe with you from my new 'Wrestling Performance Cookbook.'

The biggest problem I see with wrestlers after tournaments is that they don't eat a 'recovery meal.' If you don't eat the right food at the right time following an all-day tournament where you are expending a lot of energy, you will quickly overtrain and get weak (or hurt).

The key is to minimize muscular breakdown (catabolism) and replenish your muscle energy (glycogen).

Here is one of my favorite meals that you can eat shortly after a wrestling tournament to get yourself back to top condition for the following week:

Post-Tournament Recovery Chow:
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup whipped cottage cheese
2 cups Organic Banilla yogurt
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 sliced banana
1/2 cup mixed frozen raspberries/blueberries/strawberries
1/2 cup Total cereal

Directions: An hour after finishing your recovery shake, you should consume a meal containing a 1:2 ratio of protein to carbs, with limited fat. This meal will help you replenish your muscle glycogen and assist with your recovery process. It is one of my favorites. You can also use it after strength training during the Offseason for recovery and to stunt the catabolic state that your body is in after you strength train.
This meal is really tasty too... enjoy!!

Eat this after you weigh in for recovery and energy!

2009-09-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

I always get asked what the best foods are after you weigh in for wrestling...

Of course a lot depends on if you had to cut weight or not...

For those who have to cut weight, the first thing you want to do is get a recovery drink in you. (I cover this on this blog)

After that you want to stick with food that will give you a ton of energy, without making you feel tired, bloated or sick to your stomach...

One of the best foods that I can recommend at this point, or for when you have a long tournament is the 'Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich.' This isn't your usual peanut butter and jelly sandwich though...

It's a combination of whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter and whey protein powder. The whole wheat bread is a slower digesting carbohydrate that will allow you to have energy without feeling sleepy. The natural peanut butter serves a dual purpose of slowing down absorption of your carbohydrates to aid in energy production without slowing down towards the end of the match or tournament. The whey protein keeps your body in a positive nitrogen balance and prevents muscle breakdown to keep you feeling strong.

Here's what you do:

Take 2 slices of whole wheat bread... and lay them on a plate. Take 2 tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter and add 1 scoop (20-25 grams) of chocolate protein powder. Mix the peanut butter and protein powder thoroughly with a spoon. Spread the mix on your bread and you're all set.

With this super sandwich you will feel full but not bloated, energetic without a 'crash' later and strong as a bull... TRY IT!! (You can wash it down with a glass of milk if you don't have any intolerance to lactose)

A Perfect Weight-Cutting Food for Wrestling!

2009-09-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

If you are a wrestler who cuts weight you must be extra careful to make sure you eat properly. One of the best foods you can eat when cutting weight is cottage cheese.

But I don't mean just eating cottage cheese. I mean having it as your last meal of the day... right before you go to bed.

Cottage cheese is a quality source of low-fat protein.

By having it as a pre-bedtime snack when cutting weight, it will give your muscles a steady stream of amino acids while you sleep. This steady stream of amino acids will feed your muscles while you sleep, and prevent the muscle breakdown and weakness associated with traditional weight-cutting.

If you're not cutting weight, you can mix cottage cheese with yogurt before bed and it will be a complete meal.

If you're cutting weight, you won't want the yogurt due to the sugars in it... and that won't be advised right before bed.

The taste of cottage cheese (lowfat version) can get on your nerves, so I'd suggest adding salsa, or salt and pepper for taste. (sea salt and ground black pepper)

3 Great Exercises for Building Wrestling Strength Fast!

2009-09-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

1. 'Negative-Only Reverse Close-Grip Chinups' - That's a mouthful. Let's break it down. You use a chinup bar. Take an underhand grip, with hands about 8-12 inches apart. Use a chair to boost yourself over the bar. Lower yourself in 10 seconds to a hanging stretch. Immediately step up on the chair and boost yourself to the top again. Repeat. Continue until you can't lower yourself in any more than 6 seconds. Use extra weight around your waist with a dipping belt if necessary. Watch your takedowns improve tremendously by getting stronger on this one!

2. 'Negative-Only Dips' - Hold yourself at the top position on a dipping bar with arms straight. You should be hanging with arms locked straight. Lower yourself in 10 seconds. Immediately climb back to top and again lower in 10 seconds. Repeat. Continue until it becomes impossible to lower in any more than 6 seconds. The use of negative-only training will 'kick-start' some serious strength gains. Just make sure you use it sparingly. No more than 2 weeks straight, and only 4 times a year.

3. 'Bottom Squats' - Using an Olympic Barbell, perform a regular barbell full depth squat. As you rise up out of the bottom, stop when you are 1/2 way up. Lower yourself to the bottom squat position again, and repeat. These are incredible for working on the hip strength that is so vital in most every wrestling move you perform! Throw these exercises in the mix for about 3 weeks. I promise you your strength will jump up quickly if you're working hard, and using perfect form.

3 Training Tips to Prepare for Your Season FAST!

2009-08-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

Wow... just like that the summer is just about gone and school is beginning everywhere...

But you know what that means... wrestling season is just around the corner!!

With that in mind, I wanted to give you 3 'immediately-usable' training tips that you can use to get 'functionally-strong' fast for the upcoming season:

Do 1-Leg Strength Exercises Whether you've been strength training this summer or not, you need to include some strength exercises that require 1 leg at a time. Wrestlers need to have adequate development in the Adductor/Abductor muscles in the legs. These muscles work to stabilize at the knee joint and help develop more mat speed. You can build a lot of 'wrestling-specific' leg strength between now and when the season begins by including exercises such as:

One Leg Pistol Squats
One Leg Pistol Box Squats
Reverse Dumbbell Lunge from 6" Box
Lunge onto 6" Box
One Leg 'Opposite Hand' RDL's

These are some of the best exercises for developing power on the mat as well... and that means faster takedown speed. Try to get stronger on each of these exercises for the next 6 weeks and you'll be amazed at the difference on the mat. The best part is that youth wrestlers, high school wrestlers, and college wrestlers can gain a lot of benefit from them! You can see how I incorporate these in programs for wrestlers in my Ultimate Wrestling Strength Program.

2. No Crunches or Situps That's right... I want you to stop doing crunches or situps for the next 6 weeks so you can work on core stability work that is more 'mat-specific.' In wrestling you need to have core stability before you learn how to incorporate the Internal Oblique muscles for fast wrestling on the mat. Every time you are tied-up on the mat and are going for points, trying to escape, or even reverse your opponent, you need to use the muscles in your core that allow for rotational movement. Try training the following types of core stability exercises 3 times per week for the next 6 weeks to get a jump-start on your competition:

Planks
1-Leg Planks
Bird-Dogs
Pallof Presses
Static Woodchop Holds
Static Reverse Woodchop Holds

Do the same thing here... Choose one or two of the exercises and do them 3 non-consecutive days per week for the next 6 weeks. The results on the mat will be impressive!

3. Do Myofascial Massage Every wrestler knows that in order to be successful on the wrestling mat you must have flexible muscles. You can out-muscle opponents who aren't very good wrestlers, but when the competition gets tougher, your flexibility becomes even more important. Every wrestler knows that your muscles have to be able to stretch. But few wrestlers realize that in order to have the most flexible, most-efficient muscles that allow you need to work on the quality of the muscle. This means that you should work on getting rid of those 'knots' in the muscle so that you can become stronger, more flexible, and reduce injuries.

How do you do it?

Simple... Use a Foam Roller!

I recently discovered these because I was trying to work through a couple of old powerlifting injuries. The roller allows you to give yourself 'the world's cheapest massage' and it takes about 5 minutes before you train. You put the roller on the floor and glide whatever muscle group you are working on over the roller for 20 seconds. After 5 minutes you'll be done and feel prepared for all-out training or practice. They are amazing! Just do a google search if you want to check them out.

That's all for now!

Eat junk food and still make weight for wrestling!

2009-08-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

Many of my members at Wrestling Performance like the benefit of having me design meal programs for them so they can gain weight, cut weight or keep their weight the same for wrestling via the members forum...

The meals plans are usually based around whole, natural foods, combined in specific ratios to meet nutritional needs while fulfilling the body weight goals that are desired...

Let's face it... eating perfectly is difficult sometimes... in fact it can really suck to have to eat 'clean' while you watch your friends and family chow down on really tasty desserts, pizza, fast-food etc.

If you're one of those guys who hates to prepare meals and hates to eat like a bodybuilder I have a solution for you...

MEAL REPLACEMENT DRINKS!!

You can drink between 2-4 of these a day (depending on your body weight) and meet your nutritional needs with low calories... then you can eat whatever you want the rest of the day!!

The key is to make sure that whatever foods you consume the rest of the day don't put you over your caloric limit for the day...

For example, let's say I want to cut weight and can have up to 2800 calories per day to allow me to cut weight. I would drink 3 meal replacement drinks in water for a total of 810 calories. This would leave me with 1990 calories that I can eat from any source I want to, while still being able to cut the weight without losing strength or energy! I could eat the pizza I love, and maybe a chocolate milk shake too... without guilt or remorse.

The first thing you'll need to do is find out how many calories you need, and then go from there...

It worked for me back in the early 90's when meal replacement drinks were first created, and it will work for you now!!

Are Box Squats Hurting Your Wrestling Performance?

2009-07-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

Before I tell you why I NEVER include Box Squats in the programs I design for wrestlers I want to start with something else...

Be careful who you take advice from... Just because a guy was a good wrestler doesn't mean he's necessarily a good Strength and Conditioning Coach. He might have bragging rights to winning a lot of matches, but if he's lacking knowledge and experience in how to train wrestlers correctly he may just be giving you the same inefficient program that he used to do. Egos are sometimes the biggest obstacle to a guy becoming a great Strength Coach!

Ok... on to the Box Squats...

Box Squats are a method of performing a Barbell Squat and actually sitting down on to a box or bench, and then blasting back up to a standing position.

Powerlifters have used them for years... in fact, we used to include them in our training as far back as the early 90's... Box Squats are good for Powerlifters who need to develop strength 'out of the hole.'

But Box Squats have now made a re-emergence into the Sports world as the 'new' secret exercise for strength, power and speed.

Unfortunately for those that blindly follow this assumption, this couldn't be further from the truth as it applies to wrestling...

Wrestlers need to have a lot of strength development throughout the core and posterior chain area. This means that the hamstrings MUST be developed in a functional fashion. The Box Squat does just the opposite. When you sit down on a box with a loaded barbell you are actually 'de-activating' the hamstrings, resulting in an 'extension' when rising up from the box. It becomes a quadriceps-dominated exercise when the hamstrings are negated...

Another thing that concerns me is when Box Squats are performed by Youth wrestlers. The Box Squat adds pressure when most youth wrestlers are not strong enough in the core. This can lead to pressure on the spine and injury as well. Youth wrestlers should definitely avoid them.

Now, you could still do Box Squats and then simply perform more isolated resistance exercise for your hamstrings, but then you start working out like a bodybuilder instead of strength training for wrestling.

Another issue I have with using Box Squats for wrestlers is that the cervical vertebrae in the lower back are in a disadvantageous position when you are sitting down into a full squat. This is when they are vulnerable to injury. By resting a weighted load on a bench you are causing undue stress in this Lumbar area.

My answer?

Simple... Do Pause Squats where instead of sitting down on to a box, you simply squat down and hold in the bottom position for 3 full seconds before rising up to a standing position. This requires you to use a lot more muscle than you would during a box squat too.

The other favorite of mine for wrestlers who want to generate more hip, and posterior chain power is to use a Sumo-Style Deadlift.

Sumo Deadlifts require you to pull with the hands inside the legs which are wider than shoulder width. The back is kept flat, while looking straight ahead. The key to this is to think about tightening up your hamstrings and glutes while lowering yourself to grab the bar. This 'coiling' effect should feel as if you're compressing a spring and getting ready to release it.

My Protein Pancakes recipe

2009-07-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Ok... if you ever get a chance to come over to my house for dinner and my wife Michelle is cooking, you're in for a treat! She can cook up some excellent meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks...

One of my favorite meals that we eat for breakfast (or better yet DINNER) is Protein Pancakes...

Traditional pancakes contain a lot of carbohydrates from processed sources, leaving little in the way of quality nutrition...

Protein Pancakes are LOADED with protein, complex carbohydrates from natural sources and vitamins...

Here is our recipe that tastes amazing and is easy for any wrestler to prepare...

Protein Pancakes Ingredients:

6 egg whites
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup oatmeal (whole natural oats... not prepackaged crap)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp raw honey
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Place egg whites, cottage cheese, oatmeal, cinnamon and honey in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Heat a griddle to roughly 400 degrees.

Use non-stick spray on the griddle... then add contents from blender. When done cooking both sides, place on plate. Use a bit of 'natural' maple syrup to taste.

This is a great meal that you can use during wrestling season to help with repair of lean tissue as well as keep your muscles loaded with glycogen.

Jump-Start Your Takedown Speed!

2009-07-12T05:42:00.000-07:00

If you've read my stuff or been a member of Wrestling Performance

then you know I'm a big fan of using the Reverse Hyperextension with wrestlers and combat athletes in order to develop mat speed.

The Reverse Hyperextension is unique in that it works the posterior chain area without putting the lower back in a dangerous, compromising situation...

However... not all gyms are equipped with a Reverse Hyperextension machine. Therefore, you can make your own to use anywhere...

All you need is a Stability Ball... Check it out below:

Hyper on Ball

Low back

Exercise Description:
Hyper on Ball
Classification:
Low back
Instructions:
1. Start by placing the ball on a small ledge or on the floor if the height is comfortable.
2. Lean over the ball and secure yourself to an object with your hands.
3. Slowly lift your legs up and back until your body is parallel.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions.

I was in a deep sleep...

2009-07-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

I spent about 5 hours a couple of Sunday's ago going through each of the exercises for my new book Ultimate Wrestling Strength... Anyway, we took over 250 exercises pics that afternoon. Now I don't know about you but this was a lot of work for me. In fact, I slept harder than I have in years... for about 11 straight hours (I'm normally up at 5 am every day and never sleep beyond 6-7 hours)...

It was all worth it! The book has every exercise listed for Youth, High School, College Wrestlers as well as MMA Fighters. The programs include Offseason, Preseason and Inseason...

It's amazing how quickly you can overtrain the body... especially wrestlers. If you're burning the candle at both ends with not a lot of rest, long practices, matches etc you're going to reach a point of burnout and injury...

Get your rest... and be sure to eat clean, and often..

How To Develop Blazing-Fast Takedowns!

2009-06-10T04:57:00.000-07:00

Check out this video clip to see how you can do 2 exercises back-to-back to increase your mat takedown speed and power!

Let me know how you do... Remember function follows form... Always use good form and a full range of motion when possible.

How To Improve Your Standups for Wrestling

2009-06-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Click on the video below to learn my 2 exercise combination that will really improve your standups and wrestling from the bottom!

Ok... imagine for a second that you're in a wrestling match....

You're wrestling from the bottom of your 'referee's position.'

The ref waits for the top wrestler to get ready and then blows the whistle.

What do you do?

Do you try to do a standup?

How about a switch?

Perhaps a granby roll?

No matter what moves you like to do when wrestling from the bottom, you will benefit from the 2-exercise workout in the video above... I guarantee it!

In fact, try it out for 4 weeks, then let me know how much stronger and more explosive you are from the bottom.

3 Supplements Wrestlers Should Consider If Cutting Weight!

2009-05-31T13:09:00.001-07:00

Before I begin with today's tip on supplements for wrestlers
who cut weight, I'd like to say that if it were up to me nobody would cut weight...

...then we would see a whole, new-level of peak performance wrestling!

But since it's not up to me, I want to help you do it correctly if you so choose...

Here goes...

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Supplements for Wrestlers

----------

Maybe one of the biggest reasons wrestlers fail to
perform at their best is because they don't ever recover from wrestling and training.

Most wrestlers that I know get over-trained half-way through the season.

You simply cannot go to school all day, wrestle at practice, wrestle at club, wrestle
at tournaments, dual meets, workout, do homework, family commitments, cut weight, etc. without
burning out...

There has to be a balance.

The previous sections in this ecourse have addressed some things that will help...

Sometimes, you have to look at your nutrition in order to prevent burn-out and over-training.

Since many wrestlers cut weight, it's even harder to get the nutrition your body needs to wrestle at
its best.

This is where supplementation can be a good thing.

*** Always get your doctor's advise before
taking any supplements***

There are a lot of bogus supplements and companies out there.

I've made myself a guinea pig over the years in order to find out what supplements will give wrestlers
an advantage...

Here are the supplements that I find most helpful in preventing overtraining and burnout in wrestlers:

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The Post-Workout Recovery Drink
----------

What you consume immediately following a grueling practice or workout is the most important thing
you can do to recover, and continue wrestling well.

Post-workout recovery drinks should be consumed immediately following practice or working out.

If you are on a tight budget, I'd recommend that you drink 16 oz. of chocolate milk within 20 minutes
of practice or a workout.

Chocolate milk contains protein and simple sugars in the correct amounts to aid in recovery.

You can even make your own drink by mixing:

o Apple or grape juice (60-80 grams of sugar)
o 1 scoop whey protein (about 22 grams)

This is a step up from chocolate milk...

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L-glutamine
----------

L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the
body. It is the key to preventing muscle breakdown
when your body is working too hard.

L-glutamine can help you keep muscle on your body
when you are cutting weight.

It spares the muscle when you aren't eating enough
calories and allows the body to use fat for energy
instead.

It is found in many whey protein powders, so you
might not need to look further than your protein
forumula.

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Branched Chain Amino Acids
----------

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's) are Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.

These amino acids also help the body spare muscle in times of stress and low calories.

They can be very helpful in allowing a wrestler to make it through the demands of the season, and
still stay strong.

----------

How To Get a Wrestling Scholarship!

2009-05-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

You may or may not be looking for a college wrestling
scholarship... I don't know.

But even if you're not, you might know someone who is.

Today I'm going to deviate a little bit and give you 3
incredible tips you can use when looking for a wrestling
scholarship to college...

How do I know?

Because I had the opportunity to interview one of the
nation's most knowledgeable guys on the subject of getting
scholarships... and I picked his brain for an hour, getting
a ton of great tips and strategies to wrestle at the college
of your dreams!

Here goes:

Tip #1 - Don't Send a Highlight Video

A lot of guys who want to wrestle in college send highlight
videos of themselves to every school they are interested in.

These videos showcase their best wins, pins, takedowns,
escapes, reversals etc...

But there's a problem... They never show you lose, or how
you take a loss, or what you do when you're struggling.

Coaches know that 'most' guys, no matter how good they are,
will lose matches here and there... even the guys looking
for scholarships.

Guess what? Coaches want to see that! They want to get
to know you... not some highlight film that everyone sends.

Tip #2 - The ONLY Word That MUST Be On Your Video

There's a word that will help you get your wrestling
videos looked at by college coaches...

This word makes the difference between you getting a shot
at getting looked at and your video getting put in some dusty
closet, or worse... the garbage can!

That word is 'unedited'!

It's really refreshing for a coach to see that you didn't
use some Hollywood production company to show who you want
them to see... not the real you.

When you put the word 'unedited' on the envelope you instill
a sense of comfort, and curiosity to the addressee.

It's simply human nature... It's one of those 'buzz' words
that people are interested in.

Let's face it, trying to get a wrestling scholarship is a
business for schools and a job for you... do it right!

Tip #3 - Always Use a Big Envelope

If you want to make sure you get your video and letters
opened, you have to stand out.

If you send a letter in a business envelope, typed nicely,
with intentions of impressing the coaches with your
professionalism, you're screwed!

You're more likely to get coaches to open your mail if
you send it in a bigger manilla envelope.

This always gets people more curious...

Oh yeah, people love bulky things too... So if you aren't
sending your dvd or video, try attaching your school's
wrestling pin on the top of the letter. This will make your
envelope more bulky... and much more likely to be opened!!

I just wanted to pass these tips to you... stay tuned for
mental conditioning tips next week!

Steve Preston

PS. If you would like a step-by-step blue-print on exactly
how to get a wrestling scholarship, check out my detailed interview with one of the nations leading scholarship specialists. This interview will teach you everything you need to get a wrestling scholarship.... and can only be found on the Wrestling Performance website.

How To Get Stronger, Faster and Better Conditioned For Wrestling With 1 Kettlebell!

2009-05-20T04:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a cool exercise combination if you want something different to try. It can be done with any age wrestler...

I like it because when you use 1 Kettlebell at a time you force your body to involve the Internal Obliques... and that means more speed and power on the mat!

Let me know if you have any questions...

Oh yeah, I almost forgot... I just released the Advanced 6 Minute Conditioning Program yesterday. If you want a program that can get wrestlers into total condition with little to no equipment, and in only 6 minutes a day, check it out :)

Another MUST for offseason high school wrestling training

2009-04-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here's another clip from the NEW 'High School Wrestling Performance DVD's':

When you properly train the 'Rotator Cuff' area, you will gain a tremendous amount of 'functional strength' for your next wrestling season. Check out this video clip to see how to implement this exercise in your high school 'offseason...

The Perfect Workout for Wrestlers!

2009-04-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

I get asked frequently at my Wrestling Performance about workouts. I love creating workouts and training systems to help wrestlers become better than ever...

Recently I received an email from a high school wrestler who wanted to know the best workout to help him become a better leg wrestler...

Then it dawned on me... I need to explain the 'system' vs. the 'quick fix.'

In wrestling, or any other sport, we want success. Success in wrestling is defined by winning matches. The kind of success that makes a wrestler a tournament, state, even national or world champion comes from hard work, day after day, year after year.

Many guys want to have me write them a workout to 'increase mat speed', 'improve takedowns', improve their wrestling off the bottom etc... and it IS something I do for wrestlers, coaches and parents.

BUT... before you can 'specialize' with workouts to turn your weaknesses into strengths, you must first have an overall system of training that works to improve your entire strength and speed levels, as well as your overall conditioning.

This means you need to do strength training year round with an Offseason, Preseason and Inseason. After you have your yearly training system in place, you keep this base of training and specialize with workouts that address your weaknesses afterwards.

Your offseason is where you want to develop more strength and density to your muscles. This is the time of year a wrestler can benefit from doing multi-joint, compound exercises such as:

squats
reverse hyperextensions
weighted dips
close grip incline barbell presses
trap bar deadlifts

During the offseason is also when we want to develop the 'little muscles' that benefit a wrestler by making them stronger 'on the mat. This is when we train the adductor and abductor muscles in the thighs as well as the rotator cuff muscles.

Preseason training is when we make the switch to 'power and speed exercises' such as:

Snatch (and variations of it)
Powercleans (and variations of it)
Plyometrics
Isolateral Training (training one side of the body at a time)
Hybrid Exercises (exercises that are combinations of single exercises)

Inseason training is when we reduce the frequency of training to 1 or 2 days per week. We reduce the number of exercises to no more than 6 per workout. Try to include exercises that require strength and speed but are easy on the joints. The inseason is no time to get yourself injured.

The other key to Inseason training for wrestlers is to purposely reduce the amount of weight that you would normally use on an exercise during the preseason when you are just training and eating well. I recommend that you reduce weights to no less than 80% of the weight used during the preseason, and stick with this weight. This will allow you to recover and still keep strength loss to a minimum (especially when you factor in weight cutting)

Once you mastered year-round training, then you can decide where you are weak. If you have difficulty on the mat and get muscled by your opponents, you will spend more time on offseason training.

If you are strong enough, but lack enough speed and explosive power off the bottom, you will spend more time on preseason training.

If you want to be a stronger leg wrestler you will add more hip abductor, adductor work etc.

The bottom line is that you have to lay the foundation for wrestling-specific training results, and then concentrate on any weaknesses that you may have...

I look forward to working with you..

Steve

Another video for high school wrestling training...

2009-04-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a new sample clip from my upcoming 'High School Wrestling Performance Kit' - the Ultimate Strength, Speed and Power Resource for High School Wrestling Coaches and Parents...

It works best during the Preseason after you do a thorough Offseason training program first...

Let me know how you do...

Here's a Preseason Exercise for High School Wrestlers!

2009-04-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

I just finished filming for my new 'High School Wrestling Performance Kit'...

The 'Kit' contains a preseason, offseason and inseason training dvd program, plus a ton of bonuses...

It will be available May 1sr..

In the meantime, here's a clip from the Preseason program that every high school wrestler who's serious about winning should do:

A 'Must-Do' Exercise For High School Wrestlers!

2009-04-18T06:24:00.000-07:00

If you're a high school wrestler, or coach high school wrestlers, you need to pay attention to the needs that are specific to a wrestler between 14 and 17...

As I've written about in the past, wrestlers in this age group need to work on their flexibility and core strength while strength training...

One of the best exercises you can do in your Offseason as a high school age wrestler is the Half Kneeling Chop. It's a MUST in the programs I design for my wrestlers...

Check it out in the video below (Hey... I don't claim to be a Hollywood actor, but the info's good)

2009-04-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

I hope you've enjoyed the Holiday week... I know I have. My wife and I are headed to the Outer Banks of North Carolina this morning for her birthday...

Before I give you today's tips I wanted to let you know that I'm pulling ALL of my products from the shelves this Sunday... If you want to get a hold of any of our DVD's, CD's, or software as 'stand-alone' products then get over to the site before this Sunday:

Wrestling Performance Products

4 Tips for Offseason High School Wrestling Training!
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1. Work the Rotator Cuff - One of the most neglected areas in a high school wrestler's strength training program is the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles that work together to allow you to move your upper arm in all directions.

This is so important on the wrestling mat... for injury prevention as well as high-performance wrestling.

By working the rotator cuff with simple exercises such as Internal and External Rotations with a band, you will help prevent injuries and will notice a dramatic strength increase while 'cranking half's' on your opponents.

2. Split Your Routine - I've found that at the high school level it is best to perform a 3 day split routine during the offseason for ultimate strength. I like to have the split look something like this:

Day 1: Hips, Legs, Neck, and Core
Day 2: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Forearms
Day 3: Upper Back, Lower Back, Neck, Core

By splitting up your offseason training like this you will be able to get just the right amount of work on each area, while preventing burnout.

3. Work the Abductors/Adductors - Another crucial area to train during your high school offseason are the Abductors and Adductors. These are the muscle groups on the inside and outside of your legs that allows you to extend your legs and move them out to the side and back.

This is so important for defensive wrestling when you sprawl, as well as leg wrestling (scissors, figure 4's etc)...

You can work your Abductors and Adductors with Bands, Cables or on a bench. Standing upright with a band around your foot is my favorite...

4. Work the Internal Obliques - I refer to this muscle as the 'Tornado Muscle.' The internal obliques will turn on the switch for your power and speed on the mat.

The best way to work the Internal Obliques is to use core exercises that force the resistance of the exercise across your body... My favorite way to do this is the Woodchop, Reverse Woodchop or Half-Kneeling Chop.

Steve Preston

PS. If you want to see exactly how I train High School Wrestlers, you'll want to get my High School Wrestling Training Kit... Coming May 1st!... Stay tuned!

5 Ways To Lose Fat Fast!

2009-03-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

Since wrestling season is over, it's time to breathe, relax, and then get ready for next season.

It's time to train hard, eat right, rest and improve your technique...

It's also time for wrestlers (even coaches and parents) to get an education on nutrition... since 'how you eat' will make all the difference for 'how you wrestle.'

In the past I've written little 5-7 day ecourses for wrestlers, coaches and parents on how to strength train, condition and cut weight for wrestling...

Recently, I wrote a short 5 day ecourse called '5 Ways To Lose Fat Fast!' This ecourse is for anyone who wants to finally get in control of their body and lose fat easily and quickly...

It's free too!

Sign up for it here:

5 Ways To Lose Fat Fast!
www.simplefatburning.com

How to train after the season...

2009-03-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

If you won States this season, let me say congratulations!...

But, if you didn't... take a week or so to goof off, and then it's
time to get into some wrestling-specific training to make next year
'YOUR' year!

I often get asked what type of training I recommend for the
offseason...

Although we have tons and tons of 'wrestling-specific' workouts at
Wrestling Performance the one I would recommend any high school
wrestler do to gain the most muscle, strength, power and speed this
season is HIT training.

H.I.T. means 'High Intensity Training' and is an old form of
training that really means picking certain strength exercises and
doing one or two all-out sets to failure in absolutely perfect
form. This type of training is incredibly effective for wrestlers
because it stimulates the metabolism, gets you into anaerobic
condition, and gets you stronger in less time than any other
training system!

If you have the guts to train this way, here are a few tips for you:

1. Do No More Than 12 Exercises In A Workout: 12 seems to be the
maximum number of exercises that you can perform in a HIT workout
without burning out. In fact, I've gotten more recent success by
taking 12 exercises and splitting it into 2 workouts so that I have
guys do 6 of the exercises in the first workout and the other 6
exercises in the second workout. You alternate them each time you
train. It would look like this:

Monday - Workout 'A'
Wednesday - Workout 'B'
Friday - Workout 'A'
Monday - Workout 'B'
Wednesday - Workout 'A'
Friday - Workout 'B'
etc...

2. Perform 1 or 2 Sets To Failure: If you do all 12 exercises in
a full body workout, be sure to perform 1 set to failure (after a
warmup). If you split your workouts as described above, you can do
1 or 2 sets to failure.

If you do 2 sets to failure, reduce the weight by 20% for your
second set to compensate for your increased muscle fatigue.

3. Perform Perfect Repetitions: So often I see wrestlers want to
train fast in the gym as they do in practice. With H.I.T. you need
to slow down... You would lift the weight in 2 seconds, and lower
the weight in 4 seconds...

Slowing your reps down like this forces you to recruit more
fast-twitch muscle fibers... the same one's you use on the mat.

4. Use The Right Exercises: With H.I.T. you can't use Olympic
lifts such as Power Clean, Hang Cleans, or Snatches because these
exercises require you to move the bar fast. There is nothing wrong
with these exercises, and some of my programs at Wrestling
Performance include them. But the best exercises for wrestlers
using HIT are Trap Bar Deadlifts, Reverse Hyperextensions,
Glute-Ham Exercise, Dips, Close Grip Incline Presses etc. These
exercises allow you to work a lot of muscle at one time while
adhering to HIT principles.

The offseason is your time to make a difference... make it YOUR
time!

Best,

Steve
http://www.wrestlingperformance.com

P.S. If you need to see exactly how to do a HIT for Wrestlers
workout, you can view my Champion Strength Training for Wrestlers
DVD. It is a no B.S. program and includes a 12 week program you
can follow for best results!

5 Weight Cutting Tips

2009-01-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

Hey All

I just finished creating a 5 day ecourse called,"How To Cut 10lbs In 3 Days." It's a free 5 day email course, where you'll get a daily tip for 5 days... It really works too!

Sign up for it here:

FREE 5 Day 'How To Cut 10 lbs In 3 Days!' ecourse!

What is 6 Minute conditioning?

2009-01-16T09:14:00.001-08:00

Every day I get asked about conditioning for wrestlers.

Wrestlers, coaches and parents want to know:

How to get into condition for wrestling
How to get stronger for wrestling
How to get faster for wrestling

I often get asked how to get wrestlers stronger, faster and better conditioned with just bodyweight too.

So... I created this system I call '6 minute conditioning.' Here's what it's all about...

In order to increase your strength for wrestling you must consider these factors:

1. There must be progressive resistance, demanding more stimulus from the muscles with successive workouts.

2. Multi-joint exercises are best when trying to increase overall body strength.
Wrestlers should have some component of 'static contraction' training in order to get strong for the mat. This means they should have exercises where the muscle is 'held still' while contracting. This is often what occurs during a match.

3. Muscular strength is developed quickly by occasionally training a muscle to momentary muscular failure.

In order to increase your speed/power for wrestling you must consider these factors:

1. Plyometric exercises are great for speed but only when used on muscle that you've already gotten stronger.

2. Jumping exercise is crucial to increasing takedown and foot speed.

3. Frequent low-repetition sets of low intensity/high velocity exercise increase speed.

In order to increase conditioning for wrestling you must consider these factors:

1. Wrestling is anaerobic, not aerobic, so low intensity distance jogs will not get you in shape overall.

2. Circuit training relies on using short bursts of cardio followed by numerous different strength training exercises for a certain amount of time. This is inefficient both for strength AND for wrestling conditioning.

3. The best ways to condition for wrestling are wrestling itself, and anaerobic training that is similiar in terms of duration and intensity to a wrestling match.

With this in mind, I created a 6 Minute Conditioning (TM) that will take all of these factors into account, and help any aged wrestler develop these wrestling MUSTS at the same time.
Here's an example of what you do:

Use a stopwatch or a wristwatch with a second hand. Set the time for 6 minutes.
Use a multi-joint bodyweight exercise AND a static contraction exercise for the workout. In this example I'll use a Pushup and a Lunge.
Start the stopwatch and immediately crank out 5 perfect pushups.
With no rest, go immediately into a Plank for 20 seconds.
After 20 seconds, immediately perform 5 more perfect pushups.
Follow this with the Plank for 20 more seconds... etc.

This is done until 6 minutes are up, or you can no longer finish the workout.

Make sure that you do the entire workout for longer time the next time (if you failed before the time was up) or add a second combination of exercises for an increased workout.

This workout is going to get you stronger because you train until failure (cripes... I see 400lb bench pressers struggling to squeeze out another pushup after only 4 minutes on this one).

It gets you more powerful and faster because of the frequent 5 rep sets before fatigue sets in. Your power is developed first, followed by strength in this workout... but they work in combination.

It gets you in ultimate condition because you are on a 6 minute schedule (similiar to a wrestling match). The static contraction exercise is brutal because it forces you to really work the core as you are really starting to breathe heavy.

Give this sample program a try with a Pushup and Plank. I've created a 7 day program with some very unique and effective bodyweight exercises to get the most out of your wrestling this season.

More to come...

PS. You can access the entire 6 Minute Conditioning Program when you're a member of Wrestling Performance - The World's #1 Resource for Wrestlers, Coaches and Parents Seeking Cutting Edge Strength, Conditioning and Nutrition Information For Improved Mat Performance!

Fat Fighting Kung Fu Pills

2009-01-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

So another new year is upon us. Untold numbers of people are "resolving" to win the battle of the bulge this year.

Some people are actually laying out a solid plan based on exercise and nutrition.

Others are going to go on yet another fad diet.

Even worse, lots and lots of soon to be disheartened folks will be turning to the latest miracle pill they've seen on TV or the Internet.

It's sad really.

The marketing for these pills gets cranked up to full blast now that it's January. These far less than reputable companies know how desperate people are. And they certainly know how much greater that desperation becomes in January.

Look, you and I know better. We know that the only way you're going to Kung Fu that fat off your belly, butt, hips and thighs is to eat right and exercise.

Know what else is sad?

Once people come to grips with the fact they've been ripped off over and over by these "miracle" diet pill companies, oftentimes they'll refuse to listen to reason about nutritional products that have actual benefits.

For instance, did you know that Essential Fatty Acid products help promote fat loss through the stabilization of blood sugar levels?

And that they may also help regulate mood, improve heart health and decrease joint pain?

If people are looking for a pill to take - one that is actually based on research - they should strongly consider adding an Essential Fatty Acids product to their diet.

I'm asked all the time what I use and it's Prograde's EFA Icon
Again, I know you're to smart to fall for the gimmicks, but if you know of anyone trying a diet pill this January, please tell them to get real. They'll be better off for it.

Yours in health,

Steve Preston

PS - Again, if you're looking to add a great Essential Fatty Acid product to your diet be sure to check out Prograde's EFA Icon. It's the best out there.

How to lose 10lbs in 3 days!

2009-01-12T14:09:00.001-08:00

I hope all is well with you...

I have some great news for you today... but first I want to mention something I feel strongly about...

If I had it my way, wrestlers would never cut weight. I would love to see all wrestlers eat well, train hard, and wrestle their best 'always!!'

However... we all know that as long as wrestling is a sport, there will be an urgent temptation to cut weight.

As a Sports Performance Specialist who works with wrestlers, it is my job to make sure you guys get good information on nutrition as well as training to be your best.

I just released a f.r.e.e. 5 day email ecourse called 'How To Lose 10lbs In 3 Days!' .

It is my basic plan that I've been using with athletes for years who needed to cut weight fast but didn't want to starve or dehydrate.

But I'm not going to offer it for long... in fact, I may pull the information down soon.

Get it at:

==>> http://www.weightcuttingforwrestling.com/lose10lbsin3days.html

You'll receive a quick tip each day for the next 5 days which will help you cut weight without losing strength.

Let me know if you have any questions...

Steve

PS. I have only 16 copies left of the 'How To Cut Weight for Wrestling' DVD. I'm not sure if I'm going to make more copies... You can still get a copy today though.

Today's the day...

2008-12-22T04:13:00.000-08:00

So I've been mentioning in previous posts that I am going to be putting together a DVD to show you exactly how I have wrestlers cut weight... without losing any strength or energy.

Well... today's the day!

I've finally got the time, I've got the foods, I've got the supplements, I've got the entire layout... AND I've got some sort of bronchial infection... TOTALLY SUCKS!

Don't worry... I figure if wrestlers can tough out the season, starving themselves, dehydrating themselves, and beating the snot out of their bodies for months at a time, I can tough it out and finish this DVD with or without a bronchial infection!

I'll spend the rest of the week editing it and getting it ready for you to see how easy it is to keep strong and energetic while cutting weight... and while eating tons of good food too!

Look for it just after Christmas!

Steve

Cutting Weight for Wrestling and Injuries!

2008-12-08T09:55:00.001-08:00

Did you know that when you cut weight you are twice as likely to get injured in wrestling?

It's true...

The process of cutting weight can leave a wrestler completely open for injuries. It has to due with being over-trained and under-nourished.

Wrestlers tend to cut weight by reducing their food to very small amounts or none at all. Then they dehydrate their bodies by avoiding water... and even using saunas, spitting, and plastics while jogging.

This crap is for the birds... You can't possibly compete as well as an athlete under these stress conditions. Your body simply won't allow it.

So what can you do about it??

The answer lies in doing just the opposite of what you think you know to be true...

Instead of starving your body, be sure to get 5 or 6 meals in daily that consist of 'nutrient-dense' foods. These are foods that contain tons of useful calories that your body can use for fuel.

This will keep your blood sugar stable. You need this because your body will use fat as fuel, not muscle. When wrestlers starve themselves to make weight, they then binge after making weight. This binge eating is a result of the body 'freaking out' because you've been denying it nutrition... and it has been eating your own muscle for energy.

The problem with this post-weighing-in binge, is that your body will crave crap foods because it wants calories, and you tend to give it crap food to satisfy the cravings. The problem continues because you aren't giving your body the nutrition it needs... simply empty calories. This vicious cycle adds body fat and catabolizes lean muscle tissue.

The result is a weakened condition, leaving you susceptible to injury...

When you eat nutrient dense foods, you will be able to eat more food than ever and still make weight! This is because nutrient-dense foods keep the blood sugar stable, as well as the hormone levels and leptin in the muscle cells. You also keep the muscle cells full of glycogen, giving you the muscular energy you need on the mat.

In a few weeks I'll be releasing my new weight-cutting for wrestling DVD. It will give you a blue-print for cutting weight. Until then let me know if you have questions...

Steve

Wrestlers and Thanksgiving Eating: a few tips!

2008-11-27T08:10:00.000-08:00

It's Thanksgiving day today, and my wife Michelle and I will be getting together with family to enjoy good company and great food!

I'm sure many wrestlers all over the world tend to stress about Thanksgiving because they are concerned about all of the eating and then having to make weight soon after...

Here are my thoughts...

Eat all you want to on Thanksgiving!

That's right... don't skimp. I want you to eat until you're content even if you are going to drop down a weight class. Hey, your Gramma would be upset if you didn't have a piece of her homemade Pumpkin Pie... so don't disappoint her.

Eat up because you will stuff the muscle cells full of glycogen and get a Leptin load in your body. This means your muscles will be ready for whatever you throw at them... the day after Thanksgiving!

The day after Thanksgiving is the best day to strength train. You will feel a monster pump like you've never felt before. Of course, you can't do this all the time or you'll never make weight. Just do it today!

Now, if you are concerned about your weight, make sure tomorrow's workout is a strength training workout... not cardio or jogging.

Jogging or cardio won't do much to use up the muscle glycogen and kick-start your weight-cutting process. Strength training, on the other hand will do exactly that. If you hit the gym tomorrow, be sure to do a full body 'flushing' workout. That means you will choose one or two exercises for each bodypart and do one set of 20-25 reps on each set to failure. This will necessitate lighter weights because of the high reps.

Here's a sample flushing program to do:

Squats or Leg Press - 1x20-25
Leg Curls or Stiff Leg Deadlift - 1x20-25
Bent Rows - 1x20-25
Chinups - 2xmax reps
Bench Press - 1x20-25
Standing Shoulder Press - 1x20-25
Barbell Curl - 1x20-25
Pushups - 1x max reps
Crunches - 1x max reps

That's it... and it works great. You'll get a huge pump and feel great. Plus, your body will have no choice but to use the food that was stored from Thanksgiving dinner. You'll jump-start your body to make weight, without the guilt.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!

Video Clip from the 6 Minute Conditioning for Wrestlers! DVD

2008-11-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

Check out this clip of your 'Monday' workout from the '6 Minute Conditioning for Wrestlers! DVD...

How To Pack On Muscle Like Brock Lesnar

2008-11-16T06:39:00.000-08:00

If you saw the UFC bout last night between Brock Lesnar and Randy Coutoure, you witnessed the awesome wrestling skills and sheer power of Brock.

Granted, Randy is 45 years old... but I'm not sure it would matter how young or old anyone is who steps into the cage with Brock. He is the epitomy of unstoppable power and strength.

If you ever saw pics or video of Brock's high school matches, you know that although he was a muscular and strong looking kid, he didn't have nearly the muscle mass that he does now.

So... how do you go about packing on functional muscle mass for wrestling?

If you're in high school, you need to train as a 'hard gainer.' That means your strength and mass workouts should be abbreviated, and your total training time should be no more than 2 hours per week!

Here's a sample 'hard gainer' mass program for wrestlers:

Day 1

Trap Bar Deadlift - 1x20 with rest pause (8-10 reps to failure... rest 15 seconds... as many reps as possible... 15 more seconds of rest... as many reps as possible... etc.. until you reach 20)

Shoulder Width Grip Incline Barbell Press - 2x5

Reverse Grip Chinups - 2x6

Plank- 2x as long as possible

Day 2

Barbell Squat - 1x20 with rest pause (see above)

Standing Barbell Shoulder Press - 2x5

Reverse Grip Barbell Row - 2x6

Twisting Crunches - 2x as many as possible

* Take 2-3 days between workouts

This type of training is guaranteed to pack on 'Brock Lesnar' type strength and mass to any wrestler... but you must consume enough calories from protein, carbohydrates and fats.

To figure out how many calories you should eat to pack on muscle, simply take your bodyweight and add a zero. Now double it! That's how many calories you'll need as a high school wrestler if you have trouble packing on muscle.

Example: Your bodyweight is 150. If you add a zero you get 1500. If you double it you get 3000 calories daily.

Brock Lesnar follows a very intense training regimen... with a lot of bodybuilding-type training. When you are in your upper 20's you can pack on mass with his type of program. But if your body is still growing you need abbreviated mass and strength training to be successful.

3 Training Tips to Get Into Wrestling Condition Fast!

2008-11-09T05:12:00.000-08:00

Here are 3 training tips that will get you into total condition this season...

--------------------------

1. Use a 2 Exercise Combination If you are training for wrestling and are using only your body weight then you need 2 types of exercises. You should use a multi-joint, compound exercise. These are body weight exercises (or with weights) that require your body to move from more than one joint - neck, shoulders, elbows, knees, hips. Some examples of body weight, compound exercises are:

Burpees
8 Count Bodybuilders
Jumping Squats
Lunge Variations (with Horizontal Retractions, Vertical Retractions and Twists)
Mountain Climbers

You should also perform static contraction exercises. These are exercises that force your muscles to contract, without movement. Essentially, you hold a position for a required amount of time, or to failure... whichever comes first. Here's a program that shows you how to do these exercises.

2. Time Is On Your Side No one would argue that wrestlers need to have a lot of intensity in their training. Intensity comes in different forms when we're talking about proper training for wrestlers in order to meet their strength and conditioning goals.

One of the least-used, yet most important intensity methods is the use of 'time.' You can increase intensity simply by doing the same amount of work in less time.

-------------------------------------SIDEBAR-----------------------------------------------

You can also time your sets... but I don't like this method. It requires that you perform a set for a certain amount of time, and your goal is to do as many repetitions as possible during this time. This results in performing the exercise too fast... resulting in half-assed form and poor results.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of the best methods is to perform only a few repetitions in each set... let's say no more than 5. You then start your stopwatch and let it go for 6 minutes... the same amount of total time in a wrestling match. You then perform 5 repetitions of a compound exercise, followed immediately by a static contraction exercise for a predetermined amount of time... let's say 20 seconds.

After a few minutes you will be struggling to get 5 repetitions to due to the number of sets depleting your muscles stored glycogen, along with the lactic-acid buildup.

This is a great way to get strong for wrestling...

3. Use Bodyweight Plyometrics While you are getting yourself strong for the season, you can simultaneously increase your speed and power by selecting the correct exercises in your training plan.

I'm a big fan of bodyweight-only plyometrics in the training plan of all wrestlers!

Exercises such as Jumping Squats, Plyometric Pushups, Burpee Squats are all good examples of what you might want to include in your wrestling-specific training regimen. They produce a good carry-over of power and performance on the wrestling mat when done correctly.

What do wrestling conditioning and Mac computers have in common?

2008-11-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

Last week as I was trying to upload a file to my computer it went blank...

IT CRASHED!

I was pissed too... I knew that the computer was getting older. I knew that it was slow compared to the new computers out there. I also knew that I was just buying time before I would need to get with the times and cough up the cash for a new one!

So my wife Michelle and I went to a few local store to check out computers. I couldn't believe how things have changed in just 3 years. Computers that are literally half as much as what we paid for our computer 3 years ago had twice as much memory... along with so many more gadgets and gizmos...

We then began to look at the Mac computers... Let me tell ya', within 5 minutes I looked at my wife and said,"I'm convinced... let's buy this Mac right now!"

This Mac computer is the Rolls Royce of computers.

It has more power!

It is faster!

It is more durable!

It is almost immune from viruses!

The funny thing was when I thought about how similiar this Mac computer is to my new '6 Minute Conditioning' program for wrestlers...

My '6 Minute Conditioning' program for wrestlers helps you because :

It gets you stronger
It gets you faster
It gets you more conditioned
It prevents injuries
It is simple to use
Anyone can use it
It is 'state of the art' in its effectiveness

By taking the time to learn more about the needs of wrestlers, I was able to create a program similiar to Mac that helps the consumer do all the things they need to do without anything complicated.

Sometimes it pays to get with the times. By having a computer that allows me to do so much more with Multimedia, I'll be able to give my members at Wrestling Performance even more one on one coaching as well as provide more killer video to get them in top condition...

When you use the 6 Minute Conditioning program for wrestlers you will be state of the art. You will get natural hormone-release from the training program... which in turn will get you stronger, faster and better conditioned fast... in 2 weeks.

Steve

6 Minute Conditioning Kicked My @$$!

2008-10-27T08:38:00.001-07:00

Ok... I'm 41 years old, and perhaps I just need to accept that I can't do the things I used to.

I'm in damn good condition for my age and can still crank a 405lb bench press on any given day...

BUT... I did one of the 7 workouts in my new '6 Minute Conditioning for Wrestlers' program yesterday and I was whipped after only 3 minutes...

If you haven't tried it, you should!

I was unable to finish the pushups before 5 minutes were up. It's incredible how much intensity you can get by only training for 6 minutes at a time.

The best part though, is that I'm not feeling all beat up and sore today. It's partly because the short, intense workouts allow you to produce Growth Hormone and Testosterone naturally while also allowing you to recuperate... which is so crucial to wrestlers who get burned out and injured during the long season.

If you haven't tried it yet, I recommend you try the Pushups and Planks workout (that is day 7 on the 6 Minute Conditioning for Wrestlers DVD).

Let me know how you did!

10 Tips to pack on muscle and move UP a weight class!

2008-10-21T04:40:00.001-07:00

These 10 tips will help you pack on some size and strength while keeping you fast on the mat... Get started now!

1. Eat Enough Calories If you need to gain size and strength, you can't do it without consuming enough calories. Your daily intake with your wrestling practices plus a growing body means you should consume roughly 20 times your bodyweight in calories per day.
That means you take your bodyweight and multiply by 20:
140lbs x 20 = 2800 calories daily

2. Divide Calories Into 6 Meals Now that you know how many calories to consume each day, you want to figure out how many you should eat at a time. However, you don't want to eat 6 evenly divided meals in terms of calories because your energy demands differ depending on what your body is doing.

For instance, your body needs a lot of calories first thing in the morning during breakfast... especially if you're trying to gain weight. This is because your body has starved all night long. It is also the time to jump-start your metabolism so that you gain muscle, not fat.

You also need more calories immediately following a workout or practice. This is your time to help the body recover from the catabolic activity you just required of it.
So... Here's what you do:

* Consume 25% of your daily calories at breakfast
* Consume 25% of your daily calories after a workout
* Consume 50% of your daily calories spaced evenly over 4 meals

So for our 140lb wrestler seeking weight gain it looks like this:

* Eat a 700 calorie breakfast
* Eat a 700 calorie post-workout/practice meal
* Eat 4 other meals daily. Each meal should be roughly 350 calories

3. Eat Carbs At The Right Times In the last step you figured out how many calories you should eat at each meal, and that breakfast and post-workout meals will contain more calories.
Those extra calories at breakfast and post-workout will come from complex carbohydrates. That means you will use sources such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice (brown), beans, whole grains, oatmeal etc.

60% of your daily calories should come complex carbohydrates. So for our 140lb wrestler it should be:

2800 x .6 = 1680 daily calories from carbohydrates.
Now take the 1680 daily calories and multiply by .25 to figure out carbohydrates at breakfast and post-workout:

He'll eat 420 calories from carbohydrates at breakfast and postworkout.
Now take 1680 daily calories from carbohydrates and multiply by .50 to figure out the rest of the daily carbs. That means you will now have 840 calories from carbohydrates to eat over 4 more meals. That comes out to 210 calories from carbohydrates in each of your 4 other meals.
Now take your calories from carbohydrates for each meal and divide by 4. This will give you the number of grams of carbs for each meal.

420/4 = 105 grams of carbohydrates with breakfast
420/4 = 105 grams of carbohydrates post-workout
210/4 = 52 grams of carbohydrates with each of 4 other daily meals
* This isn't an exact science, and you just round up or down.

4. Frequent Protein Your body stores carbohydrates and fats. It doesn't store protein however. You need to eat protein frequently in even amounts.

You should consume approximately 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily or roughly 30% of your daily intake. This means that our 140lb wrestler should consume between 140-200 grams of protein daily.

* I would lean towards only 1 gram per pound of bodyweight and round out my program with carbohydrates.

For the 140lb wrestler that means 140 daily grams of protein. Spread this over 6 daily meals and you now have roughly 25 grams of protein per meal.

5. Creatine Ok, before I say anything, I want to go out on a limb to announce that "although I personally use creatine and see positive results I am in no way telling you young wrestlers to nag your parents to get you creatine. You have so much to do before that as far as training properly and getting in the right nutrients.

Creatine works... but only for those that have experience in training and proper nutrition first.
Two points: keep very hydrated when consuming creatine. Never ever dehydrate for weight cutting, and especially not when using creatine or protein supplements. It's dangerous and could put stress on your heart and cardiovascular system.

Also, you don't need to load creatine. That's just wasting money. 5-10grams daily will suffice.

6. Maybe Use Glutamine Glutamine is another supplement that has benefits in both fat-reducing programs and in weight-gain programs. In a nutshell it helps you recuperate and prevents overtraining... both of which are so important to wrestlers with extreme training practices.

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your body. Most protein powders and meal replacements that are good use them.

If your budget allows, and your doctor says it's ok, you can use glutamine and see recuperation benefits. But it takes a month to 6 weeks to start working. Be patient and consistent... just be realistic. You'll get more results from training and nutrition than any supplements (or steroids) can ever give.

7. Limit Exercises To 5 When you're strength training and trying to gain weight, you must prioritize your workouts so that you get the 'most bang for your buck'.

I recommend that you put a cap on your daily workouts at 5 exercises. This is so your body can recuperate and use those calories that get burned up fast as food for growth. If you're really enthusiastic and want to grow, but you insist on long workouts with tons of exercises you won't grow as much.

8. Use Multi-Joint Exercises If you want to add size and strength, you have to use multi-joint exercises. These are exercises that force your body to move more than one joint at the same time. They're also called full-body exercises.

Some great examples are:

Barbell Squats
Front Barbell Squats
Barbell Deadlifts
Barbell Hack Squats
Power Cleans
Hang Cleans
Snatch
Hang Snatch
Dips
Bench Press
Bent Row
Incline Barbell Press
Standing Shoulder Press
Upright Rows
High Rows
Pullups

I could go on all day...
These are the type of exercises you want to key on in order to gain weight fast.

9. Brief Workouts We want to keep your workouts brief in order to maximize hormone production. We want those 5 exercises to be completed in under 35 minutes so your body produces testosterone and growth hormone as a response.

"This is essential to growth'
!
This means you're not screwing around. You do a warmup set of each of the 5 exercises, followed by 1 set to failure... and no more.
Then you immediately move to the next exercise.

10. Train 2 Or 3 Days Per Week Depending on your schedule you will train 2 or 3 days per week when trying to gain weight.

I like the Monday-Friday-Wednesday method.

This means that on week 1 you train Monday and then again on Friday. On week 2 you train only on Wednesday. Keep alternating. This has you train every every few days.
You can split your exercises so that you do 5 on A day, and a different set of 5 on B day.
(If you have questions or want examples, let me know)

Steve

PS. If you need more personalized coaching, be sure to ask me your questions in our members-only forum on the site:

http://www.wrestlingperformance.com/

How To Make Your Takedowns Twice as Effective!

2008-10-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a golden tip if you are looking to improve takedown speed and effectiveness...
--------------------

How to Make Your Takedowns Twice as Effective!

--------------------
When you are going for a takedown, you use a combination of muscles. Of course you use the muscles of the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. These 'posterior chain muscles' come from crouching as you prepare to 'shoot in' on your opponent.

You also use your back muscles, and the muscles of the arms and 'hands.' The back muscles work along with your grip to 'pull the leg in.'

Along with your posterior chain muscles you need to get the back muscles and your grip super-strong. If you want to get your back incredibly strong try using 'wrist straps.' Wrist straps are a nylon piece of material that loop around the wrists, and are then wrapped around the bar or handle when performing back exercises. They give you a stronger grip, and prevent the bar or handles from slipping out of your hands. Your back muscles are stronger than the muscles that allow you to grip, so using wrist straps will immediately allow you to train pullups, chinups, rows, shrugs, and any other back exercises with more intensity. Getting your back muscles stronger will help wrestlers 'finish' their takedowns better.

As far as your grip strength...? Use the thick bar for curls, reverse curls, and presses. The thick bar will give you a grip of steel!

====================================================
====================================================

That's all for this week...

Steve Preston
www.wrestlingperformance.com

PS. To see an incredible wrestling strength training program that will get your posterior-chain muscles as well as the rest of your body diesel-strong for the wrestling mat, be sure to check out my 'Champion Strength Training for Wrestlers!' DVD here:

http://www.wrestlingperformance.com/products/item35.cfm

Should Wrestlers Take Supplements?

2008-10-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of questions about supplements...

Whether a wrestler wants to get strong but keep their weight down, gain weight, lose fat etc. they all ask about what the best supplements are...

I always wind up asking the same 2 questions beforeI give an answer...

"What does your training program look like?"
"What does your daily meal plan look like?"

I usually get an answer that suggests an Ok program that needs to be improved, and a meal plan that consistsof crap food and no plan of high-performance eating.

That's usually when I tell them that they are wasting their time and money with supplements...

Supplements simply mean 'in addition to'. If you don'thave a sound eating program that consists of natural foods, with lean protein, fibrous carbohydrates, and unprocessed complex carbohydrates, you're wasting your time.

If you don't have a training system that uses the fuel (food)you put in for energy and repair then you're wastingyour time and money with supplements.

Get your daily training and meal plan systems consistent, then use supplements.

I'll talk about specific supplements next week that can take your wrestling performance up a notch...

Until then, make sure you start today with a proper meal plan and program!

Steve Preston

PS. If you're not sure what to eat or what program touse we have tons of examples you can use immediately at Wrestling Performance. Heck, we're even giving you a copy of The Wrestling Nutritionist meal planning software just for trying us out for 21 days!
http://www.wrestlingperformance.com

How To Get a Wrestling Scholarship!

2008-10-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

You may or may not be looking for a college wrestling scholarship... I don't know.
But even if you're not, you might know someone who is.

Today I'm going to deviate a little bit and give you 3 incredible tips you can use when looking for a wrestling scholarship to college...

How do I know?

Because I had the opportunity to interview one of the nation's most knowledgeable guys on the subject of getting scholarships... and I picked his brain for an hour, getting a ton of great tips and strategies to wrestle at the college of your dreams!

Here goes:

Tip #1 - Don't Send a Highlight Video

A lot of guys who want to wrestle in college send highlight videos of themselves to every school they are interested in.

These videos showcase their best wins, pins, takedowns,escapes, reversals etc...
But there's a problem... They never show you lose, or howyou take a loss, or what you do when you're struggling.

Coaches know that 'most' guys, no matter how good they are, will lose matches here and there... even the guys looking for scholarships.

Guess what? Coaches want to see that! They want to get to know you... not some highlight film that everyone sends.

Tip #2 - The ONLY Word That MUST Be On Your Video

There's a word that will help you get your wrestling videos looked at by college coaches...
This word makes the difference between you getting a shot at getting looked at and your video getting put in some dusty closet, or worse... the garbage can!

That word is 'unedited'!

It's really refreshing for a coach to see that you didn't use some Hollywood production company to show who you want them to see... not the real you.

When you put the word 'unedited' on the envelope you instill a sense of comfort, and curiosity to the addressee.

It's simply human nature... It's one of those 'buzz' words that people are interested in.
Let's face it, trying to get a wrestling scholarship is a business for schools and a job for you... do it right!

Tip #3 - Always Use a Big Envelope

If you want to make sure you get your video and letters opened, you have to stand out.
If you send a letter in a business envelope, typed nicely,with intentions of impressing the coaches with your professionalism, you're screwed!

You're more likely to get coaches to open your mail ifyou send it in a bigger manilla envelope.
This always gets people more curious...

Oh yeah, people love bulky things too... So if you aren't sending your dvd or video, try attaching your school's wrestling pin on the top of the letter. This will make your envelope more bulky... and much more likely to be opened!!

Steve Preston
PS. If you would like a step-by-step blue-print on exactlyhow to get a wrestling scholarship, I'm giving away the entire audio/transcription download of the one hour interview that tells you how! You can only get it for a short time by simply trying out my Wrestling Performance website... Go to:

==> http://www.wrestlingperformance.com/public/10.cfm

... and get all the details!

How To Get Into Top Condition Fast... Every Wrestling Season!

2008-10-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

Metabolic Conditioning for Wrestling
----------

One of the most effective ways for wrestlers to get into great shape for the season is through Metabolic Conditioning.

Metabolic Conditioning is getting both the aerobic system and the anaerobic system in shape.
It is done by creating a workout to condition both systems.

When you get into great Metabolic shape, you will be strong and energetic on the mat.
It is done in the off-season... in an effort to arrive at practice the first day in great shape.

Here are a few tips to improve your Metabolic Conditioning:

---------- 1. Give Yourself 12-16 Weeks ----------

12-16 weeks is the amount of time required to get into great Metabolic Condition.
This is accomplished by starting at the beginning of the summer and working on it the entire summer.

This will get you into tip-top condition for the upcoming season.

---------- 2. Begin By Jogging One Day Per Week ----------

Jogging really doesn't serve much of a purpose for high-performance wrestling. Jogging doesn't meet the anaerobic (without oxygen) needs of a wrestler.

But... getting into 'aerobic' condition is a great way to get into the best 'anaerobic' condition for wrestling.

The aerobic conditioning lays the groundwork for reaching a higher-level of anaerobic conditioning.

Therefore, we have wrestlers do one day per week of jogging at the beginning of their Metabolic Conditioning Program. This will be maintained throughout the entire program.

Just don't use jogging by itself to cut weight orfor 'getting into shape'. It is merely a tool for improving your anaerobic condition.

---------- 3. Add Interval Sprinting ----------

Interval sprinting is basically sprinting fast for a pre-determined distance, followed by a walk or slow pace for a pre-determined distance to let the heart rate slow down.

If you think about it, it really does mimic the activity on the wrestling mat. You are constantly going all-out, followed by short rest periods.

Adding interval sprints will get you into anaerobic condition fast!

---------- 4. Add High-Intensity Sprinting ----------

One day per week, we have wrestlers do nothing but sprints.

This differs from Interval Sprinting where the wrestler is doing sprints, followed by slow periods to allow the heart rate to come down before sprinting again.

High-Intensity Sprint Workouts are done by sprinting for a predetermined distance. When completed, you rest until your heart rate is normal before sprinting again.

This is done for distances from 10 meters up to 150 meters.

We are not trying to get the wrestler tired by doing these. We are concentrating on short, powerful bursts of speed.

---------- 5. HIT Circuits ----------

I'm a huge believer in the value of High Intensity Training (HIT) for wrestlers.
It is strength training that requires brief, intense, infrequent workouts.

Each set is taken to momentary muscular failure ie. the point at which you can no longer perform another perfect repetition.

A HIT circuit for wrestlers is done by completing the exercises for the workout in HIT fashion, with minimal rest between exercises.

It is brutal, yet effective.

In fact, it can be just as effective or MORE effective than any running program when trying to get into wrestling condition.

----------
Next week, I'll talk about the best supplements for wrestlingsuccess...

Steve Preston

P.S. If you need a metabolic-conditioning workout alreadylaid out for you, be sure to join us at Wrestling Performance today!
http://www.wrestlingperformance.com/public/10.cfm

How To Cut Weight Without Losing Strength!

2008-10-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Ok… this might be the #1 question wrestlers, coaches and parents have (at least for high school wrestlers)…

Don’t ever starve yourself to make weight. If you have to do that, you’re not doing things correctly.

First things first… weight-cutting is an art. You should never wait until the last minute and then starve and dehydrate yourself. This is a recipe for injury, overtraining and burnout.

You must think about the process weekly, with an eating system. Then you fine-tune starting 3 days before weighing in.

I could go on for a while here, so I’m just going to give you a meal plan system that will allow you to keep strength and energy, while dropping any extra fat that may keep you from making weight.

It’s called the 40/30/30.

This means you will consume 40% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 30% fats in your meal plan. This ratio is how you divide your daily calories.

To start, take your desired bodyweight, and add a zero.

So if you’re 150lbs, and want to wrestle at 140lbs, you will make sure you AT LEAST get 1400 calories daily. You have to gauge your body. Because of physical and mental demands on your body this may or may not be enough to sustain your strength and energy levels. We are all metabollically different…

Of the total calories you eat daily just make sure you have a 40/30/30 macronutrient ratio.

PROTEIN:
40% protein of 1400 calories = 560 calories from protein.
Divide 560 by 4 to get the total number of grams of protein daily (560/4=140 grams of protein daily)
140 divided by 5 to get the number of grams of protein at each daily meal (140/5=28 grams of protein per meal)

CARBOHYDRATES:
30% carbohydrates of 1400 calories=420 grams of carbohydrates daily
Divide 420 by 4 to get daily grams of carbohydrates (420/4=105 grams of carbohydrates daily)
Carbohydrates are stored in the body so you can eat them when you feel the need for energy. I recommend getting most between the morning meal, and after practice.

FATS:
30% fat of 1400 calories=420 grams of fat daily
Divide 420 by 9 to get number of grams of fat you should eat daily. (420/9=47 grams of fat daily)

Fats are also stored. Try to get unsaturated fats into the meal plan from oils (olive oil, flax seed oil) and nuts. You can add oils to protein shakes if necessary.

———————–
This is just a quick example… If you need more weight-cutting tips, strategies and techniques I encourage you to join my site at www.wrestlingperformance.com today because I’m giving away my ‘Underground Weight-Cutting Survival Guide for Wrestlers!’ as a free bonus!

3 Supplements for Wrestlers Who Are Cutting Weight!

2008-10-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Before I begin with today’s tip on supplements for wrestlerswho cut weight, I’d like to say that if it were up to menobody would cut weight…

…then we would see a whole, new-level of peak performancewrestling!

But since it’s not up to me, I want to help you do itcorrectly if you so choose…

Here goes…

———-
Supplements for Wrestlers
———-

Maybe one of the biggest reasons wrestlers fail toperform at their best is because they don’t everrecover from wrestling and training.

Most wrestlers that I know get over-trainedhalf-way through the season.

You simply cannot go to school all day,wrestle at practice, wrestle at club, wrestleat tournaments, dual meets, workout, do homework,family commitments, cut weight, etc. withoutburning out…

There has to be a balance.

The previous sections in this ecourse haveaddressed some things that will help…

Sometimes, you have to look at your nutritionin order to prevent burn-out and over-training.
Since many wrestlers cut weight, it’s even harderto get the nutrition your body needs to wrestle atits best.

This is where supplementation can be a good thing.

*** Always get your doctor’s advise beforetaking any supplements***

There are a lot of bogus supplements and companiesout there.

I’ve made myself a guinea pig over the years inorder to find out what supplements will give wrestlersan advantage…

Here are the supplements that I find most helpfulin preventing overtraining and burnout in wrestlers:

———-The Post-Workout Recovery Drink———-

What you consume immediately following a gruelingpractice or workout is the most important thingyou can do to recover, and continue wrestling well.

Post-workout recovery drinks should be consumedImmediately following practice or working out.

If you are on a tight budget, I’d recommend thatyou drink 16 oz. of chocolate milk within 20 minutesof practice or a workout.

Chocolate milk contains protein and simple sugarsin the correct amounts to aid in recovery.
You can even make your own drink by mixing:o Apple or grape juice (60-80 grams of sugar)o 1 scoop whey protein (about 22 grams)

This is a step up from chocolate milk…

———-L-glutamine———-

L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in thebody. It is the key to preventing muscle breakdownwhen your body is working too hard.

L-glutamine can help you keep muscle on your bodywhen you are cutting weight.

It spares the muscle when you aren’t eating enoughcalories and allows the body to use fat for energy instead.

It is found in many whey protein powders, so youmight not need to look further than your protein forumula.

———-Branched Chain Amino Acids———-

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) are leucine,Isoleucine, and Valine.

These amino acids also help the body spare musclein times of stress and low calories.

They can be very helpful in allowing a wrestlerto make it through the demands of the season, and still stay strong.

———-

That’s all for now…

Steve Preston

P.S. If you want to stay strong you have to eatthe right wrestling-foods. Grab a f*r*e*e copy of the ‘Wrestling Nutritionist’ meal-planning software as a BONUS when you join Wrestling Performance today!

http://www.wrestlingperformance.com/public/10.cfm

2 Day Per Week Inseason Power and Strength Workout for Wrestlers!

2008-10-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

2 Day Per Week Inseason Strength and Power Program!************************************************
This program is geared towards upper high schoolwrestlers… I’ll be blogging on how to train youthand college wrestlers too. Stay tuned!

************************************************

Follow this 2 day per week program to keep your muscle andstrength during your inseason or heavy wrestling training periods.

Day 1

Power Cleans - 3×3 90 seconds rest
Barbell Squat - 2×5 90 seconds rest
Barbell Rows - 2×5 90 seconds rest
Weighted Dips - 2×5 90 seconds rest
Russian Twists - 2×8 90 seconds rest

Day 2

Chinups - 2xmax reps 60 second rest
Glute/Ham Raise - 2×10 90 second rest
Barbell Shrug - 2×10 90 second rest
Close Grip Floor Bench Press - 2×8 - 90 second rest
Weighted Crunches - 2×10 60 second rest

This program can be performed on 2 non-consecutive days per week.

Try to do one of the programs the day after you compete so asnot to make you sore for your match.

Have a great week!

Steve Preston

P.S. I know some of you may have questions… or wantmore workouts and training information. Well, get overto Wrestling Performance and for only 1 buck you can havea 21 day trial and get full access to me and the site!!
http://www.wrestlingperformance.com/public/10.cfm

Why Jogging Is Hurting Your Wrestling Performance!

2008-10-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

Never Jog

Wrestling is an anaerobic sport. Anaerobic means ‘without oxygen.’ So why on earth do so many wrestlers and coaches advocate endless miles of jogging when conditioning for the needs of a wrestling match?

Endless jogging depletes the glycogen from your muscle cells, leaving your body no choice but to use its own muscle for energy. This will over-train the body very quickly.

If you are completely out of condition and are just starting a long (4 month) program to get into top wrestling shape, you can do a jog twice a week to develop an aerobic base. This will help your body get into better anaerobic condition. However, after this very short phase of aerobic training, it’s time to ditch the jogging and stick to interval sprinting, sprints of various distances, uphill sprints (and walk down), stadium stairs runs etc.

All of these have the common them of being short bursts of all-out runs, followed by short rest periods. By alternating these, you better simulate the demands of a wrestling match.
The end result is better conditioned wrestlers, able to go the distance. You will also be less susceptible to injuries because you won’t beat the body down.

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Be sure to check out Wrestling Performance to learn hundreds of more tips, tactics and strategies for the best wrestling of your life: http://www.wrestlingperformance.com