Saturday, April 3, 2010
WE'VE MOVED!!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Eat this after a wrestling tournament!!
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!!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Eat this after you weigh in for recovery and energy!

I always get asked what the best foods are after you weigh in for wrestling...
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A Perfect Weight-Cutting Food for Wrestling!

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.
3 Great Exercises for Building Wrestling Strength Fast!

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!
Monday, August 31, 2009
3 Training Tips to Prepare for Your Season FAST!

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!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Eat junk food and still make weight for wrestling!

Monday, July 27, 2009
Are Box Squats Hurting Your Wrestling Performance?

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

Saturday, July 18, 2009
My Protein Pancakes recipe

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...
- 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
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Jump-Start Your Takedown Speed!
| 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. |
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
I was in a deep sleep...
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
How To Develop Blazing-Fast Takedowns!
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.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
How To Improve Your Standups for Wrestling
Sunday, May 31, 2009
3 Supplements Wrestlers Should Consider If Cutting Weight!
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
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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
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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
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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.
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Monday, May 25, 2009
How To Get a Wrestling Scholarship!
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.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
How To Get Stronger, Faster and Better Conditioned For Wrestling With 1 Kettlebell!
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 :)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Another MUST for offseason high school wrestling training
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Perfect Workout for Wrestlers!
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
- 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)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Another video for high school wrestling training...
It works best during the Preseason after you do a thorough Offseason training program first...
Let me know how you do...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Here's a Preseason Exercise for High School Wrestlers!
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:
Blog Archive
About Me
- Steve Preston
- I am a 20 + years Sports Performance Specialist. I work exclusively with wrestlers to help them gain strength, speed, flexibility and endurance to win more matches. I also coach wrestlers on how to cut weight without losing strength. My website www.wrestlingperformance.com is a members-only site where you can get hundreds of my articles, tips, strategies, workouts, interviews etc. to help you gain the edge. I also provide personal coaching in our members forum :) I'm a dog lover... My Schnauzer named Gracie is our baby. My wife is Michelle, the greatest person in my life.