Strength and Conditioning Tip - The Power Clean

Dan Gable has said that the one exercise he would have any wrestler perform for improved wrestling would be the power clean.  The power clean is a strength exercise that involves most of the wrestling muscles at one time.  It works the 'posterior chain' muscles (glutes, hamstrings, lower back) as well as the upper back, traps, forearms, neck, and grip. 

Power cleans can have their drawbacks however.  They require that you explode the weight up in order to complete the movement.  This is fine for many wrestlers.  But I've found that a lot of wrestlers begin to experience pain in their wrists and elbows from the exercise.  This is due to the speed at which you perform the exercise. 

Remember, you don't have to strength train fast in order to wrestle fast. 

In fact, you will use more muscle if you choose exercises that you can perform more slowly. 

Rather than performing power cleans, I have my wrestling clients perform a combination of the 'trap bar deadlift' and the 'glute-ham-gastroc' machine.  Or a combination of 'free weight squats' and the 'reverse hyperextension.'  You get more concentration on the wrestling muscles with these combinations than from just performing power cleans. 

 If you are limited in the equipment that you have available, stick to power cleans.  If you're not sure about the other exercises, ask a qualified strength and conditioning coach to help you out. 

If you'd like to start training today with workouts that are already created for any wrestler, check out our Workout Vault at http://www.wrestlingperformance.com
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What Should You Eat At A Tournament??

I've had a few people email me with this question lately.  They want to know what foods they should eat when they are wrestling many matches in a long tournament.  I've seen wrestlers eat fruit, eat honey, and eat lots of bagels during the course of a long day.  NO!!!!!!

If you have a long day of wrestling ahead of you, stay away from carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates are stored in the body.  That means you have enough carbs from the meals that you ate the day before to help carry you through a long tournament.  If you eat carbs the day of a tournament, you might get sleepy.  Carbohydrates have a sleep effect on the body.  That's why after eating carbs you find yourself yawning, and relaxed.  You don't want to get sleepy when you have 2 or 3 matches to go.

So what should you eat the day of a tournament? 

PROTEIN!

You should consume as much protein as you need to feel comfortable.  Your body has to work harder to break down protein than it does to break down carbs.  This means that you will be more alert during the day.  Make the proteins come from solid foods (deli meat and cheese are great!).  Don't consume protein drinks during the tournament though.  Protein such as whey (found in protein drinks) is pre-digested, and won't give you an alert feeling as the protein from solid food does.  Eat plenty of carbs the night before the tournament (after you've made weight) and after the tournament.

Need a 'personalized meal plan' this season?  Now you can create your own with The Wrestling Nutritionist.  This software will allow you to create an unlimited number of meal plans for any wrestler.  Takes seconds.  Just print and go!

http://www.wrestlingnutritionist.com
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That's all for now!  Best of luck this week!

Steve Preston
www.wrestlingperformance.com

www.wrestlingnutritionist.com