Quarantine Objectives for Athletes and Coaches During this period of social distancing, it can be tough for both athletes and coaches to stay on track and working towards long term goals.  With schools closed, training on hold, state tournaments canceled, and summer events like Fargo in question, it can be tempting to throw in the towel. I want you to stop right there. Look at the big picture. Every situation, no matter how dire, presents an opportunity, you just have to find it. So what can we do? How can we make the most of our current situation? I’m going to help you. I’ve created ..read more

How to avoid wrestling KNEE INJURIES  Due to the rough, physical nature of the sport, injuries are common place in wrestling.  Probably the most common types of injuries involve trauma to the shoulder and knee joints.  A steady diet of daily shoulder pre-hab and weekly overhead stability positions have helped tremendously to cut down on the amount of shoulder and labrum tweaks I see with my athletes, but what can be done when it comes to knee injury prevention? Knee injuries can be a little bit tricky since there are a ton of variables in the direction and amount of force applied to this hing ..read more

Should wrestlers bench press? Ok, we’ve all heard the anecdotes, and maybe you find yourself reciting them as well - “wrestling is not a pressing sport” “Bench Press isn’t functional” “If you’re on your back pressing up, it’s too late” While I agree that wrestling involves the “pulling” muscles of the back and biceps much more than the “pushing” ones, it is important to be strong in every position.  Hand fighting involves both pushing and pulling, and you definitely need a strong chest to cradle up an opponent. So the short answer is “yes”.  Despite the long standing myths within wrestl ..read more

Season’s Greetings! With the holidays right around the corner it can be a tricky time to navigate for coaches and athletes.  Competition has started, the volume of training has been incredibly high for a few months, and whether its a holiday tournament or the start of league competition, chances are you have some important dates circled on the calendar that are approaching.  Right in the middle of all that you have…Christmas, New Years Eve, no school, traveling to see family, christmas cookies…you get the picture.  Sometimes its hard enough to fend off one distraction or momentum killer, but ..read more

Are your wrestlers cutting weight the WRONG way? Ah, yes...the proverbial elephant in the room - weight cutting.  Personally I am a huge proponent of wrestlers NOT cutting weight, particularly at the high school or youth level, but until we have a major culture change it will remain a part of the sport.  Even if an athlete is not cutting a large amount of weight the reality of being stuck between two weights (say, an athlete that walks around at 190lbs) usually leaves us with one option and that is taking off some water weight before weigh ins.  However, like most things, there are right ways ..read more

With summertime right around the corner, you have probably been doing some form of cardio in preparation for pool season.  Let me guess…do you jog aimlessly around your neighborhood or park a few days a week?  If so, that is great, but you could do much better.  Doing nothing but your standard, monotonous pace, neighborhood runs may help you work up a good sweat and burn some calories, but long term that style of running will do little to improve your overall conditioning.  The goal of any conditioning plan should be to get leaner/lose body fat, improve your muscular endurance, build your aero ..read more

Any half way decent strength program should cover the essential strength movements - pushing, pulling, hinging, squatting and planking.  While even a basic Squat/Bench/Deadlift regimen will cover these areas, that doesn’t mean that there are not an abundance of beneficial accessory exercises out there.  Strength is strength, but remember that not all accessory exercises are created equal.  Some are more beneficial than others, and some are especially of more benefit when considering the strength demands of wrestling.  Perhaps you have already been utilizing my 5 favorite, but in case you have ..read more

“The 5 toughest arm routines for gigantic guns” OR “5 Killer Arm Workouts for Tank Top Season” As the weather gradually begins to warm here in the northern hemisphere, the signs of the impending summer season are all around us.  Birds chirping, the smell of freshly manicured lawns, and a amazing vibrance of the landscape that was missing has returned. Other than the lush spring vegetation, Mother Earth brings something else out of retirement as she awakens. Yes, my loyal Muscle & Strength meat heads, I’m talking about Tank Top season.  As most of us try to lean down a little for the s ..read more

Well my friends, summer time is right around the corner, and if you are like most people, this is the time of year you want to start leaning up for the beach or simply shedding any extra weight you accumulated during the winter months.  Are you someone that dreads the word “cardio”, as it conjures up images of monotonous hours plodding along on a treadmill? Many people have the wrong idea of what style of conditioning workouts burn fat efficiently, and let me tell you, it doesn’t need to be an hour long mind numbing run or bike ride.  The best type of routines for burning fat, improving your ..read more

A 4 week workout plan to master an extreme core strength movement - the Plate Lay out. One of the biggest problems I see in the gym - from casual lifters to pros - is poor core strength.  Now, since “core training” has been the fitness industry buzz word for quite some time, and everyone wanting to show off those six pack abs on Instagram, why am I still seeing lifters with weak cores?  Is it because Instagram filters have everyone tricked into thinking their midsection is stronger than it actually is? That is a possibility, however, I think the real problem is that most lifters have a fundam ..read more