How To Increase Endurance For Wrestling

Success in wrestling requires a variety of physical attributes, including endurance. If you have greater cardiovascular and muscular endurance than your opponent, you will be faster and stronger than him in the later rounds of your match. Most wrestling practices will include periods of time devoted solely to developing endurance in the participating athletes. If you want an extra edge, though, you can train outside of practice to improve your personal conditioning to an even higher level.

Step 1

Go out for cross country in the fall season. While many wrestlers prefer football, cross country directly improves your cardiovascular endurance through long weeks of distance running.

Step 2

Continue your cardiovascular training even after cross country ends and wrestling season begins. If feasible for your location, you can do this by running or bicycling to and from practice or school each day.

Step 3

Practice "double-time" exercises during practice. This means doing two pushups, burpees, neck bridges or other exercises for every one the rest of your team does. At first, you may need to do two for every three, or three for every five -- but if you keep at it, you'll work your way up to double-time.

Step 4

Wrestle in scrimmage matches for longer periods or more rounds. For example, if your competition consists of three two-minute rounds, wrestle for four rounds, rounds of three minutes, or both. If you get your body used to this level of exertion, competition will feel easy by comparison.

Step 5

Jump rope immediately after each competitive match you finish, no matter how tired you feel. You can jump at a fast or slow pace, but don't stop moving until the end of the next match. Like other ways of building endurance, this practice pushes the limits of what your body is used to enduring.

Tips and Warnings

These ideas represent a series of suggestions for developing your muscular and cardiovascular endurance. You don't need to -- and probably shouldn't -- incorporate them into a cohesive program. Instead, select the ones that seem most likely to work for your needs and circumstances.
Over-training is a risk for all athletes, especially those in a sport that's already as demanding as wrestling. Let your coach know what you're doing, and ask him to keep an eye out for signs that you're overdoing it to a degree that might hurt your performance or body.