Wrestling practice requires high physical energy and intense mental focus. Wresting is a physical sport, and practice is the best time to build strength and stamina. Practice also allows wrestlers to work on moves and technique. The day before a meet, wrestlers should lower their intensity, and save physical and mental strength for the upcoming opponent.
Nice and Easy
Conditioning and weight training are big parts of wrestling practice. The sport demands physical strength and flexibility, and weightlifting adds muscle. Wrestlers who do heavy lifting at practice the day before a match risk being sore and tired when it is time to compete. Light lifting maintains strength that has already been developed. Jumping rope, pushups, situps and jogging maintain conditioning, and help you stay loose and flexible the day before a meet.
Make a Move
During a regular practice, wrestlers break into pairs and go all out on the mat. The day before a meet, the focus shifts to refining technique and working on troublesome moves. Football teams go through light walkthroughs the day before a game, while basketball and soccer teams engage in light scrimmages. Wrestlers also slow it down the day before a meet and use their partners to practice escapes, take-downs, pins and various holds at a reduced speed.
Mental Preparation
Visualizing the match at practice the day before taking the mat is an effective way to prepare. Wrestling requires strength, toughness and flexibility, but you also have to be mentally ready. Developing a positive mental approach is critical. Negative thoughts put the wrestler at a disadvantage before the opening whistle blows. Play the match out in your mind until you are 100 percent convinced you are going to win. Even a sliver of doubt can be difficult to overcome once the meet begins.
Video Review
Watching video is an important tool in sports preparation, and wrestling is not excluded. Practice gets wrestlers physically and mentally prepared. Film review gives you a firsthand look at what an opposing wrestler does well, and not so well. Watching video of the opponent the day before the meet eliminates the element of surprise. Video study also helps you prepare for the opponent's strengths and weaknesses.
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