Take Down Wrestling Injuries with 5 Simple Exercises

Injuries are bound to happen in the sport of Wrestling. By design the sport pits two athletes to grapple until the victor shows physical and/or technical dominance by pinning their opponent or scoring more points. In order the most common areas of injury are the lower extremity, upper extremity and the head & neck. Most of these injuries occur during matches and most commonly during the take down. Also the sport of wrestling requires athletes to meet weight restrictions determining what class they will compete at. Often this requires rapid weight loss by caloric and hydration restrictions. All though this is not the recommended procedure for making weight it is often the path chosen by wrestlers of all levels. This type of weight loss has been shown in studies to be accompanied with decreases in strength, power, anaerobic and aerobic capacity. So, while decreasing weight is the desired result all of these will have a negative impact on a Wrestler’s ability to achieve optimal performance on the mat.

Here are five simple exercises which will help reduce the risk of injury during wrestling.

1. Single Leg Romanian Dead lift

Procedure: Start with weight balanced to one leg with a Dumbbell in the opposite hand. Keep your stomach tight by pulling the belly button towards the spine. Keep your shoulders back and maintaining an upright chest. Your spine should be in a neutral position and all movement should be at the hip with NO spinal flexion. Keep you head up and your hips and shoulders should remain parallel to the ground. There should be NO rotational movement by the hips and shoulders. All movement should be at the hip and should go through the full range of motion or until technique begins to breakdown by inability to maintain balance or rotation begins with the pelvis.
Works: on single leg strength along with athletes hip range of motion and more primarily the athletes’ balance. Muscles being worked are the glutes, hamstrings, gastrocs primarily. Secondary muscles being worked are the quads, hip and ankle stabilizers.

2. Single leg Vertical Jump
Procedure: Stand on a single leg maintaining balance before initiating movement. Explosively push off the single leg and try to achieve maximum vertical height. Land softly on the same leg absorbing the force of landing through the ankle, knee and hip. Regain balance before initiating the next repetition.

Works: Helps to develop explosive power. Eccentric loads of landing helps to strengthen the knee and hip joint to absorb force.

3. Push Up with Rotation

Procedure: begin in a standard push up position with a flat back and hips forming a straight body position. Perform a standard push up lowering the chest towards the floor maintaining a straight body position. Return to the start position and initiate rotation by lifting one hand and arm of the floor and rotating the body maintaining a straight body position until the up arm is perpendicular to the ground. From the up position lower the body by rotating back to the start position in a controlled fashion. Then perform another standard push up and perform a rotation on the other side.
Works: Core stability and upper body strength and shoulder proprioception. Helps to train the body to be in a single arm supported position.

4. Plyometric Push up
Procedure: Assume a standard push up position with a flat back and hips forming a straight body position. Keep your body straight as you lower your chest towards the floor. When you reach the lowered position push yourself away from the floor explosively. Your hands should leave the ground and the as you begin to descend absorb the landing through your wrists, elbows and shoulders. Assume a standard push up position and repeat.
Works: On upper body explosive strength, core stability and ability of the upper body proprioceptors to absorb force.

5. Neck Bridging (flexion and extension)
Procedure: (Flexion) Begin on your hands behind your back with your forehead resting on the ground on a towel. Hold this position for a determined period of time. (Extension) Begin with the back of your head on the ground resting on a towel. Your feet are towards your butt and your hands are at your side. Perform a bridging exercise lifting your hips and shoulders off the ground. Your weight should be distributed between your feet and your head.
Works: On strengthening the muscles of the neck and preparing them for bearing weight during wrestling activities.

All of these exercises will not guarantee that injuries will not happen in wrestling. Wrestling has the second highest incident of injury second to football. But, by performing these exercises hopefully the risk of injury will go down and if injury does occur the severity will be less than if the exercises were not done.

References

Grindstaff, T. and Potach, D. Prevention of Common Wrestling Injuries. Strength and Conditioning Journal. Vol 28, #4 page 20-28.

Verstegen, M. and Williams, P. Core Performance. USA: Rodale, 2004.

Chu, D. Jumping Into Plyometrics. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1998.

Boyle, M. Functional Training for Sports. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2004.