During my first season of high school wrestling, I “peaked” at exactly the right time. I was conference champion, division champion, and district champion. By winning the district championship, it qualified for the state tournament. I got knocked out in the first round 5-2 and never got a chance to get back into wrestling. However, it has improved over the previous seasons. During my sophomore year, I finished fourth in the conference and finished third in the divisions. During my junior year, I finished 2nd in conference and finished 3rd in the district. I always ran out of motivation and motivation at the end of the season and never qualified for the state tournament. What is the change during graduation season?

First, I had better control of my diet during senior season. I was counting calories and slowly losing weight. I haven’t gone a day without food. I wasn’t starving or dehydrated. I didn’t feel weak at the end of the season. I kept getting stronger. Therefore, my position was also different. I was confident and had a real desire to qualify for the state championship. I had been feeling weak the previous two seasons and I really didn’t want to be that bad.

How can a wrestler peak at the end of the season? Let’s examine things a bit.

menstrual cycle

A time period simply involves planning your training for the season or even for the entire year. The season is divided into different phases. Tudor Bomba says, “Normally, peak performance is planned to be reached during the competitive phase and cannot be sustained forever.” Likewise, Mark Ginter says, “It’s impossible to hold peak condition for more than two weeks at most.” Of course you want to win every game. In addition, you want to be in perfect shape. However, you can’t be in top shape all season. Therefore, your coach will likely make you do a higher amount of work earlier in the season. Towards the end of the season, you will likely perform a lower amount of work but at a higher intensity. Your ultimate goal is to peak in post-season tournaments such as Divisional, District, and State.

conditioning

As you mentioned, your volume has to go down when you want to peak at the end of the season. However, your workouts may be more intense. Severity and brevity is key. Towards the end of the season, you may start to think more about match strategy. You can start practicing the “situations” that may arise in the match. What would you do if you were one point ahead in the bottom place with only ten seconds left in the game? You should probably do a stand up. You obviously don’t want to do a game of granby and try to pin your opponent. You have to be smart and stick to that one-point lead.

Technique

Drilling is important to reach the peak. If you rehearse your moves religiously during the season, it will become second nature. Winning postseason contests will be easier if your technique is impeccable and comes naturally.

Recovery

Recovery includes many things. Make sure you get enough rest. Ideally, you should sleep eight to ten hours each night. Some wrestlers find that a contrast shower (alternating between hot and cold water) is helpful after a workout. Taking a hot bath before bed can be soothing and may help you sleep better. In addition, do not forget about nutrition.

Intense wrestling and conditioning deplete muscle glycogen and break down muscle tissue. Therefore, after your workout, be sure to eat some protein and carbohydrates. A shake made with whey protein and a fast-digesting carbohydrate source can be beneficial after a wrestling workout in terms of recovery.

behavior

Are you excited and motivated or weary from the long season? I hope you are excited and motivated to win. How far do you want to qualify for the state championship? Those wrestlers who have a burning desire to win will most likely wrestle at their best. Winning or losing is not the end of the world. However, if you don’t care if you win or don’t believe in your abilities, you will be at a huge disadvantage.

Anyone can be hit. Dan Gable was beaten in his last college game. Rulon Gardner defeated Alexander Karelin who had been undefeated for thirteen years in international competition. University of Iowa wrestler Matt Egeland named eighth seed at the 1985 NCAA Wrestling Championships, but finished second. He defeated the first gladiator along the way. I had a teammate in high school who was seeded last in the district tournament, but I beat the top seed and qualified for the state tournament. Anything can happen in postseason tournaments. be confident.

tapering

Paradoxing involves reducing the overall volume of training. This gives your body extra comfort. You can still do short, intense workouts. You can still practice and focus on your skills and strategy. But, the total amount of wrestling and conditioning should be reduced before that big post-season tournament.

Dan Gable and University of Iowa

In Mike Chapman’s book hard wrestling Discusses Dan Gable and the University of Iowa wrestling program. Coach Gable would sometimes have his wrestlers train twice a day before the NCAA tournament. This seems to contradict the idea of ​​tapering off, though I don’t know how long these practices lasted and how severe they were. Coach Gable even had Ed Banach do a third practice at 5 in the morning, and Ed Banach won the NCAA tournament that year largely because of that extra practice he drilled his takedown technique. Will you be willing to pay that price to reach the pinnacle of success? Remember what I wrote about drilling earlier? Digging pays off.

the film Hoosiers It is very inspiring. Before the state finals, the coach tells his team, “Forget about the fans, the size of their school, their fancy uniforms and remember what made us here. Focus on the basics we went through over and over again, and most importantly, don’t get caught up in thinking about winning or losing this game. If you put your effort and focus into playing to your potential, and being the best you can be in this game, I don’t care what we achieve in the end.”

Earlier in the movie, the coach says, “There’s a stipulation in playing the course; you don’t talk about the next step until you’ve climbed the one in front of you.”

I think this is sound advice. Focus on your essentials in the Post-Season Championship Series. Take on one match at a time and be determined to wrestle to your potential.

In conclusion, getting to the peak can be complicated. Make sure you get enough rest. Drill your skills relentlessly. Do your high-volume workouts early in the season and shorter, more intense workouts as the season draws to a close. Make sure you are mentally focused and confident in your abilities.

With the right peak, you’ll be refreshed, rested, and ready to wrestle your best!