Weight Lifting For Wrestling
The term "weight lifting" specifically refers to the lifts contested in an Olympic lifting competition- the clean and jerk and the snatch. Although these happen to be two great ways to increase a wrestlers' power, I have observed that the wrestlers that I train struggle to learn the proper technique. I blame this on the fact that I do not have a thorough background with the Olympic lifts and the fact that they are two of the most complicating lifts to learn. However, I have been able to effectively use derivatives of these lifts to increase the power in wrestlers. Below I will detail the top three.
1 - Log Clean
The log clean is by far the favorite lift the wrestler's I train like to perform when looking to increase their power. I feel it is just as effective at developing explosive hips as a traditional clean but it's easier to learn.
2 - Single Arm Dumbbell Jerk
This exercise is performed basically the same way as a traditional jerk would be only with a dumbbell. I like using dumbbells to mimic traditional Olympic lifts for a couple reasons. One, they're faster. When you only have a certain amount of time to get a lift in, putting a dumbbell back and grabbing a different one goes a lot quicker than changing plates. Two, I feel they're safer when only using one arm at a time. Having a hand free to redirect a falling weight from overhead, or to help catch a weight when you're bringing it down will greatly decrease your chances of injury.
3 - Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch
The single arm dumbbell snatch, much like the single arm dumbbell jerk, is, for the most part, performed the same way as a traditional snatch would be. The single arm dumbbell snatch is great not only for training explosive hip extension necessary for better sprawls, faster takedowns, and more powerful throws, but also for developing both shoulder and core stability.
To find demonstrational videos on these exercises just search YouTube.
Dickie White is the co-founder of Shamrock Strength and Conditioning, one of the nation's top systems for training champion wrestlers. Dickie is a 2006 graduate of the Ithaca College Clinical Exercise Science program and holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). For more information on how you can improve your performance on the mat through his strength training system please visit http://www.wrestlerstrength.com/.
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