4-Day Off-Season Workout Program for Youth Wrestlers

Our 4-day off-season workout program for youth wrestlers focuses on building strength, power, and conditioning while maintaining mobility. Many youth wrestlers are multi-sport athletes who may not always have access to a wide variety of workout equipment at the times they can train.

For these reasons, we want to make sure workouts are not excessively long and complicated. Using compound exercises for the majority of the movements ensures that all major muscle groups are included while saving time.

This off-season wrestling workout program is split into two phases.

Phase 1 Pre-Season Workout Program for Wrestlers

Phase 1 is four weeks dedicated to building “Strength and Hypertrophy”. Using just their body weight or basic home gym equipment, wrestlers complete the resistance training exercises in either circuit or super-set format.

The circuit and superset formats improve the wrestler’s aerobic conditioning, make the workouts fun and interesting, and also save even more time. At the end of each workout, either high- or low-intensity cardio is prescribed. Improving endurance means athletes are just as powerful at the end of a match as they are at the start.

Week 1-4: Daily warmups

These are the warmups we suggest doing every day before the main workout.

Inchworm: 45 seconds
World’s Greatest Stretch: 45 seconds
Lateral Squat: 45 seconds
Alternating Split Squat: 45 seconds

Week 1-4: Monday

Superset	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
A1	Split Squat	3	8-10 per leg	0
A2	DB Row	3	8-10 per arm	30 sec
B1	Deadlift	3	8-10	0
B2	Push-Ups	3	5-10 (or 80% of max)	30 sec
C1	Lying Leg Lift	3	10-15	0
C2	Side Plank	3	30-60s hold	30 sec

Optional: try doing some plyometric pushups if you can!

Week 1-4: Tuesday

Superset	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Warm Up	Jog 5 min.; 5x50yd sprint	1	1	2 minutes
A1	Walking Lunge	3	8-12 per leg	0
A2	Side-to-side Lateral Hop	3	8-10 per leg	30 sec
A3	Standing Long Jump	3	8-10	0
A4	Single-Leg Calf Raise	3	10-12 per leg	30 sec
Cardio	Jogging	1	5-10 minutes

Perform A1-A4 as a circuit

Week 1-4: Thursday

Superset	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
A1	Jump Squat	3	8-10 per leg	0
A2	OH DB Push Press	3	8-10 per arm	30 sec
B1	Glute Bridge	3	8-10	0
B2	Weighted Sit-Up	3	5-10 (or 80% of max)	30 sec
C1	DB Biceps Curl	3	10-15	0
C2	Bench Dips	3	30-60s hold	30 sec
Cardio	Jogging, biking, elliptical, stationary bike, treadmill.	1	30 minutes, moderate intensity

To help build strength, do your motions more slowly than normal.

Week 1-4: Friday

Superset	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Warm Up	Jog 5 min.; 5x50yd sprint (2-3 min rest)	1	1	2 min
A1	Goblet Squat	3	8-10 per leg	0
A2	1/2 Kneeling Shoulder Press	3	8-10 per arm	30 sec
B1	DB Glute Bridge	3	8-10	0
B2	SL Deadlift	3	5-10 (or 80% of max)	30 sec
C1	Band Lat Pulldown	3	10-15	0
C2	DB Calf Raise	3	30-60s hold	30 sec
Cool down	Jogging	1	5-10 minutes

Always make sure your form is excellent.

Phase 2 Pre-Season Workout Program for Wrestlers

In Phase 2, the focus is “Max Strength and Power”. The movements become more challenging and many of them explosive. Explosiveness is extremely important for wrestlers, especially in the lower body.

Developing explosive strength will help the wrestlers in their throws, takedowns, and more. Similar to phase 1, the workout formats are circuits or supersets ending with either high- or low-intensity cardio.

Once wrestlers have completed both phases 1 and 2, a rest week should be taken before returning to phase 1.

Week 5-8: Daily warmups

These are the warmups we suggest doing every day before the main workout.

Inchworm: 45 seconds
World’s Greatest Stretch: 45 seconds
Lateral Squat: 45 seconds
Alternating Split Squat: 45 seconds

Week 5-8: Monday

Superset	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
A1	Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat	3	8-10 per leg	0
A2	Bird Dog Row	3	8-10 per arm	30 sec
B1	Deadlift	3	8-10	0
B2	Close Grip DB Bench Press	3	10-12	30 sec
C1	Flutter Kicks	3	10-15	0
C2	Side Plank Dips	3	30-60s hold	30 sec
Cardio	Jogging, biking, elliptical, stationary bike, treadmill – moderate intensity	1	30 minutes

Use explosive motions as you press away from yourself.

Week 5-8: Tuesday

Superset	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Warm Up	Jog 5 min.; 5x50yd sprint	1	1	2 minutes
A1	Push ups	3	30 sec. max reps	0
A2	Sit outs	3	1 min. max reps	0
A3	Stand ups	3	1 min max reps	0
A4	Standing long jump	3	2 jumps	2 min
B1	Russian Twists	3	15-20	0
B2	Sit-ups	3	15-20	1 min
Cardio	Jogging	1	5-10 minutes

Push yourself and get as many reps as you can!

Week 5-8: Thursday

Superset	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
A1	Constant Tension Goblet Squat	3	8-10 per leg	0
A2	Half-Kneeling Shoulder Press	3	8-10 per arm	30 sec
B1	Single Leg Glute Bridge	3	8-12	0
B2	Weighted Sit-Up	3	10-12	30 sec
C1	DB Hammer Curl	3	8-10	0
C2	Bench Dips	3	8-10	30 sec
Cardio	Jogging, biking, elliptical, stationary bike, treadmill.	1	30 minutes, moderate intensity

Constant tension: no pausing at the top or bottom of the movement

Week 5-8: Friday

Superset	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Warm Up	Jog 5 min.; 5x50yd sprint	1	1	2 minutes
A1	Push ups	3	30 sec. max reps	0
A2	Sit outs	3	1 min. max reps	0
A3	Stand ups	3	1 min max reps	0
A4	Standing long jump	3	2 jumps	2 min
B1	Russian Twists	3	15-20	0
B2	Sit-ups	3	15-20	1 min
Cardio	Jogging	1	5-10 minutes

Try to increase reps each week!

After phase 1 and phase 2 are completed, take a week’s rest and then start back over, this time using progressive overload concepts to increase either weight or reps!

About The Author:

Megan Sparacio is a certified personal trainer who writes on health and fitness. She has over five years of experience writing well-researched pieces aimed at helping folks reach their fitness and lifestyle goals.

Megan is passionate about staying up-to-date with and communicating methods to help others make lasting changes in their physical fitness, behavior, and mindset. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, running and lifting, and painting.

She currently lives in Tennessee and also works as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer.

Author

Megan Sparacio