ASK KOLAT: How Did You Condition Yourself for Wrestling?

Tune in every Wednesday to listen to ASK KOLAT. Hear 2000 Sydney Games US Team Member, World Medalist, and 2x NCAA Champion Cary Kolat answer questions from wrestlers, coaches, and parents. Kolat relies on a lifetime of wrestling and career of coaching from youth to college to international. Ask your own questions in the comments or on social media using #AskKolat.
Conditioning Fundamentals
Cary Kolat responds to the question, "How did you condition yourself for wrestling?" Cary uses the same very simple 6 to 7 workouts for conditioning. The time spent on the mat is the most important part of conditioning. He made sure nothing ever got in the way of training and time spent in the practice room. Cary too often sees guys lift or workout before practice. Then, during practice will complain their legs are too sore or fatigued and they aren’t able to stay in their stance or train correctly.
Mat Time Comes First
This is completely wrong. To Kolat, we are wrestlers first, not weightlifters. So, why intentionally complete a workout before a practice that would interfere with your training? Conditioning workouts should follow the same thought process. During his training Cary planned his workouts around mat time. If he knew he would be training in the middle of the day, then in the morning he would do a small circuit. That way he knew he would be able to recover by the time he got to practice. Then he would do his serious, heavy conditioning and lifting in the evening after practice.
Preparation Is the Key to Success
Cary’s conditioning workouts were always 45 minutes or less and his weightlifting workouts were never more than an hour. He did this intentionally to keep himself focused. He didn’t want to be in the gym, on the mat, or on a treadmill for 2 hours to where the task became monotonous. The most important part of a conditioning workout comes in around the final 15 minutes. The first 15 to 25 minutes are the warm up phase is to begin to fatigue your body. Then, you reach the final phase where you begin to climb a metaphoric mountain. Cary only wanted to be in that zone of pain for about 15 minutes. A wrestling match only lasts half of that, maybe a little more with overtime. So, if he could be in extreme shape for 15 minutes he could compete at a very high level for 7 to 10 minutes during a match. The reason Cary only used specific workouts was to be able to measure his progress. As an athlete when you are able to see your improvement it is a very positive thing. It’s very helpful mentally when you are able to walk onto a mat, shake hands with an opponent, and know how long and hard you can push yourself.
High Intensity Training
Cary shares a treadmill program he used a lot and only took him around 30 minutes when he was in competition shape. It was only 5 miles. He ran the first mile at 7mph, the second at 8mph, and the third at 9mph. He used those first three miles just to start to wear his legs out. The last two miles were 8, quarter mile, sprints. Mile four began at 7mph and increased each quarter mile. He would then take it down to a walking pace for the first quarter of the fifth mile to recover quickly. After the recovery he increased it to 8 mph and then 9 mph before finally sprinting the last quarter mile as fast as the treadmill would go. That entire workout was just for the last quarter mile, to push himself as hard as he could for as long as he could. It was also easily measurable he could increase the speeds or the length as his conditioning improved. He would also swim and see how many laps he could complete in a certain period of time. On top of all of those he had weight lifting workouts and some Airdyne bike workouts, but no matter what he consistently used the same workouts that were easily measurable.
Conditioning Is Supplemental
The most important parts of the workouts is that they were either completed in the evening or in a way that wasn’t going to interfere with wrestling. It’s important not to diminish wrestling time with things that are supposed to supplement the wrestling itself. If you are intentionally training to fight through fatigue that is a different situation. You should do that occasionally but it isn’t something you should be doing on a routine basis. Everything should be structured in a way that is beneficial or supplemental to your wrestling
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[@intellectualninjamonkey2496]

Amazing description of the logic behind your training. I also like the fact that below the video description there is a concise version of what you are talking about, written in a very neat way ( paragraphs, subject etc). You deserve more views.

[@daniel-zh9nj6yn6y]

There's an old video of Olympic weightlifters using metal rods to massage their legs after a workout. Tried it, barely had any soreness the next day.

[@gustavobaptista1361]

Many people stress the body with condicioning and forget their focus.

[@shawnreed6895]

Old post but Kola's' principles are still true. I am a S and C coach and I recommend hard conditioning for no more than 30 minutes (either conditioning or live wrestling). This is even shorter (15 minutes) than Kolat recommends. Longer lower intensity cardio is only needed for waking weight. They key is intensity. Matches are only 6-8 minute affairs. But Kolats basic principle of less is more is absolutely true. In terms of strength gains, the off season is where they are made, on season is strength maintenance.

[@vincentjoyce455]

Great advice. Thank you.

[@coachprinci]

Great advice

[@dineshbehniwal4455]

Thanks sir from india

[@intellectualninjamonkey2496]

Coach Kolat, do you find any value in doing regular Olympic lifts for strength and conditioning as a wrestler? Or there is so much technique involved that at the end of the day you better concentrate on bodyweight, simple barbell moves and some plyos? Did you ever use the Olympic lifts yourself?

[@karlievbayram811]

3 time Olympic champion Arthur Taimazov of Uzbekistan used to train Oly weightlifting three days a week. It was pure Oly WL: snatch, clean & jerk. According to his words Oly WL exercises highly complemented his performance on the mat. Oly WL is extremely technical and it is impossible to learn it without professional WL coach, and wrestler will spend many years till he learn something. But Arthur was very lucky: his elder brother Timur Taimazov was an Olympic champion in WL, so he had really world class tutorial on a daily basis.

[@karlievbayram811]

If you doing Oly WL as a supplementary training for your major sport of wrestling you don't need to dedicate time for plyos. Any simple Oly WL program for wrestlers is already consists of several vertical jumps exercises + stretching. Do your basic Oly WL program as an accessory training to complement your performance on the mats. I think in a couple of years you will notice that your mat performance increased.

[@jk38thelastsamurai55]

Squats and cleans brother

[@jk38thelastsamurai55]

I didn't realize this till I hit 30, trying to go hard in every workout is barbaric and fuckin retarted in the grand scheme of things

[@jasongomez8944]

"Retarted" the irony lol...

[@darryl8806]

Agree.Wish I would have realized this years ago

[@ramoee359]

Can anybody explain his treadmill workout for a dummy? Couldn’t really comprehend what he does for his last 2 miles

[@delpierro213]

Same here......I don't understand...Can anybody write it please ?

[@ramoee359]

@@delpierro213 I think I was able to figure it out and do them. They’re tough but definitely doable. He runs first mile on 7 mph, second mile on 8 mph, Third mile on 9 mph, then you’re basically maxing out the speed and sprinting until the distance reaches 25 km. And do that 8 times to equal 2 more miles.

[@delpierro213]

@@ramoee359 Man 25 km is a maraton...I think that most should be 7-8 km long. Also he said quarter etc.. I understand until third mile mph...

[@ramoee359]

@@delpierro213 my bad maybe it not km then. If it was a track you would basically sprint a lap, 8 times total in intervals. Thats the last 2 miles

[@jordanwatters2094]

Genius

[@stephenfalkner5114]

Sounds like excuses if you say "coach my legs are dead from weight training"

[@somerandomguythatlikesmeme7396]

Yo that shit kinda look like coach kamogawa from hajime no ippo

[@vconsumer]

Yeah, I was thinking about that, too

[@leeturner1838]

have you every usd performance enhancing drugs?????????

[@countrymorgan2942]

Lee Turner to my knowledge never tested positive or even heard of a rumor, you know something we don’t?