We Tried Aleksandr Karelin's Impossible Wrestling Workout

[@chchch.1212]

I would like to just add that apart from being the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time, Karelin also holds a law degree, and a PhD in physical education. His recreations include watching ballet and classical music. Probably the epitome of Plato's vision of a man!

[@chrisrascon969]

According to Wikipedia “ His PhD is titled: "Methods of execution of suplex throw counters" “

[@digbick3818]

PhD in PE? Lmao

[@apache8165]

Obviously. Hes no francis or Jones. Although he is physical strong he can make it through intelligence too. We both know where izy etc would be without sports tho😅

[@chrisrascon969]

@@digbick3818 not your grade school PE, we’re talking like the best way to train adults, the science behind movements like a suplex etc

[@chchch.1212]

@@digbick3818 why that's beneath you?

[@KlaroBordo]

Karelin was wrestling in Atlanta Olympics'96 with 2 broken ribs. that's insane, people can't breath with broken rib, but he was rag dolling 300 lb opponents

[@anotheryoutubeuser5379]

Not to discredit it, but broken ribs really are not that bad

[@rohitchaoji]

@@anotheryoutubeuser5379 It just hurts to breathe, no big deal

[@wigletron2846]

Kurt Angle won gold with a BROKEN FREAKIN NECK

[@Yupppi]

Drugs do amazing things to help with the pain, that can't be overstated. I believe Travis Stevens won judo nationals in the US with 9 broken ribs. Novocaine shots throughout the tournament.

[@leonardhaworth5632]

​@@Yupppi the reason it was so nuts is he had no painkillers, at the time the Russian team had no medics so he wasn't allowed any painkillers and still wrestled

[@yardape99]

Should have skipped all this and try what Karelin called his greatest achievement: lifting an old school fridge up 8 flights of stairs with no straps.

[@Goosebear77]

I did Greco Roman when I was in my early teens. That was a full body work out. I came in handy years later when I went into Security. Dealing was drunk people was a breeze because my body knew what to do and I'd already conditioned the correct muscles. 23 years later at 46 years wold, surgically repaired knee and osteoarthritis in that knee and I can still do it. I'd forgotten about Aleksandr Karelin. Thanks for the reminder. I'll be incorporating some of this training into my routine. Thanks Buff Dudes!! Stay Buff.

[@devinloveridge6805]

People will talk about how exercise and martial arts like wrestling will break your body, yet we're still able to throw people around into our 50's and beyond while they have bad hips, bad knees, and a jacked lower back from sitting on the damn couch their whole life!

[@JeffOfTheMountains]

Where can one sign up for Greco-Roman wrestling? I'd love to learn it.

[@OfficialCxbra]

@@JeffOfTheMountains Really hard to find in the states, easier to find in europe

[@JeffOfTheMountains]

@@OfficialCxbra Yeah, it always seems to be that way...

[@Halbared]

@@OfficialCxbra Isn't Olympic wrestling really big in US colleges/unis? It's just only focus is freestyle only?

[@icixie]

The legendary track coach Anatoly Bondarchuk worked with Alexander Karelin as a consultant. The training program was built using Bondarchuk classification of exercises, so if you want to understand what Karelin trained you need to understand the ideas behind it. Specially the transer of training in sport.

[@trevorrisley5419]

Thanks for this education piece. I really appreciate it.

[@anidiotsguide757]

Wrestling training is legendary. And Karelin is legendary. This workout is therefore extra legendary.

[@Darth_Bateman]

God-like.

[@Bharatiyawrestler97]

I am one of the biggest fan of Alexander karelin but I hate his doping things.

[@Jerry-yr1en]

@@Bharatiyawrestler97?

[@Gav_na_tebya]

Karelin Used 2 x 32 kg (70lbs ea.) kettlebells. Thoss are standard for kettlebell sport. The stepdown is 24 kg.

[@diana.diamond]

brutal. imagine he does an intense workout like this plus wrestling drills and practice.

[@jchan2299]

Came here to say this. The weight training was brutal. And then I'm sure after the weights came actual live practice. And anyone who has done wrestling practice knows.....that's where the real pain is. And doing that with Olympic caliber opponents must have been combat.

[@snowboardfamilyof4]

and then doing it every day for 30 years.

[@kratodd]

Against huge +250lb beasts

[@raefmanley9316]

Every day

[@goldorchad78]

​@@raefmanley9316not knowing how hard your opponents train

[@GeorgePardos-x5y]

I wrestled Karelin, and he was a beast. Thank you for showing this, you have no idea how tough he was and how hard he trained. The band workouts were insane, and the drop step hurt. You guys keep up the great work

[@jerry1841]

when did you wrestle him and where

[@GeorgePardos-x5y]

@@jerry1841 I wrestled him at the Concorde Cup in 1989, I wrestled for Ohio State from 88-93. I wrestled at the Moscow Cup in 1990 and they had started to do the band workouts.

[@bronstonmahelona7676]

@@GeorgePardos-x5ywhat’s your name?

[@greuju]

Checks out to me.

[@nikolas4364]

​@@GeorgePardos-x5yDid you win?

[@CoffeeTrav]

This is good, i was on russian team with Karelin in 1990s you men did a bit of his workout right, but not fully. He used to be up running miles in the snow before he got to the center his room to the wrestle centers was 5 kilometers and did this then we all wrestled for a few hours where he proceeded to throw 130 kilo heavyweights around like children. You did 30% of his daily regime good however, very inpressive for american.

[@skeletorlikespotatoes7846]

Can I ask questions

[@CoffeeTrav]

@skeletorlikespotatoes7846 I answer best i can, English not my first speak brother.

[@Dingodinguss]

Just here to see what questions you answer, very cool!

[@laishihao9437]

​@@CoffeeTravwhat was his full training like brotherrr in a week

[@laishihao9437]

​​@@CoffeeTravim rly eager to learn what the best did

[@BRAINFxck10]

You forgot to run in the snow for 2 hours, carry logs, and row a boat until your hands bleed 😂

[@elikebudi]

They might do it in winter time for the second part of this video 😅

[@Myrslokstok]

Didn't he work the farm ontop of that as well! And he trained every day wich make him a toyaly atletic freak.

[@frankflanagan6117]

​@@Myrslokstokyep he did hard physical labour

[@g-man2507]

The frog walks looked real tough. The rest, not so much. The over extending the range of motion is excellent to promote flexibility and avoid injuries. A real difficult exercise he did was carrying a refrigerator up six flights of stairs in his apartment. Also, trying to sprint in three feet of snow was real tough too. The man was superhuman.

[@diyduke]

Man handled by another man 🤣🤣

[@Greeceforever9774]

Hello Buff Dad miss you

[@diyduke]

@@Greeceforever9774 😊

[@paul0bezerril314]

Duke the buff master

[@westphalianstallion4293]

Wouldnt it be weirder if they got manhandled by a woman? I mean a lot of people pay for this...

[@diyduke]

@@paul0bezerril314 😀

[@Menilothes]

That location looks nice. All that turf in the middle, and mounds of free weights, racks and boxes of all sizes. Really nice gym!

[@iantownsend500]

I’d love to hear Kurt Angles thought on this style of training & how it compares to his when he was training for the Olympics

[@pikkon899]

It would have been similar but different. Greco Roman wrestling requires more power than Freestyle wrestling. Greco Roman wrestlers are not allowed to attack let alone touch the wrestler's legs (no double leg takedowns in this style.) Because of this, when Greco Roman wrestlers end up on the mat, they have to figure out a way to turn the opponent onto his back without touching the legs. This is why you saw Karelin suplex guys off of the floor and onto their backs. That requires a lot of brute strength to pull off. In Freestyle training, you would see a lot more explosive training and maneuvers since this style favors quick maneuvers and movements. The entire body can be attacked and it is easier to turn your opponent onto his back since you can grab the other guy's legs to do so.

[@robwilkinson7813]

Different training styles, Soviet bloc was slow and steady training focused more on wrestling movements. U.S.A. training was brutal conditioning and work. Throwing up during practice etc etc

[@patrickkanas3874]

Wrestling is, without a doubt, the toughest thing I've ever done in my life, and I miss it so much.

[@TrueBagPipeRock]

I went on a Karelin binge just a day ago. Freakish strong

[@SimpleHumman]

this was awesome, thanks for sharing, wrestling is no joke. More wrestling style workouts please!

[@yja496]

Karelin was unique in every way. 🥇💪🏻

[@JeffAboularage]

I think the closest we ever came in America to a Karelin, was Cael Sanderson… And that was still quite a ways off the mark. This man was mythical in what he could do.

[@EdmundoAyarzagoitia]

you mean Chael Sonnent

[@JeffAboularage]

@@EdmundoAyarzagoitia I have no idea what you are talking about.

[@EdmundoAyarzagoitia]

@@JeffAboularage The Undefeated UNDISPUTED Chael Sonnen

[@rowanfredericks9656]

@@EdmundoAyarzagoitiaif your joking it’s funny but if you not you may be the biggest idiot ever

[@jonathanc.9247]

Thanks for posting this video, brings back memories. I wrestled Karelin back in the day and he was an absolute beast

[@miladirani4313]

Karelin was a man that I don't want be with him in the ring , he is real monster

[@tonydeluna8095]

Buff Dudes never cease to amaze me with what they learn and try from others and share it here on KZbin. Grow stronger yeeeaahhh!💪💪

[@KurtAngle89]

Great! A right tribute to a legend! Odd to see you guys in trouble for once😂 KB presses and lateral twists have become a staple of my training, underrated but super useful exercises

[@Cuyose]

As someone that knows an Olympic wrestler, take this X 2 and also add running 8 miles each way to this workout. Then you are at what Lincoln Mcilravy was doing in high school before he won NCAA and Olympic places.

[@elikebudi]

I love the gym you train in your videos and saw the athletes’ posters and drawings around for the first time. It must be fun to work out there! These wrestling exercises look brutal, hope you haven’t injured yourselves.

[@victorcastillo-dx9vh]

Very good video Buff Dudes. Tank you so much

[@JasonMulberger]

Awesome footage! The EXPERIMENT was Karelins nickname. Excellent homage to him Brothers 👍🏻

[@consultccm]

Thank you for this one. I did it this morning and it was brutal. I did not expect the kettlebell twists to be so taxing. Greta stuff!!

[@johnbradford9235]

Loved the bit where yous guys were carrying each other around 😂😂😂. Aside from all the great workout advice, the huge entertainment content and production standards, one of the best things about this channel is how tight you two are as brothers, family men, and sons to The Duke 👉👉👉. It's kinda heartwarming to see, especially from a place where family really isn't like that. Thanks dudes 🙏. Keep it up! More more more! 😎

[@biddobrahmin8643]

Once you train in greco or freestyle wrestling in your teens, your body changes for life. It would be more flexible, explosive, extreme stamina & endurance, greater reflex and your mind will work you out of tricky situations. This is my experience, it may vary from person to person, but most of my wrestling peers share the same results. So, I guess majority Wrestlers would have the same benefits. Also, it can give you nasty injuries which you will suffer from throughout your life. Therefore, coaches suggest a good warmup and stretch, some shadow wrestling before starting training and wrestling on the mat.

[@ian1697]

sounds like you haven’t done other sports

[@bjoernoswald2473]

@2:36 that dude is watching the buff dudes, he sees that he's being filmed and he knows: hell yeah, I'm part of a buff dude video! achivement unlocked!

[@mayfieldoldprofile]

First time I'm seeing y'alls channel, but I'm a huge Karelin fan. Thanks guys, this was awesome!!

[@GhostDog8]

Watching one brother buff dude being carried from one end to the other towards the final minutes of the video was ... in a word, HILARIOUS! Brandon just has this look of "Whaaaaat? I am not sure I am liking this?!" --similar to a kitten being carried with that facial expression. But, in defense of that, wrestlers need that strength and endurance training since it's a real-world application. Sorry, Hudson, for the scraped knee -- sounds like we need Buff-Dude Band-Aids! Marketing at it's finest!

[@0hopscotch0]

Grappling is a very humbling and tough sport. Thanks for making this video.

[@EDC.EveryDayCode]

yes i can see that zercher deadlift being really good for simulating hooking your arms under your opponents belly then doing a really unfavorable deadlift followed by dropping then on their face.

[@assass7012]

Dude had a .997 win percentage, holy fuck.

[@hungryorphan5975]

He wasn't really beaten either, he "lost" by technical rule changes

[@MrHumwee]

Percentage looks less impressive, considering that you can achieve 100% by winning 1 of 1.

[@Disquiet925]

⁠@@MrHumweei mean obviously if you see how the actual record is, then you get to decide. The same thing can be said about qty of wins. 887 wins is less impressive if you fought a total of 20,000 matches

[@tec-9o]

You guys made a amazing video

[@billybarnett2846]

I remember this guy from the Olympics. Superheavyweight. Nobody wanted to wrestle him cause he pick up and slam his opponents to the mat.

[@JMarch0909]

For a period of time he was THE most feared man on earth.

[@crokinoledk]

Thanks for bringing this exercises to the table, and the upload.

[@tanory07]

We used to do the body carries in wrestling, only thing I would reccomend changing is the person being carried is meant to wiggle / throw off the balance of the person carrying.

[@danielzuzevich4161]

Best sport there is.

[@RLeach]

I would love to see you guys try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! Great content!

[@talosheeg]

Or Krav Maga!

[@putzerfischtube9658]

I love that you guys do combat sports related content recently!

[@frankflanagan6117]

In case you guys wanted to know that karelin while being considered as among the greatest Olympic athletes ever and arguably the most dominant athlete in recent history, he is also said to have been a black belt (4th dan) in judo, a excellent ameture boxer in his youth, worked in the special forces army type unit the internal troops and was a Sambo champ when in the troops and is said to be an extremely intelligent man having a virtuoso understanding of Russian literature, and a love for the theater and ballet.

[@danielsletten9764]

For people who don't know who Karelin was here's some stats. He went 10 years without losing a SINGLE point in a match and vann 24 gold, 9 vm golds, 12 em and 3 OS. He won every single match during 13 years and then lost with 0-1 in the final at the olympics. The opponent was to fat to lift for him and he quit wrestling after that

[@johnnybeefum]

Last sentence is wrong. He lost on a technicality due to breaking his grip. Rulon wasn't "too fat for him to lift".

[@Srbenda126]

​@@johnnybeefumHe wasn't too fat to lift, he was too fat to grip

[@walkercox5495]

@@johnnybeefum Worth noting, the rules had been very very recently changed to penalize a grip break.

[@Vitamin_jp]

As I remember the story, I think Karelin just got done with a match too and was worn out from that match and then had his match with rulon. That and I also remember hearing that the rule that put karelin down 0-1 was only in place for that olympics and never before or after

[@gibbon8827]

The Olympic Games Committee specifically changed the rule so that Karelin would lose, and then return everything as it was@@johnnybeefum

[@dimitrakis40]

Very nice job collecting and presenting all of these exercises!! Practically helpful!!!

[@ΜιχάληςΜαχαίρας-ν8κ]

I recommend you try wrestling, not only from a video standpoint but in general. I think you would love it and it would give you a new perspective on training and exercising

[@JB-vx6py]

This video was dope! Thanks dudes.

[@ATaylor9223]

I remember penetrations steps back in highschool on the wrestling team lol 😆 I hated those warm-ups the most lol except we called them step throughs

[@daniel-zh9nj6yn6y]

I've seen another youtuber say you can do it without your knee touching the ground. Is that actually possible ?

[@droctagon529]

@@daniel-zh9nj6yn6y It's possible but you need to be really explosive. Ideally when you're doing these your knee barely touches and when you whip your foot around your toes don't drag on the ground/mat. It's tough.

[@daniel-zh9nj6yn6y]

@@droctagon529 Oh, OK

[@alastairhewitt380]

Subscribed! That end bit of not wanting to be man handled. Yeah, every wrestler internalises that. They love winning, but the HATE losing. The two best and worst feelings. So you fall into this loop of perpetually intensifying your training and you really do feel like you are in a classics 80s rocky, karate kid, kung fu movie. Honestly, the weight training was probably a breeze compared to his wrestling workouts. When I was wrestling the circuits always felt like a break compared to the live gos. Dan Gable, a 150lb-ish man, reportedly lost 10lbs per practice in just shorts and a t-shirt because of how much he would sweat out. So much respect and gratitude that you guys shone a spotlight on our sport and gave credit to one of the greatest to ever do it. Hope you actually try some folkstyle, freestyle, or greco next time for a really great workout! Folkstyle requires the most endurance whereas freestyle and greco have some very explosive throws.

[@FreerunnerDave]

Video 1 of reminding you guys of how much of an inspiration you are to us all. Love love

[@francisconikotian2326]

thanks for throwing the routine in the description

[@h.r.9898]

6:08 I legit thought he was gonna get his head smashed in. 😂 made me clench up a bit. 😂

[@RS-wc5vo]

7:18 dude so strong he bending the plate LOL 😂😂😂

[@snakepliskin2297]

Lol wtf was that

[@RS-wc5vo]

@@snakepliskin2297 "weighted" situps bro 😂😂😂

[@snakepliskin2297]

​@@RS-wc5vodude the 5kg Olympic plates that size at my gym I'm pretty sure they cannot be bent lol I'll let you know tomorrow

[@RS-wc5vo]

@@snakepliskin2297 im just being sarcastic, its obviously a fake plate lol

[@snakepliskin2297]

@@RS-wc5vo oh I know it's fake, what I don't get is why are "strong" guys using fake plates lol? I don't know their numbers but I don't respect em anymore. It's piss weak.

[@nathangarcia8983]

What a great video all around. Well put together, from a wrestler and trainer with a degree in exercise science, the knowledge and practicality shared on the wrestling and fitness end is quality. For guys who dont have a wrestling background (I think) how they performed the exercises and respectfully conducted all around , sick vid. Doing this with my clients lol

[@RealGigaMind]

Amazing video buff dudes

[@El_Camionero]

He came to America and trained with some Americans, my friend being one of them. He was 325 lbs and cranked out 50 proper pull-ups. He was the only one who could keep up with my friend, who was 62 kg. He was a huge man who moved like a little guy.

[@kennethmacgregor-Gregorach]

Zercher deadlifts look absolutely BRUTAL!

[@imrekalman9044]

And they did with ~50 kg. Alexander did it with 200 kg. Geeee...

[@kennethmacgregor-Gregorach]

@imrekalman9044 good on him, I know I couldn't!

[@imrekalman9044]

@@kennethmacgregor-Gregorach I can lift 200 kg, I just need a forklift to do it. 😂

[@kennethmacgregor-Gregorach]

@@imrekalman9044 you and me both😄

[@vitadigital]

Dude was a legend! He used to carry a full size refrigerator up flights of stairs just for fun.

[@kevinchitsaz9447]

The goat of wrestling

[@GlenRoss-ug5jm]

Yes along with Great Gama and El Santo, those three are to wrestling what Ali and Tyson are to boxing.

[@tomasjohansson3714]

Thank You for a very interesting video. 👍😊

[@DrJambuca]

Thanks

[@buffdudes]

Thank you! 💪😎

[@ristusnotta1653]

Doing this in your average gym would be a nightmare. All the stares 😃

[@theMyouknow]

You forgot the wiggle during the partner carry, it makes it even heavier because it simulates the escape of the opponent, and the weight keeps shifting from side to side.

[@Brndndutton]

That man was an absolute Beast. 😎💙🙏🏼 As tough as they come and his record alone is just wow. Great workout though. Imma check this one out for sure. 🔥🔥

[@karlchristie1856]

The thing with the penetration step, is it ins't just a strength thing, it's the fundamental movement in a single leg take down.

[@rickrudd]

"I boxed Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, and Mike Tyson. But the best was the time I fought a Roman Gladiator to death in the Coliseum." - Commenters on this thread, who apparently all managed to wrestled Aleksandr Karelin

[@MH-lz3gp]

pretty impressed guys, great effort

[@blex5579]

great stuff guys- cheers from germany

[@benjaminshklyar6154]

What's also amazing is that karelin was totally natural. He of course was accused of taking performance enhancers, and he always accepted doing immediate drug testing, and he was always clean. That's amazing, the guy was pure talent and pure discipline. you don't win over 800 matches, lose only 2, and not develop insane overall fitness as well as technique.

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

Testing clean does not necessarily mean someone is clean. It’s possible to supplement things just a bit, so you still fall within the limits. That’s what the most olympic level athletes been doing for decades. That and using things that a test hasn’t been developed for yet.

[@kevinstehlik7719]

I love the idea of the zercher deadlift and the sumo deadlift highpull and will definitely add those to my training

[@DorinAlexandruIliuc-mu3cf]

That's a REAL workout!!! 💥💥

[@LoneWolfLionHearted]

Looks brutal. I want to try on a fresh day where I have another to completely rest lol

[@filipcesnjak2944]

Wresteling has best workouts for functional full body.

[@frankflanagan6117]

The entire workout shown here is basically just his warmup

[@АлексейГриднев-ш9ш]

Я однажды увидел Карелина в живую. Он невероятно огромный.

[@davidwagner9644]

Dopamine Bands make beasts of wrestlers. Those are the band Alexander was using.

[@nakodacurrier]

Forgot to go run in the snow almost waist high in the Siberian winter! 😂

[@zarkozimonjic5098]

Great workout! Learn a lot, from the legend Karelin

[@tigerboy4516]

Great exercises. We need a full follow along workout

[@jtaco4101]

Karelin is a beast and legend but tbf, the talent level in greco is considerably higher in freestyle.

[@harryclawson3136]

Awesome. Inspiring.

[@timothyhayes2726]

I'd love to see you guys try the Karl Gotch workout as a challenge.

[@dariuswilliams7509]

Or the Great Gama training

[@swiperfile8653]

im definitely using this during off season in summer

[@teopap6528]

You don't try Karelin's workout, the workout tries you 😂

[@dre_withwithout]

Thanks for this 🙏🏽

[@S4MBONE]

Its all about willpower. Determined to win, you simply understand that you are going to do more, and nobody can say shit to you because they are all worried about hurting themselves. Mobility and stretching is key. But after you do your mobility and stretching...everything else is your determination. Determination is gas to your vehicle. You can know wrestling, but wrestling is determination prerequisite. You are legitimately required to be determined to 'know' wrestling. Knowledge in yourself is determined. You see a vision, you determine to achieve it, you then systematize every conceivable step to chisel away from the pure rock the ideal vision itself until nothing more can possibly be removed. That is determination.

[@highandmightywrestling]

Awesome! Would love to see you guys try some Kurt Angle's stuff from 95/96!

[@josedanielherrera7115]

Respect, that's a great workout!

[@RoundHouseKicking]

Ohhhh yeahhh I’m definitely doing this

[@crokinoledk]

8:00 - 8:30 Yes friends, and you were submissive or neutral to each other doing this exercise, an AK was doing it to the guys, who had trained almost all his live how to not be taken like this and how to interrupt in case of this grip, which makes it much harder.

[@BC-wo5sc]

You guys are the best!

[@netherwolf603]

Hey i have a perhaps interesting request for a video you guys could do, Try eating canned food only for a week and see what happens.

[@timothyfavorite1875]

The quote that y'all mentioned in the beggining was his response to people who accused him of being on steroids. Basically saying that they have no concept of how hard he works.

[@StephenDoty84]

His slogan is silly, because it thwarts full recovery, as if he makes the naive mistake of thinking you grow in the gym. Rich Piana even saw through that fallacy (after 15 years). Mike Mentzer build his life around avoiding that fallacy.

[@chwascinskifarm6658]

You guys should do a strongman video in honor of Brian Shaw's retirement! Stay buff!

[@bryanwales6487]

get those elbows in. no airplane wings

[@randokrozzi2870]

Good content dudes

[@Mig29tvc]

Train like Karelin is just like to sing like Netrebko or to play like Rachmaninov or to jump like Isinbaeva. Just forget it ! Take a Playstaion

[@dmitry_khaladzhi]

Хорошие парни сняли хорошее видео о александре карелине🎉🎉🎉