Best Off-Season Sports for Wrestlers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3350Keywords:
Wrestling performance, Wrestlers, Off-season training, Strength and conditioningAbstract
For wrestlers, the off-season is a crucial period for building physical and mental advantages. This article explores how to enhance wrestling performance through systematically cross-training different athletic attributes and engaging in complementary sports. We evaluate six main sports: track and field can improve explosiveness and aerobic endurance; soccer can enhance functional strength and contact toughness; judo can improve throwing, gripping strength, and balance control; boxing can improve footwork, head movement, and cardiovascular function; swimming is a low-impact, full-body conditioning exercise; and weightlifting can cultivate the foundational strength and explosiveness necessary to dominate matches on the mat. Furthermore, we propose three tailored combinations: 1) wrestling, soccer, and track and field, suitable for well-rounded collegiate athletes; 2) wrestling, swimming, and weightlifting, ideal for maximizing athletic performance while prioritizing injury prevention and recovery; and 3) wrestling, judo, and boxing, suitable for specialized, multifaceted combat sports. Ultimately, strategic off-season cross-training is essential for developing a skilled, versatile wrestler who remains physically sharp and mentally engaged.
References
Çağlar, E. Ç., Ceylan, L., Ağralı Ermiş, S., Çamiçi, F., Eliöz, M., Uzun, R. N., ... & Küçük, H. (2025). Rapid weight loss and combat athletes: a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesia. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1545048.
Caloglu, M. & Yüksel, O. (2020). The Effect of Cross Fit Training on Anaerobic Power and Dynamic Balance of Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestlers. International Journal of Applied Exercise Physiology, 9(1), 122-132.
Cieśliński, I. Gierczuk, D. & Sadowski, J. (2021). Identification of success factors in elite wrestlers—An exploratory study. 16(3)
Curby, D. (2005). Science of wrestling. Annual Review, 45, 49.
Drid, P., Franchini, E., Lopes-Silva, J. P., Fukuda, D. H., Wells, A. J., Lakicevic, N., ... & Trivic, T. (2021). Health implications of judo training. Sustainability, 13(20), 11403.
Farzad, B., Gharakhanlou, R., Agha-Alinejad, H., Curby, D. G., Bayati, M., Bahraminejad, M., & Mäestu, J. (2011). Physiological and performance changes from the addition of a sprint interval program to wrestling training. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 25(9), 2392-2399.
Jansson, E., Esbjörnsson, M., Holm, I., & Jacobs, I. (1990). Increase in the proportion of fast‐twitch muscle fibres by sprint training in males. Acta physiologica scandinavica, 140(3), 359-363.
Maglischo, E. W. (2011). Training fast-twitch muscle fibers: Why and how. Journal of Swimming Research, 18, 1–10.
Mikheev, M., Mohr, C., Afanasiev, S., Landis, T., & Thut, G. (2002). Motor control and cerebral hemispheric specialization in highly qualified judo wrestlers. Neuropsychologia, 40(8), 1209-1219.
Nowak, M., Szymanek-Pilarczyk, M., Stolarczyk, A., Oleksy, Ł., Muracki, J., & Wąsik, J. (2025). Normative and limit values of speed, endurance and power tests results of young football players. Frontiers in Physiology, 15, 1502694.
Nurmukhanbetova, D., & Muskunov, K. (2024). Optimizing sports training of qualified baluan wrestlers during pre-competitive training in a digital learning environment. Interactive Learning Environments, 32(10), 5873-5892.
Osipov, A. Y., Nagovitsyn, R. S., Zekrin, F. H., Vladimirovna, F. T., Zubkov, D. A., & Zhavner, T. V. (2019). Crossfit training impact on the level of special physical fitness of young athletes practicing judo. Sport Mont, 17(3), 9-12.
Özbay, S., & Ulupınar, S. (2022). Strength-power tests are more effective when performed after exhaustive exercise in discrimination between top-elite and elite wrestlers. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(2), 448-454.
Özbay, S., Akbulut, T., & Cinar, V. (2019). Crossfit trainings as an alternative approach to prevent the performance loss during the rest of the end of season in elite wrestlers. Человек. Спорт. Медицина, 19(S2), 51-57.
Perrin, P., Deviterne, D., Hugel, F., & Perrot, C. (2002). Judo, better than dance, develops sensorimotor adaptabilities involved in balance control. Gait & posture, 15(2), 187-194.
Podlivaev, B. A. (2010, September). The concept of top level wrestlers training. In Modern problems of high-quality training in wrestling/Proceedings of the Conference's FILA.
Rushall, B. S. (2006). Psychological factors and mental skills in wrestling. The Sport Psychologist’s Handbook. A Guide for Sport-Specific Performance Enhancement, 375-399.
Sobko, I., Ohar, K., & Ohar, H. (2023). Dynamics of strength training of qualified wrestlers during weight loss: case study. Health Technologies, 1(2), 22-30.
Tosun, M. I., Demirkan, M., Kaplan, T., Yilmaz, A., Arici, E., Favre, X., Aslan, C., & Kutlu, M. (2025). Respiratory muscle training improves aerobic capacity and respiratory muscle strength in youth wrestlers. *Frontiers in Physiology*, 16, Article 1492446
Yücel, O., & Sebiha, G. B. (2016). The effects of frequency and volume of training and diets on bone mineral density in footballers and wrestlers. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science.
Downloads
Posted
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Lucy Zhou
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
