Wrestling is a combat sport as old as time. It involves grappling techniques like throws, takedowns, pins, joint locks, and clinch fighting. Historically, wrestling was a form of entertainment and pursued primarily as a competitive sport. There are many different types of wrestling practiced across the world such as folkstyle, freestyle, Greco-roman, and catch wrestling. That said, many do not have access to a good place to learn wrestling and might be wondering if you can learn wrestling by yourself.
You can’t really learn the sport of wrestling by yourself without ever actually wrestling another human being. That said, you can learn wrestling techniques and skills from books and online resources by yourself. However, eventually, you will need to practice them with a real-life training partner.
So basically you can study wrestling at home by yourself but you really do need to find a coach and training partners to truly learn the sport. In the internet age, there are many free videos as well as instructional programs that demonstrate moves and techniques for aspiring wrestlers. In this article, I will elucidate how you can learn to wrestle from the comfort of your home. Read on to learn more.
How Can I Train My Self for Wrestling at Home?
You can train yourself for wrestling at home by learning a few drills, watching instructional videos, or working on your strength and conditioning. You may need a partner to polish your skills, but you can start by understanding the basics.
You Can Practice Wrestling Drills by Yourself
When it comes to wrestling, improvement relies a great deal on repetition. It would be best to practice the drills repeatedly until they become an automatic response; a part of your muscle memory. And if you drill the techniques properly your response will be efficient.
The following are six drills you can do from home without a partner or even a wrestling mat:
- Stance and Motion. This is an easy drill you can do almost anywhere. Find a clear space and practice switching your lead legs and blocking imaginary shots. Stay light on your feet and circle as you practice.
- Back Arches and Neck Bridges. This drill will help you develop flexibility, which is essential in wrestling. To practice a back arch, lie on the floor with your back arched in a bridge position and hold the posture.
- Agility Drills. Agility (being light on your feet) is just as necessary as flexibility. Improving your agility will increase foot speed and balance. For agility drills, you can purchase an agility ladder. Here are a few on Amazon I’d recommend:
This list should help you get started with training from home. Wrestling drills may not seem like much, especially if you’re fighting imaginary opponents, but you will start to see results in no time if you commit to them.
You Can Watch Free Wrestling Videos Online
When you’re not doing wrestling drills, you can watch wrestling videos for free online by yourself. There are many videos online offering free tips and demonstrations. Here are a few good ones to get you started:
- This video by Eastbay demonstrates the basics of wrestling with Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs. What better way to learn than from an actual champion? In the video, Burroughs shares some of his best offensive attacks, among which is his famous double-leg takedown
- This video by Championship Productions demonstrates different wrestling drills. If you’re wondering how to do any of the wrestling drills mentioned in the last section, this video might have the answer! In the video, former Olympic Coach Greg Strobel demonstrates snap downs. He also gives advice on proper techniques that will help wrestlers who are struggling.
In this video by Fanatic Wrestling, Kyle Dake demonstrates proper Wrestling Stance and First Contact. Kyle Dake is one of the best wrestlers in America, having dominated the World Championships, where he won gold!
- In yet another video by Fanatic Wrestling, Henry Cejudo demonstrates wrestling drills to develop posture and penetration. Henry Cejudo is an Olympic gold medalist and yet another one of the greatest American wrestlers!
You Can Purchase Wrestling Instructional Programs
Free videos online are hard to beat. That said if you are willing to spend a little bit of extra money an online program can help a ton. Free online videos are like a bunch of mixed-up puzzle pieces that can be hard to put together. Purchasing an online program is like purchasing a map to help you put your game together. Online programs are in my opinion the best way to learn wrestling online by yourself.
Of course, as we have already said learning by yourself can only take you so far. But these programs can help you fast track your progress or make up for lost time if you only have access to a wrestling program a few days per week. The best resource for online programs in my opinion is Fanaticwrestling.com. They have a huge library of excellent programs that you can choose from.
Since you are probably new to wrestling make sure to stick to a program that focuses on fundamentals such as the Championship Wrestling Fundamentals Cowboy Defense by John Smith. Buying advanced programs at this time is going to be a waste of your time and money.
You Can Work On Strength And Conditioning For Wrestling By Yourself
Training strength and conditioning is just as important as practicing drills and working on your technique. This specific training process involves a series of exercises that will improve strength and recovery between sessions.
Conditioning For Wrestling
Conditioning is done with aerobic exercises and cardio. There are many online videos that you can follow to meet your conditioning goals, like the following.
- This video by Garage Strength advises beginners to stop running for conditioning. Instead, strength coach Dane Miller offered 5 tips for offseason workouts that improve endurance and conditioning training for wrestlers.
- This video by Suples Training also demonstrates exercises for both strength and conditioning.
Strength Training For Wrestling
As the name suggests, strength training is designed to increase strength, explosiveness, and power. There are a ton of opinions on what is the best strength training program for wrestlers. Some think you should focus on the Olympic lifts and others say to stick to the basic compound exercises such as bench, deadlift, squat, overhead press, rows, and pullups.
The truth is both are great and I would incorporate all of them especially if you know how to do the Olympic lifts. But if you don’t just stick to the basic compound exercises mentioned above and you should be fine. The main thing you want to make sure you accomplish is that you are getting progressively stronger at each of these lifts.
Of course, you want to take your time and make sure you always lift with great form and that you do not injure yourself when working out. That said, you should be slowly progressing in these exercises by adding weight or reps to each lift over time. I suggest sticking to the 5-12 rep range for most of the exercises.
If you do not know how to develop your own strength and conditioning program it might be a good idea to find a coach. Once you know how to lift properly you can certainly focus on strength training by yourself. After all, strength and conditioning are huge pillars in becoming a great wrestler.
The Truth About Learning Wrestling By Yourself
In conclusion, while it’s best to learn wrestling through interpersonal practice or face-to-face with a coach, you can learn a lot at home with the proper instructions. Thanks to the internet, there are many easy videos to follow, including demonstrations of drills, techniques, and exercises.
Start slowly and build your strength and flexibility before you take on more challenging exercises. But at the end of the day wrestling is a contact sport so it goes without saying that it does require contact with others to truly understand.