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Getting Back Into Wrestling Shape

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awito

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I'm a former high school wrestler. Now, I'm closing in on 30, I'm a new dad, and I'm pretty out of shape. I signed up for Brazilian jiu-jitsu a few months ago, and hope to get into better shape for that.

I'm pretty new to this stuff, so if anyone has any critiques or suggestions for my program, I'd greatly appreciate it.

EDIT: my training has changed quite significantly since starting this thread, since I have acquired a barbell and a squat rack.
 
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My Training today - 2021, March 4, Thursday

Chin-ups: 4 sets of 3

24kg Swings: 3 sets of 8

24kg rows: 4 + 3 + 4 (same on both arms)

Hanging Leg Raises: 2 + 3 + 3

Jean Hangs (seconds): 3 sets of 5

24kg Single-Arm Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8

A couple hours after this, I ate my last meal, which was gyros-style chicken with sauce. I finished eating around 3pm. At 7pm, I went to jiu-jitsu training for an hour.
 
I had a bad day yesterday.

Too little sleep, because the baby was fussy.

I just did a few GTG sets of push-ups and single-leg squats.

My hamstrings were really, really sore.

I ate throughout the day, too, including a muffin that a student of mine baked for me (probably knocking me out of ketosis - oh well).

Today (Saturday, March 6th) is going better. I woke up early, ran to an outdoor gym. 100% legal, open, and free in this time of coronavirus lockdowns.

I did a few sets of dips and push-ups. I can only do 3-4 solid dips at a time. I hope to increase this in the future.

I also hung from the bar, which was challenging due to the wool gloves I wore. Then I walk-run-walked for another hour - a leisurely pace, but I'm glad I got my blood flowing.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get in a second kettlebell training before the end of the day.

Attached are some pics of the open-air gym.
 

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Saturday, March 6, Workout 2, at another open-air gym. No place for dips, but I got a few sets of muscle-ups style dips in.
 

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I had a bad day yesterday.

Too little sleep, because the baby was fussy.

I just did a few GTG sets of push-ups and single-leg squats.

My hamstrings were really, really sore.

I ate throughout the day, too, including a muffin that a student of mine baked for me (probably knocking me out of ketosis - oh well).

Today (Saturday, March 6th) is going better. I woke up early, ran to an outdoor gym. 100% legal, open, and free in this time of coronavirus lockdowns.

I did a few sets of dips and push-ups. I can only do 3-4 solid dips at a time. I hope to increase this in the future.

I also hung from the bar, which was challenging due to the wool gloves I wore. Then I walk-run-walked for another hour - a leisurely pace, but I'm glad I got my blood flowing.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get in a second kettlebell training before the end of the day.

Attached are some pics of the open-air gym.
What! no rubber mats over the concrete? Welcome aboard.
 
What! no rubber mats over the concrete? Welcome aboard.
Haha nope. There are other open-air gyms in the city where I live that have either rubber or sand. There are also open-air gyms with crappy workout machines - which almost no one uses. The ones dedicated to calisthenics - like the one showed in my pic - are, of course, regularly used by people.
 
Yesterday was a weird day, training-wise. I ended up training four times. Twice at those open-air gyms, doing mainly dips and push-ups. Then I was at my mom's house, where she has a 6kg and a 12kg, and I realized I wasn't going to have time for a full training that day, so I used the 12kg for overhead triceps extensions (5 sets of 8) and biceps curls (5 sets of 5). I figured that was better than nothing, even if it didn't really fit with my plan. When I finally got home in the evening, my triceps were too tired from the dips and triceps extensions, so I didn't do any pressing movement - so I did 3 sets of upright rows (8 reps) with 16kg.

The reason I started this training log here is so that I wouldn't do made-up trainings, and would stick to a plan. Clearly, I didn't stick to any plan yesterday.

But I am glad that at least I got some kind of training in - because at least, that way, I'm building a training habit.

Today (Sunday), I'm resting.

Tomorrow, I'm not sure if I'll do legs, since I didn't do them yesterday, or if I'll stick strictly to the plan and do a pulling training.

BTW, go Jan Błachowicz! So proud of his win over Adesanya. He's a true sportsman, I love his attitude.
 
Monday, March 8th: Legs (Light / Mobility)

Woke up this morning with a sore throat, runny nose, headache, fatigue. Clearly, I'm sick. That means less volume and a lower effort day for today, but I still did SOME training, in order to stay in the habit of training - and because I promised myself I'll do legs today.

ATG Split Squats (from the knees over toes guy) - bodyweight and with 2 step elevation x 2 sets x 5 reps for each leg

bodyweight with 1 step elevation x 2 sets x 5 reps

^ I enjoy how this movement mimics the wrestling shot / penetration step. I am very tight and inflexible in all points of this movement right now (hips, crotch, ankle), hopefully I'll be able to progress this movement quickly so I can start taking good wrestling shots again. Progress will look like this: (1) doing more volume, (2) not using any elevation, and (3) slowly adding weight to this movement.

Bodyweight face-to-the-wall squats: 2 sets x 5 reps

Rolling bodyweight pistol squats: 5 for each leg
 
Friday, March 12th

I'm back!

Today, for push exercises:

Single arm floor press 16kg - 5 x 8, 6, 5, 5, 5

*had to take a long break here to take care of some home duties*

Goblet floor presses 24kg - 3 sets of 8 - this was weird because it didn't *feel* heavy but my pecs were definitely activated and my arms were kinda shaky when doing them (but I felt like I could've done far more reps)

Pushups - 3 sets of 10

Overhead presses 16kg - 5 x 5
 
Saturday March 13 - Legs

Now is a good time to mention that I decided to split "push" from "legs," so that I could more effectively focus on practicing leg movements.

Bodyweight ATG Split Squats - 5, 5, 8, 5, 5

Goblet Squats - 16kg x 5, 8, 8;
20kg x 5, 8, 8

^ I was more winded than muscularly tired after this.

Rolling Pistol Squats - 5 x 1

^ short breaks in-between, maybe these were more pause reps than separate sets

Single Leg Box Squats - 3 x 5

Single Leg Calf Raises - 5 x 10
 
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Monday, March 8th: Legs (Light / Mobility)

Woke up this morning with a sore throat, runny nose, headache, fatigue. Clearly, I'm sick. That means less volume and a lower effort day for today, but I still did SOME training, in order to stay in the habit of training - and because I promised myself I'll do legs today.

ATG Split Squats (from the knees over toes guy) - bodyweight and with 2 step elevation x 2 sets x 5 reps for each leg

bodyweight with 1 step elevation x 2 sets x 5 reps

^ I enjoy how this movement mimics the wrestling shot / penetration step. I am very tight and inflexible in all points of this movement right now (hips, crotch, ankle), hopefully I'll be able to progress this movement quickly so I can start taking good wrestling shots again. Progress will look like this: (1) doing more volume, (2) not using any elevation, and (3) slowly adding weight to this movement.

Bodyweight face-to-the-wall squats: 2 sets x 5 reps

Rolling bodyweight pistol squats: 5 for each leg
The move that would really mimic the wrestling shot/penetration step to me would be the first hit on a blocking sled. We did a lot of those playing American football. Our line coach would stand on the back of the sled, and blow his whistle. You came out a three point stance and got extra "atta-boys" for making the pads pop when you hit it from a dead stop. We had to push/drive it several meters until he blew the whistle the second time. It's a killer drill, related to pushing a prowler, except for that first contact at full speed.
 
The move that would really mimic the wrestling shot/penetration step to me would be the first hit on a blocking sled. We did a lot of those playing American football. Our line coach would stand on the back of the sled, and blow his whistle. You came out a three point stance and got extra "atta-boys" for making the pads pop when you hit it from a dead stop. We had to push/drive it several meters until he blew the whistle the second time. It's a killer drill, related to pushing a prowler, except for that first contact at full speed.
A blocking sled? What's that? Are those like the dummies that you tackle during practice?
 
Sunday March 15 - Pull + Accessories

After a week of being sick, eating freely and not moving much, my bodyweight is up to 77.7kg.

Warm-up: a few sets of 16kg swings

Chin-ups: 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, (long break for daddy duties, then dinner, then had to rest/digest and after that had to re-warmup again), 2, 3, 3

24kg rows
L: 5, 4, 4, 4
R: 5, 4, 4, 4

Put rows before swings because my hamstrings and glutes were quite sore from leg day.

24kg swings: 10, 10, 10

24kg shrugs
L: 10, 10, 10
R: 10, 10, 10

^ next time I want to improve ROM on these last couple reps

Upright rows: 16kg x 8, 10;
20kg x 8, 8

16kg Neck Extensions: 5, 5

16kg Neck Flexion: 3, 3 (partial ROM)

Laying Leg Raises: 3x10

Planks: 3 x 20s

Jean Hangs: 8s, 6s, 5s
 
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