Oklahoma
State's wrestling-rich tradition isn't a stream of good luck. It
results from great recruiting, excellent coaching and just as
importantly, establishing lower body strength. Strength expert and OSU
coach Gary Calcagno explains what exercises help the cowboys achieve
national champ status.
"Squat. Glute-ham. Lunge." It's that
simple according to Gary Calcagno, head strength and conditioning coach
for Oklahoma State University. Lower body strength facilitates wrestler
success; and these three lifts help achieve this strength.
"
... Wrestling is scoring points ... Scoring points is taking guys down.
So we're going in for a shot—whether it's a single or a double—all the
time. So, if you're not lower-body strong, then you're not going to be
able to do that."
Calcagno works with arguably the best
collegiate wrestling program of all time. Over the NCAA's 74-year
wrestling history, OSU has produced more All-American wrestlers than
any other school—206 to be exact. Even more impressive than that—these
206 all stars have earned All-America status 401 times.
This
success isn't just a result of great coaches like current Head Coach
John Smith, or recruiting the best wrestlers in the country. OSU knows
what to do with these wrestlers once they get them on campus. Chris
Pendleton, a 2004 national champion for OSU, is evidence.
Pendleton,
a highly touted wrestler out of high school, had to be introduced to
weight training before achieving collegiate success.
"When I
first got here, Chris was a red-shirt freshman with very spindly legs.
He really didn't like the weight room. But he was red-shirted, so the
coaches sent him down to me," Calcagno explains.
"He took the
attitude, 'well heck, I'm red-shirting; I might as well get as strong
as I possibly can.' He got as big and strong as he could over that
year, and the past two years, he's just been dominant," says Calcagno.
Dominant
is an understatement. Pendleton compiled a 63-3 record at 174 pounds
over the last two seasons. He placed first in 2004 and third in 2003 at
nationals. Not bad for starting as a spin-dly legged freshman wrestling
145 pounds as a high school senior.
Raw talent helped
Pendleton succeed—enormously. But the combination of dedication and a
lower-strength program are also partly responsible.
So, how do
you properly work the squat, glute-ham and lunge into your training?
Calcagno recommends implementing a six-week cycle in which you perform
four sets of each lift twice a week. OSU wrestlers typically perform
lower body lifts on the same day they train their biceps and back.
The Squat
During the six-week squat cycle, increase weights and decrease the
number of repetitions, but keep constant the number of sets (four). For
the first few weeks of the cycle, complete four sets of 10 reps at
55-58 percent of your squat max. In the final weeks, do four sets of
three reps at 100 percent of your max. (If your squat max is 100 pounds
prior to the six-week cycle, use 55-58 pounds with each set of 10 and
100 pounds with each set of three.) Organize the progression by moving
from sets of 10 reps to sets of eight, then five reps. Finish with sets
of three. After completing the six-week cycle, retest and record your
new max. Repeat the cycle for the next six weeks. When performing sets
of 10 and eight reps, rest one minute between sets. As the weight
increases, at sets of five and three reps, increase rest time to about
three and a half to four minutes.
The Glute-Ham
Complete
four sets of 10 reps when performing the glute-ham for the first two
weeks. Then, every future week, complete four sets of eight reps.
Calcagno does not allow his wrestlers to complete less than eight reps
when performing this exercise. At first, only use your body weight as
resistance. But, once you can dominate the exercise with this
resistance, hold a weight plate in your arms. Almost every OSU wrestler
can perform sets of eight with at least a 25-pound plate in their arms.
Rest one minute between each set.
The Lunge
Progress
from four sets of 10 reps of lunges to eight and fnish with fve. OSU
wrestlers never complete fewer than fve reps per set when performing
lunges. Rest one minute between each lunge set of 10 or eight reps. For
reps of five, rest for about three and a half to four minutes. Work
these into your program. Then go ahead feel free to move in for the
single or double. If you're lower-body strong, you're able to do that
and score points.
Getting Stronger Exercises
Squat
Start with a barbell in a squat rack. Position yourself underneath the
bar, so the bar sits on your traps, slightly below the base of your
neck. Set your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Point
your toes slightly out, but not overly exaggerated. Place your hands on
the bar wide enough to easily control and balance the weight. Make sure
to look straight ahead during the entire lift. Take the bar off the
rack and start to squat down, always making sure to control the weight.
Keep your core and lower-back tight. Push your hips back as you lower
the weight. Make sure your knees do not move past the front of your
toes as you descend. Lower the weight until the top of your thighs are
parallel with the ground. Then, drive the weight up to the starting
position, pushing through your heels.
Glute-Ham
Use
a glute-ham machine and lie down on your stomach in the apparatus. Make
sure the machine is set up so that your knees are slightly bent. Bend
at the waist over the mid-section pad until your upper and lower body
is at a 90-degree angle. Then, using your glutes and hamstrings, lift
up your upper-body until it is parallel with your hips. Then, lower
your upper-body back down to the starting position. When working with
just your body-weight, place your hands on the back of your head. When
holding a weight plate, hold the plate against your chest, with your
arms crossing over the plate and across your body.
Lunge
Place
a barbell on your back, slightly below the base of your neck, resting
on your traps. Place your hands on the bar wide enough to easily
control and balance the weight. Standing with your feet 8-12 inches
apart, step forward with your right foot. Try to step out as far as
possible with out losing control of the weight or your balance. Then,
lower your body down until your left knee nearly touches the ground.
Make sure your right knee does not go past the tips of the toes on your
right foot. Keep your core and lower back tight during the lift. Lean
slightly forward when lowering your body to help work your hamstrings.
Then, driving off your right foot, push yourself back up to the
starting position. Repeat the same motion, stepping out with the left
foot first, to train the left leg
