Stretch Your Way to Victory

Try getting this far in the splits - not to mention wrestling from there!  Photo by: Tony Rotundo/ WrestlersAreWarriors.com

If you think that you don't need to be flexible in wrestling, you're dead wrong, and someone more flexible than yourself is going to make you pay for it by giving you a pulled muscle.  At the NWCA All-Star Classic earlier this month I saw many great matches, but the one that stood out in this regard was the 125 lb. match featuring Jesse Delgado of Illinois and Nico Megaludis of Penn State.  I had seen both wrestlers compete at Nationals last year and on TV on the Big Ten Network (keep an eye out on their schedule here!: http://btn.com/2012/11/01/btn-releases-expanded-2012-13-wrestling-tv-schedule/) last season in various dual meets, and the flexibility of Megaludis never ceases to amaze me.  There have been countless matches where he's gotten into situations where 99% of guys would get taken down, but he'll go into the splits and battle you from there!

Being flexible is one thing, but also being strong from a stretched position is a true testament to athleticism and fitness.  I'm not saying you need to be able to do the splits, but hey, it couldn't hurt.  Even the late Lindsey Durlacher, a World Bronze Medalist, told us during a warmup one day that "As a wrestler, you have to be flexible."  Not only should your legs, hips, and groin be flexible, but also your shoulders, neck, and back.  After your workouts, get a full body stretch in, aiming to gain a little bit of flexibility each week.  Go slowly and don't force it.  Relax into the stretch, breathing deeply and stretching slightly further with each exhale.  On your off days, go through a warmup or light workout before stretching, or stretch after a warm shower.  Don't stretch your muscles when they're cold.

I used to be in your shoes.  I was average at best in flexibility.  The sit-and-reach test was always the only one preventing me from getting the Presidential Fitness Award in gym class in elementary and middle school.  But I made up my mind in high school that I was going to work on my flexibility each day, and it certainly shows, as I can touch my toes with ease, touch my face to the mat in a straddle stretch, and touch my nose to the mat in a wrestler's bridge.  Being flexible as a wrestler allows you to get out of uncomfortable situations easier and to defend from awkward positions.  Nothing frustrates a wrestler (like Delgado in the case of Megaludis) more than an opponent with gumby-like limbs.

Stretch yourself,
Jeff

P.S.  "Stretch yourself" was something a teacher spoke about at our high school graduation.  Always look to push your limits.

P.S.S.  Kyle Dake of Cornell, who beat David Taylor of Penn State at the All-Star Classic, is going for his fourth NCAA title at four different weight classes!  Read about his and his coach's philosophy on moving up in weight rather than cutting down: http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=25734.