Underground Strength: Five must-do exercises for wrestlers
*Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Volume 32 Issue 3, which printed on Dec. 3, 2025.
By Zach Even-Esh
By the time you are reading this, it is IN season. College wrestling is in full swing and youth through high school have begun. This article will focus primarily on exercises for high school and college wrestlers, but the bodyweight exercises are applicable for ALL age groups.
The BEST wrestlers do NOT focus on how much they can bench. No. The focus is on exercises that build full-body strength, power and durability. Building the legs, hips and back. Show me a wrestler who benches more than he or she squats, and I’ll show you a wrestler who looks good on the beach but gets his or her butt kicked on the mat.
During the season, the wrestler who makes the time to keep getting stronger will be healthier, more explosive and more likely to win in a close match. Strength training certainly boosts physical performance but most of all, boosts your confidence because of your commitment to preparation. Perform these five exercises all year round:
- Hang Power Clean or Heavy Med Ball Shouldering: 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps. Can also perform higher sets and low reps such as 10-12 sets of 2 reps.
- Pull-Ups/Rope Climbing – If you weigh under 175 lbs., you should be able to perform 20 chin-ups/pull ups. Rope climb should be performed with no legs on the rope, even for heavyweights.
- Farmer Walks/Odd-Object Carry – In a nutshell, carry heavy stuff for 100-200 feet for several sets.
- Hill Sprints – We also love sprints from “imperfect” positions such as starting from your back, your belly, half kneeling, etc.
- Bend – You MUST be able to bend. This can be in the form of squats, deadlifts or lunges of all types.
Notice these five movements focus on legs, hips and pulling/rowing. I want to add one more tip before sharing a sample training session. ALL wrestlers need to be coachable. No one can help you with a closed mind. Listen to your coach, do the work, and follow through. I have yet to meet an argumentative wrestler who is also highly successful.
Sample Wrestling Strength Session, performed after a thorough warmup, also included below:
Warmup x 3 Rounds:
- Sled Drags x 75 ft each: Forwards/Backwards
- 1-Arm KB Clean and Press x 5/5
- Kettlebell Reverse Lunges x 5/5
- Kettlebell 1-Arm Row x 5/5
- Kettlebell Swings x 10
Workout:
1A) Hang Power Clean 5×2 (SPEED Focus)
1B) Box Jumps 5×2
2A) Double Kettlebell Row 3×8
2B) Kettlebell Shrugs 3×8
3A) Rope Climb or Pull-Ups 3xMAX
3B) Clapping Push-Ups 3×5
3C) Kettlebell Squat Jump 3×5 (Hold KB Between Legs)
3D) Offset Kettlebell Carry 3×100 ft (Change Position/Weights in Each Hand at 50 ft)
Always finish with foam rolling or body tempering, dead hangs and some stretching.
Nothing fancy here. The “secret” is YEARS of consistent work and constantly challenging yourself by competing hard and being around the right people.
The wrong people will seek mediocrity; great wrestlers want to destroy mediocrity. See you on the mat!
(Zach Even-Esh is a strength and performance coach in New Jersey. For more info, visit ZachEven-Esh.com and UndergroundStrengthCoach.com.)
