It’s actually relatively easy to train hard. The question you have to be asking yourself is: are you training smart? Training smart can cover a vast variety of areas from recovery, proper technique, focus, and many others. However this article is to emphasize the importance of allocating training time to working on new things.
  For example, coming from the wrestler’s mentality of giving your 100% every single workout, I wouldn’t be satisfied with my training unless I was completely exhausted at the end. It’s the mindset many wrestlers share. We take pride in it. Yet, this mindset led to my training being one dimensional at times. Which would lead to my wrestling often times being one dimensional.

  I favored solely training that I was comfortable with; I pushed myself 100% at training I was familiar with as I believed the time to learn and train at something new would be too great of a sacrifice and prevent hard training. Whether it was a new type of training such as swimming or flexibility or even new techniques, I turned away from them all. While I had strength, explosion, and a pretty slick sweep single, any novice wrestler could tell you that’s not enough to reach the tip of the spear.
Often times I was stiff, unable to efficiently make use of my fast twitch muscles led to fatigue, and my bottom was pretty atrocious. Refusing to train smart means failure to adapt in a match. You can have the best take down, turn, or escape. But if that’s all you rely on, the moment your opponent figures you out, you’ll be in a world of hurt. Possibly quite literally. Of course we don’t mean to not train what you’re good at and forget all about your best techniques or training methods. We do encourage taking the time to learn. To adapt. To evolve. In aspect of life, those who learn, win.

So we challenge you to take a little extra time to start working on something new, in an area you need to develop. And if the fact you’re not tired or sweating after that workout bothers you so much, simply get another workout in later that day. Just remember: adapt.

-Brock Morgan

Running

This is an obvious one. Running is an excellent tool to increase cardio and different forms of running can bring a variety of benefits. A more in depth article on sprinting vs. long distance can be found at TheWarmUp.com by Emily Elveru (https://classpass.com/blog/2016/05/04/which-wins-wednesday-long-distance-vs-sprint-training/). She explains sprinting brings building of muscle and with it longer performance with those muscles. While your cardiovascular systems aren’t being improved, the muscles are able to store and use energy at a more efficient rate. She then brings the contrast of long distance running providing cardiovascular improvement with an increase of blood and oxygen flow to heart and lungs. She concludes with a similar belief to ours: incorporate both.

Swimming

Swimming can be an extremely useful tool to incorporate into your training. Swimming leads to improvements in muscle endurance, strength, cardio, and mobility. On top of that there is very little impact on joints as it works nearly every muscle in your body. We also recommend a combination of sprints and distance. If you’d like more info on the benefits of swimming, here’s an article from livestrong.com (https://www.livestrong.com/article/328069-is-swim-training-a-good-cardio-workout/).

Crossfit

Crossfit is a great endurance simulation of a wrestling match. They’re generally a shorter length of time, with constant movement and moments of explosion. Cardio and strength is a factor. However, while many Crossfit athletes are focused on finishing as fast as they can with the heaviest weight they can handle, we cannot stress enough the importance of perfect form. It is better to go with less weight and with perfect form to avoid injuries. Be sure to stay tuned to see which Crossfit workouts we like best!

Sparring

Perhaps not as obvious of an answer, but here at H1story we are firm believers of using every tool possible so long as it’s beneficial. And what we have come to learn is that sparring, especially for those who are naturally more tense, can be an effective tool to increase endurance. Sparring allows you to be aware of positions, situations, and increase wrestling IQ. This leads to knowing exactly when to explode and to not tense up and waste energy when unneeded. This leads directly to our last tip:

Relaxing

Whether it’s tension in muscles or the mind, both drain energy from your body. Slow down your mind. Take a deep breath in. Slowly exhale. Your mind is aware yet you are almost on autopilot. Slightly perplexing but this generally the basis of meditation. We recommend highly taking 5 minutes everyday to meditate. Visualize. Learn to conquer your own body before you go on the mat and fight to conquer the opponent’s.

Apple Valley. Iowa City. Brookings. Now Madison. National champion Seth Gross has made his college decision. In the 2017-2018 season Seth Gross won the NCAA national championship and went undefeated at 133 pounds. The two-time NCAA finalist wrestled just one match this season, a pin over Josiah Kline of Arizona State back in November of 2018. On the evening of January 17th, Gross confirmed he was out for the year. According to Gross he has yet to receive information on if he has received a 6th year, but believes it is probable.

In our interview with Gross he said “If the NCAA grants me the opportunity to wrestle next year I will be competing as a Wisconsin Badger. I’m humbled to have received a lot of offers from great coaches of highly-respected programs but the coaches at Wisconsin are family to me. The opportunity to make another run for a national title with them while earning my masters degree is extremely difficult to turn down.”

Gross entered the transfer portal on March 5th. We asked him why he waited until now to make his decision. “This was a big decision to make. Surprisingly the toughest choice I had to make, was not which school I wanted to attend, but rather if I wanted to go back to college and compete, or get a head start on my international career. I know at some point my days of competing will come to an end, so I made the decision after entering the transfer portal that if I went to grad school it would be a top school for one of my passions outside of wrestling, which is business. I wasn’t going to do an easy grad program for a year just to wrestle and end up not completing it. So, the past two months have been spent studying for my GMAT entrance exam to make sure I earned a competitive score that would admit me into a top business program. With that being said as of May 24th, 2019, I have been accepted into the Wisconsin School of Business and will be working towards a masters degree in Supply Chain Management.”

The last thing we discussed with Seth Gross (The third most dominant wrestler in the country in 2018) was what his goals were if he was granted one final year of eligibility. Gross said “My goals haven’t changed. I want to reclaim my spot on top of the podium and finish what I started. My goal is to be an undefeated national champ and bring a hodge trophy back to Madison. I’ve dealt with adversity before and accepting this challenge is something that I look forward to. I’ve been off the mat for nearly 6 months and have a lot of work to do, but I have full belief in myself, in my coaches and in God that I will come back better than when I left and see each one of my dreams and goals come true.”

1. Lift for Strength, not for pump

   What we mean by lifting for strength instead of pump is that you need to go to the gym with a specific gameplan. Do not go in, randomly pick workouts, and go until you “feel good”. We recommend keeping a journal. Keep track of what muscle group you’re working on, weights, reps, etc. Then the next time you cycle back to that workout, aim to get another rep or add a little more weight and then track it down. This will also help with setting goals and visually seeing your progressions.

2. Lift with Intensity

   Intensity doesn’t mean being those meat heads at the gym screaming at the top of their lungs as they get in those last few reps. It means putting away the phone. Stop talking. Time your breaks. A weight lifting workout should only be 45-60 minutes. Anything more you’re either doing too much or not lifting intense enough.

3. Compound Lifts

   Compound lifts mean lifts that work several muscle groups at once. This is a more realistic muscle contraction simulation to wrestling as nearly every part of your body will be used in a match. While isolated lifts still have its benefits, majority of your workouts should consist of compound lifts. Bench press, deadlifts, squats, military press, are to name a few.

4. Explode up, Slow Negatives

   Exploding up allows fast twitch muscle stimulation while slow negatives can work on muscle endurance. Not only does this bring benefits to fast twitch and muscle endurance, but also lengthens the set duration. Which according to Jeff Cavaliere of Athleanx, how many reps with a certain weight isn’t the most important aspect, but the duration of muscle contraction with that weight that determines muscle growth. Cavaliere states the set time duration should be aimed at 45-60 seconds.

5. Stretch before, during, and after

   While there has been research stating static stretching, stretching by holding a certain position over a period of time, before and during weight lifting sessions will lead to acute muscle weakening, when we say stretch we have various different meanings when applied to before, during, and after. Dynamic stretching, or stretching through movements, is best to be used prior to a lift and also a great way to warm up the body. During lifting it’s important to keep lose with occasional dynamic stretching motions or short static stretching, just enough to avoid getting too tight and allow blood and oxygen to flow. Finally, after the workout it’s best to spend some time to do some static stretching and incorporate it into a daily routine. While strength is important, flexibility can be often ignored by wrestlers and not worked on. Not only can better flexibility lead to injury prevention but can improve your wrestling ability overall; flexibility allows you to put your body in situations you couldn’t before and also allow you to relax and not contract and waste energy.

Be sure to subscribe to H1story wrestling for more tips and content!

What is Fear?

Fear is an uncomfortable and sometimes nauseating emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is a threat, dangerous, or likely to cause pain.

It is as universal and inherent as joy and happiness or anger and sadness. We’ve all felt it at some point in our lives.

Fear often feels like a crippling mess. While the pre-match stomach full of butterflies and jitters are perfectly normal, they are still uncomfortable. The rush of emotions before competition is expected, and is often a combination of our minds and bodies preparing for competition.

But what about when that fear is freezing? Where does that fear come from?

Fear is often found in the absence of confidence and can shut down competitors, leaving them frozen by the possibilities of things that might not even happen. That fear comes from many places, with one of the most common being doubt. Instead of being excited or ready, the nerves can becomes so much athletes are afraid to compete, afraid to get injured, and afraid to lose.

What makes unchecked fear so dangerous is that it often takes something small and insignificant and makes it more than it is; it makes monsters out of shadows and mountains out of molehills, keeping us from pursuing greatness from boogymen of our own minds.

Even worse, fear can stop us from looking at what God can do, and has us focused on what is immediately in front of us.

But fear can also be a healthy thing. The bible says in Proverbs 9:10 says “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…”. So why is this kind of fear different?

We know the fear that is a powerful, primal motivator and an icy force that can freezes us dead in our tracks.

How can we overcome it?

What does the word say? And who are the biblical examples that overcame fear?

Let’s Dive in.

Facing Fear Head on – Keep Walking

Previously, we talked about Walking With Confidence, and what that can look like for christian athletes. The biblical hero Joshua gives us a great example of what to do in the face of fear: relying on the Lord and remaining dauntless.

After Moses’ time, Joshua was a selected to become leader of the children of Israel after their Exodus from Egypt, and was leading his people to the promised land.

On the way there, of course, they faced opposition. Their trip to the promised land came to a halt with the Walls of Jericho stood firmly in the way. (look to Joshua 6:1-25 for the full story)

I’d imagine fear setting in at that moment, much like the fear that sets in when you have a tough draw at a tournament. The people who had been taking thousands of steps in their journey were doubtful of their next few because of their opponent, and we know doubt and fear are closely tied. In spite of the opposition, Joshua followed through with what God had instructed him to do and took down the walls of jericho.

In a wrestling tournament you might face someone with an amazing record, some hammer from a legacy or team of studs. When you face those “walls” of tough odds and big competition, fear and doubt do little to bring those walls down. What God instructed Joshua to do was to take his men and continue to do what they had been doing: march on!

Think about it: we can all think of matches where someone who we would not have guessed could do it did it. Where the underdog, some lower seed comes through and upsets the favorite through what looks like could only have been a miracle.

Fear is often like that wall, an obstacle that appears insurmountable and impossible to overcome, but when you know what to do fear can’t stop you. When you have a plan, and execute it well fear falls flat. Keep walking.

Speaking of underdogs and upsets, not bigger or more famous upset comes than in the story of David and Goliath.

Live With Fear – Aim for the Head (and Don’t Hesitate)

The story of David and goliath is one that I love for many reasons; it’s applicable to so much of life!

Even mainstream media, which is typically wary of religious stories or themes, references this biblical story often.

Although the what of the story is well known, an often overlooked aspect of this commonly known story, however, is how David viewed his opponent.

Remember that David had been a shepard for a good part of his life at this point, which means he spent plenty of time guarding his animals from threats including wild animals like Bears, Lions, and other predators. David faced fear daily, so what was a Giant man to a lion or a bear?

David knew better than to let fear rule him, and knew how to properly estimated his opponent. He knew he had to take him seriously, but was also sure there was a way to win: he had a shot, even if it was a small one.

Goliath on the other hand, the lifelong warrior and clear favorite, underestimated his opponent. He taunted and prodded when he should have paid attention to the sling in David’s hand. His oversight lost him this match and his head (it also might’ve helped that david had the God of the universe on his side).

Both David and Goliath had learned to move past fear in their daily lives, but while David stayed respectful of his opponent and put his faith in God, Goliath underestimated his opponent and put his faith in himself. A healthy touch of fear keeps you respectful and on your toes.

A little fear is healthy – What about healthy fear?

“Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” Proverbs 9:10

The kind of fear Proverbs 9:10 (and 1:7 of the same book) refers to is a kind of respect.

The way that you would respect an attempt to ascend El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a calm but dangerous wild animal, or the cautious to put out a campfire so it can’t become a raging one: fear of the Lord is healthy.

A little fear keeps us from making poorly evaluated choices or living lazily. Fear of losing a loved one can drive you to taking active time to appreciate them, and fear of a big dog keeps you from standing still when it’s chasing you. Fear in those moments can be a good thing, and a touch of fear keeps you respectful of your opponent the way David respected the size and skill of Goliath.

A little fear of your competition before a match week can wake you up in practice and remind you to always outwork your opponent.

In wrestling, respecting your opponent is key, as is respecting the tactics of the enemy and being aware of the traps he might lay, but fear and respect is reserved for the Lord.

Mindset matters – Don’t Be ruled by Fear

So we know a little fear is not a bad thing, but God is the most important thing to fear. We also know David shows us that we can encounter fear everyday, and that Joshua reminds us to continue to walk in the face of fear. What about when nothing but fear is on our minds?

Verse 17 of 2 Timothy chapter 1 says that “God has not given us the spirit of fear but of love, power, and a sound mind.”

That’s big.

What this verse is pointing out the about the Spirit of fear, is that it is not from God. Fear as an emotion or state of being is not something God has given us. It also highlights that the spiritual state of fear, or mindset of fear, is not from Him.

A moment verses a mindset is and important difference to make.

Having moments of fear is not uncommon or even a big issue, it is when you are ruled by fear that it becomes a problem.

You see “a spirit of fear” refers to a heart and mind oriented towards and based in fear. God has not given us that, and we are instead given a spirit of love, of power, and sound, reasonable thinking. A fearful heart and mind are not from God, so rebuke it. When fear that tells you that you aren’t good enough or that you don’t deserve to be where you are, remember that your God has overcome it.

Fear has no place when you know who is on your side.

Our God is Greater – The game is rigged

When we know Who we are and Whose we belong to, the fear can’t help but dissipate. For competitors and christians alike it means fear for the results is removed because our value is secure in Christ.

If we lose a match or drop out of a tournament, we are still loved by our God. So why not go for it? Why not have fun, why not open up and look for openings?

If we fall down like Peter or make mistakes in our walk like Paul we are still loved and grace  and mercy still abound.

It all belongs to God anyways – the medals and accolades and records and beyond, and if it all belongs to God than we can never lose it. If it is all God’s than we can never lose.

So cast your worries and fears on Him, cause the battle against fear is already won.


What do you think about fear? Are you struggling with fear? Would you like to more about overcoming fear or performance anxiety?
Retweet and use the hashtag #faithoverfear if this encouraged you!

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– Kalann Washington