This is a HUGE topic and we could go into a lot of directions on how to approach a successful off-season program. I recently came across this 12 Week Off-Season Training Program that is very helpful for mature elite level athletes. That being said, we are typically talking about kids here and that type of program although informative is often unreasonable. So what can an average wrestler do in the off season to improve their body and mind leading up to the season. Here is a great way to break down important aspects of ability development:

Strength

Out of all the abilities, strength is the critical quality to develop because it serves as a foundation upon which others can be enhanced. Strong athletes are typically also powerful and fast.

Strength can be defined in a few different ways.

Maximal Strength: The ability to apply maximal levels of force or strength irrespective of time constraints.
Strength Endurance: The ability to apply levels of force for a prolonged time without decay.
Relative Strength: The ability to apply high force relative to the athlete’s body mass.

Hypertrophy / Muscle Building

Multiple factors contribute to muscular strength, and muscle size is one. Building muscle does not necessarily increase strength linearly, but a bigger muscle has the potential to be a stronger muscle.

Hand in hand with building muscle is body composition. Body composition describes the percentage of fat, bone, and lean tissue in the body. Since we can’t manipulate our bone structure, it comes down to the ratio between body fat and lean body mass.

In a sport like wrestling, we are always trying to optimize our body composition in relation to our weight class. Being the most jacked guy in the bracket doesn’t mean you will win. But if you take two equally skilled guys, the one with more muscle has an advantage.

Power / Rate of Force Development

In athletics, power can be loosely defined as explosive strength or the ability to apply force with speed.

Power is a critical component of wrestling. It adds more snap to takedowns and can improve one’s ability to throw or toss an opponent.

A lot of power is developed on the mat. However, we will augment the work in the wrestling room with jumps, throws, and Olympic weightlifting-style movements.

Conditioning

If strength is an essential quality to develop, conditioning is the second. The legs feed the wolf, as they say.
Conditioning improves work capacity and allows you to optimally display true abilities throughout the duration of the match. There is no excuse for being under-conditioned.

Although supremely important, conditioning is less of a focus during the offseason. Cardiovascular fitness improves quickly (relatively speaking). Therefore, it is more of a priority during the pre-season and in-season periods. Plus, the best conditioning for wrestling is live wrestling.

That said, we want to maintain a solid baseline of conditioning all year, so cardio has to be a part of off-season wrestling training.
Our conditioning work will be broken down into two domains.

Low-Intensity Cardio
In general, I am a big fan of low-intensity cardio. It’s relatively easy to do, won’t negatively impact lifting performance, and helps you build general physical preparedness. Plus, it helps burn a few extra calories.
When I say low-intensity cardio, I am talking about zone two cardio. This is exercising at 60-75% of your max heart rate or about a 5/6 out of 10 on the RPE scale. At this intensity, you should be able to carry on a conversation. It shouldn’t be a walk in the park, but you shouldn’t be struggling for air either.
Don’t let people tell you that low-intensity cardio is not needed for wrestling because it’s not specific to the conditioning requirements of the sport. Remember, if you only want to train specifically, wrestling is the only thing that matters.

With strength and conditioning, we are trying to improve specific qualities. Low-intensity cardio builds an aerobic base, lowering resting heart rate and improving work capacity.

Examples of zone 2 cardio: jog/light run, ruck (walk with weighted vest/backpack), walk at an incline, bike, air dyne, elliptical, stepper, etc.

*Estimated Max Heart Rate = 220-age

High-Intensity Cardio
The other form of conditioning we will be doing is high intensity. As the name implies, this form of conditioning work is more demanding.

Wrestling is performed at a high intensity, so this conditioning is more specific to the sport. That said, because it is more demanding, it must be programmed intelligently to not interfere with other aspects of the program. If you do too much high-intensity conditioning work, it will limit lifting performance and adaptation.
When combined with low-intensity cardio, you get the best of both worlds.
Examples of high-intensity conditioning: Sprints, hill sprints, stair sprints, bike or air dyne intervals, prowler or sled work, and metabolic conditioning circuits.

Flexibility

Flexibility is a measure of the degree of movement that occurs at a joint. There is a static and dynamic components.
The most flexible athlete is not always the most successful. The goal is to optimize flexibility with the demands of the sport, not simply looking to maximize flexibility as a whole.
With that said, wrestling has a high flexibility demand. Getting into compromising positions is a critical component of the sport. The best wrestlers display a high degree of flexibility, specifically in the lower body.
Although static stretching has fallen out of favor in some circles, it is still a valuable part of a well-constructed flexibility routine. The key is timing. Stretch after the workout, not before.
Static stretching reliably increases flexibility and range of motion. Plus, stretching after training can aid in muscle recovery.

So what all being said: Incorporate an activity every week that incorporates at least 1 of the following focuses

Strength:
– Weight Lifting (Press, Curls, Pulls)
– Bodyweight Exercises (Squats, Lunges, Pullups, Pushups, Core)
– Kettlebell Exercises

Hypertrophy:
– Focus on your Food/Nutrition intake
– Incorporation of Supplements (Pre-Post Workout)
– Hot/Cold Recovery Therapy

Power:
– Battle ropes
– Medicine Ball Throws
– Jumps
– Bands

Cardio:
– Hiking/Running
– Other Sports: Soccer/Football/Ultimate Frisbee
– Biking (outdoor, stationary)
– Jump Rope

Flexibility:
– Yoga
– Static Stretching
– Dynamic Stretching: Swinging, Throwing, Lifting, etc.

Here are some excellent sample workouts you can have you or your kids do in the offseason:

Monday – Cardio: 30-40 min Run + 15 min Stretch
Tuesday – Strength: 45-60 min Weight Training: Press, Squat, Pull
Wednesday – Flexibility: 45-60 min of Yoga
Thursday – Hypertrophy/Cardio: 60-90 min playing a fun Sport/Game: Boxing, Soccer, Flag Football
Friday – Rest (Diet Cheat Day?)
Saturday – Hypertrophy/Strength: 45-60 min Weight Training (Mobility Focused) Swing, Throw, Punch
Sunday – Mindwork: 30min Meditation/Mindfulness, 30min Reflection/Goal Setting, 60min Watching Technique

Remember not everyone is the same and some of these ideas may not be easy to incorporate right away. The goal is to improve, so any start you have to this off-season program is a start. Once you are going, adjust and improve as you go.

Good Luck!