Conditioning is one of the greatest aspects in the sport of wrestling. Conditioning means increasing your cardio-vascular endurance so that the body can go at top speed and strength for extended periods of time. Famed coach Dan Gable said: “You can never be in too good of shape,” and he couldn’t be more right. Just when you think that you will never get tired in a match situation, you are bound to meet an opponent who will push you to the limit. It is amazing how long six minutes (plus overtime and double overtime) can be when nearly every muscle group is firing and giving resistance. There is no sport that pushes the physical limits like wrestling. Every match is different because every opponent is different.
Conditioning is more that just running, lifting, and hard wrestling alone. Many wrestlers forget that diet, including the pre-match meal can affect their ability to wrestle at top form. A good warm-up with stretching is also critical for wrestling. Finally, a good confident mental attitude is also important in the conditioning category because the mind controls the body.
Improvement of physical fitness is not a secret and nearly every wrestling coach has his own idea on how to condition a wrestling team. Most are adequate. 99% of improvement of conditioning is up to the wrestler. The harder the wrestler pushes himself, the better conditioned the wrestler will be. It is the fastest and most effective way to gain an advantage over your opponent.