Being Smart On Your Off-Season

When summer comes, it is often super enticing to overindulge in junk food and never step foot on the wrestling mat. However, this can often come to your detriment when you're 15 pounds over your first practice back and forget how to finish a shot. Here are some tips for staying on your A (or at least B) game when summer comes and goes.

1. Prioritize Whole Foods

Summer is known for delicious treats. Pizza by the ocean, popsicles while swimming, baked goods at potlucks. One thing that has really helped me in staying fit and keeping my weight manageable (relatively) is having "base meals." For me, this is making sure that I am eating 3 meals with enough protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. I have many sample meals in the "nutrition tab" on my homepage. It's important to remember to enjoy your summer and have ice cream, but at the same time making sure you're filling yourself up with proper fuel.

2. Have goals and make a plan

It's difficult to stay committed during the summer if you don't have goals and a way to achieve them. Something that helped me a lot was to be clear on what I wanted to achieve during the season, and that helped me stay on top of my workouts and meals. I made a plan accordingly (what time I would run in the morning, when I would lift, when I would practice) and had an outline I could follow if I felt like doomscrolling all day on Instagram Reels.

3. Picking the right weight class

A really important aspect of wrestling is choosing a weight class that you feel most strong and healthy and competitive at. This can often change in the summer as we are teenagers and still growing. It's important to know that your body is changing and gaining weight doesn't mean you're just getting fatter, it can mean bone density and muscle and simply growing taller. When season ends and summer rolls around, you cannot expect to fit into your freshman weight class that you cut 6 pounds to get at. Plan accordingly and talk to your parents to decide what weight class will be best for you next season. As long as you are staying hydrating, eating whole foods, and prioritizing strength training, it's important to be flexible and remember that your body grows.

4. Join a wrestling club

Something that really helped me over the summer was joining a wrestling club. In my previous offseason, I came off a pretty hard loss and state and barely trained over the summer. This didn't help me physically or mentally. This year, I joined a wrestling club relatively near my house. It was a great way for me to stay consistent and to stay in shape while maintaining my technique. It can be enticing to not do anything wrestling related over the summer, but joining a club and finding wrestlers dedicated like you not only builds an environment that you can learn from but also want to go back to.

5. Stay active

This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to take advantage of your summer while having fun. Whether going on hikes with friends and taking pictures at the top, having a pool party, or crossing that marathon off your bucket list, moving your body will keep your mind sane and your body in shape.

Keep these tips in mind and you'll not only have a great summer but also a smooth transition into season!