Have you ever described Greco Roman wrestling to someone only to hear them reply, “Oh yeah, Greco is all upper-body, right?” Of course. This kind of thing can be frustrating because as most wrestlers know, Greco is NOT an “upper-body” style. If anything, it is mostly lower-body, and by a wide margin. Setups and hand-fighting may require some upper extremities to be involved, absolutely. But if you want to score in Greco and hit some throws, your trunk, hips, calves, and lower back better be up for the task. Obviously, squat jumps can help a whole lot with this.
With that in mind, here is a pretty nifty video highlighting squat jumps and the basics on how to get started. It’s a pretty quick video, with a running time just over two minutes. But it is worth a watch because of the chain effect. Performing squat jumps means strengthening your legs, particularly your quads and glutes. The exercise helps increase explosiveness, which in turn, helps getting lifts. It also improves your running/sprinting. Which in turn, helps you become a more conditioned athlete. Improvement in one area means improvement in other areas. It’s all about complimenting the pieces you have and building them up.
Take a look at this video and let us know what you think. The clip comes to us courtesy of Ken Taylor, a retired NFL cornerback who was a part of the 1985 Chicago Bears team that was known as much for this as it was for its lockdown defense and impressive playoff run. Taylor has become a highly sought-after personal trainer for both amateur and professional athletes. Plus, he was an elite level athlete in his own right, so he isn’t just walking the walk, so to speak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F_EQYq8Ffs
There you have it. A pretty quick look at squat jumps, a perfect exercise to perform on an empty wrestling mat. It might help to have a coach urging you on, but you’re a wrestler – you can gut through this kind of thing on your own. Stretch first!
