Wrestling Tales

I heard a few wrestling tales while in high school although I didn't witness most of them. So, here's a few stories I hope entertain you a bit.

Brian Taylor was a senior when I was a freshman. He was a nice guy and very popular. He seemed to prefer a wrestling move called the "butcher" but that's not what this tale is about. I believe my older sister told me this story.

Evidently after practice one evening Brian was still over his weight limit and went home feeling a bit dejected. There was a meet or tournament the next day and Brian needed to make weight early the next morning. But, Brian was feeling down and since he was over his weight limit he said to himself, "to heck with it," and ate an entire pumpkin pie. He went in the next day to weigh in and expected to be way over but when he stepped on the scale, low and behold, he was right on weight. Did this really happen? I don't know. If so, perhaps eating an entire pie really revved up his metabolism. But, I wouldn't try it.

Another story involved the ritual of wrestlers shaking hands before a match. Well, one evening before a meet one of our wrestlers got the idea that it would be funny to have each wrestler hold out his left hand to shake instead of his right to throw the other team off. The wrestlers began doing this and got some funny looks from their opponents. The referee caught on to what was going on and told our guys to cut it out.

In the sport of wrestling there is a move known as a Japanese Whizzer. One evening a wrestler from our team had to wrestle an Asian/oriental opponent. Just before our guy stepped onto the mat to wrestle his match our coach said, "Watch out for the Japanese Whizzer." Our guy was laughing so hard when he stepped onto the mat that he could hardly wrestle.

Brad P. had to weigh in for a competition and weighed in with his pants on. Our coach asked Brad why he didn't step on the scale in his underwear. Brad said, "Well Coach, because I'm not wearing any underwear."

Randy was quite a ladies man. One evening while wrestling in a meet he and his opponent went out of bounds near the cheerleaders. Randy took the time to talk to the fine looking cheerleaders and said something simple like, "Hey ladies, how's it going?" He and his opponent returned to the center of the mat and the referee said, "The next time you stop and talk to the cheerleaders it's going to cost you a point, Romeo."

Another guy named Randy was worried about making weight one day. He had heard that if you stood on your head for a minute or so before stepping onto the scale that you would weigh less. So, he asked some guys to hold his legs while he stood on his head. He was naked at the time and before standing on his head he decided that it might be prudent to put on a pair of shorts so his manhood wasn't hanging out all over the place. I don't recall whether or not this little trick actually worked or not.

Well, that's about it for wrestling tales. I burned a hole in a blanket once by putting it over me and an electric heater in an attempt to sweat off some weight. My girlfriend got angry and jealous during my freshman year when I was approached before a meet by a few girls I knew from the opposing school. Nothing too exciting for me. I never got caught having sex with some hot babe in the wrestling room or with a cheerleader in the back of the bus on the way home from a competition or anything like that. Oh, well.

Are You A Warrior?

I found some interesting articles about super hybrid muscle and being as tough as an ancient warrior. Cool, huh? Check it out.

http://www.leanhybridmusclereview.net/lean-muscle-routines-100-rep-giant-set-training

Do You Have To Be Fat To Be Strong? Burn Fat and Build Muscle at the Same Time – is it Possible?

Lean Muscle Routines – 100 Rep Giant Set Training
By admin | Published:
Read at the LHM Blog: http://www.leanhybridmusclereview.net/

By Mike Westerdal

Nutrition and training expert John Parrillo is an innovator who has been on the cutting edge of bodybuilding for more than two decades. His ideas go against conventional wisdom and have been hailed as revolutionary by some and dismissed by others. Some people think he’s an exercise and nutrition genius who knows more about maximizing muscle growth and losing body fat than just about anyone else around, while others think he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about. In any case, John was among the first to embrace the idea of Super Hybrid Muscle. In fact, he was really the first one to develop the first hybrid training system.

More than 15 years ago he caught on to the idea of Super Hybrid Muscle and began having his bodybuilders doing really high intensity cardio. John realized that by doing this, his guys

were actually altering the composition of their muscle fibers. He called this form a resistance training the “100 rep extended set,” saying that it helped the body to construct more mitochondria—the muscles’ “cellular blast furnaces,” while also increasing muscular growth by developing the circulatory pathways that provide nourishment to the muscles. As the cellular blast furnaces, mitochondria are extremely important to muscle because they’re the energy-supplying systems of the muscle cells.

Every muscle has a certain number of mitochondria–the more mitochondria in the muscle, the greater its potential for growth. So by forcing the body into creating more mitochondria, you’re setting the stage for big increases muscle strength, stamina and endurance. Ordinary muscle fibers are either built for strength or endurance–not really for both. By forcing the body to increase the number of mitochondria in the muscle cells, you’re also causing a metamorphosis that converts ordinary muscle fiber into Super Hybrid Muscle fiber. And not only that, but a human body loaded with mitochondria is far less likely to accumulate body fat than a body with fewer mitochondria.

While researching ways in which to reconfigure the composition of muscle fiber, John realized that the answer could be found in the past. Looking back, he realized that prolonged, intense physical effort causes a working muscle to build additional mitochondria, resulting in big gains in muscle strength and stamina. Part of this realization came from looking at railroad workers from the 1860s. These guys would lay track all day long using a 4-pound sledgehammer developing powerful arms, forearms and shoulders loaded with mitochondria, strength and endurance. But because their legs weren’t being exercised as intensely, they stayed the same.

So basically, John’s 100 Rep Giant Set training routine recreates this kind of super intense, prolonged workout.

Here’s how it works. You start by picking a single muscle group, doing 20 reps of an exercise, then launch right into 20 reps of the next exercise. Immediately after that, you do 20 reps of another exercise, followed by 2 more sets of 20 reps each of two different exercises. There is no rest allowed between the 20-rep sets. At the end of all this, you’ve done a total of 100 reps, almost sequentially. Now you can rest for no more than 1 minute before starting the whole cycle again, repeating it at least 2-3 times total.

That is one hell of a tough workout–especially when you realize that you’ve just done 200-300 reps for a single muscle. In a normal workout, even on a high rep day, most guys aren’t going to even hit 100 for a single muscle. The important thing to remember here is that the workout needs to be intense. You don’t want to be screwing around wasting time by not making it challenging. At the same time though, you don’t want to start out with a weight that’s too heavy because once you start, you need to commit to finishing with the same weight. No drop sets here.

You can do 100 Rep Giant Sets for any body part–you’re not limited to just certain muscle groups. You can also do it whether you use machines or free weights but you’ll always get the best results from free weights because they force each limb to carry its fair share of the total weight, requiring each muscle to perform equally, making free weights far better muscle-building tools than machines. You should do the 100 Rep Giant Sets once or twice a week, rotating body parts for about eight weeks.

If you tell most bodybuilders that you’re going to be doing 100-rep sets to build strength, stamina and size, they’re likely to ask if you’ve gone out of your flipping mind. Most hardcore bodybuilders reject this philosophy entirely because it runs directly contrary to the all-known logic – fewer repeats, bigger weights – equals bigger muscle growth.

Even though the path to getting there is a bit different, the underlying principle and ultimate goals of 100 Rep Giant Sets and Lean Hybrid Muscle training are the same. Both rely on grueling workouts that combine resistance training and cardio activities to force the body to increase the number of mitochondria to build Super Hybrid Muscle.




http://www.articlealley.com/article_1070012_23.html

The Barbarians - A Huge Hybrid Muscle Upset!
Date Published: 07th September 2009

Author: Mike Westerdal

Everyone knows that the ancient Roman warriors kicked ass. In fact, the growth of the Roman Empire was just about unstoppable for nearly 500 years. That is, up until 476 AD, when they found themselves fighting the Barbarians who invaded Rome from the Germanic region of Europe. And this time, it was the Barbarians who kicked ass, not the Romans. This was one of their biggest defeats that the Romans had ever suffered. And what made this trouncing particularly humiliating was that it was carried out by an army that wasn't well-organized. Even more embarrassing for the Romans was the fact that this "rag-tag" army had almost no armor-and in fact, some of them wore nothing at all-and used a mismatched, hodgepodge of weaponry.

For the Barbarians though, this was their single-greatest victory ever, and even today, this battle stands as the defining moment in the unification of Germany. So, how did the Barbarians-who seemingly were nothing more than roving, disorganized, loose-knit bands of guys with a penchant for fighting-clobber the mighty Romans? Taking a look at both the way the Barbarians fought their battles and what they did to prepare for them, sheds some light on why they were a force not to be taken lightly.

First of all, you should know that the Barbarians-in reality, groups of small, semi-nomadic, warring tribes-basically pioneered the art of guerilla warfare. They honed their fighting skills by battling each other and favored hand-to-hand combat, surprise ambushes and fought without any rules. They had almost no armor or helmets and sometimes fought bare-chested or even naked. So while the Romans were well-disciplined fighters, they were fighting as part of an organized unit-in other words, if one fell, another took his place. In contrast, the Barbarians weren't organized. It was more or less, every man for himself-and that's they way they trained.

Whether it was by design or circumstance, the Barbarians were almost always in a perpetual state of training. Not only would each small tribe be almost constantly fighting another tribe, but just to keep on their toes, the guys within each tribe often fought each other. So essentially, even more so than other warrior cultures-all of which used weaponry to a greater degree than they did-the Barbarians relied on their physical capabilities to defeat their enemies.

Because of this, it was even more important for the Barbarians to continually strive to build super muscle or type III muscle, as well as increase mitochondrial density. So for them, their training activities would have focused on those things that included a high degree of resistance cardio.

The hand-to-hand combat sessions would have helped them to develop speed, accuracy, flexibility and strength. But in addition to this, they would have had to also build up their endurance levels so there would have been lots of running as well. But to really increase the mitochondrial density and build hybrid super muscle, they would have also spent a considerable amount of time running across distances carrying supplies and whatever weapons they might have been using at the time.

They would have also done quite a bit of slower-moving resistance cardio-still carrying all the great-as they moved from place to place. The Barbarians were semi-nomadic so they were almost always on the move and their attack mode was similar to what the Vikings used-rapid, surprise attacks.

Remember too that the Barbarians more or less pioneered guerilla warfare, which requires an incredible degree of flexibility, speed and versatility. Knowing this, we can be fairly certain that their training routines would not have included doing the same thing day-in and day-out. In order to develop and hone the fighting skills that they needed to defeat their enemies, they would have had to be constantly mixing things up from day-to-day. And again, like the other warrior cultures we've discussed, they weren't exercising so that they could look good-they were focused on functionality.

The Barbarians definitely go down in history as one of the elite warrior cultures of all-time. Stay tuned as we explore how we can build the same Super Hybrid Muscle the Barbarians had by copying some of their training regiments. As you have definitely figured out by now it is going to involve strength building and resistance cardio or max effort conditioning. When it comes to building the "Warrior Physique" you're going to need to train like a warrior and that involves stepping out of your comfort zone and performing activities that build muscle and burn fat at the same time like resistance cardio or conditioning.

Don't worry, you won't need to quit your gym to join in on some of these workouts, you just need to get creative.

Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time.

Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc., a free online weight training magazine.




http://www.warriordiet.com/content/view/30/41/

About Controlled Fatigue Training by Ori Hofmekler

--What is my physical potential?
--Have I tried to reach my limits?
--Do I feel strong in certain areas, but weak in others?
--Am I quick enough?
--Can I jump high a few times without falling apart?
--Can I sprint for more than 30 seconds without collapsing?
--Do I know the difference between being strong and being tough?
--Do I like what I see in the mirror?
--What Is Controlled Fatigue Training?

Warrior Diet Controlled Fatigue Training (CFT) is an exercise program that methodically trains the body to resist fatigue under intense physical stress, while gradually improving all performance capabilities (i.e. strength, speed, velocity, and sustained power).

Like other WD programs, CFT is based on one master principle– SURVIVAL. The program consists of workout units (complex sets) that mimic primal fight or flight activities, increasing alertness, balance- control and capacity to "come back with a vengeance" when extremely fatigued.

Humans, like other animals are primarily preprogrammed to adapt and improve their ability to survive, when exposed to certain hard conditions that force the body to endure periodic nutritional or physical stress.

Scientists believe that since the late Paleolithic period (about 10,000 years ago), we humans, have inherited genes known as thrifty genes that help us better survive when forced to periodically undereat due to lack of food or routinely be engaged in intense physical activity due to the necessity to hunt, fight or flight. When triggered, certain thrifty genes help us better survive by up grading the body's capacity to utilize fuel and generate energy, while improving body composition (i.e. the ratio of lean tissue/fat).

Evidently, some thrifty genes had been identified by researchers as "Fat burning genes" and "Fat Storing Genes" (i.e. PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma, respectively). It had been suggested that in order to fully take advantage of our biological make-up, we must follow a life-style that somewhat mimics the way we are primarily destined to live. For that matter, the more we exercise in a way that mimics primal human fight or flight activities, and the more we follow feeding cycles that mimic primal cycles of feast and famine, the more we will trigger the genes that improve our ability to survive, making us tougher, leaner stronger and healthier. In other words, life doesn't provide many choices, "IF YOU ARE NOT ACTIVELY SURVIVING YOU ARE PASSIVELY DYING."

The CFT Revolution
CFT vs. Other Training Methods

--The WD's CFT trains the body to resist fatigue and sustain power under intense or extreme physical stress in a way that mimics primal fight or flight activities.
--Not like other training methods today that typically separate between resistance and endurance, CFT combines both with a substantial emphasis on exercise intensity.
--Different from training methods that typically endorse either short sets of resistance or prolonged moderate aerobics, CFT incorporates complex workout units with short rest or no rest between sets, methodically rotating between low and high levels of complexity, work load and volume. CFT does not incorporate moderate aerobics.
--While other exercise programs typically work on isolation of body parts (arms, chest, legs, shoulders, etc.), CFT works the whole body with a superior emphasis on the core.
--While other exercise programs generally fail to provide clear functional principles, CFT is based on survival related principles with a profound` functional appeal and defined clear priorities as to what comes first and what is secondary.
--While other exercise programs promise a "straight Line" progress (i.e. gradual increase in weight load, etc.), CFT gradually increase strength speed velocity together with the capacity to resist fatigue. By virtue of methodically rotating between levels of exercise's complexity, work load and volume, CFT features repetitive cycles of training sessions, providing steady progress in a spiral like manner.

Intensity - levels of exercise complexity and work load in a workout unit.

Volume - number of workout units/per fixed time.

CFT Principles

1. Base your training on workout units that incorporate strength speed, velocity and endurance exercise in one complex set.
2. Incorporate pre-fatigue or post-fatigue exercise with the workout units. Rotate between sessions with pre-fatigue exercise, sessions with post-fatigue exercise and sessions of shear resistance.
3. Incorporate special abdominal and back supersets in the end of the workout sessions.
4. Exercise within a fixed time frame. Increase intensity- (increase work load or complexity) while reducing volume (less workout units/ time).
5. Increase volume while decreasing intensity (more units less weight load or complexity).
6. Increase intensity with a fixed volume.
7. Increase volume with a fixed intensity.
8. Rotate between 6,7,8,9.

CFT Nutritional Tips

--Cycle between high fat and high carb days (or detox) to train your body to maximize fuel utilization.
--Have a recovery meal of 15-20g of protein and 10-25g of carbs right after your workout (ideally within the first 30 min. of post exercise).
--Have light protein meal with minimum carbs every couple of hours after the initial post exercise recovery meal.
--If you workout in the late afternoon or early evening your evening main meal should be a great recovery meal.




http://www.protraineronline.com/past/May05/article1.cfm

Controlled fatigue training
How to increase Muscle capacity to utilize oxygen and resist fatigue with special warm-up exercises.
By Ori Hofmekler

One of the main problems that adversely effect athletes, bodybuilders or individuals engaged in prolonged intense physical stress- is a loss of stamina. “Hitting the wall” often involves a feeling of light headed, overall exhaustion and inability to sustain strength.

The core concept of controlled fatigue training is to gradually train the body to resist fatigue and sustain strength during a prolonged intense physical stress. That way one could handle higher valium of intense exercise and thereby be able to gain strength, speed, and velocity with an improved muscle/ fat composition.

Muscle capacity to utilize oxygen is a critical determinate in one's ability to sustain strength and resist fatigue. Maximum muscle oxidative capacity relates to the rate of blood lactate removal after a 1 minute of all out test. Researchers at the Institute De Biology, Montpellier , France stated that maximal oxidative capacity is directly associated with the delay in the fatigue of champion athletes or highly trained individuals.

Recent studies at the department of exercise and sports science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Alsager, UK investigated the effect of warm-up sprint intervals on maximum muscle oxidative capacity (VO2 max).The British researchers speculated that the metabolic acidosis resulting from sprint intervals would enhance muscle perfusion and result in speeding oxygen uptake (VO2max) during a following bout of intense exercise. The studies results showed that these intense pre-fatigue intense exercise (but not moderate exercise) increased the amplitude to which muscle VO2 can rise during a following bout of intense exercise.

It is likely possible that super intense pre-fatigue) exercise such as sprint intervals, trigger a survival mechanism (i.e. fight or flight reaction to stress) that help compensate for the sudden brutal onset of intense physical stress by inducing an immediate increase in muscle VO2 max with an improve capacity to utilize fuel and resist fatigue and thereby be able to better survive in times of high physical stress or danger. Furthermore, to compensate for the ware and tear of muscle tissue, the body induces a profound anabolic and insulin sensitizing effect. Previous studies reveal that highly intense exercise has a more profound anabolic effect than moderate exercise. In fact, intense elevates, such as high valium of resistance training, increase testosterone levels with a superior effect on increasing growth hormone and IGF-1 levels as well as on enhancing insulin sensitivity compared to moderate aerobic45 exercise.

In conclusion, incorporating pre-fatigue intense exercise such as sprint intervals together with a high valium of intense exercise may be a most efficient training method to help maximize muscle capacity to utilize oxygen and resist fatigue while boosting the overall anabolic effect on the body.

Note that sprint intervals could possibly be substituted with other intense warm-up exercise such as power biking (max level) intervals, rope jumping, high jumps, or heavy bag punching (2min., 30sec rest, x 3-5).

Ori Hofmekler is the author of the books “The Warrior Diet” and “ Maximum Muscle Minimum Fat” / Dragon Door Publications. To learn about the Warrior Diet Certification Seminars and Controlled Fatigue Training Seminars (ISSA Accredited ) Log onto www.WarriorDiet.com or call 866-WAR-DIET




http://www.supermuscleworkout.com/

Which Species is the Most Physically
Superior on Earth?
Think it's Humans? Think Again! Astonishing New Scientific Findings Reveal Which Species Beats
Mankind "Hands Down"

(Keep Reading to Learn How You Too Can Develop this Superior Strength and Dominating Power!)

Dear Fellow Warrior,

If you're looking for the next big muscle-building breakthrough when it comes to toning, shaping and strengthening - I can tell you where you won't find it.

• You won't find it in a health food or supplement store
• You won't find it in fitness or Muscle Magazines
• You won't find it by lifting weights or doing crunches constantly

But where you will find this superior muscle building secret is in the least likely place you'd expect…

The Jungle!

What am I talking about? What does the jungle have to do with building muscle? Surprisingly, quite a bit. Let me explain…

Why Our Ancient Ancestors Have Beaten the Crap Out of Us Pound to Pound
Scientists have recently discovered that back in the early days of humankind, common "cavemen" such as the Paleo and Neanderthal man, had the same type of muscle as wild apes (who actually have DNA that is 98% identical to our own).

It's thought that this superior muscle type is due to stronger, more resilient muscle fibers, which enabled prehistoric humans to survive extreme hardship in the untamed wilderness of the Earth.

Today's gorillas have retained that amazing primitive and powerful muscular build, despite thousands of years of evolution. Compared to modern man, they are estimated to be 5-10 times stronger and physically superior.

What's more, as people progressed from being hunter-gatherers to farmers, to industrial workers, to today's office jobs - our muscles have grown accustomed not being used as they have been programmed to during prehistoric days - We have been going against our nature and we pay the consequences: humans today are weaker than ever!

But all hope isn't lost for today's humans. In fact, Mother Nature knew we might need to tap into our innate survival program to regain and release that powerful strength again one day.

The Secret to Unlocking Your Animal Strength is Hidden Inside Your Muscles Themselves!
And now, survival fitness specialist Ori Hofmekler has broken the genetic code that allows you to plow through training barriers and weight loss plateaus to achieve pure, chiseled muscle tone like never before!

Introducing the two-part Super Muscle e-book. In this information-packed guide, Ori explains the Super Muscle Phenomenon that allowed our ancestors to survive AND thrive in the wild, including how they battled fatigue and generated miraculous strength to overcome their daily challenges.

You'll learn exactly how the super muscle hybrid is biologically structured - and how anyone, regardless of age, sex and weight can potentially build this impressive muscularity with unmatched “primordial” power.

Come On… The World Doesn't Need Another Muscle-Building E-Book!
Or Do They…?
When many people think of muscle-building, they think of fitness-obsessed "meatheads" or gym rats. They often look for "quick fixes" and quick weight loss "cures" through questionable supplements.

If you're looking for something like that here - do yourself a favor and leave right now. You'll be sorely disappointed with the proven facts behind the Super Muscle training - because it’s exactly what you don't want to hear.

Building super muscle and unlocking your inner genetic code for developing super strength and power doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen by taking a "magic pill" and it definitely doesn't happen by spending hours at the gym obsessing over your figure.

Super Muscle Building Requires a Special Approach - And You Need to Know What to Do!
And if you're not ready to commit to this “survival of the fittest” regimen, extreme muscle building breakthrough that melts fat and builds brutal "gorilla" muscles - then crawl back to the same “comfortable” hole that you came from – go off and waste your money on all those health supplements and fancy weight training programs - then come back here when you're ready.

And by the way...I should warn you though about those "other" fitness programs. You know the fancy equipment, web training DVD videos and such. I say "warn" because…

Every Single One of These Programs and Exercise Equipment is Flawed in One MAJOR Way that Virtually Ensures You DON'T Get the Kind of Results They Promise!

It's not your fault though… you could work out and train your body until it's literally ready to fall apart collapse, exhausting yourself of getting nowhere before you realize this painful truth:

All of these programs are designed to focus on one SINGLE area of conditioning, such as strength or speed or endurance.

All programs today are inadequately missing something!

This helps guarantee that no matter how hard you try…
• You'll build strength but not speed…
• You'll be faster but lose endurance…
• You'll build endurance but your muscles will become weak and fragile…

It's a vicious cycle that ONLY Super Muscle Training can break!

The Super Muscle Regimen is a Complete Training
and Lifestyle Nutrition Package - Including Muscle Building, Total Body Conditioning and Restorative Diet - All in One!

You can try wasting your time picking and choosing different diet and weight training "breakthroughs" and hoping for a "bandage" solution to your problems.

Regardless…

This is the only muscle building guide that releases taps on your inner program to transform your physique from “normal” to “superior” and lets you actually break through to building super human muscle that resists fatigue while turbo-charging your physical power capacity to an astonishing level that will most likely surprise even yourself – and all this can be done in merely 30 minutes per day.

You can actually complete a hell of a workout in just 3 minutes, when you learn how to target this inner physical dominance secret!

And To Make Sure You're 100% Thrilled with the Results You're About to Experience, I'll Make Your Decision Brain-Dead Simple:
• If you don't plow through your strength training and weight loss plateaus…
• If you don't banish fatigue and increase overall force and power
• If you don't get that rock-hard "chiseled" look that everyone will envy…
• If the Super Muscle guide doesn't absolutely change your life for the better in every way imaginable…

…most likely you haven’t followed the instructions.

But regardless I don't want you to feel screwed. That's why you get my unconditional XX Day Money Back Guarantee. If for any reason whatsoever, the Super Muscle doesn't show you how to release your inner "beast", and build firmer, stronger and tougher muscles – just let me know for a complete refund.

However don't you dare request a refund if you haven't actually TRIED the material or read the book. Like I said above, if you’re looking for a quick fix - this isn't it.

The Super Muscle regimen is designed for people who are ready to take their muscle and strength training to the next level - the beyond survive and thrive level. If you're not happy with "where you are", get your copy of the Super Muscle today for only $47.90 and get the immensely powerful muscularity you hunger for.

Awaken The Animal Within! Order Super Muscle Now!
Just call 1-818-342-1927 or order online risk-free by clicking the button below.

You'll get immediate access to the full Super Muscle package - including Ori Hofmekler's invitation to the Warrior Elite - a group of athletes, marshal artists, power lifters, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts from around the world who have - and are - successfully obtaining super muscularity while breaking training plateaus and abolishing weakness by following Ori's teachings.

You have Nothing to Lose and Tons to Gain by doing things right! Click here to order now!

To Your Success!

Lee Nazal


P.S. If you're ready to break the genetic code and discover what made our primitive ancestors 5-10 times stronger than modern man - get Super Muscle now. Discover how this phenomenon is changing the strength training and conditioning industries by awakening the inner instinct of humankind to get the kind of muscle nature intended! Get yours today!

Copyright © 2008 - Defense Nutrition, LLC, All Right ReservedDISCLAIMER: Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein solely for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication.

Defense Nutrition, LLC
P.O. Box 5028
Woodland Hills, CA 91365-5028
1-866-927-3438 (9 a.m - 5 p.m., Mon. - Fri., Pacific)

Typical Wrestling Diet

This is what I ate during my senior season of wrestling as best as I can recall.

Breakfast:

I would have one of the following:

Oatmeal - 1 cup of plain cooked unsweetened oatmeal or maybe with a tablespoon of raisins occasionally

Cereal - Occasionally I would combine one cup of Special K and one cup of Wheaties and eat it dry. Sometimes I would have half a cup of milk on cereal but usually not. I made the mistake of trying to eat cereal with water once. Either eat it plain or with milk. Trust me.

Poached Eggs - occasionally, although I don't remember for sure (they are very low in calories and high in protein so if I didn't then I should have every now and then

Plain waffles or pancakes (doesn't sound too good, huh?)

Lunch:

Consisted of a combination of any of the following:

Rice Cakes (not a taste treat but very low in calories)
Cheese slices (on the rice cakes)
Apples (low in calories and filling)
Whole wheat bread
Peanut butter occasionally
Candy bar or Toast'em pastry (very rarely)
Water (I should have drank milk with lunch each day in retrospect)

Dinner:

The following might have been typical:

Fish square
Baked potato (plain, of course)
Green beans (sometimes mixed with a can of mushrooms)
Milk - occasionally
Ice cream (vanilla) - half a cup - occasionally

Snack:

Alba Snack Shake Mix (only 70 calories, although it does contain artificial sweeteners and cellulose gum, xantham gum, and guar gum because it's sugar free and basically fat free) - I really liked it though because it's hard to beat having a shake that's only 70 calories

I suppose that these days teenage athletes are into drinking whey protein shakes and other protein shakes.

Diet pop (almost every night after practice)- although too much consumption of artificial sweeteners I now realize isn't such a great idea

After weigh-in I might have:

Fig or Blueberry Newtons (just a few)
Then main meal of one or more of the following:
Pancakes
French toast
Omelet
Eggs and toast
Milk Shake (very rarely - that was more of a sophomore year thing although it's surprising how good a chocolate shake can taste around 7:30 am
Diet Pop and/or orange juice

If it was the day of a tournament then I might have something to eat in between meals such as the following:

Pop Tarts or Toast'ems
Jelly sandwiches on white bread

So, I guess apples, rice cakes, plain breads, plain cereals, potatoes, and green beans were my main foods.

I should have drank more milk and ate more fats (butter and peanut butter) and perhaps a bit more protein but I could really eat a lot of apples, green beans, and plain breads and cereals for very few calories which was very appealing at the time. But more protein and more fat might have meant having higher testosterone in my body and greater strength and power which is, of course, a good thing. Don't diet or cut weight because it's no fun and can be dangerous. But, if you do cut weight then cut back slowly and try to eat healthy and remember there are a lot of low calorie foods that are still high in nutrition.

Motivational Speech

During my senior season my coach was talking to the team after practice the night before the conference tournament.  He wanted us to be focused and ready to wrestle.  Then he asked if anyone had anything to to say.  It was quiet for a few moments and I said, "I have something to say coach."

Then I said, "Tomorrow is the conference tournament and we are going to dominate.  When we face our opponents tomorrow, we are going to show them what a Postville wrestler is made of.  Strength! Dedication! Determination!  I know this because I know that no one works harder than an Postville wrestler.  Some of you may be hungry.  Some of you may be tired or in pain but you do not stop.  You are not content!  You are are relentless!  When an opponent meets a Postville wrestler he knows he is in for a battle.  A Postville wrestler is not just working to be the best in the conference but the best in the state.  We proudly wear the red and black to represent Postville High.  A Postville wrestler will not quit, will not let up, will not stop until he has wrestled his absolute best!  I know that we will be victorious and will not rest until we have beaten our adversaries.  No match is too challenging!  No competition is too demanding!  Victory always!"

Actually, that is a complete and total dramatization.  I never gave any such speech, but I wish I would have.

I like inspiring words and speeches.  The speech above was inspired by Napoleon Bonaparte, General George Patton, and a few other sources.


Napoleon's Proclamation to His Troops in Italy (March-April 1796)

Read it all here:  http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/nap1796.html

Here's part of the speech:


[March 27, 1796]


Soldiers, you are naked, ill fed! The Government owes you much; it can give you nothing. Your patience, the courage you display in the midst of these rocks, are admirable; but they procure you no glory, no fame is reflected upon you. I seek to lead you into the most fertile plains in the world. Rich provinces, great cities will be in your power. There you will find honor, glory, and riches. Soldiers of Italy, would you be lacking in courage or constancy?

[April 26, 1796]

In a fortnight you have won six victories, taken twenty-one standards, fifty-five pieces

plains in the world. Rich provinces, great of artillery, several strong positions, and conquered the richest part of Piedmont [a region in northern Italy]; you have captured 15,000 prisoners and killed or wounded more than 10,000 men. . . .

You have won battles without cannon, crossed rivers without bridges, made forced marches without shoes, camped without brandy and often without bread. Soldiers of liberty, only republican phalanxes [infantry troops] could have endured what you have endured. Soldiers, you have our thanks! The grateful Patrie [nation] will owe its prosperity to you. . . .

The two armies which but recently attacked you with audacity are fleeing before you in terror; the wicked men who laughed at your misery and rejoiced at the thought of the triumphs of your enemies are confounded and trembling.

Napoleon's Proclamation to the Troops on the Commencement of the War of the Third Coalition, September 1805:

http://www.societenapoleonienne.com/english/Life_Nap_Vol2_Chap11_b.htm

"Whatever the obstacles we have to face, we will be victorious and we will not rest until we have planted our eagles upon the territories of our enemies."

An excerpt from General George Patton's "Blood and Guts" speech found at:  http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/patton_20010914.html

I don't want to get any messages saying, "I am holding my position." We are not holding a Goddamned thing. Let the Germans do that! We are advancing constantly and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's balls! We are going to twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy.

The motto of the 1st Infantry Division of the U. S. Army (nicknamed The Big Red One):

"No Mission Too Difficult, No Sacrifice Too Great--Duty First!"

Pillars of Wrestling

I believe that wrestling success comes from being strong in what I will call the "four pillars of wrestling".

The four pillars of wrestling are: technique, training, diet, and mental toughness.

First, a wrestler needs to have excellent technique in order to succeed. Conditioning can take a wrestler far, but good technique is important above all else. I had a professor in college who told us he had a simple formula for doing well on his tests. He simply said, "Know everything." The same applies to wrestling--know everything. You won't use everything, but you should know everything.

How many ways are there to set up a double leg or a single leg? Hundreds? Thousands?

Looking back at my high school career, I'm not sure I ever did a stand up correctly. I would try to clear my left arm by throwing it up against my face as I stood up. I wasn't that successful at stand ups which are an absolute essential move to be good at to succeed in wrestling. I should have been bringing my left elbow tight to my side to block his hand while bringing my body straight up. I should have worked hard at hand control and breaking his grip. I could have gotten a lot more stand ups by knowing a little better technique.

I never heard the term hip heist during the time I wrestled. Even during my college years I never heard the term. Of course, I knew how to do a switch which involves a hip heist. But, I don't remember ever being taught a hip heist except as part of a switch.

I never learned how to do a spiral ride. Why is that?

I was always taught to never put a half in if your opponent is on his hands and knees. But, now I know you can put a half in even if the other guy isn't broken down as long as you block his leg on the opposite side and as long as you're not directly behind him.

The bottom line is that you should know every move possible and the best way to execute it. Hopefully, you have a knowledgeable coach. But, you can also look at books and videos that will show you proper technique. Even if you're short on money, youtube.com and themat.com have some very good wrestling technique videos you can watch for free.

Second, a wrestler needs to be well conditioned. He needs to train hard. Lift weights. Drill hard. Wrestle hard. Work out year round. Don't just be a three or four month wrestler. Check the articles here on conditioning and training. Remember that wrestling is primarily an anaerobic sport. You don't have to run (and shouldn't run) five miles every day to get in good condition. Google Zach Even-Esh and Matt Wiggins and see what they have written about training for wrestling and mixed martial arts. The great Karl Gotch said, "Conditioning is the greatest hold." Being in great condition could be the deciding factor in a match. You need to be able to wrestle that full six or seven minute match and possibly overtime as well.

Third, a wrestler needs to watch his diet. Many wrestlers have to "cut" weight. Even if you don't cut weight, you should try to fill your tank with good fuel. If you are going to cut weight then learn to do it right. Read my article on cutting weight and look it up on the internet and get yourself educated. A wrestler who is weak and dehydrated from starving and restricting fluids is not going to wrestle well.

Finally, a wrestler needs to have mental toughness to succeed on the mat. Look at my page on mental toughness. Read articles on sports psychology and mental toughness. If don't walk onto that mat in a focused state of mind you are in trouble.

Some people might add the support of family, friends, and fans as another pillar. That's a valid point. A coach who is has the technical expertise in wrestling is also desirable. A coach needs to be tough at times but not a jerk. A coach needs to be supportive and motivating. Being a good coach can be a tall order. But, a good coach can make a huge difference. If your coach isn't providing all that you need then seek out other wrestlers and attend wrestling clinics and camps.

In conclusion, the four pillars of wrestling that need to be addressed in order to reach success are technique, training, diet , and focus.

Cutting Weight

Wrestlers cut weight. They don't reduce weight. They don't lose weight. Wrestlers sure as heck don't diet! Wrestlers cut weight.

I'm not sure where the term "cutting weight" originated. A wrestler wouldn't say, "I need to lose ten pounds." He'd say, "I need to cut ten pounds."

I had a certain image of what "cutting weight" was when I began the sport of wrestling. It seemed to usually involve guys wearing many layers of clothing so they would sweat a lot. And, it seemed to involve eating less or not eating at all. I knew that some times wrestlers at tournaments would have to run in the hall to sweat off some weight because they showed up over their weight class limit.

I only weighed about 100 lbs. when I was a freshman in high school. So, making weight for the 98 pound class was no problem at all. I think there was one evening before a meet where I was a little worried that I might be over my weight so I decided to skip dinner. I thought skipping dinner was going to kill me. What made me think I would be able to cut 12 lbs. the next season?

I weighed about 110 lbs. when my sophomore wrestling season began. I guess I thought it would be easy to cut weight. I just thought I'd wear a lot of layers of clothing in practice and simply stop eating. Not very smart, huh?

After a few days of not eating and of limiting my water intake I was totally exhausted. I was hungry and thirsty. I was weak. I was getting thrown around by guys in practice that I should have been throwing around. I was like a rag doll.

I went to a local motel to use the hot tub and sauna a few times. I put a blanket over myself and a space heater once and burned a hole in the blanket.

When my coach handed me the uniform for the 98 pound wrestler I thought, "Why are you giving me this uniform, coach? I'll never make weight." But, I did make weight some how.

After making weight the first time, my mother took me to The Grill for breakfast. I ordered two eggs, sausage, and toast. I also ordered two bakery rolls and two large orange juices. The waitress didn't bat an eye. She was used to wrestlers coming in and eating after weigh-in. I'm not sure what my mother was thinking. I ate every bit of it.

During my junior season I continued to cut weight by starving. I would look forward to a can of diet pop after practice each night. I became a little more aware of calories. I would eat carrots or green beans some times.

I usually tried to actually get a few pounds below my weight class the night before a meet or tournament so that I could eat and drink something. Then I would play the "ounces game". For example, if I was two pounds under my competition weight then I knew I could eat and drink two pounds of food/liquid. I usually lost a pound overnight so actually I could probably consume three pounds of food/liquid in that scenario.
The night before a meet I wouldn't have been concerned about calories. I would have only been concerned about the actual weight of the food itself. So, I might drink 16 oz. of water, 16 oz. of pop, two 2 oz. candy bars, an 8 oz. container of yogurt, and 4 oz. of meat for a total of 48 oz. - 3 lbs.

I liked starving for a few days just so I could enjoy eating and drinking the night before a meet or tournament. It wasn't a great system but at least I never had to go to bed thirsty like I had often done the year before.

During my senior season I finally figured out how to cut weight in a smarter way. I know I said that wrestlers don't diet, but I guess that's what I did. I started off at 1500 calories a day and then cut back a little more as time went on. I never went a single day without drinking or eating. I was able to eat more and more toward the end of the season and kept feeling stronger and stronger as the season was nearing its end. I became conference, sectional, and district champion that season and having a smart diet instead of starving had a lot to do with that.

I had two main books that were sort of my bibles. One book I believe was published by some magazine like Good Housekeeping. It must have been a special gift or something with a subscription. I found it on a shelf in our home's office. The other book was a tiny calorie-counter book like one would find at the checkouts in a supermarket or discount store. Both of these books had sample diets and calorie listings for many foods. The books also suggested that when a person got to his target weight that he could eat a certain number of maintenance calories each day and still remain at that weight. I learned that a pound was equal to approximately 3,500 calories. That's why if one cuts 500 calories a day from his diet he can lose a pound per week - 500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories or one pound.

Wrestlers back in my day - the 1980's - were crazy and foolish when it came to cutting weight. They would starve. They would sweat under many layers of clothing. They would spit in cups. They would sit in hot tubs and saunas. I once saw a wrestler stand on his head a few minutes before weigh-in because he'd heard that would make a person weigh less. What a bunch of garbage. Cutting weight became a real morale buster at times. During my senior year, one of my fellow seniors got kicked off of the team because he tried to rig the scale. I wasn't really mad or disappointed in him. Even though it's something I would never have done myself, I did understand how hard cutting weight could be physically and mentally.

When a person drastically cuts calories - starves - his body has no fuel. Therefore, the body will begin to use its own muscle tissue as fuel. The glycogen stores in one's muscles that provide energy are quickly depleted. The brain works best when supplied with glucose (blood sugar) and doesn't work so well when it's deprived of glucose. The body thinks that a famine is occurring during starvation. Therefore, when the body is fed again it wants to hold on to the nutrition it's getting. The body's metabolism slows down when starvation occurs. When the body is given food again the metabolism is still slow and a person will end up gaining weight and then some. And, it won't be muscular weight either. Starvation is just a bad deal all around.

Of course, if a wrestlers skips a few meals here and there he isn't going to go into famine mode. That depends on how many days he goes without eating and on how low his body fat percentage falls and other factors. Google "starvation response" or "famine mode" and read up on it. There are plenty of articles. You might also be interested in reading about the Ancel Keys Minnesota Starvation Experiment.

A bigger threat related to a wrestler's well being is probably the dehydration many wrestlers resort to for cutting weight. Dehydration can be very dangerous and even fatal. Some deaths of wrestlers have been connected at least partly to dehydration. Losing water weight can be a dangerous strategy.

Here's an interesting article on how to lose a lot of water weight in a short amount of time if that is the choice you decide to make: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/01/18/how-to-cut-weight/

Here's another article on cutting weight: http://www.elitefts.com/documents/making_weight.htm

Check out my page on wrestling nutrition to see how to properly feed and take care of yourself during the wrestling season.

If I were going to cut weight knowing what I now know here's how I would do it. I would take my body weight x 10 to find out the number of calories I'd need to eat per day to lose weight. If I weighed 140 pounds, that would be 1,400 calories a day. Assuming I would lose about a pound a week, it would take me 15 weeks to get down to 125 pounds. I realize that sounds like a damn long time - three, almost four months. Then I would take 125 x 15 to figure out how many calories I could eat to maintain 125 pounds. So, 125 x 15 = 1,875 calories per day. But, on competition days I would probably not count calories and just make sure I ate well to have abundant energy.

To a lot of wrestlers this would sound too hard or perhaps even foolish. But, on this regimen I would never have to go a single day without eating or drinking. If you are one of those guys who can lose ten pounds in one practice and find that sweating weight off works well for you then go for it. But, I was never one of those guys. I couldn't sweat off a lot of water weight. I always ended up starved and dehydrated. It killed my performance and morale. But, when I counted calories all throughout my senior season I finished the season by becoming a conference champion and qualifying for the state tournament.

Before you decide to cut weight for wrestling be sure to read up on it. Read about proper nutrition. Adequate nutrition and hydration can have a huge impact on your wrestling performance.

Senior Success

When my senior wrestling season began I weighed around 125 lbs. I planned to wrestle at 112 lbs. I wasn't very motivated when practices began that fall. I'm not sure if I really cared if I wrestled that year or not. This was the 1985-1986 school year.

When the coach asked if anyone wanted to challenge me for the 112 pound spot, no one said a word. I was relieved. I guess I still had a reputation as a good wrestler. But, I had lost so much confidence in myself at that point I'm not so sure that one of the underclassmen couldn't have beaten me. But, no one wanted a wrestle-off against me.

The thought of cutting weight again practically had me in tears. But, I pulled myself together a bit and decided I was going to figure this weight cutting thing out and do it right.

The diet books I read always said to figure out how many calories you ate a day on average and then subtract 500 calories from that number to achieve a one pound weight loss per week. The problem was trying to figure out how many calories I ate per day on average. Nutrition labels weren't prevalent in the mid 1980's and I ate a lot of meals that my mother prepared. I had no idea what I was taking in on a given day.

I noticed a lot of these diet books had sample 1200 and 1500 calorie diets. So, I decided to simply start by eating 1500 calories. Then I cut down to 1200 for a while and then a 1000 for a while. I think I even spent a day or two at 500 calories. I began my "dieting" right at the beginning of the season. It took a little while to see the results on the scale but it worked. I never had to go a day without eating and I drank all of the water I wanted.

I brought my lunch with me every day to school. I counted my calories every single day. I didn't care what I ate as long as it added up to the right number of calories. But, I usually chose healthier items. For example, I knew I could eat three apples for the same number of calories as one candy bar. Three apples sounded better than one candy bar.

I ate plain oatmeal, rice cakes, plain whole wheat bread, and a lot of plain green beans and plain potatoes. Occasionally, I would measure out a teaspoon or tablespoon of butter or peanut butter.

I lived on a farm where he drank raw whole milk. I suppose I could have bought my own skim milk or powered milk but I never did. I would measure out one cup of whole milk and just accept the 180 calories that came with that decision. I never thought of fat grams or worried about carbohydrate grams back then. Interestingly, some doctors and health advocates think raw whole milk is one of the best foods a human can consume. So, perhaps I was lucky to have whole milk to drink.

Even when competition started I kept with my diet protocol which was extremely hard. I wanted to eat whatever I wanted to after weigh-in but I was afraid to. I even watched my calories through the Christmas season and came back right on target after the holidays.

The season started out slow and uneventful. I didn't win any tournaments before Christmas. I was kind of tired from the dieting and just not very focused or motivated.

We wrestled Waukon High that year again like usual. I was no longer going out with the redhead from that school. The two Ward brothers I had wrestled the last three years were both graduated and gone. I would have to wrestle a guy. When Waukon came to Postville for our dual meet, one of the Waukon wrestlers motioned for me to come over and talk to him. I was a kind of a shy guy but I walked over to talk to him. He said, "We don't have any more Wards for you to wrestle this year."

"That's good," I said. I laughed shyly and that was the extent of our conversation I believe.

I was beaten by the guy from Waukon twice. The matches were both close but I couldn’t quite beat him.

During our second meeting, I shot in on a single leg and he did the most unusual thing. He turned away from me and started hopping toward the edge of the mat. He was blatantly trying to get out of bounds. He was close to the edge of the mat but I yanked on his leg as hard as I could and pulled him back a little bit and then dropped down to score the two point takedown right near the edge of the mat. I’d never seen a wrestler try to hop out of bounds before. It seemed like we were in the middle of the mat when the whole thing started and he had no intention of trying to stay and fight me off. He didn’t sprawl or whizzer. He simply fled for the edge of the mat. But, I pulled him back and scored. It was exciting.

At the South Winneshiek Tournament I was beaten by a guy from Riceville who would qualify for state later that season.

I stuck to my diet over the holiday season. Some relatives gave me a hard time when I wouldn’t join in on the feasting or eat what the foods that they were eating. But, I wasn’t taking any chances. I wasn’t going to come back overweight after Christmas like I had in the past.

I finally won a tournament after the holidays. I won the Elkader Tournament. I made it into the finals but was very nervous about my last match. I still hadn’t really gotten my confidence back. But, in the finals I put my opponent in a cradle and pinned him. I was ecstatic. I had finally won a tournament. My coach was happy but said I still had a lot of work to do and that I needed to be more aggressive.

A week before the conference tournament we had a dual meet with North High. I didn’t really feel like wrestling that night. I didn’t want to be there. Obviously, that kind of attitude is not conducive to winning a wrestling match.

Things weren’t going so bad, but then I got caught in an awkward position and was pinned. It was only the second time I had ever been pinned in high school. The other time had happened when I was a freshman. I came home humiliated and didn’t say a word about it.

The following week was the conference tournament. I was seeded second behind the guy from North High.

I was very nervous before the semi finals. I had beaten the guy from West Central before but I was still nervous. His teammates were gathered around the mat hoping for an upset. But, there hopes didn’t come to be. I dominated the match. At one point in the match I was in the down position. I was feeling great. I looked in front of me at my cheerleaders and winked at one of them. Then I did a short sit out on the whistle. My opponent stuck his head over my shoulder. I grabbed his head and rotated and put him on his back. I got ahead by 15 points and the match was stopped. I had won by technical fall.

I had to meet the guy from North High in the finals. I wasn’t nervous at all. I had nothing to lose. He had pinned me the week before. I was standing by the 112 lbs. bracket sheet and overheard a couple of guys talking. One of them said something like, “Oh, we’ll win this one. He just pinned him last week.” They were talking about me being pinned the previous week.

I knew I could beat this guy. He had pinned me but I knew I had simply had an off night. My mother drove me to the high school to catch the bus that morning. I told her that I knew I could beat that guy.

In the final match I scored the first takedown. I stayed in control. It was my choice for the second round. My coaches yelled at me to choose neutral – both wrestlers starting on their feet. I just nodded because that’s what I too had already decided to do. I was a little tired already but I thought to myself, “No, you can’t quit this time. You can’t give up this time.” The whistle blew and I scored a takedown almost immediately.

I eventually got into a cross body ride and used a guillotine to score some back points.

He chose down in the final period. I normally would have been concerned about that but no this time. I knew I could ride him. I rode him most of the third period. He did manage to get a reversal toward the end. He was trying to put in a cradle when I heard someone from the Postville crowd yell, “There’s only eight seconds left, Tharin!” I counted off eight seconds in my head while trying to keep moving and then heard the whistle. I collapsed to the mat. I had won.

I walked off of the mat and hugged my coach who was thrilled. My older sister was near the edge of the mat and was also thrilled. She had been yelling at me all through the match. I said, “I can’t believe it. I’m conference champion.” I walked into the stands and hugged my mother. I was elated. I hadn’t wrestled such a focused match in a long time.

I found out later that even the coach from the other team was very impressed with how well I had wrestled. He too said he had never seen me so focused. I got this information from our assistant coach. Our assistant at the time had been a wrestler for North High during his high school days and knew the North High coach well.

On Monday our coach talked about how we had wrestled and about our prospects for sectionals. He said that if I kept wrestling like I had at conference that I could do really well.

After I left the locker room that night I overheard my coach and one of my teammates talking. My teammate said, “Tharin usually kind of dies out toward the end of this season but this year he seems to be getting stronger and stronger.” It felt good to hear that my coach and my teammates had faith in me.

I was seeded first at the Sectional Tournament. After the seeding meeting my coach told me that some other coach had complained about me being seeded first. Why did my coach tell me that? To motivate me? I was nervous before my first match especially after hearing that some other coach didn't think I deserved to be seeded first.

I had to wrestle a guy that I had pinned earlier in the season. I suppose I should have been confident but I was worried. I had pinned him but he was no pushover. He wasn't going to just fall down on his back and give up. If I lost to him I would be humiliated and never live it down. I told myself I had to win that match no matter what.

I did end up wrestling a very good match. I didn't pin him but I did get the technical fall. I felt strong and confident once the match got under way. Even though I didn't pin him, I actually felt better about my performance in our second meeting.

I wasn't that nervous about my second match. I had to wrestle a guy I had never wrestled before. I figured no one would say anything if I happened to lose. I know that's a bad attitude. I should have been confident that I was going to beat that guy no matter what. But, honestly, I was relaxed because I simply didn't feel that much pressure.

I spent most of the first period tied up with my opponent and getting no results. I finally hit a takedown late in the first period and immediately scored back points too. I think I might have scored back points a second time as well. At the end of the first period I was up by five or seven points I believe.

I was in the down position when the second period began. I did a sit out on the whistle just like in my second match at the Conference Tournament. And, once again, my opponent stuck his head over my shoulder. I grabbed his head and spun around. I put him on his back. The referee slapped the mat--a pin! I jumped up. I was absolutely elated.

I wrestled a guy from Green in the finals. It was a fairly high scoring match. I was able to shoot in on him several times but didn't seem to have the power to finish off my shots as time went by.

In the second or third period I stood up and my opponent slammed me back to the mat. The referee stopped the match and I was given a penalty point. I was allowed to rest for a bit. They wanted to make sure that I was okay. I was a bit stunned. I guess I had my "bell rung" a little bit. But, I said I was okay and the match resumed.

Toward the end of the match, my opponent did a switch. I reswitched him and then he was attempting to reswitch me. I decided I'd had enough of that, so I jumped over his hips and put him right to his back. I came close to pinning him but couldn't quite do it. I believe I won something like 14-9. I found out later that this guy had beaten the guy from Riceville I'd lost to earlier in the season. I had improved from the beginning of the season.

The guy from Green had to wrestle the guy I'd beaten in the second round. The guy I'd pinned in the second round surprisingly beat the guy from Green too. As for the coach who didn't think I deserved to be seeded first, I believe his wrestler placed fourth or fifth. I had proven that I was number one without a doubt. I was sectional champion.

Districts were held at Nora Springs-Rock Falls High School. I looked at my two opponents from the other sectional before weigh in. They looked tired. They looked young. I figured they had both been cutting weight all week. "I know I can beat these guys," I thought.

We could weigh 115 lbs. at that point because wrestlers are given a growth allowance in high school. The other three guys in my bracket all weighed in right at 115 lbs. I only weighed in at 113 lbs.

By that point I was eating what I wanted after weigh in. I watched what I ate during the week, but toward the end of the season I was getting more and more liberal with my diet especially on competition days. I was eating more but still staying easily within in my weight class.

After weigh in that morning I overdid it a little bit. I was feeling awfully full and uncomfortable going into first round. I was nervous. I was freaking out. I didn't want to lose because I had eaten too much. But, I went out and pinned my opponent in the first round. I was relieved and looking forward to finals.

I was very confident going into finals. I wanted to qualify for the State Tournament. I guess for once I wasn't concerned about having to make weight again. This year I knew making weight wasn't an issue. I was strong and ready to win.

I saw my opponent running around the mat before finals and thought, "You can run around and warm up all you want, but I am going to beat you."

I wrestled a good match. He shot in once and I caught him in a quarter nelson. From the quarter nelson I did a beautiful shuck and came around behind to score two points. I dominated the match and never gave up. I never faltered. My arm was raised in victory.

I looked up into the stands and saw my parents. I gave them a thumbs up and smiled. At least that's how I remember it. I walked slowly off of the mat and hugged my coach. I simply said, "Finally." I had finally qualified for the State Tournament. I relieved as much as I was happy.

My dad came down to the locker room and found me. He was happy of course. He didn't want to wait to congratulate me. It was a touching moment.

Another wrestler in the locker room, Randy Kittleson of Saint Ansgar High School, was warming up and listening to the theme from Rocky. He was getting psyched up for the finals. He would go on to become the 138 pound Class 1A State Champion.

But, I didn't need to get psyched up. I had won my title. I was going to the State Tournament. So, I could just relax and enjoy the music.

I was the only wrestler on our team to qualify for the State Tournament. The 98 pound wrestler was nice enough to practice with me during the few days leading up to the tournament. For everyone else on the team, their season was over. It was kind of strange practicing without the rest of the team.

Aaron and I practiced moves and wrestled. My coach had me do some sprints and running as well. I think we left on Thursday of that week. My coaches, the cheerleaders, and I all rode in a van together to DesMoines. The other wrestlers and a few other people were happy that they had a reason to travel to DesMoines. They were going to see me wrestle. Of course, a lot of them were going to party too.

I weighed in at Veteran's Auditorium and then we went to Perkins for breakfast. I saw a couple of guys from Plainfield High School eating there as well. One of the guys was Vince Miller. He became the 132 pound Class 1A State Champion that year. The other guy's name was Lyndon Van Raden. Cool name, huh? I would meet him at Wartburg College the following year.

After breakfast we went back to Vet's Auditorium. I wrestled some time that afternoon. I was a little nervous I suppose. Vet's was a big venue. My opponent was from Iowa City Regina.

We tied up for a while and I think he got the first takedown. I did a standing switch at some point I think and scored a two point reversal. I had trouble riding him. I had trouble taking him down. I lost the match something like 5-2. He didn't make it to the finals so I never got a chance to wrestle back. My season was over. Vance Light from Lisbon was the 112 pound 1A State Champion that year. The guy that beat me finished sixth or seventh I think. I just remember that he was on the awards podium. I felt kind of deflated when it was all over.

We had our annual wrestling banquet soon after the state tournament. I received the award for Most Valuable Wrestler that season.

I felt a sense of relief when the season was over. It seemed like I had made up for the some of the hard losses in the past. I would be remembered as a conference champion and a state qualifier. I had redeemed myself.