Dustin Myers knows wrestlers. A former wrestler himself, he has worked with some of the best in the United States and the world. Kyle Snyder, Logan Stieber and Joey McKenna, to name a few. Myers is the Ohio Regional Training Center’s strength and conditioning coach and former strength and conditioning coach for the Ohio State wrestling team. He is also the owner and co-founder of the Old School Gym, a strength program and equipment supplier for wrestlers.
MatBoss caught up with Myers to talk about what wrestlers need to do to maximize their performance. Everything done in wrestling starts at the midline or core. “A major function of the core muscles is to keep the body in a good position as an outside force (your opponent) tries to manipulate you into a disadvantage,” Myers says.
Myers could give you countless exercises to strengthen the core. However, he wants wrestlers to consider core training by placing them in three categories: core stability, anti-rotational, and rotational power. He emphasizes “perfect form” and quality over “powering” through, in his words, an exercise. And Myers advises taking a break when you “feel your abs” instead of going to muscle fatigue. Learn about three strength training exercises for all wrestlers by downloading this free guide.
