Minutemen Youth Wrestling

You don’t need access to a weight room to work on important aspects of strength. Here are two examples of strength development exercises where all you need is a wall. So there are no excuses for not getting stronger!! Wall Push-Ups The first exercise is for developing upper body strength. Stand facing a wall and place palms flat against the wall. Step back approximately 4-6 inches. Slowly “fall” forward toward the wall and catch yourself and execute a push-up(or push-back), against the wall. Push away from the wall until you are standing straight up, and repeat. Start with approximately 20 repetitions and build up every other day to repeat as many as you can manage. As you get stronger, gradually stand further and further away from the wall and complete more repetitions to develop greater strength. Leg Burns This next exercise is a great way to develop strength and endurance in your legs. Many athletes call these “leg burners” because of the sensation you feel in your legs as you perform the exercise. Many teams enjoy seeing who can last the longest doing leg burners. Stand with your back flat against the wall and slowly begin to “sit down” moving your feet away from you one foot at a time, until you are “sitting” against the wall. The goal is to be in a perfect sitting position without a chair to support you. Your back should remain flat against the wall and your thighs should be parallel to the ground. When someone looks at you it should appear that you are sitting in a chair with your arms not supporting you. Hold this position until you begin to feel a burning sensation….then stand up and repeat the exercise. Try to “sit” for longer and longer periods of time to develop both strength and endurance. Both of these exercises only require a wall and both are great for getting stronger!! No excuses, so get started! Submitted by: Tom Crawford