Wrestling Schools is it to late?

Question
Dear Kumar,
My name is Brandon and i am 19 years old and currently in college. i am very interested in a pro wrestling career, but i have no real wrestling experience except for backyard wrestling with my friends. On the other hand i have been in a couple acting plays so i can bring charisma to a show. I am about 5'8 140 lbs, so i am also looking for a way to gain so weight and muscle if you know of any good workouts that would help? Finally my question is that since i have no real wrestling experience is it to late for me to head in that direction, or if not what are some school in Colorado that are well known. Thanks for looking this over and for the help cant wait to hear back from you.

Sincerely, Brandon

Answer
Hey Brandon, I'm Joe Burgett. I saw your question in the pool and Kumar may get with you as well but I wanted to throw my hat in the ring to help out as I enjoy these particular questions.

19 is not a bad time to get started, in fact there are a ton of current wrestlers such as John Cena, Sting, CM Punk, and others who started at 19 or afterward. Obviously, I would recommend you go to college to have a back-up career in place to if you were to get hurt, you'd be prepared. You can easily schedule around wrestling school.

Being 5'8 and 140lbs may be a draw back to some, but it seems in today's wrestling, people around this height can succeed. Austin Aries, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, etc. all have been successful in major organizations at around the same height. Weight wise, you are around the size you need to be. At 19, you probably will gain height and be close to 5'10 before you stop growing, as males tend to grow a bit until 22 or 23.

I'd recommend going to a chiropractor, and getting to know them well. They can help with many things, including stretching the spine some. Now, I'm not saying they will stretch you to 6'5 or anything, but they can help your spine probably extend out if it is not doing so. This could be keeping you at 5'8.

Work out wise, the most important thing in wrestling is cardio. You've gotta be fit. When guys are trained for wrestling teams at high schools, most coaches make the guys run 2 miles before practice, have about 2 to 3 hours practice, then another 2 mile run after. This 3 to 4 times a week. So, that is just this level of greco-roman style wrestling. In Pro-Wrestling, you need more cardio as usually matches are planned out to be a certain time limit, while in HS wrestling, usually you wrestle until you get a pin or something. So, it can end quick where Pro-Wrestling plans for longer time limits to entertain fans. So, it's ever so important to boost cardio.

The way to do this is simply running everyday, and then over time, adding weights to the runs. This can be done out of the gym, and you save money by just running down the road and back. Try a block the first week, every day. Then go to 2 blocks the next week. And keep it going until you reach a mile, then keep going until you can get where you can run just about anywhere. It's very important to build up to running long distances. If you push yourself too quick, it can make you pass out, have joint pains, breathing problems, etc. In other words, you won't feel good.

Now, the runs will also get muscle going in the legs.

To better prepare your back for the pounding it is sure to take, swimming actually is considered one of the best exercises on the planet. Again, something you can do outside of a gym.

If you want to get in a gym, never really go for the big weights right off, try resistance exercises. These are the machines such as the Bowflex and others. The way it works is that it get bands within the machine to tighten and make you feel like you are trying to pick up a certain weight. You can adjust these things to certain levels when you need to.

Leg exercises are the most important one's, as they will surely be the thing that will need to be in shape for wrestling.

To get muscle in the abdominal areas, Yoga actually can be a major help. It also helps loosen you up. Trish Stratus fell in love with this after an injury, it helped her so much, she became a major fan and after wrestling, opened up her own Yoga place in Canada.

Look up a book online called, "Real Men Do Yoga". It will teach you which exercises we men can do, and the one's that would best help us.

I can recommend nutrition plans if you would like, just let me know.


Now in the Colorado schools. Sadly there is no great place there that I could tell you of, and then be happy for you going to. But, I did find one online

IWF Butcher Shop
10650 Irma Drive Suite 32
Northglen, CO. 80233

Phone (303) 452-3523
http://www.iwfpromotions.com
http://www.myspace.com/iwfbutchershop

From what I've heard, it looks to be closed. But I'm not sure. You may need to check this out on your own.

Now, my advice would be to not go to a new school. 90% of all new wrestling schools die within a year. A lot of them like to take 6 months worth of training money, and have it non-refundable. Which loses some thousands of dollars. So, if you do go to a new school, know who the trainers are, where they trained, where they've been, etc. Always know everything you can before handing over cash.

Hope this helped!

If you have any questions I can help with, let me know!