Improve your strength and power in the summer! You don't need to be on the mat as often, so there is plenty of time to build muscle.

Drastically reduce the circuit training we examined in a previous tip. It won't help you build strength. However, it is a good idea to occasionally perform some circuit lifting to maintain muscle endurance. This will also provide a change-up that will keep your muscles from getting too used to one type of workout.

What you really need to build strength is sets with heavy weights and relatively few reps per set. You should also spend more time in the weight room than you did during the season. Make sure to work all parts of your body. It's not uncommon for people to neglect their legs and lower body. But in a full-body sport such as wrestling, you must improve the strength in every muscle you can!

A few things to remember:

Lift slowly. Lifting quickly doesn't help you improve your strength. In fact, you can even injure yourself. Use slow, smooth movements in your reps.

Breathing is important. Exhale during the positive portion of the exercise, or lifting the weight, and inhale during the negative,or lowering the weight. Breathing properly helps you lift better and will help in the long run.

Maintain your form. Emphasize proper technique to maximize the benefits of your workouts. Don't bounce the bar off your chest in a bench press, don't bounce at the bottom of a squat, don't extend your hip and back to initiate a barbell curl, etc. If you can't maintain your form, you are lifting too much. Reduce your load and try again.

Keep a log. Write down the weight, sets, and reps of each of your exercises. This will let you pick up where you left off in your next work-out. It also serves as a powerful mental tool when you see how far you've come over time!

We can't emphasize it enough: Have a friend spot you when you lift weights!