Specialized Wrestling Gym Training Equipment

So you’re ready to add some new wrestling training equipment to your gym collection. But you’re not after the typical home gym recommendations. You want equipment that is going to level up your wrestling so you can blast power doubles and bear hug opponents so tightly they can’t breathe.

Well, you’re in luck. This is my ultimate wrestling training equipment list for your strength and conditioning training.

Iron Neck 3.0 Pro

Grappling sports such as wrestling require ridiculously strong necks, not only to resist movement of the head when an opponent is grabbing or pushing your head but also to help prevent neck injury. I’m sure you’ve woken up many times with a painful neck after a training session.

The Iron Neck is the only device that instantly improves my neck pain after having my neck cranked on or having other neck pain from grappling. The best feature about the Iron Neck is its ability to train the neck in all 360° direction. No other neck training equipment will let you do that with ease.

While the typical neck harness has its place within wrestling training as strong neck extensors are vitally important when bridging or resistance snap downs, the Iron Neck will improve your strength at newfound ranges of motion potentially decreasing your risk of neck injury.

If you’re not sure which Iron Neck is right for you, I’ve written a detailed Iron Neck model guide outlining the key differences between each model.

IronMind Tough As Nails Sandbag

Bear hug strength has been shown to decline throughout a simulated wrestling tournament. It makes sense then to train the ability to repeat maximal isometric holds during your wrestling training.

The IronMind Tough As Nails Sandbag is the only sandbag you should use. If it’s good enough for the World’s Strongest Man competition, then it is good enough for wrestling. The material is as durable as they come and can be filled to a massive 300 lbs.

My IronMind sandbag was only filled about 1/5^th or 1/4^th of the way and I would’ve estimated it to have been around 90 kg. It was damn heavy. You pick this heavy thing up, gable grip it, and go for a walk and I guarantee you it’ll feel like carrying another human being.

It also comes with an inner liner to protect the outer material also making it easy to replace the filling with heavier or lighter material. I’ve dragged and dropped my IronMind sandbag over and over and have yet to find any holes or rips in the outer material. It truly is built for athletes and built to last.

I did the research for you and found the best value is to buy this sandbag from Amazon as you get the inner sandbag liner and their sandbag training coursebook with it.

Fat Gripz

As all wrestlers know, grip strength is an important aspect of wrestling performance. In fact, grip strength differentiates between elite and non-elite wrestlers. Meaning, elite wrestlers display greater grip strength than their non-elite counterparts even though they’re often isn’t a significant difference in years of experience.

What is the best way of training the grip for wrestling? Using thick-handled barbells and dumbbells. By lifting with a thicker bar you can potentially double your handgrip strength ^[1] compared to using a regular bar and also increase forearm muscle activation ^[2].

Thick bars can generally be hard to come by. Thus, Fat Gripz has solved this problem with their simple military-grade rubber attachment. You can use them for all sorts of exercises; presses, rows, pull-ups, deadlifts, and even curls.

My own Fat Gripz have lasted me almost 10 years and are showing no signs of wear and tear. They are that well made. And I use my Fat Gripz almost every week on bars with various knurling sharpness.

Fat Gripz now has three sizes you can choose from which may make it difficult when choosing the right size for you. But I’ve made this process easier by writing an in-depth guide with pictures and hand measurements so you can estimate which size is perfect for your wrestling training.

I did the research for you and found Rogue Fitness has the best price for Fat Gripz. Amazon is also a good choice linked below.

Farmers Handles

On the subject of grip strength, the Farmers Walk is a staple exercise for grip and overall body strength. To be able to perform heavy Farmers Walks that will carry over to your wrestling performance, you need Farmers Handles. Dumbbells or barbells just don’t cut it as you can’t load them as heavy as you can with the handles.

40 kg dumbbell farmers walk feels like the same weight when using 60 kg on the Farmers Handles. Also, dumbbells generally max out at around 50 kgs at most gyms limiting your potential gains.

These Farmers Handles at Strength Shop USA are great as not only are they heavy-duty, the handles are coated to provide extra grip. The worst Farmers Handles you can buy are those that have smooth handles. You’ll never be able to carry anything remotely heavy due to the slippery surface.

I would also advise to stay away from Farmers Handles that are heavily knurled. The knurling when carrying heavy objects can be very rough on the hands.

Secondly, don’t buy cheap Farmers Handles. How do you know if they are cheap? They usually weigh 25 lbs per handle. They are also shorter so when you walk, you end up kicking the plates in the front. A prime example is the Rogue Farmers Handles. They are 25 lbs each handle and are short so you end up walking into the plates.

The handles from Strength Shop are designed so you will never have that problem if you are an absolute animal, you can load each handle to 200 kg plus!

ShotSled

Have you ever wondered how you can add more power to your shots? Sure, you can try banded shadow takedowns, but there is only so much resistance you can use before your technique changes and you need a training partner.

You could also push a heavy sled. While it may develop strength in the anteroposterior force vector, it may doesn’t address the specificity of shooting for a takedown.

That is where this unique piece of training equipment shines. You may not have heard of it before as it is relatively new. Check out the video below of Jordan Oliver using the ShotSled.

The padded posts make this sled unique to your normal sled or prowler. You can shoot double legs at this thing without destroying your shoulders.

Further, the ShotSled makes a great piece of wrestling training equipment as you can simultaneously drill technique while gaining a conditioning effect. Check out the video below of wrestling coach Rich Perry performing some technical practice using the ShotSled.

The ShotSled is perfect for performing lactic explosive repeats and even cardiac output work specific to wrestling as shown in the video above. You can use this solo or with a training partner making it highly versatile. It can also be collapsed and taken apart easily so you can transport it to your local field to train outside.

References

1. Kruger, M. J. (1999). Effects of thick-bar resistance training on strength measures in experienced weightlifters (Doctoral dissertation).

2. Krings, B. M., Shepherd, B. D., Swain, J. C., Turner, A. J., Chander, H., Waldman, H. S., … & Smith, J. W. (2019). Impact of Fat Grip Attachments on Muscular Strength and Neuromuscular Activation During Resistance Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.