How to prepare for an arm wrestling tournament

What should be done to prepare for an arm wrestling tournament:

These are some of the things I do to prepare for a tournament:

Cardiovascular training

• Get in better shape by excercising. Having good cardiovascular health will help you focus on strategy rather than trying to catch your breath. To make Clayton Faulconer's lungs get stronger, he using a combination of walking and jogging
• I start by walking to get my muscles warmed up and then I jog untill my heart rate gets into the fat burning zone. I like to make this as least difficult as possible and stay in my confort zone while walking and when I feel confortable, I then beging to jog. When I feel fatigue when joggin, I then walk.
• As you improve, you will be able to jog for longer amounts of time. I like to start with 1 minute of jogging and 4 minutes of walking.

Weight Loss

• I always try to get into the lowest weight class I can for important tournaments.
• Fat reduction that has worked for me in the past: - I ensure that my daily calorie intake is always less than my calories burned. I use websites to determine the approximate colories I burn daily and count the calories that I take in.
• I examine the weight classes available in the tournament I am competing in. I choose the weight class that is lower than my current weight and best for me. I always go to a lower weight class that is within 8-10 lbs of my current weight.
• There are two main ways to lose water weight. 1 = Exercise (fast walking or riding a stationary bicycle or using a treadmill) and 2 = a sauna or hot bath tub. Of these three methods, I prefer the hot bath tub soaking for weight loss. I look at where the tournament is going to be located and ensure that the hotel I am staying in has a bath tubs in the room or a sauna. Most hotel rooms in Canada and the USA have bath tubs in the rooms and this is more private.
• Clayton Faulconer has lost 8.8 lbs of water weight prior to weigh ins. More than this takes away more strength than I gain by going in a lower weight class.
• Weigh-ins at big tournaments are generally the day before the tournament. This is great because you can cut the water weight needed the day before the tournament, re-hydrate, eat and sleep prior to the tournament.

Specific Arm Wrestling Training

• The best way to get better at arm wrestling, is to practice arm wrestling. If you have an armwrestling table and someone to practice with, take advantage of this. This includes table time and going through exact move from neutral to a finish winning position. If a third person is available, ask them to act as a mock referee. The referee should set up the arms straight and fairly and call the start. Have one of the two training people be defensive and give only 50% resistance so the offesive person can practice the exact move to win. When being offesive, use the move that you are strongest at. I find that going back and forth seems to work well. I be offensive 5 times and them let my training partner be offensive 5 times. Do this as long as possible until tired.
• Use straps as much as possible and you will learn how the straps work the best for you.
• Use table rules as much as possible and use them to your advantage! Practice makes perfect.
• Ensure you are fully recovered before a tournament. I have found that taking 1 week of rest is the best and only practice lightly any time within 2 weeks of the tournament.

Practice Starts 

• The start will either be: (don't move, go) or (ready, go). Practice both of these start calls.
• Replicate what the head referee will say and do whenever possible: put your elbow down, align the shoulders, straighten the arms both right and left and from opponent to opponent, straighten the wrists, and use a start call.
• If by yourself, you can use a recording machine to play the start. I have done this in the past and it has worked well. I record five starts about 1 minute apart. I record what a referee will say - center the hands both ways, align the shoulders, straighten the wrists, don't move and I call the start. I play the recorder and practice the start. I do the exact move that I would actually do. I call this shadow armwrestling and it is very similar to shadow boxing - practicing without a training partner.

Gym Strength Training

• Strength training can be done in any gym. I try to replicate Arm wrestling movements as much as possible. I use handles with straps like in the picture above which forces your wrists to get stronger. Using bars is less demanding on the wrists. While doing movements to work each body part, I curl my wrists with each repetition. I turn in and out and go back and forth.
• I use a three day split to ensure I work all my body parts.
• Day 1 - upper body
• Day 2 - upper body
• Day 3 - lower body.
• I try work my abs, lower back and hands every day. These muscles can be worked every day because they recover quickly.

Practice in straps

In every tournament, if losing your competitor will try to slip out. This in non preventable and having practice armwrestling in the straps is very important. Try to make this part of your training routine..

I try to attack all these areas prior to any important tournament. For a deeper look and further help, I offer personal training in any fitness gym or on any arm wrestling table.