The Dog Days of wrestling are upon us.

You can only hope your opponents will make practice about only losing weight and enter into a grueling weight cutting cycle of diminishing returns.

Wed – Fri – Sat

Wed – Fri – Sat

Wed – Fri – Sat

Wed – Fri – Sat

January.

You can only hope they arrive 10+ pounds overweight to their first practice on Monday.

You can only hope they put on six layers of clothing which make wrestling nearly impossible.

You can only hope when their first Monday practice is over, they arrive home, only to head right out to their second practice of the day, this one at their wrestling club; just to do the same thing.

Make practice all about losing weight.

You can only hope that on Tuesday, after depriving their thirsty bodies of water, they are ‘only’ 5 pounds over before practice.

You can only hope they practice the same way as they did on

Monday.

You can only hope their thirst rises during water breaks.

You can only hope they leave Tuesday’s practice 2 1/2 over because they didn’t have enough energy to keep their sweat going consistently during practice.

You can only hope when they get home they need to go for a run planning on losing 1 1/2 lbs.

You can only hope that during their run, they drag it and only lose 1 pound, leaving them 1 1/2 over.

You can only hope they attempt to float that 1 1/2 pounds overnight.

You can only hope that their attempt falls short due to their lack of water intake.

You can only hope they can’t sleep, and they toss and turn all night.

You can only hope that as they lay there, they realize they haven’t gone #2 in more than a week.

You can only hope their mouth is as dry as a cotton ball.

You can only hope their parents hear the sound of running water coming from the bathroom faucet in the middle of the night.

You can only hope their parents are thinking to themselves “don’t swallow…”

You can only hope that when their parents don’t hear a gargle or a spit that they confront them – and they argue about cutting weight.

You can only hope there is a divide in your opponent’s support system.

You can only hope their mother is yelling, “This has to stop,” as their father barks at them that “You do this every time. When are you going to learn?”

You can only hope after a night of zero sleep that they ‘wake up’ and find themselves 1 pound over with only :45 minutes until the close of morning weigh-ins.

You can only hope they ‘find a way’ to make the weight right at the bell.

You can only hope they eat 4 pounds worth of food and drink, expecting to float the pound and be on weight for the afternoon weigh-in.

You can only hope they get to the other school just to realize the other teams scale is 1/2-pound heavy.

You can only hope they briefly have to run and make the weight.

You can only hope that after weighing in, they blow back up.

You can only hope they say, “Heck, I have 48 hours to make weight again – I’ll deal with it tomorrow.”

You can only hope that tomorrow arrives quicker than needed for them.

You can only hope they arrive at Thursday’s practice four over.

You can only hope they leave the practice one over.

You can only hope they withhold food and drink until

morning weigh-ins on Friday.

You can only hope they lay in bed all of their other waking hours and are a pleasure to be around.

You can only hope that every one of their waking moments is consumed thinking about water.

You can only hope they make weight on Friday and have 3 pounds to gain until their match, which is at 7:00 pm.

You can only hope they gain 4 1/2.

You can only hope they make weight on Friday night, eat and blow up again, not factoring in that they have to make weight again in less than 12 hours.

You can only hope they wrestle four matches on Saturday, drained and looked like crap, barely beating inferior opponents.

You can only hope they make an excuse that they weren’t feeling well.

You can only hope after their Friday night match they are up until 11:30 cutting weight again.

You can only hope Saturday morning arrives, and they are just so ecstatic for the +1 that they made weight by spending an hour spitting.

You can only hope that after making weight on Saturday morning, they are so burned out that they rationalize to themselves that they just got to get their mind off of losing weight.

You only hope that they have to ‘take a break’ from losing weight and splurge the rest of the weekend.

You can only hope they splurge all day on Saturday and Sunday because they fear that they will not be able to eat the upcoming week when they have to do it all over again.

Which they will have to do.

For three more cycles.

Wed – Fri – Sat

Wed – Fri – Sat

Wed – Fri – Sat

You can only hope your opponents never use one practice during the season to get any better.

You can only hope after completing this Wed -Fri-Sat cycle for a month, your opponents crawl into the month of February, the post-season, with a depleted and unprotected immune system.

You can only hope they wonder why they just can’t get rid of that cough.

While you….

For the next eight weeks just eat the same amount at each meal, regardless of if it is the night before a weigh in, or immediately after.

While you eat for energy, to build strength and for recovery.

While you replenish your water loss – during and after every practice.

While you show up for practice – in a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt.

While you focus on three things each practice, timing, technique, and becoming the best wrestler you can become.

Of which, losing weight is not one of them because you are not cutting weight, you are eating for success.

And you are peaking for the postseason.

Your opponent can only hope that you don’t have the discipline to eat in such a way….

But you do.

You can only hope to meet that opponent with it all on the line…