Dennis, you are one of the greatest wrestlers
America has ever produced. How did you get started in the sport?
I began competitive wrestling when I was 12 years old. I say
competitive because I had logged many hours wrestling my twin
brother Duane and my older cousin Mike before I officially competed.
The first year I competed I won the South Dakota State Championship
in the 11-12 age group.
What type of physical training did you
do leading up to the Olympics in which you won your medals?
Besides wrestling about 8 hours a week year around I also would
go to the Health Club four times per week and spend about 1 and
1/2 hours working out with weights and aerobic exercise. As far
as the weight lifting I would alternate pulling and pushing days.
On pull days I did alot of pullups, pulldowns, rows, curls and
snatches or dead lifts.On push days I would do flat or incline
bench, dips, tricep pushes etc. Prior to major competitions such
as the Pan'-Am games or Olympics or World Championships I was
required to attend a 3 to 4 week camp. At these camps we would
wrestle twice per day for 2 to 3 hours and also run sprints at
another workout.
What sort of mental and emotional training
did you do? Was this an aspect that was emphasized in your program?
Concerning psychological preparation you were basically on your
own. I however felt it was the most important aspect of competing
at such a high level.I lost my share of big matches earlier in
my career because I psyched out instead of psyched up for my match.
I tended to focus on the end result rather than the process. Once
I was able to enjoy the process I had alot more success.
Concerning psychological preparation you were basically on your
own. I however felt it was the most important aspect of competing
at such a high level.I lost my share of big matches earlier in
my career because I psyched out instead of psyched up for my match.
I tended to focus on the end result rather than the process. Once
I was able to enjoy the process I had alot more success.
You are now an RKC (certified Kettlebell
instructor), tell us about that experience.
Becoming certified in Kettlebell training was a pleasant suprise.
It reminded me alot of those days on the farm. Its the kind of
workout that not only makes you feel good but is more natural
and functional. I feel that there is alot more carry over with
kettlebells than with other forms of resistance training.
If you were designing a strength program
for a high school wrestler, what would be the key components of
the training? I realize that each wrestler will have his own needs,
but are there any foundational elements that would be common amongst
all your athletes?
If I were setting up a strength program for wrestlers I would
focus on core strength and pulling strength. Kettlebell exercises
develop core strength with swings and snatches. Of course pullups
and rows should also be incorporated. I say this because gripping
and pulling are more useful in wrestling than pushing.
You are also a chiropractor, so I have
to ask you this: Do you think kettlebells and other types of heavy
lifting are safe?
As a chiropractor I don't recommend heavy lifting for young kids
or the recreational athlete. The risks outweigh the benefits.
However, I don't consider Kettlebells as heavy lifts. Granted
you could use a heavy kettlebell for a one rep exercise, but the
benefits of kettlebells can be realized without risking injury.
I believe because lifting kbs require extensive involvement of
the core and stabalizer muscles that less is more. Also snatches
for reps has tremendous cross-over for the sport of wrestling
since it develops strength and endurance.
What do you recommend for your clients
that are not in top condition and may have some nagging injuries?
In other words, after years of inactivity, where should a person
start in order to recover their potential to get fit?
For the out of shape individual I would recommend a combination
of stretching and kettlebells for the structure development of
the body. Stretching is important because flexibility is one of
the biggest problem I see in people as they age. Kettlebells are
great because they come in a large number of weights and you can
increase the weight as you improve yet still use the lighter weights
for juggling or other specific exercises.
Lastly, how did it feel to stand on the
podium after you won your medals?
Because I won medals at two different Olympics I experienced
emotions specific for the moment. In Seoul where I won a Bronze
I was totally elated and satisfied. I was the first American to
win a Medal in Greco-Roman wrestling in a non-boycotted Olympics.
I had lost a match earlier in the day to the eventual Gold medalist
and had to win two matches to win the Bronze. I had to recover
from my loss and rebound to win the bronze medal match.
In Barcelona my first loss came in the finals which I lost in
overtime. You can't get much closer to winning the Gold than that!
The medal ceremony followed the match and I put on a smiley face
for the ceremony but deep down I hadn't recovered from the loss
and was quite dissapointed. Eventually I came to accept the outcome
and realized that I gave it my all and thats all I could do. I
am proud of the Silver because it represented the experience and
knowledge I had attained in 10 years of International wrestling.
