Kyle Dake Inspired Functional Strength Training for Wrestlers and Grapplers

Four NCAA titles at four different weight classes, with no redshirt season. Four world titles. Two Olympic bronze medals. Kyle Dake’s career is a reminder that elite grappling is about more than strength. It demands force, speed, control, and the ability to express them in positions that never stay still.

Blog isn't Kyle Dake’s personal workout plan. It is a practical guide inspired by the demands of high-level wrestling, built for wrestlers and Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes who want their weight-room work to carry onto the mat.

What functional training actually means

Functional does not mean complex, and every lift does not need to look like a takedown. The question is which quality an exercise builds and whether that quality helps your sport. For grapplers, that can mean force production, single-leg strength, grip, trunk control, rotation and anti-rotation, deceleration, and explosive movement.

Build a base with squats, hinges, pull-ups, rows, and presses. Then add work that teaches you to use that base across changing angles, stances, and speeds. Strength and transfer are partners, not rivals.

1. Move in more than one plane

A squat is mostly up and down. A scramble is not. You reach, rotate, change levels, and react to another person. Training across directions can help prepare you for those demands. 

Application: Rotational medicine-ball throw, 4 sets of 3 per side. Stand sideways to a wall, load the outside hip, rotate through the hips and trunk, and throw explosively. Reset between reps. Keep the reps low and the intent high.

2. Train the whole chain

A takedown does not come from one muscle. Force travels from the ground through the legs, hips, and trunk to the arms. Train the body to coordinate that chain.

Application: Staggered-stance medicine-ball slam, 3–5 sets of 3–5. Start with one foot forward. Raise the ball, brace, drive it down explosively, and reset. Make it a whole-body effort, not just an arm exercise.

3. Produce force quickly

Maximum strength matters, but so does how fast you can use it. An opening to attack can disappear in a moment. Power sessions should prioritize crisp, fast efforts rather than piling on fatigue.

Application: Broad jumps or resisted sprints, 4–5 sets of 3 efforts. Recover fully between sets. Stop when speed or technique drops.

4. Stay strong in uneven positions

Grappling rarely gives you a perfectly balanced stance. One-sided loads challenge your grip, posture, and ability to resist being pulled off line.

Application: Farmers Walk, 3 walks of 20–40 yards per side. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand. Walk tall without leaning toward or away from the weight. Choose a load you can control.

5. Resist rotation

Sometimes strength is not about creating movement. It is about holding your position when an opponent tries to turn you, pull you, or break your base.

Application: Pallof press hold, 3 sets of 15–30 seconds per side. Stand perpendicular to a cable or band anchor. Press the handle forward and keep your torso from rotating toward the anchor.

Make it specific to your mat work

For wrestlers: Add rear-foot-elevated split squats for 3–4 sets of 5–8 per leg and weighted pull-ups for 3–4 sets of 4–8. The aim is leg strength and pulling power you can use when your stance and direction change.

For BJJ athletes: Try one-arm rows for 3 sets of 6–10 per side while keeping your torso controlled. Add towel or gi pull-ups for 3–4 sets of 4–8 if your grip and shoulders tolerate them. Build pulling strength without giving up position.

A simple strength session

• Power: Rotational medicine-ball throw, 4 × 3 per side
• Single-leg strength: Rear-foot-elevated split squat, 3 × 6 per leg
• Pull: Weighted pull-up, 3 × 5
• Trunk and grip: Suitcase carry, 3 × 30 metres per side
• Rotation control: Pallof press, 3 × 8 per side
• Optional finisher: Medicine-ball slam, 3 × 5

Rest enough to keep explosive work fast and every rep technically clean. Adjust load, volume, and exercise selection to your ability, training schedule, and recovery.

3 questions before you train

1. What quality am I developing: strength, speed, power, grip, or control?
2. Does that quality matter for my sport?
3. Can I train it without technique falling apart?

Stop collecting exercises. Start building qualities you can use in an exchange. Build the foundation, then learn to express it under changing demands.

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Disclaimer

This article is for general education, not a personalized training plan or medical advice. The exercises and sample session may not suit every athlete. Start with loads and volumes you can control, learn proper technique, and stop if an exercise causes pain. Consult a qualified coach or healthcare professional before beginning or changing a training program, especially if you have an injury or medical condition. No particular performance or injury-prevention outcome is guaranteed.