Page 133 - Safe Wrestling

Combat-Sport-Specific Preventive Warm-Up Programmes

ibility involving the knee, hip, and shoulder have been associated with
increased injury incidence.
Based on these findings, IPW primarily targets:

1. improvement of strength, explosiveness, and mobility;
2. reduction of inter-limb asymmetries;
3. enhancement of falling technique and head/neck control; and
4. reduction of mechanical loads associated with the most common
injury mechanisms, particularly knee valgus during leg attacks and
takedown situations.
When designing IPW, the authors also considered commonly report-
ed barriers to the implementation of preventive programmes, includ-
ing limited time availability, financial constraints, lack of equipment,
and unclear exercise instructions. Consequently, the programme was
designed to be:

1. time-efficient, requiring approximately 15–20 minutes at the begin-
ning of training sessions or competitions;
2. performed at least twice weekly, ideally before higher-intensity ses-
sions;
3. feasible without additional equipment;
4. modular, allowing exercises to be substituted or adapted according
to discipline-specific demands, athlete age, performance level, and
individual risk profiles; and
5. deliverable independently by coaches, without mandatory involve-
ment of physiotherapists or strength and conditioning specialists.

The programme is organised according to the RAMP framework (Raise-
Activate-Mobilise-Potentiate), a model that has previously demonstrated
practical utility in team and contact sports and is regarded as an effective
structure for preparing athletes for explosive and high-intensity sport
tasks. IPW follows the four primary RAMP phases, with exercise selec-
tion informed by available evidence regarding improvements in strength,
mobility, balance, explosiveness, and biomechanical parameters associ-
ated with injury prevention. Examples of exercises proposed within each
RAMP phase include (Saville, 2025):
1. Raise phase. This phase replicates the physiological demands typi-
cal of grappling bouts, during which heart rate frequently reaches
180–190 beats per minute, and progressively prepares the athlete for
training or competition.

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