Second only to losing, the worst feeling in the world for a wrestler is 'dying on the mat." The term isn't literal; it refers to the helpless feeling of hitting the wall in competition. It means you're so tired and fatigued during a match that you're muscles fail and you can barely move, let alone continue wrestling.

And right behind failed endurance is the frustration of lacking the core strength required to move your opponent around on the mat. Often ignored, the strength to move your opponent is unattainable without balance.

Ever heard of the term "firing a cannon from a canoe"? It refers to the inefficiency of powerful forces being applied while on an unstable or unbalanced base.

I've been around and used Vew-Do Balance Board training for years. From gold medal skiers and snowboarders to football players and wrestlers, however, Vew-Do's Flow Balance Board is the ultimate supplement to your wrestling balance, strength and endurance training equipment bag of tricks. I'll tell you why and how in a minute, for now though, let's talk about the kind of wrestling skills you "don't" want.

Your perfect wrestling opponent has the following physical characteristics and traits on the mat. And they "are not" traits you want to have. You don't want to be one of these wrestlers. Bad wrestling exposes wrestlers that are:

• Unbalanced
• Unconditioned
• Unskilled

Of the three, being unbalanced strikes at the core of becoming an elite wrestler. Oddly enough, it's often ignored even though it's proven to be trainable. Skill and strength are born from good balance and perfecting the skill of balance recovery. Every move from neutral to the referee position needs balance for proper execution.

Since you will be destabilized during a match by your opponent, your ability to recover your balance once you have become unstable is just as important as being balanced when executing a move.

Now back to the Flow balance board. The Flow uses a wide, flat Maple deck that can be combined with a standard rock or with Vew-Do's Plyometric Rock System.

This gives users versatility and the ability to start training immediately instead of the learning curve required for one of Vew-Do's dynamic balance boards. This even allows wrestlers to train on it in the bottom referees position.

This board is perfect for loaded strength training exercises and allows the use of resistance bands, which is great for rehab as well as strength and endurance training. Its sturdy, lightweight and completely portable.

Here's how you can use the board for wrestling training

Plyometrics - Increase upper and lower body power using lateral and vertical jump training drills or plyometric push-ups. A Vew-Do Balance Board is a great tool for plyometric training exercises.

Balance Training - Use a Vew-Do Flow Board for balance training and perfecting balance recovery. Along with improved balance, you'll also recruit balance recovery muscles and strengthen ligaments and tendons surrounding high stress areas like knees and ankles.

Strength Training - Perform loaded and unloaded strength training exercises on your Vew-Do Balance Board. The unstable base forces recruitment of critical small and large muscle groups around the ankles, knees and torso. Remember, strength training isn't just to increase power, stronger muscles protect joints, ligaments and tendons from injury.

Endurance Training - Perform loaded and unloaded fitness and cardio exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, planks and plyometrics. I like to set up circuit training workouts incorporating both strength and endurance exercises.

Perturbation Training - Perturbation training hones the ability to defend and recover balance stability caused by outside forces. For wrestlers of course, that means your opponent. Here are some generic perturbation training exercises. They are effective for wrestlers as they are for football players.

Along with all other sports, wrestlers are now using Vew-Do Balance Boards in their training.

By: Rick Contrata