Your wrestler is doing the work. The results aren't showing up. Here's why.
If you've spent the last three years on clubs, clinics, and private coaches and your kid is still losing matches he should win, the problem isn't effort. The problem is what nobody is programming. That's what APEX fixes.
The work is real. The results aren't. Something is missing.
Here's the conversation I have with wrestling parents over and over. Their kid trains hard. Shows up to practice. Goes to weekend tournaments. Goes to summer camps. Does the clinics. Hits the wrestling room three nights a week, four nights a week, five nights a week. The family is paying for all of it and driving to all of it and spending real weekends on it.
And the kid is still losing matches he should win.
Tight matches in the second period. Gas tank gone in the third. Getting out-muscled by kids he technically beats. Getting out-paced by kids he technically outworks. The parents watch it happen and they don't know what to tell their kid. They're doing everything right. The coaches are qualified. The club has a good reputation. The kid wants it.
"I am tired of seeing him put in so much work with so little results."
If you've been that parent, in that chair, watching that third period, you already know the feeling this page is about. You don't need me to explain it.
What you might need is the reason it's happening. So here it is.
Your wrestler has a coach for wrestling. He doesn't have a coach for everything else.
The best wrestling coaches in America know wrestling. They can teach a setup, a finish, a scramble, a ride, a pin. That's the job and they do it.
Almost none of them know strength and conditioning at an elite level. Not because they're lazy or bad coaches. Because the sport has never asked them to. The same is true the other direction -- almost no elite strength and conditioning coach in the country knows wrestling well enough to program for it correctly. The two fields are separated by training, by certification, by culture, and almost nobody has built a bridge between them.
Your wrestler is winning the wrestling part of the fight. He's losing the part his wrestling coach isn't trained to program -- the strength that moves other wrestlers, the conditioning that holds up in the third period, the recovery that lets him train hard five days a week without breaking down, the movement patterns that make his shots faster and his defense lower.
That's not a knock on his club. That's the structural gap in the entire sport.
APEX is what happens when one person knows both sides at an elite level and coaches your wrestler through the integration.
Here's what shows up when the missing piece is in place.
When your wrestler runs APEX for six months, the things you've been watching for start to show up.
The third period stops feeling like a different match. He's the one still moving at the end, not the one being moved. The kids he used to tie with, he starts beating. The kids who used to tie with him, he starts leaving behind.
He stops feeling brittle. Five days of hard training stops leading to an injury in week four. His body recovers faster between sessions. He starts hitting practice fresh instead of hitting it dragging.
He stops being "skilled but small." His shots get faster because his legs are stronger. His top game gets tighter because his pulling strength is real. His defense gets lower because his hips move better.
You stop watching him lose matches he should win. You start watching him win matches he shouldn't.
That's what the work is for.
APEX is full coaching. For six wrestlers at a time.
APEX is direct coaching from me, delivered one-on-one, capped at six athletes total. Your wrestler becomes one of six I work with personally. Everything below is what that means in practice.
Custom daily programming. Your wrestler opens the app and sees the workout I built for him that morning. Not a template. Not a program someone adjusted slightly. Programming written specifically for his weight class, his training history, his competition calendar, and how his body responded to last week. Five days a week. Recalibrated weekly.
Unlimited text and video access to me. When something's not right, your wrestler texts me. When a lift feels off, we get on a call. When he wants my eyes on a training clip, he sends it and I respond. This is the part no other program offers, and it's the part that changes outcomes most.
Unlimited video analysis. Every training clip and every match clip your wrestler sends me gets watched. Not glanced at. Watched, timestamped, and returned with specific feedback on what's working, what's breaking down, and exactly what to fix next week.
Integrated mental performance coaching. The mental side is trained, not given. APEX builds the mindset your wrestler needs to execute what he's learned when the third period gets hard, the match is close, and the crowd is loud. Not pep talks. Actual protocols that work.
Monthly benchmark reviews. Every month we measure: strength, conditioning, movement quality, weight. The plan adjusts based on what the numbers say, not on how anyone feels. Progress becomes a tracked curve, not a guess.
Competition preparation. I build your wrestler's peak around his calendar, not a generic season template. Tournaments he cares about, I prep him for specifically. Weight cuts, pre-match fueling, warmup protocols -- all programmed around what the match actually needs.
Recovery, sleep, nutrition. At this level, recovery is not optional. APEX includes the full recovery picture -- what he eats, when he sleeps, how he warms up, how he cools down -- because if any of that is wrong, the training can't do its job.
Parent communication. You're in the loop. Monthly updates on what's being programmed, what's improving, and what we're watching. You never have to ask 'is this working?' -- you'll know.
Who APEX is for.
APEX is not for every wrestler and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. This is the most expensive coaching I offer and it requires the most commitment from the athlete and the family. Most wrestlers don't need APEX -- Champion's Circle or APEX Lite is the right fit. A small number do. Here's how to tell.
APEX is right for your wrestler if:
They have serious competitive goals -- state, regional, national, or international
You want a coach who knows them, not a program that doesn't
They need weekly video analysis and real-time adjustments
The family is committed to the process, not just the outcome
You want the same coaching I do for my own sons and for Ayla
APEX is not right for your wrestler if:
You're looking for the cheapest option
Your wrestler isn't competing seriously yet
You want a hands-off product the family doesn't have to engage with
Your wrestler is under ten years old (I don't coach this age through APEX)
You expect overnight results
If APEX isn't the right fit, the consult call is where we figure that out. Nobody benefits from a bad match, and I'll tell you honestly whether APEX, APEX Lite, or Champion's Circle is the right place for your wrestler.
What APEX families say.
Cool! Thank you! He's the only kid in the 150 that keeps a plank in the wall stands. It's fun watching how your training is putting him ahead as we knew it would.
— Rachel Gallagher, APEX parent
I got to tell you, Barrett is really starting to control his body better than ever. His movements have never been more fluid. He's seeing and feeling the progress. He's bringing a different animal to the fight in terms of strength and speed.
— Kit Luebs, APEX parent
More testimonials coming as new APEX athletes complete their first training block. Every athlete I've taken through APEX has stayed with APEX.
How APEX starts.
Apply
Tell me about your wrestler, their goals, and where they are right now. The application takes about ten minutes.
We talk.
A free 30-minute Zoom call. No pitch. I'll tell you honestly whether APEX is the right fit or whether you'd be better served by APEX Lite or Champion's Circle.
We build.
If it's a fit, programming starts within seven days of the consult call. Your wrestler's first training block is live by the following Monday.
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Who you're working with.
I'm Dane Whitted. I wrestled through high school and played college football. I trained with Tiger Schulmann's professional MMA team for two years before going back to finish my degree and earn my CSCS. I'm a US Army combat veteran and a National CrossFit Champion. I've been coaching wrestling since 2008.
The people I'm known for are my athletes. Andrew and Alexander, my twin sons, are multi-time Tennessee state champions who train in my garage alongside APEX athletes. Ayla Sahin, who trains with me remotely from Germany, won silver at the U17 World Championships last year on this same system.
APEX is the highest level of coaching I offer. It's the coaching I do for my own sons. I give it to six athletes at a time because that's the cap where I can coach at the level my own family gets. Beyond six, it becomes a different product, and I'm not interested in running that product.
- Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA CSCS)
- National CrossFit Champion
- US Army Combat Veteran
- NASM Certified Fitness Trainer
- CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
- Coaching wrestling since 2008
Common questions about APEX
How is APEX different from a local strength coach?
Almost no local strength coach specializes in wrestling, and almost no wrestling coach has the strength and conditioning background to program correctly. APEX is built by a CSCS with eighteen years of wrestling coaching specifically, who has built two state champions and works with a World Championship silver medalist. The integration between the wrestling knowledge and the strength and conditioning knowledge is the entire point.
What's the time commitment for the wrestler?
Training sessions run sixty to seventy-five minutes, five days a week. APEX is built around school, wrestling practice, and family life -- not on top of them. The programming is designed to make your wrestler better at practice, not too tired to attend it.
How long until we see results?
Strength and conditioning gains show up in four to six weeks. Performance changes on the mat typically take eight to twelve weeks of consistent training. APEX is a long game -- we're building wrestlers who win in March, not in week two.
Is there a contract or commitment?
APEX is month-to-month. No long-term contracts. That said, real results take time, and most APEX athletes commit to at least three months to see meaningful changes. I'll tell you on the consult call whether your wrestler's goals are realistic for the timeline you're willing to commit to.
Can my wrestler do APEX in-season?
Yes. In-season APEX focuses on maintaining strength, managing fatigue, and peaking for key tournaments. The programming adapts to wherever your wrestler is in their competition calendar.
What if the six spots are full when I apply?
You go on the waitlist. I'll tell you honestly on the consult call what the expected wait is based on current client contracts. In the meantime, most waitlisted families run Champion's Circle or APEX Lite, and if the fit is right, we move them into APEX when a spot opens.
Not Ready for APEX? Start with APEX Lite.
APEX is the highest level of coaching I offer. It's not the right fit for every family, and it's not the only way to get direct access to me. APEX Lite is the same coaching access without the custom strength and conditioning programming. Send me video of training, matches, lifts, anything. Text me with questions on wrestling, S&C, mental performance, weight cuts, recovery. Schedule calls when you want them.
APEX Lite is for parents who already have the S&C handled, whether through Champion's Circle, their own programming, or another source. Different buyer than APEX. Different price point. Same coaching access, applied to whatever your wrestler is already doing.
APEX Lite
$347/month
- Direct coaching from me. Capped at 6 athletes.
- Unlimited video of training, matches, S&C, anything
- Direct text access on any topic in scope
- Calls scheduled when you want them
- For families who handle their own S&C
APEX
$997/month
- Custom daily programming built for your wrestler
- Unlimited text and video access to Coach Dane
- Unlimited video analysis of training and matches
- Integrated mental performance coaching
- Monthly structured progress reviews
Not sure which is right? Apply to either one and we'll figure it out on the consult call. Sometimes the answer is APEX. Sometimes it's APEX Lite. Sometimes it's Champion's Circle. I'll tell you the truth either way.
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Six spotsStop watching him lose matches he should win.
If you've read this far, you recognize the problem. Your wrestler is doing the work. The results aren't matching the effort. You've tried more clubs, more clinics, more mat time. None of it closed the gap.
APEX closes the gap. Six athletes at a time. $997 a month. By application only.
The next step is a free thirty-minute call. I'll tell you honestly whether APEX is right for your wrestler. If it's not, I'll tell you that too. Either way, you'll leave the call knowing more about where your wrestler actually is and what the real next step looks like.