The Forge
Honest takes on wrestling, strength, and what it actually takes to build a champion. New articles every two weeks.
Get New Articles In Your Inbox
Plus the free Garage Gym Wrestling Strength Blueprint — the exact system overview used to build two state champions.
Get the Free BlueprintNo spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wrestling Speed Is Not What You Think
Parents ask me some version of the same question every season: how do I make my wrestler faster? The answer involves three separate layers, and only a small piece of one of them is genetic.
How Do I Get My Son to Train Hard?
The question wrestling parents ask me more than any other. The answer is not a technique, a speech, or a reward system. Buy-in is not something you install in a kid. It is something he inherits, and what he inherits is a code.
.png)
The Stunted Growth Myth: Why Your Wrestler Is Already Old Enough to Train
Wait until 14. Bodyweight only until high school. Weights will stunt his growth. It gets repeated so often it sounds like science. It isn't, and following it is costing your kid years he doesn't get back.
The Movement Hierarchy: Why a Short List of Movements Decides Everything
33 gym exercises. Every one of them is built from just 6 foundational movement patterns. Master the parents and you own the children without ever training them directly. Train the children and you own fragments.
At What Age Should a Wrestler Start Lifting?
The dad who asked me at what age his son should start lifting was waiting until fourteen. The answer he was looking for, and the answer most parents do not expect, is four.
The Biggest Killer of Motivation in Youth Wrestling
The fastest way to destroy a young athlete's drive is to remove the target. Most wrestling S&C sessions do this by accident every single week. Here is why it happens and how to fix it.
Your Wrestler Needs A Code
The athletes who perform best under pressure aren't just the most talented or the most trained. They're the ones who have something to stand on when everything else is falling apart.
Stop Apologizing for Wanting to Win
There's a strange thing that happens in youth sports culture. Parents and coaches apologize for caring about outcomes. Stop it.
Why Wrestling Dads Get Misunderstood — And When a Push Is Actually a Gift
The wrestling dad who pushes his kid is constantly misunderstood. Sometimes the criticism is deserved. But sometimes, a push is the most loving thing a father can give.
Why Chasing Benchmarks is the Secret to High Level Skill
Most wrestlers train without targets. They show up, they work hard, they do the drills. But without benchmarks, you're navigating without a map.
What You Need to Build a Wrestler at Home
You don't need a commercial gym to build a dominant wrestler. You need the right tools, in the right order, used consistently. Here's the full equipment list by priority tier.
Why Your Wrestler Is Still Gassing Out
Your wrestler trains hard. They condition after practice. They put in the work. So why do they still fade in the third period? The answer might surprise you.
Featured in the Performance Menu
Coach Dane's published work in Catalyst Athletics' monthly journal — one of the most respected publications in strength and conditioning.
Conditioning Will Make You Stronger
The Performance Menu, Issue 182 · March 2020
General physical preparation is the base your special skills sit on. Here's why developing your conditioning is critical for taking your maximal strength to its furthest potential.
Master the Minute
The Performance Menu, Issue 173 · June 2019
Progress lives in the details. The smaller the detail, the bigger the difference. A breakdown of why precision in the small things separates good athletes from great ones.
Top 10 Best Weight Training Exercises for Building Muscle and Staying Injury-Free
The Performance Menu, Issue 171 · April 2019
Building muscle and staying injury-free is a two-part question with one integrated answer. Here are the ten exercises that deliver both.
These Three Rules Will Dictate Where You Land on the Leader Board
The Performance Menu, Issue 170 · March 2019
Three rules sit at the root of all athletic movements in all sports. Violate them and your technique compromises your potential. Master them and you climb.
Champions Change Their Character
The Performance Menu, Issue 162 · July 2018
When striving to be your best athletically, you need a plan. The physical training is obvious. The character work is the part most athletes skip — and it's the part that makes champions.
.png){kind=logo}
NewsletterWant More Like This?
New articles every two weeks. Plus the free Garage Gym Wrestling Strength Blueprint — the system that built two state champions.
Get the Free BlueprintJoin 800+ wrestling parents and coaches getting Coach Dane's best work.