Interval Wrestling: Heart Rate and Borg on the Mat
Students wrestle on the ground in short 30-second rounds and, after each one, record their heart rate and perceived exertion on the Borg scale. Using the data, they plot their effort curve and design an interval training plan based on wrestling.
How to play
- Each student records resting heart rate and calculates estimated max HR (208 - 0.7 x age) on the sheet (3 min).
- Protocol: six 30-second rounds of kneeling wrestling (goal: take the partner's back) with 60 seconds of recovery; after each round, take a 10-second pulse and record the Borg CR10 rating (12 min).
- Plot HR and Borg for each round and calculate the percentage of max HR reached (6 min).
- Group comparison with other activities (steady running, soccer) and link to energy systems (4 min).
- Each pair designs a wrestling-based training plan: number of rounds, duration and recovery based on their goal (5 min).
Rules
- Wrestle from the knees, no grabbing the head or neck, with a tap-out signal.
- Anyone above Borg 9 or feeling dizzy does the next round as light technical work.
- Partners are of similar build and stay together for the whole protocol so the data are comparable.
- During recovery, no one drops flat on their back: walk or sit.
Variations
Easier
Four 20-second rounds with 90 seconds of recovery.
Standard
Six 30-second rounds with 60 seconds of recovery, HR and Borg tracking and plan design.
Harder
Compare two protocols (30/60 and 30/30) on different days and analyze the difference in the HR curve.
Adaptations
- Heart condition or controlled asthma: shorter rounds with medical clearance, monitoring the Borg scale.
- Limited mobility: does the rounds with upper-body work (seated hand pushing against a partner) and records data the same way.
- Dyscalculia: has a chart converting 10-second pulse counts to beats per minute.
Learning goals
- Measure and record heart rate and perceived exertion.
- Analyze the physiological demands of wrestling.
- Design an interval training plan based on one's own data.
Equipment for a class of 25
- mats: 15
- stopwatch: 2
- worksheets: 28
Teacher tip
If you have heart rate monitors, use them on a couple of students and compare their data with everyone else's manual counts.
PatioLab has "Interval Wrestling: Heart Rate and Borg on the Mat" and 5176 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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