With Jordan Burroughs

For Jordan Burroughs, learning and working hard go hand in hand. Every practice is an opportunity to build better habits, ask questions, and push yourself further. Getting the most out of that opportunity starts with how you approach the wrestling room.

Find a quality partner. 

Choose someone who challenges you, keeps you engaged, and helps you make every repetition count. Bring that same commitment to their training. A good partner helps you improve while giving you the opportunity to do the same for them.

Be intentional with your habits. 

Know what you are working on and pay attention to how you execute it. The way you drill, respond to feedback, and maintain effort shapes the wrestler you become. Approach each repetition with a purpose, and build habits you can carry into competition.

Be willing to ask questions.

Burroughs encourages wrestlers to seek out people in positions of leadership, but that person does not have to be a coach. A teammate can offer a different approach to a position or help you recognize something you are missing. Ask questions, listen to feedback, and put what you learn into practice.

“There is something to learn from every single person in the room.”

Be willing to suffer.

That same intention carries into conditioning. For Burroughs, pushing himself through a difficult workout is a chance to grow.

“When we do conditioning I am pushing myself as hard as I can go, to see just how good I can become.”

The goal is to keep challenging yourself as the work gets harder. Be willing to suffer and work hard to reach your maximum potential. Your effort in hard moments helps build the habits you rely on when a match gets tough.

“The best wrestlers are usually the ones who wrestle the hardest, there is no secret to this. The ones who wrestle the hardest are usually the ones who get their hands raised the most.”

The pace you want to maintain in a match starts in the wrestling room. Each drill and conditioning session gives you a chance to practice enduring when fatigue sets in. Make those moments part of your preparation, and bring the intensity you want to compete with into your daily training.

For Burroughs, getting better requires both a willingness to learn and a commitment to the work. Find a partner who pushes you. Build habits with intention. Ask questions and learn from the people around you. Then bring your effort to every part of practice. The wrestling room gives you opportunities to grow every day. Make the most of them.