What Are Some Tips for Winning a Leg Wrestling Battle?
Successful leg wrestlers use principles of leverage when engaging a leg wrestling opponent, which help maximize muscle usage and effectiveness. As with any sport, regular practice always increases the likelihood of a victory.
While leg wrestling, or Indian leg wrestling, is a sport of strength, the elements of body position and the angle in which pressure is applied can give one opponent the advantage over another. For example, those outmatched in muscle can push back an opponent’s leg toward the outer hip, exposing the weakness of the abductor muscles, which do not exert as much power when angled.
Using fakes often throws an opponent off guard both mentally and physically. By pushing hard on an opponent’s leg and then releasing, a wrestler can cause a brief reflex in their opponent’s leg, which can be exploited. The opponent’s impulse is to physically counteract the sudden release of pressure. Executing a hard push in this precise moment takes practice and finesse. A series of fakes is called a pulse, which is used to create relaxed leg pressure in an opponent, wherein which a hard push can end the match.
By building the key muscles used in leg wrestling – the abductor and gluteal muscles – one can improve the physical power needed for a victory.
