When it comes to arm-wrestling, the Pro Panja League is taking the sport to new heights, while giving our arm-wrestlers opportunities like never before. One such athlete is Siddhant Kathuria who is all set to showcase his skills at the Pro Panja Ranking Tournament scheduled to take place at The Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education on 22nd July.
While he wasn’t a part of the inaugural ranking tournament which took place in New Delhi, he is looking forward to taking part in the upcoming event. This 21 year old hailing from New Delhi started arm-wrestling in his school days and progressively got better and began winning college tournaments.
We had the opportunity to chat with Siddhant ahead of the tournament to talk about his preparation for the ranking tournament and the workouts he follows to be the 90 KG champ.
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- Do you engage in regular, specific workouts?
Yes, I do. Arm wrestling calls from specific arm training workouts, but apart from that, one needs to strengthen their core for any kind of sports. I exercise on a regular basis, working out my entire body and focus on specific workouts when I have a match coming up.
- Do you exercise with senior players? If so, what difference does it make?
Yes, playing with senior players makes a big difference to my game. I have learned the various forms and angles through my training with them. I started arm wrestling only 6 months ago, but training with senior Pro Panja League athlete, Sanjay Deswal gave an amateur athlete like me a strong platform to better my skills and learn what any other player would take years to learn.
When you train only with other amateur players, you eventually face a breaking point when you only win with them. However, losing easily to Sanjay Bhaiya, keeps me motivated to get better in the hope of defeating him one day.
- What exercises do you take to strengthen your arms?
- Bicep curl: Helps improve grip strength.
- Wrist flexion exercises: They increase flexibility and prevent wrist pain and injury.
- Reverse curl: If you want to win matches, then you can’t afford to have a weak brachioradialis muscle.
- Reverse wrist curl: It works the extensors of the forearm and helps balance out your forearms as well as keep your wrists healthy.
- One arm dumbbell forearm curl: This exercise very closely mimics the sport itself.
- Cable wrist curl: It literally mimics an arm-wrestling match, except that your opponent is a very heavy cable pulley.
- Cupping : This acts as an effective massage technique to reduce tension and decrease pain.
Your forearm strength is your primary weapon against your opponent. Hence, these are some of the main arm-strengthening exercises I follow.
- Do you follow any specific diet for this sport?
Chole Bhature (Just kidding). I prefer a high protein diet with some boiled chicken recipes, fish, tofu and soybean mainly. Structuring meals are of particular importance around training sessions. What you do at the dinner table affects what you do at the armwrestling table. My goal would be to stay as light and strong as possible. Adjusting calories and carbs intake has allowed me to do that, which in turn helps me know my own body’s strengths.
- How do you maintain your weight category?
I start to actually look after my weight 15 days before a competition. Since I fall in the 90 kg category, it is easy for me to lose the extra kilo in 15 days without stressing over it. My body does have the capacity to lose 4 kgs in half a month. Truth be told, approximately 2 kgs is the water weight which is not too difficult to let go of. But, one thing I do keep in mind is – No matter how much your weight decreases, your strength should not.
- What role does leg strength play when it comes to a sport that focuses on arm strength?
It is a game of arms, but leg strength plays a very crucial role when it comes to competing at a professional level. Leg strength varies on your game type. It depends from player to player how they use their body. Foot positioning plays an important role to keep your balance on the table. One needs to keep their tendons and ligaments strong. Like Larratt says, “Muscles are the movers, but connective tissues are everything that holds you together”. So, pay attention, and make the main goal to avoid injury and keeping those muscles strong.
“Back in college, I was treated as a new comer and the master degree students who were winning college tournaments told me I’ll end up breaking my hand if I compete with them. Well, the tables turned and I stood as the college champion of champions in 2020 and now, I hold the Delhi state youth right hand Champion of Champion, Delhi state senior left-hand Champion of Champion and the 44th National arm-wrestling tournament gold medalist of the youth left and right hand 90 kg category,” adds Siddhant.
Looks like Siddhant is all motivated for the upcoming tournament. For more details about the Pro Panja League, check it out:
Website : propanja.com
Instagram : @propanjaleague
YouTube : Pro Panja League
