Why Do Wrestlers Wear Singlets?

If you have ever watched wrestling you will have noticed that wrestlers wear a pretty strange uniform. This uniform is known as a singlet and is quite controversial due to its design and revealing nature. In this article we will look at exactly why wrestlers wear singlets.

Why do wrestlers wear singlets? Wrestlers wear singlets as they are a form fitting tight item of clothing which limit inadvertent and illegal clothes grabbing and reduce injuries as loose clothing can get stuck in fingers causing breaks and dislocations. Singlets allow wrestlers to move freely and are designed to stay secure despite the strenuous nature of wrestling.

Do Wrestlers Wear Cups Under Their Singlets?

Do wrestlers wear cups under their singlets? Wrestlers do not wear cups under their singlets. The chance of getting seriously hit in the groin while wrestling is low. Wrestlers typically wear briefs, compression shorts or nothing under their singlets. In recent years compression shorts have become the most popular choice.

Why you should not wear a cup under your singlet?

Uncomfortable – your cup will move around during your match, this does not feel good
Injury – as the cup moves it could pinch your genitals causing injury and severe pain
Noticeable – wrestling singlets are revealing, a cup is very noticeable and looks strange
Restricts movement – to wrestle at your best you need to able to move freely and comfortably, a cup is bulky and will move during a match, this will limit your movement
Chance of being hit in groin is low – your chance being seriously hit in below the belt is very low, if you do take a shot down their it will be minor, there is no point in putting up with all the downsides of wearing a cup to protect against something that is very unlikely to happen

Do Pro Wrestlers Wear Cups?

Do pro wrestlers wear cups? Pro wrestlers do not wear cups. Cups can move during matches and lead to injuries when wrestlers take bumps. You do not want to wear a cup when taking a face bump trust me. Instead pro wrestlers typically wear tight underwear or compression shorts for some extra support and to keep everything in place.

What Do Wrestlers Wear Under Their Singlets?

What do wrestlers wear under their singlets? Wrestlers typically wear briefs, boxer briefs, compression shorts or nothing under their singlets. Compression shorts are the most common choice as they provide support and stay in place, very few wrestlers wear nothing. No wrestlers wear a cup under their singlets.

Why do wrestlers wear compression shorts under their singlets?

Comfort – compression shorts feel great to wear, they don’t move around or bunch up
Increase mobility – your movement will improve while wearing compression shorts, you will experience a slight increase in flexibility and your movement will be more fluid,
Provide support – you do not have to worry about your genitals moving around, compression shorts will keep everything in place
Modesty – wrestling singlets can sometimes show too much, compression shorts will prevent you from putting everything on display for the masses

What Do Female Wrestlers Wear Under Their Singlets?

What do female wrestlers wear under their singlets? Female wrestlers usually wear a compression top and shorts under their singlets. Some athletes wear nothing under their singlets. In America all high school female wrestlers must wear a compression top and bottoms under their singlet.

The fact that female wrestlers are forced to wear wrestling singlets can turn many females away from the sport. Singlets are often very revealing due to their design and how tight they are. Many females are uncomfortable about exposing so much skin in front of strangers.

Female wrestlers can limit the revealing nature of singlets by wearing both a compression top and shorts. This will allow female wrestlers to maintain their modesty and prevent any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions. Compression clothing will also give female wrestlers support and increase their mobility, both will improve their wrestling performance.

The National Federation of State High School Association recently mandated that all female wrestlers must wear compression clothing under their wrestling singlets. This is the exact rule. “A suitable undergarment, which completely covers the buttocks, groin area and breasts shall be worn under a one-piece singlet. Any other undergarment worn under the one-piece singlet which extends beyond the inseam shall be tight-fitting and shall not extend below the knee.”

Why Are Wrestling Singlets So Revealing?

Why are wrestling singlets so revealing? Wrestling singlets are so revealing because they need to be tight to prevent athletes from grabbing the clothing or getting their fingers caught in the material. Singlets are also designed to give wrestlers maximum freedom when moving while also not being at risk of coming off during a match.

Key reasons why wrestling singlets are so revealing

Prevent clothes grabbing – Grabbing the clothes is illegal in wrestling as it can give you an unfair advantage as you can use this illegal grip to defend and finish takedowns, singlets are tight to prevent grabbing of the clothing occurring
Prevent Injuries – Fingers can get stuck in loose clothing resulting in nasty breaks and dislocations, singlets are very tight to stop fingers becoming stuck and thus preventing injuries from occurring
Unrestricted movement – In wrestling you need to be able to move quickly and explosively in many different directions, to achieve this you need to be able to move freely, singlets are designed to promote freedom and movement, allowing wrestlers to move as they please without being constricted
Staying in place – As wrestlers are moving a lot throughout a match they need to wear not only something that will allow them to move freely but won’t move during the match, singlets are designed to stay in place so wrestlers do not have to worry about things coming on done or having to stop the match every time their clothing comes out of place

Can You Wear A Wrestling Singlet To Practice?

Can you wear a wrestling singlet to practice? Yes, you can wear a wrestling singlet to practice however your teammates may make fun of you. Typically wrestlers wear shorts and a t-shirt to practice. It is now popular to wear compression short or tights with a t-shirt. If you still want to wear your singlet opt for just wearing the bottoms and a t-shirt up top.

In America it is common for wrestlers to make fun of other wrestlers who wear a singlet to practice. This is a little bit of a mystery. I think it has to do with the fact that singlets are revealing and many wrestlers do not like wearing them. So anyone who chooses to wear one when they don’t have to is considered slightly odd and mocked.

This phenomenon is not the same in other countries. In Russia it is perfectly normal to wear a singlet to practice. A lot of athletes wear shorts and t-shirts but many wear their singlets. Typically at Russian wrestling practice athletes will finish training with mock matches and athletes will wear singlets for these matches, so many athletes choose to train the entire practice in the singlet or just wear the bottoms with a t-shirt.

How Do You Look Good In A Wrestling Singlet?

How do you look good in a wrestling singlet? The key to looking good in a wrestling singlet is wearing a singlet which fits correctly, you don’t want it to be too loose or long. You need to find a wrestling singlet with a fashionable design avoid crazy patterns or colors. Finally you need to add some muscle, everyone looks better in a wrestling singlet if they have more muscle, focus on building your arms, shoulders and quads.

Do you want to look good in a wrestling singlet?

Wear a singlet that fits – your singlet should be snug, their should be no baggy areas or bunching, the singlet should stop well above the knee
Wear a tasteful singlet – do not wear some stupid fluro green singlet with skulls or some idiotic quote on it, go for something discreet, look at national team singlets and find something similar
Hit the gym – nobody scrawny looks good in a wrestling singlet, get to your closest weight room ASAP, start pumping up those arms and shoulders, don’t even consider leaving the squat rack until your singlet is struggling to contain your quads

Conclusion

Even though wrestling singlets look strange there are a number of good reasons why wrestlers wear them. Singlets reduce injuries as they stop fingers from becoming caught leading to breaks and dislocations. Singlets prevent illegal clothes grabbing which can lead to wrestlers illegally defending and attacking takedowns. Singlets give wrestlers maximum freedom of movement allowing wrestlers to wrestle unrestricted. Singlets are designed to stay in place throughout a match no matter the abuse they take.