7th Day

Bringing you tweets about faith, wrestling and motivation.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

It hurts to keep letting yourself down. Especially when you meant every word the last time you said, “I’m going to change.” You can live with a hard day. What wears on you is making another promise and already wondering how long it’ll take you to break it.

Think about someone who keeps giving you their word and never follows through. Eventually, you quit counting on them. You might still care about them. You might want to believe them. But their promises don’t carry much weight anymore. That same thing can happen with yourself. After enough times starting over, even your own excitement becomes hard to trust.

One of the biggest things I see is people biting off more than they can chew. They’re so frustrated with where they’re at that they commit to a life they aren’t ready to sustain. Train every day. Change everything they eat. Get up before sunrise. They build the whole plan around how badly they want it that night, then expect that feeling to carry them through a month of early alarms and long days.

It’s like loading a bar with the weight you wish you could lift. You can want it with everything you have. You still have to build the strength to move it. But when people do this with their habits, they take every failed attempt as proof that something is wrong with them. Lazy. Undisciplined. All talk. Imagine spending years calling yourself weak because you keep trying to lift a weight you’ve never trained for.

You still have to take responsibility. Part of that responsibility is giving yourself a plan you can actually follow. If you want to be consistent, make it convenient. Have a decent meal ready before you’re exhausted and hungry. Put a few weights where you can use them if getting to the gym keeps falling through. Put your shoes by the door and start with a walk you can repeat tomorrow. Your plan needs to work on an ordinary Tuesday when nobody’s watching and you’d rather sit down.

We understand this when we coach. You wouldn’t take a kid in his first week of wrestling, put him through the workload of your most experienced athlete, and decide he doesn’t have what it takes when he breaks. You’d give him work that challenges him at his level. You’d teach him how to finish it. Then you’d ask for more as he became ready. He might have a huge goal. There are still years of practices between where he is and where he wants to go. You can’t punish him through all of them in one night.

That’s also why it’s so important to help your kids build healthy habits early. The way they eat, moving every day, learning to work out and take care of themselves—all of that helps shape what feels normal to them. When they grow up seeing you make time for exercise and eating healthy meals together, those habits become familiar. They have something to carry with them as they get older. Think about how much effort you’ve spent trying to change habits you’ve had for years. You have a chance to help your kids build ones they’ll be thankful for.

And if you didn’t grow up with that, give yourself the same chance to learn. Get consistent with the workouts you can do at home. Let that become part of your life, then build toward more. Walk every morning until getting out the door becomes something you do without a daily argument with yourself. Then start adding some running. Keep the goal big enough to demand growth, and the next step manageable enough that you’ll actually take it.

Those small commitments can feel almost embarrassing when you’re thinking about how far you have to go. Keep them anyway. Ten minutes today matters to the person who has spent months saying “tomorrow.” There’s something powerful about going to bed knowing you did what you told yourself you would do. Especially when you haven’t felt that in a long time.

You rebuild trust in yourself the same way someone else would have to rebuild it with you: through what you do, repeatedly, long after the apology or the promise. Eventually, you have something to remember besides the times you quit. You remember the morning you got up. The workout you finished after a hard day. The week you followed through even though you weren’t excited anymore.

Keep the big goal. Start with a promise you can keep, and take it seriously. Build until you’re ready for more. You deserve to hear yourself say, “I’m going to do this,” and have a reason to believe it.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

Gross Essentials – Volume 7: Consistency Beats Everything

A lot of what we’ve talked about so far has been mindset, habits, and environment. This week I want to hit something simple, but probably the most important factor in long-term success.

Consistency.

The only way to get good at anything in life is consistent work toward it. There is no shortcut. No hack. No magic tournament, camp, or private lesson that replaces showing up over and over again.

I completely understand life happens. Kids get sick. Families travel. Schedules get crazy. That’s normal. But practice has to be a priority the majority of the time.

If a kid isn’t reaching their potential, most of the time it’s not because they aren’t talented. It’s because they aren’t consistent.

Consistency Is the Real Separator

Two kids can have the same coach, same room, same drills, same opportunities.

One shows up three times a week.
One shows up once or twice when it’s convenient.

Fast forward a year and it looks like “talent.”
It’s not. It’s hours.

This ties directly back to Volume 6. You can’t build real drilling habits or muscle memory without reps. And you can’t get reps without being in the room.

No one accidentally becomes good.

The 10,000 Hour Rule

You’ve probably heard the idea that it takes around 10,000 hours to master anything.

Whether that number is exact or not doesn’t really matter. The point is this:

Skill is built through time spent doing the thing.

Mat time matters.
Live reps matter.
Feeling positions thousands of times matters.

You can’t compress that process.
You can’t skip steps.
You can’t binge it in one summer.

It’s years of showing up when you feel good and when you don’t.

Coach’s Role: Make the Time Count

Being physically in the room doesn’t automatically mean growth.

A kid who is unfocused, joking around, and mentally checked out is basically getting the same result as not being there.

As a coach, your job is to:
• keep kids engaged
• create structure
• make sure they’re actually learning
• keep the room intentional

Consistency without focus leads to average results.
Consistency with focus leads to massive growth.

Parent’s Role: Protect the Habit

One of the most underrated things a parent can do is simply protect the routine.

Not pressure.
Not micromanage.
Just make practice part of the normal schedule.

When practice is “optional,” attendance drops.
When practice is “just what we do,” progress skyrockets.

This is honestly one of the biggest advantages kids can have.

Burnout Isn’t What People Think

People love to blame burnout.

In reality, true burnout is rare when:
• the coach keeps it fun and challenging
• the room is positive
• the environment is healthy
• the parents support instead of pressure

More kids quit because they aren’t seeing progress, not because they’re doing too much.

They show up inconsistently.
They don’t improve the way they want.
They lose motivation.
They choose another path.

Consistency creates results.
Results create belief.
Belief creates motivation.

It’s a loop.

This Ties Back to Every Volume So Far

Volume 1: effort over results only works if you show up.
Volume 3: routines only matter if you practice them.
Volume 6: drilling only works with reps.

Every concept falls apart without consistency.

It’s the foundation everything else sits on.

Big Takeaway

If I had to give one piece of advice to any parent, coach, or wrestler, it would be this:

Show up. Over and over again.

Not perfectly.
Not every single day.
But consistently.

That alone will put you ahead of most people.

Quick Question for You

What’s the biggest thing that gets in the way of consistency right now? Schedule? Motivation? Energy?

Reply and let me know. I read every message and use them to guide future topics.

If this helped, forward it to another parent or coach who needs to hear it.

See you next week.

P.S. Talent gets you noticed. Consistency decides how far you actually go.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

One thing I’ve noticed as a coach is how much attention spans have changed.

I’m not trying to blame everything on iPads and phones, but I also don’t think we can ignore it. I’ve been coaching in some for over a decade, and I’m sure coaches who’ve been around even longer would agree.

It used to be easy to look out at a room and see eye contact. Kids locked in. Listening. Present.
Now I see a lot more wandering eyes and dazed looks. Instructions need to be repeated. Focus comes and goes.

I’ve felt it myself. There was a stretch where my phone crushed my own attention span. If it can do that to an adult, it’s hard to imagine what it’s doing to kids who’ve never known anything different.

Kids aren’t lazy or dumb. They’re overstimulated.

And this matters because focus is one of the most important skills an athlete can have. Wrestling exposes it fast. If you can’t stay locked in during instruction, drilling, or a match, talent won’t save you.

One of the best things you can instill in a kid isn’t more matches or more privates.
It’s the ability to focus.

That skill carries over to everything.
School. Sports. Life.

Maybe I’m tweaking.
But it’s a real shift I’ve seen.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

Cutting everyone some slack who didn't subscribe yet and posting volume 1 below! Get subscribed last time I'll share full newsletter on here!! Sign-up link: https://t.co/w7rSTuk3B2

Welcome to the first edition of Gross Essentials

Thank you to everyone who subscribed. Seriously. This fires me up.

If you’re reading this, you’re early. Like before this thing accidentally turns into something big early.

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Seth Gross.

I’m still competing, still training, and still seeing how much my body can handle on a daily basis.
I’m an NCAA Champion, multiple-time All-American, World Team member, and full-time wrestling coach. I’ve wrestled on big stages, won matches I wasn’t supposed to win, and lost matches that still randomly replay in my head for no good reason.
I’ve been the kid putting way too much pressure on himself.
I’ve been the guy expected to win.
I’ve been the guy who didn’t.
I’ve been injured, doubted, written off, and counted out.
Now I coach kids who are walking that same path, just at different points on it.

Everything I share here comes from real experience. Not theory. Not buzzwords. Not things that sound good on Instagram. Just things that actually help athletes wrestle better, compete freer, and handle the mental side of this sport.

That’s the perspective this newsletter is built on.

Why I’m Doing This

My goal is simple.
I want to give parents, wrestlers, and coaches tools they can use immediately. Not someday. Right now.

Everything I’ve learned as an athlete and coach is going into this. Wrestling is the greatest sport in the world, but if we’re being honest, it can also be brutal if you don’t understand the mental side.

I appreciate everyone who already sent in topics. Keep them coming. Mindset, training, technique. If you send a technique question, I’ll probably make a short video and link it here so you can actually see what I’m talking about.

This isn’t something I’m building at you. I’m building it with you. Your questions are shaping what this becomes.

Why Wrestling Matters

Wrestling is the best because of who it forces you to become.
It builds confidence.
It exposes weaknesses.
It teaches you how to get back up when everything in you wants to stay down.
It demands growth.

That’s why we love it.

For Volume 1, we’re going straight into something almost every athlete deals with: pressure. Freezing up. Not wrestling how they know they can.
A lot of that comes down to the environment we create as parents and coaches.

1. Praise Effort, Not Results

Kids feel pressure when they think winning is what makes you proud of them. That’s when they wrestle tight.
If you want an athlete who competes freely, effort has to be the standard.
Say it clearly and consistently:
I’m proud of your effort.
I’d rather watch you lose giving everything than win holding back.

The way you kept attacking was great.
You worked your tail off to get off your back.
And be honest when they fall short:
Do you think that was your best effort?
I know you’re capable of more than what you showed.
You won, but you coasted, and we both know that’s not who you want to be.
This teaches them that effort is the expectation. It makes them compete harder.

2. Focus on Scoring Points

Most people preach winning. That creates tension. It doesn’t help performance.
Preach scoring points.
Every D1 match this year showed the same pattern:
Score 8 points → over an 80% chance of winning
Score 10 points → over 90%

Score 16+ points → almost a certain win
My dad always told me: have fun, let it fly, and see how many points you can score.
Didn’t matter if I was favored or completely outmatched. Same message every time. After the match, he praised effort and attempts, not the outcome.
That mindset creates athletes who open up, enjoy competing, and stop wrestling tight.

3. Wrestling Is Something You Do, Not Who You Are

This one is non-negotiable.
If an athlete believes their worth rises and falls with wins and losses, they will eventually crack. I’ve seen it too many times. Talented kids who stop taking risks, stop enjoying the sport, and eventually stop wrestling altogether.
Kids are way better at reading tone than listening to words. You can say “I love you no matter what,” but if the car ride home is silent after a loss and relaxed after a win, they get the message.
Here’s what actually helps:
Your reaction after losses matters more than your speech before matches.
If you’re calm, curious, and steady after a loss, they feel safe to compete again.

Separate the performance from the person. Always.

“That wasn’t your best wrestling” is very different from “you didn’t try” or “you let me down.”

Don’t make the ride home a post-match interrogation.
They’re already replaying it in their head. Give them space. You’ll get better conversations later.

Be consistent regardless of outcome.
Same tone. Same energy. Same support whether they win big or get teched.

Remind them who they are outside the mat.
Son. Daughter. Teammate. Friend. Student. Wrestler is one role, not the whole identity.

When athletes know their value is secure, they take more risks. They wrestle freer. They recover faster from losses.

Pressure thrives on identity attachment. Freedom comes from separation.

4. Normalize Failure and Train Pressure

Kids don’t freeze because they’re soft. They freeze because failing feels final.

So stop making practice safe.
If everything only starts neutral, fresh, and “fair,” then competition is the first time they ever feel real pressure. That’s backwards.

Here’s what actually works:

Start matches losing.
Down 4–0. Down 6–2. One minute left. Figure it out.
Last score wins.
Doesn’t matter how ugly it looks. Doesn’t matter how tired they are. Find a way.
Short goes with consequences.
20–30 second goes. If you don't score you have push ups.
Start in your worst position.
Flat on your belly. Trapped in a leg ride. On your back. Learn to breathe and solve problems instead of panicking.
One move only rounds.
You’re only allowed to score with one specific attack. If it doesn’t work, keep trying. This forces belief and persistence.
Create chaos on purpose.
Bad calls. Short time. Weird situations. That’s what matches actually feel like.

These reps teach athletes something huge:
Nothing is broken. Nothing is over. Solve the next problem.
Confidence under pressure isn’t a personality trait. It’s trained.

5. Measure Growth, Not Just Results

Results lie. Development doesn’t.
If wins and losses are the only thing we measure, kids start hiding flaws instead of fixing them. They play not to lose. They choose safe positions. They stop trying new things. That’s how athletes stall out.
If you want long-term progress, you have to change the scoreboard.
Here’s what that actually looks like:
Track behaviors, not brackets.
Did they take shots?
Did they wrestle through bad positions?
Did they keep attacking when tired?
Praise specific growth, not vague effort.
“You kept re-attacking even when it didn’t work.”
“You didn’t panic when you got taken down.”
“You stayed aggressive late.”
Have a single focus per competition.
One goal. Not ten.
Example: score first. Hand fight the whole match. Get to your tie.
Win or lose, did you do the thing?
Post-match questions matter.
Not: Why didn’t you win?
Ask:
What felt better than last week?
What broke down?
What’s the one thing we fix next?
Make improvement visible.
Remind them where they were three months ago.
“That match would’ve buried you before. You stayed in it.”

When kids understand that progress is the goal, they stop fearing mistakes. When mistakes stop feeling dangerous, learning accelerates.
Winning comes easier when growth is the priority.

Quick Question for You

What’s the biggest mental challenge you or your wrestler are dealing with right now?
Reply and let me know. I’ll pick a few and cover them next Monday.

Closing Out Volume 1

Thanks for being here for the first-ever edition of Gross Essentials. These go out every Monday.
If this helped you, forward it to someone who should be here too.

Sign-up link:
https://t.co/w7rSTuk3B2
If you ever want me to cover something specific, shoot me an email anytime.
See you next Monday.
P.S. If this helped you, don’t just read it. Use one thing from it this week. That’s the whole point.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

Yeah.. Or down block or get in a stance lol literally anything but that smh

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

Waiting for the right time is how people waste their life.

People don’t usually fail because they tried and fell short. They fail because they never start.

They’re stuck telling themselves “not yet,” waiting for things to feel easier or more certain. But that day never comes.

You get better by doing, not by waiting.
You figure it out while you’re in it. not before.

So stop hesitating. Make the move.
The right time? It’s right now.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

Wrestlers obsess over learning more moves, drilling new finishes, flashy stuff, scrambling tricks. But here’s the truth

Most of your moves don’t work because your positioning sucks.

You’re trying to hit a perfect single from a bad tie. You’re diving at legs when your feet are square and your head’s down. You’re working the finish, when you haven’t even won the setup.

Here’s what the best wrestlers understand.

Positioning and angles win matches. Moves are just how you close the deal.

You want to score more? Don’t learn five new shots.
Learn how to dictate the tie ups and use your hands with a purpose.
Learn how to move vertically & laterally to create angles.
Learn how to continuously threaten opponent to keep them at bay.

Because once you can do that… the shots become easy. The finish becomes automatic. The match slows down. You’re in control every second.

It’s not about how many moves you know.
It’s about how often you can get to them on your terms.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

How wrestling couples settle things.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

This one hurt more than most.
Wrestling’s real. The wins, the losses, the lessons.
Watch the full breakdown of my loss to Jax ⬇️

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

It’s better to have 100 setups for one attack than a bunch of attacks with barely any setups. The majority of your time in neutral should be spent training your hand fighting, controlling ties, positioning, and set ups.

[7th Day @WrestleWFaith]

RT @GodsWrestler133: Hot take. Stop trap arming over the post hand.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

Check out the final hour leading up to my semi finals match with Marcus Blaze! Full video below ⬇️

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

Check full video below to see what was said 🔥

[Chael Sonnen @ChaelSonnen]

He’s right

[Ben Dackiw @BenDackiw]

Seth Gross (@GodsWrestler133) has competed at the US Open Wrestling Championships many times. He knows what to expect.

But this time around, things are a little different, not so much for Seth, but who's competing with him:

@KFYRTV | #Wrestling

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

DONT LOCK YOUR HANDS! Check my new video to see what I like to do instead!! Full video in comments ⬇️

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

🔥Hot take of the day 🔥DO NOT lock your hands on a high crotch.

It might feel strong in the moment, but locking your hands actually makes the finish looser, slower, and way easier to defend. especially against good guys who block the elbow or arm from switching across, throw the head inside, or sit the corner. You’re giving up control of your opponents hip when you lock hands and it makes it much harder to knee slide back into position if you get extended.

Instead, squeeze opponents hip tight and high with inside hand until you’re able to switch outside hand deep. I’ll break it all down soon. video coming.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

Telling wrestlers to retire after college is one of the dumbest things we do in this sport.

We’ve built this weird culture where if you’re not making world teams every year, it’s time to “move on.” Only ONE guy gets the spot. so every other elite wrestler should just quit? That’s wild.

Still healthy? Still hungry? Keep going. Wrestling isn’t just for champs. it’s for lifers.

And let’s be real:
•The average UFC champion is 33 years old
•Burroughs won a World title at 33
•David Taylor won his first World/Olympic medal at 30
•Dake didn’t make his first team until he was 27

If they had listened to the “you’re too old” crowd, we’d have never seen their greatness.

This “retire if you’re not #1” or “go get a real job” mentality? It’s toxic. And honestly, it’s usually coming from people who quit too early and want you to follow them.

Look at jiu-jitsu—grown men and women still throwing down in their 30s, 40s, 50s… and the sport is thriving because of it.

Wrestling doesn’t end at 22. It ends when you say it does.

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

It’s gotta stop!! 🚫 full breakdown in replies

[Seth Gross @GodsWrestler133]

Doubling down on my hot take! 🔥 full breakdown in replies ⬇️