About Us
About Us
The Optimized Wrestling System
Created by Chris Lembeck, All-American wrestler, coach, and author, the Optimized Wrestling System applies cutting-edge scientific research to the world’s oldest and greatest sport. The result? A championship mindset and the medals to go with it.
Chris Lembeck
World-class wrestler, coach, author and Minnesota Hall of Famer.
Growing up in Bloomington, Minnesota, Chris had many interests, but his one mainstay was the sport of wrestling, with which he immediately fell in love.
Under the guidance of legendary coach Dave Arens, Chris won countless titles and earned a silver medal at the world championships in Stockholm, Sweden.
Chris has spent much of his adult life helping wrestlers achieve extraordinary success. He has coached at all levels of wrestling from youth to division one college and has been featured numerous times on the air and in print.
Chris was inducted into the Minnesota Hall of Fame in 2015. He currently lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he consults for some of the finest high school and college wrestling programs in the country.
Professional
- Author, 90% Mental – The Way of a Wrestling Guru
- Founder, Optimized Wrestling System: The Way to World Class
- Frequent contributer, various publications, including The Des Moines Register, Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling USA magazine
- Coaching Recognition, USA Today, Wrestling USA, Amateur Wrestling News
- Featured speaker, TakeDown media internet news show with Scott Casber
- Featured guest, Dan Gable International Museum talk show, Mat Talk and Mat Time weekly radio show, Union City, Pennsylvania
Education
- MA, Educational Administration, Missouri State University
- BA, Physical Education, University of Northern Iowa
- Five success seminars, The Learning Annex, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Competitions/Recognitions
- U.S. world team member and Greco Roman world silver medalist, Stockholm
- Two-time undefeated Minnesota high school state champion (33-0, 35-0; Career 146-7)
- Four-time Junior Olympics Freestyle and Greco Roman champion
- Nine-time National AAU National and Grand National Champion ‒ Greco Roman & Freestyle
- Voted Minnesotaʼs Outstanding High School Wrestler
- Minnesota High School Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee
- Bloomington Kennedy High School Wrestling Hall of Fame
- NCAA All-American, University of Northern Iowa, Ames, Iowa
- Captain, University of Northern Iowa wrestling team
- Most Improved Wrestler, University of Northern Iowa
- US Open Freestyle Championships, 5th place, Las Vegas
- University Freestyle Nationals, silver medalist, Las Vegas
Coaching
- Two-time Iowa High School team state champions̶Lisbon, Iowa
- Iowa High School dual state champions ‒ Lisbon, Iowa
- Coached five Iowa High School individual state champions
- Coached 17 Iowa High School State place-winners
- Coached AAU team state champions, All-American Wrestling Club
- Iowa National Duals team co-coach, Kingsport, Tennesse
