When former Aussie Rules football player Buddy Murphy made a transition to WWE, the man-mountain from Melbourne was able to use his speed and power to quickly dominate the competition, but his biggest challenge yet? Making the weight for a newly formed championship title.
205 Live! is WWE’s new Cruiserweight Division and, as the name suggests, requires competitors to weigh no more than 205 pounds to qualify. When Murphy was asked to join the ranks, he sensibly set about shedding 25 pounds to make the grade. Here’s seven ways Murphy approached the cut that are relatable to anyone looking to hit the beach this summer.
Buddy Murphy can be seen as part of 205 Live! exclusively on WWE Network. World Wrestling Entertainment returns to Melbourne, Australia for Super Show-Down at MCG Stadium on October 6.
7 Ways WWE Superstar Buddy Murphy Got into Cruiserweight Shape
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Step Up the Cardio
“At high school I was always a very good runner. As a team we came third in Australia for the 100m sprint, and second in relay. I was really into athletics,” shares Buddy.In approaching his weight cut, Buddy went back his roots, increasing cardio sessions with the understanding that you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight.Intense cardio such as sprinting is a great way to increase your resting metabolic rate, meaning that your body is burning more fuel even during recovery periods.
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Put Cardio First
“I always do cardio before a workout,” says Buddy. Attacking cardio before hitting the weights increases your core temperature and provides greater oxygenated blood circulation, serving the muscles better. Further benefits of doing cardio before weights include stretching the muscles prior to lifting heavier loads, setting your body up for a more productive workout.
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Turn Obstacles into Challenges
Traveling from town-to-town and wrestling 200 matches per year puts a lot of obstacles in the way of staying motivated and finding the right place to train. Like many of us busy gym-goers, Buddy could easily call it a day when the going gets tough, but he instead turns these obstacles into challenges. “As soon as I put my bags down in the hotel, I’ll do a search on my phone to find which local gyms are in my area. One of my favorite things about traveling is experimenting with different workouts in different gyms. If I can’t get to a Gold’s Gym and I’m stuck in a small hotel gym and it’s only got a medicine ball and a treadmill, how am I going to make sure I get a decent workout from this environment? I love that challenge,” shares Buddy.
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Eat Right in the Wrong Places
It’s inevitable that we are all going to find ourselves in a gas station or a fast food restaurant at some point during our training. Hectic lifestyles dictate that we can’t always control where we eat, but we can still control what we order. “When I started cutting weight, I was still at home so in the initial stages I made sure to be low on calories by measuring everything out. Now that I’m back on the road with WWE and everything is so hectic I can’t travel around with scales to weigh food, so I keep it simple. If I go to Denny’s for example, I’ll order egg whites and vegetables. You just have to go with whatever is the healthiest option,” Buddy says.
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Cut Out the Junk to Optimize Hormone Levels
Buddy cut out sugary sodas and alcoholic beverages as a means of reducing his calorie intake. “I felt better than ever,” he says, and it turns out that this wasn’t just because of the reduced calories. Taking out refined sugars and excess carbs will help your body maintain healthy levels of the hormone leptin, providing a boost to weight control. Additionally, Buddy was able to reduce the stress hormone cortisol. Buddy also found that ridding himself of junk food provided him with even greater focus.
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Be “All In”
There is no off-season in WWE, so it’s superstars travel the globe year-round with few days off. The results that you get out of your diet and training will be in direct relation to the effort you put in. Buddy applied himself 100 percent in making the weight for 205 Live! and quickly progressed from being a part-time wrestler in Australia to a full time WWE TV star in the United States. This was due to his all-in commitment and serves as great inspiration for the rest of us, no matter how large or small our goals may be. “You should never do anything half-heartedly,” says Buddy. “Whether it’s training or pro wrestling, it has to be a lifestyle and not a hobby. And that goes for anything that you want to do in life, if you truly want to be successful at it.”
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Keep Challenging Yourself
While most of don’t get body slammed for a living, we can all relate to Buddy Murphy’s focus and determination. Following on from making the grade and entering 205 Live! Buddy didn’t rest on his laurels and has quickly climbed the ranks to cruiserweight championship contention. His next goal is to lift the title, potentially bringing it home in the process when WWE returns to Melbourne on October 6.“I’ve knuckled down and really focused on being part of 205 Live! and now that I am here, it’s like there is light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve taken [WWE] by storm and made a name for myself, and it’s only a matter of time before I win the title,” says Buddy.
“At high school I was always a very good runner. As a team we came third in Australia for the 100m sprint, and second in relay. I was really into athletics,” shares Buddy.
In approaching his weight cut, Buddy went back his roots, increasing cardio sessions with the understanding that you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight.
Intense cardio such as sprinting is a great way to increase your resting metabolic rate, meaning that your body is burning more fuel even during recovery periods.
Put Cardio First
“I always do cardio before a workout,” says Buddy.
Attacking cardio before hitting the weights increases your core temperature and provides greater oxygenated blood circulation, serving the muscles better. Further benefits of doing cardio before weights include stretching the muscles prior to lifting heavier loads, setting your body up for a more productive workout.
Turn Obstacles into Challenges
Traveling from town-to-town and wrestling 200 matches per year puts a lot of obstacles in the way of staying motivated and finding the right place to train. Like many of us busy gym-goers, Buddy could easily call it a day when the going gets tough, but he instead turns these obstacles into challenges.
“As soon as I put my bags down in the hotel, I’ll do a search on my phone to find which local gyms are in my area. One of my favorite things about traveling is experimenting with different workouts in different gyms. If I can’t get to a Gold’s Gym and I’m stuck in a small hotel gym and it’s only got a medicine ball and a treadmill, how am I going to make sure I get a decent workout from this environment? I love that challenge,” shares Buddy.
Eat Right in the Wrong Places
It’s inevitable that we are all going to find ourselves in a gas station or a fast food restaurant at some point during our training. Hectic lifestyles dictate that we can’t always control where we eat, but we can still control what we order.
“When I started cutting weight, I was still at home so in the initial stages I made sure to be low on calories by measuring everything out. Now that I’m back on the road with WWE and everything is so hectic I can’t travel around with scales to weigh food, so I keep it simple. If I go to Denny’s for example, I’ll order egg whites and vegetables. You just have to go with whatever is the healthiest option,” Buddy says.
Cut Out the Junk to Optimize Hormone Levels
Buddy cut out sugary sodas and alcoholic beverages as a means of reducing his calorie intake. “I felt better than ever,” he says, and it turns out that this wasn’t just because of the reduced calories.
Taking out refined sugars and excess carbs will help your body maintain healthy levels of the hormone leptin, providing a boost to weight control. Additionally, Buddy was able to reduce the stress hormone cortisol. Buddy also found that ridding himself of junk food provided him with even greater focus.
Be "All In"
There is no off-season in WWE, so it’s superstars travel the globe year-round with few days off. The results that you get out of your diet and training will be in direct relation to the effort you put in. Buddy applied himself 100 percent in making the weight for 205 Live! and quickly progressed from being a part-time wrestler in Australia to a full time WWE TV star in the United States. This was due to his all-in commitment and serves as great inspiration for the rest of us, no matter how large or small our goals may be.
“You should never do anything half-heartedly,” says Buddy. “Whether it’s training or pro wrestling, it has to be a lifestyle and not a hobby. And that goes for anything that you want to do in life, if you truly want to be successful at it.”
Keep Challenging Yourself
While most of don’t get body slammed for a living, we can all relate to Buddy Murphy’s focus and determination.
Following on from making the grade and entering 205 Live! Buddy didn’t rest on his laurels and has quickly climbed the ranks to cruiserweight championship contention. His next goal is to lift the title, potentially bringing it home in the process when WWE returns to Melbourne on October 6.
“I’ve knuckled down and really focused on being part of 205 Live! and now that I am here, it’s like there is light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve taken [WWE] by storm and made a name for myself, and it’s only a matter of time before I win the title,” says Buddy.
