9 Ways WWE Superstars Stay in ‘WrestleMania’ Shape Year-round
WWE Superstars aren’t just entertainers—they’re also full-time athletes, with the grueling workout schedules and fitness demands that come with it. Here’s how the best in wrestling entertainment stay ring-ready, in and out of the gym.
Like many professional athletes, WWE Superstars face formidable fitness challenges. They’re constantly traveling, and their performance schedule often means they’re eating late at night. Factor in practices and training, and they barely get any time to rest and watch their macros.
Consequently, WWE Superstars must develop strong fitness habits—mental, emotional, and physical—to stay in ring-ready shape. Here are nine simple tips from WWE superstars that you can apply to your own fitness regimen, no matter your fitness level.
The Superstars of WWE can be seen on weekly television shows including Monday Night RAW and SmackDown Live. Check your local listings. WWE WrestleMania 34 is replaying on the WWE Network. For more information, visit WWE.com.
9 Ways WWE Superstars Stay in ‘WrestleMania’ Shape Year-round
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Courtesy of WWE
Ronda Rousey: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey has never been afraid to step out of her comfort zone. That attitude has led to her success in the world of judo, MMA, and, now, WWE. The idea that facing your fears leads to greater rewards is nothing new: A psychological study way back in 1908, now called the Yerkes–Dodson Law, suggests that small amounts of stress and anxiety can actually boost performance, rather than hinder it.
What this means for you: Don’t let self-consciousness stop you from trying new things, whether it’s the free weights at the gym, or trying an exercise you thought was too intimidating. Rousey was thrown into the deep end when she wrestled her first match for WWE at WrestleMania 34. She turned the pressure into a positive and silenced her critics.
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Courtesy of WWE
Finn Bálor: Consistency Is Key
Finn Bálor may have the most defined 6-pack in all of WWE, but there’s no fad diet or quick-fix workout involved. The former Universal Champion owes his ripped physique to small and steady changes to his diet and training. When you stay consistent, those small changes are easier to stick to, and you’re more likely to see long-term results.“I stay in shape 365 days a year… while I’m on the road, while I’m wrestling, fighting for titles,” Balor tells Muscle & Fitness. “I don’t train for six months just to get in shape for a cover shot. I am Mr. Consistency.”This approach is backed by science too. People who lose weight gradually over the short term, rather than drastically, tend to have more success losing weight in the long term, according to a 2017 study from Drexel University.
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Courtesy of WWE
Jinder Mahal: Find the Motivation Behind Your Goals
Getting into shape will undoubtedly improve your quality of life, but it can be tempting to skip a gym session or have one too many cheat meals. Sticking to a fitness regimen requires a lot of willpower, so setting goals will help you stay on course.“You have to have a motivation,” superstar Jinder Mahal tells M&F. “As long as you have a why, then your why will be stronger than your temptations. Any food I put into my body… the first thing I think is, ‘Will this benefit or hurt my goals?’ The other day I was running on a treadmill and I had a view of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the site of WrestleMania 34. What greater motivation is there than that?”While we’re not all destined to perform at WrestleMania, we can all benefit from anchoring our goals in a single deeper motivation. Setting goals that mean something to you will drastically improve your chance of reaching a desired outcome.”
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Courtesy of WWE
Roman Reigns: Don’t Skip Gym Sessions
It doesn’t matter if you’re a WWE Superstar or a full-time office jockey with kids—time is at a premium for all of us. It’s all too easy to skip a gym session because that meeting ran late, or traffic was bad. Roman Reigns has many demands on his time, but he doesn’t let media appearances or international travel prevent him from getting a good gym session under his belt.“Growing up and going through college there was always a set time to train, but now that I’ve got more responsibilities with WWE and with family, I have to train whenever I can,” The Big Dog tells Muscle & Fitness. “Whether it’s at midnight, or 3 a.m., or 6 a.m., you just have to find a way to get into the gym. Sometimes that can be tough, because we’re travelling so much, but that’s the sacrifice that we have to make.”
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Courtesy of WWE
AJ Styles: Listen to Your Body
WWE Champion AJ Styles is one of the most energetic performers on the WWE roster. But at 40 years of age, he knows how important it is to take stock of how you’re feeling before determining how to approach each gym session.“As far as my gym sessions go, I do have to listen to my body,” the Phenomenal One tells Muscle & Fitness. “The older I’ve become, the longer it has taken for my body to recover. So when I’m hurt, I need to take time and focus on my body.”When you are in tune with how you are feeling, you can be more flexible with your gym sessions. Listening to your own body is a great way to avoid injury and overtraining.
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Courtesy of WWE
The Bar: Strength in Numbers
There’s no doubt that Sheamus and Cesaro were successful wrestlers in their own right, but since forming the team known as The Bar, they have won Tag Team Titles and dominated on Monday Night RAW. There is certainly strength in numbers, and science backs this up.When it comes to training, “participants gravitate towards the exercise behaviours of those around them,” according to a study published in the Journal of Social Sciences in 2010 [PDF]. So, if you’re hitting a plateau in the gym, or need some fitness inspiration, look no further than a workout buddy or a group activity.“You want to surround yourself with people that motivate you and bring out the best in you,” Cesaro says. “I think we help each other out with our strengths and weaknesses. We’re just trying to become a better tag-team, all the time… and we’re both extremely competitive, so that helps.” “It does help,” adds Sheamus, who recently launched his Celtic Warrior Workout YouTube Channel. “Together we are stronger. There are times where you might not want to go the gym, but we pick each other up.”
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Courtesy of WWE
Dolph Ziggler: Find a Positive Role Model
Dolph Ziggler, “The Show Off,” has stayed lean and ripped throughout his entire career with WWE, and one of the reasons for this can be attributed to a great role model: his dad.“I went to my first WWE event with my dad,” recalls Dolph. “I told him straightaway that I wanted to be a wrestler and he said cool, let’s start working out… he made it fun, it was our thing to do for an hour every day.”What makes a good fitness role model? Regardless of who you want to emulate, research shows that you’re more likely to follow their fitness example if you believe in their abilities. So, it doesn’t matter if your hero is a family member or an Instagram sensation—so long as they get you amped up to train.
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Courtesy of WWE
Shinsuke Nakamura: Change Things Up
If you’re always doing the same things in the gym, you will always get the same results—until, eventually, your body adapts, and you start seeing any results at all. The human body can adapt to all types of situations, so it’s a good idea to change things up, especially with diet and training.Shinsuke Nakamura has shed fat and become much leaner in recent months, thanks to shifting his diet towards vegetables and seafood rather than carbs and meat products. Seafood is low in fat and cholesterol and is naturally high in minerals, whilst packing plenty of protein.Changing things up with your diet at regular intervals is a great way to learn how your body positively or negatively reacts to certain foods.
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Courtesy of WWE
Dean Ambrose: Rest for Success
Now that you are motivated to train to your full potential, don’t miss out on one of the most important aspects of getting into great shape: rest. Research has shown that sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on your output in the gym.Dean Ambrose, aka “The Lunatic Fringe,” is one of WWE’s more frenetic performers, but in recent years he’s found his zen. “In the last year or so I’ve cut out caffeine,” says the former Intercontinental Champion. “If you’re drinking lots of coffee or energy drinks, you won’t sleep after a show. I try to stay stimulant-free, because then I can take naps very easily.”If you’re burning the candle at both ends, your body have a tougher time recovering from the stresses of working out, so make sure you get plenty of relaxation. Your next gym session will be all the more efficient if you do.
“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey has never been afraid to step out of her comfort zone. That attitude has led to her success in the world of judo, MMA, and, now, WWE. The idea that facing your fears leads to greater rewards is nothing new: A psychological study way back in 1908, now called the Yerkes–Dodson Law, suggests that small amounts of stress and anxiety can actually boost performance, rather than hinder it.
What this means for you: Don’t let self-consciousness stop you from trying new things, whether it’s the free weights at the gym, or trying an exercise you thought was too intimidating. Rousey was thrown into the deep end when she wrestled her first match for WWE at WrestleMania 34. She turned the pressure into a positive and silenced her critics.
Finn Bálor: Consistency Is Key
Finn Bálor may have the most defined 6-pack in all of WWE, but there’s no fad diet or quick-fix workout involved. The former Universal Champion owes his ripped physique to small and steady changes to his diet and training. When you stay consistent, those small changes are easier to stick to, and you’re more likely to see long-term results.
“I stay in shape 365 days a year… while I’m on the road, while I’m wrestling, fighting for titles,” Balor tells Muscle & Fitness. “I don’t train for six months just to get in shape for a cover shot. I am Mr. Consistency.”
This approach is backed by science too. People who lose weight gradually over the short term, rather than drastically, tend to have more success losing weight in the long term, according to a 2017 study from Drexel University.
Jinder Mahal: Find the Motivation Behind Your Goals
Getting into shape will undoubtedly improve your quality of life, but it can be tempting to skip a gym session or have one too many cheat meals. Sticking to a fitness regimen requires a lot of willpower, so setting goals will help you stay on course.
“You have to have a motivation,” superstar Jinder Mahal tells M&F. “As long as you have a why, then your why will be stronger than your temptations. Any food I put into my body… the first thing I think is, ‘Will this benefit or hurt my goals?’ The other day I was running on a treadmill and I had a view of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the site of WrestleMania 34. What greater motivation is there than that?”
While we’re not all destined to perform at WrestleMania, we can all benefit from anchoring our goals in a single deeper motivation. Setting goals that mean something to you will drastically improve your chance of reaching a desired outcome.”
Roman Reigns: Don’t Skip Gym Sessions
It doesn’t matter if you’re a WWE Superstar or a full-time office jockey with kids—time is at a premium for all of us. It’s all too easy to skip a gym session because that meeting ran late, or traffic was bad. Roman Reigns has many demands on his time, but he doesn’t let media appearances or international travel prevent him from getting a good gym session under his belt.
“Growing up and going through college there was always a set time to train, but now that I’ve got more responsibilities with WWE and with family, I have to train whenever I can,” The Big Dog tells Muscle & Fitness. “Whether it’s at midnight, or 3 a.m., or 6 a.m., you just have to find a way to get into the gym. Sometimes that can be tough, because we’re travelling so much, but that’s the sacrifice that we have to make.”
AJ Styles: Listen to Your Body
WWE Champion AJ Styles is one of the most energetic performers on the WWE roster. But at 40 years of age, he knows how important it is to take stock of how you’re feeling before determining how to approach each gym session.
“As far as my gym sessions go, I do have to listen to my body,” the Phenomenal One tells Muscle & Fitness. “The older I’ve become, the longer it has taken for my body to recover. So when I’m hurt, I need to take time and focus on my body.”
When you are in tune with how you are feeling, you can be more flexible with your gym sessions. Listening to your own body is a great way to avoid injury and overtraining.
The Bar: Strength in Numbers
There’s no doubt that Sheamus and Cesaro were successful wrestlers in their own right, but since forming the team known as The Bar, they have won Tag Team Titles and dominated on Monday Night RAW. There is certainly strength in numbers, and science backs this up.
When it comes to training, “participants gravitate towards the exercise behaviours of those around them,” according to a study published in the Journal of Social Sciences in 2010 [PDF]. So, if you’re hitting a plateau in the gym, or need some fitness inspiration, look no further than a workout buddy or a group activity.
“You want to surround yourself with people that motivate you and bring out the best in you,” Cesaro says. “I think we help each other out with our strengths and weaknesses. We’re just trying to become a better tag-team, all the time… and we’re both extremely competitive, so that helps.”
“It does help,” adds Sheamus, who recently launched his Celtic Warrior Workout YouTube Channel. “Together we are stronger. There are times where you might not want to go the gym, but we pick each other up.”
Dolph Ziggler: Find a Positive Role Model
Dolph Ziggler, “The Show Off,” has stayed lean and ripped throughout his entire career with WWE, and one of the reasons for this can be attributed to a great role model: his dad.
“I went to my first WWE event with my dad,” recalls Dolph. “I told him straightaway that I wanted to be a wrestler and he said cool, let’s start working out… he made it fun, it was our thing to do for an hour every day.”
What makes a good fitness role model? Regardless of who you want to emulate, research shows that you’re more likely to follow their fitness example if you believe in their abilities. So, it doesn’t matter if your hero is a family member or an Instagram sensation—so long as they get you amped up to train.
Shinsuke Nakamura: Change Things Up
If you’re always doing the same things in the gym, you will always get the same results—until, eventually, your body adapts, and you start seeing any results at all. The human body can adapt to all types of situations, so it’s a good idea to change things up, especially with diet and training.
Shinsuke Nakamura has shed fat and become much leaner in recent months, thanks to shifting his diet towards vegetables and seafood rather than carbs and meat products. Seafood is low in fat and cholesterol and is naturally high in minerals, whilst packing plenty of protein.
Changing things up with your diet at regular intervals is a great way to learn how your body positively or negatively reacts to certain foods.
Dean Ambrose: Rest for Success
Now that you are motivated to train to your full potential, don’t miss out on one of the most important aspects of getting into great shape: rest. Research has shown that sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on your output in the gym.
Dean Ambrose, aka “The Lunatic Fringe,” is one of WWE’s more frenetic performers, but in recent years he’s found his zen. “In the last year or so I’ve cut out caffeine,” says the former Intercontinental Champion. “If you’re drinking lots of coffee or energy drinks, you won’t sleep after a show. I try to stay stimulant-free, because then I can take naps very easily.”
If you’re burning the candle at both ends, your body have a tougher time recovering from the stresses of working out, so make sure you get plenty of relaxation. Your next gym session will be all the more efficient if you do.
