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5 WWE STARS - TRAINING, NUTRITION AND PERFORMANCE SECRETS

Professional wrestling places enormous demands on its athletes, requiring them to maintain an extremely high level of fitness throughout the year.

Many WWE superstars have backgrounds in other disciplines such as collegiate football or mixed martial arts, meaning that training in wrestling has evolved significantly. 

Where once it was the case that professional wrestlers could live a life of excess, that is no longer the case for anyone who wants to be successful in the squared circle.

Read on as we take a closer look at the training, nutrition and performance secrets of five current WWE stars.

Reigns Knows the Right Time to Eat

As a three-time WWE champion, it is fair to say that Roman Reigns knows what it takes to be successful as a professional athlete.

The 35-year-old switched to wrestling after reaching a high rank in American Football and is he now firmly established as one of the WWE’s biggest stars.

To ensure that he maximises his performance, Reigns’ diet largely focuses on protein, carbohydrates and greens for digestion. 

Having had a high-profile battle with leukemia, the Florida-born wrestler must be particularly careful to ensure that his uric acid levels remain stable.

In addition to paying close attention to his nutritional intake, Reigns says that he must consume his food at the correct time.

“You always hear you’ve got to eat to grow, but when you essentially have a two-a-day every day, it can affect your appetite,” he said.

“I come from a bloodline (Samoan) where you may have heard stories about the appetite we carry. 

“It can be tough when you’re working out at noon and wrestling at nine at night to try and cram in a few meals.

“But that’s where time management and being prepared comes in to be able to get those meals ready for when the time is right.

“I like to work out on a lighter stomach. I don’t like to be real bloated. I like to be digested to be able to move and feel that athletic feel.”

It’s all in the Preparation for Neidhart

The first third-generation female wrestler in the world, Natalya Neidhart is a member of the Hart wrestling family through her mother.

She was trained in the Hart family dungeon by her uncles Ross and Bruce and has since gone on to forge a successful career for herself in the WWE.

Neidhart is the first woman in WWE history to hold both the Divas Championship and the SmackDown Women's Championship, highlighting her ability.

 

The 38-year-old strives to eat a healthy diet, using the services of food-prep companies and supplement timing advice from resources like these to help her stay on track with her nutritional requirements.

“Every week I get a meal prep kit from a company that a lot of us WWE superstars use - they give me about eight meals a week,” she said.

“My husband and I are both on the road a lot, so we try to share them. One meal will have like 350 calories in it and will be something like turkey breast with veggies and a little bit of rice.

“I love having those because it saves me from going to the grocery store every day when I need to eat fresh but it also helps me keep track of my calories, because calories add up!”

Lashley Advocates Rest & Recuperation

With around 30-years’ experience under his belt, Bobby Lashley has undoubtedly enjoyed impressive longevity as a wrestler.

Lashley has tried many different diets during his career, but tends to steer clear of rigid plans as he believes these can be counter-productive.

The 44-year-old has gained a rounded understanding of nutrition, which allows him the flexibility to make substitutions dependent on daily circumstances.

However, Lashley’s main focus now he has reached the veteran stage of his career is rest and recuperation, helping him to continue to perform at the highest level. 

“One thing that has changed is my focus on recovery,” he said. “I make sure that my body is optimum with massages and taking advice from my chiropractor.

“For somebody like myself, who is maybe a little bit of an older athlete, it is important to pay attention to recovery.

“I maybe work out harder than ever, but I increase the recovery - but I’m still a maniac in the gym.”

‘Cheat Day’ Helps Cena Shine

John Cena is renowned for working hard in the gym, but his dietary regime also plays a massive role in ensuring that he maintains the perfect physique.

He generally consumes seven meals a day which are rich in protein, and contain the necessary minerals and vitamins to benefit Cena’s performance.

While his diet plan is fairly strict for the bulk of the week, Cena is allowed one day which is classed as a ‘cheat day’ where he can eat whatever he wants.

“I love steak, I love salmon, I love whole eggs, nuts, deli meats, beans and all kinds of vegetables,” he said.

“That’s usually what occupies of my diet. I love chilli, and these are all the things that I can have.

“On ‘cheat day’ I can eat French toast, blueberry muffins, bananas or a slice of pizza.

“With the nutritional plan I’m on, one day a week is my ‘load day’ where I get to eat whatever I want.”

Triple H Focuses on Injury Prevention

Triple H started wrestling for WWE in 1995 and has since established himself as Vince McMahon's right-hand man.

The nine-time world champion is famed for his physique and spends many hours per week working on his fitness.

Having suffered numerous injuries during his career, Triple H has adapted his training regime to ensure he avoids further damage.

With the help of specialist trainers at the WWE Performance Centre, the 51-year-old remains in excellent shape.

Triple H believes that gaining a greater understanding of injury prevention has helped to keep him in peak physical condition.

"We have strength and conditioning coaches overseeing everything - all our programmes are overseen by Sean Hayes in the US,” he said.

"As the business evolves, and it becomes more demanding, training is designed to get the guys in peak physical condition.

"Superstars need to be bulletproof, in their best physical shape. The injury rate in professional wrestling is high, and you’ll never be able to avoid it 100 precent - but this is best method for keeping them safe."

 

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