Note: Pics from WWE.com
1) Have a Long Term Goal
The WWE machine started building up The Rock versus John Cena a year in advance. This is how you need to think about your training.
If you train just for the sake of training you probably won’t be that much stronger or look significantly different a year or two from now. So pick a few goals, like squatting 315 or doing 20 chin ups or losing 30 pounds or being able to hold a front lever for five seconds or whatever.
Just have something you’re chasing to make your training more purposeful.
2) Be Patient and Take It Slow
They’ve always said that rushing to get all of your signature moves or high spots in is a huge mistake for a professional wrestler. You have to tell a story, work the crowd and bring emotion to the match, just like Triple H, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker did last night when they stole the show.
Applied to training this means that rushing to make gains can be your biggest downfall. Muscles get stronger faster than tendons and ligaments do.
So when you try to always increase your weights on a linear basis at every single training session you’re setting yourself up for injury. When the muscles can produce more force than the tendons and ligaments are ready to handle things start to break down.
Take your time, build up slowly and back off once in a while. If you go balls to the wall at every workout, always expecting to top your previous performance bad things can eventually happen.
3) Add to Your Repertoire
If you have watched The Undertaker for the last 21 years you know that he always adds something new to his repertoire. It will be small and subtle and usually only one thing at a time but it’s significant enough to keep the fans entertained and never bored.
If you have largely ignored explosive work in your training start adding in some one-arm dumbbell snatches and box jumps.
If you haven’t done any conditioning since Bret Hart was world champion buy yourself a jump rope or sled.
If you’ve ignored soft tissue work like self myofascial relief with a lacrosse ball or foam roller, well then you need to get on that before you’re forced to because not being able to train due to an injury has a way of ruining your day.
Be sure your training program includes each of these important components.
4) Simplify
Even though you want your training to be well rounded it need not be complicated. I personally prefer a minimalist approach. There are plenty of guys who have more “moves” than The Undertaker and Triple H. But those guys are not headlining WrestleMania. The top stars focus on doing few things well, timing them properly and making them count.
In training this means you should:
- Run
- Jump
- Squat (single or double leg)
- Pull (both upper body focused and lower body focused hip hinge)
- Push (overhead and horizontally)
- Carry
- Drag
- Throw
Pick a few basic exercises that cover that list and you’re good to go.
It’s that simple.
5) Keep it Old School
Five years from now the only match on last night’s card that will be remembered was Triple H vs. The Undertaker. It was an old school classic. A young wrestler wanting to break into the business should probably watch that match several times. Then dig up tapes of Ric Flair versus Ricky Steamboat and do the same.
If you get confused by all the conflicting training information out there today, simply ask yourself what George Hackenshmidt would do.
And then ask how, in 1906, long before steroids, high tech million dollar training facilities, or performance nutrition existed, Arthur Saxon was able to lift 370 pounds overhead with one hand.
You’ll have the answers you need.
