My Thoughts On WWE Tough Enough

Back in the old days (yes even the 80's) it wasn't easy getting into the wrestling business. It was mostly word of mouth or men and women who have met wrestlers in the gym and if the wrestlers felt like you wanted it bad enough they'd recommend a trainer to toughen you up. Some of the best wrestling trainers nearly took out a wanna-be wrestler and wanted to see how long it took him to quit and how long can he last in the ring doing conditioning drills and ring work. Some trainers were wrestlers themselves at one time or another and some were better as trainers and some were great wrestlers and trainers.

The conditioning is a very brutal process, one wrestler went through NFL camps and said wrestling training was far more brutal. Another wrestler quit the first day but then came back and began one of the greatest careers in the business, even one wrestler was a Navy SEAL and found training as a wrestler was worth the price. You see it takes much more then physical ability to bring something to the table in the ring, you need character, poise, charisma and you need a body that people want to see along with how you present yourself as a character.

Here are a few trainers that have helped pave the way for some of the greatest wrestlers in wrestling history:

Hiro Matsuda- Trained Hulk Hogan

Eddy Sharkey- Trained Road Warriors, Jesse Ventura and Bob Backlaund

Verne Gangne- Trained Iron Sheik, Ken Patera, Ric Flair, Verne's son Greg and Ricky Steamboat

Stu Hart- Trained the Hart Brothers (Bret & Owen), Greg Valentine, Superstar Billy Graham & Chris Benoit

These trainers took these men to limits most of us can't fathom and look where they are today (with the exception of the late Hawk, Owen & Benoit), they went on to have some of the greatest careers in wrestling. Nowadays on the internet you can find schools all over the country, in canada and abroad. Some schools cost way too much, some cost too little without ever stepping into a ring and some even cost when you don't train at all. Very very few schools give you hands on training and some even require experience as much as 2 years in the ring. To get to the WWE or TNA takes hundreds of matches, psychology in the ring, mic work and most of all a good character to sell as a product.

Back in the early 2000's WWE Tough Enough started a new trend of reality TV but began to show what training in the ring looks like when up-in-coming superstars are thrown into the ring and trainers will find out who stays and who doesn't. The first couple seasons were ok and had good trainers such as Al Snow who was trained by a couple of the Andersons (Ole & Greg). The winners went onto a moderate career but a couple didn't last long due to either injuries or wanted to persue other career oppertunities.

Now theres a new season with a new host and trainers in the names of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Booker T, Bill Demott & WWE Diva legend Trish Stratus. Austin as the host takes on 14 contestants including 1 Current Miss America and they all have one thing in common and thats being the next WWE superstar & Diva. I have a feeling this season aside from tensions, craziness and pissing off trainers these new contestants are in for the ride of your life. They will live together, eat together, train together and everything else inbetween (hopefully none of that Real World shit). After seeing the first episode I knew how great this show will be and plus you get to see Stars that have revolutionized the wrestling business and know a thing or 2 about getting their asses kicked in the ring so I don't see a whole lot of sympathy from Austin or Booker so it should be very interesting to watch.

If you feel you want to get in condition like an old scohool pro wrestler like early steamboat or Ric Flair back in his training days in minnesota or better yet like the great legends Karl Gotch & Billy Robinson then look here and if you find yourself on Tough Enough you'll pass the conditioning with flying colors and work on the other things. Also if you don't want to be a wrestler and just wanna get yourself in awesome shape then here are a few links to look at that I personally recommend.














 









 

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Being Creative For The Karl Gotch Bible

The old-time wrestler created or should I say found one of the greatest ways to get in great condition whether for combat sports or whatever. He would have his wrestlers/students work with a deck of cards, shuffle them around and have them see how far they would go. Usually in this manner it be the Hindu Squats and Hindu Push-ups which to Karl himself said to be the foundational exercises for optimal conditioning.

As time went on some wrestling teams or organizations would have their wrestlers play around with the deck and came up with other exercises like sit-ups, pull-ups and others to keep their wrestlers guessing because in competition you never know what's going to happen so this teaches you how to be prepared for the unexpected. Wrestlers in Japan seemed to like this type of conditioning so much that it became one of their tests (I believe) and it made some of the wrestlers practically unstoppable. I don't know if the deck was used in other countries but if they have it shows.

Next time you feel your training is not going anywhere or you're bored and want to change things up, get a god damn deck of cards and pick 2-4 types of exercises and see how long you can go. Time yourself. I have beaten the deck many times but I can tell you first hand that if you jump in too quickly you're gonna be sore like a mofo for days. My best time with just push-ups and squats was around 20-25 min. and with just 4 exercises its roughly 45 min. and I try to take as little breaks as possible because in wrestling there is no rest.

Do you need to be a wrestler to do this? Hell no. I'm certainly not one and wouldn't wanna mess with one. This type of training can be used by anyone who has the desire to get in shape, lose weight, build muscle and burn off fat like theres no tomorrow. I respect men like Gotch, Billy Robinson, Gama, Thesz and other old-timer so thats why I give them credit for building conditioning programs like this. If you're going to talk about old-timers and they're programs for christ sakes show them some respect and never give excuses about these types of programs. At first this type of program will be hard and it may seem impossible but don't give up. I couldn't finish 10 cards at first thats how bad I was and now after training for so long I can beat the deck just about any time I wanted. When you can finish a deck and you're sweating from head to toe and you have a smile on your face and want more either right there or later on, you are one tough son of a bitch and a hell of a conditioned athlete.

It takes more then physical strength, endurance and flexibility to beat the deck, it takes a sharp mind, laser-like focus, concentration and if you think about it, it takes the mind of a great warrior or better yet the mind-power of a REAL Wrestler. As of right now I just do push-ups and Hindu Squats/Jumpers but not just typical standard Push-ups but I do many variations to keep my body guessing and to use different things for different muscles. Be creative and learn how to beat your own deck.

For Those W/ Droids Or IPhone/IPads

Technology has come a long way and still going strong and there is some technology we don't need but I won't reveal what they are. One thing I do like and its having a Droid Phone. There are many apps to choose from and most of what I get has to do with training. I have one for Push-ups, Tabata workouts, Card workouts and Qi Gong.

If you're still inlove with training then I highly recommend these types of apps for the phone. Not only can your training can be effective but it can motivate you to take it to a different level. Now do you need these apps? Of course not this is just a suggestions. Play with the other apps another time and take the time to take advantage of amplifying your training. I'm not into bodybuilding type training but there are apps for those too.

My favorite so far is the Playing Card Workout. It gives you four exercises to do and off you go and lets see how many cards you can muster. You can also change the names of the exercises to whatever you choose. Example do Push-ups for hearts, Squats for diamonds, Hold A Horsestance for breaths instead of reps for spades and V-Ups for Clubs.....You can pick whatever exercises you choose and do what you can. Be creative.

Push-ups app is also a great tool because it keeps track of how many push-ups you want to accomplish in a row and gives a progression system to work with. Push-ups are one of the best bodyweight exercises on the planet and can make you a very fit person. If theres an app where you can do Squat Progressions i'd be all over it. Squats (especially hindu) are foundational exercises for the lower body and high reps can get you winded and when you get out of breath you're building growth hormone which helps build muscle, burn fat and turn you into a fitness machine. I would say that if I were to pick a peice of equipment for my training why not just use your phone and let it help you track your progress. Just keep a journal in hand to track your goals and write down reps/sets schemes for yourself. Here are a couple sites to help you find some great push-ups & squats.

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning - Push Ups

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning - Squats

Importance Of Flexibility

You can have all the strength, stamina, balance and you can have the most beautiful body on the planet but if you don't have the flexibility, you're not only prone to injury but you'll be stiff as a board and looking like an old man/woman walking around. Flexibility is very important for all athletes and the average Joe. Believe it or not its very important to Dancers, Entertainers & Musicians because if they're not up to par you won't see them perform very long.

I believe in the art of smart flexibility not just stretching in different places. I need to be flexible due to the injuries from my legs. I don't do the typical stretches you see in the gym or in PE class, no. The stretches I do require concentration and pure laser-like focus. I want to focus on moving that extra inch and meditate at the same time. Stretching shouldn't be that painful (Don't think for a second you're a better stretcher then the next guy, the most flexible people are the Shaolin Monks, Gymnasts, & Dancers). Stretching is about control, awareness and the ability to go that extra centimeter without putting so much effort. Every little time you stretch past a plateau with control and without pain, you are becoming stronger mentally and physically.

Its not hard to learn simple stretches but they're not easy either no matter how big or small you are. It takes patience, time and practice. Make the effort to become a little more flexible while focusing on strength gains and/or stamina. Limber up and work them muscles/tendons.

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