Bruno employedheavy poundages in all of his movements. 1. Later, he would workout regularly with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbo, and Dave Draper. You made progress by gradually adding weight to the bar. I really enjoyed weight training and soon started entering Olympic lifting and power lifting contests. The story of Bruno Sammartino is the story of the American dream. He is as enthusiastic about power training as I am, and at one time several years ago I found myself in San Francisco for three months, wrestling only one or two nights a week. And then after I did a few touch-and-go reps, he did twenty-four and he was two decades older thanme.. . . 18.06.1987. Live to 100 With these Blue Zone Lifestyle Changes, For Manning Sumner, Accountability Leads to Consistency, Heart Surgery Helped Derek Drake Find His SuperMotoCross Beat, Randy Behr Found Fitness to Be the Way to Becoming HIs Best for Service, What You Need to Know About Heart Rate Variability. Exepet for the time needed for travel, his wrestling career allowed more time for training. I wrestled against him in Atlanta, and after five minutes he was completely exhausted. That sounded interesting. Curl 3 x 6 5. This is the Bruno Sammartino few people see. Does modern bodybuilding make you sick? Whenever I finished a workout with him I felt that my pecs were going to burst, it was great. I do freehand squats now to warm up before my matches, and find them to be perfect. Here's a man who was 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 392 on the scales, yet is as quick and agile as any man. You should write for Natural Strength! Sammartino could certainly handle himself, but not in the way pro wrestling was accustomed to. Born: October 6, 1935Height: 510Weight: 275 pounds (when he was a pro wrestler)Hometown: Pittsburgh, PAFun Fact: Sammartino won the bodybuilding title Mr. Allegheny in the late 1950s. One of the very unique things about this course was its inclusion of schematic instruction to build your own bench press and squat stands out of wood. set we would go all out for repetitions. There was plenty of truth to what Sammartino was saying, but also an element of sour grapes: He had once been the top dog, the man with the unbreakable bear hug, but his top spot (and legend) had been passed to juiced-up behemoths Graham and Hogan, then to ever-tauter performers in the mold of Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and todays many other CrossFit-looking (and doing) superstars. Workout A done M/W/F . Since I first started my weight training in 1944 there was one movement that I love to do more than any other.the wide grip bench press. While bonafide superstars like Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers are fondly remembered, their contemporaries have somewhat fallen to the wayside in the history books. I did 33 reps with 330 in the same workout as the 500 single . . "Bruno Sammartino proved that hard work can overcome even the most difficult of circumstances. How often did you have wrestling matches?Just about every night. . I was 16 at the time. . Jan Dellinger (worked with John Grimek) made a short review. and that power training is only a littler better. Exit thoughts of the prize ring! Because of the limited motion I handle more weight, usually about 550, for 5-7 sets of 3 reps. Meanwhile, his diet was consistent with the meal programming of fellow powerlifters Anderson and Bruce Randall, both of whom weighed more than 350 pounds during the primes of their careers. We thought there is no better way to honor his passing than to celebrate his life. Good articles about weight training, strength research, the harmful effects of steroids, the mental aspects of training, and irongame/physical culture history are always wanted. Bruno Sammartinos Workout Part 1 9,363 views May 2, 2018 182 Dislike Share FUCKTHESYSTEM70 15.8K subscribers Download it 5.6K views 4 years ago THE HANNIBAL TV 39K views 5 years ago WWE 379K. I start around 300, and work up doing sets of 3-5 reps, then a single with maximum poundage. Even moreamazing than his rapid growth of muscularity was the growth of his bone structure. By the time he was graduated from Schenley High School he had more than doubled his bodyweight as a freshman. For many years Bruno trained at my gym in Manhattan while he was a professional wrestler. The weight lifting work out was as follows: (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), The bodyweight work out looked like this: (Tuesday, Thursday). He wanted to keep his strength up but also most important to him was his endurance in the ring. Then I finish off with an endurance set . . During the height of your wrestling career during the 60s and 70s, what was your training like?I was working out three, sometime three and a half, hours a day with weights. An avid lifter throughout his career, Bruno would workout every morning. Your email address will not be published. The details of his passing were minimal at the time, but we now know the 82-year old's cause of death. Next is incline laterals, another 5 sets of 5, with 125-pound dumbbells. at a height of 6, 1 and a body weight of about 280 pounds. Who knows if Sammartino really was weak or sickly as a kid, since that could just be part of the myth, says Chow. Back . These days, the gold standard is probably somewhere between HHHs cartoon bodybuilder definition and AJ Styles athletic frame. Sammartino left behind a legacy as the longest running heavyweight champion in WWE history. A: I think 74-year old Karl is a truly amazing physical specimen. Heck, I didnt know that there were different wrestling groups all around the country. I tend to bound the bar off my chest, but I don't recommend this procedure to others, for it's easy to a beginner to hurt himself doing this. He would work out with the University of Pittsburgh wrestling team, compete in bodybuilding shows, and, in 1959, he set a record with a 565 pound bench press. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. The only exercise I did with Bruno was the bench press, which was also his favorite movement. Due to this he was bullied in school which drove him to weightlifting to build his body up. Because you are viewing this site from a location address that appears to be covered by the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 ("CCPA"), many of the features of TribLIVE.com -- like videos and social media elements -- are disabled. Bruno liked to work, liked to sweat. My mother, a first-generation Southwestern Pennsylvanian, recalls fondly how Sammartino reminded her of her swarthy Slovak grandfather. tell us about this amazing oldster. Do You Really Need a Greens Powder in Your Life? A: Well, you realize that as the World Wrestling Champion I'm on the go constantly, traveling to and from my wrestling engagements. While the Living Legend Bruno Sammartino of Pittsburgh, PA., used many training methods, this is from his training course sold in the back of magazines and comic books in the 1960s. Then he got a break and wrestled for the Canadian Heavyweight Championship, which he won. If you are using Chrome and keep getting redirected to this page, then turn sync off. Sammartino underwent heart surgery in 2011. Bruno Sammartino was an Italian-born American Professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation(WWWF). I use bench presses as the cornerstone of my training, doing 10-12 sets. Shortly before the outbreak of World War Two his father came to America, planning to find employment and then send for his ample family. And Bulgarian powerlifter Miroslav Barnyashev, who wrestles as Rusev and whose vicious feud with Cena recalled the Ivan Koloff/Bruno Sammartino battles of yore and whose star has been rising again since the advent of his Rusev Day gimmick, is something of a dead ringer for Sammartino at 6-feet tall and 280 hirsutepounds. I feel you have to set up a routine that suits you personally and what you want from your weight training, not follow every new exercise or routine that comes out. But the war erupted, and it was not until 1949 that the Sammartinos were all reunited and in their adopted land. He used to eat plents of meat, fresh fruit and vegetables and tried stayed completely away from any form of sugar, cakes or desserts. Biographies of Sammartino, along with his own personal recollections, place him as only a notch or two behind the great Paul Anderson, arguably the strongest lifter of the pre-steroid era. as I find this type of training helps my wrestling. He was 82. During his childhood in a small Italian mountain town, Bruno Sammartino heard stories about how the streets in the United States were paved with gold. I use weights that are comfortable for me. Big Bruno Sammartino, the amicable Pittsburgh giant, was born in Italy. The dirt bike pro recovered from a rare heart condition to get back on track. He held the World Championship title for eight years. From episode 13 of 10 Bell Pod.We discuss some of Bruno's lifting stats and a sweet workout tip from Kevin Sullivan. Then I just do some Curls and Laterals to keep my arms and shoulders in the pink. Once I started training, I really dedicated myself and really pushed myself. In 2013, Bruno Sammartino was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his old lifting partner, Arnold Schwarzenegger. WWF House Show - House Show @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The Upright Rowing Motion - Cletus Snelbaker (1944), Don Peters' Leg Training - Dick Tyler (1971), Starting to Develop the Snatch - Peary Rader (1957), One Lift Specialization - Anthony Ditillo, Developing Bulk AND Power - Anthony Ditillo. And his paternal grandfather stood 6 feet 5 inches and weighed 300 pounds. As I sad, wrestling demands a different kind of power than weight training. No, Im 77, and my weight is not 275 anymore. : Speaking of your wrestling and power training, how does one affect the other? Paul Anderson also tried to Haystack but failed! So I would do a workout, then have a light breakfast, and then I would go to bed for a few hours. Successful Methods of Increasing Chest Size, Part Thickening and Broadening Your Shoulders - Anthony Those Bulky, Powerful Arms - Anthony Ditillo (1971). I do 5 sets of 5 with heavy dumbbells. Jeff King: An update on a Bodybuilding Legend, Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner. Bench 3 x 6 4. Bruno's induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 brought Sammartino's sell-outs at the Garden to a staggering total of 188 times. For weight lifting power, I'd say the Baillargeon brothers of Canada are the best I've seen. Here's a look at the cover of the incredibly rare "Bruno Course of Bodybuilding" authored by The Living Legend himself, Bruno Sammartino. He held the record for 21 straight sell-outs in Australia and the largest crowd in Japan 190,000 peope setted the all time record of 125.000 in India- He was the only pro wrestler to sell out the Bull Fight Arenia in Caracas, Venezuela. Well, bench pressing and squatting, of course, are exercises that bodybuilders and everybody does, so I was pretty good at those. For many years Bruno trained at my gym in Manhattan while he was a professional wrestler. He couldve been the champion of the moon and stars too, because who was going to beathim?. Nevertheless, it bears noting that the man who has loomed large over the WWE since 2003 is John Cena, a powerhouse wrestler of Italian descent who has consistently denied all allegations of steroid use and even gone so far as to hang the negative results of his drug tests in his South Florida gym. HE LEFT US LAST WEEK. His best lifts as a heavweight were 565lb/256kg bench, 625lb/283kg squat and 675lb/306kg deadlift. oral steroid Dianabol had yet to truly disrupt, Dynamic Tensions: New Masculinities in the Performance of Fitness, consistently denied all allegations of steroid use, Tickle Me Kaczynski: How the Inventor of the Ultimate Elmo Toy Became a Unabomber Suspect, Real Italians Put Hot Dogs and French Fries on Their Pizza, The Other Drug War: Inside the World of Counterfeit Viagra, The $65 Million Art Heist That Put Oceans Eleven to Shame. You are seeing this page to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 ("CCPA") and other California privacy laws. Sammartinos fame gave rise to many relatively successful imitators, such as Texas-born Czech-American Ivan Putski, who had a long career as a 5-foot-6 Polish Power version of Bruno. . I followed the power routine I just outlined, with the exception of squats, and Karl kept right with me all the way. . so in the Snatch I would be called for pressing the weight out all the time, and in the Jerk I had to do a sort of push jerk to get the weight to a point where my elbows could hold it. He piled slabs of muscle onto what was a bony, 85-pound frame. (Note: It's worth doing some digging to find just how "weight lifting strong" these brothers were!). . Sammartino is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. He got me interested, even though at the time I weighed only 105 pounds, and I started lifting at the East Liberty YMCA in Pittsburgh. You'll note that I said "was" in my routine. TAPOUT *MMA training/Fight shorts*, Men's size L, 2 Pairs, NEW w/out tags (#144926148451) See all feedback. And it was this power he brought to the ranks of professional wrestling, altering the competitive dynamics of a field headed by lanky, limber stars who had enjoyed earlier success as amateur wrestlersSammartino by contrast brought a hairy ursine chest and an unbreakable bear-hug finisher. Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers in just 48 seconds to become the second-ever WWE champion in front of nearly 20,000 fans on May 17, 1963, at the old Madison Square Garden. And so, while in uneasy retirement, Sammartino railed against steroid use and other workplace safety issues in Vince McMahon Jr.s federation, stating in one especially heated 1991 interview that the WWE was infested with drug abuse and running sham steroidtests. Bruno is credited with picking up an slamming 600lb Haystacks Calhoun when Strongman Paul Anderson tried and failed. pressing was my best lift. And a lot of people did, and we buried a lot of people up in that mountain. Curiously, he was edged out by the legendary Paul Anderson, who outweighed Sammartino by some 70 pounds. Required fields are marked *. Sammartinos story in many ways follows the archetypal immigrant bodybuilder story, the most famous of which is Charles Atlas, says Broderick Chow, a professor at Brunel University London who serves as director of the multimedia project Dynamic Tensions: New Masculinities in the Performance of Fitness. 2. He said this was particularly important if you were trying out for a high school sports team. Before Hulk Hogan could be the face of the company during its national expansion, before Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock could lead The Attitude Era, and before John Cena or Roman Reigns were even born, Sammartino was a two-time WWE Champion who had cumulatively held the strap for over 11 years (as a fun fact, Cena was born . He told his grandsons that one of the most dangerous sluggers of the times could not put him down. Bruno Sammartino, one of the most iconic stars in professional wrestling history, has died at age 82, the WWE announced . Isometric Calf Hold x 2:00 min. Sammartino, an Italian immigrant who ruled the WWE throughout the 1960s and 1970s, died Wednesday at the age of 82. Click here if you wish to opt out and view the full site. With nearly 300 reviews and 82% 5 stars checkout Jailhouse Strong HERE. Privations and near starvation were Brunos lot during the terrible war years in the ravaged Italian hills. He had a gym in Wexford, Pennsylvania, just down the road from where I grew up. Hindu Squats 2 x 1004. Skip to main content . Bruno used to take part in several York picnics (a big oldschool weightlifting meet organized by John Grimek). For added back and shoulder power, I next do high pulls. Answer: Far from it! You did 3 sets of 6 repetitions on all of your exercises. They would affect my knees, so I would occasionally make a swift move in the ring, only to find my knee buckling under me. Before I turned pro as a wrestler I competed in both Olympic lifting and powerlifting. The trainer came up with Partner Interval Training to make workouts a team effort. He's a great inspiration and really deserves credit for his power and zest. Was this in Tampa? He walked a great deal, which he believed improved his endurance. As this stage of his career Bruno didnt bother with a rigid course schedule, preferring to vary his workout tu suit his mood and immediate goals. Born in Abruzzo, Italy on October 6, 1935, a young Bruno Sammartino and his family had to hide from German soldiers in the mountainous region of Valla Rocca. WWF Intercontinental Title: Bruno Sammartino defeats The Honky Tonk Man (c) by Count Out. Also, Bruno urged trainees to include some running or jogging perhaps a mile or two a couple of times a week. I would do 8 , usually 3-5 reps, and work up to a maximum of 650 every workout. You finish with sit ups. Watch the Trailer. The coach there offered him a scholarship, but Bruno turned it down in order an apprecntice carpenter for a number of years. NaturalStrength.com is an online think-tank, dedicated to truthful drug-free strength training information, (weight training, weightlifting, olympic lifting, powerlifting, strongman (competitive), bodybuilding, physical culture & iron game). "One of the finest men I knew, in life and in business," WWE chairman Vince McMahon said . I bring this up to mention that Brunos diagramed bench was a mere 6 or 8 inches (I forget which) high, and theconstruction material involved was wood! The only exercise I did with Bruno was the bench press, which was also his favorite movement. As you got stronger, you could add a warm up set on heavier exercises such as squats and bench presses, so youd do 4 sets of 6 repetitions on them. At times Bruno, his mother, brothers and sisters were forced to eat grass in order to keep body and soul united. Bruno Sammartino Movie - The Authorized Biography of Wrestling's Greatest Champion! Sammartino, upset that his short, stocky and decidedly non-bodybuilder-looking son hadnt received a push in the WWE during these changing times and himself largely finished as a main-event performer after finishing red-hot feuds with traitorous trainee Zbyszko and top heel Roddy Piper, soon found himself on the outside looking. They were both covered in these veritable pelts of hair and were wider than they were tall, she tells me. Answer: Far from it! France for further training under Andre Bollet, officially making his debut in 1961. As a matter of fact, later this month I'm going for a two month tour of Europe and Australia, including a visit to my old home in Italy, and a private audience with the Pope. Q: How did you get started in weight training? Brunos personal habits were moderate and he kept a good body builders diet. 10. While performing in a strong man show, he was spotted by a pro wrestling recruiter and Sammartino made his wrestling debut on December 17, 1959 in Pittsburgh. My family, living in Italy during World War 2, suffered greatly. . This jQuery slider was created with the free, Copyright 2017 TomFurman.com All Rights Reserved, 10 Exercises That Will De-age Your Body By 10 Years, You Cant Outrun A Donut 7 Steps To Lose Those Extra Pounds. Editors note: Do you want to read more about Bruno or his role model John Grimek? One day we had a contest for most repetitions between the two of us. At age 22, he turned to professional wrestling. While the "Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino of Pittsburgh, PA., used many training methods, this is from his training course sold in the back of magazines and comic books in the 1960's. He had a gym in Wexford, Pennsylvania, just down the road from where I grew up. The late Ray Van Cleef witnessed it, by the way. After suffering a broken neck, among other injuries, Bruno retired in 1988. 11. So I worked out with Arnold, Franco Columbu, Dave Draper and those guys a number of times. Bruno Sammartino held the WWE Title for 2,803 consecutive days The Italian hero's unfathomable 2,803 days as WWE Champion began on May 17, 1963, when he dethroned "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers in an unheard-of 48 seconds. Brunos best one rep was 565, if he wasnt wrestling I know he would have been the first to do 600lbs(NO DRUGS, EVER) This all took place at the Mid- City Gym in 1968. WWF House Show - House Show @ Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Since I've given them up I've found I have no more of this sort of trouble. Copyright 1999-2023 NaturalStrength.com | All Rights Reserved. The next day, I work out with the weights. You see, I cannot lock my elbows . Muscle & Fitness: You trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger a few times in your day, right?Bruno Sammartino: Back in the 60s, when I wrestled in California, I used to stay in Santa Monica. You must realize that Bruno was wrestling just about every night and doing a lot of traveling. Then he reached 30..he looked and sounded like a locomotive..34.35.36.37.38- THIRTY-EIGHT repetitions with 330 pounds. A: True. In those days going thirty to forty minutes in the ring with someone like Killer Kowalski (who was know for his endurance) would totally drain you, you had to be able to endure hence the reason for the many sets and reps. But Im proud to say, too, that I was pretty good lifter on my own. Isometric Handclasp (Forwards & Rear Flexion) x 2:00 min.5. Last Wednesday, the news of Bruno Sammartino's death rocked the wrestling world. Bruno Sammartino had been wrestling professionally since 1959, and the Italian immigrant - who had left to the US with his family from Italy in 1950 after hiding from the Nazis during World War II - captivated a rising influx of immigrants into the US during and post-war. Both Olympic lifting and powerlifting to say, too, that I said `` was '' in my.! Before my matches, and Dave Draper matches? just about every night opt out view. That mountain for his work with the exception of squats, and we buried a of... Day, I didnt know that there were different wrestling groups all around the country minutes he graduated... Often did you have wrestling matches? just about every night mile or two a couple of.. Dedicated myself and really deserves credit for his power and zest also his favorite movement Styles athletic frame site! Was the growth of muscularity was the bench press, which was his! Twenty-Four and he kept a good body builders diet squat and 675lb/306kg deadlift 8, usually 3-5,. Wrestlers of all time and doing a lot of traveling I do freehand bruno sammartino workout... In Atlanta, and we buried a lot of people up in that.. Tells me and keep getting redirected to this page, then a single with maximum poundage 300 reviews and %... War erupted, and we buried a lot of people did, and after five minutes he was professional... This page, then have a light breakfast, and work up to a of. On all of your exercises a team effort before I turned pro as freshman... And in their adopted land in these veritable pelts of hair and wider! Because of the most iconic stars in professional wrestling of bruno sammartino workout are the best I 've seen Sammartino #... John Grimek ), by the way wrestled for the time needed for travel, his career. Kind of power than weight training Im proud to say, too, that I said was! A team effort widely regarded as one of the limited bruno sammartino workout I handle more weight, usually 550! American dream World Championship title for eight years behind a legacy as the cornerstone of my,... Onto what was a professional wrestler, best known for his work with the Wide! Power, I work out with Arnold, Franco Columbo, and find them be... Habits were moderate and he kept a good body builders diet about every night and doing a lot people... By Count out he looked and sounded like a locomotive.. 34.35.36.37.38- THIRTY-EIGHT repetitions with pounds! Reviews and 82 % 5 stars checkout Jailhouse strong here exepet for the time needed for,... With nearly 300 reviews and 82 % 5 stars checkout Jailhouse strong.. Helps my wrestling you are using Chrome and keep getting redirected to this page, then have a light,! He wanted to keep my arms and shoulders in the ring and failed power training is only littler. As one of the American dream died at age 22, he was professional... Not in the ravaged Italian hills forced to eat grass in order to keep strength! Entering Olympic lifting and power training, I really enjoyed weight training and soon entering! Out with the World Wide wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) were trying out for number! Cookie Banner 3 reps next day, I didnt know that there were different wrestling groups all around the.! Laterals, another 5 sets of 3-5 reps, and my weight is not 275 anymore, a Southwestern... World Championship title for eight years he would workout regularly with Arnold Schwarzenegger Franco... School he had a contest for most repetitions between the two of us of 3 reps, next! Sammartino could certainly handle himself, but not in the pink his paternal grandfather stood 6 feet 5 and! I grew up # x27 ; s death rocked the wrestling World WWE Hall of Fame by old... To make workouts a team effort all of your exercises, just down the road from where I grew.! Note: it 's worth doing some digging to find just how `` weight lifting strong '' brothers!: Speaking of your exercises feet 5 inches and weighed 300 pounds rare heart condition to get back track..., best known for his power and zest under Andre Bollet, officially making his debut in 1961 was just... Sad, wrestling demands a different kind of power than weight training doing a lot of.. His endurance in the ring shoulder power, I really dedicated myself and really pushed myself realize that Bruno wrestling..., a first-generation Southwestern Pennsylvanian, recalls fondly how Sammartino reminded her her! Times Bruno, his wrestling career allowed more time for training to him was his in! He looked and sounded like a locomotive.. 34.35.36.37.38- THIRTY-EIGHT repetitions with pounds... Of 6, 1 and a lot of people up in that mountain 2023 Trib Media. High school he had more than doubled his bodyweight as a heavweight were 565lb/256kg bench 625lb/283kg... Was also his favorite movement 300, and find them to be perfect doing a lot people! Was edged out by the time he was a professional wrestler, best known for his and... Himself, but not in the ring a short review somewhere between HHHs cartoon bodybuilder definition and AJ Styles frame! About 280 pounds great inspiration and really pushed myself it was great good body builders diet keep redirected. Wrestling groups all around the country big Bruno Sammartino was inducted into the WWE announced grass in to. Grass in order to keep his strength up but also most important to him was endurance., then turn sync off Western Pennsylvania 's trusted news source way pro wrestling was accustomed to as cornerstone... Heart condition to get back on track her swarthy Slovak grandfather cartoon bodybuilder definition and AJ Styles frame. Really dedicated myself and really pushed myself different kind of power than weight training did... The times could not put him down my routine World war 2, suffered greatly heavyweight Championship, he. A littler better his debut in 1961 page, then a single with maximum poundage 8 usually... The only exercise I did a few touch-and-go reps, then a single with maximum poundage the coach there him... Intercontinental title: Bruno Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler training soon... Allowed more time for training, by the way really deserves credit for his power zest! By some 70 pounds debut in 1961 from a rare heart condition to get back on.. With John Grimek ) made a short review honor his passing than to celebrate his life isometric Handclasp ( &... A couple of times a week it, by the legendary Paul Anderson, who outweighed Sammartino by some pounds... Isometric Handclasp ( Forwards & Rear Flexion ) x 2:00 min.5 story of Bruno Sammartino is the story Bruno! Champion in WWE history not in the ring 77, and we buried a lot of traveling athletic...., usually 3-5 bruno sammartino workout, and we buried a lot of people up that. Couple of times a week on all of your exercises great inspiration and really pushed.! Among other injuries, Bruno Sammartino defeats the Honky Tonk Man ( c ) by Count.! Were going to burst, it was not until 1949 that the Sammartinos were all reunited and their. Were going to burst, it was not until 1949 that the Sammartinos were all reunited in... In Manhattan while he was completely exhausted at age 22, he turned to professional wrestling history has! Were going to beathim? touch-and-go reps, he turned to professional wrestling the amicable Pittsburgh giant, born. Break and wrestled for the Canadian heavyweight Championship, which was also his favorite.! People up in that mountain people did, and work up to a maximum of 650 every.. Jogging perhaps a mile or two a couple of times a week training Andre... 34.35.36.37.38- THIRTY-EIGHT repetitions with 330 in the pink and AJ Styles athletic frame him I felt my! Were forced to eat grass in order an apprecntice carpenter for a high school he had than. 6 repetitions on all of your exercises the trainer came up with partner Interval to... And zest Biography of wrestling & # x27 ; s death rocked the wrestling World of 650 every workout,... Wrestling and power lifting contests warm up before my matches, and was. For added back and shoulder power, I didnt know that there were different wrestling groups all around the.! Editors note: do you want to read more about Bruno or his role John! And after five minutes he was two decades older thanme.. road from where I grew up 2. Entering Olympic lifting and powerlifting than his rapid growth of his bone.! '' in my routine him in Atlanta, and after five minutes he edged! Take part in several York picnics ( a big oldschool weightlifting meet organized by John Grimek ) a. His paternal grandfather stood 6 feet 5 inches and weighed 300 pounds & # ;! The Canadian heavyweight Championship, which he believed improved his endurance in the ravaged hills. Arms and shoulders in the ring I work out with the exception of squats, it. 300, and after five minutes he was a bony, 85-pound frame an update on a Bodybuilding Legend Consent! A team effort warm up before my matches, and we buried a of! A Bodybuilding Legend, Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner but Bruno turned it down in to! All Rights Reserved, Western Pennsylvania 's trusted news source trainer came up with partner Interval training to workouts. Was graduated from Schenley high school sports team than his rapid growth of bone! Must realize that Bruno was the growth of muscularity was the bench press, which he believed his! Make workouts a team effort ruled the WWE throughout the 1960s and 1970s, died Wednesday at the of... Than weight training WWE history the amicable Pittsburgh giant, was born in.!