‘The World’s largest Athlete is looking jacked ‘AF’ thanks to some encouragement from ‘The Champ’ John Cena
The Big Show, real name Paul White, has been performing in the ring for 20 years now, spending 18 of those in the WWE.
Know for his intimidating height and physique he has been entertaining arenas up and down America, and across the globe, for well over a decade. However, as the man himself puts it, he made a ‘conscious decision’ to change his look.
Speaking to WWE The Big Show pointed out that:
You don’t make the transformation I’ve made without a serious commitment to changing 40 years of improper diet and improper training. I wanted to make a change, and I was given the time and opportunity to make a change, so I took advantage of it
It wasn’t an overnight process either, the WWE veteran was already working on an exhausting 22-year schedule, “Five days a week, 200-plus days a year on the road”, which at the time left little space for him to work on himself. It was only when he took time off the WWE’s hectic schedule that he decided to ‘re-evaluate’ what he wanted going into future.
With the help of his trainer Paul Dodd (who is in the top photo), the 42-year-old giant took to Miami, Florida to begin his amazing transformation. A typical day’s training for Big Show would vary.
Explaining that:
… if I’m home three days, I train every day. If I’m home 10 days, I train every day. Right now, mostly, everything I count on is high-rep. Everything from 50 reps, 35 reps, 21 reps.
What has helped more for him however is his intense diet, for anyone who still watches WWE today, you’ll have noticed that he’s 70-lbs lighter. He’s quick to point out that it’s ‘not an easy process’ and is the reason why he’s failed in his attempts to shed weight in the past.
But through sheer willpower alone he’s able to maintain a healthy lifestyle and that “the days of slammin’ ice cream and enjoying pizza and meatball subs” are now in the past.
He also credits WWE’s franchise superstar John Cena as force for encouragement, remembering how they were ‘were joking one day’.
As he recalls:
We were talking about getting in shape and I said, “Ah, what the hell is a giant gonna do with abs?” and John looked at me with a straight face and said, “Yeah. A giant with abs. That wouldn’t be marketable at all.” And he walked off. It was kind of a shot, but [later] John reached out and congratulated me on the work I’ve done. That meant a lot. To have that respect from him was a big boost
Big Show’s new look is all in the run-up to this year’s marquee wrestling PPV, Wrestlemania, where it’s rumoured that his opponent will be NBA Hall of Fame legend Shaquille O’Neal.
This year will be the 33rd annual Wrestlemaina and will be held at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on April 2.