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Being STRONG is more than just how much weight you can lift.
The Strong New York Podcast is dedicated to inspiring you to become your strongest self- in the gym, in business, in relationships and in life.
Join Kenny as he sits down with his strong as fuck buddies and shoots the shit on what it takes to be strong willed, strong minded and physically strong. Season one features everyone from entrepreneurs and local business owners to doctors and industry leaders in the fitness and wellness space.
With over a decade of experience, Kenny Santucci has made himself known as one of New York City’s top trainers and a thought leader in the health and wellness industry. After transforming his life at 15 years old through fitness, Kenny made it his mission to transform the lives of those around him.
Kenny has trained some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Jon Bon Jovi, Liev Schreiber, and Frank Ocean, and has been tapped as a fitness expert sharing his training approach with Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Runner's World, SHAPE, Well+Good, among other publications.
Kenny is the creator of STRONG New York, NYC's only Health and Fitness Expo. Strong New York is an immersive day of workouts, wellness experiences, panel discussions, and inspiring conversations with the best in-class wellness professionals, industry leaders, and change makers who are sharing their expertise on today's hottest wellness trends and first-hand experiences on how to optimize your overall health and life.
You can find Kenny at The Strength Club, his private training and group strength training facility in the heart of Manhattan located on 28th and 5th Ave in New York City.
We are back with another episode of the Strong New York podcast. I'm your host, Kenny Santucci, and today I am, uh, gonna try to be as chill and cool as possible because I have someone, I'm a huge fan of her, her whole family, and everything she's ever done without further introduction. The most all time winning female champion of all time.
14 time, right behind what three or four other people. Charlotte Flair. How we doing? Thank you so much for doing this. We're about to lift in a little bit, but I want to do a quick little intro on who you are. 'cause there might be some people out there who live under a rock and don't know who you are. Um, but you know, we were just discussing before we even started this.
You know, the, the business has evolved. Mm-hmm. You've seen it change. You grew up in it, you know what, ha. What has been the biggest change that you've seen since you were a kid to now here you are, uh, besides wwe, e being more mainstream. With the opportunities, like for now being on Netflix. Mm-hmm. But I think it's the evolution of women's wrestling.
Like we're no longer eye candy. Yeah. Um, or second tier storylines were actually like part of the main event. Yeah. Yeah. What I think has changed, and I remember watching it very early on when it was like the divas of the ear, like late nineties, early two thousands, the women wrestler it, it just, women's wrestling wasn't what it is now.
They weren't as fast, it was more about like what scantily clad outfits. Now you guys are, do, like the women's wrestlers are doing really cool shit, like the matches are way more intense. What do you, what do you attribute that to? I, I think the, I, I, I know the women had the potential. To be just as good storytellers.
Mm-hmm. It's just they weren't given the opportunity. Okay. So it's just taken time. Mm-hmm. The business has evolved as well, but now that we are given the opportunity to tell stories, to have longer, uh, have longer matches, um, the roster's just deeper. I think that's the biggest difference. I think the is just given the platform to do these things where they didn't have that platform before.
But do you think the evolution of the actual. Physical match has gotten so much better. Like, I, I feel like this. No, because I think those women could have been as physical. Mm-hmm. They just weren't given the time, the time, the opportunity, the platform. I'm not saying every single female from the past had it in them, but a lot of them did.
Well, I think some of the biggest names from the past that I grew up with weren't as athletic as the guys are today. Yeah. Like it wasn't, people didn't really push forward when it came to like the athleticism of. So that's the other thing, like I take so much pride in my physical ability, the athleticism, and I think that's what sets me apart from the pack.
Mm-hmm. But you don't necessarily have to be like the greatest athlete No. To be the greatest superstar of all time. Like, yeah, my dad would argue with anyone that I'm a much better athlete than he is, but what, he just can talk his shit. So like, yeah, that's what makes him. You know him. So for me, the athletic part is just like that extra edge.
You don't have to be, you just have to be able to take a beating and the physical toll that wrestling does take on your body. Mm-hmm. You have to like love it to be able to do that. Like who wants to get hit day in every night and day out? Yeah. Well, and that beautiful segment into the next part of this, I think you have to be so mentally strong.
Yes. To be on the road. I'm sure you spend a lot of nights alone, like jumping from hotel to hotel. You're driving now, everybody's like, oh, well they're only wrestling for a couple hours, but you're getting beat up. You have to be there, I'm sure a couple hours ahead of time. You know, you have to stay in great shape.
How do you stay in the game? Yeah. It's not as glamorous. Yeah. As people think. Like you're literally, you have your segment, whether it's five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. 30 minutes, but it's the hours in between or the travel that's extremely tedious, like you have call times. Um, you're rarely in the same city for more than like maybe two nights.
WrestleMania is a week long, like a week long event. So we really do take over the city, but that's the one time that we're in a specific place for that long. If not, like you have smack down Friday, a show Saturday somewhere, a show Sunday somewhere. Monday Night Raw somewhere. And then if you have a premium live event, that's somewhere.
And if you're overseas, you're in a different city or a different country, and how, and then it's maintaining. I know for just for myself tonight, I'm gonna fly out. I come back tomorrow. I'm probably not gonna be in the best mood to go work out. I'm not gonna be able to give a hundred percent to what I want to do.
You guys are doing this 360 days a year. You know, how do you find the motivation to get up to go to the gym, to, to, and and now you're in front of 20, 30,000 people, a a couple million people online or on, uh, streaming services. You gotta show up. I think it's the mentality of, ugh, I instead of like, ugh, I have to work out, it's Oh, I get to work out.
Yeah. Like saying that in my head, like, no, I get to work out. Not like, oh, I'm tired. Also, you only get one shot. So for me, part of going to the gym is also part of decompressing. Mm-hmm. But also knowing like how I look like I'm investing in my body to make sure that I'm doing the best job that I can at work, but I just take it very seriouser.
Not very serious, but it's just a part of my routine. Like I don't think everyone does the same thing. Yeah. So we were talk, but they don't, but they don't have to. You don't have to. Do that necessarily to be as successful, I think as somebody who's just obsessed with the gym and loves exercise and knows what it can do for you long term longevity wise.
Yeah. You know, you've, you've grown up around it, you've seen multiple generations as superstars. Do you see that there's a lot of people who adopted a healthier lifestyle, eating right, working out those things. Do you see them have longer careers than the people who didn't? Well, I just use my dad for example.
He is 77. Still going strong, mentally strong, physically, like, I don't know. And it's 'cause he took care of himself his whole life. Yeah. Other than like being a party guy. Like, look, did like have a beer here and there. Um, I do think the road can show up on you or like it takes a toll on you if you don't take care of yourself.
Yeah. Yeah, I think I, I think the tr like you see it on people if they don't Yeah. I think as soon as some guys girls hit like 40, 50 years old, it starts to like beat them up a little bit. Yeah. And you start to see this big drop off if they're that extra. So that's, so that is for me, like I'm 39 before and April, and I feel like April, what?
April 6th. Oh, Aries baby. Yeah. Yeah. Um, the best. Yeah. No, but like for me, my mentality is that when you're watch, I mean other than like the fans knowing I've been on TV for 10 years. Mm-hmm. I'm in the ring with 23 year olds and no one's going, oh, she doesn't belong. Yeah. Like, you can't tell No, you look incredible.
So that's like. I think just being consistent. Mm-hmm. You can't just show up once every month. So we're, we're about the same age. And a lot of people, when I started getting into the training world, they're like, what are you gonna do when you get to 40, 50 years old? What does that look like? Be better. What is your career?
Yeah. And that's what I be stronger and that's what, so have you ever had those doubts in your head when you started this? You're like, all right, I only have this window of time that I could be great. No, and I think that's what I'm. Like pushing for right now, especially for the women. 'cause usually women, typically women have not had careers this long.
Or like, oh my God, there's a woman that's gonna be 40. Yeah. Like I hope that I'm part of that. 'cause it's, it's that way in all of entertainment. I feel like a hundred sports. Mm-hmm. But if, if no one really knew my age and saw me perform, like when we made a minted raw on Monday, you wouldn't go. Oh my God, like mm-hmm.
That's just my mental, like, no, you belong. I don't You belong in the ring. I don't want, but yeah, it's 'cause I'm like trying not to think about it. Yeah. Some days I'm like, God, like, but I'm like, well that's just because we've put that stigma on age where there shouldn't be. Like, I've seen women on Instagram who are like 45, 50 and I'm like, oh, they look better than like it's own 20 year olds.
Yeah. It's just how like your mindset and if you take care of yourself. Yeah. Has that helped you? Because you've dealt with a lot, right? You've dealt with loss family. Yeah. Yeah. You've dealt with, you know, I'm sure the internet is not kind to you whatsoever. No, it's not. Yeah. Like, I'm sure you've heard so much shit before, like everyone has, um, you know, how do you, how does that take a toll on you and you continue to push on because.
I think one of the worst things is I, I hate putting up anything on YouTube because YouTube is the most cruel form of social media out there, but you're on television. Oh. And I'm sure they pick you apart every way. How do you drown out the noise? Right now we're doing a whole thing at the New York City Marathon and you know, when things used to bother me, I used to go for a run and I'd always say like, outrun the noise.
I'll outrun the outrun the noise. How do you, how do you outrun that noise? Um. Because it's gotta, I don't think I did early in my career, but the last two years having my first injury, being out, coming back, and I came back with a lot on my, like, a lot on my plate, and I had lost a lot of weight due to it, but like no one knew.
So the the criticism of like, she's so skinny, she's like. Whatever narrative was out there. Yeah, yeah. And then you put on 10 pounds and then they're like, then you're like, oh, she's getting bigger. She looks like Charlotte did in 2015. It's just like I have, they're, if they're not talking, you're doing something wrong.
Yeah, I agree. So it's kind of like a mixed blessing. Mm-hmm. Like, oh, she looks like a dude. She's too skinny. She's like, whatever it is. Or. Um, has there ever she looks plastic, like any fan that I've ever met in person, they're like. Wow, you're so much prettier in person. And I'm like, that's a good compliment.
No, I'll take, but I think it's more like my character is so stern and dominant and just cold. Mm-hmm. That it's hard to see that. Like softer side, soft. Yeah. So I just take it as like when they stop talking, it's like, oh, why? Just you have to like, yeah, just take it. Have you ever, how, what else can you do? I know and you, what I try to do is tend to like, I love these segments where people are like.
Oh, hey, these are the funny comments that I've gotten. Like I look at some comments that people say to me and I, I love it because one, it you, you, I just won't respond. 'cause that's what they want. That's what, yeah, that's what they want. That's really what they want. But have you ever gotten a comment where you're like, that's actually pretty funny.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. What, um, I'll have, um, you're putting me on the spot. Um, I actually had somebody slide in my. Making fun of me one time. 'cause I had black socks on with white sneakers and they're like, could you believe this clown has black socks? I go, is that it? Oh, I wish that was a simple, oh, like I did a video yesterday and they were like, it's the porta-potty for me.
And I was like, porta-potty, what are they talking about? I'm like, oh my God, there is a porta-potty. But like, I wouldn't have, like, you wouldn't even have picked it up. I wouldn't have even picked that up because I'm like, oh, this is like gorilla at the entrance. That thing is like, but like background noise.
And that's what they picked outta the picture. Yeah, but that's not even, I'm trying to think,
or I don't know. Oh, someone was like, oh, she made a, a deal with the devil to stay young. I was like, oh, that's kind of funny. I, yeah, I'll take it as a compli compliment. Yeah. I take that as a compli compliment. Yeah. Yeah. But it, he said she made a deal with the devil to stay young, but she looks different every week on tv.
But I'm like, do I. But that's there, there's probably a lot of younger girls out there and a lot of, you know, women our age who look at you and they're like, what the fuck is she doing? Gimme your regimen. Like what? I'm just so consistent, um, with everything. Like I eat probably the same food every day.
Mm-hmm. Um, it might not be from the same place 'cause I travel a lot, but like for breakfast hypothetically, um, if I'm at like a town place, suite. A courtyard, whatever, Marriott. Mm-hmm. You can always get continental breakfast, so you always know you can get, uh, hard-boiled eggs. I always carry oatmeal packets with meat.
You can find a Greek yogurt and a banana, and then they have like the little. Um, Jif peanut butter packets. Mm-hmm. And then if they don't have blueberries, I'll just do the banana, but, and then I'll carry the almond butter packets with me. I will have that every morning. And then my next meal, I know I need a protein and I know I need a vegetable and it can't be fried.
So you can find that pretty much anywhere and like the lower end places. Outback, um, like in the smaller markets, we're in Outback Ruby Tuesdays, um, Chili's, um. I mean, if they don't have those, of course you can like find a Del Frisco's. You can find, I mean, anywhere that has grilled chicken, salmon, or steak, find a vegetable.
And then sometimes I'll do low carb, like I'm just that all day. Yeah. Do you tell them to cook it a certain way? Like, Hey, I don't want to eat. Well, no. 'cause I'm like most of the time on the road, like it's just Uber eats it. Yeah. Like if I land in a city and like. For the last two days here, I contacted a meal prep place and they dropped it off at my hotel.
Nice. Um, so I had like the refrigerator microwave in my room, but typically, like if I land on a Thursday night tomorrow. I'll find the breakfast at the hotel and then I will Uber eats one of those restaurants and take it to me, take it with me to the arena, have those three meals ready, and then onto the next.
Mm-hmm. And I always have protein powder with me. Like you just have to be that consistent. How do you, now, as far as your workouts, how have your, have your workouts changed? I mean, you've been in the business a long time, you've obviously clearly always been athletic, correct? Yeah, no, so I oly, I. I liked Olympic lifting from 2015 to about 2020.
Mm-hmm. And then during COVID, I started the whole fasting and getting into bodybuilding. So then I did that until 2024. And now I just do a lot of functional training mixed in with bodybuilding for my knee. So you do. So I'm more worried about aesthetic than being strong. Like I built that base. Has it from 2015 to 2019, has your job, has your body changed a lot more?
Well, yeah. Like how it looks. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like 35 pounds lighter. What? Mm-hmm. Wow. Okay. And now as, yeah. No, I was, but I also like, didn't you look weird right now? I know, like I, I ate healthy, but I didn't know as much about nutrition as I do now. Mm-hmm. But like, trying to keep up with a bodybuilder, like wanting to be, I have to get outta my head of like, you can't always be peak lean all the time.
So like when I wanna put weight on my legs, I start to lose my abs a little. And then I'm like, on tv I'm like, oh, but when like your fans love you, how you are. Mm-hmm. But I just have now gotten into that world, so I love it. Yeah. No, I think about, I think people become so obsessed with like, oh, I can only do this workout, but like, you're, you're diet.
No, I Diet has changed. Yeah. Correct. Yeah. My diet's completely changed. Yeah. So I think it's more the diet than the training I felt like had I. Honed in this much on like the consistency of what I ate. And I just think being, um, boring with your diet actually works better. Had I had, I did that, had I ate that way from 2015 to 2019, I would've been probably like.
Leaner. Even leaner, because we was just working more. Yeah. So, so what do you say to a lot of people out there who say, well, I just don't have the time to work out? Yeah, that's not true. I, I mean, like, that is just not, 'cause you clearly are, or like, you find the places, like I I'm talking about like places that are accessible to anyone of any, like I know what I can get at Starbucks.
I know what I can get at Subway. I know what I can get at the sup. Like if I'm at the supermarket, I know I can find boiled eggs and a yogurt. Or a tuna fish like you. Like you just have to choose. So it's more about like guidelines. You're like, all right, here's what I need. And I could get this pretty much anywhere.
Anywhere across the board. Anywhere. Yes. Yeah. Awesome. And then like what people don't realize too is anything that's more than three ingredients, even though it's telling you it's healthy, it's not, well, another guideline that I try to give some of my clients, if it's got like a cartoon character on it or it's telling you what's happening.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's probably not. It's probably not. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, listen, let's get a work done. But I love, I love. Don't get me wrong, like, I have my bad food days or like, or excuse me, treat myself. But I love protein bars. I'm just saying like, you just can't fill all your meals with that. What's your cheat meal?
Like? I'm, I'm a donut. Like if I could cheat, eat a donut, I'll eat a donut. Oh. What's something you can't say no to? Uh, I love Mexican food. Really? Like, but I can also eat Mexican food on like. I can, like tacos are so good for you. If they're corn tortillas. Oh my God. Like corn tortilla guacamole. Steak guacamole.
Yeah. Yeah. But I love like, I don't know why I didn't like it when I was younger, but I love sour cream. Mel, like a good sour cream. A good, a good cheese. A good supplement for sour cream. Yogurt. I use yogurt. Yogurt. Greek yogurt. No, me too. On my potatoes. So if I find the Firebirds, yeah. Anywhere I get that big baked potato.
No salt. What Greek yogurt. That's the best. So good. I love that. It's such a good hack. Yeah. Because people are like, I can't get enough protein. One of the biggest things I hear from a lot of clients is like, well, how can I eat 200 grams of protein? It's really not that hard. No, no. It's like, and I tell people, it's like when you just, like you said, it's the hard boiled egg.
It's the Greek yogurt, it's the chicken, it's the, you know, you just have to find it. And I'm not saying would I prefer that it's natural chicken or whatever the anti or the pro. Yeah, no, you know, all the labels, but like no hormones and no home. But I don't have those options. Yeah. So like if I need to go to Chipotle and get a bowl of chicken and a bowl of rice and hot sauce, call it a day.
I mean, there are bodybuilders who live off Chipotle. I know a lot of wrestlers involved. Yeah, it could. So, but I'm You make it happen. Yeah. Well, you ready to get a pump in? Yeah, let's get some shoulders. Arms, maybe some backing. Sounds good. All right. Let's do it. This episode is powered by Celsius. Now, whether you're in the gym or you're on the run, or hey, you're just doing a podcast, grab yourself a can of Celsius and live fit how I wasn't even paying attention.
It's okay. So grab it here and let the, let the straps on your knuckles here. So turn your hand in this way? Yep. Okay. Yeah. Um, too heavy, lower. See, there is no such thing as I gonna say. Yeah. Um, hold his back, squeeze his shoulders. Yeah, so this guy at Crunch came up to me and I just thought it was like really ballsy and I was like, oh, you're hired.
Really? Yeah. That's great. Because he said I was doing something wrong and I was like, oh, I dig this. Have you ever met, um, triple Ages trainer, Joe? Yeah. He's here. Isn. DeFranco dude. He's the sweetest guy in the world. Oh yeah. Uh, he's my boy. I love him. And then I've trained with him once, not, I mean, like at the pc?
Yeah, at the, at wwe. Yeah. Yeah. And then, uh, I know the guy who trains with Seth and them. Um, Jay Reja. Have you met him? Jay, but I thought it was the other guy. The CrossFit I'm drawing. Oh, the CrossFit? Yeah. Um, yeah. Josh Joshy. Yeah. So I know Josh. Yeah. Really well. I knew him just from CrossFit. And then Jay's a, Jay and Joe were like the guys I looked up to as I was coming up, Joe.
Oh, okay. J Jay Fru. J Fru, yeah. Yeah. And Joe DeFranco. They were like my guys coming up like I love them. Yeah. So my trainer now, when I'm home, I see him three days a week. That's great. And. He is awesome. But yeah, it's just the local crunch. And now why Orlando? I mean, you could live anywhere. Why Orlando?
Because I just never moved after I, because you get to travel so much. Yeah, but like I really am gonna make the move to Miami. I just haven't done it yet. Where and where in Miami would you go? Oh, probably Coral Gables there. Fort Lauderdale. I love, I I actually love Fort Lauderdale. Me too. Yeah, I'm, and I, I think Boca is a great place for like, people are aging, you know?
I know, but what airport to fly out of? Palm Beach? West. Palm Beach. Mm. Which is actually the better PBI. Yeah. It's actually better than the, I will be somewhere down there like within the year. Yeah. I'm just waiting for interest rates to go down. Okay. Hard. It's hard. I dunno, they're like 10% right now. I don't even know if they will.
Really? Yeah. I mean, I hope so. But it's, it just seems like politics are so volatile right now in the industry. Like everything, uh, I guess I'm like, even for, I just would hate to, to rent. I see. I in New York, you have to like, there's no point home owning is where it's at. You think so? Oh, oh, yeah. But I do, I, I have a few properties though, so Oh, yeah.
But, but you have, I do you have a management team running that for you? The one's in North Carolina, but the one in, or the other one in Orlando, I manage myself. Really? Yeah. And that doesn't get, I guess, on my nerves. Yeah. She's like, I need an air filter. Yeah. I'm like, yeah, why? I'm just trying to make it to work right now.
You're worried about getting her plumbing fixed and shit, and you're about to step out, out. There's a light out. Well change the bulb, but you forget like it's your job. Yeah. No, she's, I mean, she takes really good care of my pla the, the tenant that I have right now. I like her. I think here in New York, it's just so much easier.
Like if something goes wrong, like even this morning, you know, my drink gets clogged or something, I call downstairs, they take care of it. It's easy. Like, oh, see, New York sounds fun for like a day. I know most people, you gotta, it's gotta be built into your DNA to live through. Don't you just like miss.
Jumping in your car and blasting music and like, so I keep a car here, which costs me $2,000 more than it should cost me. Yeah, no. And that's 2000 that can go to hair extensions.
That's another thing like as, as you evolve, as your characters evolved over the years, right? You have to go bigger with everything, right? Yes. Your costumes have to get bigger. You have to change. How do you keep up with that? So this was probably this year I've spent more money. On my gears than I ever have before.
Really? Yeah. And now is there like two or three people that you all go to to like design costumes? No. Or do you find people online? I have been finding actually designers out of New York and LA to do it. Really? Yeah. And you're like, Hey, I'm a pro wrestler. I need a fucking over the top costume. Yeah. But the only, what I have found that's been the hardest part and now they've gotten it like the two that I work with.
Yeah. Consistently. Wrestling gear has to be durable. Yeah. So when they're like making me a little top, it's like one of 'em, actually it was Summer Slam Detroit. Right before I got injured, my top came all the way unzipped and in front of like 60,000 people, we had to stop the match. No shit to zip me back up if people go back and watch.
Oh, wow. Because it didn't have like the clasp and the proper like. Hooking. Yeah. So over time it's just a matter of getting them to realize like how durable it needs to be. So now where, so you found them on what? Like Instagram? Just Instagram or like slid into dms and I'll find like. Famous artists that I like and then see who's designing.
That's cool. Yeah. Yeah. So the guy that I'm talking like that gear was Becky GI think he did some of her stuff, but yeah, they, I just DMed them and they're like super chill and cool. Yeah. And they'll, they'll try it. That's what I do with a lot of the artwork and stuff. And like the stuff that I have, like now I do all cut and sew stuff, but I have these guys out of, so come back a little further so you can move the bar back.
Oh yeah, the whole thing moves. Gotcha. This is probably one of the best Smith machines on the market, so yeah. Keep it rolled back. Am I too close? No, you're good. Okay. So keep it rolled forward. Yep. Now bring it all the way down to like your clavicle. Yeah. And drive up. Good. How do you not break a fucking nail?
Oh, I do actually, I just broke my pinky nail recently and I didn't have one for like a hot minute. Yeah, just get that warmed up. I would go a, because you're, you have longer arms. Yeah. I'd go a little wider. Go about a thumbs distance from the smooth part. That's good. Yeah. And pull it all the way down.
Yeah, you are definitely jacked. Love it. Love it. It's great. Wait till my spray tan is good. So. Your dad is like a savage when it comes to working out or He always was. Whoa. He has really good cardio. I think my dad just like, again, which I've learned over time, it's diet. Yeah. And he was a drinker, like not like Yeah.
Cocktails or anything, but like he naturally has great biceps. He's got bigger arms. Yeah. Bigger, big back. Yeah. I wouldn't say he's a thicker guy. Yeah. He's just not like, I just don't think. Like you, unless you were gonna be like a Luger or, yeah. Ultimate warrior. Ultimate warrior, macho man. Yeah. Like he had a good, but it wasn't like, yeah, he, but he, I, I think there was a good, like early 90, late eighties, early nineties.
He had a great physique. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, but people forget. Yeah. Like when you're standing next to somebody like Lex Luger, who could have been a pro bodybuilder. Yeah. It's kind of hard to look good. No, he, my, he, I'm not saying he. He looked fantastic. It's just that era of my dad wasn't considered a body guy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But he, he was the best on the mic, so he didn't need to Oh, yeah. He didn't need, yeah. You know, even ho and the wrestling, even Hogan though, right? Everybody's like, oh my God, he looked great. It's like there was a couple year period, he looked pretty good, but for the most part, he was just a big guy.
But he, but he wore the belt. He was just wore the pants. A big guy. Yeah. He was what, six five? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But. My dad has always loved the fitness industry, so I think until like high school, he had five or six gold gyms. Right. Throughout North Carolina. Oh, wow. And then one in St. Martin. That's cool.
I didn't know. Yeah, I didn't know he was a gym guy. He was a huge, like wanna do tens. Yeah. He, um, I'll put these down. Like has always been a huge fan of Arnold and when, I'm trying to think of that female at that time, who was there? Um, a Polynesian or Asian or other what? Uh, bodybuilder. Yeah. She was beautiful.
I really popular at that time. Bodybuilder, like early nineties. Early nineties when it was becoming popular. Yeah. I think like he had her framed in one of the, I just remember like bits and pieces. Yeah. And now does he have those gyms anymore or no? No. Yeah. Well Gold's hasn't been like, I think they're having a resurgent, like they're putting Gold's Gyms everywhere now.
Yeah. There's a brand new one in Austin they just put in. Oh really? It's like top notch. Yeah. So they're dumping a lot of money into it, but I customer franchise, but I dunno if we have any golds in. North car, like in Charlotte right now. Really? I don't know. Well, there's fit, like, or, um, lifetimes are everywhere.
Oh, lifetimes are everywhere. Yeah. I was just out at the one, the headquarters in Minnesota. Oh, really? I just, they have this competition. They invited me out to go compete out there and I did the competition. There you go. Come all the way down. Get a big stretch at the bottom. Yeah.
So what's your split look like? What are you doing? Because you're on the road so much, is he doing you stuff to do? Fuck.
So if I'm home mm-hmm. If I get to see Nate say. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Monday, Tuesday, Thursday we really hit glutes. But two different parts say Monday, either Wednesday or Thursday. Mm-hmm. Depending, um,
I guess he does back and by, I mean, it just depends on my travel week. Yeah. I do love, like I couldn't tell it to you because he just does. Yeah. Well, but like you, when you are traveling, you have to have some sort of plan, or you just go in and kind of hit cardio or, well, now that I'm like home more mm-hmm.
I, I really don't do a lot of cardio. None. Not anymore. Yeah. Yeah. I, because it keeps muscle, like Yeah. I rarely do it too. And there's so many people, I did so much of it before, I really don't, with the CrossFits off, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, when I, and I, my, the StairMaster was my favorite and I think I was.
Doing it too much with my knee after the surgery. So
also he only wants me, like, my back naturally gets built really fast. Mm-hmm. So he, if I'm on the road, which I just back is easy to do on the road, but he'll. Say like, Hey, just like do abs and more stretching and mobility stuff. Yeah. So I'm growing here so I can get smaller. 'cause I'm just like, I do. Your shoulders are good.
Yeah. Yeah. That's, but it's, I think it's more, they've just been developed all these years where I'm not, I might not have been lifting properly, my lower body. Mm-hmm. Or eating. Right. Do you ever consider like your cardio or a workout is your match? Like do you ever No, never. I don't look it that way. Yeah.
So, so I do juujitsu and people are like. Do you ever look at that as a workout? I'm like, no. I was like, for me, it's more skill acquisition. For you, it's, it's your job. You're just doing what you do. Yeah. It's just like doing my job. Yeah. Yeah. Like this is for Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it could be, but it's not like if I, maybe it's exhausting though, right?
Maybe like two years ago before we cut out live events mm-hmm. Because I was wrestling like 20 minutes, four nights a week. Mm-hmm. And that real, but like, we're not doing that anymore. So I don't think people realize, like if you're doing. Like the other day I did like 50 dead lifts at 2 25. Yep. So you're picking up 2 25, but it's like you're sym how many be 50 50?
But you think about you're picking up another woman. One, two. No, I know, but I just don't count. Like to me, working out two is just like piece Yeah. Like a de-stressor. Yeah. Like even if I had like, I'm doing this to de like prepare for that. Yeah. Like to de-stress. That's awesome. Yeah. I mean, I, I. I wish more people had that mindset that like, hey, it's not just about even the physical Well, it's like I can't find food.
Yes, you can. Yeah. Like I can go to McDonald's and pick out a completely healthy option. Mm-hmm. Or it's not gonna be the best quality. What I mean a better like choice. Better option than what? Yeah. Yeah. Well the, so a friend of mine, we just got a segment here in the city. So he goes around and stops people from going into a, a McDonald's.
Yeah. And takes 'em to like a healthier restaurant and. You know, there are so many people who are like walking out with these giant sodas and shit. Yeah. It's like you want to change your life. I mean, get rid of the shit. It's the soda. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I feel like you're setting a new standard. Have there, I mean, other than China, right?
Like where there are a lot of physique style female wrestlers that you kind of looked up to, or like you saw like, oh, she's got a great physique. I, well, of course Tory and Stacy. Yeah. But they were more like. Beauty pageant that. Yeah. So I think I'm just, I'm finding my own lane. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Yeah. I think you're creating that lane that's, that's, yeah. Like you look like a bodybuilder, like a female bodybuilder. And it's like you have the, but I also think feminine also too, like that's not necessarily like what's popular. Mm-hmm. Like for the girls, but, but, but it's what sets me apart. Mm-hmm. So I think that's the key.
Like, it might not, like being lean and muscular might not be for everyone, but it also gives that edge to Charlotte. Yeah. Who are your characters? Like, I won't people to be like, damn, she's an action figure. But I think there's, there's this younger demographic, I, I feel like a lot of the younger girls that I have come in the gym.
They're looking at Laura Lee and they're looking at a lot of these younger, uh, like these bi but Laura Lee like doesn't stay like, she's still like very feminine. Yeah. But I think that's her shape. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. She has a great shape. She has a great shape, but like, I mean, she's hammering the gym.
She goes to the gym. Oh, I know. Yeah. Listening to her talk, but she was trying to tell me or teach me something about how to keep your body. Like, I'm probably always in fight or flight. Mm-hmm. But what, what was the word she used? You're always catabolic. I'm always catabolic. And how do I get out of that?
Yeah. Yeah. You need to decompress a little bit, so you need to, but I've been doing the red light sauna. That's like you, like, does that help? I mean, yeah, it can, but like, I think because your life, you don't even realize it. If you, uh, if you wore a heart rate monitor, which if, if you No, my heart, so my resting heart rate is 47, which is incredible, but I just, yeah.
But like now you step out through the entranceway with thousands of people watching you, immediately your heart rate jumps up and it's not, you don't even realize it's, it's all the stim, it's all the input, right? It's all the lights, the cameras, oh, the stimulus, the sound, the people. Right. That all spikes your heart rate.
So if you watched your, um, your, uh, what the hell is it? See, that's why I don't wanna use the, the ring or the ring or the watch because I'm, I don't want to be, it will stress, and I don't wanna use the word stress. It will, I sit with me more if I'm like, okay, I know I got a shitty night's sleep. Yeah. I know I'm only on three hours.
Mm-hmm. I don't need you to tell me. You know, that's the, I'm in the same, I'm in the same, I'm like, I don't wanna, like, if I drink or I like stay up late. I know I'm, I feel like shit this morning. Yeah. 'cause I actually feel like shit. I don't need a watch to tell me that. So that's the other thing. Yeah. Like I'd rather have a glass of wine mm-hmm.
Than, and not think about it. Yeah. That or, but also like food choices with people. Like I'll have the wine, but I won't have the pizza. Yep. Yeah. And I think that that's what life's about, just making the better choice. Yeah.
Would you say you're a sweets girl at all? Like do you like I like chocolate. Yeah, but I don't eat, but I, that's the thing. Like I really have great, um, self-control. Self-control, yeah. So you have to Yeah, before you do. But I will say, I think there's such an issue. Not issue, but I don't think. If I wanted to feel 39, I'm, I'm sure I could.
Mm-hmm. But that's not, people don't get that. Like, you don't have, like, when I see my friends from high school, they're like, oh, but I'm old. I'm like, yeah. Oh, see, I'm looking at as like, I might be 39, but I have 39 more years till I'm 40 more years still I'm 80. So like that's a whole nother. Life. Life, yeah.
That I can, like I say, we're playing the back nine now. Yeah, yeah. But you can be stronger, better, like mentally phys. Like it's just, you have to like I, the inevitable is I'm gonna be 50. Right? Yeah. How I feel when I get to 50, but it's is up to me. But it's like the myth on metabolism, like you're metabolism slowed down.
It's like how much fat you have. Yeah. And it's what, by your body percentage, what you're doing to keep up with your metabolism. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But we just have somewhere. Society has made certain ages taboo. Oh. But yes, and I, it doesn't need to be, so what I throw a huge health and wellness expo area, and one of the topics I wanted to cover was like pre and post metal puzzle women.
Yeah. So I brought in a couple guest speakers to talk about this because I feel like one, it's an under service market, right? It's always so much on beauty and all this stuff is for like younger women, high school girls, college girls. Girls in their twenties. And then it's like, as soon as I become a mom, which the age we're at, it's like they give up.
They don't wanna work out. They, they feel like they're un they're not as seen as they once were. So, but I tell 'em, I'm like, you gotta keep up with that shit. But then look at the women that do keep up with it are like living proof that that's just like, she just kept up with it. Yeah. And that's all it is.
That's, you just have to be consistent. It's just consistent. Look at J-Lo, she looks incredible. J-Lo Halle Berry. Yeah. Um, Selma Hayek. Yeah. They, these wo and they're well into their fifties. Obviously there's like the fitness girls that I could name that are popular on Instagram that had children. Yeah, yeah.
That look the same. I think there needs to be more of that. Like I'm just a huge advocate for health and wellness. But if you're not looking for it, I don't think you like No. The average person that's not looking for it. Well, if you look at your, isn't, if you look at your for you page on social media, your social algorithm, your Yeah.
Have mind Aries traits.
But no, there's, there's a whole world out there that like you probably never even see because that's not in your algorithm. Oh, yeah, yeah. Mine's inundated with training and fitness and, you know, all that stuff. I'm never gonna get like, beauty products coming across my page. Well, it's also this whole, like, you can't have children after 40.
Like, that is not true. I, no, I, like, I have two women here. Yeah. It's just not two women here in their forties. Yeah. If you take Yeah, yeah. Amen, sister. Amen. I know. No, and I, I, you know what? I, honestly, I think there's a lot of it with, um, how expensive it is to, for IBF and stuff. Oh my gosh. It is really expensive and every, every woman I know, and they're like 30 to 35.
It's freezing the eggs. It's $30,000. It fucks your hormones, but it's like, for. I mean, you haven't even checked if you can or can't. Yeah. And you're already spending all this money, you know, in preparation for this thing that like, you probably can still do it. You can, you know, you probably still can. Yeah.
You haven't even tried it yet, so, so we'll do like another 10 minutes delay.
I feel so glamorous for this workout with all this man. Is it what? Oh, we just checking to
God. There you go. Okay. Yeah, I think you're setting the new standard for like female roster. I hope so. Yeah. Well also too, like I'm not married and I don't have kids, so what do you want me to do? Sit at home because I don't. Right. Yeah. Like I think what, like what I love, I love being 40. I was so, me too to being 40.
Well, I love being 39, but no, I was, it was one of my biggest fears. I saw other guys who were my, uh, who were like in their forties when I was younger, and I'm like, fuck, I don't wanna look like that. So why do you think you got such a big push when early on, I mean, the whole time. Oh, why? Like, because, because I think you get the nod.
I think
there is a level of believability when I'm in there. Mm-hmm. But also because I believe that I'm like that the best. So not even that, but you feel like the the moment is important. Mm-hmm. Does that, so why? I was always hypothetically in the title picture. Mm-hmm. Which has always been like. Also a fan critique that they would have is just because like the, the, the importance I put on the title from my character standpoint, like that's supposed to be like the most important thing.
It is, will you buy into the business? Yes. You buy into the story. Yeah. Yeah. I believe I get, I get that, but because you want also, like, when I wrestle, I think there is a, a gear change in me that looks believable. Mm-hmm. And I think that's hard to, not everyone has that. At what age did, were you really like I didn't start wrestling until I was 28.
Yeah. But like at what age were you like. This is, did you go from like, Hey, I wanna go become an accountant or something to like, Hey, I wanna go be a wrestler. No. Really? My brother had a really bad drug addiction. Yeah. And I wanted to help him and I started 'cause of him. And then he passed away. Yeah. So then I took his dream and made it mine.
No shit. And that was a turning point. And that was a turning point. Wow. And then what were you doing before that? Personal training. Really. But I wasn't, I like, no. So I graduated from college and then I knew this trainer that worked for my dad. Mm-hmm. And I had just gotten ACE certified. Okay. Shout out to ace.
So I shout out to Ace. I don't even know if they still have that around. Yeah. So I found this guy who had his own, this is when like personal training I felt like was. Really super, super, I'm sure it still is, but like the private studios like this. Yeah. It was like one of a, one of a kind in Charlotte, mean there wasn't very many.
Yeah. So I went to him and I was like, Hey, I'm looking for a job. And he was like, yep, young blonde volleyball player. You're hired. Yeah. So I just did that until, but I was more like, uh, like. You got it. Good job. Like I had like group training or like a lot of CEOs from the companies around Charlotte.
That's great. That would come do like 5:00 AM classes and I would just like set up stations. Mm-hmm. With a stopwatch. And now when you were like young coming up, did you ever, mm-hmm. You never bought into it? Never. You never, did you go to shows and stuff, would you? I went to shows, but I wasn't like never in a million years did I think I was gonna do Never.
I think one of the coolest parts of your job, like my. A friend of my, one of my clients in New Jersey, I have a gym in Jersey as well, and he takes his kids to everything. Yeah. Summer Slam WrestleMania. And he's like, he's always just so happy when the, when the wrestlers are like really good with the kids.
And then I hear Cena done all these like, make-a wish. Make-A-Wish. And I think that's like gotta be the coolest part of your job. Like how, when was the first time like. A kid, like a little girl's come up to you and they're like, oh, it's the, it's the, it's gotta be the most rewarding part. It's the, it's the most rewarding part.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's, it's gotta be so cool. Like you Yeah. Just seeing them like, just wanna touch you. Yeah. Like, as you're like going down the ramp. Yeah. It, it's very rewarding. Yeah. I think you're inspiring them to be like, oh my God, I could be like this. I can be like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Was there one time that like, kind of sticks out in your head like that you're like.
Like, because you guys do a lot of signings and stuff. Well, there was, well before I got injured, there was this one live event and there was a group of kids, and I actually have a video on my social, and there was this little girl and we locked eyes and she saw me. And the, the, the, the scream that she like let out projected was like so hard.
Like it was like, like a screech. But it was like, she was that like, you should see her face. Like you would've thought I was like. Santa Claus or like, I don't know. Oh, I love this. Very good minute, minute, new flight. I love that
all This will be the last one here and we're gonna finish up with, uh, finish up with some diamond pushups. How's your pushup game? Oh, okay. We'll see. We'll see. It's hit or miss
actually. Diamond pushups are probably easier I think than they're more No, they're a little harder. 'cause you're like so jammed up. You gotta use a lot more. Well, they're more tricep though. More tricep. I think I'm stronger. My tricep. Okay. You got great arms. I'll take it.
What's one thing, because you've done so much, right? Yeah. I think you've, you've dealt with a lot of bullshit in your life. You've probably, you're ab on paper, the most accomplished female wrestler of all time. What does that legacy look like? What do you wanna be remembered for and what do you have coming up?
Hmm. Like, 'cause you're in your own race now. You're not racing anybody else. No, I know, but I don't feel that way. I feel like that's what keeps me motivated. Motivated, yeah. Um,
I think just helping change the landscape of women's wrestling altogether. Yeah. Just like what it means to be a female superstar. Um, I think we always pick these tasks that'll, we'll never be able to see them through. Yeah. And just keep the ball rolling. Yeah. I love that. Sure. But also like when people talk about my name, it's with, not that I won't, not that I don't want, Hey, what is your Mount Rushmore of women?
But I want them to be able to say men and women at the same time. And I want my name to be with the guy with taker with Stone Cold with my dad. Yeah. Not just like, oh, these women were great. Like Charlotte Flare is up there with the, those guys. I'm sure you've gotten that question a thousand times, right?
The Mount Rushmore. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Everybody feels like they're, it's so hard though, because it's like so many different errors. Yeah. I, I, wait, do I need to put this lower? I would put it right on your hip crease. Yep. So right where your, your bed. So there, yeah.
Um, yeah. I wrestle with it all the time because. I was a kid. I was in grammar school and like middle school with stone cold and the rock and like I got to see the greatest generations. The great, yeah. Yeah. Like, and I was a little kid during the eighties and I was upset like three years old. I had a whole Hogan Imperson era at my birthday party, like, but every guy is just so, it's, so many characters are so different.
Yeah. It's so hard. I was actually just watching a couple of your matches, like. You do some crazy shit, like you're the, the stereotypical, it used to be like, I, what's, it's more 'cause of how big I am. No, but I, that's what's like, usually the smaller girls do that stuff. But I've watched a lot of wrestling my whole life and I feel like you watch an old school wrestling match, just like you were saying, I guess they just didn't get the time and like they didn't get the reps in because I guess you get better at it as you, as you go on.
It was like a lot of like bullshit clotheslines and things like that. Like you guys are now so much more technical, but they, but I think some of them, they just couldn't highlight it. Like, you'd have one really great girl one Okay. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now we just have like a stacked roster. Yeah. Yeah. The depth in the, the depth is like stronger.
Yeah. Yeah. You see some stuff and like, Becky's small. Yeah, she's, but she can move. Yeah. You know, she does some really cool stuff, you know. Who have you had your best match with? Like I, Ricky, dragon, Steamboat, macho man. See, I have a special chemistry with like, I think because my, that's another thing, I wanna be able to wrestle everyone and their styles.
Yeah. Yeah. Where like, I really do have a special chemistry with every different, like girl, it's hard to just pick one. Yeah. 'cause all the matches are so different. Yeah. You and you, you vibe with different people daily. Yeah. You, uh, like Becky and I don't really like. I have to do much. We just put on like classics.
Yeah. So you guys are just so used to wrestling. Yeah. Like we just have the same psychology and there's really, there's a story behind, like, it's just you, I think you both buy into the, the, the, the game, right? Yeah. You guys both. Yeah. You got to, when you get to that, that level. So you were saying how like you kind of took over your, your brother's kind of dream and went with it, you know, and that's clearly stuck with you.
Like when did you start to really. Buy into it though. Like when were you, when, when was it like, all right, I wanna see my brother's life fulfilled through me. And when were you like, all right, now I'm on my own journey. Well, I also think that was a detriment too. 'cause like I didn't really figure that out till like I didn't deal with his death.
Like I just kind of put it in a box and then started, like when he died, I went to wrestling a week later and didn't stop. And it was just like, go, go, go. And then, then you wake up five years later and you're like. Holy shit. I main invented WrestleMania where like if you would've thought a female was gonna main event WrestleMania, never, never.
Yeah, yeah. Like that. Like they would've like laughed you like. Yeah. So it was just more being like, okay, this is my, like what am I chasing? What am I, what's my, what's my passion, what wrestling is? Mm-hmm. But it took like those, took you a couple years to get there. It took me like just to like. Maybe enjoy it more and not be so hard on myself.
Like, what was I really,
I don't know. Like I can enjoy it now. Enjoy the journey. It's not a race. Yeah. Like I didn't constantly feeling like you're running outta time. And I think that's where, where people go wrong is they're like so worried about the destination. Yeah. And aren't really enjoying today. I mean, I do to myself.
That's what I'm working on. Last set. Best set. Whew.
I want you to go all the way down. Keep those elbows close.
There you go. Beast. This was coolest experience I've had. Yeah. Come on, come on. Thank you so much. Thank you. You've been awesome. I'm glad we got a good little workout in pump before the Yeah, the flight. Yeah. I'm, I'm proud to say you're gonna be wearing this. Yes, I will be. Do you need a I'll put it on a Celsius or anything for the road?
Well, that was another episode of Strong New York podcast. Thank you guys all so much for watching, like, subscribe, share with a friend and keep getting strong.