bruno sammartino workout
All the while, he also was an innovator in his own right, a man who achieved many firsts: the first true WWE champion after promoter Vince McMahon Sr. had left the National Wrestling Alliance and transitional titleholder Nature Boy Buddy Rogers dropped the strap for health reasons; the first Italian-born wrestler to hold a nationally recognized wrestling title; and the first athlete whose primary athletic background was in powerlifting to reach true main event status in pro wrestling. You finish with sit ups. During the 1960s, his suggested training was as follows: 1. Bruno used to take part in several York picnics (a big oldschool weightlifting meet organized by John Grimek). We did the pyramid system. If you're unsure of how to do this, click here for a quick guide. 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. Editors note: Do you want to read more about Bruno or his role model John Grimek? Im 215 now, maybe 220 with my clothes on. Bench 3 x 6 4. . He used to work genererally a six-day week on construction projects. I use 400-425 pounds, so that explains why I do 6 sets of 3-4 reps. When possible, these sessions in the gym lasted as long as five hours and it wanst a case where a good deal of the time was spent resting or batting the breeze with training mates. He took up power lifting and Olympic lifts as his workouts to build himself up. TAPOUT *MMA training/Fight shorts*, Men's size L, 2 Pairs, NEW w/out tags (#144926148451) See all feedback. Next is incline laterals, another 5 sets of 5, with 125-pound dumbbells. Then he got a break and wrestled for the Canadian Heavyweight Championship, which he won. He wanted to keep his strength up but also most important to him was his endurance in the ring. . He walked a great deal, which he believed improved his endurance. The weight lifting work out was as follows: (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), The bodyweight work out looked like this: (Tuesday, Thursday). 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. Steveson (heart) now training full-time at WWE. Although he did not drink strong alcoholic beverages, he admitted to liking an occasional glass of beer or two, particularly in summer. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you would do three sets of six reps of the following lifts: Parallel squat, bench press, barbell curl, press behind the neck, and upright rowing. Fantastic story. 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. When the player called Bruno a washed up old man, Bruno said not too washed up to take care of you. After trying to punch Sammartino, the football player found himself on his back from one punch from Bruno. The next day, I work out with the weights. . I would do 8 , usually 3-5 reps, and work up to a maximum of 650 every workout. Your email address will not be published. I was 14 years old and I weighed, like, 83, 84 pounds. For many years Bruno trained at my gym in Manhattan while he was a professional wrestler. During his childhood in the small Italian mountain town of Pizzoferrato in the Abruzzi region of Italy, Bruno Sammartino heard stories about how the streets in the United States were paved with gold. Bruno is credited with picking up an slamming 600lb Haystacks Calhoun when Strongman Paul Anderson tried and failed. The first time I competed was in the 123-pound class. His inspiration and role model was John Grimek. Q: What were your bests in Olympic lifting? . set we would go all out for repetitions. The final exercise in my power routine is the curl. The only exercise I did with Bruno was the bench press, which was also his favorite movement. 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. what do you do for a routine now? In olympic lifting his best lifts were 365lb/165kg press, 275lb/124kg snatch and 380lb/172kg clean and jerk. If you disable cookies, this site will not work properly. then I'll do an endurance set for pump, as I previously mentioned. We would try to get in benching three times per week. 11. 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. But before he was a star wrestler, he was a powerlifter one of the best in the world throughout much of the 1950s and it was his success in that . Successful Methods of Increasing Chest Size, Part Thickening and Broadening Your Shoulders - Anthony Those Bulky, Powerful Arms - Anthony Ditillo (1971). At age 22, he turned to professional wrestling. Sammartino, a product of Pittsburghs Schenley High School, was bench pressing more than 500 pounds and deadlifting 700-plus during the early- to mid-1950s, when the number of humans capable of doing so could be counted on your fingers and the oral steroid Dianabol had yet to truly disrupt the powerlifting and weightlifting scenes by sending world records into the stratosphere. . As far as the Olympic lifts are concerned, his best performance has been, as one might expect, in the two hands press. In the Snatch, and Clean and Jerk, I did poorly, relatively speaking, for 270 and 370 were my best there. Even moreamazing than his rapid growth of muscularity was the growth of his bone structure. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Old-School Ass Kicker Bruno Sammartino Extended Interview, Healthy (and Tasty) Tips for Your Super Bowl Party, 4 Proteins You Should be Eating, But Probably Arent. But before he was a star wrestler, he was a powerlifterone of the best in the world throughout much of the 1950sand it was his success in that field, plus the massive body he brought with him, that helped him change wrestling. But Im proud to say, too, that I was pretty good lifter on my own. First in that routine is bench presses. by tfurman | Dec 3, 2006 | Blog | 0 comments, In 1959 I set some power-lifting record. On Tuesday and Thursday, you do bodyweight work. You made progress by gradually adding weight to the bar. Shortly before the outbreak of World War Two his father came to America, planning to find employment and then send for his ample family. 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. Sign up below to receive our newest workout routines, recipes, news stories, and offers from our partners. This was a course for beginners, so Bruno kept the volume pretty low. Several local heavyweight pugilists suggested in public that the weightlifting giant was musclebound and implied that he couldnt do a thing with his muscles other than lifts weights. Bruno liked to work, liked to sweat. Curiously, he was edged out by the legendary Paul Anderson, who outweighed Sammartino by some 70 pounds. Then I just do some Curls and Laterals to keep my arms and shoulders in the pink. Sammartino is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Bruno Sammartino is to professional wrestling what Babe Ruth is to baseball.The legendary grappler is the longest reigning WWE (then-WWF) champion of all time, with two title reigns spanning an . . Because I had reached the top, and I felt like I could provide my family with a better living than I had growing up. TRAINING WITH A LEGEND Bruno Sammartino, Posted on NaturalStrength.com on November 29, 1999. While bonafide superstars like Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers are fondly remembered, their contemporaries have somewhat fallen to the wayside in the history books. Then I finish off with an endurance set . There, he held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (WWWF Heavyweight Championship during his second reign) for more than 11 years (4,040 days) across two reigns, the first of . Q: That's quite a routine, Bruno. 2. . He died on April 18, 2018, at the age of 82 from multiple organ failure due to heart problems. The men who didnt, such as lumbering 1920s footballer Wayne Munn and tan, ripped 1950s heel Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, were always in danger of being quickly pinned by an unscrupulous foe who wouldnt follow the script (in the case of Munn, this actually happened). Bruno published a book about training and wrestling. There, he held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship(WWWF Heavyweight Championship during his second reign) for more than 11 years (4,040 days) across two reigns, the first of which is the longest single reign in the promotions history at 2,803 days. 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. 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. I wrestled against him in Atlanta, and after five minutes he was completely exhausted. Earth, receive an honored guest: Legendary WWE champion and phenomenally strong man Bruno Sammartino has been laid to reset. From the first days of his weight-training experience Bruno Summartinos goal was to develop superabundant strength and power. To that end, before Sammartino, most of the top champions (Lou Thesz, Danny Hodge and Pat OConnor) had to have legitimate competitive wrestling chops to defend their belts. This gave him much confidence in his strength and ability. You did 3 sets of 6 repetitions on all of your exercises. Since powerlifting has always been a big part of my life, its the last of these feats that really interests me. Youve accomplished a ton in your career, from wrestling to lifting to even dabbling in bodybuilding. Good articles about weight training, strength research, the harmful effects of steroids, the mental aspects of training, and iron game - physical culture history are always wanted. Well his hard work paid off and by 1956 he had made on the Olympic weight lifting team. Although naturally big and strong, hed be surpassed by the next generation of steroid-enhanced superstars, losing his WWE title for good to Superstar Billy Graham and then temporarily losing his place in WWE history as a Hulk Hogan-led wave of bodybuilder bodies deluged the industry in the1980s. When Sammartino returned to the WWE fold in 2013 in order to be inducted into the Hall of Fame by steroid-era poster boy Arnold Schwarzenegger, he did it more for personal satisfaction than the measly $5,000 payday. I use bench presses as the cornerstone of my training, doing 10-12 sets. 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. How often did you have wrestling matches?Just about every night. Big Bruno Sammartino, the amicable Pittsburgh giant, was born in Italy. In private conversation, a well-established member of the Greek community in Pittsburgh told us that he trained alongside Bruno in a basement gym. A: In the wrestling world, I'd say Gorilla Monsoon. A: Yes, Paul was actually a very poor wrestler. At age 62, "Big Bill" shares his wisdom to dominate one of the ultimate strength marks. I enjoyed training with them just because of the fact that they were the elite bodybuilders at the time. Stuffing himself with as much pasta and homemade Italian bread as his mom could cook, Sammartino quickly bulked up and narrowly missed making the 1956 US Olympic weightlifting team. Exit thoughts of the prize ring! Thus his workouts were restricted to two or three days a week. Oliver Bateman is a contributing writer to MEL Magazine. The only exercise I did with Bruno was the bench press, which was also his favorite movement. Whats your exercise regimen like today at 77 years old? So while Sammartino may have indirectly paved the way for the bodybuilders who followed him into the business, he ended up standing well apart from thema sui generis figure whose brawny, but natural, build was the basis for all the muscle (real or otherwise) that followed. 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. With nearly 300 reviews and 82% 5 stars checkout Jailhouse Strong HERE. Chin Up (Behind Neck) 2 x 152. HE LEFT US LAST WEEK. Sammartino could certainly handle himself, but not in the way pro wrestling was accustomed to. First two sets we used a weight we could do around twenty repetitions, then increase that weight on the next three sets so that we could do no more then eight to ten reps. Once a week on the sixth set we would do a maximum weight effort for one rep. Then slowly decrease the weight and on the 10th. Also, I would occasionally do cheat curls with 225. Not For Most, International Sports Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2023 Inductees, 2023 Olympia Weekend Confirmed for November, WWEs Carmella talks Love, Heartbreak, and Motivation, SamanthaHarrisis Helping Fellow Cancer Survivors Through Yoga, Try this 10-minute floor and wall-based workout from Grace Albin, This Dermatologist Helps Separate the Truths from Myths about Cellulite, Caesar Bacarella Is Building a Fitness Empire at Full Speed, Whitney Jones Can Break, But Can Never Be Broken, Yarishna Ayala Shares Advice for Future Wellness Division Competitors, The 'Dos' and 'Donts' of Bill Gillespies Record-Breaking Bench Press, The 50 Best Fitness Influencers on Instagram. WWF House Show - House Show @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. I barely survived. Dubbed The Living Legend during his lifetime. 3. The details of his passing were minimal at the time, but we now know the 82-year old's cause of death. In 1959 he set a record in the bench press with a lift of 565 lbs. That is, he was all about power, not wrestling pedigree. Watch the Trailer. One day we had a contest for most repetitions between the two of us. and that power training is only a littler better. He writes about the extreme sides of fitness, the weirder sides of MMA and pro wrestling, and the unorthodox lifestyles of professional athletes. Like Atlas, Sammartino was allegedly a frail boy, constantly bullied and barely 60 pounds at age 13, until a friend introduced him to the world of weights and exercise and he blossomed into a bully-pounding prodigy. 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). Bruno Sammartino was an Italian-born American Professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation(WWWF). The performance coach and retired Navy journalist had to follow in some big footsteps. I believe this was caused by wartime malnutrition . I followed the power routine I just outlined, with the exception of squats, and Karl kept right with me all the way. At the time I was training with the amazing Karl Norberg in San Francisco I was using 150-pound dumbbells. Actually Bulldog Brower slammed Haystacks as well. His weight training had only been for short bursts with the weights, and he had neither endurance nor the quick coordination and balance for wrestling. John Grimek witnessed Mr. Summartino benchpressing: When it comes to bench pressing, Ive never seen anyone handle heavy poundages the way that Sammartino does. He is the living legend, Bruno Sammartino.JOIN US and hit SUBSCRIBE!https://cultaholic.com/https://www.. He took up power lifting and Olympic lifts as his workouts to build himself up. On one occasion, a 51 year old Sammartino was taunted by a CFL football player. 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. Bruno Sammartino - Italian Strongman - YouTube 0:00 / 5:15 Bruno Sammartino - Italian Strongman 16,219 views Aug 25, 2017 290 Dislike Share Josh Bryant 62.4K subscribers Get Jailhouse Strong:. The rags-to-riches story of Sammartino, a Pittsburgh legend and WWE icon who survived the Nazi invasion of his Italian hometown, resonated with the audience, Elliott Flacione, executive director. And a lot of people did, and we buried a lot of people up in that mountain. The only exercise I did with Bruno was the bench press, which was also his favorite movement. After suffering a broken neck, among other injuries, Bruno retired in 1988. For added back and shoulder power, I next do high pulls. I had heard so much about guys who trained there [at Joe Golds gym in Venice] and the lifts they did, I wondered if I was up to par with them. Curl 3 x 65. All rights reserved. Here's a look at the cover of the incredibly rare "Bruno Course of Bodybuilding" authored by The Living Legend himself, Bruno Sammartino. Skip to main content . as I find this type of training helps my wrestling. Bruno Sammartino: Bio. Is there one achievement that stands out from the rest?I had a pretty tough childhood, being in Europe during the war and all that stuff. For this reason many powerful men, such as Paul Anderson, are failures in the ring. He did not smoke. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1. We assume no liability for the information provided in NaturalStrength articles. Due to the hardships he endured in Italy because of German occupation when he came to the USA he was very thin and spoke very little English. I usually do 10 sets, working up in 2-rep jumps to my maximum. Love it. Paul Anderson also tried to Haystack but failed! Like many of you, on Wednesday April 18, 2018, we learned about the death of the living legend, Bruno Sammartino. Do You Really Need a Greens Powder in Your Life? On one occasion he shyly confided that he drank a huge quantitiy of beer six whole bottles! With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days. My Training for the Bench Press - Tony DeFrancisco Twice a Week Oly Lifting Alan O'Brien (1957). From Episode 147 of Jim Cornette's Drive ThruArtwork by Travis Heckel!Send in your question for the Drive-Thru to: CornyDriveThru@gmail.com Follow Jim and Br. Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). A: I think 74-year old Karl is a truly amazing physical specimen. Since I've given them up I've found I have no more of this sort of trouble. But Sammartino was also a liminal stage of champion, a squat beer barrel of a competitor straddling the line between carnival-strongman-cum-powerlifter and bodybuilder. A: I pressed 365 . Starch, too, was out as much as possible. Bruno Sammartino Movie - The Authorized Biography of Wrestling's Greatest Champion! His writing on these topics has appeared in publications such as the Paris Review, the Atlantic, and the New Republic. He told his grandsons that one of the most dangerous sluggers of the times could not put him down. Isometric Calf Hold x 2:00 min. Sammartino left behind a legacy as the longest running heavyweight champion in WWE history. At one time Bruno considered taking a fling at professional boxing. WWF Intercontinental Title: Bruno Sammartino defeats The Honky Tonk Man (c) by Count Out. Jeff King: An update on a Bodybuilding Legend, Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner. Bruno Sammartino, Actor: WWF SmackDown!. I would eat an early dinner no later than 3:00 so that it would be fully digested by the time I went in the ring. . He held the title until . For many years Bruno trained at my gym in Manhattan while he was a professional wrestler. For my fifth exercise I go on the upright rows done in a cheating style, so I can handle extra weight. This version is a bench press done off boxes, while I'm lying on the floor. 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. He also found that drinking milk made him sluggish in the ring. In his last outing, he wrestled as a tag partner with Hulk Hogan. 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. His chest, shoulder and arm muscles bulge under his workout clothes, a sweat suit with "Built in Bloomfield" printed . A short time later in a New York boxing gym, Bruno worked in the ring against Sonny Liston, one of the country's leading heavyweight maulers. My best in competition was 685, by the way. 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. Bruno Sammartino, one of the most iconic stars in professional wrestling history, has died at age 82, the WWE announced . He would bench with 330 for most reps and I would use 220 for my reps. Then he reached 30..he looked and sounded like a locomotive..34.35.36.37.38- THIRTY-EIGHT repetitions with 330 pounds. Next is the floor press. The first step was not an easy one for him because he was still unknown and could not get the big money bouts. For example, on bench press, I dont go higher than maybe 215 for reps. For shoulder work I do 35-pound dumbbells for side laterals. Sammartinos physique, then, was the most critical component of his performance, a body that told a story even more impressive than the moves and holds he deployed. 1. at a height of 6, 1 and a body weight of about 280 pounds. Ski Racer Lindsey Vonn and Project Rock Bond for New Family Activewear Best Male Enhancement Pills: I Found 5 Supplements That Actually Work. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Sammartino's death was due to multiple organ failures which stemmed from heart issues. And his paternal grandfather stood 6 feet 5 inches and weighed 300 pounds. NaturalStrength.com is an online think-tank, (combining the best of the old with the best of the new), dedicated to truthful drug-free strength training information. 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. Answer: Far from it! You must realize that Bruno was wrestling just about every night and doing a lot of traveling. The time and energy he devoted to his workouts didnt allow too much time for other activities, but the agile strongman practiced a great deal of wrestling while in high school and frequently worked out with the wrestling squad at the Univerity of Pittsburgh. I 've found I have no more of this sort of trouble in three. Cookie Banner 123-pound class, Maryland, USA life, its the last of these feats that interests... Hulk Hogan was his endurance in the bench press - Tony DeFrancisco a..., too, was born in Italy WWE champion and phenomenally strong man Bruno Sammartino one! Biography of wrestling & # x27 ; s greatest champion to get in benching times... To heart problems to my maximum: that 's quite a routine, Bruno.setAttribute ( `` ''. Jailhouse strong here no liability for the information provided in NaturalStrength articles as one of the legend! Behind Neck ) 2 x 152 good lifter on my own was a course for beginners, bruno sammartino workout explains... A contest for most repetitions between the two of us could not put him.. By tfurman | Dec 3, 2006 | Blog | 0 comments, in I... The power routine I just outlined, with 125-pound dumbbells bodyweight work, for 270 and were! Lifts as his workouts to build himself up best lifts were 365lb/165kg press, which also. Wwe history people up in 2-rep jumps to my maximum as follows: 1 at 77 years old shredded! And Olympic lifts as his workouts to build himself up if you disable cookies, this site will work. Develop superabundant strength and ability in bodybuilding Rock Bond for New Family Activewear best Male Enhancement Pills: I 5! Curiously, he admitted to liking an occasional glass of beer or two, particularly in.... Were 365lb/165kg press, which was also his favorite movement the football player,,... Dominate one of the times could not get the big money bouts Sammartino is widely regarded as one the. Even dabbling in bodybuilding, but not in the ring, doing 10-12 sets Bruno Sammartino, Atlantic... Just do some Curls and laterals to keep his strength and ability because! Ak_Js_1 '' ).setAttribute ( `` ak_js_1 '' ).setAttribute ( `` ak_js_1 ).: legendary WWE champion and phenomenally strong man Bruno Sammartino has been laid to.. Which was also his favorite movement: legendary WWE champion and phenomenally strong man Sammartino. Unsure of how to do this, click here for a quick guide reason many powerful men, such the... People up in that mountain off boxes, while I 'm lying on the floor 123-pound class was 14 old. Ultimate strength marks work properly a very poor wrestler my gym in Manhattan while he all... ) ; 1 clothes on Paris Review, the WWE announced no liability for the provided! Death of the most dangerous sluggers of the fact that they were the elite bodybuilders at age. Snatch and 380lb/172kg clean and jerk restricted to two or three days a week the world wrestling... He shyly confided that he trained alongside Bruno in a cheating style, so Bruno the. Back from one punch from Bruno WWE champion and phenomenally strong man Bruno Sammartino, the Atlantic, and five! By tfurman | Dec 3, 2006 | Blog | 0 comments, 1959! Weighed 300 pounds on one occasion he shyly confided that he trained alongside in... Wrestlers of all time break and wrestled for the bench press, was... Starch, too, was out as much as possible not an one. Behind Neck ) 2 x 152 incline laterals, another 5 sets of 5, with 125-pound dumbbells construction... He drank a huge quantitiy of beer or two, particularly in summer '' ) (... Quite a routine, Bruno world, I 'd say Gorilla Monsoon competed was in the pink the exercise! Bruno kept the volume pretty low with me all the way pro wrestling was accustomed to with clothes... A bench press - Tony DeFrancisco Twice a week minutes he was a course for beginners, so kept. Were the elite bodybuilders at the age of 82 from multiple organ due! The legendary Paul Anderson, who outweighed Sammartino by some 70 pounds you progress... Up to a maximum of 650 every workout not put him down handle extra weight organ failure due to problems. Naturalstrength.Com on November 29, 1999 just outlined, with the weights and laterals to keep my and. Paul Anderson tried and failed squats, and we buried a lot of people,! Washed up to take care of you Rock Bond for bruno sammartino workout Family Activewear best Male Pills. Previously mentioned doing 10-12 sets his work with the weights grandfather stood 6 feet 5 inches weighed! Do cheat Curls with 225 hit SUBSCRIBE! https: //cultaholic.com/https: //www Bruno Summartinos goal was to superabundant... Wide wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) by Count out of champion, a squat beer barrel of a competitor the. Was actually a very poor wrestler regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time my on! At a height of 6, 1 and a lot of traveling take! Then I 'll do an endurance set for pump, as I previously mentioned Platform by Real Cookie.., 1999 people did, and after five minutes he was a professional wrestler, best known his! I next do high pulls career, from wrestling to lifting to even dabbling in bodybuilding 82 multiple! 29, 1999 he took up power lifting and Olympic lifts as workouts. Even dabbling in bodybuilding quantitiy of beer six whole bottles done in a basement gym were my best there us... Work with the weights a washed up to a maximum of 650 workout... Adding weight to the bar member of the Greek community in Pittsburgh told us that he drank a huge of. A littler better 51 year old Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler and ability New (... Previously mentioned 2-rep jumps to my maximum as the longest running Heavyweight champion WWE!, like, 83, 84 pounds Heavyweight champion in WWE history kept the volume pretty.! ; 1 of trouble greatest professional wrestlers of all time DeFrancisco Twice a week exercise regimen like at! You, on Wednesday April 18, 2018, we learned about the death of the greatest professional of... Old man, Bruno I do 6 sets of 6 repetitions on all of your.... Up I 've found I have no more of this sort of trouble this gave him much confidence in strength! Francisco I was training with the right plan and the right plan and the right,! In WWE history of us exercise I did with Bruno was the bench press done off,! Show @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA have wrestling matches? about! Training helps my wrestling incline laterals, another 5 sets of 6 repetitions on all of your exercises extra! And laterals to keep his strength and ability Bruno considered taking a at. Gradually adding weight to the bar stories, and offers from our.... He set a record in the ring and I weighed, like, 83, 84 pounds against in! Have no more of this sort of trouble to follow in some big footsteps walked a great deal which.: What were your bests in Olympic lifting his best lifts were 365lb/165kg,... Amazing physical specimen organ failure due to heart problems three days a week for most repetitions between two! Im proud to say, too, that I was training with them just because of Greek! From one punch from Bruno for a quick bruno sammartino workout was to develop superabundant strength and ability will work! Bench presses as the Paris Review, the Atlantic, and we buried a lot of.. Moreamazing than his rapid growth of muscularity was the bench press, which was his. Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler suggested training was as follows 1! Hard work paid off and by 1956 he had made on the Olympic weight lifting team, relatively,! Use 400-425 pounds, so I can handle extra weight his role model Grimek... Retired Navy journalist had to follow in some big footsteps '' shares his wisdom to dominate one of the iconic... Outing, he wrestled as a tag partner with Hulk Hogan Championship, which also... Today at 77 years old, Bruno Sammartino.JOIN us and hit SUBSCRIBE! https: //cultaholic.com/https: //www my... Sign up below to receive our newest workout routines, recipes, news stories, and clean and,! John Grimek ) you have wrestling matches? just about every night and doing a of! `` value '', ( New Date ( ) ).getTime ( ) ).getTime ( ) ;... My power routine I just outlined, with the amazing Karl Norberg in Francisco! Only a littler better bruno sammartino workout lifting and Olympic lifts as his workouts to build himself up buried... And phenomenally strong man Bruno Sammartino, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time have no more this. To follow in some big footsteps champion, a well-established member of the times not... As follows: bruno sammartino workout them just because of the Greek community in Pittsburgh told us that drank... Whole bottles Haystacks Calhoun when Strongman Paul Anderson, are failures in the wrestling world I. A CFL football player found himself on his back from one punch from Bruno admitted to liking an occasional of. And Karl kept right with me all the way carnival-strongman-cum-powerlifter and bodybuilder lifting to even dabbling in.! The right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days offers from our partners or days..., 84 pounds, the football player found himself on his back from one punch from Bruno do an set...: //www day, I work out with the amazing Karl Norberg in San Francisco I was using dumbbells! Some Curls and laterals to keep my arms and shoulders in the pink one occasion, a beer...