Over his 16-year career, wrestler/entertainer John Hennigan has hit the ring in WWE, ECW, and Lucha Libre and is currently flying off turnbuckles as Johnny Impact for Impact Wrestling and Johnny Mundo for Lucha Underground. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of training disciplines, which he uses to make up his total program. His approach is cataloged in Out of Your Mind Fitness (outofyourmindfitness.com), a training system he created with personal trainer Jeff Carrier.
“Ultimately your own workout should be suited to your personal needs,” Hennigan explains. “My goal is to look good and be a pro wrestler.”
To get the results he needs, Hennigan employs a fusion of functional and sports-specific training he calls “skills-specific training.” It focuses on balance, flexibility, stability, and proprioception to create neuromuscular connections in the pursuit of new skills.
“When you do skills-specific training, you end up looking great,” Hennigan says. “And your neuromuscular network is primed to handle unexpected challenges. More balance and flexibility make you stronger. You’re recruiting more muscles than you think.”
John Hennigan’s Keep-It-Moving Workout
To prepare yourself to perform skills like the ones Hennigan displays, try the following routine (after warming up and stretching, of course). It mixes functional exercises with old-school bodybuilding moves. Perform exercises marked A and B as supersets.
