Bruno Sammartino's Intense Training & Workout Routine

Bruno Sammartino's Background

Bruno Sammartino is considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Known as "The Living Legend", he held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship for over 11 years across two title reigns in the 1960s and 1970s, which is still the longest single championship reign of all time.

Born in Italy in 1935, Bruno's family immigrated to the United States when he was a child to escape the Nazi invasion during World War II. He had a difficult childhood dealing with illness and bullying. As a teenager, Sammartino dedicated himself to bodybuilding and weightlifting, developing his iconic physique.

Early Wrestling Career

Bruno was initially hesitant about pursuing professional wrestling, but was convinced by local promoter Rudy Miller to give it a chance. Miller thought Bruno had the perfect look and build to become a wrestling superstar.

After training under storied names like Dante Graziano and Al Costello, Bruno made his professional debut in 1959 in Pittsburgh. Weighing in at over 275 pounds with his impressive musculature, Bruno cut an intimidating figure in the ring.

Bruno's Intense Training Regimen

A huge part of Bruno Sammartino's success and longevity at the top of the pro wrestling world was his dedication to intense physical training.

According to Bruno himself, he followed an extremely disciplined workout routine throughout his career that focused on core lifts like squats and bench pressing to build full-body strength. He trained for several hours almost every day when he wasn't on the road.

Heavy Weightlifting

The foundation of Bruno's workouts consisted of rigorous weightlifting sessions targeting all the major muscle groups. Though he achieved massive size naturally without the use of anabolic steroids, Bruno pushed himself to the limit in each training session.

Some of his favorite exercises were barbell squats, incline bench presses, overhead presses, deadlifts and weighted pull ups. He worked up to lifting over 400 pounds across many of these compound movements.

High Volume Cardio

In addition to his bodybuilding weight training, Bruno also devoted lots of time every week to cardio work in order to build his endurance. Good conditioning allowed him to last over an hour many nights in grueling pro wrestling matches.

For cardio, Bruno would often run miles outdoors or jump rope for up to 30 minutes straight without stopping. He was known to bike ride extensively as well. This high volume kept his heart and lungs strong.

Diet & Nutrition

Along with his intense training routines, Bruno Sammartino was also very strict with his diet and nutrition to stay in peak physical condition.

High Protein & Calories

To support his big frame and rigorous daily workouts, Bruno took in quite a bit of quality calories each day in the form of lean proteins, complex carbs and healthy fats.

Things like grilled meats, boiled eggs, brown rice, oatmeal, vegetables, fruits and nuts were staples of his diet through his wrestling career.

Limited Processed Foods

Though his calorie requirement was high, Bruno did not believe in eating junk food or overly processed items. He felt better fueling himself with natural, nutritious whole foods the majority of the time.

While he would indulge his legendary appetite occasionally when his willpower faded, Bruno otherwise stuck to clean eating out of the ring which translated to a sculpted physique with visible six pack abs even in his later years.

Inspiring Future Generations

With his unbelievable strength, legendary championship reigns and model workout dedication, the legacy Bruno Sammartino left behind continues to inspire athletes both inside and out of the wrestling world.

Current WWE starts like John Cena, Randy Orton and Roman Reigns cite Bruno as a major influence for them in pushing their bodies to the limit through disciplined training routines and clean dieting.

Outside wrestling, bodybuilders and strength trainers also look to emulate Bruno's phenomenal natural physique that he built through nothing but hard work and commitment to his intense workouts.

FAQs

How long did Bruno Sammartino train for each day?

Bruno devoted several hours almost every single day to his rigorous training when he was not traveling for pro wrestling events. His workouts included both strength training and cardio exercise.

What were Bruno's favorite weightlifting exercises?

Some of the core lifts Bruno focused on in his bodybuilding workouts included barbell squats, bench presses, overhead presses, deadlifts and weighted pull-ups. He worked up to very heavy weights across many compound movements.

How did Bruno Sammartino train his cardiovascular system?

For cardio training, Bruno ran many miles outdoors, jumped rope for 30 minutes straight and rode his bike over long distances. This built his endurance for hour-long pro wrestling matches.

Was Bruno Sammartino's physique achieved naturally?

Yes, Bruno built his famously massive and sculpted frame through intense commitment to his training regimen and nutrition without the use of anabolic steroids or other performance enhancers.

Why is Bruno's workout routine still influential today?

Top WWE superstars like John Cena and bodybuilders still emulate Bruno's phenomenal commitment to rigorous training and clean diet in order to build strength and muscle mass like the wrestling legend achieved.