8 Nuances That Make Seth Rollins So Great
4. Know How To Train
Christened ‘Crossfit Jesus’ five or six years ago due to his obsession with Greg Glassman’s intense fitness programme, Rollins has turned it from a training regimen to a lifestyle (and a t-shirt).
One of the first pro wrestlers to talk about Crossfit on social media and in interviews, Rollins was introduced to Josh Gallegos, a long-time wrestling fan and a CrossFit Level 2-certified trainer back in 2010. Gallegos now writes all of Rollins’ programming for him, as well as working with other WWE performers like Bayley, Becky Lynch, Cesaro, Sheamus, Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne.
To Gallegos, pro wrestlers are essentially already doing CrossFit in the ring every day, which makes the easily customised fitness programmes he puts together ideal for professional wrestlers of all shapes and sizes.
For Rollins, CrossFit has made him become more productive in the ring:
"I'm 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. I have to move around in the ring a lot. I can't be like a Braun Strowman or an Andre the Giant. They kind of get to just stand there and throw bodies around. I'm the body that gets thrown around."
CrossFit worked wonders for Rollins when he was out of action after ripping the ACL, MCL and medial meniscus in his right knee in 2015. For two months after his surgeries, he had to keep his leg completely straight when not rehabbing, which meant he had to seriously modify his workout to stay in shape and avoid getting frustrated. Thanks to CrossFit, he returned to the ring in less than six months.