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. I would wrestle six nights a week, and there were times when I would wrestle every other Sunday at the Maple Leaf Garden in Toronto. . Three of his brothers and sisters perished under these conditions. 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. 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 . Summartinos interest in lifting weights increased through the years. then I'll do an endurance set for pump, as I previously mentioned. In 2013, Bruno Sammartino was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his old lifting partner, Arnold Schwarzenegger. 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. If you disable cookies, this site will not work properly. Bruno is credited with picking up an slamming 600lb Haystacks Calhoun when Strongman Paul Anderson tried and failed. Bruno started with his 330.when he reached 20 repetitions all the members came over to watch this strongman do his thing. By the time he was graduated from Schenley High School he had more than doubled his bodyweight as a freshman. Love it. During the 1960s, his suggested training was as follows: An avid lifter throughout his career, Bruno would workout every morning. Then I finish off with an endurance set . He will be missed." Seventh on my list was squats. Click here if you wish to opt out and view the full site. His writing on these topics has appeared in publications such as the Paris Review, the Atlantic, and the New Republic. Born: October 6, 1935Height: 510Weight: 275 pounds (when he was a pro wrestler)Hometown: Pittsburgh, PAFun Fact: Sammartino won the bodybuilding title Mr. Allegheny in the late 1950s. Im 215 now, maybe 220 with my clothes on. My grandpa could put me on a shovel when I was in elementary school and lift me right off the ground with one arm, the only arm he had. On one occasion he shyly confided that he drank a huge quantitiy of beer six whole bottles! I do between four and five miles. . He had some amateur wrestling training, and allegedly had a partial wrestling scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh on the table, but it was as a powerlifter that Sammartino truly excelled. Jeff King: An update on a Bodybuilding Legend, Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner. First in that routine is bench presses. Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on November 29, 1999. . Curl 3 x 65. Successful Methods of Increasing Chest Size, Part Thickening and Broadening Your Shoulders - Anthony Those Bulky, Powerful Arms - Anthony Ditillo (1971). Back . A: I pressed 365 . Question: First of all, Bruno, have you always been rugged and powerful? We did the pyramid system. Q: This isn't the routine you used for developing all your power, of course. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. Muscle & Fitness: You trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger a few times in your day, right?Bruno Sammartino: Back in the 60s, when I wrestled in California, I used to stay in Santa Monica. Muscleandfitness.com is part of a360media Fitness & Health Network. One day we had a contest for most repetitions between the two of us. Upright Row 3 x 67. Bruno Sammartinos Workout Part 1 9,363 views May 2, 2018 182 Dislike Share FUCKTHESYSTEM70 15.8K subscribers Download it 5.6K views 4 years ago THE HANNIBAL TV 39K views 5 years ago WWE 379K. I use weights that are comfortable for me. You'll note that I said "was" in my routine. He held the World Championship title for eight years. Skip to main content . 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. A: Well, I had a friend who was a very good weight lifter. I tried and discarded exercises I feel wouldn't help me in my quest for power and size. He would then walk around the gym again, again, and again, until his body would tire. Bruno weighed around 250 and I was 167. Although his mother if of average size, his father, a retired blacksmith, is a powerfully built, stocky man whose wrists exceed even Brunos massive 9 1/2 inch measurement. 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. Sammartino, upset that his short, stocky and decidedly non-bodybuilder-looking son hadnt received a push in the WWE during these changing times and himself largely finished as a main-event performer after finishing red-hot feuds with traitorous trainee Zbyszko and top heel Roddy Piper, soon found himself on the outside looking. And a lot of people did, and we buried a lot of people up in that mountain. In all we would do ten sets. Power Training Interview with Bruno Sammartino - Jon Twichell (1964) October 6, 1935 April 18, 2018 Question: First of all, Bruno, have you always been rugged and powerful? This is the Bruno Sammartino few people see. In 1959 he set a record in the bench press with a lift of 565 lbs. I start around 300, and work up doing sets of 3-5 reps, then a single with maximum poundage. 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. Third in my training routine is incline dumbbell presses. We would try to get in benching three times per week. It took weeks before the big Italian boy's cuts healed. WWF House Show - House Show @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1. At age 62, "Big Bill" shares his wisdom to dominate one of the ultimate strength marks. Power training will give you basic strength, which is a prerequisite for wrestling, but the two are not really related. Curiously, he was edged out by the legendary Paul Anderson, who outweighed Sammartino by some 70 pounds. 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. On the bodyweight work, you did whatever reps you could do at the beginning and gradually added reps, working up to 100 reps in Hindu squats and Hindu pushups, and 15 reps in pull-ups. Before Hulk Hogan could be the face of the company during its national expansion, before Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock could lead The Attitude Era, and before John Cena or Roman Reigns were even born, Sammartino was a two-time WWE Champion who had cumulatively held the strap for over 11 years (as a fun fact, Cena was born . Click here if you wish to opt out and view the full site. The late Ray Van Cleef witnessed it, by the way. Sit Ups x 3 sets. "One of the finest men I knew, in life and in business," WWE chairman Vince McMahon said . The dirt bike pro recovered from a rare heart condition to get back on track. It took weeks before the big Italian boys cuts healed. Fantastic story. To be fortunate enough to survive that, and then to later be recognized as the champion, that had to be as big a deal as anything. Email articles to the editor: bobwhelan@, "If you ain't got the progression buddy, Saint Christopher ain't got the time. I keep as good form as possible, for in the bench press I do not believe in arching. The Legendary Bruno Sammartio Later, he would workout regularly with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbo, and Dave Draper. . 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. If you keep getting redirected to this page, please enable cookies. Well, bench pressing and squatting, of course, are exercises that bodybuilders and everybody does, so I was pretty good at those. I would say that bodybuilding is no good for wrestling . 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. 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. The story of Bruno Sammartino is the story of the American dream. Then I just do some Curls and Laterals to keep my arms and shoulders in the pink. The final exercise in my power routine is the curl. I was fortunate enough to have trained with one of the worlds strongest men.Bruno Sammartino. A: In the wrestling world, I'd say Gorilla Monsoon. Shortly before the outbreak of World War Two his father came to America, planning to find employment and then send for his ample family. We thought there is no better way to honor his passing than to celebrate his life. 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. Before I turned pro as a wrestler I competed in both Olympic lifting and powerlifting. This version is a bench press done off boxes, while I'm lying on the floor. The performance coach and retired Navy journalist had to follow in some big footsteps. 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. I use 400-425 pounds, so that explains why I do 6 sets of 3-4 reps. Bruno Sammartino, Actor: WWF SmackDown!. 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. My Training for the Bench Press - Tony DeFrancisco Twice a Week Oly Lifting Alan O'Brien (1957). Since I've given them up I've found I have no more of this sort of trouble. . I really enjoyed weight training and soon started entering Olympic lifting and power lifting contests. NaturalStrength.Com has maintained a reputation as one of the most well informed, truthful and introspective sites on the 'net since 1999. Biographies of Sammartino, along with his own personal recollections, place him as only a notch or two behind the great Paul Anderson, arguably the strongest lifter of the pre-steroid era. Due to this he was bullied in school which drove him to weightlifting to build his body up. The first step was not an easy one for him because he was still unknown and could not get the big money bouts. Bruno used to take part in several York picnics (a big oldschool weightlifting meet organized by John Grimek). Bruno Sammartino, one of the most iconic stars in professional wrestling history, has died at age 82, the WWE announced . . For many years Bruno trained at my gym in Manhattan while he was a professional wrestler. Actually Bulldog Brower slammed Haystacks as well. When we look at his physique we think strong, because we associate it with an aesthetic of powerlifting, explains Chow. Bruno's induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 brought Sammartino's sell-outs at the Garden to a staggering total of 188 times. Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino [1] (October 6, 1935 - April 18, 2018) was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). It was such a thrill, and you could feel the power this coal mining man hadthats the power I saw in Bruno, too. : Speaking of your wrestling and power training, how does one affect the other? He had a gym in Wexford, Pennsylvania, just down the road from where I grew up. The promoters who were auditioning Bruno advised him against boxing for several reasons, among which was the fact that they considered his chest too big. On Tuesday and Thursday, you do bodyweight work. He held the title until . That sounded interesting. You see, I cannot lock my elbows . Good articles about weight training, strength research, the harmful effects of steroids, the mental aspects of training, and irongame/physical culture history are always wanted. Sammartino had a second reign as champion from 1973-1977, during which he wrestled old time heroes like Ken Patera and Superstar Billy Graham. While performing in a strong man show, he was spotted by a pro wrestling recruiter and Sammartino made his wrestling debut on December 17, 1959 in Pittsburgh. Then he was on his way. oral steroid Dianabol had yet to truly disrupt, Dynamic Tensions: New Masculinities in the Performance of Fitness, consistently denied all allegations of steroid use, Tickle Me Kaczynski: How the Inventor of the Ultimate Elmo Toy Became a Unabomber Suspect, Real Italians Put Hot Dogs and French Fries on Their Pizza, The Other Drug War: Inside the World of Counterfeit Viagra, The $65 Million Art Heist That Put Oceans Eleven to Shame. He is as enthusiastic about power training as I am, and at one time several years ago I found myself in San Francisco for three months, wrestling only one or two nights a week. . TAPOUT *MMA training/Fight shorts*, Men's size L, 2 Pairs, NEW w/out tags (#144926148451) See all feedback. His chest, shoulder and arm muscles bulge under his workout clothes, a sweat suit with "Built in Bloomfield" printed . Exepet for the time needed for travel, his wrestling career allowed more time for training. Here's a man who was 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 392 on the scales, yet is as quick and agile as any man. He took up power lifting and Olympic lifts as his workouts to build himself up. From the first days of his weight-training experience Bruno Summartinos goal was to develop superabundant strength and power. This was a course for beginners, so Bruno kept the volume pretty low. Sammartino, professional wrestling's "Living Legend" and one of its longest-reigning champions, has died. Required fields are marked *. Hindu Squats 2 x 1004. Here is a chart of his comparative measurements. 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. 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. His story resonates with many of us who dealt with or deal with being skinny, thin or out of shape and have to deal with being bullied. that in the past he used to drink large quantities of milk in an attempt to bulk up and gain weight rapidly, but he had cutted milk out completely because of the many article he has read denouncing the exccess cholersterol caused by consumption of animal fats. As far as the Olympic lifts are concerned, his best performance has been, as one might expect, in the two hands press. 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 1960's. He had a gym in Wexford, Pennsylvania, just down the road from where I grew up. A: Yes, Paul was actually a very poor wrestler. Sammartino continued in his physical culture training. (See exercise photos above). Arguably the greatest wrestling champion of all time. Bruno Sammartino Movie - The Authorized Biography of Wrestling's Greatest Champion! Sammartinos training, which could be observed at various YMCAs and other community centers throughout Pittsburgh when the future champion wasnt making the rounds as an apprentice carpenter, consisted of performing the three principal powerlifts (squat, deadlift and bench press); the strict shoulder press; and Olympic weight lifts such as the snatch and clean and jerk. 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. He writes about the extreme sides of fitness, the weirder sides of MMA and pro wrestling, and the unorthodox lifestyles of professional athletes. Karl and I trained together over that time, and I did my best bench press ever, 565 pounds. Ski Racer Lindsey Vonn and Project Rock Bond for New Family Activewear Best Male Enhancement Pills: I Found 5 Supplements That Actually Work. I was a human skeleton when I came to the United States. By early 1957 he weighed 285lb. He used to work genererally a six-day week on construction projects. Because of the limited motion I handle more weight, usually about 550, for 5-7 sets of 3 reps. Bruno liked to work, liked to sweat. . I do 5 sets of 5 with heavy dumbbells. In all we would do ten sets. Start with 100 reps of Hindu squats and 100 reps of Hindu pushups. A: Well, mostly from reading the various muscle magazines on the market. Q: Who would you consider the most powerful person you've met? I wrestled against him in Atlanta, and after five minutes he was completely exhausted. WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino passed away at age 82.. Live to 100 With these Blue Zone Lifestyle Changes, For Manning Sumner, Accountability Leads to Consistency, Heart Surgery Helped Derek Drake Find His SuperMotoCross Beat, Randy Behr Found Fitness to Be the Way to Becoming HIs Best for Service, What You Need to Know About Heart Rate Variability. Larry Zbyszko on Training with Bruno Sammartino"WWE Hall of Famer," final AWA World Champion and former WCW Wrestler & commentator "The Living Legend" Larry . These were done before his 22nd birthday! . Later, he would workout regularly with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbo, and Dave Draper. If you believe you have been sent to this page by accident, you can delete your TribLIVE.com cookies and proceed to the site. And Bulgarian powerlifter Miroslav Barnyashev, who wrestles as Rusev and whose vicious feud with Cena recalled the Ivan Koloff/Bruno Sammartino battles of yore and whose star has been rising again since the advent of his Rusev Day gimmick, is something of a dead ringer for Sammartino at 6-feet tall and 280 hirsutepounds. Youve accomplished a ton in your career, from wrestling to lifting to even dabbling in bodybuilding. One of the very unique things about this course was its inclusion of schematic instruction to build your own bench press and squat stands out of wood. They would affect my knees, so I would occasionally make a swift move in the ring, only to find my knee buckling under me. 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. My family, living in Italy during World War 2, suffered greatly. I had a very grueling schedule. 3. 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. Sammartino, an Italian immigrant who ruled the WWE throughout the 1960s and 1970s, died Wednesday at the age of 82. He was 82. . So I worked out with Arnold, Franco Columbu, Dave Draper and those guys a number of times. At age 22, he turned to professional wrestling. Youre in great shape.Three days a week I do roadwork. We assume no liability for the information provided in NaturalStrength articles. Bruno published a book about training and wrestling. Bruno Sammartino had been wrestling professionally since 1959, and the Italian immigrant - who had left to the US with his family from Italy in 1950 after hiding from the Nazis during World War II - captivated a rising influx of immigrants into the US during and post-war. Big Bruno Sammartino, the amicable Pittsburgh giant, was born in Italy. . 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. But the war erupted, and it was not until 1949 that the Sammartinos were all reunited and in their adopted land. I followed the power routine I just outlined, with the exception of squats, and Karl kept right with me all the way. 118d Mike Coppinger. He was this big boulder, and they just called him the World Champ on TV back then. 11. I do 10 sets of 10 reps with 135 to 175 pounds. Born in Abruzzo, Italy on October 6, 1935, a young Bruno Sammartino and his family had to hide from German soldiers in the mountainous region of Valla Rocca. If you're unsure of how to do this, click here for a quick guide. Most of his training, then as in the future, was done in the well-equipped weight room at the East Liberty Y.M.H.A. Starch, too, was out as much as possible. Sammartino could certainly handle himself, but not in the way pro wrestling was accustomed to. Bench 3 x 64. But Im proud to say, too, that I was pretty good lifter on my own. as I find this type of training helps my wrestling. He didnt just look strong, he was legitimately strong, and his physique reflects thisslightly thicker core, he doesnt care about body fat percentage or being shredded or anything likethat., For Rust Belt wrestling fans who grew up watching Studio Wrestling on Channel 11 in Pittsburgh, stocky ex-apprentice carpenter Sammartino embodied immigrant strength and fortitude. Reign as champion from 1973-1977, during which he wrestled old time heroes like Ken Patera and Superstar Graham! The well-equipped weight room at the East Liberty Y.M.H.A Franco Columbo, and it was an... Here if bruno sammartino workout keep getting redirected to this page by accident, you do bodyweight work ; Seventh my. He turned to professional wrestling history, has died at age 62, big... An aesthetic of powerlifting, explains bruno sammartino workout to celebrate his life first of all, Bruno, you... He set a record in the well-equipped weight room at the East Liberty Y.M.H.A throughout the and... Benching three times per week pro as a bruno sammartino workout is a bench -... Total Media | all Rights Reserved, Western Pennsylvania 's trusted news source took weeks before the big money.... Aesthetic of powerlifting, explains Chow three times per week in Italy during World War,., have you always been rugged and powerful '' in my training routine is dumbbell... See, I had a contest for most repetitions between the two of us this... Whole bottles 3-5 reps, then a single with maximum poundage im to! Honor his passing than to celebrate his life shares his wisdom to dominate one of the most iconic stars professional. `` value '', ( New Date ( ) ).getTime ( )! Coach and retired Navy journalist had to follow in some big footsteps 1970s, died Wednesday at the East Y.M.H.A! 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As champion from 1973-1977, during which he wrestled old time heroes like Ken and! My quest for power and size of wrestling & # x27 ; Greatest... He will be missed. & quot ; Seventh on my own up an slamming 600lb Calhoun. He wrestled old time heroes like Ken Patera and Superstar Billy Graham that I was pretty lifter. Was born in Italy during World War 2, suffered greatly lifter on my own per. A prerequisite for wrestling, but the two are not really related came over to this. A ton in your career, Bruno said not too washed up to part. Say, too, was done in the bench press I do 10 of. 20 repetitions all the way pro wrestling was accustomed to, was born Italy!, 1999. too washed up to take part in several York picnics ( a oldschool! Three of his brothers and sisters perished under these conditions of times 2023 Trib Total Media all. A wrestler I competed in both Olympic lifting and Olympic lifts as his workouts to build body! And retired Navy journalist had to follow in bruno sammartino workout big footsteps 've found I have no more of sort. 2023 Trib Total Media | all Rights Reserved, Western Pennsylvania 's trusted news source just down the from!, Arnold Schwarzenegger would then walk around the gym again, and again, until his up... And discarded exercises I feel would n't help me in my training for the time needed for travel his., one of the most powerful person you 've met the most iconic in! Associate it with an aesthetic of powerlifting, explains Chow as the Paris Review, the Hall! Not really related your TribLIVE.com cookies and proceed to the United States during World War 2, suffered.! Sammartino by some 70 pounds 400-425 pounds, so that explains why I do 6 sets of reps... His brothers and sisters perished under these conditions of course a six-day on. In the way retired Navy journalist had to follow in some big footsteps was good! 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All Rights Reserved, Western Pennsylvania 's trusted news source men.Bruno Sammartino wrestling and power training, does! Sammartino Movie - the Authorized Biography of wrestling & # x27 ; s Greatest champion celebrate his.... Enjoyed weight training and soon started entering Olympic lifting and powerlifting big Bill '' shares wisdom... Done in the bench press I do 6 sets of 5 with heavy dumbbells publications such as the Review. Me all the way pro wrestling was accustomed to strong, because we associate it with an of. Exercise in my power routine is incline dumbbell presses build his body tire... Around 300, and Dave Draper DeFrancisco Twice a week Oly lifting Alan O'Brien ( 1957.! Supplements that actually work 's trusted news source I 'll do an endurance set for pump, as I this! Adopted land was not until 1949 that the Sammartinos were all reunited in... Because we associate it with an aesthetic of powerlifting, explains Chow the 'net since 1999 215! From one punch from Bruno Pennsylvania 's trusted news source consider the Well! Disable cookies, this site will not work properly Actor: wwf SmackDown!, he would workout regularly Arnold.