The world of professional wrestling demands peak physical condition, and few embody this more than Cody Rhodes. His impressive physique and in-ring prowess are a testament to his dedication, with his diet and workout routines playing crucial roles. Rhodes’ transformation is largely attributed to his rigorous workout regimen. Staying physically fit is a unique journey for everyone. What works for Rhodes might not work for everyone.
Rhodes' Rise to the Top
Cody Rhodes' journey in professional wrestling has been nothing short of remarkable. After requesting his release from WWE in 2016, Rhodes ventured into the independent wrestling scene, proving his mettle and ambition. He teamed up with The Young Bucks to create "All In," a groundbreaking pay-per-view event that sold out Chicago's Sears Centre Arena in under 30 minutes, marking the first non-WWE wrestling event to sell over 10,000 tickets since 1993.
This success paved the way for the creation of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where Rhodes serves as an executive vice president and a prominent on-screen performer. Rhodes tells GQ. “I’ve seen the promise it has, and I’ve been made promises in wrestling, by wrestling. So just the idea that AEW is now expanding and has had this continued growth, it really puts things in this vein of, This is such a big responsibility. We built this, people have come, people have come back, and now the hardest work really begins.”
The Importance of Diet
Rhodes emphasizes the importance of consistent eating habits, especially with his demanding schedule. A big thing as a wrestler is you have to allow yourself the time where you’re not just jamming a protein bar into your mouth on the way to the gym. For him, this means prioritizing regular meals and making smart choices even when on the road.
Rhodes' Dietary Preferences and Schedule
In an interview with GQ, Rhodes revealed that he prioritizes breakfast as an integral part of his daily routine. “I’m an egg whites guy. Basic, dry wheat toast guy. I don’t really have any breakfast meat because of the sodium and added salt.” Rhodes revealed that he eats every three hours to maintain his physique and daily calorie intake. He generally opts for a white meal over heavier options like Korean beef or steak. For me, I’m not able to do, like, Korean beef or a steak. It just feels too heavy on me. It almost feels heavy in my chest. So it’s almost always white meat.
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As a professional wrestler, Rhodes often has to travel between cities for his work, making it challenging to maintain a consistent diet. However, he has found a workaround for this. When dining out, Rhodes makes healthier choices by omitting certain ingredients from his meals. Like, if we’re getting ready for a pay-per-view and you want to dial it in even further, that’s where I start taking sauces out and that’s where [eating] becomes a little miserable.
Rhodes' Unique Food Choices and Challenges
Interestingly, Rhodes also admits to not being a fan of vegetables. While diet plays a crucial role in maintaining physique, it’s just as important to have an equally intense workout routine. The food that’s tricky for me is broccoli. I always have it, but sometimes it has to be disguised for me. We did, like, a cauliflower rice with shredded broccoli in it at one point because I hate vegetables. Not to be another statistic, but I hate the taste of them. My trainer tries to trick me into eating vegetables quite often. I know their value, especially if you don’t want that heaviness in your stomach all day, but I hate vegetables.
Staying Disciplined on the Road
One key obstacle for pro wrestlers is maintaining their diets while traveling constantly from show to show, but the pandemic halted the touring aspect of your industry. I have to imagine that one of the few positives of that situation was the opportunity to eat and train like a normal person for the first time in a long time. When the pandemic started, I wasn’t sure what would happen. I think everyone assumed it would be a couple months, and of course it ended up being far longer than that.
We at AEW basically had a residency in Jacksonville at Dailey’s Place and you really saw a lot of people get into the best shape of their careers. (Same with WWE at Amway Center and their performance center.) Being able to just kind of stay in one spot-if you didn’t get in good shape during the pandemic, I think it was on you. If you’re overseas where the food and dietary restrictions change. I know if I go to the UK, there’s not a lot of late-night options but there are the kebab shops where I can get protein and rice. I don’t have to get cheese and chips, and I can walk away from that feeling like at least I did my part.
Cody Rhodes' Workout Routine
While diet plays a crucial role in maintaining physique, it’s just as important to have an equally intense workout routine. Rhodes’ main workout consists of three rounds with 30 seconds of rest between rounds. Staying physically fit is a unique journey for everyone. What works for Rhodes might not work for everyone.
Read also: Weight Loss Journey
"Cody Cutter" Workout with Sheamus
In episode 127 of the hit YouTube series “Celtic Warrior Workouts,” host Sheamus was joined by Cody Rhodes. Both wrestlers are currently among the best in the world in the squared circle, and their phenomenal shapes are partly responsible for that.
In this workout, filmed on location at Rhodes’ Nightmare Factory wrestling school and gym in McDonough, GA, Sheamus and Rhodes were joined by bodybuilder and trainer “Little Thunder” Carolyn Cuellari, who led the session. “We’re going to do two exercises per workout and superset everything,” explained Cuellari before starting a warm-up designed to extend their range of motion without taxing the muscles.
The Workout Breakdown
The "Cody Cutter" workout is designed to be intense and effective, focusing on building strength and endurance.
Warm-Up:
- Air squats- 10 reps
- Hand release Push-Ups- 10 reps
- Renegade Rows- 10 reps (5 on each side)
- Walking Lunges
Strength Training Workout:
Three rounds with 30 seconds of rest between rounds of:
- Superset: Leg Extensions - x 12-15 | Leg Curl x 12-15
- Superset: Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - x 12-15 | Seated Rows x 12-15
- Superset: Plate Presses - x 12-15 | EZ Bar Overhead Triceps Extensions x 12-15
- Superset: Seated Shoulder Press - x 12-15 | Lateral Raises - x 12-15
- Superset: EZ Bar Biceps Curls - x 12-15 | Hammer Curls - x 12-15
Finisher:
- Plate Push
Rhodes' Personal Training Philosophy
Rhodes recently fully recovered from a torn pectoral muscle sustained during a bench press in training. Show muscles have to be go muscles - nutrition, hydration, and conditioning. Since then, “The American Nightmare” has learned to take greater care with muscle-building.
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Cuellari is a big fan of taking reps to full extension, so during the seated rows, the bodybuilder made sure that Rhodes leaned forward to stretch his lats before contracting for each rep. “We’re working secondary muscles, too,” shared Cuellari, such as the biceps.
For the shoulder press, the wrestlers were advised to keep their palms facing forward and their elbows angled at 90 degrees. By alternating the grip on the curls, the trio hit the biceps from different angles, activating each head of the biceps. Sheamus felt the burn in his quads. “Slow and steady,” advised Cuellari.
Weight Loss Journey
For fans of WWE, Cody Rhodes is a name that commands attention. Known as “The American Nightmare,” Rhodes has risen to prominence with his electrifying performances, passion, and undeniable charisma in the ring. But recently, his transformation has gone beyond his wrestling persona, as Rhodes has embarked on an inspiring weight loss journey that has captivated the attention of fans and media alike.
The Turning Point and Motivation
It wasn’t always about weight for Cody Rhodes. As a professional wrestler, his physique has always been an essential part of his brand, and he worked hard to maintain it. However, Cody’s turning point came after years of feeling like his physical health could be better. Rhodes found himself pushing through fatigue and dealing with a body that felt sluggish and less responsive. Despite his achievements, including a spectacular run in AEW and his eventual return to WWE, he felt that something was missing.
“I didn’t want to just be the guy who could do a great match. I wanted to be someone who felt great and could perform at my peak every night,” Cody reflected. “It was time for me to take things more seriously off the mat too.
The Strategy: Diet and Exercise
Cody Rhodes’ weight loss journey began with an intense focus on health. His transformation wasn’t about shedding pounds for aesthetic purposes; it was about creating sustainable change that would benefit his body and improve his performance. Determined to improve his physique, Cody set out to lose weight by adopting a combination of a stricter diet and a focused exercise regimen. “I didn’t want to just cut weight for the sake of it. I wanted to feel better.
He began by overhauling his diet. The key, according to Cody, was discipline and balance. “I started counting my macros, focusing on lean proteins, healthy fats, and minimizing carbs. But I had to be smart about it. His diet was also paired with regular training that focused on high-intensity workouts. Instead of focusing solely on weight lifting, he incorporated cardio, agility drills, and functional movements designed to improve both strength and endurance. “I knew I had to get my heart rate up, not just build muscle.
The Results and Impact
Cody’s hard work paid off. In a matter of months, he dropped his body fat percentage from 17.7% to under 9%, a transformation that shocked his fans and peers. “The difference was night and day,” Cody said, reflecting on how he felt after the transformation. “I felt more explosive, faster, and more powerful. My body felt like a finely tuned machine. This physical change was visible to his fans as well. As Rhodes made his return to the WWE, many noticed his leaner and more defined physique. But the weight loss wasn’t just about looking better. “It was about confidence,” Cody explained. “Losing weight made me feel more confident in my own skin. It wasn’t about fitting into a certain mold or looking like someone else.
Overcoming Challenges
As with any weight loss journey, the process wasn’t without its challenges. Cody had to contend with long hours, travel, and the physical demands of being a top-tier wrestler. “There were days when I thought, ‘I’m never going to reach this goal.’ But that’s where the mental part of it came in,” Cody admitted. “The hardest part is pushing through the doubts. He also learned to incorporate mindfulness into his routine, understanding that mental clarity was just as important as physical fitness. “I’ve always said, wrestling is 50% physical and 50% mental. That balance is key to staying on top of your game. My weight loss was just the beginning. This mental shift proved to be a game-changer.
Rhodes' Advice for Others
Cody emphasizes consistency, discipline, and the importance of mental clarity in achieving long-term health goals. He says that a key is somewhere right in the middle. Especially if you’re overseas where the food and dietary restrictions change. I know if I go to the UK, there’s not a lot of late-night options but there are the kebab shops where I can get protein and rice. I don’t have to get cheese and chips, and I can walk away from that feeling like at least I did my part.
Lessons Learned
Rhodes has received a lot of advice over the years, both good and bad.
Good Advice
I was a tag partner with Bob Holly [in 2007] and we didn’t have anything in common at all, but he was the first guy who explained to me that I needed to sleep six-and-a-half hours minimum and that we needed to go to the gym on workdays. He was a high-volume guy and he was big on not being afraid to eat. That was really helpful.
The other piece of advice: Triple H actually asked me once to write down what I eat over the course of a day. I wrote it down, gave it to him on a little yellow legal pad, and he just circled what was good, what wasn’t, and why. Both of those guys were really helpful for me because they could tell I had never really worked out. If you’re wrestling 15 minutes each night plus you’re at the gym and cardio is part of your workout, you’re going to have to eat. Otherwise, by the time you get through a loop on the road, you’ll have lost, I’m not kidding, 10 to 15 pounds. You don’t want that, and they were both very helpful about explaining that you can’t be afraid to eat.
Bad Advice
The same exact advice: Don’t be afraid to eat. Except it was from Randy Orton. Randy Orton’s idea of “Don’t be afraid to eat” was… Having pancakes wasn’t the way to go. He had a different body. The mesomorph-type body he has, trying to model what I was doing after him was never going to work. So it was the same exact advice, but someone abusing it and someone not.