“I Was 12 Years Old”: John Cena Addressed How His Bodybuilding Past Gave Him a Valuable Asset That Made Him WWE’s Franchise Star for Two Decades

The WWE has had a plethora of stars, but only a few left an impact on the sport as much as John Cena. Apart from winning the World Champion 16 times- a joint record- he has made a successful transition into films. And much like other big names, Cena’s routine wasn’t devoid of discipline. However, he started at a very tender age.

John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. was just 12 when he decided to lift weights. Before wowing the WWE audience with his in-ring athleticism and versatile mic game, Cena was a budding bodybuilder. Needless to say, Cena put in the hard yards. In an interview with GQ, the Peacemaker reminisced about his initial days. “I started lifting weights in a dedicated fashion when I was 12 years old. If you do the math, I’m coming up on 35 years of that,” Cena told the magazine earlier this year.

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He also revealed that pro wrestling allowed him to remain healthy as he had to be there for the shows.

John Cena “was conned” into becoming a competitive bodybuilder

For a guy who weighs 251 pounds and stands at 6-ft 1-inch, The Cenation Leader can bench press an impressive 463 pounds. As revealed by WWE legend The Big Show, Cena features on his list of the top three strongest guys he has worked with. It’s difficult to lift that heavy without rigorous training like Cena’s. However, the F9 star once said he “was conned” into competitive bodybuilding.

Appearing on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ in 2015, Cena revealed how bodybuilding happened for him. He said it was his grandfather who convinced Cena’s father to buy a weight bench for little John. He was 12 years old at that time. “…finally got the confidence to start going to a gym and then they kind of conned me into becoming a competitive bodybuilder,” the legendary WWE Champion shared.

Cena fell into “weird depression” after losing weight

It is no secret that John Cena and legendary martial artist Jackie Chan once shot a movie together, which is yet to be released. However, the lesser-known fact is Cena fell into a “weird depression” while training for the movie.

He told GQ that he couldn’t kick over his head, which led him to train with Jackie Chan for three months. Cena said he was “stretched like taffy”, resulting in the weight loss.“I immediately lost 20 pounds, which was very difficult for me. I even fell into a weird depression because it was like I’m losing everything that I worked on for 30 years!” he said.

On the contrary, he revealed, it helped him “walk taller”. He said he experienced less pain and was more flexible and that changed his life in many ways. Following his experience with Chan, Cena has changed the way he lifts. Speaking about his future, he said, “I’m trying to be able to lift weights when I’m 80, so I need to take a little bit more care of myself for the long term.”

The WWE legend said he still follows his daily routine but doesn’t lift as heavy as he once used to. His workout sessions are incomplete without 40 minutes to an hour of stretching as it allows him “to walk out of the gym upright and feeling good”.

Earlier this year, Cena celebrated 20 years at the WWE. It takes a special kind of dedication to be at the top of your game for two decades. Many have set foot inside the squared-circle and had a great run for a year or two. Only a few, like Cena, have remained consistent for a long period.

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