In episode 125 of WWE Superstar Sheamus’ “Celtic Warrior Workouts” on YouTube, the 14-time WWE Women’s champion, Charlotte Flair, returns to take the “Fighting Irishman” through a grueling leg, back, and abs workout.
“I usually don’t try to go over an hour,” Flair says of her preferred workout duration. “My exercises have changed. I’m more focused on groups versus just full-body.”
This is in contrast to her first appearance on the show back in 2018, where Flair had a completely different mindset of going as heavy as possible during her hours-long gym sessions.
With WrestleMania 39 taking place on April 1-2, 2023, below is one of the workouts that Flair has used to prime herself for her SmackDown Women’s Championship match against Rhea Ripley in Hollywood:
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Charlotte Flair’s Leg, Back, and Abs Workout
The workout was filmed on location at the famed Mid-City Gym in New York City. Below is a list of the exercises the two performed, followed by a full breakdown of the moves.
- Pit Shark Belt Squat
- Hex Bar Deadlift
- Single-Leg Split Squat
- Adductor Machine
- Abdominal Work
- Pull-Ups — AMRAP
Workout Breakdown
The WWE duo completed a warm-up round of each exercise below, followed by four working sets. The goal was to execute 10-12 reps with each set.
Pit Shark Belted Squats
“What I’ve really focused on is my legs,” Flair says as she performs her squats. “Right now, I’m actually bulking.”
The Pit Shark — basically, a belt squat machine — differs from barbell squats since the belt setup provides more stability and offers a more controlled execution. It’s easier for people with back injuries since there’s no weight loaded across a user’s shoulders that compresses the spine.
Since the weights on these belt squats are lower to the ground, it requires greater hip extension and, therefore, more glute activation.
Hex Bar Deadlift
For hex bar deadlifts (a.k.a. trap bar deadlifts), the duo utilized half-hex bars, which make it easier to load the weights on and off.
“So, [with] normal hex bars, you have to lift the side up [to add the plates], which is a pain,” Sheamus says. “These ones, you can just flip them up, put the weight on, and flip them back.”
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Like the Pit Shark machine, trap bar deadlifts apply less pressure on the back while biasing the posterior chain. Trap bar deadlifts can be used to build strength and muscle in the upper back and traps, similar to the traditional deadlift.
Single-Leg Split Squat
The grapplers utilized a multifunctional single-leg squat rack and just their body weight for their split squats.
“I don’t even need any dumbbells,” Sheamus says, as his muscles feel the load during the first round.
As the rounds progressed, Sheamus noted that the lighter weights and shorter rest times test his stamina. Flair may have sought 10-12 reps, but she cranked out 20 with each leg. Inspired, Sheamus upped his game, too, hitting 15 reps on each side.
[RELATED: Best Leg Exercises]
Adductor Machine
For the 250-pound Celtic Warrior, getting positioned inside the thigh adductor machine is a workout in itself. The adductor machine is a favorite of bodybuilder Hunter Labrada, who emphasizes his inner thighs to give his legs a fuller appearance on stage.
For competitors like Sheamus and Flair, well-built adductors aid in overall lower-body strength to lift their fellow combatants in the squared circle.
Abdominal Work
For this portion of the workout, Flair utilizes a full-length punching bag in her abs routine, inserting it at the end of each round.
I usually like to superset abs [with] push-ups; just something supplemental.
The Smackdown Women’s Champion demonstrated an athletic set of eight heavy-bag sit-ups while Sheamus spotted. For his part, Sheamus switched out the heavy bag sit-ups for some hanging leg raises.
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[Related: WWE’s Liv Morgan Takes Fans Through Her Grueling Glute Workout]
Pull-Ups
Flair’s been improving her pull-up strength, so there’s no better way to end the day’s workout. Flair nailed four consecutive pull-ups, while Seamus hits six. There’s no hard rep goal here; instead, Flair just aims to do as many as she can to failure.
“You’re a 14-time world champ — there’s a reason for that,” Sheamus says. “You work your ass off… every single day.”
More Celtic Warrior Workouts
To keep up with the latest workouts from WWE Superstar Sheamus, check out the articles below:
- WWE’s Megan Morant Teaches Sheamus Marathon Training to Build Strength and Stamina
- Understanding How WWE’s Finn Bálor and Sheamus’ Offset Training Improves Stability
- WWE Superstars Braun Strowman and Sheamus Crush a “Monster” Shoulder Workout
Featured Image: @Sheamus on Instagram
