The holiday season is about spending quality time with loved ones, and for WWE Superstars (and husband-and-wife duo) Karrion Kross and Scarlett, sometimes that bonding takes place inside a gym.
The pair recently took to fellow WWE Superstar Sheamus’ Celtic Warrior Workouts YouTube series to showcase a full-body workout they regularly perform together on the road. Check out the full video below:
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We’re here to work out, burn fat, [and] build muscle as a couple.
At the start of the video, the couple talked about how they initially met on the independent wrestling scene before moving to the Mexico-based wrestling promotion AAA and, eventually, WWE. Nowadays, the lethal lovebirds rule over SmackDown on Friday nights.
Karrion and Scarlett’s “Sexy Violence” Couples Workout
Here’s a summary of the workout, followed by a breakdown of each move.
The Lifts
- Bench-Assisted Hip Thrusts: 3 x 8-12
- Smith Machine Squats: 3 x 8-12
- Barbell Bench Press: 3 x 8-12
- Seated Lat Pulldowns: 3 x 8-12
- Seated Cable Rows: 3 x 8-12
- Dumbbell Military Presses: 3 x 8-12
- Assisted Triceps Dips: 3 x 8-12
- Cable Biceps Curls: 3 x 8-12
The Core Work
- Sit-Ups: 1 x 25
- Crossed-Arm Crunches: 1 x 25
- Side-To-Side Obliques: 1 x 25
- Leg Raises: 1 x 25
- Plank: 60 seconds
The Finisher
- Farmer’s Walk: 60 seconds with a partner on your back
Here are some tips Kross and Scarlett provided for each move.
Bench-Assisted Hip Thrust
Kross notes that his feet are shoulder-width apart before backing up onto the bench to provide the proper base for the lift.
Get as low as possible. You want a full extension, so bridge all the way up [and] hold.
In the same way that trees need roots, Kross says people need strong glutes and hips for a solid foundation of strength.
Scarlett performs the hip thrust next, pointing out that you should tuck your chin to look straight ahead. Scarlett and Kross explain that form is more important than the weight you move here.
“Guys, if you go too heavy on any exercise, you’ll use connective tissue to move the weight,” Kross says. “You’re going to break down tendons and ligaments. You’re not hitting the muscle.”
“It’s OK to start with the bar,” Scarlett suggests.
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Smith Machine Squats
“Get as low as possible,” Scarlett says of the Smith machine squats. “Squeeze (your glutes) at the top.” She explains that the contraction is what grows your muscles. The WWE Superstar keeps her spine straight to protect her lower back and points out that if your form begins to suffer, it’s always wise to lower the weight.
“You’ll find that everyone has a different type of [mobility] range,” Kross adds, noting that you should never sacrifice that upright posture to get lower on your squat.
Bench Press
Kross has a history of shoulder issues, so his approach to the bench press is highly conservative. He only works up to 135 pounds and has Scarlett spot him the entire way. Kross maintains a slower, controlled tempo with each rep, concentrating on time under tension rather than quick bursts of brute force.
Seated Lat Pulldown
A tight, upright posture is key to lat pulldowns, and Scarlett stays relatively planted throughout each set rather than rocking back and forth every rep. Another tip, according to Scarlett, is to bring the bar down to your chest each time, which helps achieve full contraction to get the most out of the move.
Seated Rows
Kross and Sheamus alternate between an underhand and overhand grip when performing each set. You can even throw in a side-to-side grip for the final set if you have an appropriate bar, such as a multi-grip bar.
Dumbbell Military Presses
Here, the three Superstars lift in unison as Scarlett counts the reps. You’ll notice the weights are relatively light, focusing on proper form throughout the 10 to 12 reps.
Assisted Triceps Dips
“The majority of these exercises are compound movements,” Kross explains. “Meaning that you’re hitting multiple muscle groups. That’s why this [workout] is also so effective for weight loss [and] mobility, and, again, doing this routine three times a week improves everything.”
Kross helps Scarlett by suggesting that she grips the parallel bars at their narrowest point, so her elbows are closer to her body as she dips. This prevents the elbows from flaring too much and puts more emphasis on the triceps.
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Cable Biceps Curls
These cable biceps curls go down like many other exercises in the video: There’s a focus on straight, consistent posture, controlled breathing, and slow reps with proper form throughout.
Kross shares that gaining muscle was a slow process for him for years, but once he discovered compound lifts, they “changed [his] entire body composition.”
Core Work
To round out their core work, Scarlett mounts Kross to weigh him down further on his 60-second plank. “This is marriage,” Kross jokes. When Scarlett’s turn comes, she planks with a barbell plate on her back.
For Sheamus’ turn, Kross summons the fighting Irishman’s WWE “Fight Night” partner, Ridge Holland, to sit on his back. Sheamus planks with the 253-pound Holland for the full 60 seconds, showing that the future Hall of Famer still has plenty of gas in the tank.
The Finisher: Farmer’s Walk
This finisher is simple: Kross walks around the facility for 60 seconds with Scarlett on his back. Sheamus, the video’s third wheel, draws the short straw and winds up roping a hulking gym-goer into hopping on his back. It’s not a traditional farmer’s walk by any stretch, but it gets the job done.
More WWE Workouts
Sheamus’ Celtic Warrior Workout channel offers new gym routines nearly every week. Here are a few recent ones you might have missed:
- WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley Takes Sheamus Through Her “Nightmare” Biceps and Triceps Workout
- WWE’s Raquel Rodriguez Pushes Sheamus to the Limit With Her “Back and the Beast” Workout
- WWE Superstar Austin Theory Demonstrates His “All Day” Arm Workout for Huge Pythons
Featured Image: @Sheamus on Instagram