In episode 119 of YouTube’s “Celtic Warrior Workouts,” host Sheamus reunited with his stablemates, Butch (real name: Pete Dunne) and Ridge Holland (Luke Menzie), for a grueling full-body “banger” of a workout filmed on location at WWE’s legendary private company gym at its headquarters in Stamford, CT.
There were countless magazine spreads of former WWE CEO Vince McMahon and wrestling icons Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior pumping iron in that gym throughout the 80s. The décor is just as retro as ever. With the biggest wrestling promotion in the world moving into a shiny new facility down the road, this could have been the last workout piece shot there. The “Brawling Brutes” ensured it was an absolute “Banger!” Check out the workout below:
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The “Full Body Banger” Workout
Below are the exercises within this workout, followed by a breakdown of the process.
Warm-Up
- Walkout, dynamic stretches as demonstrated, walk-in — three sets.
- Scap Push-ups — six to eight reps
- Standard Push-ups — six to eight reps
- Rotator Cuff Stretches — 15 Seconds
- “Y” Handcuffs — six to eight reps
- Thera-Band Terminal Knee Extensions — 20 reps with each leg
Workout
- Assisted Split Squat — two sets of six to eight reps
- Superset: Pit Shark Romanian Deadlift and Dumbbell Floor Press — eight to 12 reps and 21 reps, respectively
- Triset:
- Incline Dumbbell Row to failure
- Plate Trap Raise — seven reps
- Zottman Curl — seven reps
The Finisher
- Circuit:
- Cable “X” Extension — 12 to 15 reps
- Seesaw Lat Raise — seven reps
- Cuban Press — seven reps
- Hammer Curl — seven reps
- RKC Planks
Workout Breakdown
Former personal trainer and Rugby League player Ridge Holland led a mobility-based warm-up that called for dynamic stretching exercises coupled with the “walkout” and “walk back.” These moves build core strength and improve flexibility in the hip flexors and pectorals. Holland and gang undertook scap and standard push-ups to loosen the shoulders before advancing to rotator cuff stretches, held for 15 seconds. They also included a “Y” Handcuff sequence.
I always get a pump in my shoulders doing that. It’s great.
Butch prefers to spread his fingertips when executing push-ups to help distribute the load.
Next up was a go-to for Holland: Thera-Band Terminal Knee Extensions (TKE). Having undergone several knee surgeries, the man from Yorkshire, England, praises this move’s ability to safely work the Vastus Medialis Muscle (VMO) above the kneecap.
Push into the floor and squeeze. You’ll feel the blood flow, get your legs really warmed up, and help to minimize those knee injuries.
Sheamus explained that warm-ups are essential and should not be rushed. They make the workout portion of the session more manageable. Since the trio are professional wrestlers, they emphasize functional training as much as they do hypertrophy.
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Assisted Split Squat
Butch, from Birmingham, England, first started training as a pro wrestler at age 12. He kicked off the main workout with an assisted split squat.
Feel the stretch at the bottom. Then drive with the front foot and then squeeze at the top.
Butch’s lifts are about quality over quantity. “Sometimes, depending on how I feel, one great set is better than doing three, four, five, six sets of just junk volume,” he shares. Butch told Sheamus that adding a pause at the bottom of the lift could help him to get a deeper stretch and create additional time under tension.
Pit Shark Romanian Deadlifts
Sheamus pointed out that not all gyms have a Pit Shark device, so this can be swapped out with any belt squat machine, depending on availability. As opposed to traditional squats or deadlifts, the Pit Shark decompresses the spine, says Holland, alleviating pressure. Thus making it a safer option, especially for those with neck or back issues.
Dumbbell Floor Press
“I like this because you just stop at the floor,” says Butch. “You can’t take the bar too far past, and it just minimizes the risk of injury.” He does seven reps with each arm and finishes with another seven reps using both arms. “Pause at the bottom, squeeze your chest at the top,” he told Sheamus.
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Incline Dumbbell Row, Plate Trap Raise, and Zottman Curl
Holland instructed the boys to hold the top of the row for 10 to 20 seconds before beginning with the reps and then working towards failure.
Notice when he rows, he’s pulling the weight up toward his pocket. We’re trying to hit our lats.
Holland noted that the weight lifted is less important than the stimulation of the targeted muscle. Hence, they don’t swing in their movement or use any momentum, only controlled reps during the lift’s concentric (load bearing) portion and a focused eccentric (muscle lengthening) portion of each move.
The Finisher
Having mostly behaved themselves during the workout, the “Brawling Brutes” finally gave in to temptation and tested each-others mettle with some friendly digs and jabs during the finisher. RKC planks closed the session — a move many might find to be more challenging as there is more tension in the upper body and increased core activation thanks to the positioning of the hips, as they are rotated rather than in a neutral position.
Featured image: @wwesheamus on Instagram
