WWE superstar Edge recently spoke with GQ to discuss his exercise routine and how he prepared for his return to in-ring action. The Hall of Famer breaks down his eating habits, and recalls his step-by-step journey into creating the physique he has now. He also states that he wants this year’s WrestleMania 36 matchup against Randy Orton to be his best ever. Highlights are below.
Pressure on returning and looking good physically:
A lot of pressure, but pressure that I put on myself, for sure. And I’m excited to talk about this because it all started with changing my diet. You can’t out-train a bad diet. For years, I didn’t adhere to a strict diet. I ate okay, but I didn’t eat great. And I trained but, eh… I was retired from wrestling!
Getting healthy prior to being cleared to return to action:
It was. I just wanted to get healthy. And as I started to get healthy, it really started dawning on me. Like, Hold on a second. I feel great! I’m doing these fight scenes on Vikings [Ed: a show on the History channel, Edge plays a character named Kjetill Flatnose] and feeling fine. I’m wiping out on my mountain bike and feeling fine. I can look fine, but feeling fine is a different thing. I realized wrestling might actually be possible again. But it all started with the diet.
Meal prep:
In the mornings leading up to the Royal Rumble, I’d have six hard-boiled eggs—just the whites. Then I would do Nutrition Solutions’ protein pancakes and a Dave’s English muffin. That was my breakfast, and three hours later, I would have my first proper meal. Throughout the day, I’d usually have two or three more proper meals. Lots of rice and chicken, and my last meal would typically be meat and a vegetable—like five ounces of sirloin and asparagus.
This year’s Mania:
Honestly, I want this to be my best WrestleMania match ever. That’s what I’m going for. I want to blow people’s minds, man. I really do. I want to come back at 46 years old and be in the shape that I always wanted to be in. Right now, I have it all dialed in. My diet is now taken off my plate, so I can fully concentrate on telling the story I want to tell. I want to bring elements that I learned on Vikings, that I learned on The Flash, that I learned on Haven, and bring them into a wrestling match. By the time this is all done, however long it lasts, my goal is that people will say, “He was better now than he was then.”