For the superstars of the WWE women's division, life can get busy fast. Between travelling on the road, filming the reality television show Total Divas and finding time to workout, it might seem hard to get it all done. The National caught up with superstars Alicia Fox and Natalya to discuss finding the perfect balance, where they see the WWE's women's division heading and their five top fitness tips.
What got you interested in sports entertainment and who were your favourite wrestlers growing up?
Alicia Fox: I became interested in sports entertainment after watching a couple of episodes of RAW and was like, you know what? Those girls are real strong and empowered women, I want to be that. I felt real confident in my athleticism. I felt why not, I might as well give it a try. It's a great platform to build from in regards to helping young girls achieve their goals. I definitely wanted to be a part of that. I watched many [wrestling] superstars but some who really stood out included (former WWE superstars) Beth Phoenix, Gail Kim and Mickie James. Obviously there's a million others but as a female, I really respected their hard work and I wanted to do the same and follow their footsteps.
Natalya: My favourite wrestlers were obviously, and it's kind of cliché, my family. I always loved watching my family wrestle. There's just something about when you're a little kid and turning on your TV set and seeing your dad or your uncles – I always thought it was such a cool thing seeing them on TV. I had a great sense of pride knowing my family was doing that. I also realise now that probably the reason why I enjoyed watching them was because my dad and uncle were really good. I also enjoyed watching Shawn Michaels, Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat – I loved his ring gear and how he breathed fire. When you're growing up, you do appreciate more of the showmanship as well.
What’s it like being a female wrestler in a mostly male-dominated industry?
Alicia: I feel it's very empowering because it's not just based on physical attributes but drive and everything else. I feel like men and women are created equal. We have the same drive, we train the same way, we bust our butts the same way. It's very empowering to be a part of something that is more male-driven even though females are very highly respected.
Natalya: When I was growing up, there weren't many women wrestlers. And you didn't have a women's division. You had a couple of females. For me, thankfully the women's division in the WWE had evolved so much and it's really symbolic of the way the WWE is – we grow and change and evolve with time. We can just see how much the company has grown overall.
With the Divas championship rebranded as the Women's Championship and rising stars from NXT making their way up these days, where do you see women's wrestling heading in the WWE?
Alicia: The sky's the limit. I feel as though there's no glass ceiling here. Going forward with the new superstars coming up, I feel as though it's a fresh new brand, a fresh new start, a fresh new platform for all the superstars – current and upcoming. So it's really nice to kind of be able to grow together.
Natalya: Just a year ago, a year and a half ago, the women weren't featured as much, we weren't getting as much time on TV. Our focus wasn't really on wrestling. And now the division is really all about women's wrestling and there's talk about getting two titles on RAW and Smackdown. That's huge. For me, I'm just grateful I didn't miss the boat completely on this time frame because it's been a struggle in the last seven to eight years trying to find where I fit in and my place in WWE. My strength and my love is wrestling so being able to have the company embrace that means everything to me.
What advice would you offer women who are interested in a similar career path?
Alicia: Keep your head up high and keep faith in yourself because there's a lot of people who walk on the waters of doubt and confusion but they all overcome certain obstacles.
Natalya: It's great to want to do what we do. The truth is, it is amazing. The job is absolutely amazing. You get to travel the world, meet extrodianrary people and have the time of your life in the ring. But leading up to it – it's a lot of hard work. Every day is hard. You have to be prepared to travel a lot, travelling 250 days a year. You have to like travelling and be athletic and like being a showman. You have to like performing. You have to have charisma and personality. You cannot pass in this industry if you are not athletic. It's still a sport; even just running the ropes is hard.
With all the travelling that goes on year round as a WWE Superstar, what is a typical day like for you on the road?
Alicia: For me, it would be waking up and hitting the gym first. Not just because my fitness is my priority but also because it's just part of my routine and it's got to to get done and I'm happy to get it done in the morning. This is followed by some food. I like to read a lot. I definitely take time to do that and work on my mind and not just my body.
Natalya: Now that we have the brand split I would leave my home around 5am, catch a flight by 7, to the next town – wherever it might be. I'd then find a gym and work out – I have to warm up my body because I have to wrestle later that night. Then I'll go to the grocery store and grab some healthy snacks because I don't want to eat fast food on the road. Then I get to the arena and sign some autographs for the fans. Then I start preparing for my match that night. After I perform, I go on to the next town. I enjoy what I'm doing, I have fun at what I'm doing. It's my passion so it doesn't really feel like work.
What’s a typical day like at the gym (what kind of workout do you do)?
Natalya: My coach, Rob Mcintyre, trained Olympians and (fellow WWE wrestlers) John Cena, Nikki Bella, Cesaro, and the list goes on. He has helped streamline my workout through an app he's designed called Mogy. If I have only half an hour, I'll go into my app find a workout that he's designed for me and focus on just a few lifts. I'll focus on doing a few Olympic lifts that work my whole body. The workout is very important so that I warm-up my body for a match. I'll go into Rob's app and I'll find three lifts I like: I'll do a clean and jerk combo, I'll do some Olympic dead lifts and some squats. If I don't have a lot of time, I won't lift really heavy, I'll lift for reps. If I have more time, I lift heavier weights. I have a weightlifting belt I wear. It's really awesome. The Olympic lift helped me a lot with my in-ring performance. If I only have 30 minutes, Rob recommends low weight and high reps.
What are your five fitness tips for women?
Alicia Fox: Sleep, drinks lots of water, have a clean diet, stretch – it is very important because it helps keep your body intact – and be dedicated. Just stay focused and keep going.
Natalya: Find the balance. There are times where I'm up a few pounds and times I'm down a few pounds. If you want to eat a couple of extra snacks at a wedding, you have to be prepared to burn it off. But you should enjoy your life too. I don't restrict myself especially when we're filming Total Divas or I'm on vacation. Sometimes I want to enjoy myself but I know that I have to put in the work at the gym the next day.
Be consistent. A lot of women are all or nothing. They miss a day at the gym and they feel like they failed. There are times when I’m so busy where I’ll miss two or three days at the gym but I don’t beat myself up over it. I try to be consistent and work out four days a week.
Eat healthily. A bad diet will screw up an amazing workout plan. If you’re working out like crazy but eating terribly, you’re not going to get the results you want. What I found really maximised my results was just cleaning up my diet.
Switch it up. It’s important to do different things. Just because I like power lifting, it doesn’t mean I can’t go and do hot yoga. Doing different things will stimulate and challenge you.
Have fun. Do things you enjoy. And when you do things you enjoy, you’ll never feel like you’re really putting in the work. It’s the same as being a women wrestler in the WWE. When you enjoy it, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.
elau@thenational.ae
