WWE chairman Vince McMahon became the front cover of the iconic Muscle & Fitness magazine in 2006 when he was 60 years old. This March, he graces the cover a second time around at nearly 70 years old!
David Pecker, chairman of American Media Inc., which publishes Muscle & Fitness, said, “I’m 63 and have spent the better part of my life committed to an exercise regimen, yet I can’t help but think, I hope I look that good at 69! Making his physical achievement all the more impressive is the fact that Vince doesn’t have the luxury of time. Running WWE is more a lifestyle than a career — but one in which fitness figures prominently. So prominently, in fact, that it’s not unusual to find Vince pounding the iron at hours when the rest of us are fast asleep.”
The magazine’s editor in chief, Shawn Perine, told readers about the cover shoot: “What impresses me as much as Vince’s physique is his humility regarding it. Like a true bodybuilder, he sees in himself not so much the amazing physical specimen that had everyone at that shoot awestruck, but room for improvement. I believe it’s this mindset that makes him the amazing success that he is, both physically and in life. And I believe that if you always stay hungry like Vince, you too will be sure to experience great success.”
With a body fat of five percent, McMahon’s 240-pound body is ripped with bulging muscles. “I was 14 and Steve Reeves had just done Hercules. I was motivated by him. He had an amazing physique,” McMahon recalled how he got started in weight training.
“Age really doesn’t have anything to do with it. I’ll be 70 in August. I had a personal best a few weeks ago on the incline Hammer Strength machine. I did reps with 450. It’s important to make gains, but it’s important to be safe. If you have an injury in the gym, it sets you back so much it’s not worth whatever gain you were going to make. That’s why strict form is so important. It’s about the form, not the weight,” McMahon explains.
I certainly look disapprovingly on gym jerks who scream and grunt to attract attention, including those who lift heavier than they can, then drop the weights or plates. Time and time again when I compare notes with other gym operators, including Ivanko founder and owner Tom Lincir, we all agree on one thing: those who drop the weights should be ejected from the gym. I’m happy McMahon shares the same view.
“I consider the gym church. It’s sacred ground. When you walk in there, you walk in with respect, and everyone is welcome. It doesn’t matter what your body type is. But if you’re screaming and growling and dropping your weights, I’ll show you the door. Stay away from the muscleheads who are growling. That’s not allowed in my gym. Another thing that’s not allowed in my gym are cell phones,” he describes how he runs his corporate WWE gym.
McMahon had a rough childhood. His father, wrestling promoter Vincent James McMahon, left him and his mother when he was just a baby. Growing up, his stepfather Leo Lupton used to beat his mother. Vince would always try to defend her and fight back, but Lupton would just beat him as well from as early as six years old. While it was not easy, Vince put up with it with the hopes of someday escaping his stepfather and becoming his own man.
It was only on a trip to visit his real father when he was 12 years old that Vince McMahon discovered what would become his lifelong passion. He met his dad who was then working as a promoter for Capitol Wrestling Corporation and immediately wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. He would tag along to watch matches at the Madison Square Garden and fell in love with the wrestling universe.
At first, McMahon wanted to become a professional wrestler, but his dad did not approve. His father believed that promoters should not appear on the show and should stay away from actual wrestling. For many years, McMahon enjoyed working quietly behind the scenes. However, McMahon just couldn’t stay away from the ring.
He debuted as an announcer in 1971 and in the late 1990s started becoming heavily involved in the World Wrestling Federation’s storylines as the evil Mr. McMahon who used his power against whoever opposed him. Wrestling fans will always remember Mr. McMahon for his cocky, egotistical on-screen persona. With his signature strut towards the ring and his raging temper, Vince McMahon perfectly played the guy that everybody loved to hate.
Love him or hate him, there is no doubt that Vince McMahon has changed the world of professional wrestling. WWF would eventually be known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). As chairman and CEO, he transformed WWE from a regionally run business in the ’80s to a national, mainstream entertainment phenomenon. He pioneered the use of pay-per-views for sporting events, not only changing wrestling but also changing spectator sports for decades to come.
Today, McMahon runs the biggest professional wrestling company in the world. He built his empire from the ground up and has proven that he does not let anything get in his way — not even his age. Vince McMahon, who is turning 70 in five months, is fit and ripped as ever. His passion for wrestling extends to fitness and bodybuilding, which are integral parts of the wrestling culture and lifestyle.
How many 70-year-olds can boast a 700-pound squat? Now recovering from a double quad tear, McMahon is currently at a 560-pound squat building back up to 600 pounds. Amazing! Know more about his workout in the March issue of Muscle & Fitness, and be truly inspired.
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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.