When Charlotte Flair did the cover of Muscle & Fitness Hers in 2015, she looked cool and collected on the outside, but the daughter of pro-wrestling icon Ric Flair was still busy with life as a WWE Superstar inside. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into or what I was trying to achieve,” she says. "I started wrestling for my little brother and then the next thing you know is 'OK, I like that!' And 'OK, I go with it!'"
After excelling at college sports, the Charlotte, NC girl hadn't grown up planning on following her father's path, but this was her younger brother Reid's dream. When Reid met with WWE executives, Charlotte went with him and was also encouraged to follow the family business. But while walking the ropes offered an exciting future, Charlotte didn't immediately click with the sport. "Yeah, I'm Ric Flair's daughter, but just because he was a wrestler didn't mean I wanted to be a wrestler," she says. “(But) since I had the athletic background and played volleyball in college, athletics came naturally to me. I think that was the only thing that kept me in the game at the beginning. "
When Reid tragically died in 2013, Charlotte decided to give WWE her all and became the NXT Women's Champion 14 months later.
“I just dedicated everything to him,” she says. While some observers felt that WWE bosses would enjoy being part of the wrestling royalty, there were some high expectations for the offspring of a 16-time world wrestling champion. "I had a character and knew everything about wrestling, appearances and stage fright, none of which was a matter of course for me," recalls Flair. "But just being in the ring and being physical and being able to outdo or keep up with the other guys and girls in the ring ... when I started it was big for me."
Courtesy Roger Rojas
Train yourself for greatness
Today her list of accomplishments is a dream WWE resume. "Second Nature" has every right to be called Queen due to several world titles, a Royal Rumble victory and of course participation in the first all-female WrestleMania main event in 2019 alongside Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey. “Here I am and I did all of this in such a short time,” she says. "It's hard to imagine this shy girl (who had a cover shoot) in 2015 and then be here today." Charlotte was a personal trainer for three years before signing with WWE and had a good understanding of exercise and nutrition, but wrestling is her main focus these days. "I think I'd rather train a wrestler than be a fitness trainer," she says.
But how did Charlotte go from being a college student who was afraid of public speaking to wrestling in front of 80,000 fans? “It's about being nice to yourself,” says Flair. “How you talk to yourself is really important. I never thought I could be on TV or a performer or anything ... why did I tell myself that for so many years? And now here I am, the most highly decorated women's world champion of all time. Why do we tell ourselves that we can't do something? That's because we're scared of it. So do what you're afraid of. This greatest fear that you have ... do that! ”Says Flair. "When my music arrives, I transform into something else."
Courtesy Roger Rojas
A flair for the big screen?
With the wrestling world at her feet, what should the Queen accomplish next? Will she follow her superstar contemporaries Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and John Cena and make a name for herself in Hollywood? “I don't want to force it,” says Flair. “But then it's like, 'Wait. Don't I want to force it because I'm scared? "So I'm going to start with acting classes, and when the roles come and I'm selected, I'd like to be in an action movie or play a superhero or something."
Being in superhero form all year round is part of the job of a WWE Superstar for Charlotte Flair. “I've just turned 35 and I want to be in the best shape of my life,” she says. "I did CrossFit and was really interested in running in college, but right now I love bodybuilding."
As Flair matured, she learned to slow down her workouts rather than rushing movements and taking the time to isolate different parts of the body. “You have to follow a system and follow it and be regulated,” she says. The Queen first fell in love with Olympic weightlifting when she came to WWE to mimic John Cena's workout and has since understood the effects of every move. “I'm like, OK, can I get a bigger butt? Can I get bigger shoulders? ”She asks herself with each repetition.
To complement her bodybuilding, Charlotte Flair alternates between regular cardio and HIIT circuits 3 days a week. When COVID gyms closed, she converted her garage into a gym, spinning tires, jumping rope and riding a bike. “I ride a bike with an app that lets us skip 20 seconds in and 20 seconds out, or I drive through the park. We do pull-ups, dips and push-ups before we start training. ”Despite wrestling in the very first Hell in a Cell match for women and using her body consistently, Flair still feels as healthy as ever. “I was a gymnast when I was younger, and it takes something to know your body, how to hold and balance it,” she says.
Courtesy Roger Rojas
Fitness, future and female inspiration
Since her last "M&F" shoot in 2015, Charlotte Flair has also been concentrating on her diet, distributing five meals a day and recently swapping potatoes for tortillas. “It's about portion control,” she says. "It depends what your goals are." For breakfast, Flair has protein-fortified oatmeal, then for lunch she can choose steak with two tortillas and cactus, then maybe a chicken dish with half a cup of rice, pickles and lettuce. She also likes chicken with asparagus.
Whatever the future holds for the wrestling greatness, her journey undoubtedly serves as an inspiration for women looking to reach their own potential.
“Being strong and being a badass in the gym is sexy,” says Flair. "I think so many women are scared of putting on weight because they say, 'Oh my God, I could grow up!" "
, you don't get big ... you get sexy!
