John Cena is thinking long term. Now 49 and officially retired from WWE after stepping away from wrestling last year, the former champion has shifted his training focus away from simply lifting the heaviest weights possible and towards protecting his body for later life.
During his wrestling career, Cena needed to lift heavy – with his signature moves often requiring him to raise men who were much heavier men than him above his head. He worked especially hard to achieve such strength: comfortably squatting 180kg with perfect form for many reps, or achieve a 200kg bench press while at the peak of his powers.
But as he approaches 50, Cena says that kind of performance-specific strength is no longer the priority.
Why John Cena Changed His Training Approach
Instead, the actor and former wrestler is now focused on addressing years of accumulated wear and tear to stay healthy long term – something that should also support his increasingly busy acting career.
‘The priorities have shifted from training specifically to get ready for a physical performance,’ Cena told Men's Journal. ‘Now, I can really focus on correcting all the dings and scratches that I may have had over 23 years of physical performance. From trying to lift up giants, to trying to do a below-parallel squat at 85 years old.’
Mobility Has Become Cena’s Priority
As a result, mobility work has become a non-negotiable part of Cena’s routine. When time allows, he spends up to 45 minutes working through mobility exercises designed to address long-standing muscular and joint issues. Even on busy days, however, he still tries to fit in a few minutes.
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Gym training remains something Cena genuinely enjoys, but he no longer follows the rigid routines that defined his wrestling years. Instead, he now trains around his filming and work schedule, taking a far more flexible approach day to day.
That relaxed mindset, he says, is important for sustainability and recovery – something he now values above almost everything else.
‘I’m a person who loves opportunity, and as a sacrifice of that, stasis is out the window,’ he added. ‘If I were currently working on a movie for Netflix with Jen Garner, and the days were long, could I train after work? I can, but at the risk of eating into my recovery, which is the most important thing to do good work on camera.’
Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_
