👋 Hi! Tell us about yourself and your training
My name is Justin Andrews and I’m a 36-year-old professional wrestler, author, personal trainer and Air National Guardsmen currently living in Fountain, CO.
I grew up in a fitness-oriented family. My dad and his friends were always in the gym, we had weights at home and I’ve been playing sports for as long as I can remember. One of my first jobs was at a gym.
I joined the United States Marine Corps right after 9/11 and that, of course, only reinforced my love of hard, physical training. It’s always been part of my life, which made it very easy to incorporate when I began professional wrestling.
I did 13 years active duty before switching over to the Air National Guard to focus on my wrestling career.
⏱ Describe a typical day of training
I very much believe in the single body part theory of exercise.
I make sure to do at least 30 minutes of hard training, seven days a week. This has been extremely important as I have gotten older. Monday through Friday I warm up with 20-45 minutes (depending on the body part I am about to work) of light-to-moderate cardio before hitting the weights.
I very much believe in the single body part theory of exercise. Typically Monday will be quads, Tuesday Arms, Wednesday Shoulders and traps, Thursday Chest, Friday Back and Saturday will be my only multi-part day where I will hit hamstrings, abs, calves and any body part I feel is lagging.
After lifting I do a little more cardio, length and difficulty depending on how much body fat I’m holding.
Sundays are never for lifting but as I mentioned before, I make sure to do some hard training whether its wrestling training or a hard walk with my black lab, Apollo.
👊 How do you keep going and push harder?
The mirror is a great motivator! I’m lucky in that even when I was young and cocky, I still had a very critical eye on my own physique. Being a wrestler, I have to always be “larger than life” and in good shape.
As anyone over 35 knows, your body starts to decline pretty rapidly if you don’t stay on top of it. The discipline I learned in the Marine Corps also keeps me from slacking off.
🏆 How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
I was blown up in Afghanistan in 2009 and broke my back. The fact that here I am, 11 years later, not only getting around but still wrestling and training is something I consider pretty great in and of itself. But I’m pretty much pain-free and my range of motion is fantastic.
I feel great in general, which is pretty rare for someone with 17 years in the military and 15 years in the professional wrestling business.
My goal was to be signed by a major wrestling promotion by the end of 2020, but with the COVID-19 shutting down a lot of live events, I have shifted that goal to 2021.
My preference is All Elite Wrestling or the National Wrestling Alliance, but of course every wrestler wants to make it to WWE!
🤕 How do you recover, rest and handle injuries?
I try to focus on eating good whole food and staying away from supplements as much as I can. This, believe it or not, helps you not extend your body past its natural limits and that in itself can prevent injury.
As I mentioned before, I make sure to thoroughly warm up and cool down when lifting. I do a lot of yoga movements at home and take hot showers daily.
The most important element is sleep. I’m so thankful to have the support of my wife who always can tell when I need to hit the rack and is more than happy to deal with the dogs or whatever else needs to be done around the house so that I can get the proper amount of rest.
How many of you out there can say you have a partner like that?
🍎 How is your diet and what supplements do you use?
Don’t lose out on life because you are worried about sticking to a diet.
I’ve done so many diets over the years, all to varying degrees of success. Currently, I just make sure I am getting enough lean protein and carbs and not eating much in the way of junk food.
It’s very easy to get obsessively locked in to the minutiae of dieting to the point that it becomes a disorder.
My biggest suggestion is that if you are so laser-focused on your diet that you are not going out with friends or family, or not eating the same things as the rest of your family, you may need to re-evaluate your training and rest to make sure you are maximizing your real life.
Don’t lose out on life because you are worried about sticking to a diet.
👍 What has inspired and motivated you?
Early on in my fitness journey, it was my favorite bodybuilders like Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, Chris Cormier and, of course, Ronnie Coleman. Wrestlers with outlandish physiques like Scott Steiner and HHH in his prime were also motivators for me.
Nowadays, my biggest motivator is the wrestling fans; I know that they expect me to be in a certain amount of shape, and I never want to let them down. I also want to be a good example for my daughter that hard work and dedication do pay off.
✏️ Advice for other people who want to improve themselves?
I see so many people in the gym trying to do some nonsense they read online and either end up getting hurt or giving up entirely.
DON’T purely go by what you read online! I won’t go so far as to tell people they must hire a personal trainer, but at least research the information you are taking in.
I see so many people in the gym trying to do some nonsense they read online and either end up getting hurt or giving up entirely.
Also, take it slow…the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day” is never more apropos than in a gym environment. I know when I was young, I wanted to look like a bodybuilder right away. But the truth is, it takes years and years of hard, dedicated training to even get close to your genetic potential. Patience is primary!
Lastly, I would tell people to focus more on drinking enough water, having a sensible diet, and getting enough rest instead of cardio and weights.
🤝 Are you taking on clients right now?
I am available for online consultations and customized programs. If anyone is interested, my prices are some of the best in the industry. Feel free to email me at [email protected]
📝 Where can we learn more about you?
The easiest way to learn the most about me is to read my books! They are all available on Amazon under my given name. Just search for “Andrew Belet.”
I also have an ample amount of social media:
Twitter: @BigGunsColorado
Instagram: @donate_blood_wrestle_big_guns
Facebook: @justinadrews43
YouTube: Justin Andrews
Pro Wrestling Tees Store: Official Merchandise Page of Mr. Colorado Wrestling Justin Andrew
