The loud clack of the bell fills the air. You slowly prowl across the squared circle where your opponent waits for their chance to pounce as the crowd soaks in the suspense.

You both go for a grapple only to lock up. After a test of strength, you’re put in a headlock. But you prepared for this! You remember a technique you learned in training called a drop toehold and immediately send your opponent to their feet before twisting them into an ankle lock.

The crowd roars in approval, chanting your name and you feel on top of the world.

Then you wake up.

But your wrestling aspirations don’t have to stay dreams! Before you get ready to rumble, read these five professional wrestler training secrets to get a head start on your training.

1. Bigger Isn’t Necessarily Better

When you think of the top professional wrestlers, you probably think of giants like, well, Andre The Giant or The Undertaker. But unless you’re as tall as Andre of The Undertaker, there’s no need to take a ‘bigger is better’ approach to your training.

In fact, leaner is often better. Focus on bicep and leg strength above all else, followed by cardio and core strength.

If you look at WWE’s roster, you’ll start to see that some of the company’s staples like Finn Balor or Seth Rollins aren’t as jacked as the wrestlers of yesteryear, and yet they’re just as good in the ring.

Strength training is going to help your in-ring abilities, too. Think about a standard suplex.

It’s a simple enough move where one combatant lifts the other combatant over their head and drops them on their back. When pulled off well, it appears that the combatant doing the lifting is in control.

In reality, there’s much more give-and-take between both participants. Look a bit closer and you’ll notice that the lifted combatant helps their opponent by bending their knees and jumping slightly.

As you begin your journey in the gym, don’t forget to provide yourself with some inspiration. Shop now for some awesome gym decorations that’ll keep you going through even the toughest workouts.

2. Every Match Has a Rhythm

Professional wrestling is more about storytelling than actual combat.

Go back and watch some of the classic matches like The Rock vs. Stone Cold at WrestleMania X-Seven or Andre The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania Three. Both matches are fantastic examples of how much of a performance your standard wrestling match is, even during a ‘beat down’.

For the majority of both bouts, there’s an even exchange between both opponents, creating a pacing and a rhythm.

As you begin your training, think about this pacing in your matches and how it affects the crowd. Use each moment to build tension in your matches and you’ll have the crowd eating out of the palm of your hand.

3. Your Local Promoters Should Be Your Best Friends

Wrestling promoters are like the casting agents of the pro wrestling world, in that their networking capabilities can help you immensely. It’s their job to book shows, bring in talent, and do anything they can to draw a crowd.

Start heading to local shows and seek out the promoter. Most of the time they’ll be among the crowd or emceeing the show, so they should be pretty accessible. Introduce yourself and explain that you’re looking for bookings and ask if you could work a tryout match for the next show.

Voila, you’ve just booked yourself a match.

Now comes the hard part: Doing this at every local promotion in your area. Be prepared to travel, even out of state.

It’s going to take a whole lot of time and persistence to get your name out there, but once you’re in with your local promoters, they’ll be able to help you book bigger shows.

4. Be Thoughtful About Your Character

By now you’ll likely have a few moves down as well as the contact info of a few local promoters. Now it’s time for the most important aspect of professional wrestling: your character.

The best characters are either an extension of your natural personality or larger than life personas that couldn’t be further from who you are. Let’s take a look at two quick examples.

First, let’s talk about indie darling Joey Ryan, who you may remember went viral for suplexing his opponents with his…uh, well, just look it up. By all accounts, Ryan isn’t the sleazy personality he portrays, but the crowd eats up his gimmick of wrestling’s sleaziest competitor.

In fact, Ryan is one of the most sought-after independent wrestlers in the world!

Then there’s hardcore legend Tommy Dreamer, who you may remember from ECW, or, more recently, his House Of Hardcore promotion.

Dreamer’s gimmick is that he’s a hard-working, everyday guy. Naturally, it didn’t take long for the crowd to latch onto him, as they saw themselves in the character and to this day, Tommy Dreamer is a well-respected, beloved figure in the pro wrestling community.

Though Joey Ryan and Tommy Dreamer are two wildly different characters, they show that you can go in either direction and be successful as long as you have the charisma.

Also, don’t expect your first few characters to work. The Undertaker was once Mean Mark Callous and Kane was once an evil dentist named Dr. Isaac Yankem.

Yeah, we’re serious.

So if you don’t get it right the first time, keep trying.

5. Find a Niche Early On

Early on you’ll want to establish a nice for yourself. Generally speaking, there are a few niches you could fall into.

Cruiserweight

These high-flying athletes are often small in stature but take big risks to get the crowd going. Expect to do a lot of jumping off the top rope.

Deathmatch

Think barbed wire, glass, light tubes, thumbtacks, and in some cases, small explosives.

Be careful, here. Crowds eat up deathmatch wrestling, but you’ll want to consider the risks. Watch some CZW or IWA-Mid-South before committing to this niche. It’s thrilling but so very dangerous.

Technician

Your classic, well-trained wrestler a la Daniel Bryan who uses their smarts and training to outwit their opponents.

Brawler

Brawlers are the counterpart to technicians. They use their fists and sheer strength to overcome opponents.

It’s entirely possible to fit into multiple niches, but it’s hard to break out of a certain mold once a crowd knows you for something.

Ready To Start Your Professional Wrestler Training?

Going through professional wrestler training isn’t as easy as showing up in some trunks and knowing how to throw and take a stage punch. It requires hundreds of hours of in-ring training, networking skills, and the ability to craft an interesting and compelling character.

Do you have what it takes to make it as a wrestler? It all starts in the gym. But before you head to the gym, check out our guide on how to prevent injuries during workouts so you don’t hinder your progress.