It’s often said that the most successful professional wrestlers are those who can use their real-life personalities to turn volume up to 12. Hulk Hogan, The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Roman Reigns prove you don’t need flashy gimmicks or wacky ring attire to connect with a paying audience. Now you can add AEW’s World Heavyweight Champion. Maxwell Jacob Friedman joins a noble list of wrestlers who have made it big by embracing who they really are and relentlessly pursuing his dream of becoming bigger than the industry he’s playing in.
M&F sat down with “MJF” at his Long Island home to find out what makes the 26-year-old attractive and how close he is to the divisive persona portrayed on TV. We also delved into how the champion has packed some serious muscle over the past few months.
“I’m an AEW World Champion, so being filthy and dirty rich helps,” MJF says of how he can tackle his evolving physique. “Being genetically superior at birth also helps,” he concludes modestly. Of course, interviewing Friedman is a pretty surreal experience, but you never feel like he’s acting. The champion has achieved meteoric success in AEW by saying exactly what he thinks and only thinking about number one. This man is brilliant and has natural pro wrestling talent, but he also works hard behind the scenes, first falling in love with bodybuilding in high school football and then growing into a mountain champion in all elite wrestling. Did.
“In soccer, coaches tell you to do lifts that for some reason you no longer see people doing in the gym, like simple lifts like the power clean,” Friedman says. , when you do that, it certainly puts you in a certain way of thinking… about power, stability, and overall athleticism.” More recently, however, Friedman has become famous for wearing a Burberry scarf and pitting against his opponent’s verbal. MJF unflinchingly mocked CM Punk for his UFC failure, and Ricky he accused Starks of being “the Dwayne (Johnson) of the 100-yen shop”. But have you ever worried that your pursuit of entertainment has gone too far?
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is not afraid to cross the line
“There’s no line you don’t want to cross,” MJF affirms. “And I think that’s why people listen to AEW Dynamite because who knows what’s going to come out of my mouth next. Whether you love me or hate me, You will surely listen to know.”
It’s an approach that has earned people attacking him just as much as his fans, but one thing you can never blame a champion for is trying to copy someone else. It lies in the fact that I am not obsessed with emulating past wrestling heroes, I told MJF. I feel like it’s because you’re right, everyone else is trying to be a carbon copy of someone, everyone else is wearing a weird type of suit, but I don’t wear a suit All I have to do is go through the curtain and you’ll know right away what MJF is.And if you love me or hate me Regardless, I promise you can’t stop watching.
Friedman is one of the few wrestlers outgrowing the industry he works in. He has been spotted alongside other high-profile VIPs of his at UFC events and is currently filming a new ‘Iron Claw’ movie. Professional wrestling biopic about the Von Erich family, who co-stars with Zac Efron. “I finally have a superstar again and I can show it off,” he says of MJF’s hard-earned status. “I’m the type of athlete who should be interviewed by Muscle & Fitness, just like me, and I’ve been interviewed by Forbes and ESPN and all the other news and media outlets. I take every stroke in my hand. I put it in, and I’m the person everyone talks about in professional wrestling.
MJF says he wants to find a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Indeed, it seems that the world simply isn’t enough!
The exciting star says his AEW contact will be up on January 1, 2024 and is fully expecting an all-out bidding war from top wrestling promotions to secure his services. increase. But there are also critics among old guards, wrestling veterans who feel like MJF puts himself above the business of wrestling. I was able to make affirmations about older men,” MJF says without pause. “I wish they all rotted in hell and died early. It’s our time. Screw them, screw the fans they still like.” There was a saying and adage that “more than talent”. I believe in it with all my heart and if these old dogs don’t want to believe I will take them out of their misery myself. I will do it. ” For Maxwell Jacob Friedman, saying exactly what he thinks is never a problem.
“If you are naturally talented and work hard, the possibilities are endless,” he continues. “I have a personal chef. Her name is Julie Posner. She makes me five meals a day, every day. And I have a coach, branded as Stoked Athletics.Basically what I do is literally every week I lift weights.I train very slowly.” , explains that he is slowly gaining about 5 pounds a week and is still young at 26 and has yet to hit a plateau.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s approach to bodybuilding
“When I was really young, I hated it,” Friedman admits when talking about Jim. “Because when I started fitness, it was strictly because I wanted to be big, because I was a football player. showed me Anyone who reads Muscle & Fitness has seen it. ‘ It was a blast after that, and it was fun. “
Maxwell Jacob Friedman loves spending time at what he considers the best gym in the world, Bev Francis’ Powerhouse Gym. “The great thing about bodybuilding, not just weight training, is having a mirror. This may sound arrogant, but when you look in the mirror, you have the opportunity to look in the mirror.” OK, what do I need to work on?” Then you can evaluate and move from there, and you can literally see your progress. I think that’s really cool and honestly I think it’s a lot harder than saying what a painter does. [MJF makes a brush-stroking motion] No, this is our body. I got completely hooked by figuring out how to get the job done. “
Maxwell Jacob Friedman Macros and Cheat Meals
“As far as my calories go, I don’t eat as much as people think,” says MJF. “I get about 2,500 calories a day. I have about 215 grams of protein. Yes, and then feed me whatever I want on Thursdays to keep me from going completely insane. After Wednesday (when AEW Dynamite goes live on TBS), I’m the World Champion, so I’m tired, because flying, wrestling, and mouthing can make me fussy. , can be exhausting, so I like to treat myself with lots of carbs when I get home.”
Maxwell Jacob Friedman says his go-to “cheating” diet is pizza and ice cream. “My favorite ice cream in the world is Ben & Jerry’s.” Milk and cookies! But when he’s on the go and doesn’t have a dedicated chef to rely on, Friedman takes the scales with him. “All these fat, sloppy, s**t things in my locker room. They’re catering and eating everything there,” he sneers. “I’d at least order grilled chicken and rice. I’d say he hits 2,500 calories, which he just eats throughout the day.” yes, this man is spot on. “Egg whites are my secret weapon because they are low in calories. See, if you want to stay relatively low in calories, why not take egg whites? The company I use is called Muscle Egg. is unflavoured, it’s sugar-free, so it’s made with plain straight egg whites, and if you’re still not hitting your protein quota at the end of the day, drink an 8 oz Muscle Egg and go to bed. Without a doubt, Maxwell Jacob Friedman has the professional wrestling industry on his back as it continues to grow. Here’s a workout that will help him do just that, he should try it himself:
Maxwell Jacob Friedman: Back and Biceps Workout
“I do a lot of weighted pull-ups,” says MJF. “Honestly, I’m trying to hit you on the back from every angle.”
The following exercise is performed as drop sets of 12, 10, and 8 reps.
- Loaded Neutral Grip Pullup
- 3 point dumbbell row
- Seated Hammer Strength Wide Low
- Seated Single Arm Lat Pulldown
- 3 point rear delt row
- Arm Seated Machine Preacher Curl
- Seated Incline Biceps Curl
