I was first introduced to Stephanie McMahon Levesque; daughter to WWE Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon and wife to WWE Superstar Triple H, several years ago. When we first spoke, what struck me as "special" about Stephanie was the fact that she was both passionate and motivated to get into the best shape of her life after giving birth to her second daughter. I always feel a tinge of sympathy for new clients of mine that have struggled for years with weight issues because they just didn't have the right formula for success. Right off the bat, Stephanie let it be known that she didn't think she'd be able to lose all the fat weight she dreamed about getting rid of. However, after reassuring her and setting up a science-based, strategic, game plan, it was on! Stephanie not only got into the best shape of her life; she became empowered with the confidence and knowledge that she was, for the first time in her life, in control of how she looked. The following interview gives you a peak into the life of one of the busiest women in the WWE!
Full Name: Stephanie McMahon Levesque (no hyphen; legally changed my middle name to McMahon)
How Long have you been working out?
Since I was about 12 or 13; I always watched my dad and my brother work out and I just loved the intensity and the physicality.
Full Time Career: EVP Creative, WWE (World Wresting Entertainment)
Biggest obstacle you've overcome? Explain.
From a body standpoint? Losing the baby fat-weight after having each of my children. I think normal weight gain is 35 lbs, I saw fit to double that. I'm the type of person that always has to eat right to be lean, so when I was pregnant the gloves were off and I ate like a champ! We're talking a minimum of 4 pop tarts every morning with eggs and a glass of milk as a staple...
What part of your physique are you currently working on the hardest?
I don't train for one specific body part; I train for function, strength, and conditioning.
Name one piece of nutrition/fitness advice that has stuck with you.
Be consistent. If you screw up, don't let it derail youl; get back on track as soon as possible and make sure to get your workouts in.
What is your favorite supplement?
Omegalyze; I read more and more how important essential fats are to brain development and overall physical health. I trust Species Nutrition (free plug Dave!) and I know it is a quality product versus buying some random fish oil that could be rancid or, worse yet, contain heavy metals or other poisons.
Favorite Quote:
This isn't necessarily my favorite quote, it's just the one that is coming to mind, "Learn to eat shit and like the taste" a life lesson by my dad, Vince McMahon.
You're the daughter of WWE Head Honcho Vince McMahon. What was it like growing up in a wrestling family? Was your dad always big into working out?
It's hard to say what life was like growing up as "Vince McMahon's daughter". I would watch my dad on Saturday mornings do interviews and I'd watch him commentate with Jesse Ventura on Saturday Night's Main Events. It was just what my dad did; I didn't look at it as anything unusual. It wasn't until I was a little older and the other kids tried to make fun of me that I realized my situation was a little different (I actually kicked a kid in the shins for saying wrestling was fake!). My Dad was always big into working out; he's the one who got me turned on to the gym. He was so intense and trained so hard, it looked like fun!
Was proper nutrition something that was "fed" to you by your dad early on? Did you eat well as a teenager? Did you ever struggle with your weight?
I have always struggled with my weight. Training was big in my family but growing up, nutrition was not. I would eat honey buns for breakfast and drink a 6 pack of Coke during the day. It's not that my parents would have thought that was a good way to eat, they just weren't home enough to monitor what I was eating; they were working most of the time trying to build their business. I ate good food too don't get me wrong, my mom is one hell of a cook, but the bad food was always around for the taking.
How did you meet your husband, WWE Superstar Triple H? Was it love at first site?
We were married on TV as a fictional couple and life just imitated art...It wasn't love at first site, but I bet you could call it chemistry at first site. I have never been more attracted to anyone in my entire life! He would just look at me and I would blush; still happens to this day actually...
When you decided you wanted to have kids, was it very traumatic knowing your body was gonna get all "out of shape"? How did you deal with that reality?
I wanted to be a mom more than anything else in the world; it didn't matter to me what I had to go through to have my children. The reality is that I have three, gorgeous, intelligent, vivacious, funny, and thoroughly entertaining daughters! They truly are what life is all about.
How hard was it getting back into shape after daughter #1? Daughter #2? Daughter #3?
HARD! I gained 80 pounds with my first daughter, Aurora. 80 POUNDS!!! It took me a year to take it off; I went to a nutritionist and the diet really only got me so far...it was o.k. but I can only eat so many raw vegetables! After Murphy and Vaughn were born I discovered Dave Palumbo who helped me with my diet and strength and conditioning coach, Joe Defranco, who helped me transform my body in the gym. I would never have known a keto diet and steady state cardio on top of strength and conditioning training would be the keys to my success.
Did you employ a specific training or nutritionist to help you reach your goals?
Both; Dave Palumbo helped me with my diet and Joe Defranco is my Strength and Conditioning coach.
After dieting and training so hard to get back the body you used to have prior to your 3 daughters, do you ever see yourself having another child?
I don't, but not because of my appearance.
Since I'm sure many women with children are in a similar situation, give us an idea of what a typical day in your life is like. How do you schedule all the stuff you have to do: Feed kids, take them to school, go to work, workout, eat right, ect.
I get up with the kids in the morning, get them fed, pack their lunches for school, and get them dressed and ready to go. My nanny comes at the time my husband and I leave to bring the girls to school so she can watch the baby (Vaughn is only 1). I drop the girls at school then go to the office. I work all day then come home at night in time to put them to bed and read them a story. Then I train. I usually get up anywhere from 530-630 and I go to bed around 12-1. I plan my meals at the office so I eat at specific times during the day. It's an intense schedule, but that's the way I like it!
What's the best advice you can give to a "fit woman" who's thinking of having children?
To go for it! The better shape you're in the faster you'll recover. And try not to eat yourself out of house and home; it is too easy to do because there aren't a whole lot of other vices you can turn to when your pregnant. Every woman is different and every pregnancy is different, but the end result makes it all worth it.
Now that you're in spectacular shape again, will we see you mixing it up in the WWE ring in the near future?
Anything can happen in the WWE!
Do you ever work out with your husband, Triple H, or do you guys do your own workouts?
We train at the same time but we do our own workouts. Joe Defranco trains us both so we do similar type of exercises (only my husband uses a lot more weight!). It's helpful to have my husband there with me; he is very motivating to me and I hope I am to him!
