The WWE legend opened up about prioritizing his health after 26 surgeries in 10 years in the latest “Gym & Fridge” video for ‘Men’s Health’
Hulk Hogan has a healthy new mindset since officially retiring in 2012.
In the latest Men’s Health “Gym & Fridge” video, the 69-year-old WWE legend opened up about going alcohol-free, reflecting on his former wrestling days when he would consume a pre-match meal of “three Miller Lites and two Tylenols” and a post-match meal of “probably 12 Miller Lites.”
“I don’t drink alcohol at all,” he told the outlet, noting that it has now been six months since having his last alcoholic beverage.
“It got to be a way to numb me a little bit, because I had a bunch of crazy business problems and personal stuff going on,” he explained. “And I caught myself after I would train, getting too aggressive with alcohol. So I just had to stop it.”
Today, Hogan limits himself to water and eating organic foods. He admitted that he was never “educated in terms of quality of food” when he was younger so he’s now learning what’s best to keep him going.
Preparing for his 70th birthday, he’s also vowing to stay committed to the gym and to get leaner. With the lifestyle changes, Hogan said he’s already down 40 lbs. and counting — a big milestone after wrestling took a toll on his body.
“About 15 years ago my body kinda shut down on me. I had several knee surgeries, and then after wrestling 40 years almost, my body shut down on me,” he said. “I went in for one back surgery and it was turned into 10 back surgeries. Both knees needed to be replaced. Both hips were replaced. A couple surgeries on my face from getting my orbital socket broken a couple times. And it ended up being 25 or 26 surgeries, or a couple more, over a 10- or 12-year period.”
“So it changed the game on me. It made everything different for me,” Hogan explained. “And I changed my whole lifestyle because at the time, being in so much pain and getting older and older I couldn’t carry that much weight. When you are sedentary and not wrestling or moving every night, it’s easy to put weight on. So, I decided to drop weight and get down to about 265. Actually, the last time I weighed 265 was in ninth grade.”
Since prioritizing his health, Hogan said he’s doing a lot better, eating clean and working out consistently.
“I feel great ya know,” he told the outlet. “Without all the other extra stuff, you actually feel alive, because a little bit of pain makes you know you are alive.”
