On Saturday 16th September, we made the journey to Action Indoor Sports in the centre of Birmingham to take part in a DDPY Seminar – a set of workouts designed by the former WWE-star-turned-fitness-motivator, who now tours the world demonstrating his workout program and showcasing his new app..
Your intrepid reporter purchased his yoga mat and found a great position on a sports hall floor to spend almost 2 hours stretching and flexing – and what a great experience it was too.
Whilst DDPY sessions are attended, as you would expect, by wrestling fans wanting to get a personal interaction with the former champ, there is more to it than that. Our session included athletes from many different backgrounds, and even yoga instructors attended – hoping to learn something new.
The core programme involves yoga that has more of a focus on resistance training, using the bodies own muscle’s against each other to build strength. In terms of stretching and flexibility, we were all aghast as Diamond Dallas Page, 61 years young, out-shone the majority of us with his standing one legged-split, and overall balancing skills.
Aside from the live sessions, Page also offers a more personal approach to DDPY that can be done anywhere, in the form of an APP. As APPS go, this one is a serious piece of tech. It will attach via blue tooth to a heart rate monitor and keep track of your progress, then there are modules for adding your own pictures and vital statistics. More than this, the APP contains weekly motivational videos and regularly added content. In fact, the APP even offers live streaming workouts. It’s the perfect training companion at home or away.
Whilst I struggled with the flexibility aspect of the session (Hey! It takes practice!), I particularly enjoyed some of the strength and striking based movements. I found the day to be very inspiring.
Page grew up under challenging circumstances. He spent much of his childhood living away from his mother when his parents divorced, and he had to cope with being dyslexic throughout his school years.
“I go down like everybody else”, says page. “I just don’t stay down!”.
The strength of the DDP Yoga programme lies in Page himself. He doesn’t patronise his students – some of them weighing over 400lbs, and he often surprises those students by phoning them out of the blue.
“Sometimes someone will order a DVD or sign up to the APP and next minute their phone rings. They can’t believe I’ve called them… they’ve literally only just hit send!”, shares Page.
So how hands-on has Page been in developing the APP?
“It’s been a ten-year overnight success! It didn’t just happen because I was a famous wrestler. That didn’t mean people would buy it.
Sometimes we record a few motivational Monday’s and put them in the can (whilst travelling) and other times we shoot them pretty much live. It’s about laying out what is going to keep people moving forward. I didn’t create this for Yogis. I created it for people who would never have considered yoga.”, says Page.
The fact that DDPY is different to other yoga programmes is another plus. Page is a big masculine pro-wrestler, and if he can do yoga, so can other men who may have been afraid to be seen doing it before.
Following on from his session in Birmingham, Page was back on the road, heading for London – ready for an expected crowd of over 120 students to close out the tour.
“I’m a rambling man”, says Page.
You can follow DDP Yoga on twitter @ddpyoga and the DDP YOGA NOW APP is available on iOS, Android, and desktop computer.
