40-Year-Old Pro Wrestler Shares the Unique Training and Nutrition Approach That Keeps Him Ring-Ready All Year Long
Tom Büdgen, better known as Aleister Black in the wrestling world, is a 40-year-old professional wrestler hailing from the Netherlands whose presence in the ring is defined by his precision striking and combat-based style. Known for his dark persona, Black didn’t come up through the traditional wrestling pipeline. Rather, his foundation and style come from years of training in martial arts and kickboxing. Both of which continue to dictate how he trains, eats, and maintains consistency under the relentless demands of professional wrestling.
We recently had the chance to chat with Black and talk through how that background shapes the way he trains now, from balancing strength work and martial arts training to staying ready year-round with no real off-season.
Related: Michael Chandler’s Training Routine Shows He's Built for a UFC White House Spot
A Week of Training
Black operates in a constant state of preparedness. Matches, promos, and travel all come up quickly, often with very little notice, which has accordingly shaped his entire philosophy around staying ring-ready all year long.
"To be honest, there's not really a difference between prepping for a match or anything like that because half of the time, we don't know what we're doing on Friday until Thursday night," Black said. "So it's more about actively staying ready and just proceeding in terms of training with how you always train. You're just kind of ready, all year round. We don't have off days, there's no off season."
His training routine combines multiple disciplines across the week, reflecting in-ring demands with his signature style. Unsurprisingly, weightlifting is a major pillar, split between strength and conditioning work for power and more controlled, bodybuilding-style sessions focused on core stability. And let's not forget his martial arts background. Muay Thai sessions are structured around striking combinations, dynamic core work, and partner drills. Balance and reflex work are sprinkled in as well, from simple reaction drills to exercises that force him to stabilize in awkward positions.
"I'm a big fan of like hanging stuff, balancing, keeping my legs up, and training my hip flexors, hanging leg raises," he explained. "Anything I can do to put me in an off-balance position where I have to center focus on keeping that balance. And that's not just handy in wrestling, but it's handy in life. Coordination is one of the things that usually goes the quickest as we age, so stuff like that and reflex training are important."
Nutrition and Diet
Working with coach AJ Sims has been a game-changer for Black. Since working together, he's helped Black tweak everything from carb cycling to sleep and recovery efforts, giving him a structure that actually fits the demands of his schedule as a professional wrestler.
Carb cycling has become a major component of that. His carb intake shifts throughout the week depending on how he’s training and how much he’s traveling. On tougher training days, his carb intake is higher compared to those days when he's on the road or tackling a lighter training load.
Black doesn’t treat his nutrition approach like a short-term diet. Rather, this is the lifestyle he follows now. The ultimate goal is consistency without being overly restrictive, especially with how unpredictable his schedule is. Such an approach allows breathing room to adjust when things inevitably go sideways on the road, from missed meals to limited food options nearby. Instead of forcing perfection, Black leans on understanding the basics and making quick substitutions when needed, which has been just as valuable as the nutrition plan itself.
"You can't pull the reins 100 percent of the time. It's just also not mentally healthy when you're always trying to push the ceiling up because eventually, you're just going to burn out," he said.