Jade Cargill didn’t develop her muscular physique by accident, and it turns out a WWE legend played a major role in inspiring the look she’s known for today. Cargill says watching Chyna command attention made her want to build the same kind of powerful presence, long before she became a professional wrestler herself.
Speaking in a workout video published on the Women’s Health YouTube channel, Cargill explained that she’s been naturally muscular throughout her life. However, seeing Chyna on television made her want to push her physique even further. It wasn’t just Chyna’s muscles that caught her attention. Cargill was drawn to the way the former WWE Women’s Champion carried herself and immediately commanded respect whenever she entered a room.
“All my life, I’ve been muscular, and it’s something that I just wanted to put the pedal to the metal. I looked up to the great China. I seen her. She was a woman that walked in, owned the room, and I wanted to do the exact same thing.”
That inspiration eventually followed Cargill into college, where she began taking strength training more seriously. After discovering that her school had a strength and conditioning coach, she decided to pursue the powerful look she had admired for years.
“So, I got in college, seen we had a strength and conditioning coach, and I just said, ‘That’s what I want to do, and I want to look strong as ever.'”
Cargill also explained that her background in collegiate basketball helped make her comfortable in the gym. Her college strength coach pushed her beyond what she thought she was capable of, giving her the foundation for the training routine she continues to follow today.
Interestingly, Cargill’s connection to Chyna isn’t something that only she has noticed. Back in 2022, Tommy Dreamer compared Jade Cargill to Chyna while discussing her athletic ability and potential as a professional wrestler. At the time, Dreamer praised Cargill’s natural gifts and saw similarities between the two performers.
Cargill went on to explain that while Chyna remains her biggest fitness inspiration, the women she currently shares the ring with in WWE also motivate her to keep improving. Seeing other female wrestlers in tremendous shape reminds her that she can’t afford to slack off.
“My biggest gym motivation or inspiration, I would say, was China. Just seeing her embody and go out there and just shine so bright, I was like, that’s exactly what I want to do. but also all the women athletes that we have in our company really motivate me.”
She admitted that being surrounded by other impressive athletes sometimes makes her feel like she needs to work even harder.
“And when I feel like I’m slacking and I’m in the ring with these women and they look just as phenomenal, I’m like, ‘Okay, I got to get back in the gym and go a little harder.'”
Chyna helped change how muscular women were presented in WWE, and Cargill is now carrying some of that same inspiration into her own career. For Cargill, the goal was never simply to have big muscles. She wanted the kind of presence that made people pay attention the moment she walked into a room, just like Chyna did.
What do you think about Jade Cargill crediting Chyna as the inspiration behind her physique and presence? Do you see similarities between the two WWE stars, or do you think Cargill has developed a completely different identity? Share your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
