While Twanna Barnett is currently banging heads in the larger-than-life world of pro wrestling, the beauty they call “The Beast” will also be familiar to bodybuilding fans. Having earned her IFBB Pro Card in the women’s physique division nearly a decade ago, Barnett has put on a number of impressive performances on stage during her flexing career.
However, now she is dominating in a different arena, surprising professional wrestling fans with her striking blend of size, speed, and power.
M&F sat down with “The Beast” to find out how she built her career in pro wrestling, and why she loves having an outlet that allows her to express her personality.
And, for those wondering how this Californian gets her killer quads, we have an awesome workout for you to try.
Between WWE’s RAW, SmackDown, and NXT, as well as AEW’s Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision television shows, there is certainly no shortage of adrenaline-thumping action on our screens every week, not to mention exciting emerging brands like Impact and It is just not being done.
The NWA is also seeing an increase in viewership during what is undoubtedly a hot time in the pro wrestling industry.
But, despite all that bone-breaking, body-threatening mayhem, one criticism that is leveled at almost all major wrestling promotions is the apparent lack of primetime focus given to the women of the ring.
Luckily, the “Women of Wrestling” (also known as WOW) is doing it right. Founded in 2000 by David McLain (the man behind the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, aka G.L.O.W.), WOW is also co-owned by Los Angeles Lakers owner and president, Jenny Buss.
Aside from WWE and AEW, WOW is now the most-watched wrestling TV show in the United States and is also broadcast internationally in countries such as Canada, Australia, and Indonesia.
There’s no doubt that many professional wrestling fans need their fix of female action, and WOW provides it in abundance, becoming a favorite destination for women to learn the ropes.
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Twana ‘The Beast’ Barnett learns life lessons from Charles Glass
“Someone at the gym told me I had shoulders like Lenda Murray,” says Barnett, recalling how she was inspired to pursue a career in bodybuilding. Within four weeks of that comment, she was commanding the stage.
“Getting my Pro Card was a big accomplishment for me,” says Barnett. “I always did my competition preparation coach-less, which is unheard of in the industry, and so did it as a hobby for myself, and to get to that point… I feel like once I got my pro the card, ‘Yes!’ “I proved myself (the doubters wrong).”
Powerhouse explains that she was born “aggressively” competitive, and as the youngest sister with seven older brothers, it’s easy to see why. Although Twanna Barnett didn’t hire a dedicated coach for her competition preparation, she was able to share the gym with legends in bodybuilding and soak up the knowledge like a sponge.
“I had the pleasure of doing a few training sessions with Charles Glass,” shares The Beast, who notes that ‘The Godfather of Bodybuilding’ changed his perception of working out. “He was humble,” she recalls.
“When you hang out as a bodybuilder, there’s a part where you get the ego pumped up, you bump around the big weights with the big boys, And he’s a legend, a true master of what he does, and he was able to break me down by five pounds.”
These days, Twanna Barnett uses many of the same principles in her workouts like time under tension, drop sets, and lots of variation to sharpen the mind-muscle connection. “Even in wrestling, it’s all about intention,” she explains. “What is my intention? When I was a bodybuilder, my intention was symmetry, and now my intention is strength, explosive strength, and endurance.
