Writer, actor and professional wrestler AJ Mendez is known to millions as I Lee But had been away from the WWE -Slichters for ten years before he made a challenging return to Smackdown on 5 September 2025. Despite the excitement of her spontaneous collision with Becky Lynch, the physique of Lee was complete with bulging biceps and stunning abdominal muscles for a long time.
Both Mendez and her husband, CM Punk, left WWE more than a decade ago after frustrations with the company reached boiling point, and while Punk later tried his hand at a fat out UFC-Run, which eventually signed with pro strangled rival AEW, and AJ Mendez became a best -selling authorActor and commentator about WOW ladieswest shows, fans have never given the hope that the anti-diva would return to WWE one day. With punk still signed for all elite struggles in June 2023, Mendez, however, posted photos of himself that looked fit and strong on social media, which led to speculation about her next move and how she had succeeded in increasing her fitness game.
AJ Lee explained her fitness goals in 2023
“I never write much (on Instagram), because it feels like socializing and gives me introverted sweat,” Mendez wrote in June 2023. “But I wanted to answer your questions. I started to raise my fitness game last spring while I photographed WOW -Superhelden and was working on it for a year.” The actor and pro -roastist explained that she had earned a fitness certification and recently performed her own program. Mendez subsequently credited a high intensity interval training (HIIT) as one of its go-to forms of exercise. HIIT is of course an excellent way to be both strong and fragmented because it requires a relatively sorting time spent. If Mendez had considered a return to the ring (perhaps with AEW of WOW) in 2023, HIIT was a smart move because It also improves the ability of the muscle to consume oxygen.
Regarding supplementation, the beauty revealed that she had raised her protein intake and also started taking creatine. In both men and women, creatine can increase muscle strength and endurance. Studies also show that creatine can have a positive influence on the female hormone balance.
To build muscle mass, Mendez concentrated on the proven method of progressive overload and ensured that she feeds its more powerful frame with the right macros. “I listened to my body and gave it carbohydrates when it wanted,” she shared. Recovery was also prioritized and Mendez explained that “she took many days to keep my muscles safe, because the key to consistency is a routine for me that feels sustainable in the long term.”
While AJ Lee did not return to the ring in 2023 and cm punk behind a backstage-busty who was very summer, the game changed again when Punk made a successful return to WWE later in the year. For Mendez’s Legions of Fans, the possibility that AJ Lee followed the wrestling boots of her husband and returned to WWE an inevitability instead of a possibility. And it may have lasted until September 2025, but Mendez has proven that her desire to focus on a sustainable fitness plan was a sensible approach.
Returning to the biggest promotion in pro wrestling, Mendez seemed a million dollars when she erased Beck Lynch on Smackdown and revealed her chiseled abdominal muscles and a more muscular, slimmer physique. “I am not a doctor, this is just my personal experience, so consult a professional,” encouraged the exciting grappler in that inspiring post in 2023. “But I believe that crash diets, zero carbohydia diets and the penetration of pain bulls ** t,” she cried. “Be nice to yourself, be patient, and you stay longer,” added Mendez. “We should never work to earn food or to punish ourselves, just to improve our physical and mental health, to feel stronger and to scare strangers on the street.”
AJ Lee’s first official match back with WWE takes place in Wrestlepalooza 2025 on Saturday 20 September, where she will tag her husband CM Punk to prevent Becky Lynch and her husband, Seth Rollins. The event marks the first WWE Premium Live event at the ESPN Unlimited Streaming Plan in the United States and will be available internationally via Netflix.
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