Bodybuilder Alina Popa in Two-Piece Workout Gear is "Elevating the Game"

Alina Popa is lifting up her fellow bodybuilder – in her workout gear. In a new social media post the athlete shows off her impressive physique while highlighting the release of the competitors list for the 2024 Rising Phoenix World Championship. “I eagerly anticipate witnessing the further evolution of the IFBB Pro League #womensbodybuilding division and discovering the fresh talents set to make their mark on stage this year,” she writes. “@mzprettymuscle - reigning Ms Olympia for the last 4 years, elevating the game of the WBB division!” How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. She Lifts Heavy

“There is essentially no difference between my workouts and those of male pro bodybuilders,” Alina told Muscle & Fitness. “Although some of the mass monsters out there are so much bigger than I am, then of course they need to train with heavier weights than I do. But I train as heavy as I need to, and in some cases I am lifting heavier than some men. Remember, bodybuilding is about weight training, not weightlifting. So, nobody who wants results should use the amount of resistance appropriate for the sets and reps dictated by their own workout schedule.”

2. Training Heavy

“I have heard from many women, that when they started training, they were discouraged from training heavy, in a really serious way. This makes no sense to me. It’s like telling a woman in track not to run too fast or pole vaulter not to jump too high. But limiting myself like that never occurred to me. Right from the beginning, I saw my body responding to the training and my goal was to carry this process on as far as I could,” she told Muscle & Fitness.

3. Rowing

In her free time, Alina enjoys rowing. “What an amazing weekend for our @azdragonriders team, racing in Long Beach this weekend. It was a tough and competitive lineup: we had 2 teams in this festival and the team I paddled with made it to Division 1, placing 7th out of 48 boats. Our other boat placed on top in division 3B. I have to say that I am enjoying this sport quite a lot; it’s different, as it is a team sport (different from the individual sport I used to do) and I like every bit of the camaraderie and team spirit that we need in order to be a cohesive moving unit. I love my team! Riders Riders Rawr!!!!” she captioned a post.

4. Hiking

Alina is also a hiker. “Defying gravity on Angel’s Landing. This hike was both breathtaking and heart-pounding!” she captioned a post, adding the hashtag #HikingHighs.” According to the National Parks Service, the physical benefits of hiking include:

• Building stronger muscles and bones
• Improving your sense of balance
• Improving your heart health
• Decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems

5. Split System Training

Alina does split-system training, working a few body parts in each session, with a goal of hitting all the muscle groups over a period of a week or 10 days. This includes mass-building power exercises like barbell or dumbbell chest presses, squats and deadlifts and isolation movements like leg extensions, curls or dumbbell laterals. “I don’t think you would notice any major differences between the way I train and the workouts of the top Mr. Olympia contenders,” she told Muscle & Fitness.