CrossFit Star Steph Chung In Workout Gear Says “One Rep At a Time”

CrossFit star Steph Chung is a force to be reckoned with, now she’s back to competing against the best of the best. Chung shared pictures of herself wearing purple leggings and a white sports bra, lifting weights and hitting the stationary bike for cardio. Another shot showed her using a jump rope at the gym. “One rep at a time 👊🏼 #RoadToBetter #ComebackKid #GirlsWhoLift #IAMNOBULL,” she captioned the post. Here’s how the athlete trains, eats, and kicks the competition.

1. Hitting the Trails

Chung enjoys training outside whenever possible. “I’ve definitely gotten out of the gym more, with more track and trail running sessions, swimming, biking, and moving odd-objects,” she told The Barbell Spin. “I’ve been training in Fond du Lac, WI for several weeks with the other TTP athletes, and it has been really fun to take advantage of the outdoor offerings here. The volume has increased, the weights are heavier, and I’m practicing some irregular Games movements such as pegboard, strongman elements, and parallette handstand push ups.”

2. Upside Down Exercises

Chung enjoys challenging herself with workouts. “Some of my favorite movements are snatch, overhead squats, jerks, bar muscle ups, handstand walks, and handstand push ups!” she told The Barbell Spin. “It’s hard to generalize with workouts because I end up loving many different types of events. That being said, I really enjoy chippers with mixed modalities and anything that involves being upside down!”

3. Training Diet

Steph Chung/Instagram

Chung adapts her diet depending on if she’s training or not. “It’s been a journey learning how to eat when you’re not a full-time athlete,” she told Ladder Supplements. “I’ve been used to eating like I train four or five hours a day — at my highest, I would eat around 450 grams [approx. 1 lb.] of carbs a day — and all of a sudden, I’m sitting in a chair for eight hours a day. So I think nutrition for everyone is kind of an evolving science experiment, and that’s been especially true for me this year.”

4. Minding Her Macros

Steph Chung/Instagram

Chung is more relaxed about the breakdown of her meals these days. “I'm pretty type A, so I tend to be overly strict with macros, and I've been trying to get away from that because I don't think it's super sustainable,” she told Ladder Supplements. “In season, I would be like 90 percent on-macros, but now I have a couple open meals a week. And if it ends up being more than that, it’s not a big deal.”

5. Beach and Pool Time

Chung’s favorite way to relax is to spend time by the water. “My favorite thing to do in my free time is spending time with Rob and my friends!” she told The Barbell Spin. “I also love to take advantage of the beautiful UAE weather and enjoy the sunshine at the pool or beach. Aside from relaxing, I also really love to learn through reading, listening to podcasts, and programming for personal training and nutrition clients."

Chyna Cho, a celebrated CrossFit athlete, recently lit up the competition floor at the Aloha Games, sharing the exhilaration with her Instagram followers. In her post, Cho exudes joy, highlighting the blend of intense fitness challenges and the camaraderie among participants. Her caption, “I HAD SO MUCH FUN THROWING DOWN WITH MY FRIENDS. LOTS OF FITNESS, EVEN MORE LAUGHS. THEY ARE GREAT PEOPLE ON AND OFF THE COMPETITION FLOOR. ☺️”, encapsulates the spirit of the event—competitive yet filled with laughter and fellowship. This insight not only reflects her athletic prowess but also her appreciation for the community aspect of CrossFit, underscoring how the sport fosters both physical and social wellness.

1. She Does CrossFit

CrossFit is the main way Cho stays in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing some CrossFit exercises. Cho talked about what she loves about it in the post’s caption, “I AM SO HAPPY TO BE DOING CROSSFIT A FEW TIMES A WEEK AGAIN. I AM DEFINITELY DYING MORE THAN USUAL BUT IT’S SO WORTH IT. 😜🤘🏽TODAY’S FUN WAS A 15 MIN AMRAP.”

2. She Lifts Weights

Cho likes to lift weights to stay in shape. In the previous Instagram video, she is seen doing a section of her workout with a barbell. Cho also posted this video of herself doing kettlebell workouts. She captioned that post, “MONDAY THINGS. 🙃🩷I’M PRETTY SURE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE DONE DOUBLE KB SNATCHES (AND IT SHOWS LOL). 😆🫣ALMOST 15 YEARS OF CROSSFIT AND I’M STILL DOING NEW MOVEMENTS. PRETTY F-ING COOL! 🤘🏽”

3. She Pushes Herself

Cho makes sure to push herself when she works out. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram video. “IT’S ALWAYS A LITTLE INTIMIDATING TO DO A REPEAT OPEN WORKOUT. THIS WORKOUT WAS EXTRA INTIMIDATING FOR ME SINCE I DID SO WELL IN 2014 … 🫣THINGS ARE DIFFERENT. I AM 9 YEARS OLDER. I AM STILL TRAINING HARD BUT NOT THE WAY I USED TO. I HONESTLY WASN’T SURE IF I WAS CAPABLE OF BEATING MY OLD SCORE. I GOT TO THE MUSCLE UPS FASTER THAN MY YOUNGER SELF, BUT I TOOK LONGER ON THIS MOVEMENT THIS TIME AROUND (ABOUT :45). REGARDLESS, I IMPROVED AND I AM VERY PROUD THAT I DID. ☺️”

4. She Uses A Rowing Machine

Chyna Cho/Instagram

In the previous Instagram video, Cho is seen using a rowing machine. The Cleveland Clinic states that using a rowing machine has a lot of health benefits. “Your abdominal muscles, lower back, obliques, glutes and hamstrings all get a workout during a session on a rowing machine. If you follow proper form, your core will be engaged during every single step of the rowing process. Strengthening those muscles is also key to maintaining stability and building speed.”

5. She Uses A Stationary Bike

Cho likes to use a stationary bike to keep herself in shape. She is seen using the machine in this Instagram video. Cho captioned the post, “FUN (WELL, KINDA) INTERVAL STYLE WORKOUT I WROTE FOR MYSELF. 😋” Penn State PRO Wellness states that using a stationary bike has a lot of health benefits. “Riding a stationary exercise bike is an efficient and effective way to burn calories and body fat while strengthening your heart, lungs, and muscles. Compared to some other types of cardio equipment, a stationary bicycle puts less stress on your joints, but it still provides an excellent aerobic workout.”

Alethea Boon is sharing a new workout – in her exercise gear. In a new social media post the CrossFit athlete shows off her strong body and strength in a two-piece workout set. “BAR MUSCLE UP,” she writes in the Instagram video caption. “There are many ways to learn a skill, many drills for the same skill, and not everyone responds to learning the same drills that is where coaching comes in (I can help here) BUT the fundamental of skill acquisition remains the same: Foundational strength, progressive dills, keep building strength in those positions, continue drills and progress. Rinse and repeat, repeat, repeat.” How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. How She Found CrossFit

“I got into CrossFit in 2013 after searching on Google a different way to get fit. I had been doing a little bit of running by myself but needed some variety and wanted to work out with people. So, after googling CrossFit I went to my first class and fell in love with the methodology of CrossFit,” Alethea told True Protein on how she discovered the workout. “I had no intention of competing and looking back that worked in my favor. I honed in on technique with little to no weight for months before incrementally putting weights on the resistance exercises and barbells. Movement efficiency overload meant I was able to work good technique and keep pretty healthy as we built up slowly. I also attribute the patient build up in barbell work to the success and reason I was able to make a 3rd Commonwealth Games for NZ on the Weightlifting Team in 2018.:

2. 4 Days of Intense Training

Alethea trains hard. “A typical week consists of 4 days of planned training sessions approximately 2 hours, usually starting at 6pm where I follow a structured program typically consisting of Strength, Gymnastics or Bodybuilding and Conditioning piece or 2. (yes have to move fast to get it all done withing 2-2.5 hours),” she told True Protein.

3. 1 Day of Flexible Training and 1 Rest Day

“I also do one additional day where I like to keep flexible with what I do. It’ll be something I really enjoy, like jump in a class, calisthenics, swim, go for a run or bike or even try something new to keep the mind fresh and excited about moving in different ways. Then there’s always a solid rest day to allow the body to recover,” she told True Protein.

4. Structured Sessions

What does a typical workout look like for Alethea? “I structure my sessions according to what needs the most work. But most structured sessions usually follow this outline. Prehab and Strength is where I spend majority of my time over other biases because let’s be honest, I’m 40, I need the prehab and strength is my weakness, so we make it a priority. Then a short 10minute-15min gymnastics or body building piece for maintenance followed by conditioning piece or 2. I like to do one that stings, short and fast 3-6mins, followed by one slightly longer piece that has me breathing and sweating for 15-20mins. I would absolutely love to be able to do more but we make do with the time that we have and really maximize every minute to focus in on what will get me the most return in a competition setting,” she says.

5. Fueling Up with Food

Alethea makes sure to get enough food in her body for her workouts. “Food is fuel! Adequately getting enough, and enough of the right stuff is key to being able to perform both in and out of the gym. I admit as a busy mum I often tend to forget to eat at times because I am always on the go and on those days and the day after I really feel the lack of energy so being sure to prepack and plan meals and supplements around training to support my lifestyle is crucial to ensure that performance in training is fully optimized,” she explains.

Stefanie Cohen, a world-record-holding powerlifter, knows the importance of balancing intense workouts with proper rest. Recently on Instagram, Cohen emphasized that rest between sets is just as crucial as the reps you’re doing. "The more intense or heavier the set, the longer your rest should be," she explained. Beyond powerlifting, Cohen is also a professional boxer and incorporates a strict strength training routine, focusing on core work and sticking to a consistent set of exercises for maximum results. She stresses the importance of repetition and progression in her training to achieve muscle growth and strength, sharing that sticking to a monotonous routine helps quantify progress and see real results.

1. She Rests Between Sets

As you can see from her Instagram post’s caption, Cohen makes sure to rest between different exercise sets. She also says that her rest time is dependent on the workouts she’s doing. “One key rule? The more intense or heavier the set, the longer your rest should be so you can continue matching the intensity for all of your working sets.”

2. She Strength Trains

Stefanie Cohen/Instagram

In her Instagram video, Cohen is seen doing strength training exercises like tricep pushdowns. Strength training has a lot of benefits. ACE Fitness states, “Strength training with heavy weights improves muscle definition. Muscle definition occurs as the result of muscles remaining in a state of semi-contraction and heavy strength training recruits the larger type II muscle fibers responsible for a muscle’s appearance.”

3. She Boxes

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In addition to being a powerlifter, Cohen is also a professional boxer. She shared this video on Instagram of herself fighting in the ring. Cohen captioned the post, “I started boxing because I felt weak. Not physically- I am the strongest lb for lb on the planet. But I was weak of spirit. Thanks to boxing, that’s changed 🖤”

4. She Sticks To A Set Of Exercises

When it comes to working out, Cohen believes in sticking to her favorite exercises. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram video. “If you ask any of the greats you’ll realize that one of the main things all their training programs have in common is little exercise variation, and a very short list of exercises on rotation. Why? Because it works. Muscle growth and strength comes from repetition and logical weight progression. The better you get at a movement, the better you get at recruiting specific muscles and thus, the more weight you can add to an exercise, the more reps and set you can do. So instead of randomly changing your workouts daily, stick to a more monotonous routine and you’ll be able to better quantify progress and see results.”

5. She Works Her Core

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Cohen makes sure to work her core muscles. She shared her tips for doing so in the caption of this Instagram video. “The ‘core’ is more than the muscles you show off at the beach, it’s the foundation of your body. It is also often overlooked by iron athletes due to the misconception that the squat, bench, deadlift, press already involve the core therefore they think there is no need for extra exercises. Beside the ‘abs’ the core involves the diaphragm, transverse abdominis, multifidus, pelvic floor, erectors and rectus abdominis. That’s why doing crunches alone isn’t going to cut it. Some of the benefits of having a stronger/resilient core include lower recurrence of low back injuries, improved running efficiency and weight lifting due to minimizing the leakage of power from the trunk and better transfer of power to the extremities, and finally improved balance, coordination and body awareness. By spending just a few minutes a day doing a core routine designated to target each of these muscles you can improve your performance as well as reduce your injury risk.”