Diamond the Gladiator Shares Swimsuit Photo From "Hot Tub"

Diamond the Gladiator, real name Livi Sheldon, enjoyed a staycation in England's beautiful and dramatic Peak District. The Gladiators star shared a picture of herself posing in a black bikini, perched on the side of a hot tub against a background of cloudy skies and lush green fields. "Hot Tub in a ⛈️ is a mood 👌🏼 Lovely little staycation in the Peak District. Rest and recovery needed 🫶🏼," she captioned the post. Here's how Sheldon achieves a happy, healthy, and balanced lifestyle.

Sheldon is a personal trainer, using her years of experience to help people transform their bodies. "My whole life I was always the sporty one, but one day I looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the person looking back at me," she says. 'Seeing how unhappy I was and not knowing how to change that, my partner suggested I hire a personal trainer. This was just the start of my transformation. Learning how to train and with heavy weights, my body shape completely changed, I am now happier, stronger and more in control of my mind and body than I ever have been before… Training has done more for me than just change my physical appearance, it has helped me become mentally stronger. Training helps create routine, not just in your sessions but everyday life, you learn to plan and set goals, and then reach those goals."

Sheldon practices reverse dieting, which in the bodybuilding community is a way to prevent weight gain after caloric restriction (for example for a competition). "Reverse dieting was extremely important to me as I had a goal of where I wanted to be physically for my lifestyle," she says. "Creating a happy lifestyle, Which I have now successfully achieved. I enjoy social events, a weekly 'free' meal and most of all I enjoy LIFE! I have no strict restrictions. I stay active with my training and NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) goals and my personally set macros and calories (which do change depending on my goals). Currently I am in a maintenance phase of my lifestyle where I am maintaining my current physical shape and living a happy and healthy lifestyle."

Sheldon was given a hard time at school for her height, which she now embraces. "When I was growing up I used to get picked on for being taller than everyone else," she says. "Now I get to show everyone that being unique is your superpower. I can't wait to get into the arena and take on the contenders as Diamond. A dream come true! Becoming a Gladiator! If there was an opportunity I could wish for this would be it! This truly is the biggest thing that has ever happened to me and I can't wait to get in the arena! I've been training for duels since I was nine years old!"

Sheldon is a bodybuilding champion, which requires strict training. "Before 2019 I had never competed in a bodybuilding competition," she says. "It was always a goal of mine but I didn't know where to start, it was a completely new aspect to the fitness industry that I had yet to explore. A good friend and a competition coach gave me the push I needed to start my first competition prep. I went from never competing, to my first year competing in four shows, one of which I placed second (NABBA England Toned Figure) and another at the PCA British Finals coming home with a trophy placing 5th in Britain (Category: Toned Figure Tall)."

Sheldon used to struggle with food issues and deprivation when she was learning to train. "The training was never the problem for me, I could train all day long, push myself, and never miss a session," she says. "It was the diet, I struggled sooo many years with emotional eating – which I didn't realize at the time but I do now—I would jump to a chocolate bar, or a pizza for comfort. It's taken many years for me to see food as fuel and not as 'food' but once that clicked I understood. And that didn't come from dieting, it's taken the years of being in a maintenance phase to understand that. Because I haven't deprived myself of anything, seen how my body has reacted to the consistent training, food and love that I've given it, and now I have a much better understanding. I am mentally stronger because of this too and I know I am in control."