German Powerlifter Denise Herber in Two-Piece Workout Gear Does "Prep for Bodybuilding Stage"

Denise Herber is prepping her body for competition. In a new social media post the German powerlifter flaunts her strong and fit figure in two-piece workout gear while getting ready for bodybuilding. “Prep for the bodybuilding stage • Cut for two months and show off on stage • Combine powerlifting and bodybuilding,” she wrote in the Instagram caption. How does the athlete keep herself prepped for competition? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Cutting Calories

How does Denise get cut? “It‘s time to cut body weight! Started on monday with 81.3kg. Currently I only reduce my calorie intake, next monday the final water cut starts🧂💦 But WHY am I doing this? It’s simple: I wanna compete -75kg class, it’s all for the DOTS points!” she captioned a post.

2. Training Smart

Denise advocates training smarter not harder. “You won‘t win a medal 🥇 at your next meet for having the most hardest sessions in your prep… I mean it doesn‘t count if you are going through a 6 times/week training shedule with an „all in or nothing“ mentality. And nobody cares, too. What counts is the day X. I personally have 2 of 4 sessions/week where I definitely focus at 110%. The other two sessions are just general training ones without stressing myself to hit some certain numbers. I just train. For ME it works very well. Finding a balance between intensity & regeneration is the most difficult part,” she revealed in a post. “Here is one example from last week: instead of doing heavy ssb squats 48 hours after heavy deadlifts and 48 hours before heavy squats, I did some light weight quad tempo work! Slow eccentric + paused + slow concentric. End of the story: two days after I was 110% focused again.”

3. Balance

According to Denise, her success is due to a balanced approach. Some days she eats in a “calorie surplus” with all the “bad foods” and the other days “in a deficit to balance everything,” she wrote in a post. “For ME it works. It’s much better than dealing with a daily restricted macro/calorie specification. I hold my body weight on average and thats all I want.”

4. Cold Plunge

Denise recently tried cold plunging. “Cold plunge with 55F/12C but damn I bet it was way colder! We both are definitely only made for hot stuff,” she captioned a post. “A trend that is exaggerated by many. Getting colder, getting longer. The danger that something can happen here is already great. Bottom line: If you’re not the cold type, that’s perfectly okay. For a healthy athlete this is absolutely not a must. We make the most of this tool with alternating baths between warms and cold, especially to To push the circulation.”

5. Workout Buddy

Denise is married to physical therapist Nico Herber, who is also her workout buddy. Having a workout buddy is a great tool to stay accountable.

Maureen Blanquisco is modeling workout clothes. In a new social media post the IFBB contestant shows off her incredible body in a blue exercise set, driving her followers wild. “To all my baddies out there! This color makes your tan complexion POP,” she captioned the series of Instagram snaps. “So gorgeous 🩷🥰” commented one. “OKKKAAAY SLAAY SLAAY,” added another. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Swimming

When Maureen was younger she was a swimmer. “I always loved competing and performing. I usually call it “performing” instead of competing. Swimming was an individual sport. If I wanted to win, it all depended on me. I never liked depending on a team. If we lost because of them, I would get very frustrated,” she told Muscular Development.

2. Gymnastics and Cheerleading

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She then moved on to gymnastics and cheerleading. “Cheerleading was fine until one time we fell during a stunt, and it wasn’t my fault. I said, I think I work better alone,” this is when she discovered weights. “I started lifting weights at age 18. That’s around the time you want to look and feel good, putting on makeup. I was doing fitness training anyway, so I started to look for something I could do competitively that fit that. I had always wanted to compete in beauty pageants, but at 5 feet tall I was too short. Then I saw the Bikini Olympia on YouTube, and the woman who stuck out to me the most was India Paulino. She was my first idol! I thought it looked so cool. The women looked amazing, and this was the closest thing to a beauty pageant I could do. I thought I could just go compete in the Olympia. I had no idea you have to turn pro first, then qualify, the whole long process. But in my head, I only had one goal, to go to the Olympia.”

3. Here Is How She Preps for Shows

“I started prepping for the Olympia right after the Boston Pro in March, so that was seven months. It was a very chill prep because I was eating clean, but I was eating more than ever in a prep. I was still dieting, but it was more calories, and I did have one cheat meal a week. Now I see this is the best approach for me: a longer prep but with more food,” Maureen said.

4. Her “Breaks” Involve Cardio

When she does go on vacation, she still exercises. “I did go on vacation to Hawaii with my partner the week after the Olympia. That was on my bucket list. I did cardio every day, but I took five days off from weights. I had a couple of treats, but nothing crazy,” she says.

5. She Doesn’t “Gain Too Much” During the Offseason

Marueen avoids overindulging in the off season. “I have a very clear mindset that if I gain too much, it will be a lot harder for me,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “In Bikini, it’s all about condition, and while you could be ‘too’ hard, you certainly can’t be soft, either.”

Lauren Lee Dannenmiller, a top IFBB bikini competitor, balances her fierce dedication to fitness with a love for life’s simple joys. Recently, she gave her followers a peek into her world, sharing moments of relaxation and fun—playing miniature golf, strolling on the beach, and exploring the city. With the caption, “Just being Lauren Lee,” she reminded us that even the most disciplined athletes know how to unwind. Here’s how Dannenmiller stays in top shape while living her best life.

1. She Swims

Dannenmiller spends a lot of time outside. One thing she likes to do to stay in shape is going swimming. Dannenmiller shares a lot of posts on Instagram of herself in the water. In this video, she is seen going for a dip in a water hole. Dannenmiller captioned the post, “It was a rest day from the gym so we decided to do some exploring! This swimming hole and falls was beautiful.” Dannenmiller also shared these photos of herself in the pool.

2. She Hikes

Another outdoor activity that Dannenmiller does to stay in shape is going for hikes. She shares a lot of hiking posts on Instagram. Dannenmiller posted these photos of herself hiking in Arrowhead, Colorado. She captioned the post, “We had this trip planned for months and I’m so happy to be back in this beautiful state. COLORADO ⛰️🍂🥾It's the best time of year to be out here. We did some hiking yesterday as the leaves are now changing 🍁”

3. She Lifts Weights

Dannenmiller shares a lot of her favorite workouts on Instagram. One thing she likes to do is lift weights. In this video, Dannenmiller is seen using hand weights and a dumbbell. She captioned the post, “Took some time off from heavy lifting to recover post show. Now since its been 6 weeks I’m ready to gain weight and get stronger🍑 let’s grow!”

4. She Does Hip Thrusts

Lauren Lee Dannenmiller/Instagram

Dannenmiller likes to do hip thrusts to keep herself in shape. In the previous Instagram post, she is seen doing them with a dumbbell. In this Instagram post, Dannenmiller is also seen doing them. She captioned that post, “Leg day training! Picked up the 50lb dumbbells for my reverse lunges 3x8👏🏻👏🏻” Gymless states that the exercise has a lot of benefits. “Hip thrusts, as a compound movement, aid in increasing lower body strength and power, enhancing athletic abilities such as running, jumping, and powerlifting. By strengthening the posterior chain muscles, you can enhance your posture and lower the risk of back pain and muscle strain.”

5. She Does Squats

One lower body workout that Dannenmiller does to stay in shape is squats. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing the exercise with a machine. Dannenmiller captioned the post, “Heavy glute training! Hitting a pr on my favorite squat machine.” Piedmont states that squats have a lot of benefits. “Squats are a compound, multi-joint movement, which means they exercise several muscle groups. When you perform a squat, you work your calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, core and part of your back.”