IFBB Pro Mengru Zhang in Two-Piece Workout Gear is a "Professional"

Mengru Zhang competes in international bikini fitness competitions. She shares a lot of workout posts on Instagram. In a post from last month, she practiced for a competition. In it, Zhang posed in workout gear. She captioned the post, “Professional league bikini style practice.” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Mengru Zhang stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Does Squats

In this post on her Instagram, Zhang is seen doing squats. Allina Health states that squats have a lot of benefits. “The squat is one of the all-around best exercises to do for your lower body. It strengthens and tones muscles in your thighs, butt and calves and improves posture, balance, flexibility and inner core strength. Squatting also improves bone mineral density to keep your bones strong. Include squats in your exercise routine two to three days a week to reap the benefits from this dynamite move. Rest at least one day to allow muscle recovery.”

2. She Weight Trains

In her previous post, Zhang is seen doing squats with a barbell. She shares a lot of posts of herself using weights. The Mayo Clinic states, “Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Strength training can also protect your joints from injury. Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls. This can help you maintain independence as you age.”

3. She Does Chin-Ups

In this video, Zhang is seen doing chin-ups. ACE Fitness states that the exercise has a lot of benefits. “Chin-ups can help improve grip strength, posture and appearance, while also helping to strengthen muscles that stabilize the spine. This, in turn, can help reduce one’s risk of back pain and injury. Even if a client is only able to do one or two chin-ups at a time, this exercise offers tremendous benefits, especially for the back, shoulders, forearms and biceps.”

4. She Does Donkey Kicks

Shutterstock

In this video, Zhang is seen doing donkey kicks. According to WholesomeFood.org, the exercise has a lot of benefits. “By incorporating donkey kicks and training jump rope into your regular workout routine, you'll reap the benefits of improved balance, stability, and overall lower body strength. Plus, the cardiovascular benefits of jump rope can help you burn calories and improve your overall health. So why not give them a try and see the difference for yourself? Your lower body will thank you!”

5. She Values Her Glutes

Mengru Zhang recently shared a video of her, captioned "Return to training," her glutes on full display. Try a Glute Bridge, says the ACE: "Lie in a supine position with the knees bent and the feet flat on the floor. Place the feet hip distance apart. Tighten the core and move into a slight posterior pelvic tilt. Exhale, contract the glutes and press the hips up and away from the floor. Inhale and lower the hips to the starting position. Complete 12 repetitions; rest and repeat for a total of two to four sets."

Elisa Pecini is pontificating about the importance of nutrition in her workout gear. In a new social media post the IFBB champ exercises and discusses why it’s crucial to fuel your body with healthy food. “In the intense routine of workouts, cardio, work, keeping up with nutrition is essential. Having healthy, practical options makes it a lot easier to focus on what really matters. This is why having ready, balanced meals always on hand makes all the difference to my performance,” she writes in the Instagram video. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Her Go-To Glute Workout

Pecini shared her favorite glute workout with Muscle & Fitness:

• Machine Hip Abduction: 5 x 15 — Pecini adds a loop band just above her knees.
• Smith Machine Reverse Lunge: 3 x 15 — Pecini performs these with her front foot elevated.
• Landmine Sumo Deadlift: 4 x 12
• Machine Weighted Glute Bridge: 4 x 12
• Straight-leg Cable Glute Kickback: 4 x 12

2. Here Is Everything You Need to Know About Her Diet

“My diet changes several times during preparation but these are minor adjustments. It is composed of carbohydrates: rice, oats. Proteins: chicken, fish, egg white, whey protein and sometimes red meat. And lipids like avocado, nuts, peanut butter, olive oil,” Elisa told Mo Marketplace, “What changes in my off-season and pre-contest diet are the quantities as the foods are basically the same. In the off-season, I have 1 free meal a week, and most of the time it's a hamburger, but my favorite dish is to go to a good restaurant and eat grilled salmon with black rice and vegetables without having to weigh the food. I use supplements in my diets like whey protein, bcaa, glutamine, l carnitine, caffeine, pre-workout and all I use are from NewMillen because it’s the brand I know and trust, I don’t like to risk what I don’t know. In pre-contest 1200 to 1500 and off-season 2300kcal per day.”

3. Her Go-To Should Workout

Here is Elisa’s go-to shoulder workout, she revealed to Muscle & Fitness.

• Standing Shoulder Abduction: Sets: 7, Reps: 12
• Seated Unilateral Shoulder Abduction: Sets: 3, Reps: 12
• Arnold Press: Sets: 3, Reps: 12
• Dumbbell Front Raise: Sets: 3, Reps: 12
• Upright Row: Sets: 3, Reps: 12
• Dumbbell Crucifix Hold: Sets: 3, Reps: To failure

4. Only One Rest Day Per Week

“I train 6 days a week. My rest day is on the seventh day which is usually on Sundays. My training routine for the week varies a lot according to the competition phase, at the moment it looks like this: shoulder, buttocks, back, shoulder, buttock, and chest,” she told Mo Marketplace. “I always vary my workouts and never repeat the same workout, I always like the various stimuli, do slow, focused exercises, sometimes use a drop set, sometimes use more load but always maintaining the quality of movement and amplitude, for me variations in a workout are very important.”

5. Cardio

Elisa finishes off her workout by walking. “My cardio is always after the 30-minute workout I like to do with the treadmill at a moderate speed(a brisk walk),” she said. Going for a daily walk can be a game changer in terms of exercise, especially at a brisk speed. One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.

Irena Andersen, one of the most successful female bodybuilders in the IFBB, is also a dedicated trainer who continues to inspire with her impressive strength and discipline. In a recent Instagram video, Andersen talked about her upcoming competition, giving her followers a glimpse into her preparation. Wearing a black tank top, she tagged her training company, Wings Of Strength, in the post, showcasing her commitment to the bodybuilding community. Andersen has been consistently training since she was 15 years old, and she attributes much of her success to muscle memory and hard work. Beyond the gym, Andersen is passionate about advocating for female bodybuilders and enjoys the companionship of her dogs, which she often features on Instagram. From lifting weights to walking regularly, Andersen embraces a well-rounded fitness routine. Here's a deeper dive into the habits that keep her at the top of her game in bodybuilding and life.

1. She’s Consistent

Andersen makes sure to work out on a consistent basis. She talked about this in an interview on Wings Of Strength’s website. “I first started working out in a gym when I was 15 years old. I benefit from both muscle memory and muscle maturity. I’ve been training consistently for so long my body considers this degree of development to be ‘normal.’”

2. She Wants To Bring Attention To Female Bodybuilders

In her Wings Of Strength interview, Andersen talked about wanting to bring attention to the great female bodybuilders out there. “Even though I am in my fifties, I don’t feel I am slowing down. I am looking forward to the Rising Phoenix and the Ms. Olympia. And I am very happy with the reception Too Big For The World has received. Bodybuilding for women is truly ‘Something New Under The Sun’ and I look forward to more people coming to understand and appreciate what female bodybuilders have accomplished.”

3. She Plays With Her Dogs

Andersen has dogs, whom she prominently features on Instagram. She shared this video on her page of herself playing with one of them. According to Harvard Health, having a dog has a lot of benefits. “A growing body of solid research shows that owning a dog can: provide companionship, help you be more active, make kids calmer, more secure, and more responsible, improve the lives of older individuals, help you be calmer, more mindful, and more present in your life, make you more social and less isolated, ease stress.”

4. She Uses Weights

Being a bodybuilder, Andersen naturally likes to work out with weights. She shared this video on Instagram of herself using a dumbbell. ACE Fitness states that using weights has a lot of health benefits. “Lifting heavy weights increases production of the hormone IGF-1. This hormone is related to the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a neurotransmitter responsible for stimulating the growth of new neural pathways in the brain along with enhancing communication between existing pathways. In short, lifting heavy could make you smarter by enhancing cognitive function.”

5. She Walks

In this Instagram video, Andersen is seen walking. Harvard Health reports that walking has a lot of benefits. “Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. Among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.”