Kelsey Plum in Workout Gear Experiences "Pure Joy"

On Instagram, she clearly has an incredible spirit in these joyful photos of her with the team. The American basketball player from LA and Los Vegas Aces Guard in the WNBA is a world champion and a fitness guru. She has the dedication and drive to be part of winning championships back to back, so what’s her secret to staying so fit, strong, healthy, and driven? We did some diving into her routine.

1. She grew up playing sports

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Being active was a family affair growing up. “Everyone in my family played volleyball,” she said. “But I just didn’t have that passion for it. I just kinda wanted to do something different, so my dad took me to play pick-up when I was a kid, so I just started playing, and I loved it.”

2. She goes for good gear

Plum focuses on finding good gear to use while playing. When asking her what she would go for in DICK’s Sporting Goods, “I would definitely head for the shoe section and get some sweet Under Armour shoes. Hopefully the Plum’s would be in stock, the ones that just dropped, so I would start with those and then I’d probably go to the sweatshirts,” she said.

3. She works on mobility

Mobility is a big priority when training. “In basketball, there’s a lot of different elements that you need,” she said. “You need strength, you need speed, but you need mobility. You need to be able to change direction and so working on those things has helped me to become a better athlete.”

4. She does box jumps

Plum does challenging box jumps to work on control. “It’s not just about the hours you put in, but what you are doing, and being purposeful with your movements (is what counts),” she said. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “a 2022 study showed that a bodyweight workout like calisthenics counts as high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Study participants who did calisthenics exercises at a vigorous pace got the same cardio benefits as interval running, sprinting and walking on a treadmill.”

5. She focuses on staying mentally clear

Plum has the training aspect down, so she focuses on staying mentally clear, as well. “When I think about being motivated or passionate about things, I really just try to stay present,” she said. “I try to stay in the moment and whatever is in front of me, whether it’s a workout or whether it’s a game, a lift, I just try to be great in that workout.”

WNBA star Jewell Loyd doesn’t cut any corners when it comes to her workouts. Loyd, 30, shared a video of herself working out in the gym in black sweatpants and a purple shirt, sparring and flexing her biceps. “Back with my guy!!! @foxholecoach #5amclub,” she captioned the high-energy post. Loyd was dubbed the “Gold Mamba” by Kobe Bryant himself—here’s how Loyd is continuing on his work, and what her own training looks like.

1. Meditation and Workouts

Loyd starts the day with meditation and taking her dogs for a one-mile walk. “When it comes to breakfast, I do not hold back,” she told Women’s Health. “I love breakfast, and unless I’m just having a smoothie, I go all out. I love pancakes and waffles, and if it’s game day, I add bacon and eggs. I’ll never skip breakfast. Post-breakfast, I get training. Sometimes I’ll lift weights in the morning, but usually, it’s basketball first to just kind of get my body moving. If I’m starting with lifting, I try to get a nice sweat and get tempos in my lifts, but it doesn’t take me super long to get warm. I always focus most on my shoulders.”

2. PickleBall Star

Loyd has developed an appreciation for pickleball, and even takes part in tournaments. “I start with basketball workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,” she told Women’s Health. “On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s pickleball, and that’s a two-hour workout of technique stuff. Lately, I’ve been playing pickleball every day, getting ready for a tournament. My body’s been adjusting to a different sport, but it’s been fun. I grew up playing tennis, so I’m used to the spinning motions, but there really are different muscles being used compared to basketball.”

3. Gold Mamba Workout

Dubbed “Gold Mamba” by Kobe Bryant himself, Loyd created the Gold Mamba Workout to help aspiring ballers in his honor. "Kobe had a lot of information and, in his latest years after he retired, he did a great job of giving that information to the next generation of athletes, regardless of the sport they were in," Loyd told Business Insider. "For me, understanding that and knowing that I have information, I want to do as much as I can to give that back to the next generation."

4. Sleep Habits

Loyd tries to practice good sleep habits. “I'm fairly consistent, but depending on my workout schedule, my sleep fluctuates a little bit,” she told Women’s Health. “I obviously sleep better when I don't have to wake up for that 5:00 lift. But sometimes even when I don’t have to get up that early my sleep is still off because maybe I played an extra game of pick-up the day before or did something else and didn’t recover enough.”

5. Professional Training For All

Loyd says the 94FEETOFGAMEAPP allows Kobe’s legacy to be passed down and appreciated even by people who couldn’t afford one-on-one training. "This app allows people who really don't have resources or don't have a personal trainer to get professional training and advice — the real stuff and not just stuff from some people who don't know anything about the league," Loyd told Business Insider. "They're getting real access to Phil [Handy]— who's been in the league and has trained everyone from Kobe to Kawhi [Leonard] to Kyrie [Irving] — and real information, which is hard to get sometimes, especially for females. So allowing them to have that all in one place in an app is pretty amazing.”

WNBA star Breanna Stewart went into 2024 with good intentions and lots of gratitude. Stewart, 29, shared a picture of herself wearing a blue shirt and gray shorts, beaming with happiness as she posed on the court. “How I’m entering 2024… with love, happiness & my people,” she captioned the post. “Happy New Year Stewie! 2024 is going to be even more amazing, if that’s possible 😜,” commented Rennae Stubbs. Here’s what Stewart’s diet, training, and recovery regimen looks like, and the home-cooked meal her fellow athletes go crazy for.

1. Basketball Training

Stewart says basketball is the best workout. "I don’t really know any other speed than basketball. I’ve just been playing it forever,” she told Red Bull. “It’s a stop-and-go game. You can be running up and down for a while, then stop, then you have to go again. We don’t do much conditioning work during the season, because we’re playing almost three games each week. But during the preseason we do some sprints on the court, and riding the Airdyne bike, which really sucks—whether you’re in shape or not, you’re dying on that thing. And a lot of different cardio machines and kinds of cardio exercises. And just playing—nothing compares to it."

2. Weight Training and Pilates

Stewart uses weights to build strength and muscle. "I need to make sure that my body is ready and that means getting in the weight room,” she told Red Bull. “I just work everything—upper and lower body. I also do Pilates to make sure that my core is strong. When I’m on the court, I’m using everything, so I want to make sure that my whole body is ready to go. I usually spend an hour in the gym, then we spend about two hours on the court for practice. I do drills—like I’ll work on my post game. It helps to have someone to work with you to make sure you’re getting pushed. After practice, I do an hour of shooting drills. I like to have a schedule and keep things consistent.”

3. Spicy Rigatoni For the Team

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Stewart’s mother makes incredible rigatoni noodles for her teammates. "My mom makes these chicken riggies that are off the chart,” she told Sports Illustrated. “She usually makes it when I have a team over or my family gets together because it's a bigger dish. It's rigatoni noodles with chicken and a tomato sauce. She can add red pepper flakes to make it spicier. She puts diced tomatoes in it, and she can add peppers and all types of things. I made it for my team when I was at UConn because they'd had it before—my mom would bring me leftovers that she'd frozen, and the team came to my house one time and she made it. I don't want to say it was as good as my mom's, but they all approved."

4. Pre-Game Meal

Stewart loves asparagus, which is low in calories yet packed with nutrients. "[I had a] pre-game meal of penne with meat sauce, brown rice, mashed sweet potatoes, and of course, asparagus," she told USA Today. "I could eat asparagus pretty much every day and not get tired of it."

5. Steam Room and Cold Tub

Stewart knows how important recovery and rest days are for athletes. “My muscles get really tight, so I’ll get them worked on before and after practice,” she told Red Bull. “I like going in the steam room and the hot tub; that makes my body feel good on the day after games. And doing yoga and really all the recovery things—the foam rolling, muscle flossing, the list goes on and on. I’ll go in the hot tub before practice and the cold tub after. The cold tub helps get the lactic acid and everything out of your legs. I try to make sure that I’m doing everything I can to keep my body feeling good. I want to stay ahead of letting my body break down, which allows injuries to happen.”

Kelsey Kiel, a prominent CrossFit athlete, recently shared glimpses of her life on Instagram, including quality time spent with her family, partner, and beloved dog. Her post reflects a heartwarming weekend filled with adventures, football, pumpkin picking, and cozy coffee moments. Kiel expressed her sentimentality, saying, “I miss Jojo already. Such a good weekend with my mom, my guy and of course, Oliver. 🥹♥️ adventures, football, pumpkins and coffee. I’m grateful!!” This showcases not just her physical strength but also the strong bonds she cherishes with her loved ones, highlighting the balance she maintains between her rigorous training regimen and a fulfilling personal life.

1. She Works Hard

Kiel makes sure to work hard when she trains. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram video. “The truth is - I’ve been chasing a competitive dream in some way shape or form for almost 10 years. Taking this time for ME has filled my cup (and then some♥️). But it’s hard when I’m used to my body looking a certain way. But the truth is I had to fight to be lean. I had to count and track everything I ate and drank. When I finally gave myself the necessary grace and time away from that, I’ve evolved and my body has followed suit.”

2. She Works On Self-Love

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Kiel is working on self-love, especially when it comes to her body. She also talked about this in the caption of the previous Instagram video. “I’m going to fight to love this body in this season of life. I’m going to be better about speaking kindly to myself. It’s hard and I think it’ll be something I have to actively work on (always and forever), but I must, and you must, because this is our one precious life and why should we go through it being so damn hard on ourselves?”

3. She Lifts Weights

Kiel likes to lift weights to stay in shape. She is seen lifting a barbell in the previous Instagram video. Kiel also shared this post of herself weightlifting, captioning it, “Stayin’ skrong 👸🏼✨ // 225, 235, 245 for 1+1 🤝” ACE Fitness states that weights have a lot of health benefits. “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.”

4. She Does Yoga

Kiel shared some of her favorite ways to stay fit in this Instagram post. One thing she is seen doing is yoga. Harvard Health reports that yoga has a lot of health benefits. “Yoga develops inner awareness. It focuses your attention on your body's abilities at the present moment. It helps develop breath and strength of mind and body. It's not about physical appearance.”

5. She Walks

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Another exercise that Kiel is seen doing in the previous Instagram post is walking. Harvard Health states that walking has a lot of benefits. “A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations. And the latest research confirms that walking can reduce cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks.”