Bodybuilder Hunter Henderson in Two-Piece Workout Gear Says "Keep Going"

Hunter Hendersson is updating her fans on her bodybuilding journey – in her two-piece workout gear. In a new4 social media post the athlete shows off her strong body during an exercise session at the gym. “Kicked off week 2 with the @rpstrength app last night,” she writes. “I'm really liking my program/diet right now and having a lot of fun with it. I don't know that I've ever been this happy🥹 I had a nice waddle to me after this one. Fun fact: I originally learned to squat on a smith machine at planet fitness. Had no idea what I was doing back then. My first time under a barbell was horrific😂 Always makes me smile when I get to use a smith. We all start somewhere. Wherever you are on your journey, KEEP GOING.” How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Intense Training

Hunter follows an intense training schedule. “I train five days a week, including a squat day with extra bench and a deadlift day with bench. On the other three days, I don’t touch a barbell. Those are accessory or bodybuilding days with machines and super fun workouts,” she told Bar Bend. “We also have what we call a “creatine” day with active recovery movements like box jumps, medicine ball slams; explosive and athletic-type movements.”

2. Walking on Incline

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Cardio is also key, she revealed in another interview with Bar Bend. “I think it is so important for cardiovascular health. Just like recovery in general, if you are sitting on the couch and not moving your body, not stretching those muscles, you’re going to get tight, and you’re going to eventually get injured,” she said. “I utilize those three days that I’m not lifting weights, I utilize that time to go walk. Honestly, I just do incline walking for about 25 to 30 minutes, and that’s it. I’m done.” She adds that she “solely” does it for a recovery purpose. “I don’t do this for a fat loss or at least that’s not my emphasis. I’m not doing this for like a fat loss thing. It’s just solely for recovery and keeping the body moving, keeping myself healthy. That’s all.”

3. Healthy Diet

One of the biggest misconceptions about bodybuilders? “I’d say that you can eat whatever you want and perform great. A lot of people have crap diets and they don’t put an emphasis on health. Health should be your number one priority. If you don’t have health then you can’t have that 600-pound deadlift. You can’t have this world record squat,” she says. “People just come into this with this idea that they’re going to be this huge monster. Super strong. They forget to check their blood pressure. They forget to get their labs drawn. People just have this misconception that it’s all performance. They kind of just leave their bodies behind, I guess. People don’t put enough emphasis on health. They don’t put enough emphasis on the diet, and they pay for it.”

4. Electrolytes

Hunter prioritizes hydration, drinking water enhanced with electrolytes. “I have utilized LMNT for awhile now to combat the effects of dehydration. I am not sponsored by this company I just genuinely love their product and I want you guys to have a chance to try it out! 0 sugars, only 1 carb, and all the sodium, magnesium, and potassium our bodies need to perform at our best,” she wrote i a post.

5. Be Patient

What is Hunter’s advice to aspiring bodybuilders? “Enjoy the process and take your time. You have to understand the long game. It won’t happen overnight. The most important part is to have fun. Enjoy the training sessions, too. If you’re not having fun with this, what’s the point?” she told Bar Bend.

Brazilian MMA champion Mackenzie Dern’s whole fitness (and fighting!) philosophy seems to be “never give up.” The 30-year-old UFC strawweight fighter shared a picture of herself wearing black leggings and a blue sports bra, soaked in sweat and glowing with pride. “You become unstoppable when you work on things, that people can’t take away from you. Things like your mindset, character and personality,” she captioned the inspirational post. Here’s how Dern got back into fighting shape after having a baby, and is now stronger than ever.

1. Lifting Weights

Weight training is a key part of Dern’s exercise regimen. "Strength training helps improve a woman's overall health in numerous ways," Emily Hill Bowman, MD, tells Nebraska Medicine. "Besides the many health benefits, women can also lessen their risk for conditions unique to them such as osteoporosis after menopause and pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and postpartum depression."

2. Bike Rides

Dern loves riding bikes outside for fun during her down time, which is a great way to enjoy some fresh air. “Cycling is one of the healthiest and most low-impact forms of exercise - meaning it causes less strain and injuries than most other workouts,” say the experts at the University of Montana. “So it's a hobby you can continue to enjoy throughout your long life.”

3. UFC Training

Dern’s preparation methods for UFC were more intense than her previous martial arts training. “One of the things I had to change were the Muay Thai training sessions — a session of just kicks and punches to get my striking sharp,” she told Gracie Mag. “I also started doing an extra session of cardio, even to keep my weight below what I kept it at in BJJ [Brazilian jiu-jitsu]. And the stamina to fight in there for 15, 25 minutes is a little different. There’s no way to rest during battle — only on the stool during breaks.”

4. Postpartum Strength Training

Dern focused on building strength after welcoming her daughter in June 2019. “During my pregnancy, I didn’t train at all,” she told Women’s Health. “I wanted to take advantage of those nine months and enjoy the time off with my growing family. I came back to the sport four months after giving birth to my daughter, Moa. I was still breastfeeding! The longer you wait to come back, the harder it is, I think. I dedicated myself 100 percent, but my training was different than before. I did more functional training, focusing on movements with dumbbells and cables, to improve my speed and reaction time.”

5. Doubled Down On Training

Dern struggled to get fit after having her daughter, but soon got back into shape with intense training. “I was a little nervous for the first match after baby,” she told Women’s Health. “It ended up being my first loss—I was undefeated before that. I lost a couple of sponsors, too, but that only spurred me on. I doubled down on my boxing and strength training, to get the muscles back and to get to the next level as a fighter. I won my next two matches, and I’m proud to say I’m a better athlete now than I was before pregnancy.”

UFC star Holly Holm is showing fans what her workout routine looks like these days. Holm, 42, shared a video of herself wearing blue leggings and a sports bra, doing a full stretching session before hitting the treadmill and doing strength training exercises. “We always start with an active stretch, add some cardio, then on to strength training. @teamturningpoint always mixing it up for me!” she captioned the post. “Go get it @hollyholm! We wish you good fortunes in your next fight against Kayla Harrison!” a fan commented. Here’s how this fighter says strong and ready for the ring.

1. Running Every Day

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Holm runs five days a week on top of daily sparring practice and mitt work. “I go do my workout, do the media, and go right back to my workouts,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “It may mean running in the dark with a headlamp on because I didn’t get it done before the sun went down, but I know that the time put in then will pay off later. I’m disciplined to get it done, but there are times when it’s challenging for sure.”

2. Be Prepared and Focused

Holm says being prepared is her good luck charm. “I just try to stay healthy, keep my body feeling good, eat foods that make me feel energetic but not overly heavy,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “I like to be surrounded by my team—they make me feel good and confident, and the energy is good. Other than that, I just focus on the fight and I know that all the hard work has been put in… The training’s done, and nothing can take away from that, so I try not to get worked up in my head. I try to stay level-headed and keep my body feeing good until it’s time to shine.”

3. Rest and Recovery

Holm knows how important it is to rest when your body requires it. “On some days, I over-trained,” she told Time. “There will be times, when preparing for a big moment, where it can all seem overwhelming. On those days, you need a rest. For me, it’s going back and taking a bath in Epsom salt. You need to treat yourself. I’m a huge coffee addict. When you go out for coffee or even when you sit down with it at home, you know you’re taking a break. You’re going to enjoy it. If it’s not coffee, maybe it’s a glass of Diet Coke. Or wine. Or some chocolate almonds.”

4. Double the Fun

Holm admits to dreaming of doing both UFC and MMA. "I think about doing both," she told ESPN. "And my last boxing match, there was a debate if it would be at 135 or 140 pounds. I had already won a title at 140. I wish I would have pushed that [fight at 135] more because I could have been a four-division champion... But why not [actively hold titles in two sports]? I think that sounds fantastic."

5. Picture the Victory

Holm knows how hard it can be to stay motivated—but says it’s worth it. “On your journey to the top, there will be times when you don’t want to make the sacrifices,” she told Time. “When you’d be happier spending time with friends, with family. So many times, I don’t want to hit the gym. I just want the work to be over. But then I would picture the victory. And that’s all it takes.”

Gillian Ward is doing chin ups in her workout gear. In a new social media post the bodybuilder shows off her strength and strong body wearing a two-piece exercise set during her gym session. “From this morning,” she wrote in the caption, doing 30 chin ups, “at the end of a hard workout,” she wrote across the Instagram clip. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Unconventional Training

Gillian uses “unconventional” training methods. “I know that I’m training for a bodybuilding competition and there are many people shaking their heads at this and saying, that’s not how you train for bodybuilding. What really is bodybuilding? To me bodybuilding is the development of every nook, cranny, and corner of the physique and the mind, especially when it comes to discipline,” she writes in a post. “Sure, this is not conventional ‘hypertrophy’ training, but no one can argue that movement of the body in unconventional ways has no value to physical development. What I’m really saying is that there is no one way. There is no singular best approach.”

2. Exercise Keeps Her Young

Gillian doesn’t plan on retiring from exercise. “Today. Every day. (Except for rest days of course),” she captioned a post. “Yesterday someone asked me when I’m going to stop doing all of this. They suggested that I was getting ‘too old’ to continue to push myself- that it was time to relax and ‘ease off’. This is what keeps me young. I do what I love and I love what I do. My passion burns like a brightly lit torch illuminating the path ahead. It cannot be extinguished by hate, adversity, doubt, or distraction.”

3. Consistency

Gillian maintains that “with consistency there is progress,” in a post. “Hard to see it in the moments, the hours and the days, but then the weeks start to add up and it becomes clear. It’s not about any one moment, any one meal, any one workout. It’s about the sum of all the littles. Every moment is a unique opportunity to make a choice- to stay the course even when it’s hard, to stay the course even when it feels like you are stuck or going backwards. Choose consistency. Trust the process!”

4. Strength Training

Gillian relies mostly on strength training to build muscle. “The primary reason that I strength train is not to have muscles or to hit certain numbers. I lift so that I can do all of the other things in life that bring me joy for as long as possible. I strength train to improve my quality of life for decades to come. I strength train to avoid being ‘trapped’ in my body. I strength train so that my body can express the creativity of my mind,” she writes.

5. Not Letting Minor Setbacks Keep Her From Success

Gillian has bad days, but doesn’t let them impact her long-term success. “It’s been a rough week. Real life stressors have made it difficult to focus & keep my head in the game. The scale went up instead of down. I felt like I was going backwards. Not every week is a perfect week. Things don’t always move in a linear fashion in the right direction,” she writes in a post. “This week I relied on habit & planning, not willpower. I stuck to my plan with my diet & training because those are the habits that I have created. These habits brought comfort during a very stressful time. It’s hard to put in the work when you don’t see the immediate results of your efforts but that is the most important time to do so. Trust the process. Trust yourself. I can’t control all outcomes, but I do have control over my effort and my attitude 💜

Tina Chandler is sharing her gratitude in her workout gear. In a new social media post the bodybuilder shows off her impressively strong body while posing for a photo and expressing thanks. “Hallelujah!” she captioned the post. “You are great,” commented one of her followers, while another added fire emojis. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. From Gymnastics to Weight Lifting

Nina explained to Kevin Saunders that she started weight lifting at 13 after years of training as a gymnast. “I read muscle magazines like Muscle & Fitness to learn lifting techniques and form. I also watched ESPN’s Body Shaping by Cory Everson religiously to see how the experts worked out,” she said. “In gymnastics, I learned a strict discipline for training on a regular schedule. I used this same discipline towards lifting weights, learning all that I could, and training every day. I created a schedule and stuck to it, just as we did in gymnastics.”

2. Healthy Lifestyle

Tina “made a promise to myself” and “made an adjustment on my mindset” to make healthy living a lifestyle. “I asked myself why I would go back to eating like ‘normal’, for example 3 meals a day with happy hour and brunches, when this OTHER way obviously was optimal for my performance, health, and wellbeing! I really started to look at this for myself and decided that eating 6 meals as opposed to 3 main meals would become my everyday ‘NORM’. I never wanted to get out of shape again, and after that I never did. After all, it had taken me 30 years to finally find answers and gain control of my body and life, I wasn’t about to lose it now! I learned that no number of tricks, gimmicks, fasting, or vegetarianism would amount to this knowledge. I was excited to have some answers about fitness and food.”

3. High Quality Products

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Tina shares a few things she has learned over the years. “I learned that good products matter!” she said. “I’m a big fan of Lee Labrada who made the transition from being a top bodybuilder to having the most trusted products and supplements in the bodybuilding world. Labrada Nutrition developed some of the purest products and his Proplete Whey Isolate Protein Powder was my favorite throughout most of my competing years. Labrada products are still made with great ingredients and formulas, helping pros get the right nutrition for this very demanding sport.”

4. Rest

She also learned that “rest is important,” she says. “In fact, rest and recovery are just as important as great workouts and excellent nutrition. There were times when my body was pushed so far, and I would come down with a cold or something similar. I learned that proper rest and recovery would get me back on track faster as opposed to pushing through or overdoing it.”

5. Working on Weaknesses

“I learned to LOVE to work on my weaknesses!” Tina adds. “Recognize your weaknesses and embrace them fully. Along the way, I noticed certain body parts were not as developed as the others. I would not have gotten to 8th in the world if I had not fully embraced and learned to love to work those areas I wasn’t as fond of! I reprogrammed my mind to actually LOVE working some of my least favorite areas to work. I used to hate working biceps, now I love it! Work on your weaknesses!”