Claressa Shields is flexing in her workout gear. In a new social media post the athlete shows off her guns and sensational figure in a two-piece pink exercise set. “Happy Monday! Let’s get to it ! I rested all weekend!” she captioned the series of Instagram snaps and videos. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.
1. Boxing and MMA
“It’s important for me to be recognized as a two-sport athlete because I want to show that I can do both,” Shields told Muscle & Fitness. “After all my boxing accolades, there’s still a rule in which boxers don’t go to MMA. I want to change that — and show that I am the GWOAT of combat sports because I can do both.”
2. Strength Training
"I start my day at 7:30 a.m. every day except Sunday. I have to get up and weigh in with our coach. He wants to check our weight every morning. We eat a little meal, and then we have strength and conditioning at 8:30 a.m.,” she told ESPN. "We lifts weights, body weights, pushups, lunges. We do a lot of sprinting and long distance running and after that we'll still do weights. It's like an hour and a half worth of training."
3. Up to 8 Hours of Training Per Day
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Shields trains seven to eight hours a day, she told ESPN. "I'm always doing extra," she says. "Even though the coaches will tell me, 'You only got 10 rounds,' me being an Olympic gold medalist I always stay after, I always hit the bag after, I always do pushups and crunches after -- or I might even go for another run. For some others it's probably five or six hours, or maybe even four, but for me it's seven or eight."
4. Massages
Claressa gets massages three to four times a week to give her body a break. "You know how you are supposed to sit straight up?" Shields says. "My back kind of comes in a lot because of how much I train, and how I'm trying to keep my guard to protect my body and to protect my face, so I kind of round everything to the punch. So that causes problems for my back." According to the Mayo Clinic, studies support the many benefits of getting a regular rub down. These include stress reduction, lessening pain and muscle tightness, increased relaxation, and improved immunity.
5. Rest Days
Claressa makes sure to take rest days. “Having a routine is a great thing for any athlete, but sometimes adding something new to a routine or just giving yourself a break is necessary. If you’re training several times a day all week, by Friday, your body will wear down. I think that messes with some people when they’re unable to finish out the week. When my body says, ‘Hey, chill out, Claressa,’ I’m more than willing to chill out and give my body a rest or cut a workout short,” she says.