Fitness Influencer Lauren Simpson in Two-Piece Workout Gear Shares "Leg Day Diaries"

She Hit Bottom

Lequeux hit a bottom when a relationship of five years ended. “I became very depressed and wasn’t eating properly. This was the lowest point I found my weight—I was 113 pounds at a height of 5’8″, so you can imagine how malnourished I was,” she said in another interview with Muscle & Fitness.

Exercising 5 Days A Week

Valentina works out regularly. “It’s not easy,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “I’m in the gym five days a week. I want to show the world what it takes to make a change and have an impact on my Instagram.”

Workout Buddy

She ended up meeting her future husband and coach, Luis. “He is my coach and nutritionist, and he also knows how to push my buttons, in the wrong way and the right way,” Lequeux says. “The gym is where he is no longer my husband and just my coach. He breaks me in there every time and has no remorse for me. This is what my type of character needed, someone to push me around in the gym and test my limits.”

She Does Core HIIT Workouts

She recently shared a hardcore “Core HIIT” workout. “If you want VISIBLE abs, remember this: it doesn’t matter how many reps or sets you do…If you are eating in surplus and high in body fat your abs won’t show! Shredded abs formula: moderate caloric deficit.” She offered more details: “Set a 15-20 min timer and perform in AMRAP style. Do as many reps as possible of all 4 exercises one after the other. Leave 1 minute of recovery at the end of each round until completing the 15-29 minutes,” she says.

1. Leg rise + abduction

2.In and out crunch + half circle X15

3.High knees 20 sec (nonstop)

4.Banded bicycles X15

5.3 air squats + 3 abductions AMRAP 30 sec

Here Is Her Full-Body Workout

Here is her latest full body workout:

1.Back squat 1 rep max: work up to a 1 rep max, I did X5 85#, X5 135#, X5 165#, X1 + 1 assisted 185#, 2 failed attempts at 190#

2.Back squat back of set: AMRAP, I did 10 reps @ 135#

3.Chest supported DB row 4X12

4.Suitcase squat 3X10

Here Are The Details

How many reps should you do? “Get it in! 10-15reps per exercise,” Jenkins instructs. “10-15reps or 30-45secs of each move.” She recommends doing a total of two to three sets. In the Instagram clips she demonstrates each exercise, so follow along!

Here Are The Exercises

1. Side Plank + Oblique Crunch

2. Side Lunge + Cross Body Kick

3. Warrior 3 Balance + Leg Reach 10x + Hold 30secs

4. Push-Up + Ankle Tap

5. Reverse Lunge + Rotation

6. Mountain Climbers

7. Squat Jump + Cross Touch (Low Impact remove jump)

8. Plie Squat on Toes

9. High Knees

10. Abs/Obliques Cross Body Toe Touch

Learn To Love Exercise

And, change your attitude! “Lastly, don’t look at exercise and diet as something to dread,” says Jenkins. “Healthy living and moving your body are a way of life and don’t happen overnight. Most importantly, don’t forget a positive attitude. It will set you up for long-term success.”

Hydration

Hydration is also key. “It would be best if you started well-hydrated before you even get moving. Signs like dark urine color will tell you that you need to up your fluid intake before hitting the gym. During a workout, we activate our sweat glands to help cool down the body, which depletes our internal water levels. Dehydration occurs when fluid losses exceed fluid consumed through both foods and drinks. It can impact everything from athletic performance and muscle recovery to mood, alertness, concentration and short-term memory,” she told Abbott.

Diet

If you want to get in shape, you will have to modify your diet as well. “Whether you’re looking to burn fat or strengthen your muscles, you must pay attention to your meal plan just as much as your workout plan,” Jenkins told Abbott. “In general, most people don’t understand how many calories they eat in a day or how many calories they should be eating. If you are trying to burn body fat or slim down, you need to have a calorie negative at the end of the day.” The first step is understanding “what you are eating and how many calories are in your chosen foods,” she claims. “There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. If you have a calorie negative of -500 a day, you can achieve a calorie negative of -3500 in a week (7 days) to help you burn off 1 pound of fat. It takes time to learn about the food you put in your body, but it’s necessary, and that knowledge you gain will remain with you for a lifetime. Also, take time to meal prep. Spending an hour at the beginning of your week planning meals will save time and calories.”