IFBB Pro Francesca Lauren in Two-Piece Workout Gear is a "Shreddy Betty"

Francesca Lauren is an accomplished IFBB fitness competitor and certified NASM trainer. Known for her impressive dedication to strength training and sculpting her physique, she regularly shares her fitness journey on Instagram. From intense workouts to healthy recipes, Lauren inspires her followers with her commitment to achieving her goals. Recently, she posted a video of herself in black workout gear, updating her fans on her progress just three weeks away from her next competition. "Still working away at it," she captioned. Whether she’s lifting weights, doing lunges in the snow, or creating macro-friendly banana bread, Lauren’s focus on consistent hard work is evident in every aspect of her fitness journey. Her approach proves that achieving a #ShreddyBetty physique takes dedication, both in the gym and the kitchen.

1. She Strength Trains

Lauren likes to strength train to stay in shape. In the previous Instagram post, she is seen using weights. Lauren also shared this video of herself doing different strength training exercises. She captioned the post, “ I got that itch 🤪 O the Prep Life. Here we gooo #16weeksout from the @sasquatchproam. Time to flip that switch and I couldn’t be more excited than to be working with one of my favorite people @fit_by_melanie & @teamelitephysique! Game plan set…let’s grind!!! 😉”

2. She Does Lunges

Lauren makes sure to workout her lower body. She shared some of her favorites in this Instagram video. In it, she is seen doing walking lunges outside with dumbbells. Lauren captioned the post, “Gotta love snow days ❄️ 🥶… luckily I was able to safely make it out of the house for a workout. We are finally getting back into a grove @cemcondition83!!! There is no other trainer I trust more SO I’m taken it back to where all my major glute development started. 🫶 🥂’s to putting in the work for 2024 at The Lions Den!”

3. She Does Squats

Francesca Lauren/Instagram

Lauren also likes to do squats to keep herself in shape. She is seen doing them with a dumbbell in the previous Instagram post. Squats are very beneficial. Piedmont states, “Squats are a compound, multi-joint movement, which means they exercise several muscle groups. When you perform a squat, you work your calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, core and part of your back. A squat has more overall benefits than, say, a bicep curl, which strengthens an isolated area.”

4. She Cooks

Lauren makes sure to eat a healthy diet. One way she does so is by cooking healthy foods for herself. In this Instagram post, Lauren is seen making a healthier version of banana bread. She captioned the post, “Because I love my oatmeal 🥰 & just couldn’t waste perfectly ripe bananas 🍌’s!! One of the reasons I don’t bake anymore is simply because of my weakness for sweet’s 🙈. This lil’ recipe is a spin on a traditional 🍌 Bread recipe that’s a bit more macro friendly for my sweet tooth. 🥰”

5. She Circuit Trains

Lauren likes to circuit train to stay in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing a circuit. Lauren captioned it, “Swapping out the cycle of a lil upper/ lower body circuit training. Just another way I enjoy switching up that cardio! 3 - 4 Set’s. 45 seconds - 1 min work. 20-30 seconds rest between exercise. 1 min & 15-30 seconds. Rest between sets. ☝️ focus on controlled movements then pick up the pace when you can without sacrificing form to bump ⬆️ the intensity! 📍PS your not ‘lifting’ per say or ‘building’ here so weight selection should be one that is challenging but doable.”

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.

Maureen Blanquisco is modeling workout clothes. In a new social media post the IFBB contestant shows off her incredible body in a blue exercise set, driving her followers wild. “To all my baddies out there! This color makes your tan complexion POP,” she captioned the series of Instagram snaps. “So gorgeous 🩷🥰” commented one. “OKKKAAAY SLAAY SLAAY,” added another. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Swimming

When Maureen was younger she was a swimmer. “I always loved competing and performing. I usually call it “performing” instead of competing. Swimming was an individual sport. If I wanted to win, it all depended on me. I never liked depending on a team. If we lost because of them, I would get very frustrated,” she told Muscular Development.

2. Gymnastics and Cheerleading

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She then moved on to gymnastics and cheerleading. “Cheerleading was fine until one time we fell during a stunt, and it wasn’t my fault. I said, I think I work better alone,” this is when she discovered weights. “I started lifting weights at age 18. That’s around the time you want to look and feel good, putting on makeup. I was doing fitness training anyway, so I started to look for something I could do competitively that fit that. I had always wanted to compete in beauty pageants, but at 5 feet tall I was too short. Then I saw the Bikini Olympia on YouTube, and the woman who stuck out to me the most was India Paulino. She was my first idol! I thought it looked so cool. The women looked amazing, and this was the closest thing to a beauty pageant I could do. I thought I could just go compete in the Olympia. I had no idea you have to turn pro first, then qualify, the whole long process. But in my head, I only had one goal, to go to the Olympia.”

3. Here Is How She Preps for Shows

“I started prepping for the Olympia right after the Boston Pro in March, so that was seven months. It was a very chill prep because I was eating clean, but I was eating more than ever in a prep. I was still dieting, but it was more calories, and I did have one cheat meal a week. Now I see this is the best approach for me: a longer prep but with more food,” Maureen said.

4. Her “Breaks” Involve Cardio

When she does go on vacation, she still exercises. “I did go on vacation to Hawaii with my partner the week after the Olympia. That was on my bucket list. I did cardio every day, but I took five days off from weights. I had a couple of treats, but nothing crazy,” she says.

5. She Doesn’t “Gain Too Much” During the Offseason

Marueen avoids overindulging in the off season. “I have a very clear mindset that if I gain too much, it will be a lot harder for me,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “In Bikini, it’s all about condition, and while you could be ‘too’ hard, you certainly can’t be soft, either.”