Maddy Forberg, an IFBB pro, recently hit the gym in her two-piece workout gear, showing off her hard-earned physique. In a post, she captioned, “LIFT & LEARN!” Maddy’s fitness philosophy revolves around consistent progress and learning from each session. From heavy lifting in the gym to running and hiking, her routine is a mix of strength and endurance, designed to challenge her body. Maddy’s approach to diet and self-care is equally thoughtful, focusing on fueling her workouts while keeping things simple and enjoyable.
1. Leg Press
Maddy spends a lot of time on the leg press. “Leg press is one of those exercises where foot position DOES alter muscle recruitment . Leg press with feet lower on the platform = MORE QUADS. Why? The bottom positions lends itself to a more flexed knee which means the quads are working hard here. Remember: more quads = more knee flexion. Feet high = more GLUTES. Why? Well we said more knee flexion = more quads. So decreasing the flexion of the knee joint, and prioritizing hip flexion + vertical shin can help recruit more glutes. Or if you want the best of both worlds- keep feet in the middle of the platform,” she writes in a post.
2. Hiking
Maddy enjoys hiking. According to the National Parks Service, the physical benefits of hiking include:
- Building stronger muscles and bones
- Improving your sense of balance
- Improving your heart health
- Decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems
3. Running
Maddy Recently started running. “First race 🏃♀️✅Had a great time today doing the Shamrock Shuffle 8k with my brother. I suck at running. It’s so hard. And it never gets easier 😂 But there’s a lot of value to be found in doing things that challenge you. The last few months I’ve been training, and every time was miserable (lol) but I felt like I kept a promise to myself. Do hard stuff. The best part was doing the race with my brother. My brother started running years ago to be the change in my family’s poor cardiovascular history and has gotten really good! He’s ran multiple marathons and I’m always impressed by him. The challenge was cool, but getting to bond and spend time with my brother in his world was the best part! Thank you Ryan! We even got to spend some quality time with my mom who flew in to support. I’m so grateful! Half marathon in the fall? 👀😂😟I know 8k isn’t much, but hey I couldn’t do that a few months ago,” she captioned a post.
4. Pushing Past Plateaus
If “progress has stalled” Maddy suggests auditing your efforts and doing the following:
-Follow a training program and periodize appropriately!
-Dig deep on nutrition. Are you really on point? How’s pre and post workout nutrition? Intra workout? Before bed? Micronutrients/vitamins matter too! (Pls get your bloodwork done @marekhealth )
- Are you managing stress and recovery? This a hard one! Are you sleeping? Are you training too much to recover from? Maybe you need MORE rest days!
- Play around with different training variables- time under tension, added pauses, tempo, controlling the concentric phase, etc!
- Reassess weaknesses. Doing all of the above and still not improving? After 8-10 weeks on a program assess growth. What is needed? Pay attention to the details!
- GIVE YOUR PROGRAM TIME TO WORK!! Nothing happens overnight, and constantly program hopping will not benefit you!
5. Going Back to Basics
“I used to believe that lifting as much as possible was the ONLY and most important factor in building muscle. Many clients come to me with this same mindset as well, and have totally thrown technique and control out of the window. If you’re not seeing progress, bring it back down to basics. Drop the weight and humble yourself with the best technique you can produce,” Maddy said in a post.
