Miss Texas Contestant Marissa Teijo in Two-Piece Workout Gear Does "Half Deadlifts"

Marissa Teijo, a contestant in the Miss Texas USA pageant and the oldest woman to compete in its history, brings a wealth of fitness expertise and a passion for healthy living to her social media followers. As a seasoned fitness expert, Teijo frequently shares workout videos and wellness tips on Instagram, inspiring fans to prioritize fitness at every stage of life. In a recent post, she showcased her dedication with a video of herself performing deadlifts, focusing on glute strength and form. Her journey combines fitness challenges, smart nutrition, and a strong commitment to pushing her boundaries—most recently by training for an upcoming bikini competition. Teijo's story is one of resilience, strength, and a love for life’s next adventure.

1. She Does Deadlifts

In her Instagram post, Teijo is seen doing deadlifts. NASM states that the workout has a lot of benefits. “A Romanian deadlift is a hip-hinge pattern that works the hamstrings and glutes. It is a form of deadlift with noticeably less bend in the knee, leading to greater hamstring engagement than traditional deadlifts. The move was introduced to the masses in the 90s by Romanian weightlifter Nicu Vlad (an Olympic and World Weightlifting champion) and his coach Dragomir Cioroslan. The two invented the move to help Nicu strengthen his back for the clean and jerk. Today, RDLs are commonly used to strengthen the posterior chain, using the core muscles to stabilize and the hamstrings and glutes to drive the movement.”

2. She Lifts Weights

Teijo is also seen using weights to workout in her Instagram post. She is also seen doing so in this video, captioning it, “Soon enough I’ll get really serious about my workouts. In the meantime, let’s have a little fun.” ACE Fitness states that strength training has a lot of benefits.

“Strength training with heavy weights improves muscle definition. Muscle definition occurs as the result of muscles remaining in a state of semi-contraction and heavy strength training recruits the larger type II muscle fibers responsible for a muscle’s appearance.”

3. She Takes On Challenges

Teijo is all about taking on challenges. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram post. “My next adventure is the one I have been turning down for the past 10 years, Yes, a bikini competition! I always thought it strange that it was included in a bodybuilding competition. In the 90s, the only divisions females had were the flex and pose and the fitness division which incorporated a lot of gymnastic and dance moves. From what I’ve learned is the bikini girls work just as hard or harder as the flex and pose ladies in the 90s and they seem to be just as muscular, but more feminine. And so, I will take the challenge and go for it!”

4. She Loves Strawberries

Teijo makes sure to eat a healthy diet. She shared this photo on Instagram of herself enjoying a dish with strawberries in it. The Cleveland Clinic states that strawberries have a lot of health benefits. “Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C. Eight medium strawberries contain 160% of your daily recommended amount — the amount that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends you eat every day. That’s more vitamin C than you get from an orange, the fruit famous for its vitamin C.Strawberries are also packed with antioxidants, which protect cells from damage. The primary antioxidant in strawberries is anthocyanin, which gives the fruit its color. The amount of anthocyanin in strawberries increases as the fruit ripens. So, the redder the berry, the more antioxidants it contains.”

5. She Loves Bananas

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In the previous Instagram post, Teijo’s dish also includes bananas. The Cleveland Clinic states that bananas have a lot of benefits. “With 3 grams (g) of fiber, a banana supplies nearly 10% of what you need in a day, based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guidelines. You hear ‘fiber’ and probably automatically think of digestion. It’s true — fiber is great for your gut. It helps keep things moving in your intestines, and most of us probably need to eat more.”

Melissa Teich is a fitness competitor, who competes in the IFBB. She is also a coach. Teich shares a lot of workout videos on Instagram. A few weeks ago, she shared a video of herself doing squats with weights. She captioned the post, “Squat dump from the past few weeks 👻 When I look at the program and see my squat numbers for the week I get mad anxiety but lately it’s honestly been my best lift in training. I have high hopes for something in the low 500’s (in sleeves) at the American Pro in 9 weeks! Based on how things have been moving in the gym I have no doubt we can make it happen! I don’t compete just to compete, I show up to f*cking WIN. 9 weeks to work! LFG!”

1. She Does Squats

As you can see in her Instagram post, Teich likes to do squats to stay in shape. Piedmont reports that the exercise is very beneficial. “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.”

2. She Uses Weights

Teich is also seen using weights in her Instagram post. She also shared these videos of herself lifting barbells. Teich captioned the post, “This past training week was good to me 🫶🤙 Only up about 5-6 lbs from my stage weight and I think it’s safe to say estrogen has re-entered the chat if you know what I mean (from a strength standpoint; nothing to do with a period- this girl doesn’t have one of those things thank god!)😆 strength is back tenfold and I PR’d every lift 💥 315 lbs to a 2 board, 500 lbs deadlift beltless & strapless and 530 lbs overload deadlift with mini bands. Life is good 😎Platform ready…just over 5 weeks out 🙌”

3. She Pushes Herself

Teich makes sure to push herself when she works out. She talked about this in the caption of this Instagram post. “Worked up to a max rep yesterday and was super happy with this. 415 for a sleeved top single at bodyweight 145 and 4.5 weeks out from stepping on stage. Naysayers will say I shouldn’t be doing this so close to a show and blah blah blah. Or that I over train. What it really comes down to is how one has conditioned the body over years and years of dieting and competing. I know what my body is capable of, I know just how hard I can push myself and I know I’m not one to back down #neversettle. So say what you will, think what you will, but I’ll just let the work and the end result do the talking 🤙🔥💯”

4. She Swims

Teich doesn’t just like to hit the gym to work out. She also likes to workout in the pool by swimming. Teich shared this photo on Instagram of herself after swimming some laps. She captioned the post, “Swam a couple miles and got a couple tan lines this afternoon 💦💦 🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️ getting that triathlon itch again 🤷‍♀️”

5. She Has Dogs

Teich has two dogs, whom she prominently features on her Instagram. She shared this video of herself celebrating her pup’s birthday. Teich captioned the post, “Juice and Nia’s 3rd Birthday 🥳

Yes, I made them homemade cakes and I made @rafeteich sing happy birthday to them with me 🤣🤣Don’t mind the half chewed up rug compliments of Ms. Nia 😆”

Donna Moore is a powerhouse in the world of strength competitions, having claimed the title of World’s Strongest Woman three times. Recently, she gave her Instagram followers a glimpse into her intense preparation for the Rogue Invitational. In the video, Moore is seen lifting weights while climbing stairs, showcasing the dedication it takes to be a champion. "Thanks to Coach @trapsliketodd for making the drive for a session with myself and @mrs_myler and @lukedaviesstrongman for setting up and resetting the stairs each time," she captioned the post. With her training that combines heavy lifting, stair climbing, and more, Moore proves that becoming a strongwoman is as much about mental endurance as it is about physical strength.

1. She Uses Weights

As you can see in her Instagram post, Moore likes to use weights to stay in shape. ACE Fitness states that doing this can have a lot of benefits. “Lifting heavy weights increases production of the hormone IGF-1. This hormone is related to the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a neurotransmitter responsible for stimulating the growth of new neural pathways in the brain along with enhancing communication between existing pathways. In short, lifting heavy could make you smarter by enhancing cognitive function.”

2. She Stair Climbs

Donna Moore/Instagram

Moore is also seen doing a stair workout in her Instagram video. ACE Fitness states that these exercises have a lot of benefits. “Stair climbing exercise can be a strenuous, says Alexandra Lempke, PhD, a clinical assistant professor of applied exercise science and the co director of the Michigan Performance Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology in Ann Arbor. When you climb stairs, your heart rate and breathing will increase. ‘Stair climbing for exercise targets the cardiovascular and respiratory systems,’ Dr. Lempke says. It takes a lot of work to move your body mass vertically against gravity.”

3. She Does Deadlifts

Moore likes to do deadlifts to stay in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing them. NASM states that deadlifts are very beneficial. “A Romanian deadlift is a hip-hinge pattern that works the hamstrings and glutes. It is a form of deadlift with noticeably less bend in the knee, leading to greater hamstring engagement than traditional deadlifts. The move was introduced to the masses in the 90s by Romanian weightlifter Nicu Vlad (an Olympic and World Weightlifting champion) and his coach Dragomir Cioroslan. The two invented the move to help Nicu strengthen his back for the clean and jerk. Today, RDLs are commonly used to strengthen the posterior chain, using the core muscles to stabilize and the hamstrings and glutes to drive the movement.”

4. She Doesn’t Diminish Herself

Moore doesn’t like to beat herself up for her accomplishments. She talked about this in the caption of the previous Instagram video. “Deadlifts last night were hard and heavy and it was 'only' 220kg. I just wanted to touch on the 'only' part of this statement. 'Only' diminishes the achievement. It's negative self-talk. 2 weeks ago it was a top triple for me easily. Last week I couldn't move it off the floor.. at all.. and I had a tantrum. This week it's 'only' 220kg and another tantrum because I'm frustrated.”

5. She Does Box Jumps

Moore likes to do box jumps to stay in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself doing them. Moore captioned the post, “Jumping hot potatoes 🔥After deadlifting what felt like the entire universe @weave_strongman ropes me into this just for fun apparently! I will also add he did not do deadlifts before this which is why he's more springy 😂 Ninja warrior is calling us I think!!”

Sandi Morris, the Olympic pole vaulter, continues to inspire with her dedication to fitness. Recently, she took on a fun fitness challenge with fellow Olympian Aleksandar Askovic, which they shared on Instagram. In the post, they both attempted to swing over a bar, with Morris captioning the challenge, "Sometimes you need more than one attempt 🤣 me Vs. @askovic97." Beyond fun challenges, Morris focuses on a well-rounded fitness routine that includes weightlifting, core workouts, and specific warm-up exercises, showcasing her discipline and athleticism. Her commitment to strengthening her body is evident through her training methods, both in the gym and in her Olympic sport.

1. She Does Lunges

Morris shared some of her favorite warm up exercises in this Instagram video. One thing she is seen doing is side lunges with a weighted ball. Morris captioned the post, “How to properly warm-up before your lift! 💪🏻Plus some cool down and/arm ideas. Disclaimer: *I had to repost this because the incorrect formatting drove me insane* 🤦🏼‍♀️ #fitnessinspo #homegym.”

2. She Does Deadlifts

Sandi Morris/Instagram

Morris is also seen doing deadlifts in her Instagram video. NASM states that deadlifts have a lot of health benefits. “A Romanian deadlift is a hip-hinge pattern that works the hamstrings and glutes. It is a form of deadlift with noticeably less bend in the knee, leading to greater hamstring engagement than traditional deadlifts.”

3. She Lifts Weights

Sandi Morris/Instagram

Morris likes to use weights to stay fit. In her Instagram video, she is seen using a barbell to do deadlifts and overhead presses. Exercising with a heavy weight has a lot of benefits. ACE Fitness states, “Using maximal loads for compound (multi-joint) movements like the deadlift, squat-to-shoulder press, bent-over row or chest press can improve intermuscular coordination, which is the ability of many muscles to work together to generate and control high levels of force through multiple joints.”

4. She Does Squats

Sandi Morris/Instagram

Morris is also seen doing squats with a fitness band in her Instagram video. Squats are a great exercise to do. The Mayo Clinic reports, “The squat is a body resistance exercise that works the leg muscles. Specifically, the squat targets the quadriceps and the hamstring muscles. Strengthening these muscles can help protect your knees and boost your performance in a variety of sports.”

5. She Works Her Abs

Morris has an amazing set of abs. She shared some of her favorite core exercises in this YouTube video. In it, Morris is seen doing things like heel touches, elbow to knee crunches, and double leg lifts. It is very important to do core workouts, according to The Mayo Clinic. “Your core is the central part of your body. It includes your pelvis, lower back, hips and stomach. The stomach muscles sometimes are called abs. Core exercises train the muscles in your core to work in harmony. This leads to better balance and steadiness, also called stability. Stability is important whether you're on the playing field or doing regular activities. In fact, most sports and other physical activities depend on stable core muscles.”