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.”