Powerlifter Hunter Elam in Fitness Apparel Shares "My Training Pillars"

Tina Chandler is sharing her gratitude in her workout gear. In a new social media post the bodybuilder shows off her impressively strong body while posing for a photo and expressing thanks. “Hallelujah!” she captioned the post. “You are great,” commented one of her followers, while another added fire emojis. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. From Gymnastics to Weight Lifting

Nina explained to Kevin Saunders that she started weight lifting at 13 after years of training as a gymnast. “I read muscle magazines like Muscle & Fitness to learn lifting techniques and form. I also watched ESPN’s Body Shaping by Cory Everson religiously to see how the experts worked out,” she said. “In gymnastics, I learned a strict discipline for training on a regular schedule. I used this same discipline towards lifting weights, learning all that I could, and training every day. I created a schedule and stuck to it, just as we did in gymnastics.”

2. Healthy Lifestyle

Tina “made a promise to myself” and “made an adjustment on my mindset” to make healthy living a lifestyle. “I asked myself why I would go back to eating like ‘normal’, for example 3 meals a day with happy hour and brunches, when this OTHER way obviously was optimal for my performance, health, and wellbeing! I really started to look at this for myself and decided that eating 6 meals as opposed to 3 main meals would become my everyday ‘NORM’. I never wanted to get out of shape again, and after that I never did. After all, it had taken me 30 years to finally find answers and gain control of my body and life, I wasn’t about to lose it now! I learned that no number of tricks, gimmicks, fasting, or vegetarianism would amount to this knowledge. I was excited to have some answers about fitness and food.”

3. High Quality Products

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Tina shares a few things she has learned over the years. “I learned that good products matter!” she said. “I’m a big fan of Lee Labrada who made the transition from being a top bodybuilder to having the most trusted products and supplements in the bodybuilding world. Labrada Nutrition developed some of the purest products and his Proplete Whey Isolate Protein Powder was my favorite throughout most of my competing years. Labrada products are still made with great ingredients and formulas, helping pros get the right nutrition for this very demanding sport.”

4. Rest

She also learned that “rest is important,” she says. “In fact, rest and recovery are just as important as great workouts and excellent nutrition. There were times when my body was pushed so far, and I would come down with a cold or something similar. I learned that proper rest and recovery would get me back on track faster as opposed to pushing through or overdoing it.”

5. Working on Weaknesses

“I learned to LOVE to work on my weaknesses!” Tina adds. “Recognize your weaknesses and embrace them fully. Along the way, I noticed certain body parts were not as developed as the others. I would not have gotten to 8th in the world if I had not fully embraced and learned to love to work those areas I wasn’t as fond of! I reprogrammed my mind to actually LOVE working some of my least favorite areas to work. I used to hate working biceps, now I love it! Work on your weaknesses!”

Alina Popa is lifting up her fellow bodybuilder – in her workout gear. In a new social media post the athlete shows off her impressive physique while highlighting the release of the competitors list for the 2024 Rising Phoenix World Championship. “I eagerly anticipate witnessing the further evolution of the IFBB Pro League #womensbodybuilding division and discovering the fresh talents set to make their mark on stage this year,” she writes. “@mzprettymuscle - reigning Ms Olympia for the last 4 years, elevating the game of the WBB division!” How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. She Lifts Heavy

“There is essentially no difference between my workouts and those of male pro bodybuilders,” Alina told Muscle & Fitness. “Although some of the mass monsters out there are so much bigger than I am, then of course they need to train with heavier weights than I do. But I train as heavy as I need to, and in some cases I am lifting heavier than some men. Remember, bodybuilding is about weight training, not weightlifting. So, nobody who wants results should use the amount of resistance appropriate for the sets and reps dictated by their own workout schedule.”

2. Training Heavy

“I have heard from many women, that when they started training, they were discouraged from training heavy, in a really serious way. This makes no sense to me. It’s like telling a woman in track not to run too fast or pole vaulter not to jump too high. But limiting myself like that never occurred to me. Right from the beginning, I saw my body responding to the training and my goal was to carry this process on as far as I could,” she told Muscle & Fitness.

3. Rowing

In her free time, Alina enjoys rowing. “What an amazing weekend for our @azdragonriders team, racing in Long Beach this weekend. It was a tough and competitive lineup: we had 2 teams in this festival and the team I paddled with made it to Division 1, placing 7th out of 48 boats. Our other boat placed on top in division 3B. I have to say that I am enjoying this sport quite a lot; it’s different, as it is a team sport (different from the individual sport I used to do) and I like every bit of the camaraderie and team spirit that we need in order to be a cohesive moving unit. I love my team! Riders Riders Rawr!!!!” she captioned a post.

4. Hiking

Alina is also a hiker. “Defying gravity on Angel’s Landing. This hike was both breathtaking and heart-pounding!” she captioned a post, adding the hashtag #HikingHighs.” 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

5. Split System Training

Alina does split-system training, working a few body parts in each session, with a goal of hitting all the muscle groups over a period of a week or 10 days. This includes mass-building power exercises like barbell or dumbbell chest presses, squats and deadlifts and isolation movements like leg extensions, curls or dumbbell laterals. “I don’t think you would notice any major differences between the way I train and the workouts of the top Mr. Olympia contenders,” she told Muscle & Fitness.

Hunter Hendersson is updating her fans on her bodybuilding journey – in her two-piece workout gear. In a new4 social media post the athlete shows off her strong body during an exercise session at the gym. “Kicked off week 2 with the @rpstrength app last night,” she writes. “I'm really liking my program/diet right now and having a lot of fun with it. I don't know that I've ever been this happy🥹 I had a nice waddle to me after this one. Fun fact: I originally learned to squat on a smith machine at planet fitness. Had no idea what I was doing back then. My first time under a barbell was horrific😂 Always makes me smile when I get to use a smith. We all start somewhere. Wherever you are on your journey, KEEP GOING.” How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Intense Training

Hunter follows an intense training schedule. “I train five days a week, including a squat day with extra bench and a deadlift day with bench. On the other three days, I don’t touch a barbell. Those are accessory or bodybuilding days with machines and super fun workouts,” she told Bar Bend. “We also have what we call a “creatine” day with active recovery movements like box jumps, medicine ball slams; explosive and athletic-type movements.”

2. Walking on Incline

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Cardio is also key, she revealed in another interview with Bar Bend. “I think it is so important for cardiovascular health. Just like recovery in general, if you are sitting on the couch and not moving your body, not stretching those muscles, you’re going to get tight, and you’re going to eventually get injured,” she said. “I utilize those three days that I’m not lifting weights, I utilize that time to go walk. Honestly, I just do incline walking for about 25 to 30 minutes, and that’s it. I’m done.” She adds that she “solely” does it for a recovery purpose. “I don’t do this for a fat loss or at least that’s not my emphasis. I’m not doing this for like a fat loss thing. It’s just solely for recovery and keeping the body moving, keeping myself healthy. That’s all.”

3. Healthy Diet

One of the biggest misconceptions about bodybuilders? “I’d say that you can eat whatever you want and perform great. A lot of people have crap diets and they don’t put an emphasis on health. Health should be your number one priority. If you don’t have health then you can’t have that 600-pound deadlift. You can’t have this world record squat,” she says. “People just come into this with this idea that they’re going to be this huge monster. Super strong. They forget to check their blood pressure. They forget to get their labs drawn. People just have this misconception that it’s all performance. They kind of just leave their bodies behind, I guess. People don’t put enough emphasis on health. They don’t put enough emphasis on the diet, and they pay for it.”

4. Electrolytes

Hunter prioritizes hydration, drinking water enhanced with electrolytes. “I have utilized LMNT for awhile now to combat the effects of dehydration. I am not sponsored by this company I just genuinely love their product and I want you guys to have a chance to try it out! 0 sugars, only 1 carb, and all the sodium, magnesium, and potassium our bodies need to perform at our best,” she wrote i a post.

5. Be Patient

What is Hunter’s advice to aspiring bodybuilders? “Enjoy the process and take your time. You have to understand the long game. It won’t happen overnight. The most important part is to have fun. Enjoy the training sessions, too. If you’re not having fun with this, what’s the point?” she told Bar Bend.

Casey Samsel is sharing some insight into her approach to fitness. In a new social media post the influencer and trainer flaunts her amazing figure while opening up to her followers. “I’m happy to get back to maintenance with my training. I haven’t been in this good of a position since last year🙌🏼 but this is by far my best ever for my overall conditioning and my metabolism alongside of my current aesthetics, but sadly I’m struggling with my mind in the gym right now, here is why 👇🏼I want more out of my fitness journey. All of these things I have done for my body I want to use in my life. I have no other goals but to feel well, sleep well, digest well, and perform well! More rest, more grub. Same amount of focus. Less pressure,” she captioned the post. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. She Doesn’t Have a “Typical” Training Routine

Casey Samsel/Instagram

When asked about a typical training routine in the gym, Casey revealed she doesn’t have one. “Tough question! No routine is ever the same! My workouts very from heavy, light, fast, slow, with pulses, half-reps, pauses, etc.” she told Hard Fitness.

2. Here Is Her Pre-Contest Diet

Casey Samsel/Instagram

“My pre-contest diet has also changed with every competition. A few things that remain the same are: Water decrease and slow increase along with carb decrease and a sudden increase about two days before the stage. Everything else pretty much remains the same! My pro debut in May will have an entirely different approach to peak week,” she says.

3. She Motivates Herself

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“My motivation is myself. I was never good at much growing up and I certainly found something that I'm good at. Doing well with bikini competitions has made me love the process. All of the dieting, hard workouts, preps, and show preparation keep me motivated! I look up to many fellow IFBB Pro Bikini competitors, but there are also some NPC competitors that keep me inspired to do what I do everyday. One of them is my very own Bikini client and friend,” she told Hard Fitness.

4. Lift Weights and Eat Over Cardio and Starvation

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In a post Casey revealed that she spent her “young adult years” worrying about how she looked. “I drove myself 😵‍💫 with restriction & low-calorie diets, & HOURS of cardio. I skipped class when I hated my body & didn’t want anyone to see me. Instead, I would go for a run until I couldn’t feel my legs & plan a nice little “vaca” from food (for however long I could hold out). This led to a vicious cycle of overeating & “burning it off” for almost 5 months. It destroyed my mind, then destroyed my body,” she said. “I was scared to eat and to stop burning calories. I was terrified of being in my own mind & body for what it would uncontrollably think & do next. It took only less than 5 months of consistent poor eating habits & catabolic activity to completely destroy my mentality, my social life, & my metabolism. My internal health mentally & physically suffered & I spent the next year & a half self-loathing & beating myself up and not knowing how to fix it. I ended up disliking my body more, isolating myself little by little, & losing so much trust for my own judgment in what to do next…Eventually, I had to do the hard stuff. I had to eat more, run less. I had to look my daily fears of food in the eyes & come to the realization that I needed to slowly build confidence in integration of food & calories and ACCEPT what I had done to get to a place where my body had nowhere else to go but up. I had to consume more calories (slowly), I had to re-trust the method (daily), I had to stop thinking about cardio & make sure my body had the energy from the food I was eating in order to heal & adapt to a healthier metabolism. It was HARD, but I committed to having a body I loved on the outside, by revamping what I needed to on the inside. I’m here to tell you that because I have gone through this process of metabolic decline & damage, & gained more body fat, & had less confidence in EVERYTHING than I started with. I went through over a year of metabolic & MENTAL recovery (far longer than the amount of time it took to drag myself to the bottom). A year was a BLIP in time and 1000% worth everything that I possess now. Now I live, eat, & train for sustainability with my future in mind.

5. Hiking

Casey Samsel/Instagram

Casey also hikes. She revealed in her recent post, “we’re hitting the mountains of Colorado in a week! So catch me outside, how bout dat?” 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