Powerlifter Hunter Henderson in Two-Piece Workout Gear Enjoyed "Push Session"

She Lifts Weights

In her Instagram post, Henderson is seen lifting a lot of weights. ACE Fitness states that doing this has a lot of health 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.”

She Works Hard

Henderson opened up about her experience at the 2024 Arnold Sports Festival to Barbend. She says that she made sure to work hard to get to that moment. “That experience meant so much to me. I got to squat in the Cage with wraps. I took 650 pounds and did an AMRAP (as many reps as possible); I got three reps. That was sentimental because the last time the Cage was up was in 2019 and I was on the outside watching. I was getting into powerlifting, and no one knew who I was. I watched them in the Cage and told myself that one day I would be the best in the world and lift in it.”

She Works Out With Others

Henderson revealed in her Barbend interview that she has two training partners, and that this helps push her. “I have never trained around another woman at my level. Every day is a competition with Brianny; we push and want the best for each other. Brianny is a special person to me. She is my greatest friend. Even when she’s hitting big lifts in training, she’s texting me about my goals. Her ability to give and support others is special.”

She Works Out Regularly

Henderson shared her training routine with Barbend. “I train five days a week, including a squat day with extra bench and a deadlift day with bench,” she said. “On the other three days, I don’t touch a barbell. Those are accessory or bodybuilding days with machines and super fun workouts. We also have what we call a ‘creatine’ day with active recovery movements like box jumps, medicine ball slams; explosive and athletic-type movements.”

She Enjoys What She Does

Henderson enjoys being a weightlifter. She talked about the importance of doing what you love in her Barbend interview. “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?”

Stop the Junk Volume

“You’re tired of training 5-6x a week and not seeing progress. You’re tired of the same cookie cutter program that leaves you feeling bored or… Like s**t.. You’re tired of spinning your wheels and attempting to figure out the pieces that are missing in your program. Here are a few tips,” she says. The first? “Cut the junk volume,” she writes. “You’d be surprised at how much you don’t need.”

Track Your Workouts

She also doesn’t wing it when it comes to exercise. “Track your workouts,” she writes in the post. “What gets measured gets managed.”

Stick to the Basics

It doesn’t take a complicated workout to get into shape, according to Hunter. “Don’t major in the minors,” she writes. “The basics aren’t always sexy, but they work.”

Follow a Plan

She also maintains that Effort = Results. “Each week you’re either aiming to

Do more reps, add more weight, or add more reps and more weight,” she says. And, follow a plan. “Following random workouts = Exercising,” she says. “Following a good program =Training towards specific goals. “This is the exact approach I use with my clients who are absolutely crushing it, seeing great results, AND feel good in and out of the gym. My clients only train 3-4x a week. They see MORE results than they used to when they were training 5-7x a week. AND they feel better outside of the gym.”

Here's What She Does on a Training Day

Here is what Hunter does on a training day:

• Athletic warm up
• Hang power clean + power jerk
• Clean grip Deadlift
• Zercher squat
• Depth drop to vertical jump
• Rear foot elevated split squat
• Dumbbell lateral lunge