Track and Field Star Sandi Morris in Two-Piece Workout Gear Does the "Swing Up Challenge"

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.”

Femke Bol is a phenomenal track and field athlete, celebrated for her Olympic success. At the 2024 Olympics, she won gold in the 4x400 mixed relay, silver in the 4x400 relay, and bronze in the 400-meter hurdles, adding to her bronze from the 2020 Olympics. Recently, she shared a series of workout photos on Instagram, captioned, “Running, hurdles, smiles, sore muscles, all is good 🥰.” Here’s how Bol stays at the top of her game.

1. She Runs

Bol is seen running in her Instagram post. Running has a lot of health benefits. According to FloTrack, running is a great way to burn calories. “Just like other forms of exercise, running burns calories while working out. The additional perk about running, though, is you can continue to burn calories even after you stop. The ‘afterburn’ continues to burn calories after your run.”

2. She Lifts Weights

Bol shared this video on Instagram of herself working out in the gym. In it, she is seen weightlifting. ACE Fitness states that using weights has a lot of benefits. “Using heavy weights increases intramuscular coordination, the number of type II motor units and the amount of muscle fibers engaged within a specific muscle. Have you ever felt your muscles shaking while lifting heavy weights? This is because you are recruiting and activating the larger type II muscle fibers, which are only stimulated to work when a muscle is challenged with heavy resistance or working to fatigue.”

3. She Works With A Trainer

Bol’s trainer, Laurent Mowley, talked about her training in an interview with Athletics Weekly. “Progressively we pushed her stride a bit more and changed to having a more cruising way of running the first 200m, with longer strides. It’s about a 12cm difference in stride length. And then to change after seven hurdles to go to 15 – that was something completely different to what she has been used to. But, very quickly, she realised in training that this was the direction to go in.”

4. She Does Hip Thrusts

Femke Bol/Instagram

In the second blurb’s Instagram link, Bol is seen doing hip thrusts to keep herself in shape. Gymless states that since hip thrusts are a glute workout, they have a lot of benefits. “Strong glutes are not only for aesthetic appeal; they serve a key functional purpose in supporting the posterior chain of muscles around the spine. Hip thrusts are also known for their capacity to develop and define glute muscles, contributing to their popularity on social media. After all, who doesn’t appreciate the look of a well-crafted pair of glutes?”

5. She Does Squats

Femke Bol/Instagram

Bol is also seen doing squats in the Instagram video. According to The Cleveland Clinic, squats have a lot of benefits. “Proper squatting form requires you to reaaaaally engage your core — the muscles of your stomach, pelvis, hips and lower back. These large muscle groups support every move you make, both large and small, so keeping them strong helps keep you well. Strong core muscles play a role in: Maintaining good posture. Relieving back pain. Lowering your risk of injuries like hip flexor strains and sports hernias.”