Weightlifter Mary Theisen-Lappen in Two-Piece Workout Gear is "Screaming"

Mary Theisen-Lappen is making waves in the weightlifting world, having won gold at the Pan American Games, silver at last year’s World Championships, and two golds at the Pan American Championships. Recently, she shared a glimpse into her rigorous training on Instagram, captioning the video, “Screaming. Crying. Throwing Up!” But for Lappen, it's about more than just physical strength—it's also about mental fortitude. “I work with a sports psychologist weekly,” she revealed in an interview with Velassa, explaining how crucial mental training is to her performance. With a disciplined approach to nutrition, breath work for managing stress, and a love for dancing with her dogs, Lappen’s fitness journey is all about balance—both in the gym and in life.

1. She Lifts Weights

Lifting weights is the main way Lappen stays fit, and it 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.”

2. She Works With A Psychologist

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Lappen shared some of her training secrets in an interview with Velassa. “I work with a sports psychologist weekly,” she said. “We work on whatever I need to that week - sometimes it is weightlifting related and sometimes it's not. I'd say the hardest psychological challenges are just not feeling strong when I think I should, and working through why... whether it's a physical issue or a mental or emotional issue holding me back.”

3. She Handles Stress Well

Lappen makes sure to not stress herself out when she is competing. She talked about this and how she handles stress in her Velassa interview. “I like competitions better than training,” Lappen revealed. “I'm a competitor through and through. I do feel stress at competitions, but I try to use that stress and channel it into adrenaline and make me feel stronger. I have done a lot of breath work to help me with this. “

4. She Eats Enough

Lappen not only makes sure to eat healthy, she also makes sure to eat enough calories and protein, since she trains so much. Lappen talked about her diet with Velassa. “As a super heavyweight lifter, I think people think I just eat everything and anything I want. That is simply not the case. I try to eat a large amount of protein each meal. I try to combine it with a lot of rice so I don't get hungry during training and a vegetable of some sort. I've found that I need to make sure I eat enough, or I can't recover or feel strong.”

5. She Spends Time With Her Dogs

Lappen has two dogs, whom she prominently features on her Instagram. She shared this video of herself and her pups dancing. Lappen captioned the post, “And sometimes, all you need is a dance party with your girls… 🐶🐶” Lappen also posted this video of herself and her dogs dancing in her yard. She captioned it, “POV: You had a cancer check up with your dog who has had cancer and she’s cancer free AND you got a flat tire but it was only $28 to fix… YOU HAVE A DANCE PARTY WITH YOUR DOGS!!!! I learned these moves from @alexamsnyder_… follow her for more dancing tips!”