20 Amazing Pro Athlete Bodies 

Get ready to be inspired by the incredible bodies of 20 amazing professional athletes. From MMA fighters to soccer stars and football quarterbacks, these athletes have honed their bodies through rigorous training and dedication to their respective sports. Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, and Paige VanZant reveal their training secrets, while soccer players like Casey Murphy, Christen Press, and Rose Lavelle share their workout routines. Football players such as Dak Prescott and Josh Allen discuss their motivation and improvement strategies. Join us as we delve into the fascinating stories behind these athletes' remarkable physiques and the hard work that goes into maintaining them.

1. Ronda Rousey

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UFL and WWE fighter Ronda Rousey shared her training secrets with StyleCaster. “My favorite workout is hitting mitts. My coach puts mitts on his hands, and my hands are in gloves. He holds different postures or targets for me to hit with knees, elbows, and punches in an order and sequence he thinks will teach me timing and accuracy, while challenging my stability and balance. I train at Glendale Fighting Club.”

2. Holly Holm

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Holly Holm has an amazing upper body. She shared her secrets in an interview with Muscle and Fitness. “I do some strength training but most of what I do as far as arms is bodyweight. I’ll do pull-ups, pushups and dips. Of course with fighting, we’re constantly using our arms punching. In the clench you’re wrestling around with other people so they’re constantly being worked. I don’t ever use really heavy weights with my arms.”

3. Paige VanZant

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Paige VanZant shared her secrets for success in an interview with Women Fitness. “To be successful and MMA you have to absolutely love it. And know that if fighting is in your heart that means it’s already a part of you. It runs through your veins. Being a female and a male dominated sport can be very hard. The biggest lessons that I have learned throughout my years in fighting is, know your worth, listen to your gut feeling and never let anybody tell you what you can or cannot do.”

4. Ariane Lipski

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UFC’s Ariane Lipski wants to inspire other people, and talked about this with UFC.com. “I feel I have a responsibility to the next generation, to the future fighters and women who get inspired by me,” she said. “I’m also representing the women who came before me. I'm very happy. It just gives me more motivation to go there and give it all I've got.”

5. Casey Murphy

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After joining the North Carolina Courage in 2021, Casey Murphy talked about her approach to soccer with CourageCountry.com. “I’ve learned a lot like each team plays a different style of soccer. So, it’s adapting to how they play so you can best serve the team. I’ve just learned you have to remember what you’re good at, and bring that but also be able to adjust so that you can fit into how your team plays best. So it’s just learning how you fit into the Courage way of playing.”

6. Christen Press

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Soccer player, Christen Press, opened up about her workouts with POPSugar in 2016. She says that she’s a big fan of yoga. "I really do believe that it's more than exercise,” Press explained. “It's a medication. I really feel grounded and stable when I do it. It's helpful to get rid of a lot of the pressure before games."

7. Emily Sonnett

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In 2017, Emily Sonnett talked about playing professional soccer in an interview with Equalizer Soccer. “I think in every job, in every workplace, there is pressure to compete and to perform. If anything, it’s good pressure. It’s pushing you to be better, it’s pushing me to really grind down on what I need to be doing better: Is it consistency? Is it technical ability? What is it? It really makes you look at your craft and what you’re doing to then try to make it that much better.”

8. Crystal Dunn

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In a 2019 interview with POPSugar, Crystal Dunn opened up about how things have changed for her since her last World Cup. She says that she’s a lot less uptight now. "I was so uptight about everything. I'm a totally different player than I was four years ago. I take things as they come now. I try not to take everything so seriously, so harshly."

9. Rose Lavelle

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Rose Lavelle opened up about how she approaches soccer in an interview with The Athletic. “Honestly, it’s just a feeling, not a thought,” Lavelle says. “I’m not thinking in that moment. When I’m playing my best, I’m free flowing. I’m just doing what I feel is on, finding the space naturally.”

10. Lynn Williams

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Soccer player, Lynn Williams, talked about her training process with Sports Business Journal. “We get our GPS numbers all the time—every week, every day, it's in a binder if you want to look at the meters you're covering, your speeds, all of it is there. I look at it regularly. We talk about it all the time with our sport scientist, Mike Young, and there was one time he was like, ‘I clocked you out like a 36-something, but you consistently hit 33. But your speed in a game is comparable to the elite men.’ I never really thought about it [except to say], ‘OK, yeah, that's really cool, whatever.’ And then when I saw the times posted [by Bleacher Report], I was like, ‘Oh, I guess that is true. But also, men, come on, work harder. If you can run a faster speed, then go do it.’”

11. Dak Prescott

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In a 2020 interview with Medium, Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Dak Prescott talked about how he stays motivated during lockdown. “I mean, there were days during quarantine that once I finally got going, it seemed like I was working out half the day because there’s nothing else to do. And then I wasn’t thinking of the fact that we were in a pandemic. The tough part is getting going, but once you’re in it, you have got to take full advantage of it.”

12. Travis Kelce

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SuperBowl Champion Travis Kelce detailed his workout schedule with Men’s Journal. “Before the season starts, around late July, I’m on a five-day workout schedule, and within that I’m doing two days working lower body and two working upper body. I really don't do anything crazy, but it works for me. What I like to do differently is how I recover. I do the hot and cold pools and I’m big on dry needling. It’s amazing for the body: You can target the areas that need release, and it gets the blood flow going. From athlete to athlete, a lot of guys train similarly, but I feel what I do recovery-wise is a bit unique.”

13. Saquon Barkley

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In 2019, Saquon Barkley opened up about his prep for playing in the NFL to Men’s Journal. “I try to be an explosive athlete because of the position I play,” he explained. “Squats are key for me to build that strength in my quads. I'm able to squat 650-700 pounds. I’m not doing it to put on weight or be a musclehead—those 650-pound lifts are about helping me run through a 350-pound defensive tackle. If I do a 400-pound power clean, that can make me explosive enough to make a linebacker miss and help me jump over tacklers."

14. Josh Allen

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Josh Allen worked with Jordan Palmer to improve his football skills. Palmer opened up about working with the Bills quarterback with ESPN. "He drastically changed his base that he played with. He used to bounce up and down on his toes, with a narrow base, which would cause him to over-stride when he'd go to throw. There is a cascading effect once you over-stride. Now he's learned to play with a much better base. When you play with all your cleats on the ground, you create more energy and you have more balance."

15. Fred Warner

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For Fred Warner, his mindset is believing that his team can win. He opened up about this in an interview with Boardroom. “That was my only goal and the only thing I was thinking about. And I devoted everything in my power to doing that, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. It’s a team game, you can’t win it by yourself. But then you get another shot next year.”

16. Justin Verlander

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Justin Verlander talked about his workout routine with Muscle and Fitness. “When I was younger, I focused a lot on brute strength,” he said. “Now I’m focused more on mobility, and a big part of my off-season workouts is balancing those two. I don't want to risk getting injured.” Verlander says that he does a lot of functional strength exercises. “I do a lot of hex-bar deadlifts and mobility work, interval training, and explosive moves like med ball throws.”

17. LeBron James

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LeBron James makes sure to eat healthy. In 2021, he broke down his diet with Men’s Journal. “I had no sugars, no dairy, I had no carbs. All I ate was meat, fish, veggies and fruit. That's it. For 67 straight days. Before competition for me would be like a chicken breast and maybe a little pasta. The carbs help because you're going out and playing a lot of minutes. But a salad and some veggies will have me perfectly fine. And before the game I might have a protein shake and some fruit, and I'll be ready to go.”

18. Sidney Crosby

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Pittsburgh Penguins player, Sidney Crosby, talked about his training regime with Muscle and Fitness. “Preparing to win another Stanley Cup begins in July with running on Citadel Hill in Nova Scotia,” Crosby says. “Training on a hill forces me to continually push with my lower body, and it’s comparable to the physical requirements of skating, as it builds foot stability and speed in all directions. We do a variety of drills on the steep hill—cone drills, sprints, cross­ overs, and backpedals to train coordination.”

19. Corbin Carroll

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Diamondbacks player Corbin Carroll’s big secret to staying ready? Consistency. “By keeping the same routine every day, you can at least have the confidence to say that you went out there with 100% confidence in your preparation," Carroll said to MLB.com. "I think I take a lot of confidence in my ability to prepare."

20. JD Martinez

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JD Martinez opened up about his approach to baseball in a 2019 interview with NBC Sports Boston. "My dad has always told me, ‘never be one to talk. You’re talking with your bat. Your bat and your glove. You never go out there ... and say bad things about certain people, and bad things about certain things and stuff like that.’ That’s never been me. I always say [if there is something negative being said about me], ‘Okay, that’s how you feel, great.’ Kind of walk away, and I play with it. Gives me that fuel, gives me that fire. I say go out there and prove everybody wrong with my bat and my glove.”

Get into the training, mindset, and lifestyle choices of twenty remarkable athletes. From Simone Biles to Carli Lloyd, who believes in balance and occasional indulgence, each athlete brings their unique approach to their respective sports. Misty May-Treanor's rigorous exercises, Kerri Walsh-Jennings' focus on recovery, and Serena Williams' varied workouts all demonstrate the dedication required to reach the pinnacle of their fields. As they share their secrets to success, it becomes clear that physical fitness, mental strength, and self-care are essential components of their journeys.

1. Simone Biles

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Simone Biles isn’t just a great athlete, she’s also an advocate for survivors. She opened up about testifying against Larry Nassar on Today. “For so many years to go through everything that I’ve gone through, put on a front, I’m proud of myself, and I’m happy that I can be a leader for the survivors and bring courage to everybody speaking up, so I’m happy to be a voice for them.”

2. Misty May-Treanor

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Gold medalist beach volleyball player, Misty May-Treanor shared some of her favorite exercises in an interview with Women Fitness. “I love olympic lifting (cleans, jerks, snatches), squatting and explosive jump drills. I also implement track and hill workouts with a running instructor. Pilates helps me maintain a strong and healthy core since that is important in our sport. Since I am not the tallest player out there at times, my jump has to be strong from the very match to the very last match. Recovery is equally as important to the lifting as well and that comprises of massage, ice baths, and stretching.”

3. Kerri Walsh-Jennings

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Olympic gold medalist, Kerri Walsh-Jennings, opened up about her approach to training in an interview with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. “When at home, we will have double and triple days all the time. When I get into competition, I want to be fresh and play good volleyball. It is like a mental game. For me, I am going to try something new, add another workout and see how I feel. You need to be humble enough to keep it and push through, or if to much, adjust. It is so important to listen to your body and sometimes the hardest work you have to do is chill out and recover and fine tune.”

4. April Ross

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Bronze-medal winning beach volleyball player, April Ross, opened up about her diet to Today. She says that there’s one thing she makes sure to cut out of her diet. "Sugar is so bad for your body. If you drink soda, the sugar causes inflammation. And it's bad for your joints, so, as an athlete, your joints are going to be more inflamed and you're going to be more prone to injury.”

5. Gabby Douglas

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Gabby Douglas tells HollywoodLife that she does a variety of things to keep herself in shape. “I’m used to doing the same thing every single day, whereas now I get to switch it up. Like, today we’ll do HIIT. Today we’ll do trampoline. Today we’ll do a dance workout. Today we’ll just dive in and it’s been fun even to be creative with myself, coming up with workouts that I find enjoyable because I believe you should be having fun when you workout. I love hard work and I love to sweat but at the same time though, you should love what you do.”

6. Serena Williams

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Serena Williams is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. One of her secrets for staying fit is doing a variety of workouts. “For me, it's so important to mix it up,” she told Fitness Magazine. “I ran, and then I biked. Then I did elliptical. That didn't work out so well, because it was boring, so I tried yoga. I started dancing because I couldn't train when I was sick. We started making up moves, and it was fun. Now I run for 10 minutes, and then I dance.”

7. Venus Williams

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Tennis legend Venus Williams opened up about her decision to go on a plant-based diet with The Beet. “When I was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome back in 2011, I had to make some major lifestyle changes in order to put my health first. After trying everything the doctor suggested, I continued to experience muscle and joint pain, and constant fatigue. But when I started exploring a plant-based diet to help reduce my inflammation and support my immune system, I loved the way it made me feel, so I kept going.”

8. Julie Johnston ErtzUS Women’s Soccer Team star, Julie Johnston Ertz opened up about her exercise routine with Prevention. “I think core is really important,” she says. “Cause it’s the center of your body. C​​ore machines are great but I do everything on the floor. If I’m doing a plank, I like to do step outs with my feet. I like to elevate even a little more."Alex MorganIn addition to taking care of her body, Alex Morgan also takes care of her mind. She shared how she manages any anxiousness with The Beet. “I tell myself: ‘Take a breath and enjoy the journey I'm going on now.’ It's overwhelming to think about going somewhere in the future, so I am living in the now and remembering to breathe.Candace ParkerWNBA champion Candace Parker talked about how she approaches basketball with SBNation.com. “I think simplicity has always been difficult for me. I think physically because you know, I’ve been versatile and have played multiple positions. I think simplicity was always, you know, me dribbling and me doing this and whatever. And now I’ve just learned that simplicity is key, doing things with the least amount of motion is going to benefit me greatly. So I think that is the biggest thing to me is just yes, I can dribble and do that, but it’s more beneficial for me to be able to do it with less motion.”Nastia LiukinOlympic gymnast, Nastia Liukin, shared some of her wellness tips with Today. "I think the most important thing to know is, you'll never regret a workout when it's over. And it's just hard to tell yourself that before you've done it. But just try to remember how you feel after your workout, and know that when you feel good, you look good, and you have more confidence, and so I think that that's really important."Shawn JohnsonWhile expecting her first child, Shawn Johnson and her husband Andrew East did a lot of workouts together. She told Us Weekly, “We always thought [when we were] dating that we were going to be that couple that works out together, but we really can’t work out together because he says I’m too intense. And then I got pregnant, and then we’re matched now, my intensity. So we work out now that I’m pregnant, which is funny.” Adds the gold medalist, “Hey, gymnasts are intense.”Jordyn WieberGymnast Jordyn Wieber told StyleCaster that she struggled with insecurities growing up.“The older I got, the more I realized my body can do amazing things that not a lot of other kids at my school could do,” Wieber says. “So I tried my best to embrace that, and once I made the Olympics team, I was like, ‘Woah! OK. Now I know where you are all the time.’ I started to appreciate my muscles a lot more rather than thinking my body was not as good as the other girls in my school because I looked different than them.”Carli LloydCarli Lloyd opened up about her diet to NJ.com. She says that while she eats healthy, she also believes in indulging once in a while. “Well, I rarely eat carbs, like pasta, pizza or bread, or fried, greasy foods. They just don't make me feel good. But I do enjoy stopping at my favorite pizza place in Philly!...Only every now and then, and only in moderation.”Lindsey VonnLindsey Vonn tells Women’s Health that when she was competing in skiing, she wanted to break the mold. "I was always just myself,” she says. “You can be strong and feminine and opinionated and wear makeup and do all those things at the same time. You don't have to be the stereotypical athlete. You can be different. There's no limit to what opportunities are out there [for you], you just have to go get them."Lindsey JacobellisLindsey Jacobellis opened up about what exercises she likes to do on the road in an interview with Women Fitness. “On the road workouts can be challenging when gyms are hard to find, but not impossible. 1. Walking lunges with dumbbells 2. Single leg RDL (Russian dead lifts) 3. Hanging leg raises 4.Traditional or wide leg back squats 5. Bent over single arm rows (These exercises can be done when there are limited weights to work with in a hotel gym.)”Mirai NagasuFigure skater Mirai Nagasu opened up about her mindset for competitions in an interview with TeamUSA.com. “I just want to believe in myself, and, I know it’s the cheesiest thing to say, but believe in that 5-year-old girl who started this dream,” she said. “I know I’m mentally strong. I went to the Olympics when I was 16 and ended up in fourth place, beating all these people who were beating me consistently. I know it’s within me. I just have to pull it out at the right moment.”Carissa MooreCarissa Moore shared some of her favorite workouts in an interview with Balance The Grind. “I work out with my trainer three times each week, and we do a lot of circuit training. I don’t actually use too many weights; it’s mostly body weight. I train to make sure I can get in the water and do what I love every day. I love burpees, skaters and mountain climbers. I do intervals, like 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off. My regimen is always changing, because I get bored if it’s the same workout. Each week I go to Pilates once and I usually go for a run twice.”Tia BlancoTia Blanco shared some of her favorite wellness products with POPSugar. She says that she owns a juicer, and puts it to good use. “I love to go to the farmers' market and load up on a bunch of local produce in season that is great for juicing," she says. "I always find myself juicing celery, lemon, apples, and parsley. Sometimes I will do shots of turmeric and ginger to spice things up."Louise HazelLouise Hazel opened up about her diet in an interview with WhoWhatWear. "I grab a banana and a bottle of water and a bowl of gluten-free muesli with almond milk. I recently found out that I am lactose intolerant using a DNAFit test, and I would recommend this to anyone who is taking their health and fitness seriously. It will give you a blueprint from which to make informed decisions about your diet and fitness regimen."

Go behind the scenes of some of the most extraordinary athletes in the world. From gymnasts and figure skaters to snowboarders and hockey players, this collection of stories showcases the dedication, resilience, and unique perspectives of these incredible individuals. Learn about Jade Carey's commitment to self-care, Simone Biles' ability to block out negativity, and Aly Raisman's switch to a plant-based diet. Discover how these athletes navigate body image issues, embrace confidence, and find strength in their physical abilities. Get inspired by their journeys as they strive to be the best and leave a lasting impact on their sports.

1. Jade Carey

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Olympic gymnast Jade Carey talked about what motivated her in an interview with International Gymnastics. “Just paying attention to what my body needs and what I need to do to take care of it. I have a great team that helps with that. And my love for the sport keeps me going and continuing to being the best that I can.”

2. Simone Biles

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Simone Biles is prepping for her return to gymnastics. She tells POPSugar that she makes sure to drown out negativity when she competes. "Whenever I'm performing, or just on a daily basis, I try to block everything out. I also don't look at comments or anything just because I'm grateful and I love everything about myself, and I'm proud of who I am inside and out. That's definitely helped me not think about it."

3. Aly Raisman

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Retired gymnast, Aly Raisman has a new diet. In 2019, she told People that she is a vegetarian. “When I was training, I thought that you had to eat meat in order to be strong,” Raisman says. “Now I’ve been reading up on all the amazing things that plants can do for your body and your mind… “I started watching all these documentaries and it really freaked me out seeing how some of the animals are treated so poorly.”

4. Mirai Nagasu

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After competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Mirai Nagasu opened up about the experience to Cosmopolitan. She says that she wants to represent for the Asian-American community. "Growing up there weren’t a lot of Asian Americans in sports, and there’s a bit of a stigma that says Asian Americans are more the 'nerdy type,' so for me to be a part of this successful sports team that has so many Asian Americans and to represent that side of the U.S. means a lot to me.”

5. Megan Rapinoe

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US soccer player Megan Rapinoe opened up about her approach to eating in an interview. “Overall, my philosophy is just to put good things in my body. I don’t really eat anything artificial, fake, or that I can’t pronounce. I try to keep it simple and clean.”

6. Gracie Gold

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Gracie Gold opened up about her struggles with body image in an interview with TODAY Style. She talked about participating in the publications “Why I Love My…” series. "I decided to answer, 'I love my legs,' because I used to hate them," Gold said. "And a lot of times I still do hate them. However, I'm learning to love them. I love them most of the time. But sometimes, I think, oh, they're too big, they don't look like the legs you see in the magazines. But I love how strong they are. They can lift a lot. They can run far. I love how powerful they are."

7. Adam Rippon

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After competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics, Adam Rippon opened up about his struggles with eating and body image. “My friends who I was close with and who I was training with were like, ‘Adam, that's not good,’” he told The Advocate. “‘We're going to dinner, and you say you're just going to get steamed vegetables and water when you haven't eaten lunch.’ But it's scary because that sense of hunger is something I still associate with good and doing the right thing. So it was really pushing through that, trying to fuel myself for the right reasons. Now doing things more in the entertainment world, if you gain a few pounds, it's not do or die. You can still be funny, you can still be quick-witted. You don't lose your wit when you gain weight.”

8. Evan Bates

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Evan Bates talked about his diet in an interview with Delish. "As soon as we're off the ice or out of the gym we're replenishing and replacing those burned calories," he says. Bates says that he loves smoothies with spinach, chia seeds, and protein powder for this reason. He also says that he likes almonds and applesauce as snacks.

9. Mariah Bell

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After retiring from skating, Mariah Bell opened up about what it was like in an interview with TeamUSA.org. “I had to work through self-doubt,” Bell said. “Not being on the world team the year before (the Olympics) was a huge blow to the gut. I remember doing the long program at nationals in Las Vegas in 2021 and being scared to be on the ice. I thought, ‘How am I going to have the success I need to have, to be on the Olympic team?’ It was a lot of working through my own stuff, personal things I didn’t see coming. But it made me really tough.”

10. Justin Abdelkader

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USA Hockey team member, Justin Abdelkader opened up about his approach to the sport with Sports Illustrated. “We were playing confident and that’s a huge part of sports, confidence. When you can start winning games, putting games together, you can get on a run. That’s what we did. A lot of times it just starts with that one game, that one shift, that overtime goal that can put you in that position. In that case, for us, that got us rolling.”

11. Jamie Anderson

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In 2018, gold medalist snowboarder Jamie Anderson talked about her diet with Us Weekly. “I’m a big eater but I eat like really pure, whole foods. So thankfully I don’t feel like I really need to worry. Lots of different grains, ancient grains and different beans, vegetables.”

12. Chris Bourque

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Chris Bourque opened up about going to the Olympics in a 2018 interview. “It was unbelievable. Top three calls I’ve ever gotten in my life for sure. Obviously, to find out you’re on the U.S. Olympic team is something that is such a far-fetched dream growing up, to finally get that call, it’s unbelievable.”

13. Bobby Butler

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Bobby Butler opened up about his decision to keep playing hockey in the 2022-2023 season with the Telegram & Gazette. He says that he spoke with his wife about the decision. “We came to the decision to why not give it one more (shot) and have our kids watch me,” Butler said. “It also gave me a little spark last season to get a little taste, so it got me back in shape and it’s perfect timing.”

14. Nick Baumgartner

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Nick Baumgartner won his first Gold Medal in snowboard cross at last year’s Winter Olympics. He talked about the sport in an interview with CountryLines.com. “Snowboard cross is chaos in every sense of the word,” Baumgartner said. “We are doing something that is so unpredictable. We go down the course at highway speeds of 50–60 mph on a five-foot-long board with metal edges that are sharp as a sword, with nothing to protect us except for the helmet on our head.”

15. Shaun White

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Shaun White retired from snowboarding after the 2022 Winter Games. In 2021, he talked about some of his favorite workouts with Us Weekly. “I want to say recently, maybe a couple of years ago — was mountain biking. I did a couple of SoulCycle classes and things like that. They were fun, but you’re not going anywhere. I was like, ‘All right, well, this was fun. But I want to go somewhere. I want to see things.’ And mountain biking was great. Usually I’ll do a long uphill ride and then you get the reward of the downhill. So we’ve been doing a lot of biking and road biking and things like that. That’s been really nice cross-training.”

16. Kelly Clark

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Five-time Olympic snowboarder, Kelly Clark, talked about what it’s like to stay in shape on the road in a 2015 interview with Sports Illustrated. She says that she makes sure to do exercises in public. “I’m looking for parks to put my feet on swings and do TRX,” she says. “You can do full body weight circuits on a jungle gym and run cones in the park. I have to get creative and adjust.”

17. Chloe Kim

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After becoming both the youngest woman to win a gold medal in snowboarding and the first to win two gold medals in the halfpipe, Chloe Kim talked about her approach to the sport in an interview with Shape. “My training routine's pretty crazy," she adds. "I went to Switzerland for a month just to get all my tricks super dialed, and then I came home for like a week, and then we were off to Beijing." Kim also says that she makes working out a priority, even if she doesn’t always like it. “It's definitely helped me improve my snowboarding, so that's why I do it. But if I had the choice, I probably wouldn't be working out every day."

18. Ryan Cochran-Siegle

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Ryan Cochran-Siegle opened up about competing in skiing with Olympics.com. “At the end of the day, the reason why I was able to achieve that medal was because of my love for skiing and that passion and that drive. If you focus too much on the results, then you lose that. So it's also important to let your past results be as they are and really focus on the future.”

19. Colby Stevenson

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Colby Stevenson was able to recover from a tragic accident at 18 to win a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He talked about his recovery in an interview with OutsideOnline.com. “I would do the tricks in my head,” he says. “Closing my eyes and visualizing was a big part of my recovery…Your toughest times can become building blocks. That’s when you find your true character.”

20. David Wise

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Three time Olympic skier, David Wise, opened up about how he deals with the pressure of competing at the games with People. "I've dealt with this before, and you just take it one day at a time," he explains. "In terms of how I've progressed as an athlete ... The more mature I've gotten in my career, the more I've realized that I want to do things that aren't just good for me, they're good for the sport. That's really uplifting."

For most professional athletes, diet, and exercise are part of the job. Performing well on the court, course, field, or in the gym, poo, or ring, requires a dedication to healthy living, discipline, and nutrition. Even after their professional careers are over, female athletes keep doing the things they love to stay in shape. Here are 20 amazing bodies of female athletes over 40 and all of their top health, wellness, and diet secrets.

1. Serena Williams

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Serena Williams is one of the most body-confident athletes. "My philosophy is eat to live. Don't live to eat,” Serena William revealed to Women's Health. "You need it to survive. And [that's] very hard to live by, cause I definitely love to snack, but this is what I want. These are my goals."

2. Venus Williams

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Venus Williams is all about a plant-based lifestyle and even launched her own vegan protein brand, Happy Viking, in 2020. "I need to refuel and provide protein to my muscles quickly after I work out for recovery and to maintain muscle," she told Insider in 2021. "So Happy Viking was created to fuel your inner fighter, your inner Viking, while feeling happy and satisfied about what you put in your body."

3. Danica Patrick

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Danica, 41, doesn’t pick and choose when she is going to be healthy. "What I'm hoping is that people realize that this is a lifestyle," she said during an appearance on Good Morning America. "I want them to develop a good relationship with food and exercise to not be a reward or punishment but a way of life and something that makes you feel good and something that makes you a better you every single day." One of her health habits is eating paleo, she revealed on her website. "Paleo is based on the idea that you only eat foods that were available to ancient man before the invention of agriculture. So no grains, no dairy, no beans or legumes, no added sugars or preservatives. Instead, you focus on naturally raised meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts," she said. "My intention was to only do it for a week or two to reset my body with less sugar and more veggies. Well . . . I felt so good, and saw such amazing results, that I never quit."

4. Torrie Wilson

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Former WWE star Torrie Wilson is all about the 80/20 method of eating. “I go for the 80% rule of healthy. I’m now more focused on eating whole, natural foods that have a lot of nutrients to help me feel good from the inside out. I’m anti-strict eating because of competing and being anorexic,” she said.

5. Gabrielle Reece

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Gabrielle Reece revealed to Parade that she bounces between high intensity interval workouts (HIIT) and underwater circuits. “I try to create a little bit of structure. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I typically will do some kind of HIIT, high intensity mixed bag of exercises that I change each time. It's about 60 minutes of work, a little bit less. I write the workouts, a mix of resistance, strength and dumbbells,” she said. “After I workout, I try to do a breathing routine that's about 15 to 20 minutes, to start the recovery process and down-regulating. It’s really important that even if we're sitting at our desk or driving in our car, that we're nose breathing as often as we possibly can. That's a really important health idea. So my routine involves a lot of nose breathing and oxygenating the tissues and the cells. That’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday if the schedule permits in a perfect world.”

6. Dara Torres

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Dara Torres suffered from an eating disorder in college that left her with a “fear” of foods. “And so my philosophy is to eat healthy, but if you have a craving for something, don't deprive yourself; just have a little bit of it to help with the craving that you have. My philosophy is that if you are keeping yourself from eating certain things and not having what you want, you're gonna want it more than you should. So that's the biggest thing with me with diet. I try to eat my proteins every day and my fruits and vegetables. But I do have a sweet tooth. I can't deny that. For some reason it gets worse when I travel. I'm out to dinner and I see someone having chocolate cake, I’ll ask for a piece, take a couple of bites, and then let everyone else have it. I just can't cut out certain foods completely and be that restrictive after what I went through in college. I try to eat little meals throughout the entire day. So I always make sure that if I get hungry or need snacks, I will have macadamia nuts or avocados. I just try to eat healthy stuff but I’m not a saint. That's for sure!” she told Parade.

7. Summer Sanders

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Summer Sanders maintains that eating a healthy breakfast every morning is her healthiest habit “I never miss breakfast. As a busy mom, there will be days when I'm cruisin' along and I'll look at the clock and I haven't eaten lunch. And I'll run downstairs and I'll start shovelin' stuff down the pie hole, and I'll think, "That was no lunch at all." But breakfast has sort of turned into the new dinner, where you can sit down with your family and have a conversation. And my kids talk at breakfast. We talk about our dreams, talk about our nights' sleep, talk about what we wanna do today and be positive,” she told Self.

8. Kristin Armstrong

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Kristin Armstrong is still a runner. “I probably run five days a week; I go to the gym for strength training twice a week; and I try to do yoga twice a week. How far I run depends on what I'm training for. If I'm doing marathon training, then my long runs on Saturdays will escalate depending on what part of my program I'm at. During a regular week, I run 3 to 10 miles per day, and I bump it up on the weekends,” she told Self.

9. Jo Pavey

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Jo Pavey fuels her body with food. "When you're running you need to make sure you are getting a decent amount of carbohydrate in order to fuel yourself. I do give myself a cheat day - I mean pizza is a great carbohydrate and you can always put healthy toppings on it. It's all about balance and just generally I've found having that balance in life does me a lot of good,” she told The Sun.

10. Zara Phillips

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Zara Phillips avoids two things. “I don’t diet but I try to eat well and not to eat too many carbohydrates or sugary things. Lunch is quick and simple, like soup and a sandwich or eggs and toast," she told the Sunday Times Magazine.

11. Oksana Chusovitina

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At 41, Oksana Chusovitina was the oldest gymnast to compete at the Olympics. When asked what motivated her to return to elite competition after having a child, she didn’t hesitate to respond. "There was no motivation. I stepped into the gym to work out a little bit, to get my body back in shape."

12. Lisa Leslie

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Lisa Leslie revealed to ESPNW that hse has a daily toothbrush workout routine which includes squats and leg lifts. “My favorite workout involves an electric toothbrush and whole lot of squats. If you get an electric toothbrush it usually runs for two minutes [and] you do four quadrants of your mouth. While at the same time, you can do your squats. So I do my squats probably for a minute, which gets me about 50 squats in a minute and then I do leg lifts and raises for the other minute. That pretty much gets my teeth cleaned and my butt toned,” she said.

13. Chemmy Alcott

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In an interview with Hello! magazine, former Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott was inspired to lose weigh after having children. "I looked in the mirror and I wasn’t comfortable with who I was," she said. "I didn’t know who was looking back at me. I had been a professional athlete for 20 years, then I became a mum and I lost who I was. I wanted to find myself again and be confident in myself as a woman and mother." She added that she hired a personal trainer, her friend Sarah Lindsay and embarked on a 12-week body program.

14. Annika Sorenstam

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Annika Sorenstam maintains a health diet. She drinks water and tea, stays away from fried food, and rarely has juice. “We eat three meals a day, in reasonable portions, and we live active lifestyles. In the evening, we’ll grill a simple chicken or fish, steam broccoli to go with it, maybe sauté some mushrooms. We don’t buy any of it ready-made because you don’t know what salt and preservatives are in those foods,” she told Edible Orlando. “I don’t believe in light diet foods,” she says. “My husband and I enjoy food very much. Often he’ll hang out while I cook, we’ll share a bottle of wine and dine at home. It’s more comfortable than going to a restaurant.”

15. Anna Kournikova

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Anna Kournikova has a no-frills approach to exercise. "I grew up in the Soviet Union in the eighties and nineties. We didn't have gyms, let alone a treadmill. We worked with what we had; you can too. All you need are sneakers and a sports bra to go running. Or try jumping rope for 10 minutes—it's a great workout!" she told Glamour. "Exercise gives us energy and confidence, so why cut corners? It's easier to incorporate it into your life and feel good now, rather than put it off and feel guilty about it a year from now."

16. Steffi Graff

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Steffi Graff stays active. “I am generally a very energetic person. I like to be in motion, I like to act. I still try to start the day with a 45-minute workout – running, yoga, exercise – because after it my head seems to clear up, I feel not only physical vigor, but also amazing mental clarity. I’m ready for a new day. Daily challenges are very important. And not only in terms of sports,” she said in an interview.

17. Lindsay Davenport

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Lindsay Davenport has spent up to 10 to 15 hours doing hitting and stroke drills, plus three hours of free weights, the occasional Pilates class ("depending on how stiff I am"), and two sessions of footwork and plyometrics (high-impact drills), she revealed to Marie Claire.

18. Natalya Neidhart

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Natalya is all about workout buddies. “I’m guilty as anyone of procrastinating when I don’t have a set schedule to follow. For me, I need accountability, which is why I grab a partner. My mom, sister, friends, my husband, heck even my cat have all joined me for some pretty awesome workouts! When you have a partner and your sweat session is like an appointment you have to ‘show up for,’ you won’t miss a workout! These are tools I use to keep me on track, when life sometimes life feels ‘out of our hands,’” she told Calgary Sun.

19. Marion Reneau

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UFC fighter Marion Reneau wakes up early, eats breakfast and does a morning one-on-one session with her coach. Then she spends an hour with her strength and conditioning coach, and drives home for lunch and takes a two hour break. Then, she goes on a three-mile run, followed by Jiu-Jitsu, grappling and wrestling, with her husband. "I'm still active," she told Visalia Times Delta.

20. Natalie Gulbis

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Natalie Gulbis consumes a high protein diet. “My diet six days a week consists of protein shakes with whey protein, healthy fats, greens and probiotics for breakfast and lunch. I have protein bars as snacks in between. For dinner I usually have fish or steak with steamed veggies. When I am home and not on tour I sit down for lunch. Usually chicken with salad dressing on the side. I allow myself 200-300 calories of a treat a day. A Michelob ultra, glass of wine, chocolate etc. On Sundays after the tournament I have a cheat meal and eat whatever I may have been craving. I like consistency and protein keeps my energy up and my body feeling good,” she told Women Fitness.

From gymnastics to swimming, track and field to boxing, these athletes have honed their bodies to perfection. Discover their secrets, from unique training routines and dietary preferences to mental resilience and recovery strategies. Each champion, like Simone Biles challenging societal beauty norms or Sue Bird's dedication to an anti-inflammatory diet, offers a unique perspective on what it takes to reach the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Join us on this journey into the exceptional lives of these remarkable athletes.

1. Simone Biles

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While Simone Biles may compete in gymnastics, she doesn’t believe in competing with other women in society. She talked about this on Instagram. "Let’s talk about competition," she shared. "Specifically the competition I didn’t sign up for and feel like has become almost a daily challenge for me. And I don’t think I’m the only one. In gymnastics, as in many other professions, there is a growing competition that has nothing to do with performance itself. I’m talking about beauty.”

2. Katie Ledecky

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Swimmer Katie Ledecky tells Shape that she does a full-body strength training workout three times a week. "It's pretty full-body because that's what swimming is," explains Ledecky. "I think core strength is incredibly important in swimming — it's that connecting piece between your arms and legs. So we work on strength and we work on power because you have to have that power coming out of the starting blocks and on all of the turns, as well as a good jump."

3. Allyson Felix

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Track and field star Allyson Felix tells Women’s Day that she’s changed her approach to training as she’s gotten older. “I think when I was younger I always felt like I wanted to do as much as I could — quantity was everything — and now that I’m older, and as a mom, it’s really quality over quantity. It’s about training smarter. For me, being able to focus on recovery allows me to come back and get quality work the next day as well.”

4. Mikaela Shifrin

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Skier Mikaela Shifrin talked about her training process to Sports Illustrated. She says that before a competition, she likes to eat pasta. “I feel a lot more energy in every way for the race,” she explains. “That’s a theory I believe in.”

5. Claressa Shields

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Boxer Claressa Shields shares her fitness secrets with Muscle and Fitness. “My boxing routine requires strength and conditioning workouts in the morning. Then I’ll train again with another two- to three-hour boxing session. I’ll hit the bag or pads with my coach and work on certain combinations. Then it’s working on the game plan and watching film. All that is about three hours. At the end of the day, there may even be a nighttime session or just an early morning session the following day.”

6. Sakshi Malik

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Wrestler Sakshi Malik shared her workout and training secrets with GQ. “Fitness is the most important thing – it is impossible to perform if you’re not fit,” she says. “This sport is so tough that you require each part of your body to be strong. While power and strength need to be constantly worked on, I like to work on my techniques quite a bit. In addition, it is also important to work on your mental strength and discipline. In a sport like wrestling, you need to make split decisions to go into attack or defense, and without the right focus, you can’t achieve this.”

7. Elaine Thompson-Herah

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Track and field star Elaine Thompson-Herah works with trainer, Stephen Francis, to keep her in Olympic shape. She says that Francis has really helped with her career. "I don’t know what it was but Stephen saw something in me that I did not see,” Thompson-Herah told World Athletics. “He told me I could do better in training and that I was not producing the times on the track that I should be. He told me not to be scared of people, be less serious, smile more and shake it up."

8. Dina Asher-Smith

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Track and field athlete Dina Asher-Smith shared her training secrets with Runner’s World. She says that there’s one type of workout she avoids. “I don’t lift weights. There are lots of other ways to get power. It’s not about how much weight you can throw around, but how well you use the power that you have.”

9. Erin Jackson

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Speed skater, Erin Jackson, shared her mindset when she trains with Shape. “My inline coach from back in Florida, Renee Hildebrand…used to always say, 'Perfect practice makes perfect,'" says Jackson. "It's not just 'Practice makes perfect' — if you practice something the wrong way, then you're just going to reinforce the wrong way. That's something I've held onto over the years, to make every practice count."

10. Brittany Bowe

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Recovery is important to speed skater, Brittany Bowe. She shared her favorite ways to do so with SELF. “After a tough day, I’ll get into an epsom salt bath. I put some lavender oil in there. I typically use Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt in a few different combinations, and especially enjoy the lavender. I’m definitely a bath person—I take a couple baths a week to wind down.”

11. Naomi Osaka

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Tennis star, Naomi Osaka, likes to make smoothies before and after she works out. She shared some of her go-to ingredients with Us Weekly. ​​“My favorite fruits to add in are strawberries, blueberries, and a frozen banana – sometimes I add mangoes,” she said. “My go-to trick is, if fruits are starting to go bad, rather than waste them I cut them up and place them in portion-sized baggies and freeze them so they are ready to go for my shakes. In addition to some ice, I add in BODYARMOR LYTE Coconut for some extra vitamins and antioxidants.”

12. Jade Jones

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Taekwondo athlete, Jade Jones shared her post-lockdown training process with Women’s Fitness. “I’m making sure that everything I do is so I’m in the best possible shape for when it’s my time to fight in July. I train Monday to Friday, usually twice a day. I put in as much as I can into each session, and then try to recover corr,ectly, get the right amount of sleep, eat the right things, and take my Bioglan supplements to keep myself healthy. Knowing I’m doing all I can to be at my best gives me confidence and is part of my mental preparation.”

13. Rose Lavelle

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Soccer player Rose Lavelle opened up about her training process to Well + Good. She says that she values her recovery time. “Today, rest is vital and I can’t play as much as I did as the load is so much more,” she says. “Now it’s a balance, and I have to prioritize the off-field piece and everything that I’m doing to help best prepare my body to be able to perform on the field.”

14. Kelsey Mitchell

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Kelsey Mitchell tells the National Post that she eats a lot of protein to help with her cycling. “Protein is obviously super important. But I think that’s the one thing that’s ingrained in us in society. It’s like, if you’re working out and you’re lifting, you’re tearing those muscle fibres — you need protein to build it back up. I kind of struggled with figuring out that I needed carbs for energy.”

15. Ginny Thrasher

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Gold medal rifle shooter, Ginny Thrasher, talked about her wellness routine in the caption of this Instagram post. She says that she doesn’t like to take supplements. “Regarding supplementation, I personally take a minimalist approach. I try to get my nutrients from my diet and whole foods, only using supplements as needed to help boost anything I need. People often ask what specific supplements rifle shooters should take, but I think it’s more about what’s PROVEN, NECESSARY, and SAFE rather than looking for a performance benefit that pills just won’t give you unless you need it.”

16. Marianne Vos

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Cyclist Marianne Vos talked about her approach to the Olympics in an interview with Soigneur. “I lost myself in my preparation for the Olympic Games. The satisfaction is temporary— I know that. When you wake up the day after winning the world championships, you are still Marianne. Winning a race does not necessarily make you happier. It is the road to it that counts.”

17. Emma McKeon

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Swimmer Emma McKeon talked about her diet and how it evolved to Rescue. “At times, I used to just eat whatever I wanted, even when training, and I would end up being exhausted and not have enough energy to get through training sessions. So I have learnt what foods I need to eat and how much I need to eat to fuel my body, and learnt which foods to choose instead of filling up on things that aren’t going to fuel me for intense training.”

18. Cate Campbell

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Swimmer Cate Campbell shared some of her healthy habits with Body + Soul. She says that sleep is important to her. “Having a good sleeping routine is really important for me. I make sure the TV is off at 9pm, then I listen to music while I clean the kitchen and get ready for bed. I try and make my bedtimes as consistent as possible during the week – especially if I have training the next morning.”

19. Dana Vollmer

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In an interview with ESPN, Dana Vollmer talked about how she manages pain while swimming. “That's something over the course of my career I've had to learn: what is good pain and what is bad pain? The pain in burning from using your muscles is different than the pain of hurting something. The 50 free is short, that's why I'm doing it. And my doctor said there is really no risk at all. I made a joke about doing a belly flop and [the doctor] said even that would be fine. As long as I'm cautious with the warm-up and keep some space between myself and the other swimmers, that's really the only issue at all.”

20. Sue Bird

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Basketball star, Sue Bird, shared her wellness secrets with GQ. She says that while she believes in the 80/20 rule with her diet, she cuts out and limits some things. “I don't eat dairy, and I've been gluten-free ever since I took a blood test that showed I have a mild allergy to gluten. I stick with all anti-inflammatory foods: tons of veggies, eggs, chicken and fish. I will have some red meat, but only every now and then. There’s very little sugar, if any, because I save that for my cheat days. I like rice bowls a lot. That's been my new thing this year—I’ll have some brown rice, sweet potatoes, chicken, and mixed veggies.”