Pro Volleyball Star April Ross In Workout Gear Shares Postpartum Workout

Professional volleyball player April Ross is working hard to regain her strength and fitness after welcoming a baby boy in November 2023. Ross, 41, shared a video of herself wearing black shorts and a USC Olympian shirt, lifting weights and doing mat exercises. “THREE weeks until Huntington AVP! Switching up my program one last time to focus on power and speed 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼I’m not where I used to be 😅, but I’m SO much farther than where I was three months ago ☺️ starting from literal scratch//ground zero (my quads cramped trying to do body weight lunges-that’s where I started 🙈) and 30 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight 🤷🏼‍♀️ Still a ways to go, but proud of how far I’ve come 👊🏼 And HUGE thanks to my little village who I could NOT do it without 🙌🏼❤️❤️❤️,” she captioned her post.

1. Volleyball Training

Ross’ volleyball training is unsurprisingly intense. “We’re on the sand practicing two-and-half hours a day, six days a week and our coach specifically runs a really high-cardio practice, so you’re dead tired afterwards,” she told Daily Burn. Ross also lifts weights for two-and-a-half hours, four times a week. Her favorite move? Romanian deadlifts. “I feel like I can do those anywhere, if I’m stuck in a hotel or something. I can’t do lunges — no matter how good of shape I’m in — without my butt getting sore.”

2. Plant-Based Diet

April Ross/Instagram

Ross tries to enjoy a mostly plant-based diet with minor exceptions. “If it comes from the earth and hasn’t been processed, I eat as much of it as I want,” she toldPEOPLE. “I try to follow a vegetarian, plant-based diet as strictly as I can. If I’m really craving meat I allow myself to have it in limited amounts, especially if my training or competition volume is higher than normal. I know my body pretty well at this point in my career, so I do what I feel is best for me. I find that eating this way has increased my energy and allowed me to maintain really high training loads.”

3. Protein and Vegetables At Home

April Ross/Instagram

Ross loves to cook at home whenever possible. “My go-to protein is either salmon or steak or one of the Beyond Meat proteins,” she told Bon Appétit. “Then I’ll add veggies, rice, pasta, or rolls and butter. I try not to eat within an hour and a half of competition, and that's cutting it close. Ideally, I'm done eating two hours before a match so I have plenty of time to digest.”

4. Proud Of Her Strength

Ross focuses on building strength, not being skinny. “For me, I value the power of my body, and I think I'm a little more muscular than you might expect,” she told ESPN. “I don't consider myself thin, and I'm not trying to look great in a bikini -- I'm trying to be as strong as possible and as powerful as possible for my sport. I don't feel like you should ever sacrifice strong for skinny. Strong is just as beautiful, and especially in sports, it's essential. I just never want to see any athlete sacrifice sustenance and fuel and taking care of their body in order to try and achieve this kind of skinny body type.”

5. Weighted Vest

Ross uses a weighted vest to give her workouts an edge. “I do a lot of cardio on the sand or beach volleyball movements with a weighted vest, so I get plenty of funny looks,” she told ESPN. “If I go out on the weekends, I can tell I'm getting looks like, ‘What is this chick doing?’ But I've accepted this is what I need to do, and I'm not going to be embarrassed by it.”

Kerri Walsh is being honored – in her workout gear. In a new social media post the volleyball star shows off her washboard abs in a sports bra. “Excited to announce that I will be honored at the Great Sports Legends Dinner this September! 🎉 It’s a privilege to be recognized alongside so many incredible athletes. Looking forward to an evening of celebration and supporting The Buoniconti Fund’s mission. 🏆 #SportsLegendsDinner #MakingADifference,” she captioned the Instagram post. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Volleyball

Kerri’s main form of fitness is volleyball. She does “three hours of beach volleyball practice a day,” she told Muscle & Fitness. According to one study, recreational volleyball played with fewer players on a smaller court can be an effective training modality to stimulate decrease in LDL cholesterol and resting HR.

2. Cross-Training

“I grew up playing a variety of sports, and I learned so much about my body by doing that. Today, I keep up a well-rounded cross-training system that challenges me from top to bottom. I try to make sure my body never gets comfortable, so it can keep evolving in the way I want it to,” she told Muscle & Fitness.

3. Protein

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Kerri makes sure to eat enough protein. “I want to be the best I can be, and there’s no way I can do that unless I’m fueling my body properly with the right nutrition. I’m a huge advocate of starting the day off right at breakfast. I’m a creature of habit, and as a crazy-busy mom I tend to make a lot of shakes for breakfast that I quickly drink while getting my family ready in the morning. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk like Almond Breeze, vanilla whey protein, kale or spinach, chia seeds, oats, and honey and blend it up to drink while I’m on the run. Between morning and afternoon workouts I’ll have another shake, or a protein bar, or a turkey sandwich on Paleo bread with mustard and avocado. It’s important to get protein in soon after my workouts. I also drink a lot of water since that helps with recovery, mood, and hunger,” she told Muscle & Fitness.

4. Weightlifting

“I also do fast-twitch workouts twice a week with Olympic lifting and plyometrics. Staying strong and flexible is how I stay healthy. I’m a big fan of weightlifting to make me strong and prevent injury. It’s also great for metabolism, confidence, posture, and bone density,” she told Muscle & Fitness.

5. Pilates

Kerri also does Pilates. “I do Pilates three times a week—on the reformer, the mat, and the beach,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “Pilates has helped me so much in my career as well. I worked hard to get my strength back in my core and strengthen my upper back, especially after breastfeeding.”

Cydney Moreau is a fitness influencer and new mom who is easing back into her workout routine after giving birth. In a recent Instagram video, Moreau showed off her impressive kettlebell workout, wearing black spandex shorts and a cropped black tee, while sharing how she’s returning to her fitness regimen. Moreau has been open about staying active during and after pregnancy, incorporating pregnancy-safe workouts and Pilates into her routine. Now, she’s focusing on light weights and kettlebell exercises to regain her strength. As a busy mom, she’s mastered the art of multitasking, even squeezing in workouts in between daily tasks. Beyond the gym, Moreau loves outdoor activities like playing basketball, keeping her active lifestyle varied and engaging.

1. Kettlebell Workouts

Moreau is showing fans how she’s returning to her schedule after recently having a baby. Wearing black spandex workout shorts and a tight black cropped tee, the new mom showed off her kettlebell workout in an Instagram video with the caption, “Finally back to my regular workout routine. Kettlebell exercises can target many different muscles and be a full-body workout. “Kettlebell training provides a low-impact, full-body workout that strengthens muscles and improves cardiovascular health,” according to Shape.

2. She Uses Light Weights

Wearing a barely there red bikini, Moreau worked out using light weights and captioned her post, “Multitasking as a momma." According to Prevention, using light weights has the following benefits:

-Lowering body fat. “With consistent light lifting, your body will look leaner and more toned, and your clothes will fit better.”

-Preserving muscle mass. “Light lifting can slow the decline.”

-Improve bone density. “Using weights encourages cells to form new bone to offset age-related declines in bone mineral density.”

3. She Did Pregnancy Safe Workouts

Cydney Moreau/Instagram

Throughout her pregnancy, the influencer did pregnancy-safe workouts and shared a video of them and a 21-day challenge she completed. “I am 39 weeks pregnant and using the @bodi app for my everyday workouts. The Bodi app is perfect because I can just open up my phone and do a work out wherever I am. I am able to modify the workouts and make sure I stay on track. Let me know if you guys try this work out!”

4. She Does Pilates

Wearing a cute pastel-colored dress with shorts underneath, Moreau showed off her Pilates skills. Pilates is a fitness trend that’s here to stay and one that should not be ignored. According to the Cleveland Clinic, Pilates has several health benefits, including improved muscle tone, flexibility and strength, pain relief, better posture, and balance and coordination. “The nearly century-old practice of Pilates provides a low-impact, full-body workout that could be a great addition to a well-balanced exercise program,” the site stated. “While the research on the health benefits of Pilates isn’t definitive, it suggests Pilates can positively impact your physical and mental health.”

5. She Plays Basketball

In addition to hitting the gym, Moreau enjoys being active outside and playing basketball. Over 450 million people worldwide play basketball, making it one of the most popular sports. Besides burning calories, it’s also a great cardio workout for your heart. According to StyleCraze, “Basketball is one of the best exercises for heart health! Because you keep moving, your heart rate increases. It also helps in building endurance, which is important when you want to make sure that your heart is healthy. It will help lower the risk of stroke and heart disease later in your life.”

Sarah Pavan is a former beach volleyball player and fitness teacher. She recently announced her retirement from the sport. Pavan thanked her fans for all their supportive messages and announced her career goals in an Instagram post caption. “Thank you to everyone who took time to reach out following my retirement announcement. I am overwhelmed (in the best way, of course) at all of the memories, stories, and words of encouragement and support that were shared. It means so much to me 🥹❤️Many of you were asking, ‘What’s next?’ Volleyball has given me so much and continues to bring joy to my life, so I definitely plan to stay connected to the sport. I will continue to manage my consultancy, Next LVL Consulting, which supports young volleyball athletes looking to play in university. I will also maintain my online channels that I started during the pandemic, as those communities mean so much to me. I am hoping to pursue a career in sports media and broadcasting in order to share my knowledge and insights about the game as a host or analyst. I have taken the first steps in doing that with my new podcast, @volleytalk_podcast so be sure to check it out! You will definitely continue to see me around the volleyball world, just in a different way than we are used to 😊”

1. She Enjoys Working Out

One of Pavan’s fitness secrets? She actually enjoys hitting the gym for a sweat session. She opened up about this in the caption of this Instagram post. “Sweat is my medicine, whether my struggle is physical, mental, or emotional. No matter what I’m going through, a good workout is always one of my first steps to move through it and feel more like myself.”

2. She Lifts Weights

Sarah Pavan/Instagram

In the previous Instagram post, Pavan is seen lifting a barbell. Using weights in exercise has a lot of benefits. ACE Fitness states, “Lifting heavy weights elevates levels of anabolic hormones—specifically testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)—which are used to repair muscle fibers damaged during exercise. This helps the muscle fibers to become thicker and capable of generating higher levels of force.”

3. She Hikes

Pavan enjoys going for hikes to keep herself in shape. She shared these photos on Instagram of herself hiking the Gros Piton Point. Pavan captioned the post, “Gros Piton hike. 2,000 feet of elevation in 2 km 🥵💪🏻If Oprah says something is a must-do, you have to listen! We are so glad we did… it was well worth it!”

4. She Plays Pickleball

Another sport that Pavan enjoys playing is pickleball. She shared this photo of herself on the court on her Instagram. Pavan captioned the post, “A little time off the sand means active recovery, including pickleball and @kttape Recovery+ Recovery Patches! Pickleball makes my soul happy (I love cross-training with different sports) and my recovery patches keep my aches and pains happy! It’s a win-win 😉”

5. She Loves Yoga

Pavan likes to practice yoga to keep herself in shape. She shared this photo on Instagram of herself doing a pose on the beach. Harvard Health states that yoga has a lot of health benefits. “Several small studies have found yoga to have a positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors: it helped lower blood pressure in people who have hypertension. It's likely that the yoga restores ‘baroreceptor sensitivity.’ This helps the body senses imbalances in blood pressure and maintain balance.”

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza knows how hard it is to get back to feeling normal after having a baby, but with hard work and discipline she managed to feel like herself again. Mirza, 37, shared a picture of herself wearing black leggings and a brown t-shirt, posing at the gym in front of exercise machines. “February so far 💆🏽‍♀️✈️💫📆🔐🏃🏽‍♀️🧳🍔🌰🏋🏽‍♀️☕️ and some more ✈️,” she captioned the post. Here’s how Mirza lost 57 pounds to be in the best shape of her life.

1. Strength Training

Mirza exercises with a trainer to get the most out of her workouts and training. “There are some basic routines we do every day like the warm-up routine, which involves a lot of core exercises, around 20 to 25 minutes of running and strength and speed training,” she told the Bangalore Mirror. “There are some days in the week, depending on the schedule, where we also do explosive, balance, endurance training and sometimes we also do Plyometrics.”

2. Postpartum Fitness

Mirza worked hard to get back into shape after having a baby in 2018. “After you give birth, you have to start from scratch,” she told the Times of India. “Being an athlete, I am used to being fit and strong, and I had taken my fitness for granted. I got a reality check when I got onto the treadmill and found out that I could not walk for more than three minutes. The first two months were extremely tough because I was not allowed to do core exercises and could only do cardio. I did that for two-and-a-half hours every day and followed a strict diet.”

3. Gluten-Free Diet

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Mirza has a “cheat” day once every ten days. “I have been gluten-free for the last few years and it has been working for me,” she told the Bangalore Mirror. “But I believe in moderation and I do have cheat days. I also go on a complete processed sugar-free diet. As tennis players, we are on a high carbohydrate and protein diet, so I eat gluten-free pasta and rice and chicken. I avoid flour and wheat completely.”

4. Carbs and Weight Training

Mirza overhauled her diet and fitness routine during her postpartum health journey. “After I had lost 15-17 kilos, I moved on to weights and my core recovered,” she told the Times of India. “I did not cheat on my diet for four months. I stopped consuming dairy products, gluten, processed sugar and red meat. I would eat spinach, fish, eggs, chicken and continued to consume carbs. Whoever said that carbs are your enemy, is not right; they can be your friends, too.”

5. It Takes a Village

Mirza is grateful for all the help she received with her son when getting back to training. “Since I am an athlete, I feel sleep is important, but if he is awake, then I am awake, too,” she told the Times of India. “Without my husband, parents, sister and my entire team’s support, I would not have been able to go back to my training and do what I love. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child.”