Volleyball Star Kristen Nuss In Workout Gear Is Ready For Paris

Volleyball star Kristen Nuss is a proud member of Team USA, and ready for Paris 2024. Nuss, 26, shared a sweet video of friends and family wishing her and Taryn Kloth the best of luck, with the athlete appearing in a variety of different workout outfits in the clips. “Who’s cutting the onions 🥹 Forever grateful for our incredible support system. We love you all from the bottom of our hearts and can’t wait to represent @teamusa at the pinnacle of this sport on center stage. Let’s get this thing started!” reads the caption on the post. Here’s how Nuss stays strong, fit and ready to compete.

1. Walking and Training

Nuss loves nothing better than going for a walk for a non-volleyball related workout. Otherwise, she is constantly training with her coach. “You want practice to be harder than the game itself,” she told Mind Body Green. “That's where the resilience gets built—in those practice moments when you're in a really hard drill, he's just crushing balls at you, then you're having to do some sort of serve receive and constantly just execute. You get to the point where your brain is like, Go, go, go—but your legs are dying and just stop working.”

2. Louisiana Home

While most volleyball players are based in California, Nuss and Kloth live and train in Louisiana. “I want to rewrite the script,” she told AVP. “No – you don’t have to live in California. No – you don’t have to be mega tall. Of course, we’ll go to Cali to train with other pros. But I have no intention of moving to California in my career. I want this sport to grow all over the country. With a partner from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that feels possible.”

3. Peanut Butter and Jelly

Nuss enjoys a sandwich to fuel her performance. “Honestly, before a big game—and especially depending on when we play—a good ol' peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” she told Mind Body Green. “That is a solid pregame. It's the perfect snack to give you the energy and carbs that you need. We [Kloth and I] eat them a lot when we travel. Day to day, I follow a high-protein diet. It's just about eating a ton of protein in every meal that we get. I personally love doing higher protein, lower calorie, and a lot of quantity because I am someone who enjoys that feeling of fullness.”

4. Repping the Shorties

Nuss is 5 feet 6 inches tall, and wants to inspire other aspiring athletes who are on the shorter side for volleyball. “ When I was coming up in the sport, no one looked like me,” she told AVP. “I wanted to change that. I wanted to provide the shorter kids with someone they could look up to. The desire to inspire is what motivates me the most to keep striving for success. People aren’t coming up on the street and outright telling me, ‘You will never accomplish your goals.’ But now, being partners with 6 feet 4 inches Taryn Kloth, everyone comes up to her. They ask how tall she is, and insist she must play a sport. No one is saying that to me.”

5. Competition Prep

Nuss prepares for a game by listening to music and relaxing. “My approach may be different than most,” she told Mind Body Green. “I have found over the years that if I get super focused and ‘locked in’ that I actually don't perform well. So I try to be a little more laid back. So, in warm-ups, I just try to keep it fun and relaxed. You can find me jamming out to whatever song is playing in my head. Chatting with our coaches. I'm not super focused—keeping it very light. It's just having fun. Because, honestly, that is what I find I need to perform my best.”

Beach volleyball champion Sara Hughes has been playing since she was eight years old, and was even mentored by Misty May-Treanor. Now Hughes, 29, is heading for Paris in June, and is doing everything she can to prepare for the big event. The athlete shared a video of herself wearing Nike shorts and a sports bra, lowering herself into an ice bath and then breathing through the initial cold shock. “It’s gotta feel so good on that shoulder 💪🏻,” a fan commented. Here’s how Hughes stays fit, focused, and ready for Olympic gold.

1. Strength Training

Hughes frequently posts videos of herself doing strength training workouts with a personal trainer. She also uses resistance bands to build muscle, endurance, and burn fat. “My favorite place this pre-season! Couldn’t do it without @mykelshannonjenkins & @officialbrycejenkins 💪🏼,” she captioned an Instagram post.

2. Box Jumps

Hughes is a big fan of box jumps, a plyometric exercise. “This exercise trains triple extension and flexion of the key joints – hips, knees, and ankles – and related muscles – quads, hamstrings, quads and calves – used in running,” UK Athletics Level 3 performance coach Graeme Woodward tells Runner’s World. “And also requires a significant neuromuscular contribution which benefits speed qualities.’

3. Misty May-Treanor Mentor

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Hughes grew up watching Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor train at the beach. “For a long time, I was terrified to talk to her,” Hughes told The Athletic. “Having her so close, it was crazy.” May-Treanor noticed the young athlete and became her mentor. “I grew up putting my name on a paper on a pole and playing to stay on the court, and Sara hit the tail end of that,” May-Treanor said. “Bill [Lovelace] had those little kids doing drills and playing alongside adults and in four-on-four tournaments. She’s one of the last of that breed. We all know each other. As an older athlete, you want to take the sport under your wing. I was in her shoes once.”

4. Paris 2024 Dreams

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Hughes has high hopes for Paris 2024. "It would probably be the best feeling in the world," she told Olympics.com. "It's my number one goal, and to get to do it with Kelly [Cheng] is even more special. So we just got to keep moving forward and keep doing well in tournaments and hope we'll stay on track to get there."

5. Ice Baths

Hughes regularly incorporated ice baths into her recovery routine. Studies show ice baths can help with pain and inflammation after training. “Some patients who have swelling and inflammation find great relief from soaking in an ice bath,” sports medicine physician Dominic King, DO, tells Cleveland Clinic. “Start low and go slow. Don’t go too cold and don’t go for more than five minutes, just to make sure you can tolerate it. There is some research that shows that after two to three minutes, additional benefits taper off."

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."

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

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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

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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.”