Image Credit: Instagram/@ Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion has made a name for herself with her powerful presence in the industry, but off stage, fitness has been a major factor in building Megan's mental and physical health. The three-time Grammy Award winner has spoken about how working out has assisted her in dealing with personal struggles, such as the traumatic 2020 shooting attack by fellow rapper Tory Lanez.
Megan has been open about her struggles after the shooting incident that critically injured her. As the court battle raged on for years, Megan was grappling with a psychological burden few could comprehend. The rapper talked about having hit rock bottom and going through severe depression in an interview with Women's Health. She said that she could barely get out of bed.
"I didn't want to get [out] under the covers," Megan said. "I just stayed in my room. I would not turn the light on. I had blackout curtains. I didn't want to see the sun. I knew I wasn't myself. It took me a while to admit I was depressed."
But therapy and fitness were her solace. "Working on myself made me get into working out because I had to direct my energy somewhere else," she stated. "I used working out to escape and to become happy."
Megan Thee Stallion's training regimen is as tough as her performances. She exercises four to five days a week, combining high-intensity cardio, strength training, and Pilates. Whether she is working out hard in the gym, at home, or even on the beach, her exercises are crafted to enhance endurance, give her body shape, and increase her mental toughness.
Cardio features prominently in Megan's training schedule, particularly during tour time. She devotes 40 minutes to doing cardio such as:
She even went on to say on TikTok that sometimes she does a whopping 90 minutes of cardio a day, going back-to-back with performances.
Megan puts a high priority on strength training to develop muscle and keep her signature toned physique. Her strength training sessions both upper and lower body include the following exercises:
Pilates is yet another integral part of Megan's workout. Pilates assists her in toning the core, maintaining good posture, and enhancing overall flexibility. Pilates is a low-impact exercise as well and serves to aid in prevention and recovery from injury, thereby being an ideal complement to her high-intensity workouts.
In addition to her rigorous workout routine, Megan also maintains a diet that nourishes her body with wholesome foods. She emphasizes whole foods, lean protein, and water to keep her energy up.
Megan consumes roughly a gallon of water every day to stay hydrated and have radiant skin. She has also replaced sugary beverages and juice with water and green tea for a healthier option.
Megan's diet is nicely balanced with emphasis on lean proteins, fiber, and healthy fats:
Breakfast: A green juice (prepared with spinach, kale, ginger, turmeric, apples, and collagen powder) or a protein smoothie with strawberries, bananas, almond milk, and protein powder.
Lunch: Pan-seared salmon with fiber-rich vegetables.
Dinner: Fish such as cod or sea bass, with sides of sweet potatoes, kale, tomatoes, or brown rice.
She also reduced her red meat, bread, and heavy sauce intake while choosing tequila over cognac in an effort to lower her sugar levels.
One of the key elements of Megan's wellness and fitness strategy is her routine morning regimen. She begins each day with activities that get her mentally and physically centered, including:
This period of self-care gives her time to prepare herself mentally for the day that lies ahead before she enters her workout.
"Waking up from bed to work out in the morning is tough," Megan conceded. "I need to psyche myself up. I'm like, 'I can stay here an hour more, or I can wake up and go work out and be a bad b----.' If I'm gonna be a stallion and not a pony, I gotta wake up and get to work."
Megan Thee Stallion's workout routine is not just about being good-looking—it's about being strong and empowered. Her mix of routine workouts, conscientious eating, and mental well-being practices proves that health equals balance. By making fitness a way to heal emotionally, she has changed not only her physique, but her attitude too.
Her commitment to putting herself first is a motivating reminder that taking charge of one's health—physical and mental—is the path to resilience, confidence, and inner strength. No matter what your fitness goals are, whether it's beginning a new regimen or simply finding the motivation to get active, Megan's method reminds us that getting out and being there for yourself is always well worth it.
Credits: Canva
When you're a consistent runner, it feels like it's leg day, every day. Your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves are working hard — taking you up steep inclines, powering you through speed intervals, and carrying you to the finish line. So you naturally want to know: if you're running regularly, do you no longer need to do lower-body strength training?
The quick answer, not exactly. While running definitely makes your legs stronger in certain ways, it doesn't entirely substitute for the special benefits that result from traditional strength training. Here's what you need to know about how running develops strength, why strength training is still important, and how to strategically balance both for peak performance and injury prevention.
Running creates a specific kind of strength called strength endurance. This is the ability of your muscles to produce force repeatedly over a long time. Each time you take a step, there's repetitive muscle contraction building you up for sustained effort, much like performing a high-rep, low-weight exercise. Rather than lifting dumbbells, you're lifting your own body weight step after step.
In addition, running — especially when involving hill sprints, speed intervals, and strides — can create a bit of explosive strength, or the capacity to produce a large amount of force in a short time. If your runs, however, consist primarily of steady paces on flat surfaces, you won't be tapping into this kind of strength.
What running does not effectively build up is maximal strength — your capacity to generate the most force during one effort. Maximal strength training generally demands that you lift heavy weights for few repetitions, a stimulus running by itself just cannot offer, regardless of distance or speed.
Developing various kinds of strength depends on the idea of progressive overload: progressively putting more demands on your muscles by using heavier loads, more repetitions, less rest, or harder movements. Although running can incorporate some progressive overload — say, by adding mileage or hill sprints — there's a real-world and biological limit to how much you can push this.
Amplifying run volume significantly heightens your vulnerability to overuse injuries. Higher increases in training load were also associated with a greater incidence of injury among runners training for the New York City Marathon, a 2022 British Journal of Sports Medicine found. Not every athlete can or should go from 30 to 60 miles per week attempting to add greater strength — too often, risk just isn't worth the potential reward for many athletes.
Conversely, traditional resistance training provides a safer, more targeted, and more effective means of gradually increasing your muscle overload. Through lifting heavier weights, varying rest times, experimenting with tempo, and doing compound exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts, runners can enhance maximal strength without having to significantly boost their mileage.
This additional strength translates back into your running: stronger muscles mean greater running efficiency, better injury resilience, and the ability to maintain good form even when fatigue sets in during longer distances.
If you’re wondering how to fit strength work into your running routine without feeling perpetually sore or exhausted, the key lies in smart scheduling and recovery.
Begin with strength training once or twice a week, preferably on hard run days to make your easy days really easy. Focus on full-body strength sessions, but pay particular attention to the lower body, core, and posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back). Most importantly, prioritize proper form and controlled movements over lifting as heavy as possible from the start.
Let your body adjust slowly. Sure, you may be a bit sore initially — especially if you haven't been doing much strength training — but eventually, your body will learn to cope with the increased stimulus. In the long term, the reward in enhanced running performance and decreased risk of injury is well worth the initial investment.
While running does develop muscular endurance and some explosive power, it doesn’t provide the maximal strength benefits that structured resistance training delivers. Therefore, if you’re serious about being a stronger, faster, and healthier runner, running alone shouldn’t be your only form of leg training.
Consider running and strength training as two pieces of a larger, holistic fitness puzzle. Both play a distinct but equally valuable role in supporting your performance, longevity, and athleticism.
Daily running, when approached thoughtfully and with proper recovery, can provide a wide range of physical and mental health benefits that go far beyond cardiovascular fitness.
1. Enhanced Cardiovascular Health
Regular running makes the heart stronger, enhances blood flow, reduces blood pressure, and minimizes the risk of heart disease.
2. Better Mood and Mental Well-being
Running increases endorphins — the "feel-good" hormones — and has been associated with lower depression and anxiety rates.
3. Increased Muscle and Bone Strength
Consistent weight-bearing exercise such as running builds bone density and preserves muscle mass, particularly useful with age.
4. Improved Weight Control
Running burns a large number of calories and can aid in maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight when combined with well-balanced eating.
5. Longer Life
Several studies indicate that consistent runners have decreased death rates and longer lives than do non-runners.
6. Sounder Sleep
Consistent exercise such as running aids in keeping your sleeping cycle in check, thus falling asleep and sleeping better.
7. Cognitive Advantages
Running has been proven to improve cognitive ability, memory, and even induce neurogenesis — the creation of new brain cells.
However, it's crucial to listen to your body. Adding in easy runs, cross-training, strength training, and some rest days will serve to avoid overuse injuries and have you running well for many years to come.
Credits: Instagram
We have seen many actors often undergoing rigorous physical training to prepare for demanding roles. They also push their bodies beyond usual limits. One such star currently making waves for his dedication and fitness regime is Ranbir Kapoor. He is undergoing an intense training for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film Love and War, which is set to release next year. The film also stars Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal.
A glimpse from Ranbir Kapoor's workout was shared on the Instagram, which left many fans and fitness enthusiasts in awe. His trainer, Nam, shared the behind-the-scenes image of the actor performing a front lever- one of the most challenging calisthenic exercises. The image also showed Ranbir's core strength, balance, and control. It also inspired many to push their own workout limits.
The front lever is an advanced calisthenic exercise where the body is held parallel to the ground while suspended from a bar. It is a full body challenge with the only point of contact being the hands gripping the bar.
Core Strength: The abdominal muscles and obliques work intensely to keep the body straight and stable.
Back and Shoulder Engagement: The latissimus dorsi (lats), traps, and deltoids support and control the body’s position.
Grip and Arm Power: A strong grip and enduring forearms are essential to maintain the hold without sagging.
Full-Body Coordination: The front lever is a compound movement, requiring synchronized muscle engagement for balance and stability.
In the shared image, Ranbir maintains a flawless posture, holding his body completely straight and parallel to the ground. His execution reflects immense strength, remarkable control, and serious commitment to mastering his physical abilities.
Full-Body Strength: This exercise activates multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making it an excellent full-body strength builder.
Enhanced Core Stability: With continuous core engagement, it helps improve overall balance, posture, and athletic performance.
Upper Body Power: Strengthening the lats, traps, shoulders, and arms helps improve other key exercises like pull-ups, muscle-ups, and deadlifts.
Grip Endurance: Holding a front lever builds serious grip strength, which is useful not just for workouts but for daily activities.
Functional Fitness: It improves body awareness and control, skills that are important across various sports and everyday movements.
Ranbir Kapoor's fitness journey has progressed steadily and many have witnessed it, including people who have seen the recently shared post by his fitness trainer. Hie trainer Nam had been sharing glimpses of the hard work Ranbir is putting into his regime.
It started about four months ago, where a video showed Ranbir performing pull-ups with an advanced clap variation. It also showed his agility and upper body strength.
Furthermore, the post had made it clear that his transformation for Love and War is more than just looking good on the screen. It is about his intense training regime, and the unwavering discipline that he has also encouraged to his fans to follow.
Credit: Canva
Wrist strengthening exercises play a crucial role in building muscle strength, improving flexibility, and enhancing the range of motion in the wrist joints and tendons. They are particularly beneficial for athletes like boxers, gymnasts, and tennis players, as well as individuals at risk for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Regular wrist exercises can help prevent injuries and improve overall wrist health.
Many wrist exercises can be performed easily at home using light weights like dumbbells or household items such as water bottles or soup cans. However, it’s wise to consult your healthcare provider before starting any exercise routine to ensure it’s safe for your medical condition. A physical therapist can also guide you through the correct techniques to avoid strain or injury.
Finger Stretch
A simple stretch can effectively warm up your wrists and fingers before moving on to more demanding exercises. Begin by sitting comfortably with your elbow bent at a right angle. Make a fist, then slowly open your hand, stretching and spreading your fingers wide. Perform several repetitions with both hands. This exercise is also helpful during activities that require repetitive motion, like typing.
Wrist Extension With Dumbbell
For this exercise, sit in a chair with your forearm supported on a table and your hand hanging over the edge, palm facing down. Holding a 2- or 3-pound dumbbell, slowly lift your hand toward the ceiling, keeping your forearm steady. After fully extending your wrist, hold briefly, then lower it back down. Aim for two to three sets of 10–15 repetitions. Beginners can start without weights and gradually progress.
Dumbbell Wrist Flexion
Continuing with the dumbbell, flip your hand so your palm faces the ceiling. Flex your wrist upward, lifting the weight toward the ceiling, hold for a few seconds, and return to the starting position. Complete two to three sets of 10–15 repetitions. Like extensions, this flexion movement can also be practiced without weights by gently pulling your hand back with your other hand.
Prayer Stretch
To stretch the wrists and forearms, press your palms together just below your chin in a prayer position. Keeping your fingers together, slowly lower your hands until you feel a stretch along the inner arms. Hold for 15–30 seconds and repeat two to four times.
Steeple Stretch
Start in the prayer position and splay your fingers and thumbs apart as wide as possible, then bring your palms back together. Perform several repetitions throughout the day to maintain flexibility.
Wrist Supination With Dumbbell
Wrist supination involves rotating your wrist so your palm faces up. Sit with your forearm on a table and your wrist over the edge, holding a light dumbbell like a hammer. Slowly turn your hand until your palm faces the ceiling, hold, then return to the start. This exercise can also be done without weights.
Wrist Pronation With Dumbbell
The opposite of supination, pronation means turning your wrist so your palm faces downward. Hold the dumbbell vertically and rotate your wrist until your palm faces the floor. Perform two to three sets of 10–15 repetitions. For balanced strengthening, alternate between supination and pronation exercises.
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