In the hustle of daily life, finding a means to alleviate stress and channel pent-up energy is crucial for maintaining our well-being. Exercise emerges as a pivotal tool in this endeavour, serving not only as a physical outlet but also as a form of self-care that takes precedence in our lives.
Laura has transformed herself into a performance machine, dedicating her life not only to her own physical transformation but also to helping others enhance their performance through training. As a strength and conditioning coach, she leverages her experience and personal journey to inspire and guide individuals towards improving their performance. Laura’s approach goes beyond the gym; she focuses on improving daily habits and enhancing overall well-being.
About Laura
Laura’s fitness journey began during her university years while studying business management. The stresses of her studies led her to discover running as a stress reliever. Initially, it was a way to clear her mind, but it quickly evolved into a daily habit and eventually, a passion for covering longer distances at a faster pace.
However, a knee injury and subsequent advice from a doctor prompted Laura to broaden her fitness regimen to include weight training and bootcamp classes at the gym. This shift not only helped her recover but also made her stronger and more versatile as an athlete, enabling her to compete in Obstacle Course Races (OCRs).
Laura’s Fitness Journey
Laura started on her fitness journey at a weight of 50kg, initially driven by the desire to adhere to the beauty standards she grew up with in Spain, which favoured a skinny body, muscle-free physique. This societal pressure led to a constant struggle with her self-image, especially as she began gaining lean muscle, which drew comments about her legs becoming too big. This perception challenge persisted until she relocated to London, where she found a new training environment that embraced strength training within women.
Throughout the years, Laura has engaged in various fitness disciplines, from functional fitness and OCRs to hypertrophy training and competing in bikini body competitions. She has also explored CrossFit, improved her skills and participated in diverse fitness challenges like Hyrox and Turf Games. This journey reflects Laura’s evolution from seeking stress relief through running to embracing an inclusive and competitive approach to fitness.
Bikini competition
Her venture into bikini body competitions introduced her to the rigorous demands of body sculpting, involving cycles of bulking up to build muscle and then cutting to lose fat while preserving muscle mass.
This process was both physically and mentally challenging. Increasing her food intake significantly to bulk up was a departure from her previous habits, and the subsequent cutting phase, which required a calorie deficit Around 1400 – 1700 calories per day, took a toll on her mental health. The lack of understanding from her surroundings compounded these challenges, leading to a period of depression and health concerns, including the loss of her menstrual cycle for four months.
Recovering from the competition required Laura to rebuild her relationship with her body and her health, aiming to regain weight in a manner that prioritised wellness and hormonal balance. Now, two years beyond her competition weight of 58kg, Laura has gained an additional 12kg. This weight gain represents not just an increase in physical mass but a significant boost in confidence and strength.
- Before attempting any of these exercises, ensure you have a coach demonstrate how to perform them correctly.
- Never sacrifice technique for the sake of lifting heavier weights.
- Remember to warm up and mobilise before participating in any of these workouts.
| Monday: Olympic Lifting | Short distance run | 5km keeping a 4:30”-5:00”/km |
| Olympic lifting: Clean DL to Hang Clean | 20 minutes E2OM (Every Minute On a Minute) (@30-40-50-60-70-80-90%) | |
| Conditioning | For time: 20, 16, 12, 8, 4 DBx2 OH Walking lunges and 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 burpees to bar. | |
| Tuesday: Strength | Back Squats and Strict Press. | 5 sets of 5reps @60-65-70-75-80% |
| Conditioning | Row - 8 Rounds: Every 30 seconds max calories 1 minute active recovery (minimum 6 calories). Total work 12 minutes. | |
| Wednesday: Olympic Lifting | Intervals Running | 5 x 500m run/1 minute rest. 1 x 400m run/1 minute rest. 1x 300m run/1 minute rest. 1x 200m run/1 minute rest. 1x 100m run/1 minute rest |
| Olympic Lifting: Muscle Snatch to Snatch | 20 minutes E2OM (Every Minute On a Minute) x1 rep (@30-40-50-60-70-80-90%) | |
| Conditioning | For time: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 DL and 15 box jump over. | |
| Thursday: Strength and Upper body Accessories | Dead Lifts and Bench Press | 5 sets of 5reps @60-65-70-75-80% |
| Accessories (Hypertrophy) | Superset - 4 sets x10 reps Press ups and Pull ups. | |
| Superset - 4 sets x10 reps Shoulder Press and upright rows | ||
| Superset - 4 sets x10 reps Dips and Bicep curls | ||
| Friday: Weightlifting | Push Press, Push Jerk and Split Jerk | 20 minutes E2OM (Every Minute On a Minute) x1 rep (@30-40-50-60-70-80-90%) |
| Conditioning | 20 AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) - Echo Bike 15cal, Devil Press x1DB 10reps and Pull Ups 5. | |
| Saturday: Strength and Lower Body Accessories | Front Squats | 5 sets of 5reps @60-65-70-75-80% |
| Accessories (Hypertrophy) | Superset - 4 sets x10 Hip Thrusts and Single Leg DL | |
| 4 sets x10 reps Step Ups | ||
| 4 sets X10 reps Bulgarian Split Squats |
Food Diary
Laura says, People often ask me if I am on a diet because of the way I look, but I just eat very healthily. However, this is a habit I’ve cultivated as part of my lifestyle. We are what we eat, and if we want to excel in the gym, we need to fuel our bodies properly.
Breakfast:
- Bagel (gluten free), peanut butter with banana and 2 eggs.
- Oats with protein powder (vegan because of the lactose Optimum Nutrition and peinar butter.
- Toast (gluten free), 2 eggs and 1/2 avocado.
Lunch:
- Pasta with chicken and steamed vegetables.
- Sweet potatoes with Steak and steamed vegetables.
- Rice with Salmon and Steamed vegetables.
Snacks:
- Greek yogurt with fruit
- Fruit and nuts
- Oats (depending how intense is the session).
Dinner:
- Eggs with prawns and steamed vegetables.
- Salmon with steamed vegetables.
- Chicken with steamed vegetables.
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