Mal O’Brien, a CrossFit athlete with a significant following on Instagram, is known for her impressive strength and dedication to fitness. In a recent post, she shared a video highlighting her favorite back exercises, including lateral pulldowns, bent-over barbell rows, and gorilla rows. Beyond her intense training sessions, O’Brien also gives insight into her balanced and nutritious diet, showcasing her love for wholesome foods like strawberries, green beans, and avocado. Here’s a closer look at her workout routine and diet habits.
O’Brien is seen doing a lot of exercises with weights in her Instagram video. According to ACE Fitness, these can have a lot of benefits. “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.”
O’Brien is seen using the lateral pulldown machine in her Instagram video. According to Piedmont, this exercise has a lot of benefits. “The lat pulldown is a fantastic exercise for strengthening the latissimus dorsi muscle, the broadest muscle in your back. This muscle promotes good posture and spinal stability. Form is crucial when performing a lat pulldown to prevent injury and reap the best results.”
O’Brien shared some of her favorite foods in this Instagram video. For breakfast, she is seen enjoying strawberries. The Cleveland Clinic states that they have a lot of health benefits. “Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C. Eight medium strawberries contain 160% of your daily recommended amount — the amount that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends you eat every day. That’s more vitamin C than you get from an orange, the fruit famous for its vitamin C. Strawberries are also packed with antioxidants, which protect cells from damage. The primary antioxidant in strawberries is anthocyanin, which gives the fruit its color. The amount of anthocyanin in strawberries increases as the fruit ripens. So, the redder the berry, the more antioxidants it contains.”
In the previous Instagram video, O’Brien is seen eating green beans for lunch. The Cleveland Clinic states that they are very healthy. “Green beans — which can also be yellow or purple — are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. They might seem like an average vegetable, but their nutritional content is exceptional. One cup of green beans contains: 31 calories. 0 grams of fat. 3.4 grams of fiber. If you’re looking to get some key vitamins and minerals, green beans can help. In terms of your daily value (DV) of specific nutrients, they contain: 36% of vitamin K. 18% of vitamin C. 9% of folate (vitamin B9). 6% of iron. 4% of potassium.”
O’Brien is seen eating avocado for dinner in the previous Instagram video. Avocado is a very healthy food. The Cleveland Clinic states, “You might’ve heard that avocados are high in fat — and that’s true, but it doesn’t mean you should avoid them! A medium avocado has 22 grams of fat, which includes 15 grams of monounsaturated fats, aka ‘good’ fats.”