Kacy Catanzaro is getting in a workout while traveling in her exercise clothes. In a new social media post, the first woman to complete an American Ninja Warrior city finals course shows off her amazing body in a mirror selfie during a hotel sweat session. “Hotel workouts ✨,” she captioned the Instagram photo. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.
Kacy sticks to mostly strength training. “I do body-weight circuit training four to six days a week, in the morning. I throw together exercises like pull-ups, pushups, lunges, squats, and tuck jumps. I pick four exercises and do them in a row. I usually do four rounds of this. I might aim for 11 pull-ups, but some days I might get 10 or I might get 12. The point is to make yourself tired; that way you build up your cardio too. You don’t have to lift heavy weights to keep yourself strong. The goal is to be really light and lean, and I do that by using my body weight and doing more reps. This keeps me fit for the course,” she told Self.
Kacy likes to sweat before she eats. “Work out in the morning, followed by a nutrient-filled breakfast,” she told Today about her top tip. “Usually I like to work out in the morning before I eat. After the workout I like to eat a banana and definitely some oatmeal for a little bit extra boost. I love smoothies. We make green smoothies at home. I like cucumbers, celery, ginger and kale. We use a lot of greens!”
Kacy does two-a-days, with her second workout usually something more fun and social. “For my second workout at night, I do something fun with my boyfriend, like going rock-climbing, biking, or doing mock obstacle courses. That way I get everything done, but I also get to enjoy life, so I don’t get burned out,” she told Self.
Kacy has a workout buddy, her boyfriend, fellow American Ninja Warrior Brent Steffensen. “Brent has been my secret weapon. We work at the same obstacle gym, Alpha Warrior in San Antonio, Texas, and train together. He’s a huge veteran on the show. He knows what he’s doing. Even just being able to watch him has been a big help. I feel like being a Ninja Warrior is different from most sports. You want to get the fastest time and do all of the obstacles—you are competing against everyone else—but no one wants anyone else to do badly. They want to them to their best as well. When Brent and I walk up together, I don’t think, I have to beat Brent. We both want to reach our potential. You’re reaching for the same goal. You’re seeing each other through it. It’s really nice having him by my side,” she told Self.
Kacy explained to Today that visualization is a helpful tool for her. “I like visualizing a lot, so the night before a competition and right before, I will visualize myself. I’ll close my eyes, turn away from everybody and just see myself doing exactly what I want to accomplish,” she said. “It really helps me stay super calm when I am on the course. It’s almost like I’ve already done this. It’s much easier to make it happen if you really believe it and see it being done.”