Professional skateboarder Leticia Bufoni is showing fans what a typical workout looks like for the athlete—and showing off her rock-hard abs in the process. Bufoni, 30, shared a video of herself wearing blue shorts and a white sports bra, going through an intense strength training workout at the gym. “Training day!” she captioned the post. “You killed it!” a fan commented. Here’s the workout and fitness philosophy that keeps Bufoni happy, healthy, and at the top of her game.
Bufoni’s workouts are geared towards improving her athletic performance. “I train three times a week when I’m home,” she told SELF. “Sometimes I’m traveling so I can’t work out. In those cases, I try to do a couple of exercises in my hotel room. But I try to skate every day, so I’m always doing something active. When I skate, I rely on my core and leg muscles. So I really try to focus on leg and core exercises when working out.”
Bufoni is sensible about her diet, choosing foods that make her feel good (for the most part). “The mistake that most people make is cutting out every craving – this ultimately works against you as you will end up craving even more food,” she told News24. “My big family enjoys traditional Brazilian food during Christmas, you’ll find everything from turkey, raisin rice, codfish, mashed potatoes and all types of salad. I usually avoid most of the heavy food but when it comes to dessert, I can’t help it! I do have my good share of chocolate, ice cream, pudding and anything that’s sweet. Don’t overindulge and binge on everything in front of you but don’t starve yourself either, moderation is key.”
Bufoni veers towards a plant-based diet, and is an investor in protein powder brand Mikuna. “Being a professional athlete, you gotta try to do your best to eat really healthy,” she told Forbes. “Especially since I travel far distances so much, it can be hard to find plant-based choices. Eating clean is tough enough when I’m traveling, and when I’m home I don’t really feel like cooking, so it helps a lot. I started taking [Mikuna] every day, fell in love with it, and wanted to get involved with the company. And not just as an endorser or ambassador, but as an investor.”
Bufoni is thrilled to see so many more women hitting up the skate parks. “I remember when I started skating I was pretty much the only girl skating with a bunch of boys,” she told Forbes. “It’s changed over the years, and now you can go to any skate park and see women and girls skating. I feel like I’ve been helping pave the path for them. It’s been an amazing ride. When I started I didn’t have any women to look up to. I wanted to show my dad that women can skate too, but didn’t have a person to show to him. Now, to be that person for the new generation, it’s a dream come true.”
Bufoni is grateful for every opportunity that continues to come her way. “I’m definitely living the dream,” she told Red Bull. “I think that every day. Having my own house, my own skatepark, my own car. It’s super dope. Everywhere I go, every place I travel, everyone I meet — it’s a dream. Sometimes I ask myself, is this real? It’s a really crazy life. I like what I like, and I just want to be me.”