Lauren Findley is an American fitness influencer. Born in the land of opportunities, Lauren was an active kid. She participated in activities like running and going to the gym. However, she was never really concerned about what goes on her plate. She practically lived off junk food and used to have an alcohol problem during college years.It struck her at the age of 22 that she was not treating herself right when she finally got unhappy with the way she looked.

The ray of hope and inspiration when Lauren was at the lowest point of her life:

"I got a lot of inspiration from other female athletes and one day it just ‘clicked’ for me. I can’t say that there was one defining moment or a ‘low point’, but after learning and being inspired by strong, beautiful women like Nicole Wilkins and Swann De La Rosa, I aspired to be like them. I made the decision that I no longer wanted to be ‘average’.

So, I finally made the necessary lifestyle changes suitable for my goals and the rest is history!”

Fitness JourneyAfter she graduated from college, she started following many fitness models especially, Nicole Wilkins and Swann De La Rosa on social media. All she wanted was to look as strong and sculpted as them and that's probably the biggest driving factor for her that she took up fitness.She immediately began working out and got herself lifting weights in the gym. Her path to fitness had already begun.First Competitionhttps://www.instagram.com/p/B6OdGbEliNN/After all the hard work that she put in henceforth finally paid off when she felt she has built the targeted aesthetic physique. At the age of 24, two years later she graduated from college, she entered her first competition, the NPC Golds Classic Championship in the Figure Novice category.Although she did not make it through, Lauren was finally ignited with the fire of winning. She knew hoe being on the stage felt like and she wanted to win the next time. She set her sight on her trophy.VictoryIn order to prepare for her next competition, she stepped up her game in the gym and turned all her focus to winning the next trophy. She researched and educated herself on the importance of nutrition and training and how they go about together. That's when she began making some serious progress.In 2016, she took to the stage again but this time to win the competition. That year, at the age of 25, she returned to the stage at the NPC South Jersey Championships. This time, all of her hard work paid off.This filled her up with more motivation to do something big about it. She went on to create an online presence for herself so that she could generate some revenue out of it.Online SensationRight after she won the trophy in 2016 at the NPC South Jersey Championships, she had become recognized. She started training a lot of people online and it was not long that she also gained immense popularity in the fitness community. She was in fact, noticed internationally.

Towards the end of 2016, Lauren had gained a lot of followers on her social media. Fans and followers around the world drooled for her incredible figure and constantly seemed her advice for inspiration. She also became the talk of many online bodybuilding forums.It was only through hard work and consistency that Lauren had become a social media star.

Lauren Findley Statistics

• Full Name: Lauren Findley
• Weight: 115 - 125lbs (52.2 - 56.7kg)
• Height: 5'2" (157.5cm)
• Year Of Birth: 1991
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Figure Competitor, Fitness trainer, Bodybuilding Model

Accomplishments

• 2015 NPC Golds Classic Championship, Figure Novice, 5th
• 2016 NPC South Jersey Championships, Figure Novice, 1st

She once confessed,

"Before I fully committed to the fitness lifestyle, I lived a pretty ‘typical’ life as an active female. I was always athletic and I would go to the gym or for runs, just to go, but I never really pushed myself. I was always conscious of my diet and I would ‘try’. But I often ate for the sake of convenience and I ate what was available to me when on the ‘go’. I pretty much just went through the motions and I had no real sense of direction or a routine to follow.”

Lauren Findley Workout Routine

Lauren Findley was active ever since she was a child. She was a sportsperson and she ran track too. Here's what she says about her childhood activities,

"I ran track from middle school through college, so that was the sort of training I was accustomed to. I would weight train, but I was mainly focused on the running. So, when my track career ended and I got into the gym, it was mostly a learning experience. I learned about things like workout splits, diet, correct form and adapting to a variety of types of training that I was not used to."

Entering into the fitness world opened a lot of opportunities for her. She learned quite a lot that she hadn't from her time on the field. “It was a learning experience that opened up a whole new world of possibilities to me,” she said.

But ever since she has stepped into the fitness world, she felt that it is the place for her. She has worked so hard right from self-educating herself on topics like training and nutrition. Her hard work really did pay off. Even though she hears some negative comments once in a while but that does not let her down. She is confident as ever and takes every criticism as something to be improved upon. She said,

"I am so happy to have gotten into bodybuilding and the fitness industry and I love this lifestyle so much! It’s an amazing feeling to be so committed to something and to always keep pushing forward. It’s also really awesome to get the recognition from other’s who compliment me on my physique and all of the hard work that I put into it. On the other hand, the attention on social media is something that I am not used to yet. I get so much positivity from men and women every day and that motivates me so much. But, once in a while, there are the negative comments like, “are you even a woman?”

Lauren Findley also talks of the regular negative comments that she gets on social media:

“Is that a boy or a girl?” Or “why are your arms so big if you’re a female?” I will admit sometimes it’s hurtful and I can’t pretend it doesn’t bug me here and there; I am only human!”

Even though it does not let her down, she still feels that in order to achieve something great, there are no shortcuts. “In order to be successful, you simply have to put in the work, day in and day out”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oYDlRqeSu8Lauren Findley trains in the gym for at least 6 times per week. She also goes on running and try to train her abs once every week in order to break the monotony and as a mode of active recovery. In the gym, she works on multiple muscles and does not focus on just one muscle group per session. She tells that her body responds to these kinds of workouts the best. Lauren performs 8-15 reps in sets of 3-4, pushing her limits every day. She also makes sure that she has her body warmed up properly before she begins her workout. In her own words, she explains,

"My current training philosophy is based on a quote that I heard from professional MMA fighter, Conor McGregor. “There’s no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession. Talent does not exist; we are all equals as human beings. You could be anyone if you put in the time. You will reach the top and that’s that. I am not talented, I am obsessed.” In order to be successful, you simply have to put in the work, day in and day out. For my current routine below, I always do 2-4 warm up sets per body part."

Workout Routine:Monday – Chest/Tricepshttps://www.instagram.com/p/B-cldFMF-hO/

Flat Bench Press 4 x 8-12Incline Dumbbell Press 4 x 15/12/10/8Cable Crossovers 4 x 15 (high/middle/low)Pec Dec Fly’s 4 x 10-15Rope Cable Pushdowns 4 x 15/12/10/8Rope Overhead Extensions 7 x 10-15 (FST7 workout)Dips 3 x FailureSingle Arm Pulldowns 3 x 10-15Dumbbell Kickbacks 4 x 12-15Tuesday – Shoulders/Abs/CardioSeated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 x 15/12/10/8Single Arm Lateral Raises 4 x 12-15Plated Front Raises 3 x FailureRear Delt Pec Dec Fly’s 4 x 15/12/10/8Dumbbell Lateral Raises 4 x 10-15 (Superset)Dumbbell Front RaisesHanging Leg Raises 4 x FailureCable Rope Crunches 4 x 15-20Ab Wheel 4 x 15-2030 minutes Stepmill (30 seconds work/30 seconds rest)Wednesday – Glute/Hamstringshttps://www.instagram.com/p/B8PLY71lBTg/Bridges 4 x 15Cable Kickbacks 4 x 12-15Seated Leg Curl 4 x 12-15 (Drop Set)Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats 4 x 12-15 (per leg)Machine Kickbacks 3 sets 12-15 (per leg)Stiff-Legged Deadlifts 4 x 8-12Lying Leg Curls 4 x 12-15Thursday – Back/Biceps/CardioWide Grip Pulldowns 4 x 15/12/10/8 (Drop Set)Bent-Over Barbell Rows 4 x 8-12Pull-Ups 4 x FailureV- Bar Pulldowns 4 x 12-15Seated Rows 4 x 12-15Rack Pulls 4 x 8-12One Arm Dumbbell Rows 3 x 8-1230 minutes Sprint Intervals Treadmill (1 minute on/30 seconds off)Friday – Shoulders/Abshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhBuGKger90Seated Barbell Overhead Press 4 x 8-12Cable Lateral Raises 4 x 12-15 (per arm)High Cable Rope Pulls 4 x 12-15Dumbbell Front Raises 4 x 10-15Dumbbell Rear Delt Rows 4 x 12-15Hanging Leg Raises 4 x FailureCable Rope Crunches 4 x 15-20Ab Rollouts 4 x 15-20 repsSaturday – Active Rest30-35 minutes Light Cardio/AbsSunday – Legs (Quad Focused)Narrow Stance Squats 4 x 8-12Leg Extensions 4 x 15 (Superset)Dumbbell Goblet Squats 4 x 15Barbell Walking Lunges 4 x each legFront Squats 4 x 8-12Narrow Stance Leg Press 4 x 8-12She reveals the secret behind her glutes and leg development in an interview, saying, "Being a runner I feel it has given me a little edge in the leg/glute department, but I do train my legs twice a week to ensure that I am maintaining my proportions between my quads and hamstrings/glutes. I tend to be quad-dominant, so I have to work extra hard on my hamstrings. I split my leg days into a quad focused day and a glute/hamstring focused day. Sometimes if my split allows, later in the week, I will add in an extra hamstring day. I feel it is super important to focus on the squeeze and I love challenging myself with each exercise.”She is always motivated and the biggest factor behind her motivation is always something news. While sometimes it is some positive comment that she sees, while other times she has to motivate herself to push harder. She says, "I am always motivated by something new, one day it can be someone’s kind words, the next day it could be seeing a girl’s physique on Instagram who inspires me and sometimes I just motivate myself just by seeing how far I’ve really come. I think it’s very important to look back and remember why I started. Another motivator for me is when I get questions from people online or at my gym. When people reach out to me it keeps me sharp and motivates me; I just love answering people’s questions to the best of my ability.”That's all about how hard she pushes herself in the gym and on the track field.

Lauren Findley Diet Plan

Lauren Findley is all about listening to her body and follows what she craves. She does not restrict herself and knows the importance of having all the three components of food in her diet. She also likes to experiment in the kitchen to know what works best for her body because she believes that each individual body is different.

"As far as nutrition is concerned, I think it’s really important to listen to your own body. So many people have this mindset that dieting is supposed to be awful, but that doesn’t have to be the case! Of course, I try to eat clean most of the time, but there are some foods that are considered ‘clean eating’ staples that just do not work for me. I feel it’s necessary to try different foods and find out what works best for each individual."

She eats clean foods most of the time with high-quality fat, protein and ample amount of carbs to keep herself going through the hectic routine and an intensive training schedule. “I feel it’s crucial for me to consume high-quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and a variety of healthy fats into my daily diet. I also like to be really creative and try new things," she explained.

Lauren has been pretty lean since she was a kid and a very active one. So she makes sure that she has enough calories lest she will lose all her muscles and gains. On this topic, she explains, "I naturally stay pretty lean, but right now I am doing what I guess you could call a ‘clean bulk’. Currently, I am putting on muscle and eating in a caloric surplus, which will allow me to bring up my weak points when I prep for my next competition. I’m still doing cardio 3-4 days a week for cardiovascular health; it also helps me to maintain a healthy body fat percentage."

Lauren aims to eat at least 6 meals per day that includes everything from lean proteins like chicken and salmon to a lot of green leafy vegetables and fruits along with complex carbs to keep her energized.This is what her sample diet plan looks like:1st Meal:- 1 Egg Yolk, 4 Egg Whites, 1 cup Oats, 2 Slices Ezekiel Bread or 1 Multi-Grain English Muffin2nd Meal: – 4-6 ounces Chicken and 5 ounces Mixed Green Vegetables3rd Meal: – 1 ½ scoops Protein and 1 tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter mixed in Water4th Meal: – 5 ounces White Fish and 5 ounces Mixed Green Vegetables5th Meal: – (Pre Workout) – 4-6 ounces Chicken, 1 cup Brown Rice or 1 Sweet Potato6th Meal: – (Post Workout) – 4-6 ounces Red Meat and 5 ounces Mixed Green VegetablesSome Important supplements that Lauren takes:https://www.instagram.com/p/By-nrRMlA_L/Pre-WorkoutL-CarnitineFish OilVitamin B6 and B12MultivitaminsGlutamineBCAA’sShe has a list of favorite foods that she can not live without and craves them once in a while. But as it gets closer to the competition she knows that she can not have her favorite foods. There's no big trick that she does but the credit goes to her strong willpower. So she keeps away from all such foods which will ruin her gains and progress.

"One food I could not live without is my mother’s homemade macaroni and cheese; it’s unreal! I do not live near my parents, so usually when I go for a visit she makes it for me, unless I’m prepping for a show, of course! (Laughs) As a competition gets closer, I find dealing with cravings has to do with my mindset. Overtime with competing, I have developed a strong willpower and I am able to resist things like donuts, pizza, pasta, etc. I’ve come to realize that those foods serve no purpose in achieving my goals. My fiancé and I usually cut things out little by little before we start a prep, so that the transition is a little bit easier on the both of us."

Lauren does not crave sweets much. She says, “Luckily, I do not have much of a sweet tooth, so avoiding ice cream and cookies is fairly easy for me.” Besides, she always has her set of women for inspiration before the competition. “After learning and being inspired by strong, beautiful women like Nicole Wilkins and Swann De La Rosa, I aspired to be like them,” she describes.

Her three best tips for anyone who has just begun the path of fitness:

• Patience
• Consistency
• Passion; because you have to love it!

Lauren was first inspired by fitness athletes, Nicole Wilkins and Swann De La Rosa to begin her fitness journey. However, she also names her family and friends as the people who pushed her on to win the 2016 NPC South Jersey Championships.https://www.instagram.com/p/B-C2vGHlMiE/Besides gymming, Lauren does enjoy to spend time with her family and pursue her hobbies. She says, "I love to run; running clears my mind, de-stresses me and puts me in a great mood. I really love reading, spending time with my fiancé and our puppy named Riggins. I also enjoy visiting my family and binging on Netflix shows for way too long in the evening! ”That is all about what Lauren Findley does to keep her physical stature up to the mark. She faces a lot of criticism throughout her journey but that does not deter her from following her dreams. Seems like it needs a lot of hard work and patience to reach where she is now. She also accepts both positive and negatives in her life with equal footing.