It seems like it was in Marissa Rivero's blood to compete because her father was into sports too! She first stepped into the gym premises in 2013 to transform her body and with a goal in her mind to win the Pro card in the IFBB.

She did not only achieve her life long dream of winning that pro card which she trained so hard for but also became recognizable for her dancing and competitive cheerleading skills.“Marissa Rivero has over 708 thousand followers on her social media and growing strong. She’s known for her strong and curvy legs and well-rounded physique,” a leading fitness magazine commented.When Marissa Rivero initiates to do something, she does not back down without smashing it. The petite bikini phenom was determined that she would compete in January 2013, her first competition—“It was kind of a New Year’s resolution type thing”—and before anyone could say anything, “quarter turn to the right,” she had selected a match, hired a fitness trainer and won herself a pro card at the ’13 NPC USA.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Varfgm70HEQInspired by her mentors at Team Edge, she also shifted places from Miami to Los Angeles and caught hold of a various number of sponsors. On being asked her secret to get so many famous sponsored in her bag, she says, "I’ve gotten asked this question a lot. There really is no secret to getting a sponsorship. Just do your thing, compete, work out, be you, and the sponsorships will come to you!" She does not have any other job and focuses all her time on training and being an instructor. McGrath, says, “I actually don’t. I’m sponsored and do online training here and there.”Since starting her career in the fitness industry in 2013 and winning 1st place in her première bikini fitness contest, Marissa has immediately proved her worth as a top fitness model and athlete. In her role as a trainer, she has gathered over 8 million followers on Instagram where she utilizes her authority and power to encourage others not only to look better but also to feel amazing from the inside, making it a lifestyle change.her Fitplan, she conducts sessions and guides others in the gym and reconstructs both their physiques and their minds, employing the same fitness routine that has helped her change her own life.

Before we dig deep into her workout routine and diet plan, here is a look at her physical statistics.

Marissa Rivero Statistics

• Name: Marissa Rivero McGrath
• Place of residence: Marina del Rey, California
• Date of birth: May 9, 1989
• Age: 24
• Height: 5’0 – 152cm
• Weight 105lbs : 48kgs
• Profession: IFBB Bikini Model, Social Media Influencer
• Current sponsors: Prime Nutrition, 6 Pack Bags, Ravish Sands, Catered Fit, and Ingrid Romero Custom Competition Bikinis

Marissa Rivero Competitions

2015 IFBB Ferrigno Legacy2015 IFBB Iron games Pro Bikini2014 IFBB Southern California Pro Bikini2014 IFBB Toronto Pro Supershow2013 NPC USA Championships2013 NPC USA ChampionshipsCheerleading To IFBBMarissa's number one inspiration was her father who was always into eating right and exercising. Although she did not step right into the gym, Marissa loved the idea of being fit and healthy. She started doing professional cheerleading as she was a cheerleader in school too. She continued her passion for dancing and cheerleading through college and competed in many national-level events all across America.

But she also wanted to transform her body and so she decided to document it on social media.One of her friends, who was also into competing in fitness events, saw Marissa's potential and pushed her to try her hands in the sport.Becoming Hooked With NPCMarissa always had an idea of NPC because her friend was a big part of the event and competed regularly, she decided to go to one of her shows herself to see what happens around only to be shocked and hooked in the end. She recalls, “The first show I went to I was hooked and decided to make it my goal to one day step on stage.”https://www.instagram.com/p/B6RMOQGAstE/She was eventually convinced by her competitor friend to take part with her and in 2015, Merissa did take part in her first-ever competition. She joined a gym and made serious goals in front of her to be smashed within a time frame of 6 months.This event in her life made Marissa not only have the best body she could ever imagine but even win the competition on the very first attempt. She was also qualified for the nationals.Team Edge PartnershipMarissa took her goal of joining the competition extremely seriously with her coach, Ingrid Romero, and during this time, she met Joe DiScuillo (a professional bodybuilder) through social media. Very soon, they became partners, and later, they married each other.

They realized how incredibly well they performed together, not only as a couple but also while training and as business partners. They decided to work with Team Edge and landed a partnership with them and their brand. The company supported Marissa for her first attempt at the NPC show in 2015. Marissa says, “I made the gym my number one priority and joined Team Edge. I gave myself six months to prep, and by June 8th I was on stage at my first show where I placed first.”Winning Her Pro CardMarissa gradually built herself up and won her pro card with the IFBB after competing in just two shows in the NPC division. Her first competition took place in June 2015 where she took the 1st spot in the NPC, also making her qualified for the nationals.After her first victory, her eyes and goals were set of IFBB but she gave NPC one more shot to be double sure of her decision. She came first again.https://www.instagram.com/p/B33Q3AbASh8/Then, she was pushed by her coach, family, friends, and her husband to go straight for the IFBB and prove herself a top competition not just in NPC, but also in the world. She gave IFBB a shot and took home a trophy for second place that helped her secure the pro card.Currently, Marissa is working with her own company to help others like her with the same hopes and aspirations that she once had when she stepped into the gumming world. She wants to make the process as enjoyable as she can so that people remain stick to their journey. She wants everyone to make the right choices for themselves and thus provides help so that they could make appropriate choices for themselves.

Marissa Rivero Workout Routine

Building Stong LegsMarissa is only 5ft tall, so when she works out for her legs she gains muscle super fast. It is also her good genetics and strong work ethic which leads her to mean that she can build muscle fast in comparison.She recalls an incident where she had to leave leg training completely 8-12 weeks before one of her competitions as they were growing too much. Marissa had to switch to some cardio in place of her leg days to drop the muscle size. She says, “I would do legs hard and really heavy and my quads grew out of control.”She is known for having great legs and she achieves this look by doing moderate weight leg workouts with a higher repetition count. Her legs are one of her iconic features.CardioWhen it comes to cardio, she likes to do a HIIT workout instead of just cardio because she feels that it is most effective for her. She feels that it helps her not to lose her muscles while burning fat at the same time. In her words, “This has been the most effective for me. It has helped me lean down while keeping a substantial amount of muscle.”

All these techniques helped her in moving forward with going through competitive bodybuilding effectively. She was led in this direction by her boyfriend but she worked hard to achieve the victory. She says, "I wasn’t too familiar with the NPC until I started dating my boyfriend who competes in bodybuilding. The first show I went to I was hooked and decided to make it my goal to one day step on stage. I made the gym my number one priority and joined Team Edge. I gave myself six months to prep, and by June 8th I was on stage at my first show where I placed first! I was hooked and two weeks later stepped on stage for my second show where I also placed first!"She also describes her biggest motivation which was her coach. She knew her from watching her posts on social media and was fan ready. She says, "My coach Ingrid Romero has been one of my biggest motivators. Before she was my coach I would watch her videos on YouTube and be completely inspired, her beauty, body, stage presence, and personality is completely motivating."This is the sample of the workout routine that Marissa Rivero follows:"I’ve noticed more changes in my body when I stick to moderate weight and higher reps," she says.Full Routine:Monday: Arms/Abs/CardioDumbbell Curls 3×20Triceps Rope Extensions 3×20 (Superset)1-minute SprintJump Squats 3×20Ice Skaters 3×20 (Superset)Hammer Curls 3×20Assisted Dips 3×201-minute SprintTuck Jumps 3×20Jump Lunges 3×20 (Superset)20 minute Ab Workout30 min Cardiohttps://www.instagram.com/p/B1XbB1FAJTR/Tuesday: BackAssisted Pull-Ups Wide Grip 3×25Kettle Bell Swings 3×25 (Superset)2 min run on 10% InclineSeated High Row Wide Grip 3×25Plyo Push Up 3×25 (Superset)2 min run on 10% InclineStraight Arm Row 3×25Med Ball Slams 3×25 (Superset)2 min run on 10% InclineOne Arm Dumbbell Rows 3×25Tuck Jumps 3×25 (Superset)45 min HIIT on TreadmillWednesday: Legs/AbsWeighted Squats 4×25Jump Squat on Bosu 4×25 (Superset)1 minute run at 75% of OutputWeighted Curtsy Lunge 4×25Sumo Squat Jumps 4×25 (Superset)2 minute run at 75% of OutputDonkey Kicks on Smith Machine 4×25 Each LegLeap Frogs 4×25 (Superset)3 minute run at 75% of OutputWeighted Sumo Squats 4×25Straight Leg Deadlifts 4×25 (Superset)Weighted Abs on Decline Bench 3×25Roman Chair Holding Dumbbell with Feet 3×25 (Superset)45 Minutes HIIT CardioMarissa loves to train her legs and it is no secret. She is a big fan of training her glutes because she likes to maintain the form and the way it looks. She says that anyone who is looking for a great well-rounded development in their physique, must try these three exercises along with some cardio or HIIT workouts and eat a healthy diet to make sure to achieve a great and toned body like Marissa's. Three of her favorite exercises are:

• Smith Machine Donkey kicks
• Walking Lunges
• Lateral dumbbell raises

Thursday: ChestDumbbell Press 3×20Push-Ups to FailureHigh Knees 1×1 minuteIncline Dumbbell Press 3×20Push-Ups feet on the ball to FailureHigh Knees 1×1 minuteCable Fly’s 3×20Standing Calf Raises 4×20Weighted Abs on Incline Bench 5×35V-Ups 5×35Cardio: 30 Minhttps://www.instagram.com/p/B01Wu21AQF_/Friday: Hight Intensity Full Body CircuitSquat to Shoulder Press 3×20Deadlifts to Upright Rows 3×20 (Superset)Alternating Dumbbell Curls 3×20Skull Crushers 3×20 (Superset)Reverse Lunge with a High Row 3×20Assisted Pull-Ups x 20 (Superset)Curtsy Lunge on Box 3×20Weighted Bridge on Ball 3×20 (Superset)Assisted Pull-ups 3×20Hack Squats 3×20 (Superset)45 minutes of CardioSaturday: Plyo/SprintsYard Sprints 4x50m (1-minute rest between)Tuck Jumps 2×30Jump Lunges 2×30Yard Sprints 3x50m (1-minute rest between)Jump Squats 2×30High Knees 2×30Yard Sprints 2x50mYard Sprint 1x100mCardio: 45 minSunday: Rest Dayhttps://www.instagram.com/p/B0GrR8SA0AL/Her offseason workout routine includes:Current training program:Monday: Glutes and hamsTuesday: ShouldersWednesday: BackThursday: Quads, hams, and glutesFriday: ArmsSaturday: Full-body circuit—yes, more glutes!Sunday: OffSample body-part workout:Legs

• Walking lunges, unweighted (warm-up) 1 x 50
• Walking lunges weighted 2 x 50 Superset
• Smith-machine sumo squats 3 x 20
• Smith-machine donkey kicks 3 x 20 Superset
• Hip thrusts with straight bar 3 x 20
• Kickbacks on cable 3 x 20 Superset
• Stiff-legged deadlifts 3 x 20
• Weighted hyperextension 3 x 20 Superset
• Lying leg curls 3 x 20
• Seated leg curls 3 x 20

She does a lot of glute training and is often asked why. She says that it is as important for a girl to train her glutes as it is important for a guy to train his biceps! In her words, "I glute train three or four times a week. I like having a bubble butt, and for me to maintain that, I’ve convinced myself I have to train glutes as much as possible—haha. Glutes on a girl are as important as arms on a guy! You can never do enough kickbacks, in my opinion!"She says that when she started with her fitness journey, the biggest mistake she made was a lack of training.

My biggest mistake was my lack of weight training. Before I joined Team Edge and started competing, I was always in and out of the gym quickly. I would do my 45 minutes of cardio and abs, and leave. I was under the impression that lifting weights would make me huge. Boy, was I wrong!

She said if she could go back in time to give herself a piece of advice, she would say, "Lift some weight, and do less cardio!"But it is not that she loved cardio too much either. She says, "I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with cardio. I wouldn’t necessarily say I love it, but when I’m done, I feel amazing! I’ve stuck with HIIT intervals, doing about 25 to 30 minutes five times a week, usually on the treadmill or bike."That's all about Marissa Rivero's workout routine. Now we must move onto the diet plan that helps her support all that muscles and fuels her body.

Marissa Rivero Diet Plan

Marissa’s diet is considered that of an IFBB Pro athlete; it means that it’s clean, well-planned, and full of essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHFHne59xZsHere’s Marissa's opinion on her version of a competitor's diet that changes according to her shows. She says, “My diet as a competitor changes every two weeks but will always have proteins, carbs, fibrous carbs some fruits and fats. Portions change depending on how close I get to my shows.”This is what her diet looks like in a day:Full Diet:

• Meal 1: 1/2 cup of Oats & 4 Egg Whites
• Meal 2: 4 oz. Sweet Potato & 5 oz. Tuna
• Meal 3: 1/2 cup Brown Rice & 4 oz. Chicken & 1 cup of Greens
• Meal 4: 4 oz. Tilapia & 1/4 Avocado
• Meal 5: 4 oz. Chicken & 1 cup of Veggies
• Meal 6: 4 Egg Whites & 10 Almonds

Her off-season diet plan is also very similar to a few dissimilarities. She says, "Since I’m not dieting for a show right now, my meals are tracked more through macros." Here’s what a typical day looks like:

• Meal 1: 3/4 cup oatmeal, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1 tablespoon peanut butter or almond butter
• Meal 2: 4 to 5 ounces chicken, 1/2 cup rice
• Meal 3: 4 egg whites, 1/2 avocado
• Meal 4: Post-workout protein shake with 1 banana
• Meal 5: Red meat, 6 ounces sweet potato
• Meal 6: Ground turkey, salad with balsamic dressing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaMMcSHhe6sMarissa's favorite health food is actually Asian cuisine. She says, "I love oatmeal and sushi—I can never have enough sushi!" But she likes to cheat on her meals now and then to make her diet more sustainable. She says, "My favorite cheat will always be pizza—plain cheese or pepperoni—and chocolate ice cream, of course!" However, if given a chance, there is something that she could eat all day long (only if it did not have any negative repercussions.) For her it is, "Chocolate—I love chocolate!"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA9Q5x1pep4

Marissa Rivero Supplements

She says that she tries to stick to basic supplements and makes sure that her diet is helping her achieve her macro goals. In her words, "I try and stick to the basics. Prime Nutrition’s Fat Burner; Phytoform, a fruits and greens replacement; EAAs, which are essential amino acids, glutamine, and a chocolate protein powder."

• Optimum Nutrition Chocolate Whey Protein
• Glutamine
• ProSupps Fruit Punch Amino Acids
• D-stunner Preworkout (Betancourt nutrition)"

That's all about Marissa Rivero's diet and supplementation that keeps her fueled all day long.

Marissa Rivero Idols and Influences

Throughout her journey, it was pretty clear that a few people were a big influence on her life. The first name is of her coach, Ingrid Romero who helped Marissa prepare for her big competitions and which led to victories. However, her influence was so great that it got Marissa hooked. After watching the first NPC show for herself, she got the thirst to compete and step her feet on the stage to show what she could do. She says,

“My coach Ingrid Romero has been one of my biggest motivator’s. Before she was my coach I would watch her videos on YouTube and was completely inspired, her beauty, body, stage presence and personality is completely motivating.”

She even credits her greatest accomplishment to her coach, Ingrid. She describes her biggest accomplishment as, "Earning my IFBB pro card in seven months with the help of my amazing coaches!"Another one that inspired her in her journey was her husband, Joe DiScuillo, who she says knows how to get the best in people. He helped her to stay focused on her journey or in any other life's challenges.https://www.instagram.com/p/BvaamP2gvc5/But all in all, it was Marissa's own dedication and hard work too, and her love for bikini modeling that led her this far. Another one of her motivation factors is her clients who did well by getting inspired by her. She does not like to give up and that's exactly what she says to her clients to introduce them to her philosophy- "If you’re tired of starting over, stop giving up!" She adds, “I’m proud that I have been able to stick to something that is a complete lifestyle change and surpass every expectation I had made for myself while competing.”She also likes to stay motivated by people on other social media channels. Whenever she is feeling motivated, she likes to see what her competitors are doing and she gets right back up on her feet. She says,

"Besides constantly being inspired by all the photos I see via Instagram of other competitors, there’s no motivation for hitting the gym like a new set of gym clothes or sneakers—haha. Whenever I lose motivation, I Google some motivational videos and head to the mall to buy some new workout gear."

However, she was not into gymming from a very young age. Her only passions were sports and cheerleading and weight lifting was never a part of her plans. But, looking at where she stands today, she certainly has had made up for the lost time. Her drive and ambition to step on the stage portray her courage and commitment from day one.She has not really stopped here. She is working continuously to upgrade her plans and routine for her clients. She says, "I’m working on a few projects, including an e-book that I will launch with my website this year. Stay tuned!" This all is in addition to her new goals in her personal life, that is,1) Set foot on all seven continents,2) learn to surf,3) learn to speak another language fluently.That's all about Marissa Rivero's lifestyle reviewing her diet plan and workout routine. Clearly, with the correct kind of support, our own inner self-drive, and passion for what you love to do, anyone can aim to achieve their own dreams.