Meet Bikini Competitor and Magnum Athlete, Arianna Hernandez. This sultry Texas bombshell has a real flair for fashion. In this interview Arianna shares her secret to her incredible ab development and reveals what she loves to do for fun.
- Hometown: El Paso, Texas
- Current Location: Houston, Texas
- Height: 5’3”
- Weight: 126 lbs
- Age: 25
- Favorite Color: Pink
- Favorite Style of Cardio: HIIT
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For those unfamiliar with you, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got involved in the fitness industry?
Growing up I was an athlete, and I got myself into every sport you could think of in high school. At 15 years old, I played varsity basketball, and I had a goal of working out to hold my own on the court which is when fitness truly came into my life. At 17 years old, I began getting ready for my first Fitness competition, and on homecoming day, I competed in the novice figure division. From that day forward, I knew I wanted to be an athlete and competitor. I think the joy of being able to manipulate my body to get it to where I wanted it to be was most interesting to me. I also played professional women’s arena football as a wide receiver and corner back, and I earned my pro card with the WBFF in 2013. From there I have placed amongst the top 5 in every pro show that I have competed in, placing 2nd in my most recent show, back in April and the rest is history!
What were your biggest challenges when you first started training?
The biggest challenge when I began training was the lack of knowledge that I had about manipulating my workouts for a sport and goal specific type program. My lack of knowledge gave me the desire to learn as much as possible in regards to muscle activation, the human body and proper movements during certain sports. I truly believe it takes years of incorporating new theories, failing, and going back to the drawing board that teaches an individual most about what works for them and their bodies.
How did you become involved with Magnum Nutraceuticals? And what do you love most about the company?
When I first earned my pro card with the WBFF, part of the prize was a duffel bag of Magnum supplements, and I remember thinking, “man these supplements are amazing”! I ended up reaching out to Magnum, and I feel truly blessed with the opportunity that the company has given me. First and foremost, I love Magnum because of the relationship the team has with each other. Overall, every athlete supports one another which I feel says a lot about the moral of the company. Also, Magnum is one of the only companies that I have found truly pays attention to the quality that they bring to every product. The vast array of products they carry leave no stone unturned, and they do not promote false claims to sell products, but instead allow the products to speak for themselves.
What Magnum products are you currently using?
I am currently implementing Magnum’s Quattro Protein, After Burner, Mimic, Opus, and Hi-5. Whether I am doing a morning cardio or not, I normally begin my day ‘fasting’, and I begin my morning by drinking Hi5, or I will alternate between Hi5 and Opus throughout the week during my workouts. My second meal of the day is Quattro Protein blended with oatmeal or just the protein alone as a shake. I utilize Mimic on high carb days in order to manipulate the carbs for optimal nutrition utilization. I take After Burner in the evening before bed, and man it has truly made such a difference in my sleep cycle, how I wake up, and it reduces the amount of inflammation in my body.
What does your current training look like?
I periodize my workouts by incorporating undulated periodization in which there are different phases that cater to different activation methods. This means my rep ranges change on a week to week basis, but my workout split is as follows:
Arianna’s Training Split:
- Monday: Plyometrics (Glute Specific )
- Tuesday: Back/Shoulders
- Wednesday: Cardio (2-3 mile run)
- Thursday: Legs using Compound Movements (Glute Specific)
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: Quads
- Sunday: HIIT (Typically Sprints/Stadiums/Football Work)
What are your favorite ab exercises, and why?
I like to incorporate isometric exercises mostly when doing abs. Isometric exercises such as planks or planks with vacuuming, those focused on controlled breathing throughout the exercise. Pilates and movements that focus on stretching the abdominals such as leg raises or ab rollers are really the only exercises I perform. I do this in order to create a smaller waist and reduce the amount of obliques that I have built up from my previous years of being an athlete and lifting heavy. These movements allow for the lengthening of my midsection making my short torso look so much longer.
What is your secret to your incredible quad and glute development?
I try and keep the muscles full, by working out legs 4 times a week. While I train, I bring my body through different types of movements throughout the week by changing the reps every week which allows me to hit the different muscle fibers in my glutes and quads. I like to incorporate a combination of plyometrics, body weight exercises with bands, heavy compound movements, and weighted isolated exercises to increase my ‘mind-muscle’ connection with the different areas of my legs like quads lateralis and medialis, or glutes medius, minimus, and maximus.
What does your current diet look like?
I incorporate carb cycling into my program, and I have 1 refeed day per week, which is when I love using Mimic!
Arianna’s Diet:
- Meal 1: 6 Eggs/Egg Whites with Greens
- Meal 2: (Shake) 1 Scoop Magnum Quattro and ½ cup Oats
- Meal 3: 5 ounces Ground Turkey and Vegetables
- Meal 4: (Pre Workout) 6 ounces Tilapia, 1/3 cup Rice and Vegetables
- Meal 5: (Post Workout) 6 ounces Tilapia, 1/3 cup Rice and Vegetables
- Meal 6: Same as meal 1 or 3
Do you prep your meals and if so how long does it take you? And when traveling are you able to take the food on the road with you?
My boyfriend is an amazing supporter, and he helps me prep all of my meals. I couldn’t do this without him! He preps his meals and mine; it takes about a total of about 5 hours including going to the grocery store and buying the food. I do take all of my meals with me thanks to my fitmarkbag which allows me to hold multiple meals. If I do not have meals with me however, I try to find a healthy high quality source of protein when I’m out.
Do you have a sweet tooth? And what’s your favorite treat and cheat meal?
Yes, I absolutely love sweets, but my problem deals more with carbs. My ultimate favorite treat is sweet potato or regular fries. If I were going for sweets, though, I would have to say donuts hands down! (Laughs)
What’s something that not many people know about you?
I don’t think many people know that I love playing video games. Whenever I get any free time or down time, I play Call of Duty; I love it! (Laughs)
What do you do to relax when you’re not working out?
I am never really able to relax as I have so much going on in my life, which I am so grateful for. So at this moment in my life, I am focused on working my butt off to set myself up for a great future. If I do relax though, I either play video games or watch sports, especially now that football season is starting up again! (Laughs) I also love getting into some Draftkings or Fanduel.
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Beastly Blessings!
Lisa
