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Denise Rodrigues

Denise Rodrigues is a fitness model and competitive bikini athlete from Brazil. She began her journey in 1999 at the age of 17, after being inspired by Larissa Reis.

However, Denise didn’t find it easy to sculpt her dream figure; she spent over 11 years training hard before entering her first competition.

This is her story:

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Athlete Statistics

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Accomplishments

Competition History

• 2011 IFBB Brazilian Bodybuilding Championship – 5th
• 2012 Paranaense Bodybuilding Championship – 1st
• 2012 IFBB Brazilian Bodybuilding Championship – 3rd

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Biography

Start of Fitness Journey

Born and raised in Londrina, Paraná (Brazil), Denise had always been interested in fitness; she dolized the her fellow countrywomen such as Larissa Reis, finding the desire to build a strong figure from an early age.

However, it wasn’t until the age of 17, in 1999, that she began lifting weights in the gym. Although she didn’t progress as much as she’d hoped, she never gave up and started sculpting the foundations of her powerful figure.

First Competition

Denise never took her eye from her goal; over the next 12 years, she trained rigorously in the gym. In order to realize her dream of attaining a similar figure to Larissa Reis, the Brazilian laid the foundations for her future success.

Eventually, her hard work paid off. Denise finally achieved a body she was proud of; as a result, she entered her first competition (the 2011 IFBB Bodybuilding Championship).

The Brazilian walked on-stage very inexperienced. However, she still managed to place highly, at a very respectable 5th place, beating some seasoned athletes in the process.

But she wasn’t done yet.

Success

After her first taste of life as a bikini competitor, Denise immediately set her sights on earning her first trophy. As a result, she spent the rest of 2011 further developing her figure in the gym.

By 2012, Denise was ready to enter her second show – the Paranaense Bodybuilding Championship. And this time, she impressed the judges enough to win the contest.

At the age of  30, Denise finally tasted success, walking away with a trophy.

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Training

Believing that high volume leads to better results for her body, Denise enjoys performing until failure during her workouts. Typically, she’ll perform 3-4 sets per exercise, enjoying upper body training sessions the most.

Upper Body Workout Routine

Denise’s training plan would look similar to this:

• Military Press – 4 sets until failure
• Tricep Pulldowns – 3 sets until failure
• Bicep Curls – 3 sets until failure
• Lat Pulldowns – 3 sets until failure
• Seated Back Row/Pull – 3 sets until failure
• Romanian Deadlifts – 3 sets until failure
• Bentover Barbell Row – 3 sets until failure

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Nutrition

Denise knows the importance of following an effective and clean diet plan. She believes that consuming meals every 3 hours will keep her metabolism high – allowing her to maintain her lean figure all-year-round.

The Brazilian athlete aims to consume a protein-rich diet, eating less calories as her day progresses.

Daily Diet Plan

Here’s an example of Denise’s meal plan:

• Breakfast -Egg whites, fruit & oatmeal
• Snack – Protein shake
• Lunch – Chicken or fish, sweet potato, brown rice, vegetables & extra virgin olive oil
• Snack – Protein shake & nuts
• Dinner – Chicken or fish & vegetables
• Snack – Casein protein source (cottage cheese, yoghurt)

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Idols and Influences

In terms of idols, Denise looks up to other bikini competitors; such as Larissa Reis, Juliana Malacarne and Gal Ferreira.

However, she states that most of her motivation comes from within – Denise has always been a ‘self-starter’, willing to work hard and get results.