Dana Linn Bailey has an incredible physique that could put many male bodybuilders to shame.
As a fitness trainer, I was always curious to see how she achieved it, so I’ve spent days researching her interviews and other materials I could find on the internet to figure out her workout routine and diet plan.
Hours of hard work paid off. I got to the bottom of both, and I’ll share my findings in this article.
Dana Linn Bailey Stats
- Born: May 30, 1983
- Height: 5’ 4’’ (163 cm)
- Weight: 126 lbs (57 kg)
- Waist: 24 in (63 cm)
- Chest: 31 in (81 cm)
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As she details on her website, Dana Linn Bailey got into bodybuilding thanks to her now-husband Rob Bailey.
But she played all types of sports — from soccer to field hockey — from a young age. At one point, she even taught physical education.
She went on to become the first women’s IFBB physique pro and Ms. Physique Olympia.
But she wasn’t always as confident as she is today. She shares that she was told that she was too big and too muscular, which messed up her body image.
Today, however, she’s an inspiration for many women in the fitness world and even has her own warehouse gym.
Dana Linn Bailey Workout Routine
Bailey’s workout routines change based on whether she’s preparing for a competition.
Still, I’ve been able to dissect her go-to workout routine from her interviews. As you’ll see, it mainly includes weight lifting.
Monday: Chest Exercises
Dana starts off her week with a chest workout:
- Bench Press (5 sets of RM (repetition maximum))
- Bench Press (4 sets of 5 reps)
- Incline Dumbbell Press (4 sets of 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps)
- Incline Cable Fly (4 to 5 sets to failure)
- Cable Cross Fly Into Dumbbell Floor Press (4 to 5 sets to failure)
Tuesday: Shoulder Routine
You’ll be tempted to engage other muscles for this routine, but try to keep your shoulders active at all times:
- Seated Cable Front Raise (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Seated Cable Face Pull (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Seated Cable Overhead Press (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Incline Dumbbell Rear Fly (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Alternating Front Raise Into Clean And Press (4 sets of 10 reps)
Wednesday: Back Workout
She works her back with eight exercises:
- Bent-Over Cable Lat Pulldown (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Close-Grip Seated Cable Row (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Wagon Wheel Barbell Deadlift (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Wide-Grip Seated Lat Pulldown (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Behind The Head Lat Pulldown (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Barbell Row (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Reverse Push-Up On Rack (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Machine Rear Delt Fly (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
Check out a video with Dana Linn demonstrating a full-back workout:
Thursday: Leg Routine
Dana already has leg mass from soccer, so she uses lightweight for her leg routine:
- Seated Leg Curl (2 sets of 10 reps)
- Pause Squat (5 sets of 6 to 8 reps)
- Leg Press (5 sets of 2 reps)
- Lying Leg Curl (4 sets of 10 reps)
- Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift (5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps)
- Elevated Dumbbell Sumo Squat (4 sets of 15 reps)
- Single-Leg Extension supersetted with Single-Leg Bulgarian Squat (4 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
Learn more: Dana Linn Bailey's Leg Workout
Friday: Arm Routine
On Fridays, she works her forearms and upper arms:
- Straight Bar Curl (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Reverse Grip Cable Curl (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Reverse Grip Pulldown (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- EZ Bar Skull Crusher (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- EZ Bar Close-Grip Press (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Overhead Rope Cable Extension (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
- Rope Extension (4 sets of 8 to 12 reps)
Check out a video in which she demonstrates her favorite arm exercises:
Saturday: Total Body Circuit
Most of these exercises require a pull-up bar.
Rest when you finish the entire circuit:
- Box Jump Series (3 sets of 30 reps)
- Toes To Bar (3 sets of 30 reps)
- Ring Pull-Up (3 sets of 30 reps)
- Clean And Jerk (3 sets of 30 reps)
- Bar Dips (3 sets of 30 reps)
Sunday: Rest
Bailey takes a break from her workout routine on Sundays.
She limits herself to no or low-intensity exercises so that her muscles can recover.
Dana Linn Bailey Workout Principles
Dana Linn works different muscle groups each day. That way, one muscle group recovers while she trains the other.
According to a 2022 article published Built Lean proper recovery is vital for muscle mass.
Without it, your body can’t repair damaged muscle fibers, which slows down muscle development [1].
So, if you want to trigger muscle growth, take a break from your workout routine at least once a week.
Dana Linn Bailey Diet Plan And Principles
Dana Linn Bailey's diet plan isn’t strict. She says that she doesn’t keep tabs.
“I am not a very strict dieter. I do not count carbs, I do not weigh anything, I do not record anything. (...) But I do not like bland boring meals, I like eating like a normal person. I just make healthier choices for the ingredients.”
- Dana Linn Bailey
So, she’s only dedicated to making healthier choices. For example, she mentioned in her interviews that she eats pasta with lean ground turkey instead of beef.
Inspired by Dana, I've adopted a more relaxed approach to dieting. I focus on making healthier choices without obsessing over counting or measuring. It's a liberating way to approach nutrition.
She count her macros before her shows, especially if she needs to drop body fat.
Here’s what she typically eats in a day:
- Protein sources: egg whites, turkey, fish, steak, chicken
- Carbohydrates sources: oatmeal, rice, sweet potatoes
If you want to follow her diet plan, you can also eat variations of these foods like low-sugar cereal or grilled chicken breast.
Dana Linn Bailey Supplements
On her website, Dana Linn states that she uses several supplements throughout the day:
- Fat burners for women
- Pre-workouts
- Energy supplements
- Vegan post-workout supplements
- Sleep supplements
Taking cues from Dana, I've incorporated a few supplements into my routine. While I don't use everything she recommends, the selective use of pre-workouts and energy supplements has noticeably boosted my training sessions.
According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it shows the effect of acute pre-workout supplementation on power and strength performance [2].
FAQs
What Disease Does Dana Linn Bailey Have?
Dana Linn Bailey has rhabdomyolysis, which occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases proteins and electrolytes into the blood.
What Is the Dlb Challenge?
The DLB challenge is an 8-week body transformation challenge created by Dana Linn Bailey. People can participate through the DLBdaily app.
Reference:
- https://www.builtlean.com/muscles-grow/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4947244/
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