A chapter doesn’t begin with weights; it starts with intention. For Sloane Stephens, the gym is not merely a place of repetition; it’s a forge. In the latest “Strong Like” feature, she invites us into her world, a glimpse not only of her upper-body superset workout featuring bench presses, triceps press-downs, cable rows, lat pulldowns, and relentless pull-ups, but also of the essence that binds greatness: resilience, identity, and ritual.
We begin by feeling the pull of her first superset: the metronome of lat pulldowns and triceps press-downs, eight controlled reps apiece, sealed with a single pull-up. She doesn’t rush; she crafts each rep, each breath. By the time she begins the bench press supersets, every arm tremor is earned, a testament to endurance. “If we end up doing 10 sets,” she says, “we end up doing 10 pull-ups… by the end, your arms feel like Jell-O, but it’s amazing.” That vivid sentence isn’t hyperbole; it’s a poetic imprint of strength built through purpose. This is more than a routine; it’s a ritual. It’s about emerging, even when the body whispers that rest would be easier. Stephens adds a layer of meaning: her gym bag is both utilitarian and emblematic. It carries more than equipment; it carries fragments of her story. Inside are tools of care and identity: her body-care line, Doc & Glo, an homage to her grandparents, and little tokens that soothe, prepare, elevate.
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Let’s pause there. Imagine the bag, jostled between gym and recovery, a safe container of scent, hydration, comfort. It’s not glamorous, but it’s real. It symbolizes that strength is inseparable from care, pushing hard, but also caring deeply. Diving further, Stephens’ training isn’t limited to the gym. On tour, her body is a mobile mission, and rituals matter. She snacks on Quantum Energy Squares: compact, plant-based bars blending protein, carbs, and a caffeine boost, her fuel when schedules shift or fatigue sets in. She marks water bottles with time goals to stay hydrated, and stretches, lumbar twists, pigeon pose, doorway chest openers, to counteract the wear of travel.
The arc runs deeper than workouts. Her mornings begin with simple grounding: water by her bedside, a glance at her phone, and then deliberately moving forward. She showers, sometimes three or four a day, washing off grit and stress, making care kinetic. Sunscreen is non-negotiable: Neutrogena Sport Face on her face, Ultra Sheer body spray for her skin, practical protection from the sun, yes, but also a ritual of respect for her body. There’s something beautiful here: Stephens treating her body like a diamond, not fragile, but luminous and worth tending. She’s endured scrutiny, body talk, and she’s still here, not just surviving, but shaping every part of her life with intention.
So we circle back to the gym, where the pull-ups are more than repetition; they’re proof of rising. Each rep says: I am forging. I am stronger. The sweat, the burn, the bag, the body-care, the snacks, the sunscreen, all these are strokes of a larger portrait. They are Sloane Stephens: an athlete who knows that strength isn’t just the muscles you build, it’s the routines you honor, the self-care you practice, the rituals you repeat. For the reader, the invitation is clear: don’t mimic the exercise, embody the approach. Build rituals that matter. Treat yourself as you’d treat a diamond. Let strength be born from care, discipline, and identity. This is what it means to be Strong Like Sloane Stephens, not just by how hard you pull, but by how thoughtfully you rise.
