August 1, 2025, 9:57 am | Read time: 4 minutes
“Love is Blind Germany” host Steffi Brungs set out to shape and strengthen her body before the summer began. To achieve this, she embarked on an eight-week challenge with her personal trainer, Loredana Del Vento–just like the year before. In 2024, after her cervical cancer diagnosis and weight gain from surgeries, the goal was to lose weight. This year, Steffi Brungs aimed to build muscle, and she succeeded, as she revealed in a FITBOOK interview: “I lost 4.9 percent body fat and gained more than three kilos of muscle.” Additionally, she shared details about her eight-week training challenge, her diet, and her new body awareness.
Steffi Brungs Owes Her Muscles to This Training Plan
FITBOOK: How was the training structured during the challenge, and what exercises did you do?
Steffi Brungs: “I trained four times a week with four different training plans, alternating between upper and lower body. On upper-body days, I worked on arms, shoulders, and back. My favorite exercises were pull-ups–of course, with assistance–elevated push-ups, hammer curls, and landmine shoulder presses. On lower-body days, the focus was on abs, legs, and glutes. My favorites: jackknife crunches, Bulgarian split squats, Romanian deadlifts, and hip thrusts. Each workout lasted 40 to 50 minutes. I scheduled all these sessions in my calendar in advance to ensure I had no excuses.”
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“I Didn’t Give Up Anything”
How did you adjust your diet?
“Since I didn’t want to lose weight, a calorie deficit wasn’t necessary. For body recomposition (the process of losing fat and building muscle simultaneously), the distribution of macronutrients is all the more important.”
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What nutrients and foods did you (and probably still do) prefer?
“I consume 115 grams of protein per day. In the morning, I have skyr with fruit and muesli, overnight oats, or an acai bowl, but with an extra portion of protein. I like to use vanilla-flavored whey protein for this. For lunch, I have meat or fish. One of my favorites, especially when I’m in a hurry, is the Mongolian Beef Rice Bowl with 49 grams of protein. For a sweet treat in between: Maxi Nutrition’s Waffle Bars taste like Hanuta or Knoppers. Or an Isoclear shake that tastes like lemonade. And in the evening, something light like a Greek salad with feta, a chickpea salad with tuna, or chicken wraps. I really didn’t give up anything.”
New Body Awareness Thanks to Strength Training
How has your body awareness changed? You probably feel quite strong now.
“My primary goal is to feel healthy. For a long time, I felt powerless in every way. And the sport has definitely strengthened me, not just physically but also mentally. During strength training, I feel 100 percent that I’m doing something good for myself. It improves metabolism, reduces the risk of certain diseases and injuries, strengthens the immune system, and enhances quality of life as you age. Plus, it helps me relieve stress and gives me significantly more ‘me time’ because it’s a fixed appointment in my calendar. As for appearance: I feel absolutely comfortable with my weight and curves. Still, it’s a nice side effect to be a bit firmer and more defined now. But I don’t want to become really muscular.”
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How do you plan to maintain your achievements now?
“The 8-week challenge is over, but I will maintain the new habits. Since I didn’t give up anything diet-wise, it’s easy. However, I will definitely be a bit more flexible with my training now.”