Ilona Maher closed out her first 15s Rugby World Cup campaign with the USA Eagles in August 2025, and with that, she made a shift from the sevens format that carried her to a bronze medal in the Paris Olympics.

Maher's step up during the tournament with the Eagles in England proved that she is built for contact rugby and not only highlight reels. Her physicality clearly stood out against some of the best forwards in the world.

The physical presence is standing out even during her offseason grind. Maher just posted an insane Instagram reel, where she flexed in front of the camera after almost casually deadlifting 395 pounds, and wrote a candid caption: "Ummmm... have you all tried being strong? For those counting... it's 395lbs," she wrote. "Strong really is a dope thing to be."

The 395-pound deadlift is not magic; Maher has been putting in some serious work at lifting weights. She regularly records herself, and she has been adding weights rather than settling into comfortable numbers.

Maher used a progressive overload training philosophy before, addressing her followers and telling them that she adds weight set over set rather than repeating the same load throughout a workout. She thoroughly credits this system.

Standing at 5'10'', a 395-pound deadlift is a huge deal! That kind of number doesn't happen by accident; let's look at what fuels her...

Ilona Maher Skips Tracking Apps, Sticks to a Simple Plate Formula Instead

Ilona Maher is not someone who counts her macros. She makes sure she has a full stomach with nutrient-rich food and three things on her plate every meal she has.

Vegetables, a protein source, and any form of carbohydrate for energy. "I need a protein with this meal. I need a carb, and I should have a veggie with it," Maher goes by an approach which is easy to follow and even easier to adapt for anyone.

In her words, restrictive dieting can be inconsistent, and for her, eating is a form of enjoyment. "Life is meant to be lived, food is meant to be enjoyed. We're supposed to have a little bit of fat on us," Maher said.

The kind of mindset she carries for food comes with her upbringing, where food has always been comfort and not a checklist needed to be completed.

Maher pointed to restrictive dieting as a pattern she has watched hurt fellow athletes, and said protecting the enjoyment of food matters as much as hitting nutritional marks.

She linked her mindset to her upbringing, where food has always doubled as comfort rather than a strict checklist to manage.

Does your own approach to eating lean more toward structure, or toward flexibility like Maher's?

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil