With the offseason in full swing, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team is focusing on strength training ahead of another championship chase. They are set to open the 2026-27 season against Villanova. It is being held in Italy on November 1, 2026, during the Eternal City Tip-Off.

A recent Instagram video shared by @ndwbb on July 9, 2026, highlighted the team’s intense strength training sessions.

The Instagram post, captioned “it all adds up ➕😤 #Gorlish,” highlights the dedication, focus, and perseverance of the team. Every rep stacks toward championship strength.

In the video, the team performed barbell lunges, designed specifically to improve balance, stability, and build lower-body strength. The exercise helps develop unilateral strength, which comes in handy when changing direction, running, and jumping on the court.

The post also shows the athletes performing bench press as well as practicing with the basketball on the court.

Alongside proper training and workouts, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team also prioritizes healthy eating.

Registered sports dietician and former Director of Sports Nutrition, Dr. Matt Frakes, played an immense role in working closely with coaches to maximize the players’ performance. The team received scientific evidence-based guidance on the right food to eat, when to eat, and how to properly recover after training.

 Fueling the machine: how nutrition complements strength gains

Dr. Matt Frakes (RD, CSCS, PhD) directed Notre Dame's sports nutrition strategy starting in May 2021. During this time, he was responsible for overseeing the University of Notre Dame’s sports nutrition strategy.

Frakes rejected one-size-fits-all diets, instead tailoring plans to each athlete's position, body composition, and training load

During a conversation with Natalie Davis Miller, Managing Editor of NDWorks, Frakes admitted to an unconventional approach. At his university, Frakes ensures that every athlete is given the knowledge required to nourish their own bodies- both on and off the field.

Furthermore, the university regularly holds assessments and consultations with individual athletes.

“Part of my job is to educate them and help them optimize making the right selection on their own,” he said. “We try to coordinate with their academic schedules.”

Along with providing the right education, they ensure that individual athletes consume the perfect balance of proteins, fluids, carbohydrates, and recovery meals before and after practices.

One of the most important things is to improve an athlete's relationship with food, he believed.

“Relationships are very important, especially food. Food is personal. You have different cultures, different backgrounds, different ethnicities, and different ways of viewing food. You have to work with the athlete on how to adjust and change.”

What are your thoughts on the Notre Dame women's basketball team?

Follow Bodybuilding Bros for all things fitness!

Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi