Discipline and hard work—that’s the recipe Laila Ali stuck to. It produced a tasteful career, where she ended up emulating his father, Muhammad Ali, with an illustrious undefeated career and became a torchbearer for women’s boxing. But was there any other layer to her success? The American fighter’s lifestyle gave her an edge as she remained at her peak fitness levels despite her retirement in 2007. And she continues to toil hard to maintain the same with some excruciating steps and challenges.

It has been almost two decades since she hung up her boxing gloves; the former world champion still carries that fire and puts her all in the training. Ali, 47, has become a lifestyle inspiration with her strict diet and discipline. Therefore, when she recently started a 5-day water fast, she received high praise for it. She turned to her Instagram handle and shared a clip of her in the gym, showcasing her physique and giving an update on her unique challenge.

‘She Bee’ wrote in the caption, “I’ve been slippin’ on my weight training. I’m on day 3 of a 5 day water fast…so I’m going easy today…but I’m about to put in work on this spot right here! 🤣 I make the changes I want to see happen by DOING THE WORK! Do you think I can make this disappear in 6 weeks?💪🏽🥊 #LailaAliLifestyle”

This attracted former unified light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver’s attention, who then turned to the comment section and called her “The Queen” for her dedication and unwavering determination in weight training. These qualities had helped Ali, at 24-0, collect gold straps in two divisions. However, she didn’t have smooth sailing in her professional career initially, as she tried to cast away the shadow of her father and carve out her own identity and legacy.

Laila Ali: quest for identity

The Miami Beach native sat in a conversation at the ‘High Performance’ podcast and addressed the initial doubt people had in her. She said, “When I started fighting, everyone was like, ‘Oh, she’s a pretty girl. Oh, she’s Muhammad Ali’s daughter. Oh, she can’t fight; oh, she’s just in it for publicity’.” However, she hit back at this criticism and skepticism for her boxing acumen with her performances inside the boxing ring. Ali then also pointed out how she did it.

“I’m also a big girl. I’m a strong girl, a confident girl, and I’m very ambitious. Meaning I’m going to do the work… going to work hard… going to be disciplined,” she added. Ali, along with Christy Martin, ensured women’s boxing was put at the forefront when she was active. But for her, she now faces a new challenge every day in the gym.

What do you make of this water fast by Laila Ali for achieving better weight training results? Let us know in the comments below.