Women's Health September 25, 2026 0 Comments

How Laysla De Oliveira Went From Zero Push-Ups to Total Strength—The Workout That Transformed Her Body Forever

Ever caught yourself wondering if you could transform from zero to hero in the gym, all because a TV role demanded it? Well, Laysla De Oliveira’s journey might just flip your script. Believe it or not, this powerhouse who owns the screen as operator Cruz Manuelos on Paramount+’s Lioness hadn’t even touched a dumbbell before landing the part. Talk about diving headfirst into the deep end! Over three intense seasons, with celebrity trainer Duffy Gaver coaching her every rep, Laysla sculpted more than muscle — she built a fierce confidence that rewired her daily vibe completely. Curious how a total gym rookie morphed into a fitness force to be reckoned with? Stick around, because their full-body training routine is the kind of motivation that jumps off the screen — and into your own workout game. LEARN MORE

2 min read

If you’ve marveled at actor Laysla De Oliveira’s physicality as operator Cruz Manuelos on the Paramount+ series Lioness, you may be surprised to learn that the she had never picked up a dumbbell before being cast on the spy thriller.

“This journey, although now familiar to me, is completely new,” the 34-year-old says of her work with celebrity trainer Duffy Gaver. “It’s become a part of my everyday routine, which I am so thankful about.”

Over the course of three seasons training with Gaver, Laysla’s built both muscle and confidence in the gym. “Walking around feeling strong physically and also mentally has changed my everyday,” she says.

In the latest episode of the Women’s Health video series Strong Like, the duo reveal the full-body routine that transformed Laysla into a Lioness.

After beginning with a brief warmup on the treadmill, Laysla continues to get her blood pumping with sets of 5, 10, and 15 push-ups and body weight squats.

“My proudest achievement in the gym so far is probably the push-ups,” Laysla says. “When I started, I couldn’t do them. We started from scratch, and here we are.”

Once fully warmed up, Laysla moves on to the equipment. First up are two back-focused exercises—lat pull-downs followed by single-arm dumbbell rows. She then moves onto her lower body with goblet squats done while standing on a slant board. “You gotta always take care of that booty because you want it to pop,” she says.

Finally, she hits arms with another pair of exercises: bicep curls and tricep extensions. “I used to be a lower-body girly, but after my arms started changing… I do enjoy an upper body [workout],” she says.

When not filming on (or training for) Lioness, Laysla prefers to dial back the intensity just a bit—picking and choosing the exercises that work for her to craft her own workout routine.

“It’s probably half of this, 30 minutes a day,” she says. “But it makes me feel strong, safe, and happy in my body.” What more can you ask for?

To see Laysla in action, click play on the latest episode of Strong Like above.

What’s in Laysla’s Gym Bag

Video Executive Producer Dorenna Newton
Video Set Producer Angel Lenise Pyles
Video Director of Photography Danny Dwyer
Video Editor Kyle Orozovich

Amy Wilkinson is a contributing entertainment editor at Women’s Health, where she edits the magazine’s celebrity cover stories and writes health features. She has previously held editor titles at Entertainment Weekly and MTV News. In 2021, Amy completed her 600-hour teacher-training at Core Pilates NYC to become a comprehensively trained Pilates instructor.