'I love muscle': Sharapova implores fans to say NO to donuts and try home workouts instead (VIDEO)

Maria Sharapova has reinforced her fitness message in her latest solo session from Florida, urging her audience to maintain physical discipline while admitting that she'd "much rather eat all day" than endure tough conditioning.

While her millions of followers around the world have faced new routines under lockdown, Sharapova has conceded that even top tennis stars used to the grueling demands of the tour can find maintaining their fitness a slog.

The ex-Grand Slam winner might have expected an easier life when she surprised many of her admirers by retiring from the sport in February. But the necessity of training alone has seen her return to intense workouts under the virtual watch of celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson.

Addressing more than four million fans on Instagram, the former world number one offered "full disclosure" to admit that Anderson, who is also popular with the likes of singer Jennifer Lopez, has given her "no excuse to be late or get distracted."

"I am not used to working out alone without any guidance on tiny form corrections or energy from trainers and athletes being in the same room," Sharapova said from her plush beachside home, where she filmed herself lunging, squatting and pressing in black gymwear with ankle weights.

"In the past seven weeks I’ve formed a good little routine at home. How are you staying in shape?"

Sharapova revealed she has been using an exercise bike and has taken live ballet classes via video calling service Zoom with Ballet Beautiful, which is known as a favorite among models for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret.

"I love the long and lean muscle focus," she said. "I never thought I’d do interval training ever again.

"Listen, I’d much rather eat all day but let’s not forget our bodies need the extra discipline considering how active that pantry is at the moment."

The reliably slender Russian has been promoting Sugarpova, a premium chocolate and candy producer who she has a sponsorship deal with, this month.

More than 8.6 million followers of the 33-year-old were encouraged to buy products from the company for Mother's Day on Twitter earlier in the month, including Sharapova-branded chocolate-covered sweets and gummies in a variety of flavors.

But she warned fans off high-calorie snacks as part of her exercise-endorsing message, finishing with the hashtag "donut stop".

She added that "routines equal good habits" before later posting a shorter clip in which she appeared to have trouble pushing a chair out of her line of movement, adding: "Moving Monday out of the way."