Your craft will never be perfected when there is room for improvement, and there is ALWAYS room for improvement. Hit the bar? Raise it higher. Perfection is nonexistent.
Complacency Does NOT Live Here
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Author Archives: litalewis
ASK ME ANYTHING: Abs
Q: I need a new challenge for my abs. My current ab workout is tired & boring plus I want to burn some belly fat while I’m toning, help?!
So you want those abs to pop huh?! The best kind of core workout in my opinion are movements that also incorporates cardio. You want to blast the fat around your core as well as simultaneously work those core muscles, easy!
Anything you can do without equipment is my preference. Means you can bust out into a core workout during those commercial breaks 
I found this video I think is a perfect example of all of the above:
I’d suggest doing 4-8 sets of these movements and then incorporate planks and side-planks targeting those oblique muscles in between sets of 2 – Holding planks will allow you to catch your breath (kinda!) in between these sets but still keep those ab muscles engaged & stimulated.
Works for me
Let me know how you go!
Love LL
Twitter Love
Big shout out to Twitter follower @I_am_liberal for the picture collage you created!
“@I_am_liberal: @FollowTheLita #WorkoutBeast …I applaud your blog”
Sending love right back at ya!
Love, LL
ASK ME ANYTHING: Nutrition
Q: I’m trying to drop 10 maybe 13 pounds by summertime. Do you mind telling me what your diet looks like. I workout often so I think it’s my diet that is holding me back from getting awesome abs. Help me, tell me something!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> O <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Your nutrition is everything! Well at least 80% of your overall efforts, the remaining 20% being regular exercise. It is a common mistake made my many to think that if they workout 7days a week they’re going to see instant results, but the truth is if we’re not fueling our bodies with the right nutrition than our workout efforts are dramatically reduced!
My personal rule of thumb as it pertains to dietary intake is: NEVER, EVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO GET HUNGRY. Once your body is screaming of hunger you’ve failed yourself! What you want to do is aim to eat 6 times a day, cliche sure, but it’s REAL. Consistent intake of food/fuel means your metabolism is running constantly throughout the day and this is our goal ladies!
This is what my diet looks like, generally;
Wake up; Glass of water, piece of fruit (and I’m a fan of the fruit strips from Archers Farm, Target) – I always grab something to munch on during my commute to work.
LARGE breakfast; white eggs, wholewheat toast, oatmeal made with water (avoid milk/cream/sugar), Greek yogurt, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (avoid bottled fruit juice, usually contains too much added sugar). Small fruit salad, a mix of berries is best. Green mint tea/water. Then I take my daily multivitamins.
Snack 1: Almonds/protein bar, dried fruits. Avocado on crisps/wholewheat toast. Green tea/Water or black coffee (avoid sugar/milk/cream).
Lunch: High protein intake – grilled chicken, salmon, mixed vegetables, brown rice or wholewheat pasta (avoid creamy pastas), avocados, salads (avoid fatty dressings), Shrimp/Crab meat salads with corn & beets. Occasionally I’ll eat red meat for iron (once a month, I’m not a big red meat eater) and sometimes I’ll treat myself to a few blocks of dark chocolate/or equivalent (curb your sugar cravings, if you avoid them to long they’ll attack you later and you’ll be more likely binge on junk).
Snack 2: I usually have a avocado/smoked salmon salad. Because I work out in the evenings after work I want to have something hearty and high in protein. It’s important for me to eat foods that will aid in my productivity and development and not limit it, protein is the answer here. Good to time drink a pre-workout protein shake. You could also eat any of the snacks mentioned in Snack 1 list.
Last meal: For me I would have just finished a workout so feeding my muscles with protein is a must. There’s that word again! I’ll drink half a protein shake, or a full shake had I decided against a pre-workout shake. Sometimes my body requires more food (revving metabolism!) so I’ll snack on a bowl of wholewheat cereal with reduced fat milk, or snack on a small bowl of popcorn (minus the butter and salt).
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Tips…
1. Avoid WHITE everything! White bread, white pasta, white sugar, salt… They are not your friend! Instead stick to wholegrain/wheat breads and pastas. Avoid sugar & salt completely.
2. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. If you’re not a fan of water try adding Crystal light flavoring or add lemon for a lil taste. If you diehard soda fan, my fav substitute is sparkling mineral water with squeezed lemon & lime – delicious and no calories!
3. Don’t ever let yourself get hungry! Make this your daily mantra!
4. Listen to your body, if it’s telling you to eat something sweet, then do so, everything in moderation. And as mentioned, if you avoid little treats for too long it’ll bite you in the ass later! Avoid binging.
5. Tailor your diet to clean foods that YOU actually like and enjoy. If you’re not enjoying your meals then you’ll be more prone to eating outside of what’s right!
6. Never DIET. The word alone scares me, lol. Most associate the word ‘diet’ as a ‘temporary’ phase. Not good. What you want to is make LIFESTYLE changes and choices so you can make your dietary intake a permanent change for the better.
Best of luck my beauties! Hope this helps
Love LL
Monthly Inspiration: Pilar Sanders
Pilar Sanders; can you say PROTOTYPE?!
Deion (Pilar’s husband) most definitely picked himself a winner. Winner …hmm, what an understatement! This insanely gorgeous body birthed 5 children, yes, FIVE. Amazing and amazing. I really can’t speak on how much I admire her. I’ve always given much respect to fit, strong bodied women but when you can achieve this, after childbirth …5 times, then damn it my hat goes off to you! I’m waiting for Shape magazine to drop an article on her training secrets and exercise regime because we have a lot to learn ladies!
I’m quite aware that this video went viral & circulated many blog sites a few weeks back but here it is again, and I know you ain’t mad either.
Workkkkk Pilar!
Shout out to Sasha Jackson!
GLUTE EXERCISES w/Vida Guerra
There isn’t too much for me to say because Ms.Guerra says it all in her video post below. She talks us through her favorite gluteus maximus workouts that keep her rump shaker tight and toned. With a booty like this I think it’s fair to say we can adopt her advice with confidence!
Are you trying to look correct in those jeans? Well pay attention, these movements might just bring the pain to your backside BUT the plus is they’re going to be kind to you come Summer 2012!
Hurting yet?!!!!
Thanking you Vida!!! Ladies …get it!
Stacy Dash
Pix Fix: I know they are oldies but damn they are some GOODIES! An image of the beautiful Ms. Dash passed my eye and it caught my attention …3 times! So let’s make her our daily inspiration because this body is gorgeous…
I’m lunging, squatting & will beast out on the Ab RipperX tonight. What’s on your work out list?!
DAILY INSPIRATION: STACY DASH
Thank you Stacy!
ESPN: THE BODY ISSUE, 2011
Extracting & Instagraming a few of my absolute favs from this years special edition, The Body Issue, 2011. Yes, I know. Amen.
Hope Solo, goalkeeper – soccer
Natasha Hasting, sprinter – track & field
Apolo Ohno, speed skater
Alicia Sacramone, gymnast
Gretchen Bleiler, snowboarder
Belen Mozo, golfer
Blake Griffin, basketball player
BIG SHOUT OUT TO @aprellashops FOR FINDING GIVING ME A COPY OF THIS YEARS ESPN ISSUE!!! Never again will I wait last minute to go hunting news stands for the annual edition again!
3 Ways To Lose Cellulite
Just because Summer is behind us doesn’t mean it’s time to sit on the bench! Many of us are caring less about cellulite seeing that long pants & heavy coats with soon replace our bikinis and daisy dukes, but let’s not wave for the bench & call ourselves out of the game. I won’t have it! Winter weather is no reason to quit! Listed below are 3 ways to help you lose cellulite, get familiar…
CELLULITE, THE COTTAGE CHEESE-LIKE DIMPLE that usually clings to our thighs and hips, are notoriously difficult to eradicate. Even elite-level athletes with minimal body fat can have cellulite. Yet those who train like bodybuilders tend to have fewer struggles with cellulite than most. What’s their secret? Here are three top tips, try them & see noticeable results in as little as 30 days.
1. Focus on muscles around your trouble zone. Select five exercises for your lower body, namely hips, buttocks and hamstrings. These are the areas where women are genetically predisposed to have more surface fat than others, so by focusing on these key muscle areas with the proper exercises you will indirectly work and support greater cellulite tissue breakdown between the skin and muscle. I will post some of my favorite exercises that target cellulite trouble zones in a later post, stay tuned…
2. Circuit Training. By doing a circuit, that is, 15 to 30 reps of each exercise without resting in between, you’ll add a card component to anaerobic exercise, which maximizes your fat burning capacity an burns more calories and cellulite.
3. Include Reverse Butt Thrusts, Single Leg Kick-Backs and Step Lunges in your weekly leg exercises regimen. These are exercise movements that are going to help harden and condition trouble zones and give you the most bang for your buck in terms of time at the gym.
Video: Plank Position Kickbacks Single Leg Side
Stay tort and tight under your winter coats and long johns this winter. No excuses! – Lita
WATER ME DOWN
Top 10 Water Facts
If you are unaware of the benefits of what water does for our bodies I gotto ask… Where have you been?! Midst the summer heat waves and especially during pre & post workouts we want to keep ourselves hydrated for optimal performance, avoid headaches & for replenishment. Here are 10 facts you mightn’t already know about the benefit of maintaining hydration.
Muscle consists of 75% water, Brain consists of 90% of water, Bone consists of 22% of water, Blood consists of 83% water, Giselle’s dress consists of 100% water!
ONE: Drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Pregnant and lactating women and athletes need more. Coffee, tea, and sodas do not count toward your daily water requirement. These drinks act as diuretics and lower the amount of water in your body.
TWO: A lack of water can significantly decrease work performance. It can also cause constipation, and can increase the risk to kidney problems and urinary tract infections.
THREE: Don’t drink unfiltered tap water. Chlorine is the most dangerous element in most water supplies. It has been implicated in cancer causation, heart disease, and other health problems. Fluoride may also increase cancer risk.
FOUR: Highly sweetened drinks are not absorbed and used by the body as quickly as plain water. Cold water, between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, is absorbed best.
FIVE: Drink water regularly throughout the day. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to replenish your body’s water supply.
SIX: Fresh fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water. People who eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables can drink less water.
SEVEN: Switching to a diet higher in fiber increases your need for water.
EIGHT: Athletes should not consume high-fiber foods such as whole grains, whole grain cereals, or apples right before exercise, as high-fiber foods can pull water from the body into the intestinal tract.
NINE: Older Americans have decreased thirst and need to pay special attention to drinking enough water.
TEN: Drinking more water does not increase your tendency to bloat. In fact, drinking water will decrease bloating. Salt and sodium-rich foods, imbalanced female hormones, and poor cardiac function are the most common causes for bloating.
