fithiphealthy

LITHE GOAL OF THE WEEK! 22 Apr 2013

Your heart never takes a day off.  It does its job around the clock, contracting over 100,000 times per day, delivering 2.4 ounces of blood to the body with every heartbeat. That’s 1,900 gallons of blood each day—all from a 10-ounce pump.

When you're Lithing, your heart gets quite the workout, too.  It increases blood flow 4 to 5 times that of its resting state in order to meet your muscles’ demand for oxygen-rich blood.  During high cardio workouts like Higher Power, High Mini, Weightless and Rock Steady, your heart pumps about 5 to 7 gallons per minute, and returns to its resting rate by the time you’ve cleaned off your mat.

This week, pay some extra attention to your ticker to get even Lither. Start by tracking your recovery heart rate to determine whether you’re reaping the benefits of Lithe. To calculate yours, take your pulse ten seconds after you’ve finished a workout. One minute later, check it again. Subtract your second pulse check from the first. The greater the number, the better shape you are in!

Image of Lithe Instructor Liz Galbally jogging via Dom

PROGRAMMING TIPS FOR APRIL. 1 Apr 2013

I've heard from many Lithers, when they first start coming to classes, that they were already working out every day, thinking that they were ‘fit’ and had just hit that inevitable plateau with their results. Then, they realize, Lithe.Is.Different.

I have specifically designed Lithe around a sculpting regimen and cheer-based cardio (Cardio-Cheer-Sculpting®) that will give you unparalleled results…and I've put a system in place that assures you will never plateau. By constantly updating and adding workouts, customizing classes to the season, and orchestrating the monthly class schedules so you almost can't avoid variety in your workout, you'll never get bored, and never stop seeing results.
 
Monthly...
 
Each month (since 2005... the beginning of time here at Lithe), our schedules change.  Some people fight me tooth and nail about it, but, some of you roll with the punches, embrace our ever-changing schedules -- and then see amazing changes in your bodies.  There's a method to the madness - I know how easy it is to get comfortable in a routine, and so do your muscles! In order to continue to change your body, you should switch up your classes every 2-4 weeks; please don’t stick to the same workouts week after week and month after month.  *If you see a workout on any studio schedule for 8+ weeks, please know that there IS a reason for it.  Getting bored?  Increase your weight and grab those 5's or 8+ lbs.
 
And remember, Lithe works in mysterious ways: our leg-focused classes will change your arms (and burn the most fat and calories) and arm-focused classes will change your waist!  

To every thing, there is a season...

Just like eating seasonally is important, it’s just as important to work your body in unison with the seasons and what you’re are taking in food-wise.  People tend to turn inward, be more lethargic and tight as the weather turns cooler. That’s when you’ll see more Rare Form, Melt, and Floored classes on the schedule.  When it becomes warmer, we take it outside with Hotstepper and Walk-star and up the ante with more hi-cardio based workouts. 

I also keep a keen eye on Lithers bodies and fashion trends when developing new content and classes. I look at what people will be wearing (and revealing) in the upcoming months.  I know that you want to look great in your clothes!  
 
Seeing a lot of band classes on the schedules?  It must be post-holiday or pre-summer! Either way, it’s fat-burning time, ladies!  If it's Spring-time, short shorts and higher hemlines are upon us, and I'll create a new leg-focused class, or Short Shorts and Watershed will reappear on the schedule.  Fall and early spring usually coincide with Skinny Jeans, and you’ll see a lot of Lithe Classics on the schedules… There’s no better workout to target your lower half and tone the hips and glutes to pull off a pair of skinny jeans!

So remember, to get the most out of Lithe, embrace the variety and continue to push yourself. You'll love the results! 

Images of Lithe Instructors, Lauren Boggi, Melissa Weinberg & Bari Rosenthal via Dom

TAKE MEASURE. 4 Feb 2013

Confused about taking your measurements?  Follow the image here, and have a friend measure you so that you achieve the most accurate results. This is exactly how we measure people at Lithe.

To Do:  Measure the fullest part of the bust, your natural waist (not where you wear you jeans), the high hip (where you wear your jeans; just palpate the hip bone/iliac crest to find the correct spot), low hip (the widest part of the booty), your dominant thigh (half way between the knee and the hip) and your most dominant arm (halfway between the shoulder and the elbow). 

Image of LBG at Lithe Old City via Chrissy Parker

TRASH TALK. 8 Jan 2013

Is it hot in here, or is it just me?  Are you guys loving those trashers, or what?  If you've been trashing it, please keep in mind that we highly recommend the Calorie Trashers for our more sculpting classes.  These babies work wonders for increasing flexibility (from knee to waist) and de-bloating you in workouts like:  High Waisted, Waspie, Waist Not, Sweet Cheeks, Skinny Jeans, Sculpt, Thinny, Hipster, Hot Legs, Rare Form, Cinch...you get the idea. 

You can wear them in our higher cardio workouts, but proceed with caution, and try not to wear them all day.  Please make sure you are super hydrated (be kind to your muscles and your kidney's!) pre and post-Lithe. 

Image via Lithe Method Instragram

WARM IT UP! 8 Jan 2013

I hate using the word obsessed, but I'm obsessed with our BFF.  Lithe Instructor, Melissa Weinberg, gave me a tip to heat up our Apple & Ginger (AKA Fall Tonic), and I'm completely IN LOVE.  Give it a shot!  It's like the healthiest hot toddy you've ever had. 

LAUREN BOGGI FOR THE HUFFINGTON POST! 31 Dec 2012

 

Here's my second post for The Huffington Posts's Healthy Living!  Can't seem to get yourself into the studio?  This week I'm talking about your top five excuses and how you can beat them. Stay tuned for more!

Image via Huffington Post

LITHE GOAL OF THE WEEK! 29 Oct 2012

Breathe! One of the defining characteristics of Lithe is the Lithe breath. It's usually the first thing you hear when you walk into (or outside of!) our studios--a group of women breathing in and exhaling forcefully in unison. But the exhale is about more than just producing the proper sound. Exhaling correctly fuels your workout, allows you to work from the core, and breeds life into your practice and your muscles. 

As I look around the studio, I'm noticing Lithers not breathing at all, tongues between teeth, the "CH" breath (characteristic of Ron Fletcher work), snake breathing ("sssssss") and other incorrect exhalations. Think about the fact that your abdominals attach at the ribcage.  Remember that when you breathe in, you want to inhale through the nose and  feel your ribcage expand laterally (out to the sides). When it's time to exhale, you want to blow air out of the mouth, through pursed lips, contracting the abs and knitting your ribs back together. 

This is important:  Make sure you exhale the air out of a small rounded opening of your mouth. Use the visual of blowing out through a straw. You will notice a massive difference in how it works your core, and you will get a ton more out of your time in the studio.

Image of Lauren Boggi Goldenberg via Dom

ASK THE INSTRUCTOR! 16 Oct 2012

Hi Lauren,

I have somewhat of an embarrassing question. Ever since I had my daughter 4 years ago, when I do jumping jacks in class I can't even get through a full set. I have this urge to urinate, even if I just recently used the restroom. It has improved a little over time, but it's still somewhat of an issue at times. Is this normal? Should I be doing exercises to strengthen those muscles (but I don't have this issue with running or other exercises). Or should I sub with a different exercise? Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thanks! K

Hey K, it's actually really common. It happens to all of us who've had a baby! Rebounder classes or any lateral movement (like jumping jacks) will do it. It usually wont happen while running, since everything is kinda closed, momentum is low to the ground and you are traveling forward.

Here is a visual: When you do your ab work (especially method abs) or anything at lithe, think of incorporating your pelvic floor/PC muscles on that exhale. Imagine that there is an elevator sitting on the first floor right above your pubic bone. On the exhale, you want to pull it up/make it (the elevator) rise 3 floors to your navel. It will seem difficult at first but, within a few weeks, you won't even realize that those muscles are engaged and are a lot stronger!

If thinking of the elevator is just too much to think about while you are working out, just try to contract those vaginal muscles on the exhale...just like your holding the flow of urine.

Image of Lither, Alison Lubert, via Dom

FIX IT! 11 Oct 2012

We barefoot train at Lithe. Because we don't have shoes providing protection and structure for the feet, we tend to hold a bit more tension in the intrinsic muscles of our feet when new to Lithing. Your body is looking for a sense of stability in this shoeless mode, so your natural tendency is to get your feet to create that stability you're used to feeling in shoes by curling the toes under, OR over-flexing/over-pointing the toes rather than pointing or flexing from the ankle joint. Like our shoulders creep up to compensate (and cheat) for our abs, this incorrect foot position is a cheat for the core!

If you can feel the tension in your feet while you're doing ab, barre work or band work, you can train yourself to relax your lower legs and resist a tendency to hold tension in your feet and toes. Think about using your core, as your power should come from within. As you can see in the incorrect image above, the smallest muscles and bones of the feet are acting to support the weight of the body. The support should fall to the largest bones (the femurs, pelvis and spine) and if you're standing, the job of propulsion and movement should fall to the strongest muscles (the core muscles) assisted by the pull of gravity, and not to the metatarsals.

Image of Lithe Instructor, Shannon Graham, in Hot Legs via Dom

ASK THE INSTRUCTOR! 9 Oct 2012

Lauren,

It looks like I'll be having hernia surgery in October, something that was a result of my two c-sections/pregnancies. The surgeon says no exercise for 6 weeks. Did you feel you got back into things quicker? I recovered from both c-sections in a snap, in part, because I went into them in top shape.

Any advice, insights or tips about getting back to lithe after surgery? Are there any classes you might recommend for me to ease into at 4 weeks? Of course, I'll consult my doctor on anything but I need "insider" lithe advice & encouragement.

Ugh, so sorry to hear about your hernia! I feel your pain. Just know that hernias are really common, and it will be long gone soon enough! I’m not sure how large your hernia was, but mine was BIG. It stretched from my pubic bone all the way up to my belly button. My gastroentologist (hernia surgeon) wanted to cut me vertically, which I refused, so I actually had two surgeons during the operation. The gastroentologist applied the mesh and a plastic surgeon sewed me up (horizontally) at my C-section scar. Both doctors also told me two very different healing/no-exercise time ranges. 

My hernia surgeon said that I would be back at full-force at 4-5 weeks and the plastic surgeon told me to wait 8-12 weeks.  Both doctors said that I could do cardio, but advised me to not do any direct "crunching" ab-work.  The plastic surgeon's fear was that I would blow out the mesh. I waited about 10 weeks and I’m so glad that I listened to him! I was feeling great at 4-6 weeks; I could run, do cardio at Lithe (even classes like Waspie were fine), but Push-ups, See-Saws, plank work and any abdominal work on the floor did NOT feel good. I would stay away from our AB focused classes during your 6 week healing period. I promise that you will not fall apart. 

I think that you'll be fine in Twiggy, Hot Legs, Waspie, Barlesque, Higher Power (except for the last 5 minutes of abs at the end), Skinny Mini (modify push ups, or rest in shell), Hipster, Wings, Sweet Cheeks, Hot-stepper, Walk-Star, Thigh High and Sleeveless.   I would stay away from:  A-List Abs, Cinch, Waist Not, Skinny Jeans, High Mini,  Fabu-Legs, Spirit, Thinny, Fat Free, Arm-istice and Action-Figure.  You’ll know what you can and can’t do for sure ; ) 

Image of retired Lithe Instructor, Anne Falasco, wearing Lithe via Dom