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“Thick Thighs Save Lives”: Meet BODi Trainer Lita Lewis

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“Thick Thighs Save Lives”: Meet BODi Trainer Lita Lewis Before she was an Instagram sensation, Lita Lewis moved from Australia to New York with enough money to survive for 21 days. She landed a job with two days to spare but soon realized her addiction to fitness surpassed her purpose at the office. Now living in Los Angeles, Lewis travels the world spreading her body-positive fitness philosophy, and her latest stop is a four-week BODi exclusive program. Members can burn through 10 workouts that combine resistance, cardio, and HIIT training to get strong, sculpted, and solid — regardless of size, shape, or fitness level. We caught up with Lewis to chat about her evolution as an influencer, her clothing line, and the surprising treats that find their way into her diet. BODi: How did you start sharing fitness with others? I started by training a couple of my girlfriends in my local park in downtown Brooklyn. We would meet there, and everybody saw my personal physical transformation and were just like, “I want to look like you. I want legs like you.” My girlfriends told their girlfriends, they told their coworkers, and what started as a couple of friends soon turned into 50 people showing up for this boot camp. At that time, I was doing it for free. How did you turn fitness into your business? I shared content from my workouts in the park and these big group selfies on my Instagram. People started calling from all over the country, saying, “I want to work out with you.” “Come to Dallas.” “Come to San Fran.” “Come to Atlanta.” I would find a local park and do a pop-up session. I’d charge a small fee, and people would show up. It blew my mind. I had built a business, and it all started with social media. Tell us about how your career as a trainer took off. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LITA LEWIS • ONLINE COACH (@followthelita) I was at a point in life where things were crashing down around me. People were posting their lattes and art [to Instagram], and the only thing I had to post was my workouts. That’s what I was doing to try to pick myself up again and get in a better physical and mental state of health. A few months went by, and I’m just sharing content that was reflective, positive, and talking about gratitude. I’d work with someone with one arm or one leg, show them killing it, and talk about how blessed we are to have bodies that can move. I blinked my eyes, and I had 10,000 followers. When did you realize you were an influencer? I received a message from a single mother of four. She explained that she had just gone through a divorce, fallen into a depression, and lost the motivation to cook. Her youngest daughter had gained 20 pounds and no longer felt comfortable in her soccer uniform. She decided she didn’t want to play sports anymore, withdrew from her classes, and her grades dropped. She said the challenges in her life sparked negativity, and it was affecting her daughter. What I was sharing on social media helped her pick herself up again. She said she realized that if I can do it, she can do it not just for herself but also for her daughter. If I can touch a perfect stranger’s life by sharing what I love on an app, I’m literally one of the most blessed people on this planet. Acceptance of one’s body is easier said than achieved. How would you advise someone who struggles with body issues to even begin appreciating theirs? It takes courage to look at yourself in the mirror and find something that changes your thought process. You’re only one decision away from being OK. You really are. One day you’re feeling down and out, and that evening you can look yourself in the mirror and be like, “You know what, this is a beautiful night. I’m going to have a wonderful dinner. I’m worth it. I’m gonna take up this space, and I’m gonna be unapologetic about it.” It takes bravery to do that, and you just find momentum. Make good decisions and constantly tell yourself positive affirmations. I was writing post-its with positive affirmations and sticking them all over my apartment. Have the inner strength to be like, “I’m going to show up just as I am and if I’m OK with this, the world is going to be OK with it.” How did the creation of your clothing line come about? View this post on Instagram A post shared by LITA LEWIS • ONLINE COACH (@followthelita) During my boot camps, I would always scream out things like, “Thick thighs save lives!” and “F thigh gaps!” Women would say, “Can you put that on a T-shirt? I want to wear that.” I started putting these phrases on tanks, t-shirts, and hoodies. It was a lot more popular than I anticipated. It evolved into making certain pieces that women can wear that accentuate their curves — not hide them — to make them feel confident when they’re moving. That’s how my apparel line, Thick Athletics, came about. I’m really proud of how a simple message brings out the best in a woman, especially while she’s working out. Your life looks pretty perfect on Instagram. What’s something people would be surprised to hear about you? I have never been too scared to be vulnerable in the journey of fighting depression. I realize that I can’t always be that strong girl. I built this strong body, these strong shoulders, and legs, but I would still go home and cry myself to sleep. I learned it’s OK not to be strong. I realized that by sharing my vulnerability that I was strong. It takes courage to do that, and I think what people will find about

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Putting the “Fun” in Functional Training: Meet BODi Trainer Jordan Morello

Putting the “Fun” in Functional Training: Meet BODi Trainer Jordan Morello Some people think fitness is all about grueling 5 A.M. runs or “squat ’til you drop” hysterics, but we’ll let you in on a little secret: Working out can be fun too! And no one knows that better than Jordan Morello. If you take a look at his Instagram profile, you’ll see that Jordan is all about good vibes and upbeat workouts. He has attracted more than 400,000 followers to his account, which features everything from his favorite recipes to HIIT workouts (and who could forget his best friend Brody). But behind the big smiles and goofy dance moves, Jordan is truly passionate about helping people reach their goals while enjoying the process. That’s why we brought his effective moves and infectious enthusiasm to his program, Abs + Booty Burn with Jordan Morello. We had a chance to talk with Jordan about how he got started and what to expect from his workouts. BODi: Where did your interest in fitness originate? JORDAN MORELLO: When I was little, I was diagnosed with ADHD, Tourette’s, and dyslexia, so it was always hard for me to concentrate in school. I went to a neurologist and was prescribed a few different medications. During my freshman year in high school, I was sitting in my geometry class and started having a panic attack. I almost passed out, so I was taken to the hospital. After I got home, I went to my mom and said, “I’m not going to take these pills anymore. I’m done with the medication. I want to move on to other options, so what can we do?” And that’s where we started to pair fitness and nutrition, and found the benefits that they could have, not just physically but mentally. How did you go from getting into fitness to becoming a trainer? Since I played basketball in high school, I was a captain and coaching at a young age. So I was kind of used to taking charge and leading our workouts. That’s when I learned that I wanted to be a trainer and help other people reach their goals. I ended up working at Orangetheory and really fell in love with helping my personal-training clients. There was a particular client named Jack, and my experience with him helped me pursue my passion even more. I saw how much I was able to help him, not just physically but mentally. That was the coolest part about it. And I knew right from there that I wanted to help as many people as I possibly could. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jordan Morello (@jordan_morello) How did you adapt that outlook to social media? Even though I saw the impact I had on people like Jack, I knew I couldn’t do that every day. I really wanted to help the masses, but there was a limit to how many clients I could see. That’s where I started with social media. When it first came out, I didn’t really know what Instagram was. I posted a couple random pictures in the beginning, but I didn’t take it seriously until I started posting my modeling photos and workout videos. It was a slow climb at first, but I just kept at it. And then I started to get more likes and traction, with people telling me “This is awesome, keep posting them!” What’s the inspiration behind your program? I want people to know that fitness can be fun! It can be intimidating to jump in, especially if you kind of fell off the wagon because of COVID or anything else. But I want people to get back in, have fun, and start slow. I don’t want people to feel intimidated to work out, because everybody starts from somewhere. My main goal is to relate to everybody and give them a sense that they can do these exercises, with modifications or not. That’s why I like low-impact workouts, things that everybody can do. I’m trying to teach people, keep it light, and help them have fun without overpowering them or standing above them. Can you give us a breakdown of your workouts? We have six videos: two for lower body, two for abs, and two full-body. That way we incorporate all the muscles. There’s also a lot of compound movement, so you’re working different muscles at the same time. But if you want to lean out that midsection or work on the backside, this is the workout for that. What kind of experience can people expect from these workouts? I try to bring you as much energy as possible, and bring you smiles, laughs, or whatever it takes to help you push through the workouts. You’ll see my energy way through the roof, trying to get you moving and staying through the workout with me. You can expect to be a little bit sore, but enjoy what you’re doing and have fun too. You should bring a lot of good energy and enjoy yourself because you’re going to smile and laugh a lot. If you take it seriously, stay consistent, and work really hard, you can see great results. Whether it’s fat loss or muscle gain, you’ll definitely benefit from this. What’s something people might not know about you? I did undergrad at [the University of Central Florida] and was pre-medical and worked as an EMT. I shadowed doctors, took my GRE and MCAT, but when it was time to start applying for medical school, I realized I just wasn’t in for it and kind of fell out of love with it. The medical industry’s loss is our gain! The post Putting the “Fun” in Functional Training: Meet BODi Trainer Jordan Morello appeared first on BODi. Some people think fitness is all about grueling 5 A.M. runs or “squat ’til you drop” hysterics, but we’ll let you in on a little secret: Working out can be fun too! And no