We dig Lit2Lift’s positive and motivational fitness vibe, which is why we stalked the founders through Instagram until they responded. What can we say, we know what we want when it comes to badass partners in the health and wellness space. Power trio Tauryn Dargan, Jonady St. Germain (pronounced juh-naw-dee or just call him J), and Darren Stephens are the real deal. They started Lit2Lift to document their own fitness journeys ---all 3 of them have transformed and sculpted their bodies over the last 4 years. And through that process, they realized they were inspiring others to do the same. Now Jonady and Darren are both certified trainers, while Tauryn keeps things moving as COO.
We asked Lit2Lift to share their fitness philosophy, their recommendations for relaxation, plus their go-to workout essentials (supplements, YORK Henry Mids, a kickass gym playlist) in this week’s Everyday Fighter’s journal article…
Your fitness journey is YOUR fitness journey. Don’t compare your progress to others. That’s rule #1.
Secondly, nutrition is just as important -- actually more important -- as exercise! Eating healthy food will build a healthy body from the inside out.
Lastly, cardio isn’t the end all be all. You shouldn’t get into fitness to only do hours of cardio. It should be a mix of cardiovascular training as well as strength training. This gives you the best of both worlds.
That being said, cardio is important but it doesn’t have to be boring! We don’t only focus on conventional cardio exercises like running on the treadmill, climbing the stair master, riding a bike, etc. We like to incorporate plyometric exercises like the ladder or battle ropes to increase power, coordination, and endurance. We also incorporate metabolic training by doing compound exercises with little to no rest in between movements. Both of these training styles allow us to maximize how many calories we burn during our workout!
When it comes to gear, only pack your gym bag with necessities. For us, the basics are always gym shoes, a water bottle, pre-workout supplement, headphones, and a great playlist. You can add in other things like resistance bands or lifting gloves, depending on your workout! Over the years, we’ve tried various brands of pre-workouts. One brand that is now our go-to for pre-workout and protein powder is BEAM (Be Amazing). One scoop of their Sour Blue Gummy or Watermelon Candy pre-workout gives us the energy needed to push through tough workouts.
Gym music is usually bland so we always have a hip-hop or R&B playlist on hand [ck out our gym playlist here]. Spotify has great pre-made playlists we sometimes dabble in if we’re tired of our personal playlists.
With our training style being a mixture of cardiovascular and strength training, the YORK Henry’s have been our newly acquired favorites. The Henry gives us a flat, sturdy base with room for our feet to breathe. The lightweight material is perfect for quick movements like high knees or jump rope. The leather is moldable to your foot, which adds comfort to the soft insoles. Not to mention, they also look amazing on feet.
Lastly, our gym bag never lacks hydration! Throughout our workout sips of water help us replenish the fluids lost during exercise.
When our work gets stressful we like to quiet our mind with relaxation. A body in motion tends to stay in motion; we sometimes just want to get everything done all at once. In doing so, we exhaust ourselves physically and mentally. Your physical health will be affected if you are not mentally healthy, and vice versa. Sitting on the couch with your feet up or lying in bed while watching your favorite TV shows is sometimes what your mind and body need.
If that’s not your style, turning to yoga or a simple stretching session can do the trick. Lastly, we love to pamper ourselves! Massages, facials, and mani/pedis are some of our favorite forms of self-care.
Lit2Lift is a Boston-based lifestyle fitness brand that uses content creation to inspire and motivate individuals to better themselves both physically and mentally. Learn more about them on Instagram @lit2lift or check out their YouTube channel.
Product Shown: The Henry Mid Half & Half Trainer, The Henry Mid Blacktop Trainer, and the Henry Mid Leather Trainer.