Our Dope Fit Chick of the week is Alyssa Carter! Checkout our Dope interview with her and find out what motivates her to workout and her best 3 health tips you can use right now!
About Alyssa :
I am a Spring 2020 graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University and I received my Bachelor’s of Science and Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science, with a minor in Psychology.
What motivates you to work out and live a healthy lifestyle?
The immense amount of confidence, self-esteem and self love that beginning my fitness journey brought me, has kept me going for the past 2 years. I learned that I am in control of my life and if I don’t like the way I look or feel, I can just change it. It’s an amazing thing what the human body can achieve and the mental capacity we can obtain from challenging ourselves. I love it!
What does your workout routine look like?
I like to switch up my workouts, so I don’t get bored and my body doesn’t adapt too easily to exercises. Normally in the gym, I would do leg and/or glute days 3-4 times a week (my favorite). I love to focus on deadlifts and hip thrusts. Upper body I do 2-3 days a week. As far as abs go, I usually do them at least 3 times a week in addition to my upper and lower body days. Since quarantine has begun, I’ve been doing a lot of full body workouts inside and outside (the best!) to work lots of different muscle groups at once since I’m not doing any heavy lifting. Resistance bands, dumbbells and household items have been my best friend!
What do you eat in a typical day to stay in shape?
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I eat turkey bacon (almost always) with either a bagel or oatmeal with some fruit or scrambled eggs! Sometimes I don’t always have an appetite so I love making smoothies with spinach, mixed fruit, flaxseed and almond milk. For lunch and dinner I alternate meals. Couscous, quinoa or potatoes, with a source of protein like salmon or chicken and then a vegetable like broccoli, brussels sprouts or fresh green beans is what I eat often. Lately I’ve also been loving Thai salads with grilled chicken. I also like pasta, turkey burgers or tuna with crackers now and then. I’m a big time snacker, so I try to keep fairly healthy things at home. Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola is one of my all time favorites. Sometimes I’ll do apples with peanut butter, a healthy granola or protein bar or a smoothie.
How do you maintain your hair while working out?
Having thick, curly hair + the heat + working out often I definitely work to manage! Most of the time to workout, I wear my hair in a bun or ponytail to keep it from sticking to me while i workout (I absolutely hate the feeling). Typically I shampoo my hair every 1.5-2 weeks. I co-wash/deep condition/detangle once a week. If I have a really sweaty workout, I’ll alter this routine to shampoo or cowash as needed.
What's in your gym bag?
Water ALL the time of course! Occasionally I have my fat burner/pre-workout to dry scoop right before I workout, resistance bands, my headphones, the typical stuff (phone, wallet, keys) of course. One thing I will always have is a extra scrunches/hair ties and my chapstick or lipgloss.
What might we catch you doing outside the gym?
Enjoying food/drinks out with my friends, cooking or baking something new at home, watching YouTube videos, making workout plans or online shopping.
What are your best 3 health tips people can implement right now?
Drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday. On the days that the weather is nice, go outside on a walk for 30+ minutes. Develop a habit of something that is physically or mentality enjoyable for you to do on a daily basis (reading, yoga, stretching, workout, etc.)
Where can we find you on social media?
Fitness Instagram: @alyssacfit99
Personal Instagram: @alyssa_carter16
