Renewable energy visionary, Alex Lightman is a member of Orange Theory Fitness SaMo and won the studio’s first weight loss challenge.
Know Thyself, Win Together
Pop into Orange Theory Fitness, Santa Monica (SaMo) and you’re likely to catch renewable energy visionary, Alex Lightman. Whether he is pushing hard in class or rooting on another
member, he is passionately devoted to his fitness success and seeing major results from his
dedication.
He used to frequent gyms over the years, then found studio life. Like many, he was tired of rote
exercising; seeing flirtatious behaviour and talking (all while waiting for machines); and trainer
solicitation. He is now loving that classes are an intense hour of focus (and doubles) never the
same, breaking the monotony, which builds class camaraderie and heightens muscle confusion.
Since he transitioned into OT, he is at his best mile time since high school (38 years later) and
won the studio’s first weight loss challenge with seven day workouts and being mindful of his
diet.
Being connected by studio monitors means knowing more about himself and his performance
at a granular level. He stays in the zone by racking up 12 to 20 spot points of orange (84-91) and red (92+) during workouts and enjoys extreme afterburn well into his day. He has run 16 marathons to date and proudly has a resting heart rate of 32, mile PR of 4:20, most recent a 5:21.
The relationship between him and his workout continues as he receives an email from each
workout, which he shares with his friend to help reach personal and group goals. Ultimately,
it is a great way to feel welcome and noticed for his efforts.
3 Feet From Gold
Alex likened the Quantified Self Movement to the story of R.U. Darby and his uncle as profiled in Think and Grow Rich. They discovered gold ore in Colorado and rented mining machinery to
reap big rewards. After a time, the gold disappeared, they grew into debt and eventually quit.
They sold the equipment to a junk man who hired an expert and continued the project and made millions finding gold just three feet from where the Darby’s had stopped.
“If you only knew how close you were from striking gold, you would be mindful of finding a way to push through,” Alex says. ”In connected fitness, your ceiling remarkably can become
your floor after discovering what your next levels are.”
His mother taught him at an early age to be independent, focus on what matters, be adaptable,
and that completions empower.
Alex loves the healthy co-opetition against other class members during performance weeks,
finding it fun to try to beat other five minute milers. (#ICYMI his Xbox handle is @FiveMinuteMiler). He also likes helping other people meet their goals. He lost a weight loss challenge to friend Eddy Waty, and doubled his friendly wager to run a 5:45 and beat her, doing so by four seconds. Alex loves sharing his times with her and they become more obligated, having shared success they wouldn’t have known. The positive effect of having a gym buddy that pushes you to be your best is an essential for accountability as well as keeping great energy.
The next OT SaMo contest is mid-January, Alex will be there. He needed to run 6 miles a day until NYE to meet his personal 1000 mile annual goal. He accomplished that goal, running the last miles on New Year’s Eve. He now pledges to increase his numbers for next year. We will root on his success like a virtual marathon crowd.
Weirdo Fitness
Lightman proudly proclaims that people should live authentic lives and do what’s good for them regardless of arbitrary social norms. Just as we shift extreme temperature shocks in fitness, he advocates using hypergravity and compression. He wears a custom gravity plus super suit with about 35/40 lbs with Wenderwear compression for more resistance. Unlike a weight vest or compression socks, this evenly distributes burn and endorphin bliss after jumping out of it, giving feelings of extra lightness of being.
He firmly believes in public fitness. You’ll see him doing squats on an airplane during business
flights for keynotes or spontaneously stretching during a restaurant meal to reduce hip tightness. He’d love to see more public yoga and activities, noting we are regrettably only desensitized to runners and joggers.
Do New Things Often
“Fall on your butt often,” he jokes. He is quick to advocate the benefits of neurogenic activity
both with touch (and yes intimacy) and trying out new activities. By going out and falling a bit during dozens of new exercise and sports activities, the brain is optimized during steps of learning during three week stints, building and firing brain cells in conscious incompetence and conscious competence stages before an unconscious competence stage sets in. “Be sure to run 45 minutes with 75% maximum heart rate for men and 65% for women and learn something
new within 21 days,” he reminds. Alex attempts to do this at least 20x a month as new brain cells are created this way!
FOOD WE EAT, AIR WE BREATHE
“How you do anything is how you do everything” is how Lightman sees Athleisure Lifestyle.
Athletics and leisure affect one another. He’s picked up on the fact that Simon & Garfunkel
were truly ahead by being looped into Neurogenesis decades ago with parsley, sage and thyme in their lyrics. We should embrace foods that build us up like macro and micro
nutrients, and those that offer more protein and fat such as akitogenic diet with avocados,
coconuts, olives and olive oil, he suggests.
Near his pier on the SaMo promenade, an abundance of superpower food establishments
surround him. He regularly patrons Lemonade, for their fresh and colorful vegetables, and adores SweetGreen (we love them too), specifically due to its farm to table chalkboard and tea bar ride with no calorie and vegetable infused teas, with his organic salads. He also explores
the local farmers markets twice a week.
He accurately questions why runners would (or anyone that is focused on wellness) want to live in a polluted world and cares deeply about the air around us. Alex is a strong advocate of
solar and electric cars. He wants to rid the world of fossil fuels, he champions our society
needs to keep growing solar at 36% a year and looks to Burlington, VA; Greenburg, Kansas; and Aspen, Colorado as pioneering cities for renewable energy.
We are honored to have Alex Lightman as on ongoing contributor so you can look forward to
reading an array of wisdom monthly.
#Athspired by Alex and Think and Grow Rich mentality, we dug in and made a ‘3 Feet 2 Gold’ Playlist. After all it’s not just what you are missing, it’s what you are striving towards next. #This #Is #Athspo.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Alex Lightman
