Meet FRÉ Ambassador Alyssa Olenick, Coach & PhD Student

@littlelyssfitness

About me: I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now live in Athens, Georgia. I'm high-energy and sassy. I love movement and sharing it with others!

"My PhD research focuses on exercise and metabolism. In particular, I’m looking at sex differences and female metabolism."

My fitness journey

I’ve always worked out. I grew up dancing and cheerleading. In junior high, I started playing lacrosse; it was my first “real” sport, and I loved it. I decided that if I got fitter, I’d be a better athlete, so I started running and then got into lifting. Once I left college sports, I really got into lifting, trails, and races, and basically fell in love with fitness.

I’ve been coaching for two years now. I coached sports a bit while growing up and did group and individual coaching in college, but I’m coaching online now. I started at the beginning of my PhD. I wanted to earn extra money and share what I’d learned with others. My PhD research focuses on exercise and metabolism. In particular, I’m looking at sex differences and female metabolism.

"Levels of estrogen and progesterone play a role in the amount of carbs and fats we need and burn."

Science-backed tips on lifting, running, and eating

I have a master’s degree in exercise physiology and am currently a PhD student. Here are my tips:

1. I recommend resistance training 2 days a week in a progressive manner. Three to four times is also great, but two is enough. This can be with barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells.
2. Eating enough protein and calories to support your activity is so important. We have to fuel our bodies to meet our fitness goals. We shouldn’t be afraid to feed ourselves and embrace food and how it supports our health.
3. People get hung up on high-intensity workouts, but it’s more important to do a polarized workout. This means spending a lot of time building your base with submaximal work and a small amount of time doing high-intensity activity.
4. Women have a menstrual cycle, and whether or not they take birth control, their hormones change throughout the month and over the course of their lives. Levels of estrogen and progesterone play a role in the amount of carbs and fats we need and burn. When you’re menstruating, your hormones are at their lowest point. After that, your estrogen levels build and you ovulate. In the gym, this is when you can push yourself more. After ovulation, you tend to crave fat. You burn a couple hundred more calories. Women often think they want chocolate, but what their bodies really need is more fat. Strategically planning carbs before and after a workout can really help with the negative effects of PMS.
5. Click HERE to get my 5 free at-home workouts delivered to your inbox!
6. Click HERE for ENDURE, my running ebook with 12 different plans that teach the science behind running

Body positivity

A big part of my message is rewriting the narrative. People have been told one version of fitness, but I want women to see a world where they can live and be fit in many different shapes and sizes. If you cycle, run, or lift, you build muscle in your thighs, and that’s normal. Embrace the fact that you’re strong! I always say, don’t try to make your legs thinner—just get better shorts. You need to work with your body, not against it.

Skincare

I live in the American South and work out a lot. I dealt with cystic acne in high school, but unfortunately, it came back. I’m always trying to keep my skin happy while working out and sweating in the sun. I’ve been using FRÉ for two years now, and the products keep me from breaking out while protecting my skin. My favorite FRÉ product is PROTECT ME. It protects my skin when I run in the summer, doesn’t run into my eyes, keeps my skin hydrated, and makes my face feel soft!

Rapid Fire:

• Favorite exercise? Weight training
• What does sweat mean to you? It’s my life symbol!
• What comes to mind when you think of FRÉ? FRÉ allows me to sweat and be a woman at the same time
• What are you most excited about in life right now? I’m excited that my gym is back open. I’m excited to run in the mountains, and to lift and work at a slower pace
• What’s something you’d still love to learn? I honestly can’t learn enough about human physiology and exercise—the great thing about science is that you’re a student forever
• If you were a hashtag, what would you be? #demandbetter
• What is your mantra? How you do anything is how you do everything. Everything matters, and it all adds up.
• What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received in your life? My undergraduate advisor told me people are always going to doubt you, but don’t let them stop you from doing what you believe in
• What is an issue that you wish we spoke about more often? All the misinformation about health and fitness! I wish there were a broader public platform to bring more attention to these issues
• What does women’s empowerment mean in 2020? It means showing women that they can be who they want to be