FLEX LIKE YOU
At 25, Rachel Fit found her flexibility and has never looked back
DEVON PRESTONAUG 19, 2020
Ladies, I want you to close your eyes and imagine yourself getting busy with someone. You’re getting into the groove and it’s hitting all the right places. Then, in the throes of passion, a stabbing pain shoots up your leg or, God forbid, you hear something pop. Pain in the bedroom should be on your own terms, and according to Rachel Fit, a certified personal trainer and professional contortionist, you can avoid cramps and transform your sex life through embracing flexibility. “Flexibility is the key when it comes to the bedroom and since I’ve been flexible, my sex life has been amazing,” Fit says. “You can use your splits, your straddle and also backbends—let me tell you something about the arch. The arch is what makes your butt look super big. Imagine you’re in cowboy or doggy and you’re arching, how that must look for a man.”
Great sex is just one of the benefits Fit has discovered since dedicating her life to contortion. She was first introduced to flexibility training through her pole classes and quickly realized that she had a natural talent for it. From doing a little research on Instagram, she not only saw that she was gifted for a beginner, but she was outperforming some of the pros. “I would see other girls who did what I did and who’d been doing it for years, who were not as flexible as me,” Fit explains. “I’d only been doing it for a few months and that was a real eye-opener.”
After her epiphany, Fit began hardcore training, and it wasn’t long until she began her career as an instructor. Despite starting flexibility training at age 25, which is late to the game in this industry, Fit found that she had a special place in the world of flexibility. “One of the main things people respond to is that I don’t look like the typical contortionist, I look like a normal girl,” Fit says. “I show women that you don’t have to be 108 pounds to do contortion. You can be any race, gender or size and you can get into it if you receive the right training.”
While we’d strongly argue against Fit being a normal girl—she has 1.4 million Instagram followers and has appeared in music videos for Lil Pump and Lil Wayne—she’s able to relate to her clientele through her success story and is dedicated to helping people of all experience levels reach their goals. “I mostly work with complete beginners with no experience,” Fit explains. “I take them through the very basic stretches because their focus should be on improving flexibility in the hamstrings and hip flexors. Those are the two muscle groups involved in your regular splits and middle splits.” Fit has learned that flexibility requires a lot of time, patience and dedication, which can be a challenge for people who want to be a pro right off the bat. “You have to be dedicated and be able to look at things long term, because this isn’t something you get instant gratification from,” Fit says. “You’re not going to do it for a week or a month and see results. It’s going to take a while and you have to be so dedicated that you’re willing to stick with it for months, even if you feel like you’re not doing anything.”
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, safety is a major priority when training. Contortion and flexibility training can be extremely dangerous, especially if you’re trying tricks at home. “My first goal was a chest stand, which was pretty hard for me because there’s a certain way you have to breathe and position your body,” Fit says. “I actually blacked out doing it one time because I did it incorrectly.” According to Fit, the safest way to practice contortion is through in-person classes, while the most common way people get hurt is by not warming up before stretching. Although gym class has taught us that stretching is a warm-up, flexibility training lengthens your muscles to the point where tearing is inevitable if your body isn’t ready. “You have to warm up to the point where you have a small sweat going on before you start stretching,” Fit shares. “Whether it’s running, jumping jacks, you have to do something to get the blood flowing to your muscles before you actually start stretching.” And just like you should be communicating with your partner in the bedroom, letting an instructor understand your limits can help you avoid injury. If someone else is assisting in your stretching, it’s important to let them know when you’ve had enough. “You have to be honest with yourself,” Fit explains, “and know how much your body can do.”
In order to obtain the results you want, not only do you need to set yourself up for success by training safely, but by fueling your body correctly. There’s no way Fit, or any other contortionist for that matter, would be where they are while scarfing down junk food every day. As a registered dietician, Fit knew the exact path she needed to go down when it came to finding a diet that would best support her training. “I always recommend an anti-inflammatory diet, which is fruits and tons of vegetables,” Fit says. “If you take the time to eat five cups of vegetables and whole grains, you’re going to see such a difference in your body. You’re not going to be as sore after you work out. You might recover the next day, instead of spending three days being sore and unable to walk.”
Flexibility has made a tremendous impact on Fit and many of the women she’s trained. It’s improved their sex lives and encouraged them to make safe and healthy choices. Perhaps the biggest change from Fit’s flexibility has come not from her muscles, but from her mindset. “As a woman, it makes you feel empowered,” Fit says. “It’s something that you can do with your body that can be beautiful but isn’t impacted by society’s standards. I’m proud of what my body can do and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
While some might think Fit’s feed is a creative way of gaining a big following, her brand isn’t about being the hottest girl on your timeline. Of course, Fit is certainly no ugly duckling, but she’s using her impressive physique to do more than attract likes on Instagram. She’s using that bod to do the impossible and help other women reach their goals—fantastic sex is just the cherry on top.
TAGS
FLEXIBLEFLEXIBILITYCONTORTIONISTSRACHEL FITCONTORTIONIST
BY
DEVON PRESTON
