IndyCar Racer Lindsay Brewer In Workout Gear Had a “Great Day”

Model and professional racecar driver Lindsay Brewer is lending her time and racing skills to a very good cause. Brewer, 26, shared pictures of herself wearing black leggings and a cropped athletic jacket, flashing the peace sign for the camera. “What a great day with @kart4kidsproam raising money for Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital🏁 I got to battle it out on track with some great drivers all while supporting a great cause🤍,” she captioned the post. Brewer has big dreams and some serious goals to reach—here’s what her training and wellness routine looks like.

1. Building Strength

Brewer switched up her workout routine to focus on building strength and muscle. “I´ve had to up it significantly,” she told Behind the Helmet. “I do a combination of a CrossFit-type regimen along with help from the people at PitFit. As a smaller driver at 5’4” and 105 lbs, I need to get my strength up to that of my teammates and competitors who are 150 lbs or so on average. I plan on pushing myself harder in the off-season in order to make sure strength is not an issue.”

2. Endurance Training

Brewer’s training is also heavily focused on endurance. “Racing is much more physical than people think,” she told OK!. “People think you just turn the wheel but it's so much more. There are so many G force, there’s no power steering — it’s the most physical sport I’ve ever done. So there are certain workout routines I do as a race car driver that aren't typical. I do a lot of bodyweight training and a lot of cardio because your endurance is a big deal. I also do grip strength exercises for the wheel. But the best training I can do is track time. It works specific muscles you just can’t hit in the gym.”

3. Inspired By Danica Patrick

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Brewer is inspired by Danica Patrick’s success. “We're around the same body build, and if Danica could do it, why can't I?" she told PEOPLE. “I'm a different person [behind the wheel]. I'm super nice off the track, and then as soon as I put my helmet on I'm much more aggressive and different than what people would assume. It's been cool to push myself. I know I can do anything that these guys can do. I know I'm quicker. I know I can do it."

4. Casual Style

Brewer’s personal style is laid back. “It’s very casual, very simple,” she told OK!. “I like to keep things very chic, I like neutral colors. If you look at my page, there are definitely a lot of jeans and black crop tops. Cool and casual. I don't wear anything too extravagant, but I’m trying to get better at that. I’ve been experimenting with my style… I just ordered a Ferrari racing jacket for myself. I actually want to implement that style more into my everyday fashion. And I want to put more fashion into the racing world. I just designed my own racing suit. It’s all white with rainbow chevron. I’m also designing some new merch now.”

5. Proud Role Model

Brewer hopes more women take an interest in the racing world. “I think it's a sport where men and women can compete on a relatively equal level,” she told Behind the Helmet. “Most other sports are so different in physical demand and strength, and motorsports, although holds a differential, still gives us a relatively equal chance and I really think that’s a cool thing, that we have a coed sport that is one of the most followed sports in the world.”

Professional drag racer Leah Pruett is celebrating an important day in the automotive world—Hemi Day, in honor of when the 426-cubic-inch HEMI V8 engine was launched in 1964. Pruett, 35, shared a picture of herself wearing a black tank top that perfectly accentuated her ripped shoulders and arms, walking with her driving suit on. “Wishing you all a Happy #HEMI Day! 🎉 #HappyHemiDay #HEMIDay #426,” she captioned the post. Here’s what Pruett’s intense strength and health regimen looks like.

1. Endurance Training

For Pruett and other professional racers, racing is very much about endurance, so she mixes up cardio with strength training. "Race weekends often mean sixteen hour days," she told Inc. "Running from event to event, meeting sponsors, packing parachutes, mixing fuel, doing media... race days are extremely high-paced and intense. I can't operate at that level if I don't condition for that level." "The number one premise behind my fitness and conditioning is reaction time," she says. "Your leg can't be shaking from holding the clutch in for a long time, you can't be tired, you can't be lethargic..."

2. Careful About Diet

Shutterstock

Pruett is careful about her diet as any fluctuations could impact her driving. "In the off-season the team may spend weeks shaving 5 pounds off a particular spot on the car," she told Inc. "But if I'm capable of shaving 5 pounds off of me (laughs) just through my time and my work ethic... why wouldn't I? When I eat a normal meal, within 30 minutes I feel myself start to get lethargic. So I maintain a protein and leafy diet: For example, grilled chicken with as much hot sauce as I can to put some flavor in (laughs) and broccoli."

3. Plank Variations

Shutterstock

Pruett does her own “knee to opposite elbow” variation of a plank. “The pure adrenaline of driving produces the ultimate thrill,” she told SELF. “I love not only the speed, but the competition and intensity of getting everything right on every pass. Every move inside the car counts… I like this move because it works all the muscles in your core, including the abdominal, back and pelvic muscles. When these muscles are strong, you feel better, look better and have more energy.”

4. Wakesurfing For Fun

Pruett wakesurfs in her free time, finding it a perfect complement to her racing. "I started wakesurfing two years ago," she told Inc. "Every time I'm on the board I'm pushing for my mind to understand what my feet are doing and to develop better foot control. When you're balancing on a board, balance is something you don't think about. You just do it. But to do tricks I literally have to 'tell' my feet try this, try this a little more. In the car when my mind says go my feet have to say go... and wakesurfing helps me build that connection between my brain and my feet.”

5. Diversity In Racing

Pruett is proud to be a role model to up and coming female drivers, and has plenty to prove. “From a driver’s standpoint in the space, I feel like I’ve always had to prove myself more as a female,” she told Engine Builder. “One, my dad told me I would never be as good as the boys, so I focused on being better than the boys. To further prove my worth, I said I would never want to be a helmet back driver, much less a female helmet back driver. That has pushed me to work on the cars, build them from a chassis standpoint with the Funny Car crew, perform clutch work, etc.”

Former professional soccer player Carli Lloyd isn’t allowing retirement to slow her down—instead, she has pivoted into different fun exercises. Lloyd, 41, shared pictures of herself playing golf at the Annexus Pro-Am, wearing black pants and a red shirt on the green while dealing with dramatic weather. “Shot at Glory on 16th ✅ Hail ✅ Downpour ✅ Lightening ✅. Second one in the books! Only able to get in 6 holes due to the weather but still had a great time,” she captioned the Instagram post. Here’s what Lloyd’s health and fitness regimen looks like.

1. High-Protein Diet

Shutterstock

Lloyd enjoys a high-protein diet with plenty of steak, salmon, egg whites, yogurt, vegetables, fruit, and green salads. “Focusing on a clean diet has completely changed my outlook on my overall health and well-being,” she told PEOPLE. “I know that when I eat better, I feel better. You don’t put regular gas into a Ferrari!”

2. She Loves To Run

Lloyd genuinely loves running for cardio and the mental health benefits. “Any type of exercise such as running, training or doing body weight exercises makes me feel better," she told Baylor College of Medicine. "Running makes me happy and feels great! If I am traveling I scope out my surroundings. Sometimes I run up the hotel stairwells or find a patch of grass nearby and get a workout in. I tailor my workouts to the amount of time I usually have and go off of that.”

3. Resistance Training

Lloyd’s soccer training was understandably intense. “We’ll do ball stuff. I’ll spend time doing upper-body strength, body-weight exercises,” she told The Cut. “I do push-ups and sit-ups, and I’ll do the TRX. I’ll do [battle] ropes, resistance bands, boxing. Anything that’s not weights. James likes to say there are no dumbbells or barbells on the soccer field, so everything we do is soccer-specific. You need to be lean and agile, and the body-weight stuff works for me.”

4. Rest and Recovery

Lloyd makes sure to allow herself proper recovery, which means making healthy choices. “I think recovery is around the clock,” she told The Cut. “Are you sleeping enough? Are you hydrating enough? Are you stretching? Are you eating well? Pretty much everything that I do is a reflection of how I’m going to feel on the field. I take great pride in getting in an ice bath after training and just taking care of myself.”

5. Mental Preparation

Lloyd has her own method of dealing with stress and being mentally prepared. “Mental preparation comes from my on-the-field training and off-the-field training,” she told Baylor College of Medicine. “What I have realized is that if the mind is strong the body will follow. I prepare days ahead of time to make sure I am blocking out all outside distractions and zoning into what I need to do in the game… I often times find myself taking on a lot. I like to keep busy and get a lot accomplished but I also realize that I need to do a better job of managing how much I push myself. I get routine massages and I make lists of what I need to do.”

Dutch runner Femke Bol is celebrating after winning gold in the mixed 4x400m relay. Bol, 24, shared a picture of herself wearing black shorts and an orange shirt, walking on the track. “Time to get to the start line of my second Olympic Games ✨I cannot wait to enjoy and feel the wonderful atmosphere while giving it my all on the track ❤️‍🔥This will be my schedule:

03/08 20.55 4x400 mixed FINAL

04/08 12.35 400 hurdles heats

06/08 20.07 400 hurdles semis

08/08 21.25 400 hurdles FINAL

09/08 10.40 4x400 women heats

10/08 21.14 4x400 women FINAL

Thank you for all the support, the journey to the games showed me once again how amazing the team around me is and I’m forever grateful for them 🥰,” she captioned the post. Here’s what the athlete’s training and fitness regimen looks like.

1. Hard Work

Bol works hard for her record-breaking speed. “I think that speed is not the most natural thing to me,” she told RunBlogRun. “I work hard to get more speed. But with the fatigue and the lactic, I keep thinking, what is the right pace? I think that is where my talent is. Also, in a 400 flat, what the pace should feel like. I love to go through the lactic and go deeper and go faster. Or in training, when I am full of lactic, can I do one more – when we have a lot of reps in a session. I think that is it, and I need to continue to be able to think and plan because you need a good plan.”

2. Inspired By Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Bol is a huge fan of fellow competitor Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. “It's inspirational and motivational how McLaughlin-Levrone's racing and seeing how she's raising the bar,” she told Longview News-Journal. “In all honesty a couple of years ago if you'd told me people would be running 400m hurdles in 51sec, I wouldn't have believed it, and now I'm one of them doing it. The moment you see someone doing it... there's is something in your head that thinks 'maybe I can also do it'. For sure it's something that pushes me to become better and dream better on the 400m hurdles.”

3. Training Camp

Bol trains with a large team in The Netherlands. “I train at Papendal, the National Dutch Sports Center,” she told RunBlogRun. “There is a big group, I think fourteen 400m runners. And also Ajla Del Ponte from Switzerland. So it’s a pretty nice group to be in. We train hard, a lot of tough training – some do more endurance, others more speed. It’s a big group, but training is adapted to the person. I think it’s a nice atmosphere that we train in. In the end, we’re all sore and tired, but we keep having fun. We work together and push each other on. It’s a great place to be and one of the best places in which to become one of the best athletes.”

4. Clearing Her Head

Bol has loved running since she was a young girl. “It was always a way to clear your mind and just have fun and not think too much about other things,” she told Athletics Weekly. “That’s still what I like so much about it. I have sessions I like more and I like less but I enjoy every session and mostly the lactic ones because then it really clears your mind and the only thing you can think about is the pain and how you are going to recover. I just love how you really can mentally challenge yourself so much in the sport and just let go of everything a bit by running.”

5. Loving the Journey

Bol is proud of her accomplishments. “I sometimes ask how I have achieved these things, but I do work hard for it and do so many things for it,” she told RunBlogRun. “It’s not like I click my fingers, and I get it. But still, there are a lot of other athletes who train just as hard and are not achieving these things. I do ask how I have achieved this, and I think it’s amazing. I am enjoying it a lot, which helps.”

Racing driver Katherine Legge is British but moved to the United States years ago, and clearly loves her new home. Legge, 43, shared a picture of herself on social media, wearing a bikini while posing on a boat with two friends, looking happy in the sunshine. Her caption highlighted how much she appreciates the friends she has made while on the other side of the pond. “Beyond grateful for the freedom and opportunities this amazing country and special people have afforded me. Celebrating surrounded by friends and fun and sunshine,” she captioned the post. Legge trains hard to be a champion—here’s what it takes.

1. Child Racer

Legge has been racing for a very long time. “I started karting when I was 9 years old,” she says. “Ever since then I love the adrenaline rush, the competition with others, the speed, the focus it gave me, the need to be smart about engineering the car to be fast, and the competition with myself to continue to grow and get better. It’s pretty much my identity at this point.”

2. Avocado Toast

Shutterstock

Legge starts the day with either avocado toast or a protein smoothie. A recent study from UCLA shows eating avocado can greatly benefit skin health. “In the bigger context, skin is a part of the body and you can’t just rely on topical treatment to keep your skin in great health,” says Zhaoping Li, MD, chief of the division of clinical nutrition at UCLA. “Skin health is only going to go so far, especially if your body is not in the best condition. What we have learned from this study is that avocado is a very unique fruit. It has a lot of fibers, monounsaturated fatty acids and phytonutrients and it has an impact on many, if not all, of the organ systems inside of our body.”

3. Off-Track Training

When she’s not racing, Legge stays active through her workouts. “I’m either training, running, riding my bike or in the gym, doing racing-related business activities or in the yard or playing golf!” she says. “In my heart, I have always been focused on racing – making the most out of the opportunities I have had, and fighting for new opportunities. Like all professional sports, it is difficult to succeed in racing. I wasn’t always sure at the beginning of my career if I would make it to the top levels of the sport, but I always was single minded and focused on doing so.”

4. Running and Stairs

Legge loves to run outside and do the stairs when the gym is not an option. “Running! You can do that anywhere and I need to do cardio for racing,” she says. “Racing is an endurance-based sport. You are in a hot cockpit for hours at a time, dealing with high-g loads under braking, acceleration and cornering; very heavy steering and even greater braking forces, so it’s important to do plenty of hot sweaty running outside in the heat to adapt! There are also a lot of stretches and core exercises you can do on the road too. I need to do more stretching!”

5. Coffee First Thing

Legge enjoys a cup of antioxidant-packed coffee every day. “There aren’t a lot of downsides to drinking moderate amounts of coffee — and in fact, it can have positive effects on your health,” says registered dietitian Devon Peart, RD, MHSc, BASc. “The latest research is showing that it’s not the antioxidants per se that make coffee, in moderation, beneficial. It’s actually the phenolic compounds… Coffee is made from beans, a plant food. Research is showing that the phenolic components in coffee provide health-promoting effects similar to those in vegetables or fruits.”