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Personal Trainer to the Stars!!
Celebrity Personal Trainers!!
Who are these amazing personal trainers that train the stars, professional
athletes, celebrities, rock musicians, and the rest of the rich and famous?
Well, being a personal trainer and a perfectionist, I did some research to find
out who they are and how one becomes a personal trainer to the stars. The
research I uncovered about these so-called celebrity personal trainers that
charge fees of $300+ per hour for their expertise indicates that, like the rest
of the personal training industry, there are no requirements of any sort to
become a celebrity trainer. Most of these celebrity trainers simply happened to
be in the right place at the right time.
I had a close friend who was in a car accident. Since the insurance covered it,
he went to see a chiropractor after the accident. During the first few visits,
he and the chiropractor got to talking, and they hit it off. The chiropractor
happened to know some celebrities, and just by knowing him, my friend got a gig
training a star. Fortunately, my friend had a good knowledge base and was great
at working with people, although the chiropractor had no real way of knowing
this at the time. There was something in it for the chiropractor, though, in
that he got a cut for recommending the my friend to the celebrity.
Mangers of celebrities would be doing their star clients a favor if they used a
little more caution when hiring personal trainers and the like. As with any
referral, a thorough screening and background check are in order before simply
hiring a trainer on some other celebrity's say-so. Unfortunately for the
client, the endorsement by another famous person is often all it takes for an
unqualified musclehead, who knows virtually nothing about how to work with
people or train the human body, to get in the door.
Just Because They're Famous Doesn't Mean They're Knowledgeable
I want to state that I am by no means bashing personal trainers who work with
stars, or any individual's personal trainer - although it's always important to
find and hire a trainer with the highest level of education, experience, and
certifications. Unfortunately, it's not necessarily the people with the best
qualifications, but rather those with the best marketing and biggest mouths who
usually get all the attention. Take note: This DOES NOT MEAN they know a hill
of beans about training. The thing about the lack of regulation in this field
is that you don't really have to be very well-qualified to get a job doing it.
If you're good at causing a big commotion and conveying confidence about your
ability to make people feel good, you will succeed in the business, whether or
not you can actually deliver on your promise.
Take a look at the industry and you'll see that celebrity personal trainers are
a dime a dozen now. All the biggest stars - Britney Spears, P‑Diddy,
J‑Lo, Oprah, Madonna, Tom Cruise - have personal trainers. Even the
trainers themselves are getting famous now, just because of their celebrity
clients. Two of the most celebrated personal trainers are Bob Green, Oprah's
trainer, and Gunter, trainer to many celebrities.
I have watched many of these personal trainers on the news and listened to their
advice about which diets work and which are the best nutrition products on the
market. Trust me, their biggest gift is their ability to get in front of a
camera to sell their products, because their advice is questionable, at best.
Still, no one can argue their ability to generate millions of dollars because
of their proximity to the rich and famous. The sad part is that they're making
a large portion of their money by exploiting millions of uneducated,
unmotivated people, playing on their unrealistic desires to look like the next
celebrity on the big screen.
We're Not All Going to Look Like Supermodels or Professional Athletes
Let's say you work really hard and you're in the best shape of your life, but
you still don't look like your idealized image of the perfect man or woman.
People, let's be honest with each other. Not everyone is going to look like
Pamela Anderson or Brad Pitt. Genetics play a big role in our looks, not to
mention the cosmetic enhancements created through plastic surgery, air
brushing, and camera tricks. Being healthy and fit doesn't mean you will never
have a little fat on your body. Looking great and feeling great without the aid
of drugs, cosmetics, and surgery will take you to better places than any amount
of fame will ever give you.
Before you decide you want to look like a cover girl or a superjock, it's really
important to get comfortable with yourself exactly as you are. Sure, you're
going to feel better as you lose weight and build muscle, but the you inside is
going to be the same. Yes, your shapely new build may inspire confidence, but
the raw materials of your personality are going to be exactly the same. Are you
fundamentally happy with your life and who you are now - or are you waiting
around for external improvements to make you feel better on the inside? Just
like the roots of a plant determine the quality of its fruit, it's the
invisible, internal stuff that determines the happiness of your external life.
Celebrities Whine & Complain Just Like Everybody Else
As a society, we've been trained to look up to people whose job it is to pretend
everyday to be someone other than who they are. And because of the glitz and
glamour associated with their Hollywood lives, we put them up on pedestals and
give extra weight to what they say - for no reason other than the fact that
they're famous.
I hate to break it to you, but I have trained some celebrities and stars - and
the truth is they are no different than you or I. Granted, it's their job to
look great all the time, so they spend a ton of time and money making sure they
keep on looking good. But they whine and complain just as much as the rest of
us. Wouldn't you love to get paid to look good, rather than paying someone to
help you look better?
Once upon a time, only celebrities hired personal trainers, in part because only
celebrities could afford them, but also because looking good was viewed
primarily as the arena of the famous. It's good to know we regular folks are
getting smarter, in that we're beginning to realize just how important personal
training is in the lives of everyone, not just famous people. If you think
about how important a healthy body is to every aspect of your life, you might
come to realize that a good trainer is more important than your hair dresser,
your CPA, or even your mechanic. In fact, a personal trainer is a mechanic -
only the machine he or she works on is not a car, but the most important
machine you will ever own: your body.
Personal trainers help keep you healthy by motivating you - and the celebrities
- to get in shape and keep off the fat.
The Results of Quick-Fix Shape-Up Programs Never Last
I am constantly amazed when I hear celebrities and their personal trainers
promoting their diets and/or nutritional products. If the alleged
"professionals" holding the media limelight still don't know how the body
functions (and far too many of them don't), it's no wonder our nation just
keeps on getting fatter. There are two significant problems with quick-fix
formats for training and nutrition. First, these extreme exercise and diet
regimens that quickly get stars in phenomenal shape for a movie role or a tour
are terrible for the body. Yet many celebrities are willing to do whatever it
takes to get in shape as quickly as possible because they know their jobs could
be on the line. Secondly, regular people, fans of these fabulous-looking stars,
try to follow the celebrities' diet and exercise programs, only to wind up
failing, both because they cannot keep up the extreme regimens and because the
programs are unnatural and impossible to sustain for any length of time.
Remaining super-lean year-round can be challenging, especially if you're on an
exercise program that leans you down in as little as 8 to 12 weeks, such as a
bodybuilder's diet and exercise regimen. This process can get you looking
phenomenal for a day or two, but I guarantee it won't last much beyond that,
because our bodies simply cannot function at that level for any sustained
period of time. However, you can achieve these results and stay super-lean
year-round with a lifestyle change that incorporates healthy meals and regular
exercise. A program like this is geared to burn fat as opposed to primarily
building muscle, unlike the regimens celebrity personal trainers often put
their star clients on.
The thing is, short-term training programs to get in shape for a one- or two-day
event (like a bodybuilding contest) do work, but because they occur at an
unnaturally rapid pace, they cannot be carried out for any real length of time,
at least not without doing serious harm to the body. But sure enough, most
celebrity personal training programs are designed around this quick-fix process
because so few personal trainers really understand anatomy and human kinetics,
the science of how the human body functions. There are well-educated trainers -
they just happen to be unfortunately rare. I have worked in the industry for
many years, and seldom encounter other trainers who have degrees or even
quality certifications, or who continue to develop their education and expand
their knowledge about human function and performance. In this unregulated
industry, no one is checking to see if personal trainers are performing any
kind of continuing ed - and I promise you, most are not.
All this is not to say that you should not hire a personal trainer. Hell, even
personal trainers who know hardly anything about creating a quality exercise or
nutrition program still can create an environment where you can get in great
shape. They can motivate you to achieve better health and make much further
progress than you would likely ever accomplish on your own. Almost any personal
trainer is better than no personal trainer. Almost.
Differing Levels of Training Experience - and Results
Certainly there are people reading this who feel they can do it - the fitness
program and healthy diet - all on their own. More power to anyone who can
create a healthy eating plan, incorporate a weight training routine, and
practice a regular cardio regimen on their own. Please know, however, you are
the extreme exception. For many people, the problem isn't in creating the
program or even finding the discipline to commit to it. The problem is that in
trying to do it all themselves, they are creating the wrong program for the
results they wish to achieve. These are the folks who train regularly, yet see
little or no results. They then get frustrated and quit, thinking they have
tried everything when it comes to losing fat, that they simply must not be
disciplined enough - when, in reality, discipline has very little to do with
it.
There also are those who think they know a lot because they've achieved great
results on their own, when in actuality, they've just been blessed with good
genes and would benefit by doing almost any kind of exercise. Most of your
models, movie stars, and celebrities fall into this category, so any exercise
and nutritional program a personal trainer gives them is likely to work like a
charm. Under the guidance of a knowledgeable personal trainer and certified
nutritionist, these people would see more and better results than they had ever
dreamed possible. And the best part would be that the results would last,
rather than simply providing the short-term fix they've become used to.
Lastly, of course, are the people who don't care about their health, don't have
time to exercise, or never exercise, because exercise hurts, they hate to
sweat, or their self-esteem is in the toilet and they figure it's a waste of
time to even try. While this sort of personal apathy toward preserving one's
health through exercise and proper eating may seem like no one's business but
the individual's, it really is a very selfish act. Treating your body well,
including getting regular exercise and eating healthy food, is the most
unselfish thing you can do. Think about it - if you don't take care of yourself
now, sooner than later, others will have to take care of you. Since you were
too lazy, busy, or depressed to invest the time or energy in staying healthy,
you will, inevitably, make others suffer.
A Qualified Trainer Will Tailor a Program to Meet Your Needs
If companies and governments were wise, personal trainers would be mandatory and
health insurance would cover them. Well, a guy can dream, can't he? Seriously,
even if you only see a trainer once a week - or even once a month - to check in
and make sure you're performing your exercises properly, it's better than not
seeing one at all.
Take the time to do the research, and then invest in a qualified trainer who is
knowledgeable about how to help you achieve your personal goals. If you have a
special need - a back injury, joint problems, limited range of motion - find
someone who can address your issues specifically. Don't jump on the latest
celebrity trainer bandwagon, just because the person is a trainer to the stars.
Find a personal trainer who knows how to train your human body and get you
results.
Fame Doesn't Equal Expertise - Particularly in the Health & Fitness Industry
Celebrity personal trainers, spokesmodels, movie stars, athletes, and other rich
and famous people probably got where they are because they're great at what
they do. That does not mean you should follow their advice about health and
nutrition. You probably wouldn't ask a plumber advice about how to change your
car's oil, would you? Likewise, celebrities may look good, but that doesn't
mean they - even celebrity trainers - know anything about proper exercise and
nutrition. Hire a health, fitness, and nutrition professional. They are the
only people whose advice you should take regarding these subjects. Even medical
doctors generally are not the best advocates for proper fitness and nutrition,
because they are trained in specific fields and seldom are aware of how all the
parts of the body work and move in cooperation.
Have you ever noticed how some of the famous people dishing health advice are
not even in that great of shape? Why would you take advice from someone who
isn't in peak physical condition? That's like getting your hair cut by a
stylist with a bowl cut or having a gap-toothed orthodontist install your
braces. Not to mention that anyone can look great, but still feel terrible
because they achieved their looks through an unhealthy method.
Research Pays Off When Searching for a Qualified Trainer
The thing is, you don't know what you don't know. As a result, many people fall
into the trap of buying the baloney stars like Britney Spears, Oprah, and Dr.
Phil are selling. And even though a star might actually have a fabulous,
incredibly knowledgeable trainer, a lot can be misinterpreted between the time
the trainer offers exercise or diet specifics to his celebrity client and the
time that celebrity repeats the info to his or her adoring public. It's like
that game of Telephone you played when you were a kid - by the time the
information reaches you, it has turned into misinformation.
How do you know who to believe anyway? One star says they got great results by
simply lifting weights and eating fewer calories. The next celebrity says they
lost tons of weight by eating a low-fat diet high in protein. Another famous
somebody swears by a daily swim, lots of veggies, and whole lot of good carbs.
Arghhhhhh!!!! It all sounds confusing as hell. And, in a way, it is.
A program that's right for a size-2 supermodel probably is not right for a heavy
stay-at-home mom who is just now learning to incorporate any exercise into her
day. The proper program for an individual depends on his or her biochemistry
and the specific way their body functions. Understanding human kinetics is not
as easy as A-B-C. When it comes to the human body, there may be many underlying
reasons why one person begins a simple walking program and, voila, they look
phenomenal, while another person runs, lifts weights, and kills themselves in
the gym, only to step on the scale and find they've gained another pound.
The human body is awash in mysteries, and a good personal trainer will help you
solve yours so you can lose all the fat you want and add all the muscle you
desire. Again, personal training is all about you and your results. And even if
all your exercise and effort don't drop a pound off you - if you see no
noticeable changes - know that the exercise is benefiting your body and your
health, and it would be stupid to discontinue your program. Rather than quit,
find someone to help you fine-tune your regimen so you can begin to see the
results from all your hard work.
The main thing is this: Don't follow someone's advice just because they claim to
be a personal trainer to the stars or charge $300 an hour. None of that means
their program will get you the results you want. There are no healthy quick
fixes. Get on a quality exercise program and eat properly, period. Don't waste
time, money, or energy, only to become frustrated. Do the research and hire a
professional who can give you sensible advice that will get you on your way to
looking good and feeling great.
Mangers and Agents for Celebrity Personal Trainers: Consult with a professional
call me and I can find you the best personal trainer for your star, celebrity,
Athlete, or yourself.
Scott
White is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist located in
Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information about nutrition and
fitness, reach Scott at 480-628-1607 or swhite@personalpowertraining.net.
Also: http://www.personalpowetraining.net.
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