Samantha Zaino, an EMS worker for the Reedy Creek Fire Department, is a former high school swimmer and also competed in tennis and gymnastics. (Brightroom Photography)
Samantha Zaino has a simple philosophy that has helped her as she prepares to compete in her second Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon on Sunday, May 2.
“I like to go for the big stuff, because if you go for the small stuff first, the big stuff looks a lot scarier,” said Zaino, a 40-year-old EMS worker for the Reedy Creek Fire Department.
That outlook led Zaino to compete in her first marathon, in 2007 at Disney, without running a shorter-distance race beforehand. It also enabled her to compete at Alcatraz — a triathlon that includes a 1.5-mile swim, an 18-mile bike ride and 8-mile run — last year. It was her fourth triathlon, following a half-ironman at Disney and two shorter sprint triathlons.
Now it is on to triathlon No. 5, and Zaino is ready.
“If you have a goal, it just makes it easier for you togo to the gym,” said Zaino, who works part time at Disney and moved to Orlando in 2001. “And I get to eat a lot of chocolate.”
Chocolate cravings aside, Zaino always has been active. She swam in high school and played tennis anddid gymnastics during her youth.
Now she is looking forward to going to San Francisco again.
“I won’t be as nervous,” Zaino said. “Going out on the boat and knowing you have to swim 1.5 miles in 50-degree water, that’s nerve-racking.”
At least Zaino will have family to support her. Her brother, wife and their two children live outside of San Francisco.
And she can take heart in knowing her fitness pursuits have had a positive influence on another family member.
“‘Are you sure you want to do that?”’ Zaino said of the response she got from her family when they were told she would do Alcatraz last year. “My family isn’t into all the extremes. It did motivate my mom a little bit, though. She got a treadmill.”
Imagine what the family will say if Zaino pursues another fitness dream.
“Sometimes, when I’m not in my right mind, I’ll think about doing a full ironman,” Zaino said. “But then I’ll get back to reality. Maybe one day down the road.”
They don't make butt kickin' TV shows like Kung Fu anymore. The cool thing about growing up in the 70's and 80's was that everyone watched the same TV shows. Heck, we only had 3 main channels, a public channel, and one or two local channels back then. It sounds strange, but I kind of miss that. When we wasted time, we all wound up watching the same TV shows. The bummer was that most houses only had one TV set. I grew up with two sisters and we made TV show deals. They would let me watch old episodes of "Batman", "Kung Fu" and "Planet of the Apes" movies, if they could watch "Little House on the Prairie" and "Donnie and Marie" (brutal). My dad liked to watch "Lawrence Welk" (even more brutal). Anyway, this post really isn't about TV. "It is about patience in getting six pack abs, young grasshopper!"
[If you guys haven't watched some old Kung Fu episodes, you are missing out. There are some big life lessons to be learned. This is right up there with Yoda's lesson to Luke Skywalker: "Do or Do Not, There is No Try".]
"Can You Tell Me How to Get Six Pack Abs?"
So this might be the #1 question I read in the comment sections of fitness blogs. It is a great goal, but it is such a broad question that it makes it tough for someone to answer properly. It is about as broad of a question as "How do I get to California?". Off the top of my head I can thing of a dozen or so modes of transportation to get to California as well as a few dozen routes. You might be really close to reaching California…or you could be world away and it could take much longer. Getting six pack abs is a lot like going to California…given enough time doing the right things you will get six pack abs. Just like if you traveled in the right direction to California you will get there eventually.
There is a Time Element to Getting Great Six Pack Abs
If you are eating right, losing body fat, and training properly, you will be able to get sharp six pack abs. The key here is that you have to put in enough time doing the proper exercises. Some people naturally have great six pack abs (they already live in California)…or they get them after 3-4 months of training (they live in Oregon or possibly Nevada). Maybe you live in Bulgaria and your workout partner lives in Montana (figuratively)…with the same workout and diet plan, he will get six pack abs much sooner than you.
Sometimes You Wind Up With Just a Hint of a Six Pack
So lets say you do make it to California (get six pack abs), but they are just barely visible. This is like winding up in Redding, California when you really wanted to go to San Diego. They are both in California, but San Diego is nicer by a mile (in my humble opinion). Anyway, sometimes you have to stay in Redding for a few years, before you work your way to San Diego. Possibly you only hang out in Redding for a while and get to go to San Jose, which is still not as nice as San Diego…but close enough to cool places like San Francisco or Santa Cruz. This post is deteriorating quickly. "The Lawrence Welk Show" – to the rescue!
My Dad Liked This?
[You know...it wasn't like my dad forced us watch "Lawrence Welk", but with just one TV in our home...I was exposed to this on a regular basis. This is borderline abusive! I ad to share my pain and suffering with you guys. Enjoy ]
Some More Thoughts on Six Pack Abs
It is unrealistic and probably unnecessary to be obsessed with having crazy sharp 6 pack abs all of the time. What you see in magazines is largely the effect of losing water and proper lighting. Your abs will look twice as sharp when you are in a dim room with a bright light shining directly above you. The guys shooting photos for the fitness magazines use everything in their favor. I have seen those same people outside of that environment and they have visible definition…but nothing like what the photos display.
Work Your Way Down to Where Fat Isn't Covering Your Abs
Honestly…my advice is to just reduce your body fat without being obsessed. Once you get your body fat low enough you won't have a layer of blubber covering your abs. This is a great starting point. Then simply put time in the gym and your abs will gradually improve. Once you get decent abs, they will much look better on some days than others. If you aren't holding water and the light is beneficial, your abs will look outstanding…on other days you will have just a hint of definition. When you are lean enough, ab sharpness simply comes down to water retention. The best way to minimize this is to increase your intake of water (without overdoing it) and making sure you don't take in too much salt. I talk about a good strategy in insuring staying sharp on page 56 of my free report: Vacation Body Blueprint.
The Famous Pebble Snatching Scene…
[The pebble snatching "attempt" happens at the 46 second mark. He succeeds at around the 2 minute mark, but then has to get branded by lifting up a molten pot with his bare forearms. I think I would have purposely been a little too slow grabbing that pebble, because the next step is a bit extreme...just saying that they need to lighten up a little!]
The #1 Tip for Great Abs?
Answer: Keep doing the right things consistently. It is tough for me to answer when you will reach the level of definition in your abs that you are after. I can tell you what to do, I just can't tell you how long it will take. For some it will happen quickly and other people will take much longer to reach the same level. I simply don't know when you will be able to take the pebble from my hand…grasshopper…that is up to you!
I have just spent the past hour jumping around to some of my favorite fitness blogs. A few guys touch on the idea of gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time. A common practice in some circles is to "bulk up and cut down". I'm not a fan of that approach, because it just doesn't make sense to me to put fat on your body on purpose. What I want to do in this post is point out a few fitness experts who have similar beliefs. I also want to hear feedback from other people who have successfully or unsuccessfully gained muscle while getting lean.
[One of my favorite activities is dock diving in the summer and then laying in the sun to dry off. Honestly, if I crafted a "perfect day", this activity would be included...even better in the Caribbean where this picture was taken (not by me). Look at the color of that water...Wow!]
Gaining Muscle While Losing Body Fat. I Used to Be a Skeptic.
In the past I was brainwashed to believe that muscle gains required an excess of calories. Over the past 2-3 years I have changed my thinking completely. At most, I would recommend a really slight calorie excess for a short period of maybe 2 months. This goes against long-held beliefs as far as gaining muscle is concerned. Luckily, I have been exposed to some brilliant minds who are on the cutting edge in thinking when it comes to muscle gain, fat loss, etc. Let's examine some posts and thoughts by some of these guys.
* Martin Berkhan – of "Lean Gains"
Martin Berkhan is a freak show when it comes to staying lean…but I mean that in a good way. Like me and quite a few others, he likes to use intermittent fasting as a way of staying lean year round. Martin believes that there should be minimal fat gain when adding muscle. The title of his blog, Lean Gains, says it all…maximizing muscle gain while minimizing fat gain. Here are some quotes from his site:
…cycling between overfeeding (training days) and slight underfeeding (rest days) is another excellent strategy to remain lean regardless of your goal. The benefits are not only physiological, but also behavioral.
My comments: I have done this in the past with success. I have noticed these days that I just need to do a maintenance calorie day mix with an underfeeding day 1-2 times per week (basically what Eat Stop Eat teaches). I could certainly see the benefit of adding in some slight overfeeding especially if someone was far from their genetic potential in adding muscle.
…I've never been a fan of the bulk and cut approach. An approach often taken to the extreme by some of my peers, with the net result being that they only look decent during the summer months.
My comments: This is something that I have addressed a lot on this site. Why look good for just 2-3 months a year? Plus it is just healthier to avoid having a lot of extra fat on your body in the first place. One more thing I would add is this: People who use the "bulk and cut" approach more often than not underestimate how much fat they have to lose. This usually means they don't get lean until summer is almost over. There are others, who always seem to be stuck in "bulking mode" and never get lean.
A Video Intermission…
[My girlfriend just showed me a great clip from Pearl Jam's 2000 tour. I won't spoil it for you. It is one of the coolest and inspirational things I have seen done at a concert. I just had to share it.]
Over the past couple of years I have had both of these guys do guest posts…I did a collaborative ebook on supplements with them…they have made a few videos for this blog, etc. These two are WAY ahead of the curve when it comes to health and fitness. Many of their ideas are probably too far "out there" for people to take in right away. Here is a link to a video that John Barban made for this blog: Nutrition Plays A Small Role in Building Muscle Mass Controversial Video. I agree with him that muscle gain is largely an issue of training and not so much about diet (at least not as big of a part of diet as many would have you believe).
Here's that video John Barban made for this site…
[There is a lot of wisdom in this video. If you have never watched it, do yourself a favor and take a few minutes and listen to what he is saying. Good info!]
So…I won't quote Brad or John in this post, but I wanted to link to a video they made to prove a point. Brad Pilon wanted to prove a point about how supplement companies and fitness magazines can mislead us. He shows how you can gain 8 pounds of lean mass in one workout. I enjoyed the video and the webinar was outstanding. Anyway…both Brad on John are big on the idea of gaining muscle while losing body fat.
* Tom Venuto – of "Burn the Fat Blog"
Tom Venuto isn't someone I quote often, but he writes well thought-out posts over on his blog. He also has one of the best selling fitness ebooks of all-time (I think it was one of the first ebooks I ever purchased). Anyway…his latest post is aimed directly at the question of…how to gain muscle and burn fat at the same time. I suggest that you take the time to read the post in detail, but here are the parts that really jumped out at me.
…what if most days of the week you were in a deficit for the entire day, and on some days you were in a surplus? If so, then isnt it possible that over the course of the week, youd have a small net gain of muscle and loss of body fat a a result of the caloric fluctuation?
My comments: Tom has a slightly different viewpoint on muscle gain than John Barban, but suggests days of calorie deficit mixed with days of surplus. Eat Stop Eat preaches a related concept and this is close to what Martin Berkhan does as well. Tom also suggests timing your meals around your workouts in this quote…
…its entirely possible that you might pass through periods of within-day surplus where you were in a highly anabolic state (for example, you eat the biggest, highest carb meal of the day after your workout), and you were in a deficit the rest of the day.
Isnt it possible that you could gain a small amount of muscle during those anabolic hours, while losing fat the rest of the day? Granted it might only be grams or ounces – but what if you kept that up for a week? A month? Three months?
My comments: This is a strategy that I have seen people use with success. Tom also points out the 4 "X Factors" that make it possible for some people to gain muscle and fat at the same time without having rely on this nutrition strategy. His article explains the factors that need to be in place for this to happen.
So No Need to Add Fat When Gaining Muscle
All 3 of these guys have slightly different beliefs and approaches, but the main thing is that they help people gain muscle without gaining body fat. In my opinion in makes sense to learn from those who will teach you to get the results you want. I am constantly in learning mode and enjoy reading from sharp minds who are pushing the envelope.
Note: So what has your experience been with gaining muscle and losing fat simultaneously? Have you ever tried the "bulk up and cut down approach"? Would love to hear about some of your experiences in the comment section!
Tags: Main, adonis effect, brad pilon, calorie deficit, eat stop eat, fasting, fitness experts, gain muscle, john barban, lose fat, tom venuto
Like many people, I am a big-time movie fan. I appreciate great acting and Leonardo DiCaprio is quite possibly my favorite actor. My two favorite movies of his are "The Beach" and "Catch Me If You Can" (I own both of those movies). "Blood Diamond" is also right up there. Anyway, Leonardo DiCaprio's personal trainer for "The Beach" tracked me down and asked if I wanted to do a Q&A session. What is cool about his story is that he was flown to Thailand and only had a little over 2 weeks to whip everyone into to top shape. Leo needed to drop 17 pounds in roughly two weeks. Cornel explains how he accomplished this feat, along with other cool things about his experience, in this interview.
[I like it when actors like DiCaprio do volunteer work for causes they believe in. One of his causes is to save polar bears from extinction. I like it when people use their fame and celebrity status to help out. If it improves something, even just a little, it is worth it in my opinion.]
A Bit of Background on Celebrity Trainer – Cornel Chin
Cornel Chin has been a fitness professional for over 20 years. He is an expert at "fitness troubleshooting" as well as preparing actors and actresses for movie roles. He is based in the UK…is a frequent guest on radio as well as television…has written three fitness books…contributes regularly to dozens of fitness publications. Along with all of that he gets flown to remote locations around the world to train celebrities to get fit for big-time movies. "The Beach" was Leo's next movie after "Titanic". DiCaprio at that time was considered Hollywood's leading man. So Cornel had just a little bit of pressure to get some dramatic results and a short time to accomplish this.
So Let's Get to the Q&A…
Before we start, I know that some people are going to try to compare Leo to someone like Brad Pitt in "Fight Club" or Cam Gigandet in "Never Back Down". The thing to remember is that Cornel's job was to make the entire cast of "The Beach" look lean like they lived on a desolate island. It would have looked a little odd if everyone looked like fitness models. Leo wound up with a slim surfer's build…and this fit his role perfectly. Again…Cornel hit it just right in my opinion.
Rusty: Cornel, I am so pumped that you contacted me. I know it sounds like I am just saying this, but Leonardo DiCaprio is one of my favorite actors. I took my girlfriend to see "Shutter Island" recently and it delivered as promised. I actually own a copy of "The Beach", because I consider it to be a classic and one of Leonardo's best movies…plus the scenery is out of this world. So how did you get to work on this set and train Leo? What an incredible opportunity!
Cornel: It most certainly was an incredible moment for me. My 'route' into training Leo was through an existing client at the time- the films producer Andrew MacDonald (whos still my client and very good personal friend!). At the time, Andrew completed his most recent film 'A Love Less Ordinary' (starring Cameron Diaz and Ewan Mcgregor) and was keen to transpose the very popular book 'The Beach' into celluloid.
During one of our training sessions, Andrew and I discussed the idea of he and Danny Boyle (the director) of getting Leo on board for the lead part. Remember, Leo was then the worlds most sought after actor, riding the crest of the wave of success of 'Titanic' just recently released.
Andrew mentioned if Leo agreed to the part, then I would have the opportunity of training him in Thailand. I genuinely didnt ponder over it for too long believing Andrew was joking. Several months after that discussion, Andrew called me from Thailand and said Pack your bags- Ive got Leo for the film and youre coming to Thailand to train him. Ill arrange a first class plane ticket, accommodation and chauffeured car for you. Not many people receive that kind of offer every day, so how could I refuse?!
Rusty: What I like about "The Beach" is that Leonardo and the cast just looked lean and healthy. They looked like lean vibrant people and they weren't "over-done". Did you train everyone on the set?
Cornel: Indeed, I did- from Leo himself to Danny Boyle, the entire film cast to the director of photography. They were all very keen to have a go at exercise and liked the idea of the sets very own resident fitness trainer! They were the greatest bunch of people to work with. Wed start the morning off with a training sessions right on the beach at 0830 hours and again about 16.00 hours either in the hotel gym or back on beach.
[Watch the trailer...such an amazing movie!]
Rusty: That sounds amazing…I will use any excuse to go to the beach. Can you describe a typical beach workout?
Cornel: As you can appreciate, the beach itself was devoid of any form of exercise equipment. This meant that I had to think outside the box- be creative and conjure up nearly three weeks worth of exercises that would firstly be safe, effective yet fun and exciting. Being on a beach environment was a bonus, as the sand is one of the best surfaces to exercise on.
We started with a warm up that consisted of mobility exercises followed by some light running on the beach- forward, backward and lateral runs were added into the mix for variety. The cardio section involved bodyweight exercises, incorporating circuits. We would mix it up with some kick boxing drills, more running coupled with a few competitive races, etc. Since we had the ocean to hand, wed occasionally get in the water and do water aerobics. The specific work involved targeting the abs, upper body and lower body. All of these exercises involved using exclusively bodyweight exercises such as press ups, crunches, leg raises and so forth. At the very end we would spend about 30 minutes of stretching and relaxing looking over to the beautiful ocean as we all told jokes!
Rusty: Completely off the topic of working out, but what was your favorite area of Thailand. I plan on going someday and want to know where the must-see places are. Any advice on hotels, beaches, restaurants, etc?
Cornel: Since I was in Thailand for only three weeks, and was primarily based on around the south eastern part of Phuket, in Cape Panwa near Phuket town, I only really managed to visit a few places. Its an area of white sandy beaches, amazing diving and clear blue water make it a sea and sun worshipers paradise and if you like nightlife, theres plenty of places to shake your stuff!
[Cape Panwa Hotel - one of the beautiful beach hotels Cornel lodged during his stay in Thailand]
I stayed at the Royal Phuket City Hotel and Cape Panwa hotel which at the time, were superb. They were both situated right on the beach front with an abundance of eating places nestled around them. The hotel restaurants served up amazing food. We tried most of the small local eating places, to sample the real Thailand. We found the small local restaurants to offer the best Thai cuisine- real Thai home cooking. Id shy away from the food street vendors though. This is perhaps personal taste and didnt actually try these-its more a case of being sensible, although we regularly spotted tourists eating from these establishments.
Of the places to visit, well the list is exhaustive. I really wouldnt be able to tell you where to start. The entire island is a tourists haven. My advise would be to arrange a rolling trip- stay at various locations in and around Thailand. Thats what most tourists do and thats what Id do when I revisit hopefully next year. Id make sure I read all of the guides and speak with various people to get the skinny on Thailand.
Rusty: How far away was Leo from his target goal when you started and how long did you have to get him in top shape?
Cornel: When I initially met Leo, we discussed his medical history, eating habits etc, so I could build up a profile on him that would enable me to tailor make an effective training plan.
Leo wasnt in the greatest of shape when I first met him and he was a good 8 kilos (17 pounds) from his ideal body shape. Contrary to what the media negatively and unfairly portrayed about him at the time, Leo had gained some unwanted weight. This was not as a direct result of being complacent and living a debauched lifestyle after the success of 'Titanic', but because hed had recent ligament surgery to his knee. This caused him to be inactive for a while, which resulted in some excess baggage.
To get him in the best shape I could, specialist training skills were employed, as I had very limited time before filming commenced. The "look" required for the film by this time was a lean, well toned appearance – as if hed been living off the resources of a desolate island. Many of the shots in the film featured Leo shirtless, so he had to feel confident about his body.
We trained exceptionally intensively for over two weeks. Although it was a very unorthodox approach, we trained on a twice daily basis for two hours each session. The workouts were divided into warming up, aerobic exercise for 45-60 minutes followed by an hour of specific resistance training. My main fear at the time was Leo getting injured with the immense amount of training he undertook. Fortunately, Leo is used to being active, regularly playing basketball and dynamic Frisbee in his leisure time and had youth on his side, so he was able to get in ship shape condition very rapidly. The results speak for themselves in the film!
[Cornel Chin and Leonardo DiCaprio 10 years ago when "The Beach" was filmed]
Rusty: Wow…4 hours per day…So that is roughly 28 hours per week. The average person training to get in shape for the beach would put in closer to 6-7 hours per week. So you compressed about 8-9 weeks of training into 2 weeks? The results do make sense and it was a well-though out approach. You really had to be that aggressive for Leo to lose 8 kilos (17 pounds). I like the idea of being aggressive for short periods of time, because I think the body can handle it. What are your thoughts on aggressive approaches? How long do you believe people can push hard before over-training?
Cornel: Yes, that was a hard decision to make. Admittedly, the production team of the film left it to the last minute for me to shape up Leo. I advised them that the Almighty above, magicians and witch doctors are experts at making miracles happen, but fitness experts are rather limited in that respect!
I did however, manage to pull it off with Leo, as evidenced by the way he looked in the film. Having said that, it was a very unorthodox approach and not a typical workout for the unconditioned or exercise neophyte. Its hard, intensive and aggressive exercise, designed to shock the body into change and improvement.
This method of training is ideally suitable for very well conditioned, accomplished athletes whose bodies can handle the barrage of that intensive abuse. Think of a boxer during training season. Hell spend up to five hours daily training up to the big match. This format of training can only be employed for a short period of time before the effects of over-training creep in. Two to three weeks is really the absolute limit and should be chased up with a weeks recuperation period.
Rusty: You mentioned that you had the cast do aerobic exercise for 45-60 minutes. Cardio and aerobic exercise gets little respect these days, but like you, I still endorse it as an effective way of getting lean. Combined with proper resistance training and obviously a "dialed in" diet, it creates a pleasing physique. I have dieted hard and skipped cardio and I just never felt as healthy as when I include cardio in my routine. What are your thoughts on this?
Cornel: I cant personally state that aerobics has fallen off the radar recently. In my experience, its as popular and as sought after as its always been, especially here in Britain. It may be slightly off the boil in the USA at present and the reasons why I believe cardio isnt as well regarded as it previously was is due to the introduction of newer, fresher, more exciting exercise trends and products that have come on stream.
Anaerobic training methods have had a big push and the on going campaign in favour of the Power Plate and Vibro Plate that are todays shining fitness stars, followed closely by the variety of Pilates training methods appear almost relentless. There has also been a renaissance of resistance training- waxing lyrical or extolling the virtues of lifting weights to increase the bodys metabolism. Perhaps these have replaced the good old fashioned cardio work?
In the UK fitness clubs, Spinning is the most popular class of all classes run by these establishments. These classes are often over-subscribed. The treadmill too, is still the machine club members queue up to use, so it's plain to see the popularity of cardio in the UK today is undying.
I encourage and educate my own clients on how imperative cardio work is within their structured workouts. It accounts for over half of the routines I use with my clients. I express and stress that with the absence of cardio work, they wouldnt be shedding unwanted surplus fat, they wouldnt derive heart and lung power and they wont lose weight.
[Audrey Tautou - another actress Cornel has worked with]
Rusty: Leo is a guy that you just can't help but like. The funny thing was that part of me didn't want to like him. It was probably just out of envy, because it is sometimes hard to cheer for someone who has such huge success at a young age. I changed my mind after watching movie after movie where his acting blew me away. He just comes across as a stand up guy. Is he that way in person?
Cornel: It was genuinely a real pleasure to work with a regular L.A street guy who just happened to be the biggest star on the planet! What struck me the most about him was how very down-to-earth he was. Hed remember most peoples names on the set and was always willing to talk, blend in and hang out with us all during his free time. He takes his acting super seriously and works at his craft, which is very evident in his films today. He deserves all the success he receives.
Rusty: A big philosophy of my site is an "attractive body" and a "gym body" are not necessarily the same thing. I like to workout in the gym, but create a look that doesn't scream "gym". You are personal trainer who seems to get this. Can you tell me more about your philosophy?
Cornel: People participate in exercise for a multitude of reasons. Many people like to sculpt their bodies and put it on show for all to see. Theres nothing wrong in this behaviour and it may well be deemed as a case of pure 100% narcissism. To them, it may be a display of how proud they are of their hard work in attaining such an incredible shape. Some people train for health and medical reasons and others to feel better in themselves. Regardless of the reason for exercising, my basic philosophy is: "If you dont make time for exercise, you may one day have to make time for illness".
Rusty: So it looks like you have a new book out. How is it different from a lot of the other fitness books on the market?
Cornel: Thats always a good question, as there is a myriad of fitness titles out there all competing for the hot sellers list!
My book is very much focused on the No Gym required workouts. Although there are many books that furnish the reader with workouts that can be done outside of the gym, my book was created on the theme of 'Exercise your way out of the Credit Crunch'.
It has come at the right time, in light of the current financial meltdown and escalating unemployment. People will still want to keep fit and stay in good shape. Indeed, many have or are considering giving up their expensive and unaffordable gym memberships. Once they do cancel their memberships, they'll be desperate to find alternative, practical and effective exercise solutions. They'll expect to achieve workouts to match those they can perform in their gym environment. After all, they won't want their hard earned efforts to come to an abrupt end. The main 'bones' of the book will focus on how to train effectively and how to generate and maximize results with very little or no money. The only investment made on the reader's part will be time and effort and will be a sure fire way to guarantee great returns!
[Cornel Chin flexing with the female cast of "The Beach"]
Rusty: I love the idea of teaching people to get fit outside of the gym. It is actually a skill that I believe everyone should learn. Does your workout require any special equipment?
Cornel: 'Skill' is very much the key factor when training my clients based on the ethos of the 'No Gym Required' style of workouts. My workouts requires very little equipment or use of sophisticated equipment. I typically employ body weight or free exercises and will often use light weights, jump rope, Step platform, kick boxing sparring mitts and focus pads, resistance bands, Swiss ball, balance board and exercise mats. If I train outdoors then Ill seek out a park with a dedicated exercise area. Often these will consist of a sit up bench, dipping bars, balance beams, pull up bars, monkey bars, low hurdle bars etc. Ill devise a workout structured around the equipment available. I always use a heart rate monitor to check on my clients pulse and training zones. It really does boil down to the trainers skill set and creativity when training equipment is unavailable or limited.
Rusty:: I love trainers like you who are making getting in shape accessible to everyone. I really applaud your message here. I'll make sure and include a link to your new book. Is it out now?
Cornel: Thanks a bunch for the compliment and praise and I really feel privileged to be posted on such a popular prestigious site such as yours. The book is now available in north America and will be rolled out in the UK on 1st May of this year.
The direct link to Amazon.com to purchase the book is:
Celebrity Body on a Budget
Note: I'd like to thank Cornel Chin for explaining the steps it took to get the cast of "The Beach" in shape in such a short period of time. I haven't read his book yet, but plan to as soon as it arrives. If you get the chance, head over to Amazon and check it out. One last thing…I plan on getting more interviews from top celebrity trainers like Cornel on a regular basis.
Tags: Hollywood Fitness, aerobic exercise, bodyweight exercises, circuits, cornel chin, leonardo dicaprio, personal trainer, the beach
The world’s first remote robotic heart rhythm treatment procedure was conducted at the University Hospitals of Leicester. It was performed using the Catheter Robotics Remote Catheter Manipulation System. A 70 year old man with atrial fibrillation had a catheter ablation controlled by a robotic arm, while the cardiologist – sitting in a separate room – used remote control to steer the catheter endovascularly into the heart to correct faulty tissue fibers. Although it was controlled from an adjacent room in this case, the fully remote-controlled robot could be controlled from anywhere in the world. The procedure was successfully completed in one hour and the patient is supposedly doing well.
Technology demo video and links below the fold:
News story @ UK Daily Mail: British man has world’s first heart operation using remote control-operated robotic arm…
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