I have had the wonderful experience of working with both individuals who have more common occupations and those who hit the screens or the big stage! I’ve worked with actors, entertainers and singers including long-term Personal Training relationship with US singer Gwen Stefani.
I’m often asked if there is a difference between training a client who has an “everyday” job and a celebrity whose figure very much plays a key role in their marketing and their image. Well, there shouldn’t be, as both have similar goals to look and feel wonderful, however at times there can be a desire upon the celebrity to look wonderful in 48 hours for a television performance, a movie scene, or a photo shoot. The emphasis is very much on creating a look and manipulating appearance for Celebrity Trainers, however when working with the everyday client the urgency and pressure is often far less considerable.
I’ve noticed a lot of Celebrity Trainers doing what is known as “sexy” exercises, and have tendency to move away from the nuts and bolts exercises which can be more effective, but don’t look as good. Sexy exercises are those that look very different, very advanced, and have the perception of being incredibly effective. Examples are one-legged squats on a bosu ball whilst performing a one arm row. These kinds of exercises put the client “on-show” if you like and are very popular with many Celebrity Trainers because their appeal is one that looks very unique and advanced.
It can be argued however that exercises such as deadlifts, and squats, whilst appearing rather “old school”, can be much more effective. Multi-movement and multi-joint exercises are certainly highly advantageous and should definitely be used more by the general public rather than the basic fixed weight machines. At times though, Celebrity Trainers seem to outdo themselves with their “sexy exercises” and spend too much time on creating exercises that are works of art, rather than being highly effective. As an example I have seen some trainers have their clients on an unstable surface, a cable attached to one ankle with that leg performing an extension of the hip (pushing the leg backwards) whilst one arm performs a lateral shoulder raise.
Now this is basically a good core stability and muscle strengthening exercise as it requires slow and precise movements. They do not however expend a great deal of energy (calories). There has to be a balance between performing exercises that look “sexy” and “highly advanced” to performing real fat burning and highly effective muscle loading drills such as deadlifts. I’ve seen many Celebrity Trainers pull out a toolkit of bosu balls, bands, hulahoops, step boards, skipping ropes, climbing ropes, lap dancing poles, the list is endless. All of these tools are used in combination to implement very different and unique exercises. A different exercise however, doesn’t mean a better exercise. The entertainment TV shows have regular spotlights on the latest fitness and getting in shape craze promoted by a certain celebrity. All of a sudden everyone jumps on the bandwagon and the workout employed by the celebrity is now a regular feature in your local fitness club class timetable.
The art of celebrity personal training lies in getting results, period. Celebrities to a certain extent do not pay for personal training where they do a good workout and have a great chat with their trainer but after a few weeks see little results. Celebrities want next months results today and that’s where the real secret lies. In the entertainment industry, the most popular trainers are the ones who get results, and get them fast. This is usually due to a highly specific and organized eating plan than it is exercise.
The key for all trainers, whether working with someone who pays your taxes to an individual who acts in blockbuster movies, is to plan highly effective exercise routines that are varied in intensity and exercise selection. A lot depends on the client’s preference for exercise, but the most successful trainers get their successful results from stimulating their clients with variety, but most importantly challenging exercise drills.
Mike Heatlie MSc CSCS is one of the world’s top Celebrity Personal Trainers and the man responsible for Gwen Stefani’s post-baby abs! Check out his incredible, epic weight-loss ebook, Foreward by Gwen Stefani Lose10poundsin5weeks [http://lose10poundsin5weeks.com/]
