ImagineYourHealth.com's Fitness Challenge: Part 2 by Nathan Johnson Expert solutions for your New Year's resolutions print article      send to a friend

Last issue, we introduced you to five Fitness Challenge contestants, each with a unique, fitness-related New Year's resolution. With the help of personal trainer Lee Goldsmith, our contestants set out on a path toward better fitness. 

Name & Hometown	Profession	Age	Goal
Tory Minneapolis, MN	Sales & Marketing	31	Reduce body fat, live a healthier lifestyle
Manny Morristown, NJ	Career Advisor	22	"Get more ripped up"
Jeff S. Del Mar, CA	Cosmetic Surgeon	53	Get in good shape, run a mini-triathlon
Dean Birmingham, AL	Publisher	43	Lose 20-25 pounds
Jeff L. Minneapolis, MN	Student	22	Put on lean mass tissue

Fools' Day Rendezvous

When we left off, the winter winds howled and many questions were left unanswered. Would Tory overcome his age? Could Manny become the next Schwarzenegger?  Could Dr. Schafer once again don his skinny clothes?  We hoped our trainer's encouragement would convince our contestants to toss the couch and T.V. out the window.

Springtime tends to have a positive effect on a person's workout routine. So, with the unsullied April sun upon us, I caught up with them to see how things were going, and Lee-the-trainer rated each contestant's progress.

Tory, who had never really been consistent with his workouts, was looking to make a change, on one condition -- he didn't want to change his diet.  His main goals were to reduce his body fat and achieve better cardiovascular condition through a program of consistent, full circuit weight-training three or four times a week. So far, he's succeeded in both getting to the gym four days a week along with a basketball game a couple days per week.

Lee-the-trainer's advice: It seems like you just need to push a little harder in the gym. At 6'0" and 165 pounds, you definitely don't need to lose any weight; you just need to add some muscle mass. You would benefit from a quality trainer.

One of Manny's biggest goals was to bulk up his legs. "I have very good genes from the waist up," he explains, "but my legs are skinny."  To tackle the scrawny stems, he's been in the gym six days per week, including three double days. His workouts consist of weight training and power lifting, with 25-35 minute, moderate cardiovascular conditioning sessions three days per week. He's given up drinking, and has already lost ten pounds! Looks like Manny's doing a great job countering the unfortunate effects of a the nine-to-five lifestyle he bemoaned in our last issue, but his diet still seems to be a sticking point. He complains that it's time consuming and hard to keep up with, and feels he needs some help in the nutrition department in order to reach his goal of 6%-7% body fat by June.

 Trainer's advice: You're on your way to a life full of vitality! Just two things:

•         Avoid alcohol, white flour, and sugar.
•         Eat whole foods, fruits, veggies, and whole grain

Poor Dr. Shafer. All he wanted to do was lose some weight and gain a little muscular definition. Then he got the flu, rendering his fitness goals a bit unrealistic. With this unfortunate turn of events, he now finds himself on a strict regimen of nibbling carrots and raw celery.  Needless to say, it's not exactly what he had hoped for. "It has been a slow recovery but I feel about 5% better daily," he says. Our trainer has hope!

Trainer's advice: Keep training, starting with 20-minute warm-ups. Continue lifting with different muscle groups on different days. Stretching and yoga classes also may help.

•         More rest, meditation, and positive thoughts.
•         Higher consumption of raw fruits, vegetables, and juices are a
          must.
•         Keep fluids high, and absolutely no alcohol or dairy. 

By January 4, Jeff was right on track. Through cardio workouts and resistance training, he had managed to put on seven pounds of muscle and drop over five percentage points of body fat in just six weeks. Not bad.  Unfortunately, the trials of life sidetracked him and he had to take three weeks off.  This makes the role of the trainer all the more challenging.and important! Can Jeff still become that lean mountain of a man he aspires to be?

Trainer's advice: Always take care of yourself first.  Eating is the most important.  You can miss a workout, but most people can't miss a meal.  Diet should be based on raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and a lot of water.

Here's your program:

Breakfast: fruit smoothie, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, fresh squeezed orange juice, oatmeal with banana, apple, cinnamon, nuts (almonds, walnuts or pecans) and pinch of nutmeg topped with almond milk.

Lunch:  salads, veggie burgers, and fruit.

Dinner:  salads, potatoes covered with vegetables, fresh vegetable juice, carrots, beets, celery, kale, collard greens, and parsley.

Snacks:  rice cakes, fruit, and nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans)

A burning desire to be fit and stay fit comes from within.  If you make a commitment, don't let anything get in your way.  This is not a dress rehearsal, so make it happen.  I am there for your support.

Trainer's advice: Dean, you need to eat at night and when you're done get out of the kitchen and out of the house for a walk. When you get back home, stay out of the kitchen. If you can't stay away from the kitchen, you must only have good foods to choose from; that way you can only make good choices. Have an apple or a carrot.  If eating on the road, make the same good choices you make at home.  Big salads, fruit, oatmeal, etc. When I'm on the road, the first thing I do is go to the market and get a gallon of water, bananas, apples, and rice cakes. Discipline, Discipline, Discipline!

Next Issue!

In the next issue...the grand finale-the conclusion of the Fitness Challenge. See how the contestants you voted for fared!

Please visit our voting booth and tell us who you think will win! You may win a free customized Web site! For more information on how to win your custom Web site, please read the Fitness Challenge Part 1!,

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