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Fit or Flab-ulous
Why Get Toned & Where To Get Model Gym Discounts
By Julee Kleffman - reprinted from Tear Sheet Magazine
Fitness has blown past Olivia Newton-John singing "Let’s Get Physical" and gone mainstream. This trend includes the naturally thin and beautiful – models – who, unfortunately, aren’t excluded from aging and gravity. But most models just aren’t motivated to pump iron – why should you be when you wear a size 4? Here’s the skinny on why, where, and how to tone down.
Why? Because being fit helps your bod and career last longer. Spending time at the gym will keep all your body parts walking to the same beat when you glide down the runway, and those body parts will be lean and lovely (not to mention the other advantage of a gym membership besides shapely legs: muscular hunks. While you’re getting toned, you may land a date or two.)
For local gym deals, check with your agency about corporate rates with specific gyms. Chelsea Piers in New York and East Bank Club in Chicago operate this way. Other gyms, such as Crunch and Equinox, offer models exemption from initiation fee. Some gym branches don’t know their policies concerning model rates, so I called their corporate offices and was told they only had "corporate rates." However, managers cut different deals so call the specific gym where you want to work out, and bring friends to join with you in order to get the best deals. "Most managers are willing to work with you, " says John,* general manager, of a New York Equinox gym. Also, be sure to ask about "freezing time." "We offer models up to six months of freeze time during a calendar year for travel purposes," says Brian Igel of Chelsea Piers.
Unincorporated gyms are more likely to give better deals since they aren’t chain locations with corporate restrictions. Peter Vita of Printing House Fitness Center in New York says, "We’re willing to talk to the person and work something out that is mutually beneficial." Privately owned Lincoln Park Athletic Club in Chicago offers a "models’/artists’ discount of $65 (down from $90 a month) plus a $50 enrollment fee," states Helena Mitchell. Comp cards, headshots, and agent calls are all proof of "modelship."
Finding a gym while traveling is a weightier issue. Daily rates are outrageous so you’re better off bringing running shoes and a jump rope or staying at a hotel with a fitness center. If none of the above are options and you don’t feel like paying a $25 to $50 day rate then "call first and ask for a free trial day," says John. * Most managers have a guest list and should be willing to put you on it for the day.
If all else fails, you’ll have to rely on in-room fitness, stretching, and everyday cardio like walking. To stick with an every-other-day routine do "pushups, lunges, sit-ups, leg lifts, and stretching," says Thomas Nee, an L.A. personal trainer. He adds taking the stairs and walking instead of riding will help keep you in shape on the road.
Diet is important, too. "Moderation is the key," says Nee. "It doesn’t matter what time of day you eat, but it does matter what you eat." Many model body shapers completely cut carbs, but Nee disagrees: "If only protein goes into your body you’ll be lethargic because carbs are your fuel and you won’t have energy to work out, which brings you back to skinny but not toned and fit." Nee recommends a balanced diet with protein, veggies, and carbs at each meal and "eating smaller meals five to six times a day helps keep your metabolism going."
Don’t overdo the cardio; if you do you’ll burn lean muscle mass and that’s the calorie burner. Christopher Hicks, L.A. personal trainer and Bokidu instructor, explains, "Fat weighs less and burns less [fat], and lean muscle tissue burns fat for fuel so the more [lean muscle tissue] and have the more fat you burn more efficiently. Fat is the optimal fuel for your body."
There is no doubt that gym-going takes time, energy, and, in some cases, a lot of money, but tightening your belt may require some loosening of your wallets. One final note about working out: No matter how many hours you log at the gym, Nee says that some body changes may be precluded by genetics. It turns out heredity, not gravity, has that last say after all.
*A name was changed to protect a job. |
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