That's Fit

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy

My guests this week are a bit dear to my heart, as they share the same passion for fighting as I do. Doug Anderson, a highly decorated Iraqi war veteran from New Jersey traveled across the world with Jimmy Smith, a young Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. Their journey had them test their skills against locals and various fighting styles, often styles they had never seen before. Always exciting, often painful, and always real....the Discovery Channel's Fight Quest stars went on an adventure of a lifetime and returned home with bruises and scars to show for it.

Fitz: Most folks dread the thought of even verbal confrontation. You guys volunteered to go fight a bunch of unknowns from around the world, many of which were yielding weapons you didn't know how to use! What scares you?

Doug: I was shot at in Iraq and had bombs explode 100 yards from me while there. None of that stuff ever scared me. But fighting like we did on this show was different. In Iraq I was part of a team; on Fight Quest I was alone. If I failed.....the onus was on me. I was always most nervous right before each fight, but I'd lose those nerves as soon as I got hit. It made me want to go running face-first into the other guys fist. Just to get it over with!

Jimmy: What scares me is not putting my best foot forward. It's OK to lose to someone better than me, but I hated the idea of losing to someone because I was fatigued or didn't put forth my best effort. As far as nerves go, you can't kill what's inside you. It's best to use those nerves to make you react; make you sharper.

Fitz: What was the roughest fight you had?

Jimmy: In Japan we had to box five guys in a row. The smallest guy was 210 pounds! Each guy kept getting bigger and bigger! Their monster champion fighter was six foot four inches. I knew I couldn't actually win that fight, so I just focused on surviving. It was an ordeal!

Fitz: What was the most fun fight you had?

Doug: Nothing was fun. It was all just a blur of blood and pain. It was definitely not a relaxing Club Med experience. But, every day we both really felt blessed to be able to be where we were, doing what we were doing.

Jimmy: Yeah. It was definitely the time of our lives, regardless of the pain.

Fitz: You guys are accustomed to competing with your hands and feet. What was it like to fight with knives?

Jimmy: Awful! We used these dull metal knives covered in felt, and they left these horrible bright red marks all over us. We looked like we were covered in lipstick! Doug's instructors didn't teach him jack either.

Doug: I had my throat slit and ear cut. They practically killed me with a felt knife, dude.

Fitz: And what about fighting with sticks?

Jimmy: It sucked! You know, you can disguise the pain if you get kicked in the face. But, you can NEVER disguise the pain when you get hit with a stick! You ALWAYS feel that. It was like stubbing your toe on a brick.

Doug: Kinda like being shot with a paint ball. It makes you scream! It was definitely the most intense fighting style we experienced. In the Philippines we had to fight with sticks. We had no translator and really couldn't understand what the rules were, but I was told that we weren't supposed to strike each other above the neck. Well, guess what? The guy I was fighting was totally going for my head. It was wild!

Jimmy: Doug got screwed on that one!

Fitz: So what kind of training do you do in your regular life?

Doug: I train two times each day. In the morning I do intense cardio. 20 minutes of sprinting/jogging and 20 minutes of bag work. Two to three days of weight training; low weight high reps. Every night we do two to four hours of sparring.

Jimmy: Each morning for cardio, I run three to four miles as hard as I can. Two or three days of weight training to combat muscle fatigue. I do one hour of bag work each day ; three minute rounds. During the breaks I alternate 500 crunches and 20 push-ups. I do 200-300 push-ups each day. I also practice striking for two hours, jiu jitsu for two hours, and meet with a plyometrics coach three times a week.

Fitz: What's your favorite healthy food?

Jimmy: Mangos

Doug: I basically eat like crap. I'll eat almost anything you put in front of me. I do try to avoid greasy fried foods though.

Fitz: Favorite junk food?

Jimmy: In and Out Burgers

Fitz: How many push-ups can you do on your first set?

Doug: 80

Jimmy: 100

Fitz: How many pull-ups can you do on your first set?

Doug: 13

Jimmy: A freakin' lot!

Doug: Jimmy's got gorilla arms!

Fitz: What's on your mp3 player?

Doug: Punk Rock

Jimmy: Yes. Which he yells at the top of his lungs.

Jimmy: I listen to everything. I really like Sam Cooke, in particular.

Fitz: Favorite vacation spot? Do you workout on vacation?

Doug: Hawaii and yes, I work out while there.

Jimmy: Greece, which is where my Mom's side of the family is from. And, I don't work out when I'm there. Resting is just as important as training!

Fitz: Anything else you want to say about Fight Quest before we go?

Jimmy: Yes. It was all entirely real. There was no safety net for us. We were really fighting these guys all out. There were no "behind the scenes" safety precautions.

Doug: They actually cut lots of the reality out, because it would have been too much for the viewers. It was really insane. Sometimes I thought. "what the hell am I doing here"! We were bleeding real blood.

Fitz: Well if they ever invite some chicks to go fight folks around the world, throw my name in the hat! You guys were hysterical and we can't wait to see you brawling and bleeding as we relax on our couches! Thanks Doug and Jimmy! Best of luck with your fighting careers.

To see when Fight Quest is on, click here!

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