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.

Brandon Russell is the super sexy carpenter building up a storm on TLC's Trading Spaces. Easily filling Ty Pennington's boots of long ago, Brandon is passionate about carpentry and the viewers are passionate about him. One homeowner even tried to unzip him! We spoke for about an hour this week, and besides being gorgeous, Brandon is a true southern gentlemen. His drawl is adorable, and he is truly a sweet and smart guy. Brandon is also a former personal trainer, and his body is proof that he knows his stuff. Want to know his secret to spectacular abs? Read on!

Fitz: You're in your second season of Trading Spaces. How's it going?

Brandon: It's unbelievable! I've always wanted to work on television, and when I was told I got this job, I honestly cried. To be able to do what I love, carpentry, and just be myself on TV is an amazing gift. In fact, after I cried, I called all of the girlfriends I ever mocked for being weepy to apologize.

Fitz: That's pretty "manly" of you to admit it! But you're not just "the carpenter" on the show, you're the "hot carpenter." How's that?

Don't have the cash to have a trainer supervise every workout? Give your workout a boost with these five tips.

It took me five years -- five years! -- after having my second baby to get my body pretty much where I want it. It took Jessica Alba three months. The combination of full-time mommy duties, always-changing schedules, a crappy diet, and cancer just kept me forever short of my goals. Ah, to have succeeded in three months.

If you want to knock off some baby weight, you might want to follow Alba's lead -- if life allows for such a schedule, that is. Here's how the 27-year-old mom of baby Honor Marie did it.

• Alba consistently worked out -- one hour per day, five or six days per week.
• Alba stuck with a strict daily diet of 1,700 calories -- exercise and diet together allowed her to lose 600 calories each day. The diet was both low-fat and low-carb -- part of trainer Ramona Braganza's 321 Baby Bulge Be Gone plan.
• While vacationing, Alba stays active -- swimming and volleyball are favorite activities.
  

Apparently, the actress enjoys herself too but mostly, she longed to shed her baby weight, and she did. I did too. It just took more like, um, 60 months.

Not too long ago, I wrote about a workout More Magazine had specifically for women over 40. Now, some More Magazine readers have stepped forward to show that they're over 40 and fitter than they were in their 20's.

Some of their tips:

• Manage stress eating by making healthier, conscious choices.
• See a trainer to develop a strength training routine.
  
• Limit red meat and eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise daily.
• Shove self-doubt to the side and don't shy away from a challenge.
• Try a new activity.
• Even if you have a hectic schedule, be sure to take time to focus on yourself. Treat your health like the priority it is.
• Practice weight-bearing exercises to maintain healthy bone density.

It used to be that group classes at gyms were broken into a few small categories -- men/women, high intensity/low impact and so forth. But gyms have started to offer special classes that are designed to benefit much smaller groups. Most recently, gyms are offering classes designed for people with certain conditions or illnesses.

Osteoporosis, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions are just a few of the health problems gyms are starting to target. Depending on the condition, the classes may aim to improve the symptoms and/or reduce risk factors for recurrence.

If you have a specific condition, talk to one of the trainers at your gym. (Or call a local gym if you don't have a membership.) Even if they don't have condition-specific classes scheduled yet, they may have other gym-goers who are interested. In the meantime, a trainer can design a program that works specifically for your health needs.

Finding a new pair of running shoes can be a daunting task. There are dozens of brand names to choose from, not to mention hundreds of different models. And I don't know how it is where you live, but the people who work in the athletic stores are more interested in catching up on The Hills with their co-workers than helping me find the best fit for my running routine.

If you're looking for a new shoe, keep reading. Runner's World, the invaluable resource for all things running, has a shoe finding tool that will help you find not only a shoe that not only fits your needs, but your budget too. You can select your price range, favourite brand and desired characteristics, and the shoe finder gives you a list of models, complete with past reviews.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

(via Fitsugar)

Seeing Maria Menounos now, it's hard to believe she was ever overweight. However, in college, the brunette beauty would easily down five pieces of pizza in a sitting, eventually finding herself in a size 14. It was then that she decided it was time to do something about it.

It didn't happen instantly. "Depriving myself didn't work because, yeah, I'd resist a craving one night, but then it'd come back the next day and it'd be worse." She started eating just a little less pizza, and, by being a little more careful about what she ate, she lost 20 pounds in five months. She lost 20 more pounds over the next six months by adding in exercise.

What I find so impressive about this is that she did it before she was famous, before she had any money. She did hire a trainer once, though for $70: "I hired her for one session, and she wrote out for me a general circuit program of jump rope, steps, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and lunges." She still has that paper in case the pounds creep back on. However, seeing as how she's kept the weight off for nine years, that doesn't seem likely.

No need for an expensive trainer to motivate you in your fitness goals. A pedometer might be all you need.

Pedometers prompted a group of overweight folks in one University of Michigan study to move 20 to 40 minutes longer than those who didn't wear one. That's 2,000 to 4,000 more steps or an extra one to two miles, based on a three-mph walk. Logic has it that self-monitoring is too hard -- we tend to think we've walked longer than we have, for example. But watching a pedometer gives us the cold, hard facts on how many miles we've logged. Consider a pedometer a personal trainer you can wear.

I don't personally have a pedometer but I use my treadmill to chart much of my success. When I'm beginning to wind down my workout, I'll push myself if I see I'm just short of an accomplishment. If my three mile run has me completing, say, 30 minutes, I'll challenge myself to squeak in another two laps -- that's a half a mile and a whole lot more than I'd conquer if I was running outdoors, unaware of how my pursuits were adding up.

Are you a pedometer person?

The Active Health Network has just launched and you can find it at SportsHealthExercise.Org. I'm very excited to announce this to you, because I'm one of the several health and fitness experts contributing to the site. Unlike other health and fitness sites, SHE is owned by a fitness expert, Master of Exercise Physiology, Tracy Benham. She has also surrounded herself by other experts (like me) in unique genres of health.

SHE sports a bunch of great text info, and it's full of FITNESS TELEVISION! You don't have to settle for words, when you can see and hear the various experts blabbing about and showing you personally what they want you to know about becoming a better you. General fitness training, yoga, healthy cooking, etc...

So ... I'm stoked! We've done tons of work leading up to this point, and now I can't wait to see how all of that effort pays off for you. So ... what are you waiting for? Stop reading what I say and go listen and see instead.

I recently interviewed Erin Andrews, the very pretty and fit sideline reporter for ESPN. While we spoke, Erin told me her secret to staying really fit and trim. After gaining 10 pounds "eating like a guy" with the College GameDay crew, Erin was mortified to see her much larger bum showcased all over the internet.

I was like "Oh my God!" she said. "What happened to my butt?!!!" And with that ... Erin hired a trainer, changed the way she was eating and made sure she didn't try to keep up with her male coworkers at the bar. Can you imagine having the world document each and every pound you gained each day of your life?

Weight training is a great way to strengthen, tone, and shape your body. In addition, building up your muscles helps you burn fat and improves your bone density. But it's important to keep safety and proper technique in mind when lifting weights. When starting a new weight lifting routine, consider consulting with a personal trainer -- a trainer can give you ideas on a routine that works well for you and can instruct you on proper form. Here are some tips from Revolution Health to get you started:

• Do lift an appropriate amount of weight. For most purposes, a weight that you can lift 12 to 15 times is right.
  
• Do learn to do each exercise correctly. When you use proper form, you get the most benefit and you minimize your risk of injury.
• Do remember to breathe. Don't hold your breath while lifting.
  
• Do balance your routine. For the best results, remember to work all of your muscle groups.
  
• Do give your muscles a break. Alternate days that you work on muscle groups so your muscles have time to recover.

Weight lifting is great for your body. But if you don't follow proper technique you're not only wasting some of your effort, you're putting yourself at risk of injury. Incorrect technique can cause you to sprain or strain your muscles. You may even encounter more serious injuries like fractures or muscle tears. Revolution Health gives you some things to keep in mind:

• Don't skip your warm up. 5-10 minutes of aerobic activity will warm up your muscles and reduce your risk of injury.
• Don't hurry. Control your movements. A slow rhythm helps isolate the muscles so you know you're getting the most impact for your efforts.
• Don't overdo it. Pushing yourself way past the point of fatigue may cause injury.
• Don't work through the pain. While some soreness and mild discomfort is expected when you're working muscles, pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. Listen to your body's signals.
• Don't forget your shoes. Shoes will give you proper traction while lifting weights.

In an ideal world, we'd all eat perfectly and we'd always get all the vitamins we need. However, that's not always possible, especially for the super-busy Heidi Klum. Still, she makes sure she gets her vitamins. Or, rather, her trainer makes sure she does.

Klum works out with David Kirsch, who also trains celebs like Naomi Campbell and Anne Hathaway, and he ships her cases of his Super Juice packets, which, when added to water, add just 30 calories but provide your daily vitamins. He also provides his clients with Thermo Bubbles, which is supposed to boost energy and metabolism.

How about you? Do you rely on supplements to get what your body needs, or do you get it all through your food?

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey Fitz. I blew it! I am going on vacation with a bunch of my college buddies and some hot girls in four weeks. I've totally slacked off on my workouts since school ended and now I'd like to get ripped again before we head to Mexico. What can I do at my gym to shred a bit of fat and get buff quick before the trip? I know I'm a dork for slacking, but I also know you can help me improve. I'm willing to do the work! Jason

A. Familiar story Jason! You're not the only one who's taken some time off from their fitness training only to have it blow up in your face. You're also not the first person to try and undo the damage quickly. Four weeks is a pretty decent amount of time, so if you are really clean with your eating habits and start training intensely ... I think it would be safe to take off at least 10 pounds before you see Mexico, and all of those hot girls see you!

Just wanted to wish all of my fellow Americans a very happy Fourth of July, and to remind everyone why we celebrate. Of course politics can be rough, and the economy sometimes varies, but those things pale in comparison to all that this country has to offer. As I was explaining to my three and five year old children this week, we celebrate our freedom this Friday. As Americans we are able to choose our jobs, choose our religion, choose our spouse, choose our homes, and have as many or as little children as we'd like to have.

Nothing is perfect of course, but America is perfect for me. I rarely walk by a man or woman in uniform without thanking them for their service, nor an elderly man proudly wearing his baseball cap describing which branch of the military he served. I value the local and state law enforcement officers for placing their lives on the line each day to protect ours. I'm even grateful for the sometimes messy brood of politicians we elect to run this beautiful country of ours.

Lastly, I'm grateful for the nation of Americans. Thank goodness the majority of us are really good hardworking people. The good certainly outweigh the bad. I thank you for voting, working, educating your children, volunteering, helping strangers, and just making this country what it is today. I love it here. I'm proud to be here, and I'm grateful to those who laid their lives on the line to provide my family and I the simple yet irreplaceable luxury of freedom.