How to Achieve the Hollywood Physique of Your Favorite Celebrity

27-07-2008 by admin



How would you like to achieve the physique of your dreams?

How many times have you heard that? Probably far too many, from all the fad diets and “ab machines” you see on TV. Those secret magic fat loss pills your sister bought with bright eyes full of hope, aren’t really magic.

I’m not trying to be a downer here, but if you’ve ever wondered how the stars get their amazingly Adonis like physiques, know one thing: you’re going to have to work at it. They did. And you’re going to have to be disciplined. End of story.

That’s not to say there aren’t shortcuts. You will want to use the most of your time while exercising, and put the right things in your body in order to create that Hollywood Look. Grinding away on the treadmill for hours is not the way to do this, by the way. If you’re looking to emulate the training and nutrition tactics used to get awesome results, keep reading.

Interval Circuit Training

There’s a reason fitness models, elite level athletes and actors use circuit training as a large part of their fitness regimens; they are brutally effective at burning fat and strengthening existing muscle. They aren’t the best for building muscle, but excess muscle is undesirable anyway, when going for that slim and toned look. Remember, definition is the key ingredient here, far overpowering the need for massive size. That’s why high intensity circuits are so darn effective.

I’m going to show you my current favorite circuit training routine. You won’t need fancy equipment here. Nope, one of the awesome things about this (and many other circuit routines) is that it requires very little equipment, not much space, and is thus very versatile as far as where and when you can complete this workout.

You will need one moderately heavy dumbbell, as well as a pair of lighter dumbbells. Oh and did I mention this workout is great for men and women alike? It will burn fat and tone muscle – Great news for both genders. For men, I recommend a 30 lb dumbbell and a pair of 15 lb dumbbells, whereas women should use a 20 lb heavy dumbbell and maybe a pair of 8 lb dumbbells. This at least, is a good starting point. Adjust accordingly.

This workout will utilize basically every muscle in your body, including ones you may not yet know exist (you will be sore the next day). It is designed to increase muscular strength and tone while improving your overall physical stamina. If gaining a ton of lean mass is your current goal, you can still implement this workout into your program, but it will be used to supplement your normal weight training workouts.

- Total-body interval circuit, lasting 41 minutes total
- You perform 10 different exercises back-to-back, and repeat twice for a total of 3 rounds
- Each exercise is performed for 1 minute. You get 15 seconds rest between exercises. After the 10 exercise circuit is completed, you get 2 minutes rest before starting over from the beginning again. Then repeat once more for a total of 3
- Reps need not be counted, but rest as little as possible. Try and work your way up to completing the workout without any stopping, except during scheduled rest periods
- This workout is very demanding. Beginners should modify the movements and perhaps reduce the time

The 10 exercises go as follows:

1. Goblet Squat, heavier dumbbell
2. Mountain Climbers
3. Single-arm DB Swing, lighter dumbbell, 30 seconds each arm
4. T-Pushups, alternating, lighter dumbbells
5. Split Jumps
6. Bentover DB Row, lighter dumbbells
7. DB Side-lunge and Touch, lighter dumbbells, 30 seconds each side
8. Renegade Rows, alternating, lighter dumbbells
9. Forward-lunge and Twist, heavier dumbbell
10. DB Military press, lighter dumbbells

This workout demands a lot of core and leg movements. If you’re not currently working out your legs consistently, prepare for a rude awakening the following morning!

As mentioned above, mass-building is not the main result from this style of workout. If this doesn’t matter to you and your focus is solely muscular definition, Workout Routine A will chisel you the quickest. If you want to partition your efforts and build mass while also toning, go with Workout Routine B.

Workout A
Mon: Chest/Back
Tues: “INTERVAL ROUTINE”
Wed: Shoulders
Thur: “INTERVAL ROUTINE”
Fri: Arms, bi’s and tri’s
Sat: “INTERVAL ROUTINE”
Sun: REST DAY

Workout B
Mon: Chest
Tues: Back
Wed: “INTERVAL ROUTINE”
Thur: Legs
Fri: Shoulders
Sat: “INTERVAL ROUTINE”
Sun: REST DAY

There are many benefits to reap from incorporating this workout into your routine. It’s extremely effective at leaning out and dropping body fat. It’s also a full body workout, which is underrated in today’s fitness world. It’s also a great alternative to the treadmill or other less entertaining forms of cardio. As above, the only real drawback comes into play for those who are super concerned with packing on a bunch of mass. Heavy resistance training is the best route to that goal, which typically, intervals won’t offer.

The Lean Muscle Nutrition Plan

Although exercise is a critical component, diet will account for about 80% of what your body eventually looks like. I know it isn’t nearly as flashy or thrilling as the exercise portion, but what you put in your mouth will determine whether you can achieve the leanness necessary for this Adonis look or not. I’m going to recommend you choose the Paleo style of eating, which I have personally found to be the most effective way to lose fat at alarming rates.

Paleo is actually quite simple. Most importantly we are cutting out refined sugars and carbohydrates. This allows our bodies to keep insulin levels incredibly stable, as refined and processed carbs are the main cause of fluctuating insulin levels (which promotes fat storage). You are allowed to eat anything basically you would have found in nature, which is why it’s also known as the Caveman Diet. Lean meats and vegetables should be the mainstay the the diet. Fruit and nuts are encouraged as well, but in moderation.

There are some other very useful tactics you can use to expedite your fat loss endeavors even faster. Intermittent Fasting is a great example.

Paleo Sample Meal Plan

Breakfast – Big omelet, including yolks, with ground beef and spinach, salsa on top
Mid Morning – Almond butter spread on an apple or banana
Lunch – Roasted chicken thighs, broccoli with slivered almonds
Afternoon – Spinach salad with olive oil and diced chicken breast
Dinner – Sirloin steak, mashed yams w/ cinnamon and coconut butter, broiled asparagus
Dessert – Fruit salad with agave syrup

So there you have it. The training and nutrition plan to achieve a body even your favorite star would envy! Give it a try for a few weeks and I guarantee you’ll notice results, or your money back:)

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Hollywood Hypocrisy, Racism and The "Madea Principle"

by admin



Tyler Perry’s Madea character is a gun-toting, crude caricature of a “strong” (or maniacal) black woman. While we denounce films where black males settle their differences with guns, the media embraces this negativity wholeheartedly. What is the difference between the image presented by O-Dog in “Menace To Society” (played by Larenz tate) and Madea? How much positivity can be drawn from a black man dressed as a loud talking, gun-toting, short-tempered woman?

The common thread among “Perryites” is that they find a message in his works, but most people who watch his movie–young folks in particular–aren’t seeking a message. Like most filmgoers they seek two hours of something that draws them away from reality; amusement. The imagery is particularly bad if it portrays black men as weak and subservient, contradicting the traditional male model.

Non-threatening black images have been a Hollywood staple since the days of Bert Williams, Stepin Fetchit and Eddie “Rochester” Brown. That trend has continued onward and we have enough JJ’s, Reruns, Grady Wilsons and Anthony Bouviers (Meshach Taylor’s character on “Designing Women”) to prove it. This is why books, movies, CDs, etc. that bash black men are such big sellers. In that regard, Mr. Perry pales in comparison to the queen of the MISTERsogynists, Terri “My-man-caused-blues-are-yo-man-caused-blues” McMillan.

Blacks who confront racism head, even in a comedic vein like Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, wind up beat down by the same system that first propped them up. When is the last time you saw a Hughes Brother film getting major play in the media? Why is Spike Lee now making “safe” films? One of Mr. Lee’s films, “Bamboozled” was less product than prophecy, and all it takes is a look at the dearth of quality black films coming out of Hollywood. to see that decision makers in Hollywood see most blacks as buffoons.

Recently black thespians Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Jamie Foxx and Halle Berry have won Oscars. Furthermore, in recent years we have seen a spate of fine afrocentric films–”Ray”, “Antwone Fisher”, “Rwanda,” Lackawanna Blues” and “Drumline” to name a few. But for every one of those films there is a “Soul Plane”, “Pootie Tang”, “White Chicks” or a Tyler Perry creation–multiplied by three.

Why is there such a dearth of innovative black filmmaking? Where is the political satire (as in “Undercover brother”)? The believable love stories (as in the surprisingly good “Deliver Us From Eva”)? Where are the relevant bio-pics–such as The Jackie Robinson story, or a film detailing the lives of Frederick Douglas and Robert F. Williams?

Spike Lee attempts to answer that question, stating “The one way to change everything is to get Black people into those gate keeper positions (where they have the power to green light films). That’s how you change things, not with Academy Awards.”

The losers in this game are young black people, who are spoon-fed negative images of self under the guise of “comedy.” Meanwhile, films that attempt to elevate the level of consciousness (“Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored”, “Rwanda”, “Bamboozled” et al.) are poorly promoted, shown outside of the black community and largely ignored. This, in my view, is no coincidence. As long as the producers of these films don’t look, think or live like us, all we can expect to see from them is their twisted take of black life.

The sad and simple reality is that the black cinematic works being greenlighted for wide release usually portray blacks as clowns, drug dealers or gangsters. Blacks are a significant portion of the movie audience, and this is supported by the fact that three black films released in 2006 have finished number one at the box office during their first week of release. (“Inside Man,” “Madea’s Family Reunion” and “Big Momma’s House 2.”

Gitesh Pandya, editor of BoxOfficeGuru.com believes, “There is a six-week period where there is a lot of attention on African-American stories. The studios have figured out that this is a nice time of year to serve what is often times an underserved audience.” (Greg Hernandez, Los Angeles Daily News, April 14, 2006).

Hollywood Fascinated By Race

Recently I viewed the 1999 flick, “Whiteboyz” on HBO. It is a satirical, yet all-too real film about a white kid from Iowa who goes by the moniker Flip Dogg, and who glamorizes everything “black,” or at least his perception thereof. (Flip is played by the co-writer of the film, Danny Hoch). When Flip’s black friend Khalid tells him he isn’t black, Flip replies “I’m black on the inside…black is the dope s–t.” It takes a brutal reality check and the death of an innocent man before this kid is jarred back to his vanilla reality. Later that evening I caught Robert Benton’s, “The Human Stain.” Both films dealt with racial denial and the shame and self-hatred felt by many light-skinned blacks, But such introspective and informative perspectives on race are sore lacking in Hollywood, with one notable exception: “Crash,” which earned the 2006 Oscar for Best Picture. It too had race as the central theme. However, Hollywood relegates most films detailing the serious side of black life to the straight-to-video bin. Instead of “Lackawanna Blues” (Terrence Howard, Mos Def, S. Epatha Merkerson) getting major play, we get force-fed movies loaded with caricatures, such as “Madea’s Family Reunion.”

Hollywood sometimes confronts the issue of race, but usually that take is not realistic and oftentimes downright laughable (The 1995 John Travolta, Harry Belafonte film “White Man’s Burden” comes to mind). When it comes to black and white, why can’t we see more films like 1970s “The Landlord” (Beau Bridges and Diana Sands)? Instead we get Joe Pesci in “The Super” (1991), a film so laden with stereotypes its unwatchable.

Hollywood’s Dearth of Originality

I lament Hollywood’s moving from “storytelling” to “action sequencing”. Today’s movies stink for a variety of reasons, but one is what I call “The Piggyback Principle”: More commonly referred to as “monkey-see-monkey-do.” This is seen in the plethora of films with a similar theme (for example, the teen romance genre), or in the form of lame-brained sequels. This holds true for black “comedies” like “Soul Plane.”
Films today fail to let the camera tell the story, but rely too heavily on special F/X and gratuitous nudity.

As filmgoers, black and white patrons need to send a message. We are weary of Hollywood foisting mindless, unfunny racist comedies and unrealistic portrayals of black life. We demand realism, respect and less of the mind-rotting schlock being passed off today as “art.”

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Is the Book Always Better than the Movie?

20-07-2008 by admin



With a slew of movies coming out that have been modeled after popular books, it seems to be a prevalent theme that the book is almost always better than the movie. Perfect case in point is the latest release “The DaVinci Code”, an adaptation of the wildly popular and controversial work of fiction by author Dan Brown. I loved the book, couldn’t put it down. But the movie was average.

In the case of the Twilight book series about vampire Edward Cullen and his human lady love Bella Swan, you may expect that the movie be hokey and unlikable. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed the movies Twilight and New Moon slightly better than I enjoyed the books. I have to credit talented young actors (the fact that they looked great onscreen didn’t hurt), and stylish editing and filming for that. In fact, that movie franchise is so popular that the small film company that put them out is enjoying the most profit it’s ever seen off of one of it’s releases.

The newer release of Dennis Lehane’s thriller/mystery novel movie adaptation “Shutter Island” has proven to be a great book adapted into a great movie. But come on, Leo DiCaprio paired with director Martin Scorsese. Can you really go wrong with these two? I mean, look at “The Aviator”. I rest my case.

If I would have only seen the movie and not read the book, I would have walked out of the theater with the conclusion that I would not have wanted to read such a mediocre book. Of course for every status quo, there are always exceptions to the rule. The movies “Angela’s Ashes” based on Irish novelist Frank McCourt’s story of a poor Irish family ended up being an excellent film, well acted with a perfect cast and authentic feel.

Another example of a good movie based on a book is the autobiography about an embittered Vietnam veteran, Ron Kovic, played in the big screen adaptation by Tom Cruise (before he was annoying). The film ended up being a heart breaking protrayal of a man who served his country in good faith, and then lost his legs and seemed to be cast off and forgotten by the very government he fought to protect.

Let’s not also forget an excellent silver screen adaptation of the novel Dr. Zhivago, played by Omar Sharif, and the story of his unrequited love for Lara Antipova, played by the beautiful Julie Christie. This masterpiece of a film was directed by David Lean with a true authenticity and loyalty to the story. It seems that if the director and actors really know the story, this is when the best results occur.

The trouble is when a movie is just thrown together, without the time being taken to maintain the integrity of the written story, and the money to make the sets as realistic as possible, or sometimes it’s just plain old misdirection.

Take for example the adaptation of the science fiction novel Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard. The movie, featuring John Travolta dressed in alien garb, ended up being a gross misinterpretation of the story, as well as the brunt of several jokes around Oscar time, due to its poor reception from audiences and critics.

Or how about the unforgettable Ishtar starring Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty? This atrocity was the brunt of jokes for years after its dismal release as the most boring movie ever made. And what about this list of bombs that originated as well spun novels and novellas, only to be poorly translated to the big screen?

- Dangerous Minds

- Dune

- The First Wive’s Club

- Freaky Friday

- Girl Interrupted (this may just be my opinion though)

- The Ghost and the Darkness

- Little Women

- True Blood (the first season of this show was great, the second fell flat on it’s face and disgraced the interesting books it is based on).

And the list goes on. Just goes to show, the majority of the time, one’s imagination can produce far more vivid and emotionally moving images than that of a Hollywood director, or any amount of special effects.

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