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Keeping Hollywood Healthy - Dan Isaacson

American Fitness, July, 2000 by Bonnie Siegler

Dan Isaacson says he produces "winning results" -- and has the celebrity clientele to prove it.

Do you want to look like John Travolta in Staying Alive? Or how about Kim Delaney on NYPD Blue? According to fitness expert and personal trainer Dan Isaacson, 3 short weeks is all it takes for you to look like you just walked down the red carpet at the Oscars. He should know, having trained Hollywood's A-list since 1982. "I'm considered the pioneer of private training because of the physical transformation of Travolta for that film role," says the 5' 7" Isaacson, who had everyone from David Geffen to Johnny Carson calling him after Travolta's amazingly chiseled body hit the big screen in Staying Alive. "That's what started private training in Hollywood."

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Currently president and founder of Sports Management International, a fitness consulting firm in Los Angeles, California, and acting executive director of the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports since 1995, Isaacson's career has seen many firsts. "In 1976, we were the first full-service athletic club--the precursor to the LA Sports Clubs and Sports Connections in America," he says. "In 1978, we were the first club to install computers. I've always been a pioneer of some sort or have been around it. I also saw the first Lifecycle."

Since then, Isaacson has become one of Tinseltown's most sought-after trainers, working on such hits shows as Mad About You and Married With Children, as well as box-office blockbusters such as Forrest Gump, When Harry Met Sally and Philadelphia. In addition, he has helped sculpt the likes of Salma Hayek, Holly Hunter, Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson.

Isaacson has now devised Winning Results, a weight loss and lifestyle enhancement program that promises you can lose 10 pounds in 3 weeks. From deep within the trenches of the thin, fit and beautiful--where Isaacson is the undisputed king--it seems the most basic scientific and common sense rules really do work. "In order to get and maintain winning results that last, you can't spend your life in diet meetings or spend a fortune on prepared meals," says the 50-something pro. "You can't take some magical potion or pill, you can't remove basic items from the essential food groups and you can't kill yourself with extreme exercise."

Breaking down his client list into three specific body types--ectomorphic, endomorphic and mesomorphic--Isaacson gives the best advice for each category:

Ectomorphic

EXAMPLES: Meg Ryan, Vendela, Lisa Hartman Black, Johnny Depp and Mathew Perry

DESCRIPTION: These are very lean people. Because of their metabolic rate, the amount of muscle mass they have is always going to be lean, regardless of their lifestyles.

NUTRITION: Ectomorphs' biggest challenge is scheduling regular eating times and eating enough to provide them the energy and consistency to sustain an energetic lifestyle. They should pick five times per day to eat and stick to the same schedule throughout the week.

Exercise: Workouts should be more geared toward weight training, with the cardiovascular program focusing on maintaining heart health rather than losing weight. Include 20 minutes of cardio/aerobic activity three times per week, plus exercise for body tone and flexibility, particularly from postural point of view.

Mesomorphic

EXAMPLES: Female--Kirstie Alley ("great muscular structure, very strong and lots of muscle mass"), Demi Moore, Jamie Lee Curtis, Victoria Principal and Salma Hayek; male--Tom Hanks, Wesley Snipes, Richard Gere ("who's a former athlete, which many don't know") and Michael Douglas.

DESCRIPTION: These are strong people who tend to have great adaptation to weight training. They can get too big by increasing muscle mass, so their goal should be balance.

NUTRITION: More protein intake is favorable because they have more muscle mass. They will usually need to be well-hydrated; therefore, they should have a glass of water before meals and at least a total of one liter of water per day. If in a hurry and need a snack, they should grab a protein bar.

EXERCISE: Mesomorphs are prime candidates for more intensive training. They have to balance cardio training with muscular work, using interval cardio training of 3:3 for 36 minutes--3 minutes of intense aerobic and 3 minutes of low-level activity--to improve heart health on days opposite of their weight training. On weight training days, implement a warm-up of 3 to 5 minutes.

Endomorphic

EXAMPLES: Wynonna Judd, Oprah, John Travolta, Jack Nicholson and Robin Williams

DESCRIPTION: This is a person who is just heavier, realizing that heavier is not bad. With proper training, this individual can get into very fit shape.

NUTRITION: The goal is to stay within the energy balance equation of having adequate calories from food and burning off a certain amount with physical activity. Before a meal, eat a bowl of vegetable soup--you'll eat less of the actual meal. Drink V-8 or vegetable juice as a snack for energy and to ward off hunger. Don't eat fried or deep-fried foods.

Keeping Hollywood Healthy - Dan Isaacson

American Fitness, July, 2000 by Bonnie Siegler

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