Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Summer Shape-Up: Interview With Personal Trainer Bob Greene

Aired June 15, 2002 - 08:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: So you've taken the challenge and you're on the road to get physically fit, but you've decided you want a little bit of that one-on-one help. Well, in this week's "Summer Shape-Up" segment, we'll help you select an affordable, efficient personal trainer. Joining me with all the ins and outs in personal training and best-selling author Bob Greene. Most recent book is "Get With the Program."

Thanks so much for joining us, Bob.

BOB GREENE, PERSONAL TRAINER: Kyra, thanks for having me on today.

PHILLIPS: And I think, of course, you really did become very famous, even more famous, when word came out that you were the personal trainer to Oprah. What did you first tell her -- I'm just curious, when you hooked up with her? How did you start with Oprah?

GREENE: Well, I was setting up a spa out in Colorado, and she checked in opening week. And the owners of the spa said, well, could you work with her? And I said, sure. But the interesting thing is, I never owned a TV as an adult, even through graduate school and college, so I had never seen her show. And I think that actually helped -- finally someone that really didn't know too much about her life.

PHILLIPS: Sure. And wanted to get together for professional reasons, not just because she was a star. Well, I've been getting a lot of e-mails. One of the biggest questions I have received is, the folks that lose a lot of weight and put it back on, then lose a lot of weight and put it back on, you talk a lot about the emotional aspect to losing weight. Can we talk a little bit about that?

GREENE: Well, I think before someone even starts an exercise and an eating right program, they should learn about their emotions. They should also be physically prepared. And if I could take a second, know your numbers. So important to know your blood cholesterol, your blood pressure, and your blood glucose before you adopt an exercise program. It's something ignored. And if any of those numbers are out of line, get them under control.

Cholesterol is a good example. If diet and exercise doesn't bring it into the normal range, you know, you might be a candidate for (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but by all means, get those numbers in a normal range and then start your exercise program.

PHILLIPS: Also, too, you and I were talking about -- food is an addiction. I mean, you could work out, you know, get in that mind-set to work out and lose that weight, but if you don't get that emotional side under control and that addiction under control, you know, how do you do that? And we talk about working out, it triggers the endorphins et cetera and that helps the head issues, but what else can you add to that?

GREENE: Well, so many people go into this and think that if I reach a certain size or weight, I'm going to be happy. Now, when you say that to yourself, only one of two things usually happens. You never lose the weight, and therefore, by your own proclamation you are never happy, or even worse, you reach your goal weight and realize that has nothing to do with your happiness, and that's when the old habits creep back in. The exercise is no longer fun. You've reached the goal. Where is there to go? It's all about happiness in other areas of your life.

You know, you have to eat the right foods and you have to exercise, that's a given, but the hard work is learning about your emotions and why your life maybe unfulfilled, and you're using food for more than it really was meant for.

PHILLIPS: All right, Bob, I just got a business idea for us. We're going to start a company with personal trainers who also have a degree in psychology. What do you think?

GREENE: You know, I think it's key. It's interesting. Now all my talks, I almost always have a small group of psychologists that show up. And believe me, they're going to be breaking into the field. And that's exactly what's needed.

PHILLIPS: That's what we've got to be looking for. OK.

How do you pick a personal trainer? There are a lot of quacks out there. We were talking about this in the newsroom. Hey, there are a lot of young kids at these gyms that are charging a lot of money, and you know, they're not really doing anything differently than what we read about in a magazine.

GREENE: What you should look for is somebody, first off, certified. And there are two organizations I like the best -- ACMS, which is the American College of Sports Medicine. Also, ACE, the American Council on Exercise. That assures you that that person went through some good training related to showing your results about training with weights or about aerobic exercise.

That's the first thing you want to do. And you can call those organizations. They each have, I believe, an 800 number that you can look up and call and see certified individuals in your particular area.

The next thing is you have to realize that your trainer works for you. And interview them just like you would hiring any employee. Make sure your personalities mesh. That's very important. And also, that person should be very motivating. And don't commit to a bunch of sessions up-front. A lot of the trainers now will make your pay for 20, 25, 30 sessions up-front. Take a couple of sessions. Make sure that's the person that you should be working with.

PHILLIPS: What if you can't afford a trainer? It's very expensive. I mean, I'm blown away at how much these trainers cost. Is there a way to get around that?

GREENE: There's a couple of ways. One, some of the clubs that you join if you belong to a club, kind of subsidize that and bring that cost down. But also, people are under the impression that, oh, if I work with a trainer, it's got to be two, three times a week, and that's not true.

In fact, a lot of trainers, what they will do, and I think this is a great idea -- charge a one-time fee and set you up for six months, even a year, with just one session. And that's called a consultation. Sometimes it takes an hour and a half or two hours. You pay a one-time fee, and then you work out on your own. I think that's a really good way to go.

Some other options are just see a trainer once a week, once a month, once every six months where they can update your program. So you can kind of pick whatever fits your budget.

PHILLIPS: All right, Bob. We're going to take a quick break. We got tons of e-mails. We want to get people to call in, too. Stick around. If you want to get your questions answered by Bob, you can e- mail us at wam@cnn.com, or call us now, 404-221-1855. We're going to answer your questions next when CNN's "Summer Shape-Up" continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Welcome back. We're still talking exercise and personal trainers. It's time now to take your questions, and you can call us at 404-221-1855. Fitness expert Bob Greene is here with many answers for us. Bob, thanks again for being with us.

GREENE: It's good to be here.

PHILLIPS: We're going to go right to the phone calls. Selena (ph) is on line from New York. Go ahead, Selena (ph).

SELENA: Hi, Bob. Good morning.

GREENE: Good morning.

SELENA: I'm 38 years old, involved in a car accident in 1999, looking for some exercise to do. I have several back injuries.

GREENE: If you're looking for some basic exercise, first thing I would do is put some cardiovascular exercise in your life. But not knowing too much about your condition, I think your physician's going to best give you some tips about what's appropriate.

But try different things. Quite often after an accident or an injury, you'll get on the treadmill and realize that it aggravates, say, your back, but sometimes doing slight adjustment, such as putting a hill in there allows you to slow down. And the reason I mention that is you might reach a speed where the exercise is still challenging, but it allows you to slow down and take the impact off your back. So try many different things; also consult with your physician.

PHILLIPS: All right. Monique (ph) on the line from Canada. Go ahead, Monique (ph).

MONIQUE: Well, good morning. Hi, Bob. I'm a big fan.

GREENE: Good morning.

MONIQUE: I have recently lost a lot of weight, 140 pounds.

PHILLIPS: Wow.

GREENE: Congratulations.

MONIQUE: And I've kept it off for about a year. But those last 20 pounds, I tell you, are a killer. What do you think a ratio of diet exercise is? Like, how many times a week somebody should be working out, to maintain their weight, let's say?

GREENE: Well, for losing weight, the rules are a little different. You need a higher consistency. Usually at least five times a week, if not six times a week with one day off. Seems to be better for weight loss.

Now, one thing I will mention to you: Your body will always fight you for that last 15 or 20 pounds. It's a defense mechanism, and it's tough. It's not the same set of rules. You are going to have to work a lot harder to get that last 15 pounds. There is no question about it.

And that's one of the keys. Most people that really want to get rid of the final pounds have to up their intensity a little bit. If you've been exercising on a treadmill at a certain speed and grade, usually that has to come up a little bit for you to be successful getting rid of those last pounds.

PHILLIPS: All right, how about an e-mail. Jim wants to know, "what's the best way to lose the layer of fat on your mid-section? I'm in great shape except for my stomach." Oh, Jim, I can feel your pain. The potbelly syndrome.

GREENE: I'll tell you something. This is something that keeps people always ask this, number one question. Spot reducing. There is no such thing as spot reducing. Unfortunately, magazines, very reputable magazines, lead you to believe there's an exercise that allows you to lose weight in an area. It's genetically controlled. That's the bad news.

The good news is there are things you can do. Good quality aerobic exercise -- walking, climbing stairs, elliptical exercise -- and one other exercise, what I call a push away. It's push away from the table a little sooner than you have been.

PHILLIPS: That's the hardest part, Bob, because that tastes so good.

GREENE: That's the hardest part, you're right. Being on the treadmill is nothing; it's pushing away from that table that's tough.

PHILLIPS: No kidding.

All right. These are coming across just now. I'm getting them right off the computer. Mary wants to know about advice for early stages of osteoporosis. What could she do? What kind of routine could she get in to exercise-wise for that?

GREENE: The single best way to fight osteoporosis is with resistance training. The aerobic exercise will help, but the real key is weight training or resistance, strength training program. And I recommend about eight exercises. I have them in the book, and there are some other good books out there that show you basic exercise that exercise each major muscle group. So you're going to want at least one exercise, strength or weight training exercise, for each of the major muscle groups. And that's the most effective way. The most effective way, also, to combat the effects of age.

PHILLIPS: Another phone call. Vicki (ph) is on the line. Go ahead, Vicki (ph).

VICKI: Good morning. It's nice to talk with you.

GREENE: Good morning.

VICKI: I'm a physician from Danbury, Connecticut, and I'd just like to mention, I have a special interest in helping people lose weight, and I'd like you to comment on the fact that seeing a personal trainer is an excellent way for someone with a disability, such as an old injury or morbid obesity or something like severe arthritis, to find an exercise that would be safe for them, and seeing a personal trainer is not just for people who are relatively physically fit.

GREENE: It's a good question. In each person -- as a trainer, you really need to take each person as an individual, and what works for some, for example, a knee injury or arthritic pain, there's no secret that says everyone should be doing this exercise. You have to experiment, try some different exercises. A lot of times, as I said before, get on a treadmill and play with the grade. Usually putting a nice hill in there allows you to slow down, and that takes that pounding off of your body, which is what you're looking for. Try different things through trial and error and see.

Also, go back to a physician. They're going to know more than anyone what you're capable of and what you're not. So try different things. And obviously, swimming. While not the best weight loss exercise, it's still very good exercise for those that have, say, certain kinds of problems that that they can't put weight on a joint.

PHILLIPS: Cindy from Virginia, got an e-mail. "I'm 44-year-old woman and have no discipline. Every day, I say I'm going to do something and I don't. I'm getting fatter and I'm driving myself crazy."

GREENE: OK. Good question. I think so many people fall into this where there's more of a guilt that they're not doing anything. Just like the first of the year, everyone goes on a diet and an exercise program.

But the real core -- they're not really sure why they're doing it. And that's so important. That's why I have 12 questions in "Get With the Program" to ask yourself. Are you just going through the motions and kind of, yeah, you'd like the weight to go but you don't necessarily want to work for it? That just doesn't happen. Obviously, you are going to have to change your life permanently, and there are emotional issues attached that you need to just ask yourself the honest questions. Why do you want this for yourself? And is the motivation to wake up and lace up those sneakers good enough to provide you what you need emotionally?

PHILLIPS: Bob Greene, getting us all with the program. Thanks for being with us.

GREENE: Great to be here. Thanks for having me on today.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com