Trainer Trilogy Part 3

Now you know what it takes to be a successful personal trainer, the next step is marketing. You've likely already done a little bit of marketing by submitting your CV/Resume to employers. Now comes the time to market yourself to potential clients.
And this will be a major step and the key to a successful career as a personal trainer...

You need to understand that you are your business and your business is you. How you present yourself and your business will likely determine the kind of client you will attract. Many personal trainers focus so much on exercise that they focus a lot less on marketing, which can often be 80% of how you get your clients. Marketing involves positioning yourself in such a way that people can see you exercising. This means that when you are at the gym, you are interacting with different gym members, so that others around can see your particular style and what you have to offer. You also want to make sure you market yourself outside the gym. Always have business cards on you. You can also go to events where you can pick the type of clients you want to market yourself too. There is no need to think of yourself simply as a sales person. You are simply watching out for other people's health as well as your own business. Networking will be the growth of your business or the death of your business so make sure you are targetting the clients you feel you are right for. You also need to target as many people as you can. This can be done via the internet, mailings and e-mail. You need to explore different avenues. Growing your personal trainer business takes time and successful personal trainers achieve their status because they have concentrated on something that sets them apart from others who are in the business of fitness marketing. Unless you can make yourself stand out from your competitors then you will never be able to charge higher rates for your services. A good way to market yourself is to get testimonials from other people.

One of the things that all successful personal trainer marketing exercises rely on is a unique selling point, something that makes them stand out from the competition. What most successful marketing relies upon is coming up with an idea that will alter the public perception of their business. If you want to make more money out of your business then you really do have to get tuned in to fitness marketing. No matter how many certificates you have or how great you yourself look, unless you can find a way of marketing your services then you will never make a lot of money as a personal trainer. Most small businesses stand or fall on how well and how consistently they are marketed by their owner. If you don't promote yourself and get into fitness marketing then nobody is going to do it for you.

As a sidenote, and as your business progresses and begins to succeed, stay true to the high standards that you originally projected. I used to work in a restaurant in Florida where you needed to earn the right to become a Server. I then found that many Servers would then become obsessed with getting higher tips that they would neglect the customers/guests who potentially wouldn't tip well. In America, most Americans tip well whereas in the UK, the British generally don't tip so well. Therefore having British guests in an American restaurant is not an ideal combination for a Server in the US. And although this reputation is unfortunately well-earned, there is no need to compromise your high standards. If you are a trainer at a gym and also personally train others while there, please do not neglect the gym members who perhaps you see each day but don't hire you as their personal trainer.

That said, you are getting paid for your time and if you are going to be successful then you want to be able to charge the highest rates for your time as a personal trainer. It is not just your expertise that sets you apart from other personal training professionals, it is how you sell that expertise and the kind of market that you attract - that is why you need to develop a unique selling point. What do you have to offer your potential clients that your competitors don't? When you are marketing yourself and your business you need to focus on the value that you offer your clients. Once this is recognized your success rate should start to improve. And I'm sure that me saying "do it yourself" is great and all, but if you've never done marketing before you may be asking yourself- So how can you do that? Well let's see...

You should first consider ways of attracting clients. Let's break it down into steps:

Step 1: Incorporate the 3 foot rule.

Everyone within 3 feet of you has the right to know about your business. Do not keep it a secret. You are a fitness professional and run a personal trainer business. Since health and fitness should be a top priority for the people around you, they most likely need your expertise, and specialized personal training services.

Make sure you brand yourself, and your business well. What is special about you? What do you have to offer? I was speaking with a trainer at my gym earlier this week about marketing. I recommended she focus on all the special things she has to offer that no one else does. She happens to be the only qualified and experienced Pilates trainer at my current gym. No one else is. She has a head start right there. You need to have personal trainer business cards printed up so you can distribute them to the people you encounter at any time. Putting your picture on the front of the card, and a motivational slogan on the back is a good idea. Maybe you could use the initials in your first name to form a slogan. Just make sure your slogan is unique and that your business card is designed using a simple font. If you were going for a really basic font I would choose Arial over Times New Roman. You can actually design your own font by visiting http://www.yourfonts.com/ . A website could also help. Examples of good fitness websites include the following:

www.kimlyons.com
www.jillianmichaels.com
www.mytrainerbob.com
www.jamieeason.com

Do not be shy or apologetic! Tell people, passionately, about what you actually do, and how you can empower them. If you happen to run a fitness class, don't simply say you offer personal training services at the end of class- offer gym members your card so that they have an option to get in touch with you.

Step 2: Build your referral network with other health care professionals.

You could simply contact health institutions to ask about leaving your card available for their patients. Maybe you could also try placing your business cards in a local tanning salon. Just make sure they are placed at a location where they aren't simply going to be thrown away.

Step 3. Seek joint ventures with fitness equipment retail stores.

When fitness enthusiasts purchase a piece of exercise equipment they generally need instruction from a qualified personal fitness trainer. Why shouldn't that be you? When establishing a business joint venture it is crucial to present yourself in a very professional manner. It is important to bring along professional sales literature introducing yourself, and your personal training business.

Step 4: Get in PR mode.

Educate yourself regarding PR, or hire a PR firm to aggressively market your business. Become the celebrity expert, or go-to personal trainer in your market.
Whenever you can get press coverage, take advantage of it. Another good tip is to give back to your community, and always be searching for opportunities to get your name out to your market.

Step 5: Incorporate seminars.

You can do monthly, or weekly orientation seminars informing potential personal training clients about how to get fit, and a greater insight into the specific of your personal trainer business. Or how about offering special fitness and nutrition consultations. If you feel confident and safe enough, you could offer clients a healthy shopping list review.

Share with seminar attendees how your services of fitness training can benefit them.

Attracting new clients does not have to be as difficult as it appears. It just takes a bit of action. Just do it! Do not let anything hold you back.

Focusing on acquiring more fitness training clients is the key to building a highly profitable personal trainer business. Utilize as many fitness marketing tips you possibly can to propel your training business to the next income level. With a little personal training marketing education, your business will surely grow profitable.

You could really raise your game by positioning yourself as the leading fitness expert in your area. Here are a few of the reasons/benefits to being an expert of this really high level:

- Media Exposure / Publicity
A positive piece of publicity is far more effective than any form of advertising or promotion out there. When people are told by their local paper/ TV news about how great your service is, they think much more of it because it’s coming from a trusted/credible source.

- Instant Credibility
In addition to the positive media exposure, being an expert adds instant credibility and allows you to get your message in front of many more people.

You can do radio/TV interviews, write articles, perform demonstrations, and even end up hosting your own radio/TV show – the possibilities are endless. Your chances of receiving the above benefits is much harder, if not impossible unless you position yourself as an expert. A starting point could be to contact the agents of celebrities you may wish to train and at a bargain price for them. Then perhaps the celebrity will provide you with a testimonial which will of course attract even more attention to your business. Be realistic though. In the UK, most major agencies and their clients are based in London, so if you aren't in London, be prepared to travel there. Also remember that no gym can obligate you to promote the gym you're working at in addition to your own personal training. Obviously though, mentioning the gym will be appropriate when you are using it to personally train that specific client. Essentially though, both you and your gym are separate entities.

- Large numbers of people
Another benefit of being the leading fitness expert in your field is that you have the ability to get your message in front of more people. For example, would you rather meet with one potential client/customer a week or dozens?

So how do you position yourself as an expert? Here’s what you need to do:

1. Write one new article each week/month

You should sit down at least once a month and write a short, but information packed fitness article. Then send it to your local media, put it on your website, use it in your newsletter, and submit it to other fitness websites. After a while you’ll find that you'll be getting all sorts of requests to use your articles and tons of exposure.

2. Speak to groups / teach classes / seminars / workshops.

Yes I'm mentioning classes and seminars again. These are obvious options but there are many other possibilities available to you. So how do you set up additional classes? You go online to the Google search engine and you type "Adult learning in your city". You should come across quite a few organizations that offer numerous classes and workshops for adults. Check them out and see if they are offering any fitness classes. If not, perfect… contact them and offer to teach a class. If they already are offering some fitness classes, that’s great too – this means there is definitely the demand and they see the value in offering fitness classes.

3. Write a book or produce a video

You can sit down and write a small book or you could simply compile all those articles you’ve written and do a little editing and there you go! I'm thinking about doing the same with this Fitness & Nutrition Lifestyle Blog. Now all I have to do is act on that idea. You can create an e-book or an audio CD or Download. As an example, when I put my first album 'Only Love - The Complete Remixes Collection' on iTunes and Amazon.com two years ago (it featured music from a student film I'd made in 1997), I did it via www.tunecore.com . You could record a piece of audio around fitness, nutrition or wellness and distribute it to the world. There are so many options. Just pick one and go for it!

Phew! There you have it. I'd like to conclude the Trainer Trilogy by saying that you determine the path you will take as a fitness trainer. You've learned in this trilogy of blog entries how to become a fitness trainer, how to be successful at it and how to market yourself, particularly as an expert in your field. I hope you've learned something from it, and believe that by you learning from it, your future as a personal trainer will be very bright indeed!

Good Journey!

Trainer Trilogy Part 2

So you've somehow managed to find money to pay for the course, done the work to get through the certification and passed the test. You are now a personal trainer. Now the real journey begins...

Once you've completed your certification, your next step is to get a fitness trainer job. Chances are this can be arranged via the company that helped you get the certification in the first place. Alternatively, useful UK websites include www.leisurejobs.com www.fitnessfirst.co.uk www.leisureopportunities.co.uk www.monster.co.uk www.reed.co.uk www.eifitness.co.uk www.fusejobs.co.uk www.careerbuilder.co.uk and www.monster.co.uk . In the US useful websites include www.exercisecareers.com www.craigslist.org and www.totaljobs.com .

A gym has now agreed to employ you. You are a personal trainer working at a gym. Are you a successful trainer yet? In a word, the answer is- No. To be a successful trainer you need to start by looking at things from the perspective of your client(s)/customer(s). The client may be thinking about some of the following questions:

- If The Trainer Is Certified, Does That Means He/She Is Good?

The fact of the matter is that just because a trainer holds a certification does not determine whether the trainer is a good trainer or not. The reason for that is because most certifications are very easy to get and besides that, most use outdated information. I've found this to be very apparent when asking trainers at my current gym specific questions. Their knowledge of fitness and nutrition tends to be outdated on occasion. So as a trainer you need to keep yourself updated on the latest fitness and nutrition breakthroughs at all times so that you are not telling your clients incorrect information.

- What If The Trainer Has A College/University Degree And Looks Great?

If the trainer has some sort of degree that is somehow associated with the fitness realm, that only means that such trainer has some brains to him/her. Such a degree alone does not qualify the trainer as a good one either. Also, the fact that the trainer has the body that resembles the one that you have as a goal does not necessarily mean that the trainer knows what he/she is doing. Some people just have good genetics and whether they know what they are doing or not they end up looking good. On a sidenote, as a trainer you also need to be aware of what hutrition information you are giving out. Any trainer or non-trainer can claim to be a nutritionist. Remember that you are not a Dietician! I remember recently asking a trainer about the difference between two different foods on the GI Load Scale, to which I received a lecture all about the GI Index which is different from GI Load. If you the trainer don't know something, acknowledge that to your client and then do your utmost to find out the necessary accurate information.

So for you the personal trainer- what does it take to be a good trainer?

You the trainer need to really care whether the client achieves good results or not, and thus for this to happen you need to get to know the client's personality, goals and limitations. Do not judge any gym member at the gym before getting the complete information! Also, please don't design a generic "one size fits all" formula. Every client is different and you the trainer should also teach the client how to vary the program in order to avoid boredom. Please bare in mind too that yes, change is good so that your body doesn't adapt to the same routine, but whatever does the job the most efficiently whether it is the same exercise again and again or not, also needs to be considered. In addition you should be checking if the client has any medical conditions, you need to be on time to scheduled woorkouts/classes, you need to motivate and make your client feel comfortable, and you should practice what you preach and lead by example. Remember that the client is showing faith in you by choosing you as their personal trainer- it is up to you to live up to their faith in you!

If I were advising a gym member who already had a personal trainer, I would suggest they be aware of the following warning signs:

The trainer...

• Ignores or dismisses your questions.
• Works you so hard you're in pain for days. Soreness is normal, but you should still be able to get out of bed.
• Neglects any part of a complete program or recommends a level of training that's too hard for you.
• Recommends questionable supplements or herbs. Always talk to your doctor before taking anything!
• Diagnoses injuries or illnesses instead of referring you to a doctor
• Interrupts your session to talk to friends or take phone calls (unless it's an emergency or can't be avoided).
• Doesn't return phone calls or emails.

Make sure that you as the trainer do none of the things above. And remember to focus completely on your client.

There is so much more I can go into to talk about what it takes to be a successful fitness trainer. And there are many perspectives to be taken into account. The perspective I know most about though is my own as a gym member. Therefore, I will talk about a typical time at my current gym and the hits and misses from the trainers that work there:

First off, when I enter the gym early in the morning, I may or may not be greeted depending on which day and which trainers are working on a particular day. Basically every gym member is meant to be greeted by the desk staff and/or any nearby trainer, unless said trainer is in conversation with or training another gym member. It is unfortunate that I am not always welcomed at my gym. I'd like to think that if you aren't greeted in a friendly manner at the gym, it's like going through a day without having breakfast. By being greeted/having breakfast, you are invigorated and motivated to get your workout/day off to a strong and energized start. Certain trainers at my gym don't realize the power of a simple "hello". Thank goodness that a few do because I would otherwise obviously transfer to a more welcoming gym. I also happen to like people who are exceptional at what they do. I consider exceptional to meaning doing something great all of the time, not just once in a while. This could mean saying "hi" every morning. I am disappointed in the unexceptional trainers at my gym, but extremely grateful to the exceptional ones.

My current gym also runs several classes. These include BoxFit, Running Club, Boxercise, Body Tone, Spin, LBT (Legs/Bums/Tums), Pilates, Spin & Abs and Bootcamp. Several instructors run classes, most of which are up to the task. Unfortunately there are a couple of trainers who are just not up to par. Common Mistakes include:

Having a Bad Attitude - To run a class successfully you need to be able to lead and motivate your class. Seeming unfriendly, or looking like you can't be bothered to even run the class only has a detrimental effect.

Not Counting Properly - Certain classes involve counting exercises through. To be successful at this you need to count in time, consistently and not skip numbers.

Not Being Equal - Working one side of the body but not the other is not ideal.

Not Using Common Sense - Explaining more than 10 exercises at once and at a quick pace at the beginning of a circuit class will likely lead to the class participants forgetting a number of those exercises. In addition, asking participants to face a wall and do certain exercises in perfect time with everyone else is particularly difficult for participants since they will likely not have eyes in the back of their head.

There is so much to being a successful trainer which many trainers take for granted, thus making them unsuccessful trainers. To be a successful trainer you need to be at the top of your game every day with all of your clients and the gym members you interact with. Don't forget that as with your own fitness and nutrition lifestyle, knowledge is only potential power. It only becomes true power if you act on it. So to be a successful trainer, act on what it takes to actually be one.

Now you know what it takes to be a successful personal trainer, the next step is marketing. You've likely already done a little bit of marketing by submitting your CV/Resume to employers. Now comes the time to market yourself to potential clients.
And this will be a major step and the key to a successful career as a personal trainer...

Many personal trainers focus so much on exercise that they focus a lot less on marketing, which can often be 80% of how you get your clients. Marketing involves positioning yourself in such a way that people can see you exercising. This means that when you are at the gym, you are interacting with different gym members, so that others around can see your particular style and what you have to offer. You also want to make sure you market yourself outside the gym. Always have business cards on you. You can also go to events where you can pick the type of clients you want to market yourself too. There is no need to think of yourself simply as a sales person. You are simply watching out for other people's health as well as your own business. Networking will be the growth of your business or the death of your business so make sure you are targetting the clients you feel you are right for. You also need to target as many people as you can. This can be done via the internet, mailings and e-mail. You need to explore different avenues. So how can you do that? Well let's see...

To Be Concluded...

Trainer Trilogy Part 1

Going to the gym regularly I find myself dealing with trainers all of the time. At my particular gym I find that each trainer has various skills. Some trainers are more experienced, some are more professional and some are friendlier and more welcoming than others. All in all though, I am fortunate enough to be able to say that I have learned something new from every single trainer at my gym and that this has enhanced my personal workout and fitness.

As I focus in this week on personal trainers as part of the Trainer Trilogy of blog entries, I will break things down into 3 areas. I will begin today by focusing on what it takes to become a personal trainer. Then tomorrow I will take a look at what it takes to actually be a successful personal trainer. Finally, I will complete the trilogy with a look at personal trainer marketing. So let's begin...

When working towards becoming a personal trainer, your primary goal is to get certified, and better yet, to get the best certification you can. To do that you need to study hard. It also helps to be around the environment you're working in by gaining experience. This can be done by contacting gyms and asking about the possibility of interning there so that you can learn the ropes. Or you can simply attend a few classes as a gym member and learn that way by taking part and asking questions. You also have to bare in mind that you have to be committed to further success, and this means putting in the necessary work and going the extra mile. Finally, when you're ready, it's time to do the certification, pass the test and become a certified personal trainer.

In the UK, to become a personal trainer you need to be on the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS). This is broken down into 4 levels. Most personal trainers will work their way up to level 3.

The 4 levels of registration on REPs are part of the following qualifications framework:

Level 1 Student

Student members are not yet qualified and must be supervised by a qualified member of staff. Level 1 can be taken by 14-year-olds upwards.

Level 2 can cover the following:

•Water Based Exercise
•Exercise to Music
•Gym

Level 3 can cover the following:

•Advanced Fitness Instruction
•Advanced Group Exercise to Music
•Exercise Movement & Dance Partnership Teacher (EMDP)
•Personal Training
•Pilates Teacher
•Yoga Teacher
•Exercise Referrals

Level 4 - Specialist Exercise Instructor

Level 4 is awarded to individuals who can demonstrate that they have met the Level 4 National Occupational Standards in one or more medical areas having completed and passing one of the following approved Level 4 qualifications:

•BACR Phase IV Exercise Instructor Training
•WRIGHT Foundation Cardiac Rehab Phase IV
•Later Life Training Postural Stability Instructor (PSI)
•Active IQ Certificate in Exercise for the Management of Lower Back Pain
•Queen Margaret University - Exercise after Stroke: Specialist Instructor Training
Course
•Remedial Instructor (Military Only)

There are various companies in the UK that you can get your personal trainer certification through. Premier Training at http://www.premierglobal.co.uk/courses offers Diploma in Personal Training courses for between £2750.00 and £3995.01. Future Fit at www.futurefit.co.uk offer the following courses and prices- Personal Trainer (£2,596), Advanced Personal Trainer (£3,924.50), Total Immersion! (£5,494), Complete Mat Pilates-Level 3 Award (£1,419.50), Nutrition Specialist (£1,153), Studio Professional (£1,134), and Advanced Studio Professional (£2,279). And Discovery Learning offer you the opportunity to become one of the UK's first Exercise and Obesity Specialists through their Level 4 course. Further information is available via Leisure Jobs at http://www.leisurejobs.com/jobprofile-275087.html

Note that none of the aforementioned fitness training companies are endorsements and various others can be found online. Also note that Level 2 training may be eligible for UK government funding whereas Level 3 training and beyond is not.

In the US there are various well-known accredited companies that provide fitness certification. Examples include the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) at http://www.nasm.org/getcertified/ NESTA at http://www.nestacertified.com/ and the Aerobics And Fitness Association Of America at http://www.afaa.com/ . To be eligible you must have current Emergency Cardiac Care (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Certification.

So you've somehow managed to find money to pay for the course, done the work to get through the certification and passed the test. You are now a personal trainer. Now the real journey begins...

To Be Continued...

Binge

The following comes from 'The Biggest Loser' trainer Jillian Michaels:

' How to Beat Binge Eating

If you're inclined to binge, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to examine the emotional reasons for it. I know that processing such emotions is hard and takes time, but there are some good techniques that can help you modify your behavior and combat binge eating while you work on the underlying issues. Here are a few:

Banish binge foods from your environment.

Don't buy or let into your house whatever you're prone to bingeing on — whether it's cookies, chips, or ice cream. After all, you can't eat what's not there.

Decorate your fridge with images that motivate you.

I have two pictures on mine: One is a photo of my cellulite, and the other is of Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. Let me tell ya, there is nothing that will turn you off to eating too much like pictures of cottage cheese on your butt.

Call a friend.

The next time you want to stuff your face, reach out for support and try talking through your feelings instead of anesthetizing them by bingeing.

Try taking up a hobby.

Keep yourself occupied so that rather than medicating yourself with food, you'll distract yourself with something productive.

Do something to screw up your binge.

In other words, pamper yourself with something that's positive rather than self-destructive. Get a mani-pedi. Take a relaxing bath. Go to the gym. There are many places to go and activities to take part in that'll also lead you away from the temptation of food.

It takes time to break a bad habit, so it's good to have some techniques to fall back on when life gets the better of you! Remember to take it one day at a time. If you do end up bingeing, work out a little harder the next day. Every day is a new one. '

Things To Do To Screw With People At The Gym

Here is a list of things you can do to mess with people while at the gym*. A demonstration video is attached.

* Note that you actually shouldn't do the following things:

- Offer To Spot Strangers. Then discourage their efforts.

- Eye barbell menacingly, crank your neck, strike your chest and exhale forcefully to "psych yourself up." Do this for 10 minutes without ever actually lifting the bar.

- Shoulder press revealing preposterously dirty pits.

- Shoulder press revealing preposterously bloody pits. - Spot with religious overtones.

- Misuse equipment.

- Grow increasingly frustrated.

- Continue to misuse apparatus in impossible ways.

- Run in place.

- Skip in place.

- Hump in place.

- Wear a ridiculous amount of pads... ...at the pool.

- Exhibit a wildly joyous smile while lifting.

- Sing way too loudly along with your iPod. Or without your iPod.

- Return absurd items to the Lost and Found.

- Get philosophical while spotting.

- Get a little too friendly.

- Get way too friendly.

Fiber Or Fibre

Whether you spell it Fiber or Fibre, Fiber is great for encouraging weight loss.

' While it helps you feel full, "fiber has no calories," says Larry Tucker, Ph.D., lead researcher and professor in the Department of Exercise Sciences at Brigham Young. So if you fill up on high-fiber foods you crowd out less-healthy foods, explains Tucker.

Try it for yourself. If you’re consuming 2,000 calories per day, aim to increase your fiber by 16 grams. Here are four foods that will help you get your fill.

• Raspberries: 1 cup = 8 grams
• Green Beans: 1 cup = 4 grams
• Blueberries: 1 cup = 3.5 grams '

To view more, visit http://caloriecount.about.com/blog/partners/boost-fiber-slim-down-b329304?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_20090826&utm_term=title1

Celebrity Inspiration VIII: Tom Welling - Erica Durance - Laura Vandervoort

There are many celebrities that really value fitness and nutrition. Of these, there are a very select few, male and female, who I think are at the pinnacle of fitness and nutrition and are those who give me ideas and inspire me within my own fitness and nutrition. The Celebrity Inspiration Series has so far this year focused on Kate Hudson, Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel in February, Megan Fox in March, Will Smith and Michelle Pfeiffer in June, and Camilla Belle in July. With the release of Season 8 of 'Smallville' on Blu-Ray Disc in the US yesterday (it's due out in the UK on October 12th, 2009), and the upcoming Season 9 Premiere on September 25th, 2009 in the US and rumors circulating of a possible Season 10, today I am going to make Celebrity Inspiration a triple bill. Today's Celebrity Inspirations are Clark Kent/Superman actor Tom Welling, Lois Lane actress Erica Durance and Kara/Supergirl actress Laura Vandervoort.

Working on a successful television series takes lots of time. Sometimes, even Tom Welling who is 6 ft 2.5 in and was born on April 26th, 1977, has admitted to not being able to work out as much as he would like. In fact we've seen Tom Welling's body change throughout the past 8 seasons of 'Smallville'. He was probably the most lean and ripped during Seasons 1-3 of 'Smallville'. Season 4 appears to be when he was a little less toned but had packed on more muscle. From Season 5-6, Tom Welling appears to have started putting on weight and perhaps a little more fat. However, by the time of Seasons 7 and 8, though not as lean as in Season 1, he was starting to get lean again. Note that it's perfectly understandable to gain weight as you get older. Generally your muscle mass and calorie burning capability diminishes slightly each decade from your 30s onwards. That is why it is harder to lose weight as you get older and you should take advantage when you're younger. The problem is that your metabolism is at it's peak when you're younger, and many young people get used to this, so when their bodies begin to change, they are often unprepared for maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Erica Durance, born on June 21, 1978, was ranked #38 in FHM US's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement and was ranked #14 in FHM Online's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2009" supplement. She is 5' 8" (1.73 m) and her measurements are 36C-24-35½. Her favorite Superman actor is Christopher Reeve and she favors Tom Welling over Brandon Routh. Her debut as Lois Lane was at the beginning of Season 4 of 'Smallville' and her further successes include 'The Butterfly Effect 2'. When possible, Erica Durance works out 6 days a week and does cardio, weightlifting, and Yoga for at least 1 and 1/2 hours to 2 hours *. She is similar to myself in that I currently also work out 6 days a week focusing on cardio and weight lifting, and I also do Pilates for 2 hours weekly. I find when I go to the gym that some of the trainers and other gym members are surprised at how often I workout and for how long. Indeed, we actors are under a lot of pressure to be exceptional and to accept nothing less than greatness, so what may seem extreme to those outside the entertainment industry is normal to us. In addition, Erica Durance relies on high protein and low carbs/fats for her diet.

* A video of Erica Durance working out is attached to this blog entry.

Laura Vandervoort's great body may not have anything to do with any Pilates class. In fact she earned her second degree Black Belt when she was just 16, and she's been doing her own stunts on film sets ever since. She's also been involved in several sports (Soccer, Karate, Basketball, Tennis, Gymnastics, Baseball…etc...). Ranked #25 in Wizard magazine's Sexiest Women of TV list (March 2008), and having made her debut as Kara/Supergirl in Season 7 of 'Smallville' and had success with 'In The Blue 2: The Reef', Laura Vandervoort continues to be an on-screen Celebrity Inspiration.

There are many inspirations out there, celebrity and non-celebrity. Today I chose Tom Welling, Erica Durance and Laura Vandervoort but there are many more who inspire me that I will get onto in the future. It doesn't matter who inspires you. Even if it's simply yourself, feeling inspired can help you go above and beyond in all aspects of your life. Keep looking for inspiration and be an inspiration to others yourself. Feel inspired!