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!