ASK THE PERSONAL TRAINER! Want to ask Chicago's top Certified Personal Fitness Trainers a question? Email us at:  Personaltrainer@clintphillips.com  You will receive an answer within 24 hours.  If you prefer, leave a phone number, and we will have a personal trainer call you for a FREE telephone fitness consultation. Here is a list of ten questions that Clint was recently asked by Essence magazine for a fitness article they were writing, along with Clint's answers: Essence: What's the only thing-or at least the number one thing- our readers need to have in their home gyms? Clint: Their own Butts! You don't need anything fancy. Just get in there and do it. I have clients who work out doing simple calisthenics with no equipment and they are in great shape. I have others who have bought every ab roller, rocker and shocker and haven't lost an ounce. Essence: What's the number one work out tip you tell your clients? Clint: Don't believe in magic. There's still no pill that will get you into shape. And Abtronic won't do it either. Getting in shape has three simple components: 1. Cardiovascular workouts (for 20-30 minutes) three to five times per week. 2. Strength training two or three times per week (30-40 minutes). 3. A good nutrition plan. Essence: What's your number one tip for getting motivated [to work out]? Clint: If you find it hard to get motivated you need to change your routine immediately. Your exercise program should be fun. If you dread your workouts, no amount of motivation will last for long. You need to find healthy activities that you enjoy. A good Personal Trainer should have you working out in a way that you will never get bored. My clients never know what is coming next. We might work with weights one day, rubber tubing the next, medicine balls the next, then boxing drills, calisthenics, machines, etc. I've had clients work out with logs, stones, and sledgehammers. I've had them push me around in my car. We've had tricycle races in the shallow end of the pool. Anything to keep it interesting. It's the same way with food. If you think you can only eat sticks and twigs and bark, you won't stay on that diet for long. The people I've seen have the best success are the ones who have been able to find healthy foods that they actually enjoy, so they don't feel like they are giving anything up. Essence: What exercise do you think gives the best bang for your buck and works several body parts at once? Clint: No doubt about it, the clean and press. You could get a decent workout doing this one exercise. I can't think of any major muscle group that it doesn't work. It's nothing fancy; it's one of the oldest exercises there is. In most exercises you are moving the weight vertically against gravity only a short distance. With the clean and press, you are moving the weight six or seven feet vertically in every repetition. Even a light weight will have you huffing and puffing in no time. This exercise (like many others) can cause injuries if you do it wrong. Have your Personal Trainer show you the right form. Essence: What do you think is the best time to workout? Clint: It depends. Some people just can't seem to do it in the morning, but are fine in the afternoon or evening. Others are too tired at night, so they are better off doing it in the morning. You have to listen to your body. Part of it is just forming a habit. It might be hard to work out at anytime at first, but after a few weeks you get used to it and it becomes easier. Essence: What's the one exercise that everyone should do? Clint: Walking. Almost anyone can at least walk. And even the world's greatest athlete can get a good workout by walking. I don't care how fit you are, if you start walking about four or five miles per hour on a treadmill, and crank the elevation up all the way, you will be sweating like crazy before long. Walking helps the heart, lungs, and muscles - and it's not hard on the joints. Essence: What's the best new exercise trend? Clint: Small Group Personal Training is the wave of the future. Instead of one on one, the Personal Trainer works with two, three, or four clients at the same time. Typically, a Personal Trainer who charges $75/session for one on one training might charge only $50 each if there are two people, and $40/ each if there is three or four. So the client is paying less yet the trainer is getting more. It's a better deal for everyone. It takes an experienced Personal Trainer to do this well. Essence: What is the must have item to go into your gym bag? Clint: A bottle of water and a good pair of shoes. Essence: What's your favorite work out music? Clint: It depends on what workout I am going to do. If I'm going to be lifting real heavy, I like loud music - rock or hip hop. If I'm going to be on a cardio machine for a while, I prefer to watch TV or listen to news/talk radio. Essence: What do you recommend for a pre-workout meal? Clint: Some people tell me that if they eat anything before they work out, they start feeling nauseous. Others tell me if they don't eat, they feel weak. So it depends on the person. Most people would do well with a small snack about an hour before the workout. Maybe a power bar or a half a bagel. It is important to get a relatively high protein snack in within an hour after doing your resistance exercise. Essence: Thanks, Clint. These answers are great! Are you ready to Lose Weight, Tone Up and Get in Shape? Get yourself a good Certified Personal Trainer! Our Fitness Trainers serve Chicago, Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Skokie and other suburbs. We are experts in creating exercise and nutrition programs. Start improving your health today. Call an Illinois Certified Personal Trainer now at (312) 587-1464.