Celeb trainer David Kirsch took time out of his busy schedule — his days start with a 5 a.m. workout before training clients at his gym in Manhattan — to speak with me yesterday. David helped Heidi Klum walk gorgeously down the runway eight weeks after having her third child. His client list also includes Anne Hathaway, Liv Tyler, and Faith Hill.
He launched his Summer Slimdown program for free, so I decided the time was right to ask him for more fitness advice. Always curious what personal trainers do for exercise, I asked David his favorite core move; he recommends planks, and planks rolling into a T-position, as well as work on the stability ball. Kirsch believes in fitting fitness into a busy life, and when pressed for time push-ups are the one move he thinks you should do.
When I asked him how I could increase my metabolism he told me:
“You have to move your body faster to burn more calories. Combine good strength training exercises with a form of cardio, and it doesn’t have to be running. It can be circuit training or one of my boot camps as long as it keeps your heart rate up.” He follows his own advice. His early morning 45-minutes workouts are heart pumping circuits, which he does four to five days a week.
Learn David’s favorite foods and what he thinks about “cheat days,” when you read more.
When it comes to diet, David believes in eating well and listed salmon burgers, quinoa, and beans among his favorite foods. I asked if he believes in cheat days and he wholeheartedly replied, “Sure! But be smart about it. Pick a meal, or a certain food, but don’t eat five million pieces of it.” Once again, we learn from an expert that moderation is key. David also loves to cook and prepares Thanksgiving dinner for 30 to 40 guests every year. I asked him if he used butter for his T-day dishes and he said, “No” before I could say the second syllable of butter. His stuffing does sound divine: cornbread with chestnuts, herbs, turkey sausage, red peppers, apples, and apricots.
David does have a couple of suggestions on how to get beach ready. First he suggests that you fine-tune your diet, limit dairy, get rid of cheese completely, and stay away from processed carbs. Secondly, he says, “You should assess your body and see where you need work and be strategic. Do more plié squats if the inner thighs need toning. Do more Pilates if your abs need toning. Do push-ups if the triceps need toning. Maybe you need a little bit of all over toning so do it all over. Be strategic and come up with a process that is good for you."
Marciano
Darphin
Ed Hardy
no cheese? no thank you
1He's my favorite!!
2I love that he's willing to give away so much free advice. But seriously, does anyone else find it strange that the same article that states "we learn from an expert that moderation is key" is soon followed by "get rid of cheese completely." Um, ok. I'm a big believer that any time you try to drastically cut an entire food group out of your diet just to lose weight, it makes you crave it (and other foods not on your "diet") more, until you eventually cave. Moderation IS key!
3I agree, anon- Moderation is absolutely key, and just a little bit of self control, too. It's amazing how some people don't have that.
4Anon - cheese is not a food group, it's a part of dairy. Giving up cheese is doable if you're still having milk and yogurt. I go for low fat and fat free cheeses. Tasty, but without the lasting cottage cheese thighs.
5I like cheese and won't giving it up. In the end it does way more for my health than stupid squats. But, then again, my knees are screwed since I was born, so...
6Three months ago I gave up sugar(real & fake), dairy, wheat/gluten, caffiene, eggs and alcohol. Granted there have been little bits of each here and there, but I'd say I've eliminated that stuff 90% of the time. I have never felt better and people constantly tell me that I'm glowing. So yes, you can give up groups of things. I'm eating all whole and organic foods... amazing the difference.
7Ok, I get that cheese isn't a "food group," so perhaps I should have said "cut out a large class of foods." And btw, if you're eating fat free cheese, guess what, that's still cheese!
The point I was trying to make is that if you all of a sudden deprive yourself of foods you like for the sake of a diet, it makes you crave those foods more than usual. I think it's better to focus on healthy foods you CAN have, rather than to focus on what you need to cut out and can't have. Jabbadoo - I was referring more to people who cut out foods for the sole purpose of losing weight quickly. I agree that if cutting things out makes you feel better, it's easier to stick with it. I gave up meat for 3 years, but it wasn't just to lose weight; if I try to give up all desserts just to slim down, I end up thinking about how I can't have desserts, and I crave them even more than usual. That's why I think moderation is the way to go.
8I like my cheese and yogurt thanks.
9I was with him till he said no cheese! But I do like the workout tips.
10Even after studies have come out showing that those who consume dairy in moderation are more successful at losing than those who don't?
I like my Babybels (light version) and will continue eating 2 of those/day in addition to my cottage cheese (nonfat) which is a fabulous source of protein AND my yogurt (greek please).
I feel filled up with those and it's working.
11Let me clarify the cheese tip: If you're trying to tone up and drop a few pounds before heading to the beach, David suggests giving up cheese for a few weeks.
12I don't see how that's a "tip." It sounds like yo-yo dieting to me. It's better to focus on adopting a healthy way of eating that you can sustain long-term.
13Don't you think there's a problem if you freak out so much when someone suggests cutting out cheese? Everyone says "moderation" but usually people don't say "moderation" when it comes to eating lard or doing drugs or smoking cigarettes -- you say don't do it at all. "Moderation" is not the holy word people act like it is.
And cheese is bad for you. Dairy is bad for you. Casein, the main protein in dairy products, has been tied to diseases like cancer, heart disease, MS, and even osteoporosis. Dairy is acidic and causes calcium to be leached from your bones to compensate. The countries with the highest dairy intake also have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Countries where dairy isn't eaten don't have osteoporosis at all! It's horrible that we hear that you should consume dairy for strong bones, because it's actually the opposite. If you want to keep your bones healthy, get your calcium from plant sources (like the cow does).
14As a cheese lover myself I know how hard it is to give up cheese, I used to eat it w. breakfast, as snacks (string cheese), etc. I tried the Fat Flush Plan which I instantly thought I couldn't do b/c it outlawed cheese, but I did it anyways and not only did it work, but after the initial phase I don't crave/need the cheese as much as I thought. I used to go through a block of cheddar cheese in a week, and to this day I don't evn buy them anymore b/c they just go to waste. So, if you don't want to don't cut out cheese completely, but there's no harm in cutting back a little or opting to try something else...just my 2 cents
15I'm not much of a cheese person anyway, so eating it isn't really a problem for me. Now, those damn Quaker rice cakes are another story entirely...I have to restrain myself around them because I eat a LOT more of them than is a serving.
Pushups rule, btw...there's nothing better for toning up your entire upper body.
16Love how an anonymous commenter is suddenly an authority on everyone's nutrition. you don't think dairy is good for you? fine. i'm a vegetarian who gets a good chunk of my protein from dairy, and i'm a (successfully) competitive runner in VERY good shape. what doesn't work for you may work for someone else
17Dairy in the U.S. is loaded with rBGH (a bovine growth hormone) which isn't even legal in the European Union or other countries such as Australia or Japan because of its links to cancer. Before everyone attacks this comment, I'd suggest googling rBGH and then considering how "healthy" dairy is.
18Jabbadoo - How did you manage to give up all of that?! I am trying to cut back on the amount of sugar I eat, but I have found it to be SO difficult. Any tips?
19It's a cheese war!!!!! To cheese, or not to cheese??? Frankly, it's as addictive as crack (for me) and probably really bad for you. But it's delicious (yum). So I prefer to compromise and have low fat to fat free cheese.
20Anon - It's not accurate to say that "dairy in the US is loaded with the rBGH hormone," because stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's sell all kinds of organic dairy products without any hormones. Also, the Horizon brand is produced without rBGH, and it's available in all mainstream grocery store chains.
21Oh my god. Dairy is not eaten in certain countries because of lactose intolerance which is GENETIC. There is no sufficient proof that it is linked to any cancers, osteoporosis. my god when will people stop spouting nonsense on these things - yes we all know cheese (reg) is high in fat but has good things going for it as well. Just eat like a normal person. Eat all your food like a normal person.
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