SGBC: Topic 5, Week 2: Valerie Waters- Celebrity Trainer!

Quick announcement- My Green Monster Movement website is now updated with your entries!

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Do you ever wonder who the trainer is behind the gorgeous bodies of Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, Cindy Crawford, and others?

Today I present to you an exclusive interview with Valerie Waters– personal trainer to the stars in Hollywood! :) She has been featured in hundreds of websites, TV shows, and top health magazines.

I am a huge fan of Valerie! I love her balanced approach to fitness. She teaches her celebrity clients that strong and healthy female bodies are HOT- not malnourished ones! I think she does an awesome job of promoting an overall healthy lifestyle. I also love that she encourages strength training and core work- two of my newest favs (SGBC anyone?!).

She has trained some of my favourite female celebrities: Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, and Cindy Crawford!

All of these women represent to me a balanced approach to health and fitness. They are toned and don’t buy into the waif look!

Remember a while back, I asked you all to submit your most burning questions for Valerie? Well, here are some of them below! Please note that she didn’t have time to answer all of them, but she says she will do a follow up interview if you still have questions leftover!

Interview Q+A:

Valerie, thank you for doing this interview with us! Below, I have some questions for you that my reader’s have submitted.

How did you get started as a personal trainer and how long was it before you started working with celebrity clients?

I started as a club trainer. The gym I worked at was one of the first to really promote private training. When you bought a membership, you got 3 free workouts. I was one of the trainers that provided those workouts. If you liked it, you could then purchase sessions. Within my first month, I was booked solid, 8 hours a day. I knew I’d found my calling. 4 years later, Cindy Crawford was referred to me. We worked together for 15 years!

What celebrities have you worked with before?

Jennifer Garner, Cindy Crawford, Jessica Biel, Poppy Montgomery, Emebeth Davidtz, Bradley Cooper, Matt Dillon, Rachel Nichols, Elizabeth Berkley

I want to know what your tips are on how to look your very best on a single day. Obviously celebrities need to be in good shape all the time, but what do the trainers suggest for the day of (and the days preceding) a premiere or something? Foods to eat, foods to avoid, etc.

You want to avoid food and drinks that might bloat you. So, no soda, breads, pasta, cookies – but also, no broccoli (which normally, I love) because of its fiber content.

My girls always workout the day of an event. Usually, 45-50 minutes of circuit weight training. We always do legs, but I will also emphasize whichever body part they’ll be trying to show off at their event.

What do you do when clients ’slip-up’ on their diet/fitness regimen? Do any celebs slip-up as much as the average person? You don’t really hear about a celebrity that binged on a new batch of cookies they just made recently, or the celebrity that skipped a workout because they “didn’t feel like it”.

Of course celebrities slip up! They like cookies, just like we do. I teach them that one slip up is not the end of the program. Just focus on the next meal or the next workout. It helps to stay focused on your goal. Put it in writing and post it where you can see it.          

What male and female celebrity body do you appreciate the most and why?

I admire all girls are that are lean, strong, and sexy, but not overly buff. I don’t like it when girls get too skinny or too muscular.

If you could pick one celebrity who you think shows the best example of overall health and fitness, who would it be and why? 

Jennifer Garner, she is sexy and fit, but has also created balance in her life. She eats good clean food but can still enjoy a cookie or piece of pizza without freaking out.        

How much do your celebrity clients workout each week? How many days a week and how long each day? What is a typical training session like?

Most of my clients workout for 45-60 minutes, 4 to 6 times per week – depending on whether they are working or not. We spend most of the time doing circuit style strength training. Lots of Valslide exercises, lots of step ups, and lots of core work.          

Have you ever had to tell a client to reduce the amount of exercise they do?

From time to time, I have had to tell someone to reduce the amount of time they are training. Usually because they were programmed to believe that they needed to do more to get results.

What do you tell your clients to eat? How do you know what to tell them in terms of how many calories they should be eating each day, how many meals a day, protein, etc.

I have my clients eat real food (as opposed to processed), as close to the source as possible. They eat 5-6 times per day, focusing on portion control . This is a whole chapter in my book, Red Carpet Ready – so it’s a little hard to answer in 2 to 3 sentence.

If you could pick three favorite cardio exercises what would they be and why?

I think just about any cardio can be great if done with sufficient intensity. Most people simply do not work hard enough. I love spinning, stair workouts, and Valslide cardio workouts.  ·        

How do I go about finding a good personal trainer? What should I look for?

The best way to find a good trainer is referral. Obviously, you want experience but you also want to make sure that you like their style of training and that they are willing to listen to your needs and concerns.

I’d be interested to know how important it is to have a pre-workout snack (especially in the morning). And does it depend on what type of workout you’re doing (cardio, weight training, yoga, etc.)?

If you are exercising as soon as you get up , you could probably skip the snack. If you are exercising an hour or two later, it helps to have something that’s easy to digest such as a smoothie or a piece of whole grain toast and natural peanut butter.

What are your favorite health foods?

My favorite health foods are simply those foods that are nutrient dense. I love spinach, broccoli, blueberries, Florida grapefruit, salmon, and omega 3 eggs.

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Thanks Valerie!

Today’s question: Valerie has agreed to do a part 2 to the interview so submit your questions below!!

See you tonight for a HEALTHY and UNHEALTHY food product review!! You won’t believe the new food product I am hooked on!