There’s a reason Hollywood stars always look good—and it’s not genetics or Photoshop.
Well, maybe a little bit, but really, it is Shaun Horner of HardBody Personal Training, who consider it his mission to get his clients photo shoot, film shoot and red carpet-ready. This guy is serious about shedding pounds, body fat and toning the world’s most famous bodies.
His methods might seem intimidating to the weekend gym rat, but for Horner and his clients, it’s all about getting results—even if it’s unpleasant at times.
Just ask Lauren Conrad of The Hills fame, who described her workouts with Horner in one word: “ouch.” Horner has also been known to sculpt the bodies of such celebrities as Jesse Metcalfe, Rebecca Mader and even members of the famous Kardashian family.
Horner grew up in Orlando, Florida and studied business at University of Central Florida College of Business Administration. Not only is he a businessman, Horner always had a passion for fitness, having participated in martial arts growing up before becoming a regular at the gym at 18 years-old. In 2007, Horner moved to Los Angeles where it didn’t take long for his training style and its effectiveness started attracting attention from the Hollywood glitterati.
How does he do it?
Horner has four distinct approaches that, when used in concert, simply get results.
The first is high intensity muscular training. Horner admits that toning the core is incredibly important, but also likes clients to focus on the major muscle groups as well as the minor muscle groups. It has to be a full body workout for Horner and it’s got to be intense. He says: “I’m really a big proponent of holistic training and also of usage of time. I’m not a big fan of doing a set and waiting 30 seconds or a minute or two minutes or whatever the prescribed time might be. I’m a big fan of once we start the clock that we keep going until the end.” That does sound intense, relentless even. But getting results is no walk in the park.
Next, Horner utilizes central nervous system training. Essentially, this is about shocking the body and brain. This is achieved through explosive movements, or plyometrics, generally involving the legs. However, Horner’s preferred method of central nervous system training is sprinting. He’ll ask his clients to sprint as hard as they can for 30 seconds. If they can go even longer, Horner says they’re not doing it right. These full-on sprints “hit” the body and brain, according to Horner, and keep the entire physiology guessing.
Third, Horner wants to cultivate cardiovascular efficiency in his clients. Over time, and with intensive, repetitive, consistent cardio training, Horner seeks to train his clients’ bodies to more efficiently use and absorb oxygen in their bodies.
Lastly, and any personal trainer worth their weight will encourage this, Horner asks his clients to eat right, eat clean and eat on a predetermined time schedule. This includes a balanced diet containing all of the major food groups, always eating breakfast, eating every three to four hours and supplements before and after the workout.
So what does the average workout with Horner look like? Well, that’s the trick. It’s never the same, and Horner is skeptical of diet and workout fads. They come and they go. Horner is a proponent of keeping your body guessing. No two workouts look the same and he highly recommends—to keep clients from boredom and the body from growing too accustomed to a certain routine—that new and different methods and activities are constantly introduced.
About the only thing that is the same between Horner workouts is the warm-up beforehand. Horner asks his clients to do extracurricular as well. Getting Hollywood fit is a fulltime job and the more variety the better. This might include yoga, a morning jog, playing sports or anything else that gets people out of their routines.
According to Horner, with him as their personal trainer, clients can expect to lose four to five pounds in two to three weeks and 20 to 30 pounds in about six months depending on the health requirements of the client. The Shaun Horner top seven recommendations Getting fit and tone enough for public scrutiny is more than just an hour-a-day workout; it’s a lifestyle. Horner has seven recommendations to take away from the gym, ways to live their lives that get clients properly glamorous.
They are:
1) Drink cold water and lots of it. Your body burns calories warming water up to temperature. Cold water takes more energy.
2) Add spice to your food. Diet food can be bland and unexciting. The pull of sweets and hearty, salty food is not only one of the reasons people don’t stick to their diets, it’s why they don’t start one in the first place. Adding spices makes diet food more palatable.
3) Eat every three to four hours. This keeps the hunger pangs in check and keeps the body consistently fueled-up. You’re less likely to be surprised by a hunger pang and grab a quick cheeseburger to get rid of it.
4) Get a good night’s rest every night. A tired body can’t build muscle as easily, can’t keep up with an intense workout as easily and can’t muster the energy it takes to lose weight. We’re talking about looking good here, and sleep is a big part of that.
5) Always eat breakfast. Your mother told you that.
6) Watch out for stress. Similar to sleeplessness, stress weakens the body’s ability to get things done. This is, of course, easier said than done. Horner offers a very Zen attitude: “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
7) Drink green tea. Green tea boosts the metabolism, ultimately encouraging the body to lose weight. Not to mention its packed with antioxidants and goes a long way in just cleaning the body out. It can be a great substitute for morning coffee.
If the pure logic of Horner’s methods and recommendations doesn’t strike you, let the fact that Hollywood stars seek him out sink in. No other industry demands physical perfection to the degree that Hollywood does, from the chiseled abs in every scene of the latest superhero movie to the tight, sexy bodies of every starlet. These bodies don’t just happen. Not even the stars are so lucky. They are created by those like Shaun Horner.
You may visit him at http://www.hardbodypt.com