Celeb Trainer Harley Pasternak On Getting Red Carpet-Ready
From the Golden Globes to the SAG Awards to the Grammys to the Oscars, my job as a personal trainer is to make sure all my clients are on point during award season. Back when I started working with entertainers, almost 25 years ago, there were only two reasons clients seriously buckled down on their diets and workouts: One, when they had a nude scene in a movie or TV show, or two, when they had to walk the red carpet for a big event. Many clients would kind of “let themselves go” in between important photo ops, and kick it up only when they needed to.
Now with the internet, social media, cell phone cameras, HDTV, and countless people reporting on the way celebrities look, they must be in peak condition at all times—even when they’re grocery shopping or picking their kids up from school. If they’re in good shape all year long, they can just make one or two small tweaks for award season to look extra great for the photographers. Here are five easy, quick fixes my clients do (and so can you) to look red carpet ready.
1. Add 2,000 more steps a day.
For those of you who follow my blog (and soon to be released new book), you know I’m a huge advocate of tracking steps as the first step in burning fat. Normally, I have my clients commit to doing at least 10,000 steps a day—it’s easier than you think! But when they want to kick it up for award season, I have them make sure their Fitbit reads at least 12,000 steps a day for at least one week leading up to the red carpet.
2. No “cheat meal” the week before.
If it’s your birthday, have some cake. If it’s Thanksgiving, have some stuffing. If it’s Halloween, have some candy. But if you’re going to the Oscars, be flawless. I typically tell clients they should allow for some flexibility in their diet in the form of two “free” meals a week. These are meals they can do whatever they want. These anything goes meals help them keep their cravings in check, and make sticking to a diet easier and more realistic. However, if they’re lucky enough to be attending the Oscars, I suggest they hold off on the pizza and desserts until after the big event.
3. Blend, blend, and blend.
While most people intend to eat perfectly, the fact is, many do not. The number one reason: Time! Many of my clients have benefited from focusing on the simplicity and efficiency of using a blender for the few days leading up to an award show. I have them blend at least two meals a day (for recipes check out my new book, The Body Reset Diet). In fact, I actually send them one of my blenders in January with a little care package full of all the ingredients they need to eat perfectly.
4. Get an extra 30 minutes of sleep.
I cannot stress enough how important sleep is. If you don’t get enough, you look and feel tired and stressed. I know it’s tempting to stay up and watch just one more episode of Gossip Girl on Netflix, but save it for the next night and get the extra 30 minutes of sleep. Your energy, metabolism, eyes, skin, and immune system will be better for it. Keep in mind you can’t store sleep. Sleeping in until noon on Saturday doesn’t make up for the four hours of sleep you got on Friday.
5. No alcohol or salt 48 hours before an event.
Tortillas and tequila isn’t a good look when the whole world is watching. Alcohol and salt can cause you to retain water, and even the fittest physiques can look doughy and pallid if you overdo the bloating brothers (salt and alcohol). Make sure you drink tons of water. I actually make my clients drink at least one small Smartwater bottle every three waking hours.
Try at least one of these methods—and hopefully more—and you, too, can look Oscar-worthy.
Related:
Harley Pasternak: The Man Behind Hollywood’s Best Bodies
