E!/Getty ImagesMeet Justin Gelband, the trainer and life coach behind some seriously amazing bodies (we're talking this, this and, oh yes, this).
Gelband, whose modelFIT studio is based in New York City, caters to an exclusive clientele list that includes Taylor Swift and Victoria's Secret Angels Candice Swanepoel and Karlie Kloss. E! News caught up with Gelband to get some tips on how to stay model and pop star fit in the New Year. (Yes, we want in on those physiques.) Here's what he shared:
We know Taylor Swift comes to your studio modelFIT. Can you share a little bit about her workouts?
JG: She is an incredible woman who is so empowered and so strong in her own body. She's a woman that every girl should emulate. Taylor is not perfect but she is a perfectionist, and she is somebody who always wants to be at her best. She's someone who has inspired me to be even better in what I do.
What's your diet philosophy? Do you customize meals for your clients?
JG: My philosophy is that there is no diet. I don't use the word diet at all because a diet is a quick fix and there is no quick fix [to fitness]. I think the best thing to do with exercise and nutrition is to blend them together. I use blood type [to customize meals for clients] because they're different for everyone. Knowing your blood type helps give you the foods that are positive, negative and moderately good for you.
Any suggestions about carb intake?
JG: Carbs are actually very important for you. I suggest that people eat Ezekiel bread, steel cut oatmeal and certain rices in small portions so that your body can properly digest it. You need to have carbs to survive. Get pasta from a real Italian restaurant that is slow-cooked—there is nothing wrong with eating pasta once in a while.
What are your training sessions like?
JG: My training sessions vary every day: You never do the same exercise more than once, and you're always doing different motions and movements based on how you feel. If someone comes to me and they're exhausted, I may do more yoga and Pilates. If someone comes in ready to take on the world I will allot more to boxing or hardcore exercises. If someone is looking for a lean physique, I use more bands, balls and lightweights. [In any form], the workout is always changing.
What are your tips for getting that J.Lo booty?
JG: I am the man that everyone comes to for butt, hip and thighs because I have created some of the best butts in the world, as you have seen [on the Victoria's Secret runway]! Training for [that body-type] is really individualized and it's about the person's genetics, too. It's also about activating the muscles in the butt—we're not just building a butt, we're working with the hips, lower back, knees and thighs. You still have to work the entire body so that the parts of the body that are connected to the butt are activating as well.
How do you keep your clients motivated?
JG: Self-esteem, motivation, discipline. I also support the three M's: Movement, motion and moderation. You're going to need to do things in moderation, especially with food—because telling someone that they can't eat ice cream, a piece of cake, pizza or burgers [doesn't work]. People need to indulge once in a while, and it's more about how much they indulge. You have to motivate through the mind and through the body, and understand the more motivated you are, the more disciplined you are. You also have to move every day, whether it's walking, cycling, biking, hiking, or swimming—it doesn't matter. Movement doesn't mean you have to go to the gym. And it's always better that you do something rather than nothing.
Some of your clients are friends—do you ever train them together?
JG: I do try to keep it separate for them but a lot of times they enjoy working out together, so I don't mind as long as they know the exercise program that I do is [personalized]. I never have them both doing the same stuff.
Are your workouts different in some ways with singers than with models?
JG: The Victoria's Secret girls are showing off their bodies to 300 million people so I try to tell them to focus on them, not the other 47 girls—even if they are all working out in the same gym. Karlie Kloss and I worked Monday night before the show until two in the morning. And that shows her dedication.
Being on stage and singing is one thing but being on stage and singing and dancing is another thing. The success with some of the people in the industry that I work with that have to sing and dance is that the cardiovascular part of the workout and the strength conditioning that I give them—it gives them the opportunity to go on stage and not only sing to the best of their ability but to dance that well, too.
How would you describe your fitness method? How is it different from others?
JG: My method is based on individualizing a program per person per class. So what I do is a break down who you are, how you move and what you do on a daily basis—along with what injuries you might have, your health conditions, lifestyle and your past exercise fitness regiments. [I consider if] you need help in any way with your nutrition, because 85 percent of what you do is what you eat—that's where it starts and then I build from there. I always start with the person's weakness and then I [build] toward their strengths.