Of course, impending summer means more heat—as well as people tossing aside their parkas and wearing less clothing. John Hall, the buff owner of John Hall Studios (310 S. Racine Ave.; www.johnhallstudios.com ), provided a few diet and fitness tips to help people as they bare more—and spoke out about a couple other issues as well.
—Exercise common sense: When it comes to diet, Hall extols the virtues of not eating junk food (for the most part), eating fruits, and consuming beans and meats (for protein). "I [eat more] vegetables now. I did a 12-week vegan program and ending up gaining 18 pounds of muscle [along with his workout regimen]. I also stay away from large portions."
He added, "There is no quick way to lose weight. The people who do it the right way change their lifestyles and are consistent. When you're consistent, you get consistent—and lasting—results."
—Weighing in: For Hall, weight is not the most important aspect when it comes to one's body. "For me, the most important thing is the ratio of lean muscle to body fat," he said. "It's not really about how much weight you lose; muscle is denser than fat. ... There are a lot of 'skinny fat' people out there."
—Error-prone: Hall said the number-one mistake people make regarding fitness is "trying to do it all too fast. You try to everything at once, it becomes overwhelming, you become discouraged and you quit. ... We start people with the roots: squats, lunges, push-ups and pull-ups. That's the root structure of any exercise. Then we go from there."
—Testing, testing: Hall believes in fitness testing, what he calls a "functional movement screen" on clients. "We can see what's wrong and then [employ] corrective measures so they don't get hurt."
—Mix it up: Variety is the spice of life, especially when it comes to exercise. Hall said that people should use different exercises and even play different activities to constantly challenge the body.
—The bloom is off the Rose: Hall had something to say about the way Chicago Bull Derrick Rose's rehab is going. "I really do need to talk with him, because I'm not happy with some of the techniques they use to rehab him," Hall said. "However, he should definitely take his time." However, with 34-year-old Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant [who is also injured], "A lot of people don't know when to bow out. You have to know when your time is up."
—Addiction: "I really don't judge people, but it really makes me upset when you go someplace and you see people who know they need help but they still overindulge," Hall said. "You see people who are 500 pounds and are pushing ice cream down their throats."
As for addiction, a candid Hall added, "I've been addicted to many things in my life. ... When you're ready, you'll stop—I don't care what you're addicted to. Like my dad used to say, 'You're not going to change until you're sick and tired of being sick and tired.' [In the meantime,] don't complain about not being able to fit into a cinema seat." When asked if airlines should charge someone extra who occupies more than one seat, Hall responded, "Absolutely! I don't want to sit next to someone who's taking up half my seat."
—No excuses: Hall pooh-poohs the notion that exercising can take up too much time or be too costly. "That's hogwash," he said. "When you want to go on that vacation, you find a way to get the time and money. When you want to go out for drinks, you find a way.
"It's about priorities. If you don't want to invest in yourself, that's on you—but don't complain later. When I travel, I don't need a gym. You can walk, and I always take rubber bands with a door adapter."
"Plus, and I probably shouldn't be saying this, but there's so much free information on the Internet that everybody should be exercising."
—Have positive energy: "My studio is a lifestyle, a place of healing. We work from the inside out," Hall said. "If you don't come in with positive energy, skedaddle."
