Valerie Waters Talks Red Carpet Ready
I'm at the mid-point of Valerie Waters' Red Carpet Ready program and it's time to switch up the exercises. I would like to take a moment to welcome back T push-ups, weighted crunches, single-leg squats and single-leg Romanian deadlifts. I missed you (not!). I've also been introduced to something called a twisting Valslide reverse lunge. I nearly did the splits and fell out of a window on my first attempt. I bought the Valslides and let's just say that they move much faster than paper plates. I love them! For sliding movements, they're smoother and more challenging than anything else you could stick under your feet. I'll admit that I was a hard sell. I didn't see any reason to buy them until my paper plate bent, snagged on the carpeting and dumped me on my face. Now, I understand the wisdom of using the right equipment, especially as I progress to more difficult moves using weight and rotation. The Valslides are well-made, nicely-cushioned and won't snag or catch on anything. Plus, they're a bit challenging to control, giving you that much more muscle activation on the exercises.
I had a chance to interview Valerie this week and ask her some questions about Red Carpet Ready.
Tell us a little about your training background and philosophy. Who are some of your biggest influences in the fitness industry? My early background has its roots in track & field and then later in body building. I learned so much about effort, perseverance and commitment from being involved in sports at an early age. Years later I had the opportunity to meet Mark Verstegen and Mike Boyle, two of the most brilliant Strength & Conditioning coaches out there. However, unlike Mark and Mike, I do not train pro athletes. I train television and movie stars and they want a very specific look. So I took what I learned from Mark and Mike, tweaked it a little, then applied it to my own training methods. I also regularly attend training workshops and seminars, most notably from Perform Better. One of my favorite presenters (and good friend) is Alwyn Cosgrove. He has the ability to make very complex information understandable…and it’s always entertaining to hear him speak. If you have not heard any of his lectures, sign up or order them on DVD. www.AlwynCosgrove.com
You've become quite well known for creating a specific "look" for your celebrity clients. How would you describe it? I call the look “Movie Star Fitness.” It is fit and toned but very feminine. It is not in-your-face buff. No 6 pack abs, maybe the start of a 2 pack, and a flat belly but not ripped. No overly developed arms but a round firm butt. Quads are defined but not bulging. My girls (Jennifer Garner, Rachel Nichols, Elizabeth Berkley) embody this look.
We often hear that women can't get too big, or that men and women should train exactly alike. What are some of the most common concerns you hear from your female clients and how does Red Carpet Ready address them? I hear from women constantly that they are afraid to train with weights because when they did they got “too bulky.” “Too” is the operative word here. The desired amount of muscle varies from person to person. Not everyone wants to look like an athlete. Many want a “pilates body” or a sexy toned body. Well, Red Carpet Ready can give you that look faster using weight training. It is the combination of specific exercises coupled with the diet that creates the Red Carpet Ready look.
Your clients are often quite lean and fit to begin with. Is Red Carpet Ready for women of all shapes and sizes? What kind of results can they expect? Red Carpet Ready is for women of all shapes and sizes. The workouts help speed up your metabolism, burn fat and create shape. The diet is the most important part in reducing body fat. The stricter you are on the eating plan, the greater your weight loss will be. This is not, however, a diet of extreme deprivation. Rather you are taught how to make better choices and given strategies on how to make them work.
A lot of women are under the impression that in order to get lean they need to starve, or count every calorie, or live on nothing but protein and green vegetables. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety and flexibility of your meal plan. Tell us a little about your approach to nutrition. Since I come from a body building background, I originally modeled what they were doing. You know, egg whites, oatmeal, chicken, broccoli and sweet potatoes. Later I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Barry Sears and really learned the role that insulin plays in the body. The diet evolved through trial and error, first on myself and then on many clients. I believe in eating 5-6 times per day. I believe fast digesting carbs are the real culprit in weight gain. I believe if it is too extreme nobody stays on it for long, so what’s the point? I believe in teaching strategy as opposed to just setting down a specific meal plan. You know the saying, “Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” I believe in teaching people how to eat for long term success. Watch my blog for an update on how I eat now. www.valerie-waters.blogspot.com
Your workouts include some unique sliding moves. There is a temptation to use paper plates, towels or furniture movers for these exercises. Tell us about the Valslide and why it's a better option? The Valslide is a very specifically designed exercise tool. Not only do they work better than the mentioned paper plates, towels, etc but you feel more empowered using them. It’s like the cans of soup or water bottles that some women’s magazines are always trying to get you to use as weights. To me it implies that our bodies are not worth even a nominal investment. Imagine you were working out at the gym. How would you feel doing bicep curls with a can of beans or sliding on a paper plate? The Valslide sells for $29.99 and it comes with an instruction booklet as well as a little mesh bag for carrying. A pair of dumbbells cost $15-$25. Is your health not worth at least that much? Skip your Starbucks Venti Latte and Muffin ($5.50 X 10 working days = $55.00) for 2 weeks and you practically have a home gym.
My paper plate malfunction, combined with that visual of doing "bean" curls, led to a brief tabulation of my weekly restaurant bills, which convinced me to finally try the Valslides. While I was at it, I decided to buy the kettlebells, a water bottle, a new fitness program and about five other things. Because I'm worth it! Or at least that's what I'll tell my husband when he sees the Visa bill. LOL
Valerie's program is Red Carpet Ready and her blog is www.valerie-waters.blogspot.com. The blog has great workouts, pictures of her food, and even dogs in bandannas!
Posted by skwigg
at 1:15 AM CDT
Last week, I had a hypochondriac freakout about the BPA in reusable water bottles and drinking glasses. As one of those water-guzzling fitness people, I had a water bottle with me at all times - a poison-leaking, hormone-disrupting, cancer-causing water bottle. When I didn't have the killer water bottle in hand, I was drinking from a big make-me-a-mutant plastic cup. I've now ditched the plastic in favor of this ultra-cool metal Sigg bottle and a set of amazing bubble glass tumblers. 
(Note - This story involves a big wiggly insect. If you are terrified of bugs or prone to bug nightmares, you might want to skip it.) I was making my favorite cottage cheese, fruit and nut breakfast combo this week. A key step involves wrapping macadamia nuts in a paper towel and bashing the hell out of them with the bottom of a heavy sugar jar. I had my cottage cheese in the bowl, my fresh strawberries sliced, and my nuts ready to be whacked. As I reached for the glass sugar jar, something in it moved, something big and black with spiky legs and long antennas! Eeeeeeeeew! EEEEEEEW!!! Using every ounce of self-control and all of my monkey ninja powers, I resisted the urge to throw the jar against the wall, shriek like a little girl and levitate out of the room. Instead, I slowly and calmly placed the jar on the counter and I dove behind the refrigerator. 
Since I'm doing a Valerie Waters