Oscar Smith: Finding What Works

Words by William S. Gooch

Oscar Smith is the go-to guy for keeping the likes of Rosario Dawson, Ed Burns, Val Kilmer, David Blaine and supermodels Gisele Bundchen, Selita Ebanks, Petra Nemcova, Rianne ten Haken, and a slew of other luminaries in tip-top condition. But, Oscar confesses that the exercise regimens for celebrities and supermodels are not that different from the average consumer. “Actors generally want to beef up or slim down according to a role or character they might be portraying, and supermodels want to tone up certain body parts or maintain an industry standard size, but outside of that you really train everyone the same. You don’t treat supermodels or celebrities different than anyone else,” details Oscar. And Oscar puts his talent to good use at his self-designed, signature gym in Tribeca. O-Diesel Studio is a fully functioning 3000 square foot gym with a 1500 square foot outdoor deck, which can be used as a kind of boot camp for clients who need that type of intensity. There is also an outdoor, 15 meter in-ground pool for lap resistance training, or relaxation after an intense workout.

With summer months upon us and more exposed skin, Oscar Smith laid the law, so to speak, on what needs to be done to get a good physique and maintain it.

JSD: What is the best way to stay in shape year round?

Oscar Smith: Run and swim (if you have a pool or live by the beach). By doing this it will keep you cardio fit and toned. People are different so, it depends on what type of body they want to achieve and maintain.

JSD: What is the most neglected body parts that most people need to get in shape for the summer?

Oscar Smith: Most people always forget about their legs, which is the biggest muscle in the body.

JSD: What key body parts do most women need to work on?

Oscar Smith: I work a lot on the gluteus maximus, the butt, outer and inner thighs and flattening the tummy. It is very easy to put muscle on the body which you can accomplish by eating more protein and weight training. A lot of women are afraid to put on muscle, but lean muscle actually burns body fat.

JSD: As we get older, how do you maintain a good physique?

Oscar Smith: Everyone gets older and gains weight as they age, so it is important to add more cardio and change eating habits. As you get older it is harder to keep up the hectic pace that had when you were younger, so it is so easy to skip that workout or eat bad food for quick energy. Before you know it, six months have gone by and you haven’t had a good workout. That said; my training regimen may include increasing cardio with intensive kick boxing exercises, running, jump rope exercises, etc.

JSD: Some women as they get older get the lower abdomen pouch. How do you work on that target area with your clients?

Oscar Smith: That lower abdomen bump has nothing to do with bodyweight, it has a lot to do with diet. Diet alone will get rid of it, sometimes as you eat less, that pouch gets larger. That happens because as you begin to starve the body, to reserve energy, your body’s metabolism slows down. The stomach acids increase and you start to bloat up which can produce that abdomen pouch. Too much salt and carbs will accumulate fat in that target area. You have to marry exercise with diet to flatten out that area.

JSD: How would you get a client to be the same size, head to toe?

Oscar Smith: Stretching which increases your flexibility is key to elongating the body and releasing toxins from the fat cells. All this help in getting clients to be the same size head to toe. So, for the female client who is a 4 on top but an 8 on the bottom, we would mix up the cardio routine. On the treadmill we would do 3 to 4 minutes of intensive cardio, then we work on upper body and core strength, using resistance bands or laps in the pool, then go immediately back to intensive cardio exercises. We also work on changing the diet which means decreasing salt and fructose sugars.

JSD: How long does it take clients to see that transformation?

Oscar Smith: Clients who are already in shape will begin to see a change in their physique in about two weeks. Clients who are out of shape will see changes in their bodies in one to three months. Supermodel Selita Ebanks when she came to me was not the same size head to toe and once I got her in great shape maintaining a consistent size was easy for her.

Oscar Smith: Workouts are from an hour to an hour and a half depending on the client’s time constraints.

JSD: What is a quick 30-minute daily routine that can be done at home?

Oscar Smith: A quick routine that can be done at home is jump rope (3-5 minutes), push ups, squats, sit ups (full) pull ups /chin ups, leg lifts, dips, dumbbell curls, and presses, lunges and jumping jacks (30 reps); 10 to 15 reps 3 sets.