Workout And Diet Secrets Of Top Fitness Coaches

Workout and diet secrets of top fitness coaches

We look to personal trainers to guide us in the gym, but how do the instructors themselves maintain their perfectly honed body?

BY Katy Young 

Nathalie Schyllert Photo: Amber Rowlands

More than a quarter of British adults are classified as clinically obese. No surprise, then, that only one in three of us does any kind of exercise, and seven out of 10 men and eight out of 10 women fall well below their optimum activity level. But it is at this time of year, after a couple of weeks of eating more and moving less, that the idea of a better eating and exercise plan starts to have some sort of appeal. And who better to inspire you to get on that healthy treadmill than some of the world's most experienced - and strictest - personal trainers.

Nathalie Schyllert, 30 (above) 

When Nathalie Schyllert left the Royal Ballet School at 15 years old because of an injury to her foot, exercise became her obsession - kick-boxing and yoga filled the void that ending five hours of ballet a day had left open. Her ballerina frame turned into an athletic 'sporty, healthy' body that won her modelling contracts with Stella McCartney, Adidas

, Vogue and Elle. But while good genes and a naturally active disposition played their part (her mother, too, had that dream body), Schyllert works hard in the gym. To keep her stomach flat and her arms and legs toned but not bulky ('something I have to really watch'), she trains at the gym where she also works as a personal trainer. Bodyism is the exclusive one-to-one personal training company based at the Bulgari Hotel in London. 'It's lengthening, strengthening and toning circuits and the clean and lean lifestyle that really works for me,' she says.

Three things that make a difference

Less stress is imperative. However it's caused - whether it's work, friends, family or even food-related [culprit foods include coffee and sugar] - an increase in the level of the stress hormone cortisol causes us to hold on to weight, particularly around the middle. Eat as much natural food as you can, cutting out sugar and bad carbs including pasta, bread, sweets, fizzy drinks and alcohol. Don't do long runs if you hate them. Do something you like; not only will you stick to it, you'll also be far less stressed so you'll lose more weight.

Weekly exercise routine

I pack in a lot around my working day, which starts at seven, either before my first client or during my lunch break. I usually manage two Bodyism training sessions, two hour-long dynamic yoga sessions and one regeneration session (either stretching, foam rolling my legs or a massage), plus I walk to and from work, which takes 20 minutes each way.

Total: 9½ hours per week.

Typical food diary I eat at least five times a day - you have to if you want to keep the metabolism revving. But that means preparing food to bring into work, unless I'm eating off the Bodyism menu at the hotel where we train. Options include sea bass and steamed vegetables or pan-seared lamb and aubergine. I'm lucky as I never crave the bad stuff, rarely have a blowout and hardly drink unless I'm at a birthday or a wedding, where I might have a bit of champagne.

Breakfast, 7am: two eggs and a green juice of a combination like kale, spinach and celery. 

Snack, 10am: a handful of almonds. 

Lunch, 12.30pm: salmon with spinach and quinoa brought from home. 

Snack, 4pm: three slices of turkey. 

Dinner, 6.30pm: prawn and avocado salad.

How do you stay motivated? I never step on my scales; I use my mirror or clothes to gauge my shape. Over Christmas I took no more than two days out from my usual plan. A couple of weeks out and you just gain too much weight.

Dalton Wong, 36

'Teaching people how to get fit and healthy is the only job I know,' says Dalton Wong, the founder the holistic training studio Twenty Two Training

(twentytwotraining.com), which lists some of Hollywood's biggest names on its books, including Jennifer Lawrence. Wong was born in Canada and moved to London in the late 1990s. He injects energy into classic one-to-one personal training (his dynamic circuit training mixes weights, cardio machines and stretching) in his gym studio in South Kensington. 'My father died of a heart attack when I was 10, and from that moment on I was made to exercise and eat for my health by my mother, and it stuck. I still think like that today.'

Three things that make a difference A body plan is key. I watch gym addicts train day in, day out but you just won't see change if you don't know what you're aiming for. It's mindless training. Just like a financial plan, you have to record your starting point [your vital statistics, and how fit you are], your budget [how much time you have to train], and your goal [your dream weight or how far you want to be able to run or how many reps you'll be able to lift]. Recording change - using old fashioned pen and paper, not an app; taking your phone into the gym is just a distraction - is the best drive you can give yourself. Set a good balance; there's no point working out so hard that you can't stop. Relax and enjoy your new body. As a rule I take one day off a week, and a week off every eight weeks. A good diet needs balance, too. I eat well for 80 per cent of the time and relax for 20 per cent. And most importantly never feel guilty if you eat badly. Remember, you're only one meal away from getting back on track.

Weekly exercise routine I always make time in my diary for exercise, treating it like an appointment. I have to make sure nothing clashes - it's as important as my work. I start work at 7am but make room for 90-minute Brazilian ju jitsu classes, a form of martial art, four times a week, two of my circuit-based sessions and 15 minutes of stretching to work on flexibility at least four nights a week. The hip flexor stretch is so good, particularly for anyone who sits at a desk all day. Get into the lunge position, lowering the back leg right to the floor, and step the other leg all the way through until you feel your hip muscle open out. Repeat on the other side.

Total: nine hours a week.

Typical food diary I eat a balanced diet but I do plan ahead - I always know what I'm eating tomorrow. I'll cook two portions for dinner and take the second one in for breakfast, something like salmon and spinach or a vegetable and chicken stir-fry. But I take my foot off the brake and eat out a couple of nights a week, plus I reckon drinking three units of alcohol a week is fine. It's far better for your health to relax a bit. One good tip is to choose a protein-based main and then go for a starter that is soup- or salad-based. I'll have desserts, too, but they're best shared, two mouthfuls satisfies a craving, any more is gluttony. The only thing my friends ever notice is how much I eat; I always order double the vegetables, restaurants always skimp on them. If I feel like I've gone off track I'll do a juice cleanse; my favourite is the sugar-free five-day juice delivery company Radiance Cleanse [radiancecleanse.com].

Breakfast, 7am: my prepared meal from the night before, an espresso, and we keep a juicer at the TwentyTwo studios as we all have green juices in the morning with kale, spinach, celery and pear.

Depending on how I'm feeling, I'll add ginger to boost my immune system or lemon for extra vitamin C. It's a truer, more effective way to get the right vitamins into your body.

Snack, 11am; half an apple spread with almond nut butter. 

Lunch, 1pm: home-made turkey super-salad, with peppers, alfalfa sprouts, sunflower seeds and brown rice. 

Snack, 3pm: a few almonds. 

Dinner, 7pm: a stir-fry with chicken.

Striking a balance is key for me; over Christmas I didn't go into the gym as much but I made sure I stayed active by switching a run for a walk. A few days at a lower intensity won't affect your weight.

How do you stay motivated? I'm naturally competitive; I like beating my own targets and other people. For real focus I enter Twenty Two into triathlons, marathons and competitions like the Tough Mudder [toughmudder.co.uk] as a team.

David Higgins, 36

Growing up in the great outdoors with brothers in Melbourne, Australia, David Higgins has activity in his DNA. 'Exercise has always been, and still is, fun for me. It doesn't feel like a chore. And becoming a trainer after university where I studied exercise physiology and sports science felt so natural.' He moved to London in 2004 and in 2007 set up Ten Pilates (tenpilates.com), the supercool dynamic Pilates studio in London, and the current celebrity favourite for body sculpting, slimming and toning.

Three things that make a difference Water: I recommend a minimum of two litres a day. If you're dehydrated you just won't get as much from any workout.

Classes: they push you far more than you can ever push yourself. Failing that, work out with a friend - competition is always a good motivator.

Staying positive: having that inner voice saying Yes you can, rather than No you can't, is the most powerful and inspiring tool that you can have.'

Weekly exercise routine I prioritise fitness over everything. I put it in my diary and it stays there; meetings just have to work around exercise because I need two hours of weight training a week, as much for my mind as for my body. But I'm lucky. Part of my job is teaching three spin Cardiolates classes - a cycling and Pilates hybrid - and I've made it company policy to join two dynamic reformer bed Pilates classes a week.

Total: seven hours a week.

Typical food diary I'm never stuck behind a desk. I'm on my feet or training all day so I burn off about 5,000 calories a day. Putting on weight isn't a problem for me, and apart from a couple of scotches on the rocks at the weekends I'm not a big drinker, either, so I can afford to be relaxed about what I eat; but I do make a point of setting aside time in my diary to eat.

Breakfast, 6am: muesli and cup of tea. 

Lunch, 12pm: chicken or tuna sandwich or a jacket potato. 

Dinner: steamed vegetables with fish or chicken and brown rice.

I won't be making a tough new year's resolution to compensate for a few glasses of wine and some mince pies over Christmas. You never stick to it and for me it's all about consistency. Instead I might book myself in for an MoT, with a sports massage or general physio check-up at Ten Pilates, to check I'm good to go again.

How do you stay motivated? By setting goals and celebrating when you hit them.

Nathalie Desmier, 26

At the age of 16, Nathalie Desmier made the decision to leave athletics after three years competing at county level to become a professional dancer. She now does music videos, commercials and shows, tours as a dancer with bands, and works as a trainer at London's new retro dance studio Frame (in Shoreditch and Queens Park). Desmier has made her work life into her workout, which means she never veers from her petite

but perfectly toned body - despite her chocolate habit. But when you're racking up 18 hours a week, who's counting calories?

Three things that make a difference Regular intensive cardio workouts with stretching and toning; it means burning calories to keep the weight down but lengthening and toning at the same time so you don't bulk up.

Eat breakfast if you want to work out well.

Music. It has a massive impact on a workout. Whenever people come into my class looking lethargic, good music always peps them up.

Weekly exercise routine I'm working out all the time by teaching about 15 classes a week. I also love adding in a Pilates class to work on my strength and flexibility, too. Then there are the professional auditions and classes, which can last up to eight hours. I try to include a bit of cardio, toning and strengthening every day, and make it a habit to have one day of recovery a week.

Total: 18 hours a week.

Typical food diary I usually plan my food diary the night before - it's easier to take meals into work as that way I won't let my sweet tooth sway me. I keep snacks in my bag, too, and sometimes a chocolate bar. I have a couple of Bounty bars a week. But I don't really drink - maybe four times a month I'll have a glass of rosé. And I avoid

coffee. Overall I'm lucky, I don't have a massive appetite and portion size is key.

Breakfast: cereal and a cup of coffee - the time varies but I have it as soon as I wake up as I'm always starving.

Lunch: roll with salad and chicken, and yogurt.

Dinner: the biggest meal, including protein, some carbs and vegetables, often a treat like ice cream.

How do you stay motivated? I've got a loud inner voice which tells me to push myself; plus the dance industry is so competitive I have to look my best. If I know I have a big job or audition coming up I just picture that bikini - it always works. Over Christmas I cut my training to around half the hours to give my body a break. But I always step up my training in the new year.

Nicole Winhoffer, 28

Growing up in New Jersey with three soccer-mad brothers, Winhoffer is as fit and competitive as they come. She made her debut as a professional dancer on Broadway at 17, and has been Madonna's personal trainer for the past three years. She is also one of her choreographers on tour. Winhoffer works out for 30 hours a week. 'It is a real commitment that takes scheduling and planning,' she says.

Three things that make a difference Work out on an empty stomach in the morning so your body goes directly into the fat stores for energy. Do this for one week straight and I promise you will see change. Give it your all. You have to put 110 per cent effort into every workout to see results. I swear by probiotics for staying lean and sculpted.

Weekly exercise routine Personal workouts, client training and dancing daily.

Total: up to 30 hours a week.

Typical food diary I plan and pack all my foods - and if I'm on tour I work with the hotels and cater ahead for specific foods. I often travel with my box of steamed vegetables and lean protein so I don't get caught out. If I eat out, I make a special request for a green salad with some grilled fish or chicken and a little olive oil. And any time I have a hunger urge I drink 10 gulps of water and then wait 10 minutes. I aim for three litres every day. Three small snacks: I love the sugar-free, glutenfree, 20g protein-packed Think Thin protein bars, [£21.60 for 10, amazon.co.uk], and the green juices with kale, apple, spinach, celery and parsley from the American juicing company Blue Print Cleanse, [blueprint.com] and whey protein shakes. Two or three eggs (which I hard-boil six at a time) are a good snack [she eats two whole eggs and just the yolk of the third] and apples, too.' Dinner: grilled chicken, greens and puréed soups. Sometimes a glass of white wine, or a warm baguette and butter as a 'limited' treat. Alcohol is pure sugar, and if I do ever enjoy a glass of wine I cut down on calories, carbs and increase my cardio.  

Source: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG9785991/Workout-and-diet-secrets-of-top-fitness-coaches.html