Fitness trainer pushing a crash course in fitness
Jack Williams
Copley News Service

Is there such a thing as a legitimate two-week fitness fix? Or is the whole idea just, well, too weak?

There was a time when a doubtful David Kirsch would have joined the chorus of critics. Now, the Manhattan-based fitness trainer is saying, "Wait a New York minute."

Known for his cast of celebrity clients since he began one-on-one sessions several years ago with Ivana Trump, Kirsch changed his mind about two-week transformations during a stint with the "Extreme Makeover" TV series.

While the women he trained had their share of surgical nips and tucks, his job was to whip them into the shape of their lives. From the inside out. In 14 days.

Putting his doubts aside - "I would have suggested a six-week program designed to last a lifetime" - he devised a nutritional and exercise regimen for the truly dedicated and disciplined.

In other words, two weeks of torture. Not the least of which was a "clean, lean, green" dietary detox program equal parts empowering and demanding.

Then, convinced such a brief intervention could produce meaningful results, he took it a step further. Promoted as a two-week tuneup - or start-up, as the case may be - it's being mass marketed in book form as "The Ultimate New York Body Plan" (McGraw-Hill).

Kirsch, owner of the upscale Madison Square Garden Club in his native New York, also plans on releasing a video after the first of the year.

If you're willing to make the sacrifices, can spare the time and follow a nutritional plan that may make you go carbohydrate crazy every time you pass up a slice of bread or a helping of Haagen-Dasz, you might - just might - survive.

Dropping a dozen pounds in two weeks, while building muscle and losing body fat, as some of Kirsch's clients have reported, requires going to extremes. Think full-body workouts that can burn up to 1,500 or 2,000 calories a day.

Kirsch, 43, believes he's, in a sense, adding a jolt of realism to the rampant artificiality pervading the "Extreme Makeover" culture.

"'Extreme Makeover' involves reconstructive surgery, nose jobs, brow lifts and breast augmentation," he said. "For me, the whole idea behind this was making these women look and feel as good as they can.

"The message that needs to resonate is that you don't have to undergo the knife.
What you have to do, though, is follow a strict diet plan with five small servings a day, some of them nutrient-rich protein shakes, and perform a series of exercises that combine cardiovascular and strength training.

Whether you've been active or sedentary, there's a starting point designed to push you to your goal.

Got a reunion coming up? A wedding? Want to look your best for a photo shoot? Or want to jump-start, tweak or freshen up a stale routine? That's where something like a two-week crash course comes in.

And after the 14 days? "You must insert rest days into your schedule to give your muscles and immune system time to rebuild and regenerate," Kirsch said.

Consider that a recovery phase leading into long-term maintenance, the true test of any regimen.

Keep in mind that the American Council on Exercise, which is America's recognized authority on fitness, cautions against extremes of any kind.

In a survey of more than 1,500 ACE-certified fitness professionals, the organization listed the quick fix or magic bullet as one of the major myths that many of us tend to believe.

ACE's cautionary advice: "Many nutritional supplements are marketed using deceptive, misleading or fraudulent advertising. A well-balanced diet coupled with regular exercise is still the safest and most effective way to achieve weight loss or performance goals."

Kirsch, a 16-year veteran of the industry, has no argument with that. He didn't become of the coach of such sleek celebs as Liv Tyler, Heidi Klum, Linda Evangelista, Bridget and Faith Hill by promising what he couldn't deliver.

The core of the Kirsch crash course is a 45-minute "cardio sculpting" workout four days a week. Equipment required: stability ball, medicine ball and 2- to 5-pound dumbbells.

For the more advanced, a little shadow boxing with dumbbells provides the most bang for the heartbeat.

"I get a sense that people want things done in a New York minute," Kirsch said, "and that's the idea here. A sense of urgency, immediacy. It's not an unsafe way to go. "But in a sense, it's saying 'Wow, this guy means business.'"

And business seems to be booming.

Kirsch, also the author of "Sound Body, Sound Mound," has no shortage of clients who pay him $7,500 for one of his customized four-week ultimate fitness training packages.

TOP