Personal Trainer to the Stars

Page 40 T cjnews.com THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS June 12, 2008 And now for something completely different: By AMY SOBERANO major Canadian film producer, invited Special to The CJN him to work with the cast of a movie, which was to star Halle Berry. “While I don’t turn down money, it’s Despite having to cover his own the idea of making a large-scale dif- Personal trainer expenses, Pasternak pounced on the ference that inspires me the most,” chance to work with her. He reduced 1 says 33-year-old Harley Pasternak. her daily workouts from 1 /2 hours to Perhaps one of the most sought- just 30 minutes and got the oppor- after personal trainers by celebrities to the stars tunity to prepare her for the Cat- all over the world, Pasternak preach- woman movie. es a message of healthy living that is “Getting Halle in shape for Cat- indeed spreading at a rapid pace. woman got me attention and on While operating his business, Pasternak was strug- One of many artists who credits Pasternak’s 5- Oprah… things just blew up after that,” Pasternak gling to obtain a high score on his MCAT (medical Factor Diet with her elite fitness level is singer Alicia says. In addition to being featured on The Oprah college admission test) in an attempt to pursue a more Keys. “With Harley’s plan, the focus is not on starv- Winfrey Show, Pasternak has become a regular on tried-and-tested option. “I was failing to get into ing yourself but on healthful living, so you don’t feel NBC’s The Today Show, having appeared once a medical school, but my business was growing. I didn’t like you’re missing out on the foods you love,” she month for the past 10 months. realize that my career was reports on his website He has also made television appearances in slight- right in front of my eyes,” (www.5factordiet.com). “Once ly less professional capacities. His Los Angeles home he says. you get started, you get ad- has been explored by MTV’s Cribs, a reality television As his training business dicted to looking, feeling, and program that features tours of the houses and man- blossomed, he and his staff living your best.” sions of celebrities, and he has appeared on America’s began to work with actors Along with Grammy Next Top Model, Access Hollywood and VH, E!. who came into Toronto to Award-winner Keys, Paster- In addition, Pasternak has worked closely with Nin- shoot their films. Among his nak has worked with celebri- tendo Wii to produce Wiifit, an interactive video game first clients were Peta ties such as Halle Berry, that promotes activity and exercise in Wilson, star of the 1997 to Kanye West, Jessica Simpson, its users. 2001 TV series La Femme Miley Cyrus, Orlando Bloom, Despite his busy Nikita; Dennis Quaid and John Mayer, Katherine Heigl, schedule, he says re- Juliette Lewis on the set of Eve, Benjamin Bratt, LL Cool turning home to visit Cold Creek Manor; and Jen- J and Adam Brody. the friends and family A personal trainer with a celebrity clientele, nifer Lopez and James In fact, on the same day he grew up with is Harley Pasternak has become a bit of celebri- Caviezel during the produc- Pasternak granted The CJN an most rewarding. ty himself, with appearances on Oprah and The tion of Angel Eyes. interview, Eva Mendes, Jeff “For me, there Today Show. Concurrently, Pasternak Goldblum, Common, Paul Rudd, is nothing that was researching the effects Jonah Hill and Ellen Page strolled through Paster- compares… I’m of nutritional supplements on the strength and en- nak’s Los Angeles-based studio. based in L.A., but I durance of soldiers, at the Defense and Civil Institute “Just when I think I’ve worked with someone in still have a home in of Environmental Medicine, for his master’s degree. amazing spirits, I get the chance to work with someone Toronto.” During his research, he noticed the bodies of the sub- else,” says Pasternak. jects began to develop following relatively brief work- Growing up in Toronto, Pasternak began to discov- outs of 15 to 20 minutes. Intrigued by the concept of er his niche in fitness as a hockey player. He started short and intense workouts, Pasternak introduced working out at a nearby Y in order to enhance his on- them to his fitness clients, scheduling workouts ice performance and became intrigued by the results. at the same time as 25-minute lunch breaks on “I loved that by doing a certain activity in the gym, set. His clients were happy with the results of it would change how I looked and felt,” says Paster- the program, which was divided into five five- nak. “I became fascinated with fitness.” minute phases. And when both of his brothers were diagnosed with “I got a reputation as being able to get type 1 diabetes, nutrition became of paramount people into great shape in short periods of concern to his family. time,” said Pasternak of his growth in pop- “I tried to instil in my brothers the importance of ularity among celebrities with tight sched- eating well and staying fit to keep them healthy.” ules. Pasternak’s line of work requires a constant bal- What is now known as Harley’s 5- ancing of physical training with nutrition, and he de- Factor Diet, a book he wrote in 2006, scribes the two domains as inseparable. calls for eating five meals a day, shift- “They’re equally important. You can’t have one ing one’s eating pattern from what he without the other. There is a synergy that occurs with refers to as “gorging to grazing.” both of them.” The inspiration for the diet came After graduating from York Mills Collegiate in from studying under U of T profes- Toronto, Pasternak went on to pursue an honours sors whose research found smaller degree in kinesiology at the University of Western and more frequent meals to be ideal Ontario and a master’s of science in exercise physi- for facilitating healthy blood sugar ology and nutritional sciences at the University of and appetite control. Toronto. The final component of the regi- He is a member of the American College of Sports ment is the five-minute preparation of Medicine and the Canadian Society of Exercise Phys- dishes with just five ingredients, some- iology. thing that Pasternak developed on the While enrolled in university, Pasternak began a job while he prepared meals in his small personal-training business out of Bally Total clients’ trailers with limited time and re- Fitness, at the age of 18. “I never thought it could be sources. like this,” he says. “It wasn’t the typical Jewish boy’s His big break came when Don Carmody, a professional path.” CHECK OUT OUR BLOG @ HEEBONICS.CA.

Load more