Do I, don’t I…A fitness and health essay for singers, part one
Over the last three decades, physical fitness has taken a large shift into the mainstream of American daily life. Leading a healthy lifestyle is a worthy and important proposition and engaging in physical activities are important assets for people seeking to improve their body image, self esteem, and overall sense of wellness. Now, with opera being presented in far more ways for the world to see than just ten years ago, classical performers may feel the pressure to maintain a credible level of wellness. Some fear that excessive workouts and daily diet programs hamper one’s ability to perform on a large stage at an optimum level. I find this to be totally unfounded. I would like to make a few suggestions through achievements and failures I’ve had in my own physical fitness goals, and what knowledge I’ve learned from the many wonderful professionals over the last few years. For this discussion, I’d like to talk specifically to physical fitness, exercise routines, and overall wellness. And for those that think I lack empathy for people who struggle with weight and wellness issues, I don’t. I lived for a very long time severely overweight and know the significant difficulties that many face to first accept the challenge to change their own lifestyles in order to have a new body and image and then, act on it in earnest. I offer this advice with my heart in my hands and make these suggestions as a man that is still on his own personal journey.
For one, physical fitness should be fun. I used to always dread going to work out in the beginning. I dreaded walking in the snow and freezing cold from my dorm in college. I dreaded going to the gym to work out and see other people that looked immensely better than me. I dreaded looking like an idiot lifting weights, running, doing anything really, most of which I had no idea how to even do properly…I was just convinced I looked stupid and people would point fingers at me and snicker. BUT I had to get over that fear. The fact is, everyone looks like an idiot at the gym. People drip sweat all over the place, often they smell bad after an hour’s workout, and some fitness gurus do odd exercises that to this day I still haven’t figured out (the bear crawl on the floor comes to mind). And that’s the point, the gym is a place to let go and do what you need to do to help yourself and not worry about other people. Now, I go because I love to do it and it’s a personal release for me. Frankly, I often look like an imbecile jamming my Verdi in my head phones and conducting along side. (people truly snicker at that). It should be fun; make it fun and you’ll want to go more and more.
Part of making it fun is setting goals. I’m an incessant goal setter. So, when I committed to working out and changing my lifestyle, I had to set benchmarks for myself…points of accomplishment. Some goals I achieved rapidly (losing my first 30 pounds about six years ago), because I wanted to move to bigger and better goals. But the challenge comes when you don’t meet your next set of bench marks. The disappointment of not losing a few pounds after two weeks of a rigorous workout and diet program can be off-putting and difficult. But, get over it. It’s part of the ups and downs of doing an exercise and diet regimen. As long as you stay committed and demand of yourself to do more and do better each week, you’ll hit your mark in due time. I found that as I was progressing through weight loss and strength building, that I needed to start working with a trainer to get new advice, and enhance my work out program. It can be pricey; it doesn’t have to be. Often trainers in some clubs will offer set deals up front and sometimes trainers will offer to train couples or pairs in order to mitigate the expenditure for you. Now, finding a GOOD trainer is critical as well…a trainer that wants to help you meet your goals and meet your needs as a performer (for non performers reading this, I guess it applies less).
I decided to work with a trainer extensively on one of my most recent engagements in Miami. I worked with a gentleman named Juan Lugo. Juan has a website, juanlugofitness.com and I would encourage all of you to check it out. If you’re in Miami and are interested, contact him. He’s terrific. He was focused like a laser on building me a good training program that emphasized my needs and optimized the assets I already brought to the table (I had done some training before so it’s wasn’t a total beginner’s course). Juan himself is in top physical condition and he doesn’t look just like a block of muscle. He looks lean, trim, fit, and and beautifully sculpted…perhaps a wise look for which singers should aim. My goals included more body conditioning, more toning, a higher level of strength, and learning more about what I can do on the gym floor when I’m alone and don’t have a trainer. Add to that the ability to not have any tension in my workouts that I didn’t have before. We worked 45-50 minutes four times a week for about two months and largely, trained using body weight exercises, plank exercises, TRX suspension training and some resistance training (weights). Juan and I worked great together, it was a joy to train with him and I can’t wait to do more when I get the chance.
Lastly, breathe!!! This is one piece of advice that I will give people contemplating lifting weights and doing more resistance work. The fear that some performers and friends have told me about lifting weights is that physical fitness training leads to poor breathing and other bad habits. Let me assure you that if you think good working out at the gym involves loud grunting and groaning after each repetition of a set, veins popping out of your neck and head, and your face turning so red that cherries would blush, then you have the wrong idea. As performers and singers, we’re all taught to breath deep and low and to be pliable in our breath support. Apply that to weight lifting and cardio exercises. Constantly breath deeply and exhale at the second half of each repetition. Check your neck and upper back and make sure that they’re relaxed and not tightening up. This took me a while to figure out and I largely have gotten it. I still resort to other tricks and small issues…Juan often would tell me “Michael, stop doing the macarena” when I would near the end of a set because I would shake my feet or legs instead focusing solely on proper breathing.
Anyway, I feel that it’s important to talk about physical fitness, health, and wellness because it affects us all, in all of our career paths. I think a good work out regimen should be paired with a REASONABLE diet program. Diet does not mean diet; it means a daily way of healthy eating that is enjoyable and won’t make you pass out from malnutrition at the end of the day. In the coming weeks, I’ll be discussing other topics in the health and wellness realm so stay tuned.