BS: Exercise has been shown to have a positive effect on immune functions. Any-
thing that is going to improve your body's
ability to mobilize its immune system will
have a positive effect. I've seen some
research that shows that people through
exercise are better equipped to first of
all, avoid getting colds and to have less
effects when they do.

AB: There are many creams and lotions
on the market, promising to get rid of unattractive cellulite. What is the best
way to get rid of this skin condition or reduce its appearance?

BS: First of all, these creams have not been
shown to produce any tangible results. And
although they're other techniques available
such as endomology, which can provide
some temporary relief, the results are simply
not lasting.

Basically, cellulite has to do with connective
tissue beneath the upper layer of skin and
a discontinuation within the cellular matrix
of connective tissue that allows fat to poke
through. You cannot reattach the connective
tissue in any way, even through surgery.
Really, what you have to do is number one,
reduce body fat levels to as low as you
possibly can so, that there isn't that much
fat poking through—though there is. And number two, add muscle (through exercise), which helps to flatten out the fatty areas
and thus produce a more uniform appearance
to the skin. The combination of these two,
will tend to reduce the appearance of cellulite
even though the underlined cause is still
in place.

AB: When it comes to eating, most Americans are accustomed to consuming larger portions, which plays a critical role
in weight gain. Is there a way to eat less
but still satisfy hunger at the same time?

BS: Absolutely, there are several things
you can do. Number one, eat more nutrient dense foods, which are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals and tend to be more satisfying than non-nutrient dense foods. Avoid sugar
laden foods, especially those with simple sugars who break down extremely rapidly
in your system and then cause you to
have a rebound effect. You then become hypoglycemic and your body craves more sugars to get you back up, which creates
the vicious cycle of the body trying to get
back to its normal blood sugar level.

When eating nutrient dense foods, i.e your green vegetables which are high in fiber and your starches—my general rule of thumb is
to think brown. Choose brown rice over white rice, whole wheat pasta over white pasta, multi-grain bread over white bread. Also, a
diet that's sufficient in protein, will promote satiety. Consuming a moderate amount of protein effects hormonal levels in the body— causing you to feel full. And you will find
that just by eating calories that are more nutritious, and higher in protein, will help
you suppress hunger, thus losing weight
while keeping a balanced diet.

AB: The word is getting around that high-
intensity training is better for reducing
body fat than the long-time believed, low-intensity training. How is this possible?

BS: This is possible on several levels.
Although low-intensity exercise burns a
greater percentage of fat during a session.
If you're burning two hundred calories and burning seventy percent from fat, that's
one hundred and forty calories. But now,
if you're burning four hundred calories and
only burning fifty percent of the calories
from fat, that's two hundred calories from
fat and even though it's less on a percentage basis, it's more on an absolute basis. Even more so, high-intensity exercise keeps your metabolism revved up long after the session
is over and continues to burn calories for a
lot longer (than low-intensity exercise) which
is called the after-burn and in total, you're
going to see a much greater reduction in
body fat. And now that studies have shown,
the effectiveness of interval training, which intersperses bouts of high-intensity with
low-intensity exercise, you can now increase your reduction of body fat by up to nine fold.

AB: Juicing fruits and vegetables
are very popular. Is it really better to
consume them this way than in their
natural form?

BS: Absolutely not, it's worse on all levels. Number one, juicing tends to remove vitamins and minerals, and especially fiber from fruit
so, it becomes less satisfying. Even more
so, juice is pre-digested. Your body really doesn't have any need to digest the food so,
it goes through your system much quicker
and thus does not promote satiety. People
will tend to take in much more in the way
of calories from a juice based product than
a whole fruit or vegetable product. It's always much better to eat the whole fruit itself than drink it in a juice medium.

AB: What's next for Brad Schoenfeld?

BS: I have a new book coming out at the
end of 2009 called, The Ultimate Guide to
Home Workouts, which will be published
by Human Kinetics. I'm actually very
excited about that. Also, I have completely
revamped my website, adding a huge
amount of content to it as we speak. The
web address is www.lookgreatnaked.com.
and I'm really working on making it a database—a real resource for people.
I'm also busy with my blog, which is
www.workout911.com. and I have some audio projects on the way. I got into a partnership through iAmplify and I'm
doing a lot of audio work now, in the way
of down-loadable audio products as well
as teaching my fine students at the
AAPT (The American Academy of
Personal Training).

AB: When you're not improving the world's
physiques, what do you do for fun?

BS: I have varied interests. Actually, I am a semi-professional musician, a jazz pianist. I play the keyboard. I'm a martial arts student and I study seriously. I'm a brown belt and
have been for a very long time in martial arts…and yes, I like to read.

A. Belletty

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