Fit to Print Volume 24 Issue 3 September 2015

Fa n t a s t i c Fo u r Interview by Paul Smith Reboot! Meet The Winners of Fantastic Four 2015 L Let’s wind the clock back to the 2014 Edition of the Fit 4 Summer Challenge, which introduced a radical format change. For the first time there would be a shift away from the four-person team format of earlier contests to one in which challengers would train and be measured as individuals. No more Fantastic Four. Now it was “your goal, your reward”. After it was over, the reviews began to trickle in, and it was reported that while there was much to like about Fit for Summer 2014—fitness goals had been met (and exceeded), pounds had been shed—the old four person team format, with its special dynamic of support and camaraderie had been missed by many. So we went back to the drawing board and decided to go forward by taking a step back: Thus, the 2015 Fantastic Four “Reboot.” This year, trainer-lead fourperson teams were back, as was the prize money (and famous big fake checks). It was a welcome return to a winning formula, and there were smiles all around, none broader than those on Eileen Jacinth and her winning team of brothers Frank, Pedro, and Jose Calvet and teammate Rajeev Malhotra. I recently spoke with them about their contest experience. PS: How did you learn about Fit 4 Summer 2015? Did Eileen approach you? Did you see the signs or receive an email? Frank Calvet: I actually heard about it for the ﬁrst time from my brother, Jose. He was a member of Fitness Incentive, and at that time I'd didn't belong to the gym. But I was heavier than I wanted to be and wanted to lose some weight. So Jose turned me on to Fitness Incentive, and it has been great—the best thing I've ever done. Pedro Calvet: I joined Fitness Incentive also because of the Fit 4 Summer contest…not this year but the 2014 edition. And for me it was also through my brothers that I was introduced. FC: Pedro and I had always worked out together growing up. Then when I started working out with Jose, I told him, “Listen, you've got to become a Fitness Incentive member! It's great!” Jose Calvet: I've been an athlete my whole life and have played multiple sports since I was a kid. So I was always interested in staying in shape. Then my wife introduced me to Fitness Incentive back in, say, 1998? Back when it was in the building on Montauk Highway. Several years ago, the annual contests began, though I didn't enter the ﬁrst couple of years until my friend Mike told me he thought we should enter. So we formed a team: myself, Mike Milano, Tommy Yacopino…but we needed one more guy. We recruited Frank into the contest, and we had a great experience. We got into the best shape of our lives, which hadn't really been possible before. Between work and other commitments, we couldn't ﬁnd the time. Plus we're old, 4 Eileen Jacinth: —to stay accountable. Every group is different, and I trained this team differently than I did other teams I've trained. Each is on a different level. These guys, with their athletic backgrounds, get to do fun, crazy stuff. So their workouts were on a different level because they were already ﬁt. They were just looking to get back to their lean selves. Naturally, the nutrition plans are huge for them, and we had to come up with an exercise program that required accountability: you had to follow the plan to achieve success. So there were emails to help them stay on track, and weigh-ins, which were, for this team, huge. They weren't obese or anything, but they'd put on some unwanted pounds and wanted to lose them. So theirs was more about tweaking what they were doing, getting their lean muscle mass back up to where they needed and wanted it to be. Their nutritional plan was completely different from what would have been required by other teams or individuals. I had them consuming lots of calories and lots o

Fit to Print Volume 24 Issue 3 September 2015 | Page 4