Fit for Fashion’s bolder, braver Season 2

MANILA, Philippines - It’s 7 a.m. and the gym is buzzing with energy. Men and women are doing plyometrics, making lunges and lifting weights. All are listening intently to international fitness trainers Mitch Chilson and Christine Bullock’s instructions. Only hours ago, they did and survived a gruelling challenge on the beach. In a specially-constructed gym in Bintan, Indonesia, the contestants show nerves of steel and strong willpower to overcome another challenge-filled day. Welcome to the set of  Fit for Fashion Season 2.

Buoyed by its successful first season in 2014, Fitness First Asia has once again partnered with leading international TV production company Imagine Group and Asia’s online fashion destination Zalora to hold a new season of Fit for Fashion TV, the first-ever reality show that brings together fitness and fashion. The show will be aired on StarWorld channel in January 2016.

Riaz Mehta, president and founder of Imagine Group, said this season promises viewers a bigger, bolder production -— twice the excitement and entertainment. Just like Season 1, it will inspire people to start their own journeys to a healthier, happier and more stylish life.

Riaz stressed that the show is more than just helping contestants lose weight — it is a whole transformational experience to become stylish, fit, healthy and more confident.

“At the end of the day, we believe in helping contestants transform their lives for the better. It is about rediscovering your true self and we want to help them in that regard. I personally love this message of self-empowerment and growth, because at the end of the day, it is in our power to change our lives. Just like what the Fit for Fashion show displays through its contestants and unrelenting support from the team, we must simply have the will to change and that change will undoubtedly come out within us,” Riaz told writers during a recent interview.

  The $4M production will see contestants face and hurdle a series of physical and mental challenges. Each week, one contestant will be eliminated until the grand winner is proclaimed on the 10th week. The winner will take home $100,000. 

Mitch and Christine, who are also judges on the show, praised the contestants’ determination, grit and stamina to overcome the challenges on the show.

“Working daily with 14 contestants on a transformation show is such a blessing. It’s amazing to live this journey with each of them,” Christine told entertainment and sports journalists.

Aside from Christine and Mitch, fashion journalist and TV host Louise Roe, fashion photographer Todd Tyler and stylist Fernando Barraza will train, advise and challenge the contestants on the show. The 14 men and women are a mix of races. They were chosen during an audition last May.

To recall, it was Citira Corrigan, an Australian mother of three, who was proclaimed the grand winner of the first Fit for Fashion TV. She took home the $100,000 after beating 11 other contestants in the course of 10 weeks.

Mitch and Christine take care of the physical transformation of the contestants. Aside from that, they will also share tips from their experiences across all Fit for Fashion digital platforms.

The trainers both emphasized that their goals for the contestants are not just centered on helping them lose pounds, but more importantly, they want them build and nourish a healthy body.

During a workout session with Mitch and Christine, they said it is very important to challenge yourself when doing your exercises.

“If a workout doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you,” Mitch said in his presentation titled Transformation in 10 weeks.

He cited a four-factor approach in having a fit and strong body. Mitch said to get the physique you want, you’ve got to eat properly. He said he believes in the 70 percent diet and 30 percent exercise approach to weight loss.

“First, you have to pay attention to your nutrition and to what you eat because you will not lose weight even if you work so hard at the gym,” he said.

The second factor lies in the training or the workout. Mitch said the usual exercises that people have been doing, such as running and other cardio activities, will not help them achieve the results they want simply because their body has been used to these exercises.

“Getting a different set of exercises will re-program the way your body works. Stop doing the same thing over and over. Change the way you workout. Getting a coach is also effective,” he said.

He also suggested pairing exercises. “Pair upper and lower body exercises together for an effective workout."

Most importantly, to truly make a difference in your body, you must prioritize strength training over cardio workouts. High-intensity moves like sprinting, jumping jacks and calisthenics that rely on one’s body weight to perform push-ups and pull-ups will definitely help in fat loss.

Mitch recommended the deadlift because it works with every muscle in your body and improve everything you do.

The third factor is to drink lots of water.

“An average person drinks two liters of water. I suggest that during the morning after you wake up, you should drink three liters of water to begin flushing the toxins,” Mitch said.

And finally, the fourth factor is to sleep more. Mitch said sleep helps the body recover after a workout, adding seven hours of sleep every day will allow you to get most out of your exercises regardless of your goals — muscle growth, strength or weight loss.

Christine, for her part, shared her own tips for an effective workout, saying exercises that get the heart rate up is very helpful.

“If you want to bust out an effective workout and scorch major calories, you have to get your heart rate up for short bursts of exercise,” Christine said.

Like Mitch, Christine also recommended lifting weights to shed pounds. She said a common concern among ladies is their reluctance to lift weights for fear of getting muscular.

Christine cited studies that prove and support that weight training combined with cardio will burn almost 100 percent fat; whereas cardio alone burns about 75 percent fat and 25 percent muscle. This means that by adding two to three days a week of weight training,  you’ll be able to turn your body into a more efficient fat burner.

“Plus, if you increase your muscle to fat ratio, even without a drastic weight change, you will be visibly slimmer because muscle takes up 14 percent less space than fat (it’s tighter and smaller). Looks aside, weight training will increase your bone density — keeping you mobile and safe as you age,” Christine said.

Like Mitch, Christine believes in the power of food to nourish the body and stay fit.

She suggested eating healthy fats like avocados,vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and grains, instead of fast food.

“Plus if you can, add smoothies, alkaline greens like spinach, chlorella, acai, bee pollen and gogi berries to your daily diet, the better. Try to minimize or totally eliminate eating process foods, gluten and white sugar,” Christine said.

She also suggested including probiotics in your diet. Probiotics, which is found in fermented foods like Kimchi, Kefir and Kombucha, helps in having a strong immune system.

Both Mitch and Christine are seasoned fitness trainers.

Mitch was called “The Dragon” during his pro-mixed martial arts days and is currently the head of personal training for Fitness First Asia. A two-time ESPN Martial Combal MMA champion, Mitch also has a solid base in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is one of only seven Muay Thai instructors outside of Thailand certified by the Grandmaster of Muay Tahi Kru Yodtong Senanan. He has also hosted numerous TV shows, including SuperModelMe and Mega Kids. 

Christine, on the other hand,  is one of the most inspirational celebrity fitness trainers in Los Angeles, with a wealth of knowledge regarding exercise, nutrition and healthy living. She has been teaching fitness from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles since 2004. 

A finalist in Women’s Health Magazine’s national search for The Next Fitness Star, she was also voted the Hottest Trainer of 2013 and is an ambassador for fitness fashion clothing lines Lorna Jane, Carbon38 and Vie Active. Her fitness DVD titled 10 Minute Solution: Butt Lift was voted as one of the top Pilates DVDs of 2013 by Pilates Style magazine.