FITNESS CELEBRITY INTERVIEW - KIM HARTT
By: Jason E. Cohen
Pardon the pun, but Kim Hartt is without a doubt one of the true sweet hearts
in the fitness industry. After being around her for thirty seconds you can
easily determine that Kim is enthusiastic, intelligent and goal oriented. On
top of her great looks and hard body, Kim also has quite an impressive
resume. She was a Nevada Hot Dice Roller Jam competitor, licensed physical
therapist and IFBB Pro Fitness competitor.
How long did it take you to get into such great shape?
Kim Hartt: I have always been athletic with my background being in Figure skating
(growing up in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada) and I did Track and Field in
Junior and Senior High School in between my spring and summer figure skating
schools. However, when I started into the Fitness Arena in April of 1996 I
was not competing in anything and let myself slip a little as far as elite
competitive strength and conditioning goes. It was my move to Ft. Myers,
Florida from Carlsbad, New Mexico in 1995 when I was taken temporarily off
track by all the "Fun in the Sun" Florida festivities!!
I was 24% body fat, unconditioned, and generally felt really sluggish and
unmotivated for the first time in my life... and didn't Like it One Bit!! I
knew that I had that flame in me somewhere and it took someone in the gym to
say to me "You should enter this local fitness competition that is coming up
in town." That was it!! I needed that competition that I was so accustomed to
in my life where I had a focus and a goal to work towards. I had 6 weeks to
prepare and I put everything into it with my weight training, diet and cardio
sessions. Not to mention of course the dance sessions with a choreographer to
try to put together a routine. I went on stage May 18th, 1996 at 115 pounds
and 9% body fat. Everything was really extreme and I actually lost muscle by
doing it this fast but at that point I knew I could do ANYTHING if I put my
mind to it.
Since then I learned how to eat and train properly to gradually come down to
10-12% body fat. I also could not even do one single push up when I started
and now I can do those push-ups with my legs over my shoulders and a one
arm/one leg push up. I got my Pro Card in Orlando in October of 1999. Now I
maintain my body fat at about 12-14% as is my lifestyle and career as a
fitness role model. It is consistency over a period of time (started fitness 4
years ago) that got me my present conditioning and shape. When you get to
this point all it is maintenance by living a lifestyle that brings me pure joy
and energy. This in turn is carried over into every aspect of my life.
How many hours of training does it take?
Kim Hartt:
I do about 30-45 minutes of cardio a day whether it is rollerblading, running
on the beach or at the park, hiking, or any of the cardio machines at the gym.
I do a 45-minute work out on one or two body parts with lots of super setting
where I move from one machine to the next without a rest. I usually work out
for 3 days on, one off and then 2 days on and one off. I try to do something
active everyday but sometimes I will take Sunday completely off for rest and
relaxation.
I also like to hit my abdominals every day (both lower and upper), as this is
a muscle group that you can train everyday and won't risk over training. All
of the other muscle groups I do once a week so I give them time to recuperate
and strengthen. I will do walking lunges and toning for my legs with high reps
and low weight machines a couple times a week as I have a lot of strength in
my legs and I like to keep them toned by over training them. Rollerblading,
Stadiums, and Running are great for this too. :)
When I am competing I also have gymnastic sessions and choreography/dance
sessions on top of this which always incorporate strength moves and I actually
had a routine that I followed when it came close to competitions for "Element
Specific Training" which I have incorporated into my Fitness Handbook that I
wrote to help Fitness Competitors with Contest Preparation. You can get this
manual in my online store at www.kimhartt.com. It is also good for beginners,
who just want to train to have a shapely, strong, toned feminine body. It has
all of the basic weight training and diet tips that women should be using to
attain this type of physique.
What type of diet do you keep yourself on?
Kim Hartt:
I stay on a diet where I eat meals every 3 -4 hours that are balanced with 40%
carbohydrates, 40% protein, 20% fat (unsaturated). My day usually consists of
5-6 of these meals. I like to eat the starchy carbohydrates
(potatoes/oatmeal/rice) in the morning and stick to the more fibrous
carbohydrates (greens mainly) after 3pm. I have a Diet Book for sale on my
website that has all of my Diet Secrets in it and is the exact diet that I
followed at the National levels of competition to attain my Pro Card and is
the diet I still abide by to stay in great shape for appearances and photo
shoots.
You can purchase my Diet Book on my website www.kimhartt.com
from my
online store "Kim's Shop". I guarantee you that if you follow this diet for
the 13-week program that I have included within this book; you will be in the
best shape of your life! This is a great tool for people to have to follow -
people are able to achieve things better if they have something laid out for
them to follow step by step, meal by meal, where they do not have to think but
just do as the manual says to get great results!! I paid my trainer who put my
diet together for me $550.00 which include body fat testing and posing lessons
for stage etc. but I am selling this manual for 1/5 the of this price. It is a
VERY valuable tool for success. As I mentioned before, the diet is 85-90% of
the equation to getting the results that you are looking for from a good
program.
Does traveling interfere with your diet?
Kim Hartt:
Good question as traveling does make it more difficult in that there is more
meal preparation and planning involved when I am traveling. It can be done
though as I have had to do it MANY times in my career. I pre-cook my chicken
in my George Foreman grill and put it in Tupperware containers (each chicken
breast is usually about 4 oz) and I will cut up a potato into slices like
potato chips and fry them in PAM (and weigh it to about 4 oz as well) and put
it in with the 4 oz chicken so I have my protein and carbohydrates for that
meal. The chicken has some animal fat in it so there is no need to add fat to
that meal. I also bring protein bars and meal replacement shakes with my
shaker in case I need a quick fix and don't have my little travel size cooler
with me. Sport Pharma is my athletic sponsor and they send me protein bars
that I can put in my carry-on bag, as the airlines don't always have the
healthiest meals or worse yet they'll just give you pretzels or peanuts!! It
is also important to always carry water with you. You will get very
dehydrated traveling on a plane!!
If I'm eating out on my travels I just stick to my same principals of 40/40/20
meal and look for chicken or fish for protein and either potatoes or yams
(baked and without butter) or veggies/salad depending on what time of the day
it is.
What would you say to a beginner?
Kim Hartt:
Start gradually with a work out program a couple times a week doing upper body
one day and lower body on the other day and stick to a low weight and around
1-2 sets of 10-12 reps of 3-4 different exercises. Then you can increase the
number of days, sets, reps and weight as you progress and the program becomes
easier for you. The most important thing is to establish really good form with
the weights right from the beginning, as this will be your foundation as you
progress to more difficult exercises.
As far as your cardio is concerned start off with at least 20 minutes of a
cardio machine of your choice at intensity that makes you work (it should feel
hard but you should still be able to talk to someone if they spoke to you
while you were on the machine). Try doing this 3-4 times per week. Again
increase the days, time, and intensity as you become comfortable with the
machine and as your endurance and conditioning improves.
Be sure to write down short (1 month) and long term (4month- 1year) goals for
yourself right from the very start to keep yourself focused and dedicated to
your work out program and make sure you tell someone about it so that it keeps
you more accountable to follow through with your plan to achieve these goals.
It is wise to hire a personal trainer when you are first starting out to make
sure that you are doing all the exercises with the proper form. It will also
give you some objective measures of what your body fat percentage is as well
as your lean muscle mass and circumferential measurements such as your waist
and thighs. From here you are able to make objective goals stating where you
would like to see yourself in a given time period.
What goals should individuals set for themselves?
Kim Hartt:
Set goals that are realistic and attainable so that in achieving each small
stepping stone (which would be your short term goals in that one month period)
you know that you are on your way towards achieving your Overall End Resulting
Long Term Goal that you set for yourself to ultimately achieve (give yourself
4 months to 1 year depending on where you are at initially and where you want
to be by the end of your program).
For body fat percentage, write down to decrease by 2% / month and for body weight - 1
to 2 pounds per week is healthy. The more gradual and progressively you take the
weight off, the better chance you have of maintaining it. You may also make
goals for clothing sizes or for strength (how many push-ups you can do or how
much you can bench press). Everyone's goals will be individual and specific
for their lifestyle but the main thing is to break them up into short-term
goals that are realistic and attainable that is working towards the end
long-term goal.
Is this type of work very competitive?
Kim Hartt:
It takes an extreme athlete to be at the competitive level that I was
competing at once you get to the International ranks. At the beginner's level
it is just for the experience and is more fun because it is all new and just
trial and error. With any sport, as you excel and get higher in the ranks, it
becomes more competitive, especially if there are endorsements and financial
awards on the line as there are at the higher levels of competition. For
myself I feel that I perform better if I just focus on my own performance and
have fun with it. I love all of the girls that I compete with, as I know that
they have the same drive and dedication to the sport that I do and I have the
utmost respect for all of them.
I feel that more and more women are getting involved in the fitness industry.
I am excited about this positive direction that women are taking, but I guess
you could also say that it is getting to be more competitive with so many
pretty, talented women in great shape coming out of the woodwork!! You have
to have something that is special that sets you apart from the rest if you are
to be hired by a company to represent them and their products. This is when a
good educational background comes into play, giving you the edge as a more
credible spokesperson.
What awards have you won?
Kim Hartt:
I won the Ms. Florida State Overall Fitness Champion Title in the NPC in 1996
and then I came runner-up at the Tri-Fitness Ironwomen competition in 1998 and
I got my Pro Card for the IFBB at Nationals in 1999.
Making money based on your appearance, does it ever become too much?
Kim Hartt:
My main thing that I focus on is to be the best that I can be as a fitness
role model for people so that I am able to motivate and encourage others to
attain their own personal fitness goals. I get a lot of gratification and it
is a reward in itself just knowing that I played a part in helping people to
reach their goals and change their quality of life. This kind of gratification
is so rich and filling that it is just something money can't replace!! I've
learned that just by being true to yourself and focusing your attention on
giving to others the gifts that you have (and these are the best kind of gifts
that come directly from the heart), the money will come but the thing that is
going to make you the happiest is the gift of joy that you receive when you
help someone to change their life. And this is something I can NEVER get
enough of!!
If you could change places with anyone, who would it be?
Kim Hartt:
No one. I am really happy with who I am and my accomplishments so far in my
life. I feel very fortunate for being brought up in such a loving, supportive
family and having such supportive true friends in my life. That in itself
brings me so much joy and happiness and a feeling of complete fulfillment and
a love for this life that the Lord has given to me. I know who I am and what
my purpose is as he has put it in my heart. I intend to reach and touch as
many lives as I can by helping people to make positive changes in their lives
that will affect their future and quality of life. I feel that life is like
an adventure that you have to experience everything that you can, both good
and bad to help you to grow and to appreciate all of the blessings that come
your way.
What do you see in your future?
Kim Hartt:
My dream is to live in a house in Malibu with BIG windows overlooking the
ocean so that I can watch the sunset every night. I want to have a gym in my
house that I can train people out of as well as to expand my website business
to include more products such as books, manuals, and videos to help people
achieve all of their fitness goals.
Living in LA, I foresee myself either hosting a fitness TV show or being an
Action character on a TV series or movie as well as training actors and
actresses for these types of parts where their bodies must be in top
conditioning. I love the camera!! It is fun and you can be creative and
adventurous! At the same time I LOVE working with people and attaining results
from the programs that I put them on that literally change their lives!! I am
by instinct a positive motivator for people and it is a gift that I intend to
use for the rest of my life whichever way my career takes me.
The reason I want to work out of my home is because I do eventually want to
have a family and I want to be home with the children to raise them and be
with them through every growing phase of their life. Family has always been
and will always be the top priority in my life.
What words of advice would your offer to women who are struggling in this same
profession?
Kim Hartt:
My main piece of advice for women getting into this profession is to stay true
to you. Do what is right in your heart and never compromise. Know your value
and don't settle for less than that. Make sure that everything you do and
everything that is promised to you is in writing and signed and dated. It is
a wise idea to hire a good lawyer to look things over before they get signed
and ultimately it is best if you can get your price and terms. Find a good
role model that has experience in this field to help guide you to make the
right decisions.
Lastly, Never give up. Persistency always wins in the end!! Success is a
marathon, not a sprint!!
My favorite motto is: The key to happiness is having dreams...
The key to success is making those dreams come true.
Good Luck and God Bless!!
Kim Hartt
IFBB Pro Fitness Competitor
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