February 12, 2007 - LL Cool J's Platinum Workout, Sitting down with LL Cool J

Last time I sat down and talked with LL Cool J’s trainer, Dave “Scooter” Honig. During the same time I was in NYC, filming the Montel Williams Show, I also took some time to talk with LL Cool J himself, the face of his NY Times Bestselling book “LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout”.

So sit back for this exclusive interview with singer, actor, and now, bestselling author LL Cool J (AKA Todd Smith).

Chris: First, thanks for letting us be part of this book! Let’s get to it – time is of the essence. LL, why did you decide to write this book? You’ve certainly had your share of success with music, TV, movies. What else can you prove?

LL: Thanks, Chris. I wrote this book for several reasons. I pride myself in taking care of my body. It’s not just how I look physically, but I was just not happy with how I felt either. In 2002 I was preparing to tour for my latest album and I knew that if I wanted to be the best I could be on stage, I needed to get in better physical shape. It’s not that I was ever obese, but I also didn’t take the time for me and I could see it physically and feel it. I felt and looked like crap. And that’s when I recruited the help of my friend and trainer, Scooter.

Scoots helped me take it to the next level. So much so, that a lot of folks were accusing me of using steroids, having ribs removed, having lipo, etc, so part of the reason for the book was to help me prove that none of that was true. Here it is, laid out for you—my training and nutrition, teaching you how to get in the best shape of YOUR life too. The transformation I made when working with Scooter was crazy. Insane! I told him I want to lose about 15 lbs (I was 223 and wanted to be around 210). Next thing I know, this guy has me running 5 miles after the tour bus in 115 degree weather, working out at all hours of the night so we didn’t miss a beat, and eating cleaner than I ever dreamed of. This is for real—I didn’t meet my goals, I exceeded them. Instead of just losing weight, I lost fat and gained muscle while touring the country!

Chris: Impressive—when I tell people I had the chance to work with you and this book, I often hear “it’s easy when you can buy a trainer, chef, and you’re in the spotlight and have 24/7 to workout.” I’m sure you get this yourself.

LL Cool J: The book lays the ground work for smart training and nutrition. Scooter has helped me get in the shape of my life, but he doesn’t force me to train or eat well. That’s up to me and it’s up to you. Either you want it, or you don’t. It doesn’t matter how much or how little money you have; money does not buy dedication.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. If you want results, you need to work to get results. Every day I wake up and write my goals for the day. I work towards them every single day. I don’t half ass it, hoping to make it by. Every day you work towards a goal, or move away from it. I wake up every single morning ready to conquer the world. Once I reach the top of the mountain, I keep pushing to get to the sky. The second you think you’ve reached the top, is the second your success comes to a screeching halt. Take nothing for granted, as it could all end tomorrow.

Take control of your body. Eat to feed the machine. And live a longer, healthier life.

Chris: Well said. I know a lot of my readers are interested in your specific workouts. Give me an example of a daily routine with Scooter.

LL Cool J: In the past, I went through the motions. Now, Scooter has me doing whole body circuit training. You get all the large muscles involved—legs, back, chest, etc and shoot that heart rate through the ceiling. I need stamina when I’m on stage, singing and running around—“Mama Said Knock You Out” doesn’t sound as good while I’m gasping for air (laughing).

Here was our morning workout:

I started with a set of squats, immediately followed by a set of close grip pull-ups. Rest 30 seconds between those 2 exercises, then repeated 4 times total.

Next was dynamic pushups, with a weighted vest (where I explode off the ground with my hands and feet while pushing up), followed by jumping lunges (also with the weighted vest). Rest 30 seconds between those sets, repeat 4 times total.

Finally I moved to dips, again with the weighted vest, followed immediately by jumping lunges (and, yes, that vest was still on). Back and forth, 4 times and just when I thought we’d wrap it up, Scooter set up some cones and we did ladder sprints, where you go a short distance, back the beginning, continue on a longer distance, back the beginning, etc. Man, I was wiped—but that hard work is what pays off. You get out what you put in.

Chris: If you remember, when we first met in San Francisco, you got off the stage around 1 AM and Scooter was there waiting with a quick snack and you two were hitting the gym because you hadn’t had a chance to train at all that day.

LL: Exactly. But again, I could very well tell him I’m out and going to party instead—there’s surely a direct link between me being in this industry for 20+ years and my lifestyle. I don’t get caught up in all that “ Hollywood stuff.” And I want people to learn that they too can get whatever they want in life. I gotta’ be honest, the book isn’t #5 on the NY Times Bestseller list for nothing.

Chris: You definitely workout hard. How about nutrition? That’s obviously where I come into play but give us a snapshot of your meals.

LL: It’s a lifestyle, it’s not a diet. I live my life in moderation—I enjoy good foods in moderation. Do you remember what I ate for lunch? I had a dry steak (it’s usually grilled with butter or something similar) and replaced my side of fries with steamed vegetables and had some unsweetened iced tea on the side. Not bad, right, Mr—sorry, “Dr Nutrition”.

Chris: And I have to say, I was impressed you did that. What’s a normal day for you?

LL Cool J: I often start out with an egg or egg white omelet with a few handfuls of different vegetables. Then I’ll have a piece of fruit or whole grain toast on the side. A snack may be a piece of fruit and mixed nuts or yogurt, maybe a grilled chicken over salad for lunch, and something like I just described for dinner. It isn’t fancy, but I make sure I get a bunch of veggies every day (thank you for that, Chris), eat some lean protein with each meal, and get some whole grain carbs. It’s amazing how much better you feel when this becomes your daily habit. We start people off slowly in the book with similar changes—the different levels of workouts are for those just starting, up through the Platinum and Diamond (for women) workouts. And the meal plans you provided give some specific examples of what I do on a daily basis.

Chris: Alright, let’s get off of training and nutrition for a bit. How about a rapid fire Q & A about the rest of life—business, books, goals, etc?

LL Cool J: Let’s go.

Chris: Give a marketing tip for those striving to continue to grow their business or personal training business.

LL Cool J: Branding, branding, branding. The name of our book is Platinum Workout, like platinum records. Platinum is associated with the best and everything you see with me that’s written by our team will have LL Cool J and Platinum together. Like your Mohr Results—very cool.

Chris: I am a huge advocate for reading both in and out of the field. I have to be honest; I was surprised to hear you are too. Last book you read.

LL Cool J: I just finished Rockefeller’s Biography and, as you can see here, I am in the middle of “Power of Intention.” I love biographies of successful people and companies—there is a reason they are successful, so why not learn from them.

Chris: A lot of authors and books I read talk about goal setting. Is that a normal part of what you do?

LL Cool J: I write my goals every single day, the second I wake up. For example, I accepted this book and knew it would be a NY Times Bestseller. It isn’t just selling because of me—it’s loaded with solid content, solid contributors, and every single day we were working on it, I wrote that I would be a NY Times Bestselling author.

Chris: What does the future hold?

LL Cool J: Nothing but positive growth. Hard work and dedication have kept me in this industry for over 20 years and they will continue to do so for the next 20+. This book was different and surely fun, so I look forward to similar projects and many others. Thanks for talking with me, Chris.

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