America’s best-known television host credits the Reebok Sports Club/NY for the fact that he always feels like a millionaire
By Jon Feld
CBI: In 1993, you underwent an angioplasty procedure. Did you have a strong health-and-fitness-oriented lifestyle prior to the operation?
PHILBIN: I’d say that it was pretty strong. The one thing that I didn’t do was cardio. Now, I try to do as much cardio as I can, and I work out about four times a week.
CBI: Shortly after your recovery, you created the Regis Philbin: My Personal Workout video. What sort of an audience was that aimed at?
PHILBIN: The video was created for the same audience that we entertain each morning—it’s that kind of a workout. Our audience is made up, primarily, of people who aren’t going to school, and aren’t going to work, and happen to be home at 9 a.m. They’re mostly women, young mothers, and older individuals.
CBI: How well did the video do?
PHILBIN: I don’t honestly remember. It did sell pretty well, though. I had the opportunity to hold it up on our show, which really helped sales. It’s quite an advantage to have a television show as a way to sell.
CBI: You could obviously work out wherever you’d like. Why did you choose a club, and why, specifically, did you choose the Reebok Sports Club/ NY?
PHILBIN: It’s in the same building that I live in, which, in New York, is a tremendous advantage; and I work across the street, so it couldn’t possibly be more convenient for me.
CBI: Do you have a home gym?
PHILBIN: I do have a home gym at our place in Connecticut. I’ve got dumbbells, a bench and heavy weights for bench pressing, and I have cable equipment as well, so we’re pretty well stocked out there.
CBI: What about the environment of the Reebok Sports Club/NY do you particularly like?
PHILBIN: It’s the greatest gym that I’ve ever been in—just a spectacular place. It’s six stories high—one floor after another full of cardio equipment, free weights, and the latest in resistance equipment. They’ve got a track that runs around the perimeter of the building, so, when you do your six laps to log a mile, you get a view of skyscrapers from every vantage point. They’ve also got two restaurants, a magnificent women’s beauty salon downstairs, and even a place to drop off your kids when you work out. I’ve been going for six years now, and I’d be lost without it. I’m lucky as heck that it’s so close to me. I love it!
CBI: Do you make use of The Sports Club/LA in Los Angeles when you’re on the other coast?
PHILBIN: I did once; I wanted to see what it was like. It’s very nice, but, frankly, its sister club here in New York City is better. It’s a little newer, and laid out more nicely, and just suits my needs much better.
CBI: We understand that both your wife and your two daughters also work out at the club. Can you tell us something about their fitness goals and regimens?
PHILBIN: My wife really got into it a couple of years ago. She’s been very faithful about going and spends an hour there each time she works out. She does the entire body, upper and lower, and does a lot of cardio work and weights. She has quite a little routine going for herself, and it shows—she’s really in terrific condition. And my daughters, Joanna and Jennifer, also work out, of course. One of them is in L.A. right now, and goes to a gym out there; and the other one attends Notre Dame, and there’s a gym right by her residence hall that she makes use of. Everybody in our family tries to stay in shape.
CBI: Do you and your wife work out together at the club?
PHILBIN: Yes, I like to go over to the club with her—usually late in the afternoon. I sometimes go mid-afternoon, when there’s less of a crowd, which I like, but if our schedules permit, we’ll go around 5 p.m.
CBI: How important do you feel physicalfitness is in terms of enabling people to perform at the very top of their game? Is it even more important for individuals, such as yourself, who are constantly in the public eye?
PHILBIN: It’s everything to me. If I want to feel good and continue to do a television show, where energy is absolutely essential—that’s how I keep it going. I’ve been working out all my life, and it’s paid off for me. It’s become part of my daily routine.
CBI: How long are your workouts, and what do you focus on during the sessions?
PHILBIN: My workout is about 45 minutes long, and I tend to vary it, break it up. I may concentrate on particular body parts on certain days. Instead of trying to do the entire body, I’ll do shoulders and chest one day, and arms and back another day. Sometimes you see greater gains if you’re able to introduce some variety into your workout.CBI: How important are your workouts in terms of minimizing stress and dealing with the demands of a fast-paced life?
PHILBIN: You can almost feel those endorphins being released when you’re involved in a strenuous workout—it changes your whole mood and the whole complexion of the day. If people only knew what that feeling was like, clubs would be packed all of the time. But then, of course, it takes a lot of willpower to keep at it, to work out every day, or even every other day. But it’s so vital and important to me that it’s become an integral part of my day.
CBI: What kind of dietary regimen does it take to handle the hectic schedule imposed by two television shows and all of your other television and concert appearances?
PHILBIN: Diet is key. When you’re living in New York City, it’s tough to maintain good eating habits, because you dine out so frequently. It’s a great restaurant town, but it can wreak havoc with your diet and health. So you’ve got to watch all of those calories—that’s easy to do when you eat at home a lot, but that’s just not our lifestyle. So we try very hard to be careful, watchful, and aware of what we’re eating.
CBI: You’re also an avid tennis player. How often are you able to play?
PHILBIN: Living in New York City, I don’t get to play that much, but we do have a court at our place in Connecticut. During the summer, we manage to get in a lot of three-day weekends, and every day is a tennis day. I wish we could play in the city… You can play in the city, but it’s a hassle. It means getting in a cab and going across town, or sometimes going across the river to play in New Jersey. But in Connecticut, it’s easy—we just roll out of the house, and get a game going, and it’s great fun.
CBI: The Surgeon General’s office and the Centers for Disease Control have recently launched major initiatives to combat epidemic obesity in the U.S., and get Americans, particularly children, to exercise more. What’s your take on the state of the nation’s fitness? And what would you like to see done to improve it?
PHILBIN: It’s almost seems as though there’s a battle going on between the public and all the fast-food establishments, and, believe me, I think it’s very tasty food. But there are so many temptations. I understand that people can be overwhelmed, and that their whole life can become geared to eating that way, and then, suddenly, they’ve got a lot of excess pounds that are very difficult to get rid of. I know what the problems are. It’s a lifestyle battle every day. You’ve really got to be committed to a strict diet and to exercising regularly. A lot of people have succumb to the Big Mac.
CBI: One of the factors that’s been identified as contributing to America’s sedentary ways is excessive television viewing—your reaction? How many hours of TV do you watch each day?
PHILBIN: I really don’t watch that much. I may watch some news programs and CNBC; I’m involved in the stock market, which is fun and, sometimes, very painful. That’s the kind of TV that I watch. And of course, the Yankees and other sports. I rarely watch any prime-time sitcoms, or anything else that they’re offering during prime time these days. It’s just not my style. I know that some people do, and they just sit there and gorge themselves while they’re watching. I understand that may relieve a lot of stress, but, unfortunately, before they know it, they’ve got a lot of weight to work off.
CBI: You’re a fitness role model for many Americans. In that capacity, what one message would you like to convey to the world’s health club operators and the members of their clubs?
PHILBIN: Those are the people that I don’t worry about—the people who have already joined clubs, and are actively participating, and profiting from their membership. I’ve seen times when gyms were few and far between—maybe a Jack LaLanne opened up somewhere near your neighborhood—but, today, clubs are everywhere, and some of them are extraordinary in terms of what they offer. Because of my own experience, I appreciate what a difference it would make in people’s lives if they’d just walk into a club and give it a try. They’d enjoy it and have healthier longer lives. I think it’s an absolute necessity today. And where you work out matters—you can’t do it at home; you’ve got to join a club, be a part of it, and see everybody else working out. It inspires you to get involved. I’d urge anyone to just walk in and discover what it’s all about.
CBI: Do you have a fitness role model? Has anyone inspired or motivated you with respect to remaining physically fit?
PHILBIN: When I was kid, I used to subscribe to all of the magazines, and I followed the careers of bodybuilders John Grimek [1936 Olympic gold medal-winning weightlifter and 1948 Mr. Universe] and Steve Reeves [1940s and ‘50s-era bodybuilder and actor], all the way up to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Even today, I find myself following bodybuilding. These guys are just incredible! Even as old as I am, I’m still inspired when I see these guys in action.
