Body Factory’s Robert Green talks physical fitness

TEXT AND PHOTO BY JAMES F. MILLS

Robert Green could sell ice to Eskimos. With high energy and enthusiasm, he carries himself with a confidence that’s hard not to buy into.

What Green sells is fitness. Although many confuse him with Oprah’s similarly named fitness guru Bob Greene, he’s a fitness expert in his own right. He was the host of the top rated ESPN fitness series Gotta Sweat with Cory Everson. And he’s trained his share of celebrities over the years, getting them in top shape for movie roles.

Although he still trains stars from time to time, these days Green is “changing the world one smoothie at a time” via his Body Factory lifestyle boutiques located in West Hollywood (across from 24 Hour Fitness), Hollywood (at the Arclight Cinemas) and Palm Springs. Best known for their protein smoothies including their signature “Body Fuel” (a green smoothie that’s affectionately known as “The Hulk”), Body Factory also carries an eclectic mix of skin care products, scented candles, nutritional supplements, teas, decadent snacks, home décor items and even small kitchen appliances.

2009 will be a busy year for Green. His Internet business is red-hot—a recent minute-and-a-half feature on E! resulted in 35,000 sales in 72 hours, movies and TV shows continually call on him to provide craft services, and he’s opening five additional stores this year—two more L.A. locations plus New York, Miami and San Francisco.

Despite these demands, Green made time to sit down with Frontiers and talk fitness.

It’s about the mind

With the new year safely arrived, many have resolved to lose weight, bought gym memberships and are busy pushing themselves on the treadmills. That might seem a wise way to shed those extra holiday pounds, but it may not necessarily be the right approach.

“You can’t have one change in your life to change your life,” says the salt-and-pepper haired Green who turns 40 this year. He believes a person must be in the right mindset to get in shape. “It’s all psychological. You read any kind of research, except for about 2 percent of society, the reason why people are overweight, it’s psychological. It’s not a matter of just doing exercise or just dieting, it’s a matter of changing the problems that are happening psychologically and then the body will follow. The external is coming from the internal.”

To deal with the psychological aspects, some self-examination is required.

Supportive friends and home

It’s important to have a support system in place before making changes in your life. Consequently, family and friends must be encouraging of your goals.

“Who are you surrounding yourself with?” Green asks. “Are they all partiers? Then you’re probably not going to be successful at living a healthy lifestyle. The same thing with work. If all your friends have no goals or dreams, what’s going to push you if you’re not able to push yourself? That’s the kind of thing that needs to change psychologically.”

Along similar lines, the importance of a safe and happy home environment can’t be underestimated. The home should be a place of sanctuary, a place you look forward to returning to. “Surround yourself with beautiful things, things that make you happy, inanimate objects that help create your home as a relaxing place,” Green advises. “Maybe use an aromatherapy candle or light the fireplace. You’d be amazed how the home environment affects every aspect of your life.”

Positive thoughts, healthy food

The things you tell yourself are vital for weight loss success and Green believes it is important to focus your thoughts on where you want to be instead of where you are. “If you concentrate on ‘I don’t want to be fat, I don’t want to be fat,’ basically what you’re telling your body is, ‘Be fat.’ You’re putting your energy on the negative,” he says. “Instead, tell yourself, ‘I’m thin, I’m thin. I have a great body.’ Eventually, your mind is going to take over and you’re really going to believe you’ve got a great body and your body is going to start getting better.

The more processed a food is, the worse it is for your body. That’s why it’s important to eliminate sugar and junk food, or at least cut back on it. “It’s really going back to old school,” he explains. “Chicken breasts, turkey, fish, staying away from red meat. And get lots of good carbs—vegetables, barley, brown rice. Good carbs are the complex carbohydrates. They last longer in your system, so it’s a sustained energy.”

And get plenty of fiber: Green recommends having at least 35 grams of fiber a day. “Fiber’s going to clean you inside and out. It’s going to make you think you’re full. You’re going to eat less. You’re going to lose weight. Just 35 grams a day, it’s nothing.”

To gym or not to gym

Once you’ve dealt with these issues, then you’re ready to go to the gym. Green recommends teaming up with a buddy at the gym to help keep you motivated, to push you. If you’re new to the gym, start off slow and build up your workout gradually. “If you try to do two hours, three times a week right away, you’ll burn yourself out quickly.”

But he also reminds that Southern California offers plenty of alternatives to the gym—hiking, biking, surfing, swimming, tennis, horseback riding. And if those seem too daunting, he recommends just taking a walk around the block and building up to walking to the grocery store.

“If you are able to psychologically break the bad habits that you have, if you start exercising, you’ll see that the endorphins are kicking in,” he assures. “You’re going to feel better. You’re going to be able to cope better with stress. You’re going to look better. You’re going to become sexier. You’re going to attract certain people into your life when you’re psychologically in a good place.”