Courtney Paul :: Workin' Out in the Big City

Bravo's "Work Out New York" has offered up some pretty amazing athletes, which for many of us-let's be honest here-is at least a part of the reason we all torture ourselves at our respective gyms and classes.

Lucky for us, this particular set of trainers are very committed to their craft and are entertaining viewers by sharing the passion they hold for fitness. Seven trainers, serving up a whole lot of fun and some tough realities about nutrition and working out... along with more than a fair helping of drama.

Courtney Paul says it's all a part of the competitive environment they work and live in and he agreed to chat with The Rage Monthly about his particular take on it.

Learn how he got there, where he came from and his philosophy on what is necessary to "work it out" in his world. Lucky for us, he's a "heart on his
sleeve" kind of guy, who is wide open and willing to share his journey.

Talk to us about how you ended up in New York.

I'm from a little town called Lafayette, Louisiana. It is definitely the Deep South and all about crawfish, alligators, possums, bayou and creole culture. Football is king, hunting, fishing and all of the hyper-masculine things in life run the city.

Whenever I figured out that I was gay, which was around 12 years old, I realized, "You know what, this is what it is, now what am I going to do with it?" I knew that I had to get out of Louisiana, because it was just too small for me. Many of the street signs are still in French, the commercials are still in French and I knew that there was no way that I would find what I wanted out of life in a small town. Not that it's all a bad thing; I just knew there was something else out there.

You're preaching to the choir, I grew up in a small town in Northern Wisconsin, so I get it. The endgame was,"Next!"

Yes. Even when I was younger, I would watch commercials that weren't in French and not from Louisiana and I would change the way I would say my words. I did it so I would be prepared to speak normally whenever I reached my final destination, wherever that might be. I camouflaged myself as long as I could while I was there, and did what I needed to do to get through high school. I played sports, I did football, track and swim team so I wouldn't be exposed.

I eventually went to New Orleans, which was a bigger pool of people. Even then, I knew that I wanted more. So, I thought, "I'm moving to Atlanta!" I had a sister and a best friend there, so I moved and stayed for five years. It's where I started training and getting into fitness. Pretty soon, I decided it was time for more still and that is when I made my way to New York.

I believe it's important to share people's stories, in particular with people in fitness and sports, because it allows young people to see that"Yes, you can be gay and be an athlete." Would you say that being gay prompted you into sports and training, or was it just something that spoke to you?

I was always into fitness and into sports. I figured out early that it was a way for me to camouflage myself until I could get out. Louisiana wasn't very gay friendly, so I needed to buy myself some time and sports did that for me. Training made me feel and look good and helped with my self-esteem. It wasn't the best back then because I didn't have the support that I needed growing up. No one knew that I was gay, but hearing the "faggot" comments and all of that was never an easy thing. Looking good and being into sports, was kind of my barometer as a young man. So, being gay definitely steered me towards fitness.

Once you arrived in New York, how did you get your start?

The gym that I worked at in Atlanta was a "gay" gym. From there, I just moved to another gay gym in New York, a David Barton gym on 23rd Street in the middle of Chelsea. This one was basically a gay nightclub (laughs), it really was. It really was a lot to take in. Barton only takes the best instructors and there were so many talented trainers there and I learned so much. The fitness industry in New York is very, very competitive and there are a lot of characters, so I learned to sink or swim very quickly.

What would you say your philosophy is around fitness?

My philosophy really is moderation. You only live once, life is about now and fitness is about feeling good. The idea that I can never have another beer, because it has wheat in it, does not make me feel good. So, have that beer, have that piece of cake, but you know what? You also have to take that Bootcamp class, lift weights, do Pilates, take yoga classes, anything available to balance it out. That's my philosophy when it comes to training too-it's a lifestyle. It's something that you have to stick to. We're here to enjoy the fruits of the earth, but, I will also train hard, optimize, moderation and balance methods.

Basically, it sounds like you are advocating personal responsibility for one's choices.

My friend Holly [Rilinger], who is on Work Out New York too and I were just talking about this. We have clients who are thinking, "Oh my god, what
if I go totally crazy over the holidays?" Well, you know, go ahead and eat everything, just be mindful of how much. It really is all about moderation.

Like Julia Child said, "Everything in moderation... including moderation."

I love it... She was so brilliant.

Tell me about your program, the CPXperience.

CPXperience is basically a program that I put together for my clients around group training and classes. Train hard, have a great time, but don't take it so seriously. I mean, what ever happened to fitness being fun? I bring humor to exercise; I like to enjoy myself and not feel like I'm 20 seconds from death. (Laughs) I also tap into your mental outlook, the reason why you run, jog, bike, or lift and then examine the point at which you want to give up. That is the point at which you get the most results, so keep pushing and do something that you never thought you could do. That's where your "forever changes" occur. The CPXperience isn't just a personal training course or small group training, it's mental and physical and that's why I named it an
"experience."

Tell me more about how you came to be on "Work Out New York."

Someone came to one of my classes and said, "You are the just the thing that we are looking for." It was basically a group of friends that came together. I've known Holly Rilinger for 13 years, Layla Luciano, I've known her for three years and her boyfriend Jay for like two years, and I've known Noah Neiman for at least two years. I've known Lindsay Clayton and Lena Marti, who is like my little sister. It was a group of friends who were chosen and are basically enjoying a great time together.

What has been the most surprising thing about being on the show for you?

I'd have to say that no matter how well you know somebody, you don't know them as well as you thought. The show really gives you a chance to see the leopard's spots. There can be a lot of layers and you really get to know them, especially when it's away from work. Another interesting thing has been that you learn who your friends really are, the ones who stick up for you when you're not there.

I read that you refer to yourself as the "Crazy Glue" in the show. What's that all about?

Because I like to have fun... who wants to be a stick in the mud and be boring? I am spontaneous and like to get crazy once in a while. If being spontaneous, living in my truth and saying what I believe is crazy to you-guess what-lock me up and put me in a straitjacket. If I smell bullshit, I will call it out, that's just me. People don't like honesty. (Laughs) They shy away from it and are like, "Oh no, you are crazy!"

I've watched a few of the episodes and it's interesting watching the relationships develop.

Baby, you haven't seen anything develop yet. All I can say is, "Stay tuned." Whenever that final image on the Polaroid starts to appear, some of these people are real monsters! Stay real close, it's going to get interesting. There are turns that caught me by surprise multiple times. You're getting a bit of an inside scoop right now!

COURTNEY'S FIVE "MUST DO" WORKOUT BASICS

1. You have to do your squats. They help your glutes, your hamstrings and in general, your legs. Everybody loves a nice backside!

2. Abs are made in the kitchen. You have to drop all the sugar and the processed foods. Eat more like early humans used to eat. The more ingredients a food contains, the less you should eat of it.

3. Don't neglect your arms. You gotta develop those guns. Focus on those biceps, but don't forget to work your triceps.

4. You have to do cardio. I always tell my clients to run and/or sprint a minimum of 15 miles a week, no matter what type it is. If for no other reason than it keeps your heart strong. It's also important for that alone time, to zone out and do your own thing.

5. Pull-ups, dips and dead lifts. Those are the three moves that men in particular, should do to transform that body. Pull-ups give your back that deep v, dips give you the depth in your chest and dead lifts not only make your legs and butt beautiful, it will also help your back.

FOUR EATING HABITS TO AVOID

1. Stay away from sugar. It's totally addictive.

2. Get rid of soda in any form. Diet soda is the worst thing you can put into your body. The chemicals suppress and shut down your metabolism.

3. Stay away from processed foods. They are the worst thing for you... next to diet sodas. If you can plant it in the ground and it grows, you can have it. If it's an animal that you can raise, you can eat it.

4. Dump Long-Haul Foods. Go organic, you will consume less pesticides and hormones. Avoid dairy for the same reasons.