The District Magazine Vol. 1 Issue 2, Summer 2016 | Page 13

Jimmy Barker

CEO and Founder of BioDesign Wellness Center
enthusiast you know . They could probably train better than most individuals in the industry … THEY have a coach . Even I do .
3 . Who is the perfect candidate for your fitness programs and why ? Someone who is willing to learn and be open to unconventional methods . I find the fundamentals interesting , though you can find just about all of them in a book or an Internet search . Application of those fundamentals with other learned philosophies is what I like to offer as an experience with my programs .
4 . How important is diet and nutrition to fitness ? As important as it is to feed your car gasoline instead of charcoal . Both substances are forms of potential energy , but one will give you the desired effect for a specific object . The other will just exhaust without focus and tear your vehicle to pieces . That ’ s how it is with proper healthy nutrition . Some can get away with bad nutrition for a little bit because it is used as energy . But yielding the same results and lasting beneficial effects are exclusive to proper nutrition for your goals .
5 . What is your summer guilty pleasure ? Yikes that ’ s tough , considering I ’ m a fat foodie . Lobster mac n ’ cheese ! Although that ’ s not really a “ summer time ” dish . Let ’ s go with my pop ’ s warm homemade banana pudding right next to his homemade ice cream ; irresistible . If you ’ re a friend of mine and have met my pops at his home , you ’ ve probably had some of it and you know exactly what I ’ m talking about .
6 . Are you a beach or pool person ? Oh come on is this even a question ? The beach ! How could you not be if you live anywhere close to the coast in Florida ? Choosing the pool over the beach is like choosing to run on a treadmill instead of outside in great conditions . Can you tell how much I “ love ” the treadmill ?
7 . Finish this sentence : During the summer , I ’ ll drink lots of ... Coconut water ! It ' s healthy but delicious ! Plus , as far as alcohol goes , I ’ m a cider or brown kind of guy ; I can ’ t stand the taste of beer . And those options didn ’ t really sound too tantalizing when you hear it out loud . So yeah , coconut water .
www . biodesignwellness . com
1 . What is your Go-To Summer readiness workout ? I have to work hard to build muscle , so resistance training is a must ! Of course it ’ s nice to be lean as well , so I mix in some HIIT ( high intensity interval training ) like stairs or sleds to burn fat . Not easy , but it works !
2 . What is more effective for maintaining healthy lean muscle , cardio or resistance training ? Looks like I jumped the gun … see question 1 !
3 . Is there a 360 ° approach to your fitness program and if so explain ? We teach our clients at BioDesign Wellness Center to have a balanced approach to life , so fitness is no exception . The mind and body connection is essential to a healthy body . I enjoy resistance training and will always have that as an important component of my fitness . It is my time to get away from everything and focus on strengthening my mind and body . You might be surprised , but many of my best creative ideas come while I am training . For balance , I also try to incorporate other areas of fitness like basketball , tennis , HIIT sprints , but this summer I really want to improve my yoga and SUP Boarding .
4 . What role do hormones play in maintaining a healthy and or lean body ? Balanced hormones are crucial ! Testosterone , estrogen , progesterone , cortisol ( just to name a few ) can affect your mood , energy levels , performance and whether or not your body stores fat or burns fat . If you are over 30 years old , you should get your levels checked regularly by an expert to monitor your health . Hit me up … I know a great one . ;)
5 . What is your summer guilty pleasure ? I have a really hard time saying “ no ” to a great ice cream or gelato .
6 . Are you a beach or pool person ? The pool is fun , but overall I ’ d have to choose the beach . Feels great to wake up , turn on some good music , pack up food & drinks and head out on the boat with friends for the day to enjoy the ocean and beach .
7 . Finish this sentence : During the summer , I ’ ll drink lots of ... Vodka , coconut water , lime juice and a little stevia … have to stay hydrated in that hot sun !
THE DISTRICT - TAMPA ’ S URBAN DWELLING MAGAZINE 13