I’m not a huge fan (loved School Ties), but you can’t argue with Chris O’Donnell’s results in the gym. He’s the cover of the May 2010 issue of Men’s Fitness.

RaulSez: Hola. Quick question. I haven’t been to the gym for 3 weeks and LOST weight. I wanna slim down and not bulk up. What do I do? Go all cardio?

PeaceLoveLunges: My #1 choice: n10z intervals in the AM b4 eating) OR #2: circuit tr8ning (cardio intervals w/hi-rep w8t training).

Submit a question via Twitter.

Welcome to my blog. I have almost 500 entries, mostly on health & fitness (lunges). Some are about my relationships (love) and are few about human rights (peace). I live and work in Hollywood, and every so often I’ll dive into something totally different like confronting Mormons or interviewing a celebrity. To make your time productive, I’m compiling a few “top 10″ lists, organized by reader popularity. If you like the blog, feel free to hire me as your trainer or follow me on Twitter: “peacelovelunges”

Top 10 Posts Ever

1. 5.2 Temblor Rattles Viatape, Canadian Remains Missing, Food Supply Impacted
2. El Coyote Owner Expresses Regret Over Prop. 8 Contribution, While Boycott Looms
3. A Rough Chapter for Michael Brandon
4. Last Chance to Ask Mark Dalton Anything
5. Boycott of “El Coyote” is Shortsighted
6. At 40, Cowboy is Untoppable
7. Confessions of a Coffee Junkie, and a Practical Way to Quit
8. It’s a Setback — Not a Defeat
9. Pete Kuzak
10. What if Barbie Were a Real Woman?
11. Is “No-Xplode” Help or Hype?

Top 10: Exercise & Health

1. Why Do I Vomit in the Gym?
2. Getting Off Antidepressants: My Exit Strategy
3. Is No-Xplode Help or Hype?
4. Locker Room Confessions
5. Should I Use Steroids?
6. How to Get Bigger Without Using Steroids
7. How to Get Rid of Hickeys
8. What’s the Best Heart Beat Range for Losing Weight?
9. How Mark Wahlberg,Val Kilmer and the Tao Turned Me Into a “Stud”
10. How to Get Ripped

List in progress.

Here’s another argument for periodization. A study published in the September issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise finds that people who work out by themselves spend less time doing so, lacking the social support provided by a training buddy. But exercising alone is better for activities that require speed and endurance, where others might be a lag.

Ever since I first discovered bodybuilding in 1992, I’ve been amazed at how lifting weights truly grounds me. It’s kind of similar to what my friends say about yoga or meditation: it brings me a sense of clarity and peace.

In an eastern sense, my “western” weight room is my dojo; the weights are my sensei. Students of karate or meditation may relate to encounter some of the same lessons I’ve learned in my western dojo:

Enter only when you’re ready. Lifting weights is hard work, and doing it properly requires focus and discipline. Anything less, and at best you’ll have a lousy workout. At worst, you’ll thoroughly embarrass yourself or die. Enter the dojo only when you are 100 percent ready to give it your all—including your mental concentration.

Leave the Blackberry behind. The dojo is no place for texting.

Be in flow. During a hard, effective set, I feel a certain unawareness of the activity around me. Musicians, actors and athletes call it being in the “zone.” Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, a Croatian born psychologist and author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience defines being “in flow” using the following characteristics:

1. Concentration and focus: a high degree of concentration with a limited field of attention (you will have the opportunity to focus, and to delve deeply into it).
2. A loss of self-consciousness.
3. A distorted sense of time: (your subjective experience of time is altered).
4. Direct and immediate feedback (success and failure in the course of the activity are apparent, so that your behavior can be adjusted as needed).
5. The activity is neither too easy nor too difficult (challenge and ability level are balanced).
6. A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.
7. The activity is intrinsically rewarding, so there’s an effortlessness of action.
8. You become absorbed in the activity, and focus of awareness is narrowed down to the activity itself.

Do it for the sake of. When you’re in the gym, remember: this is all for you, so make the time in the dojo your own. You’re not there to impress your trainer, your spouse, or other gym goers. Do it because you choose to.

Clean up after yourself. After a workout, dojo trainees conduct a ritual cleaning of the space. This reinforces the fact that aside from the obvious hygenic benefits, the dojo are supposed to be supported and managed by the students themselves, not the instructors. So pick up that spray bottle and wipe down your equipment. It’s just good karma.

I’m thinking of buying a weight vest (probably on-line). I was just going to get the cheapest one ($99 bucks at Amazon). Is one pretty much like the other, or should I look for certain features in a weight vest?

There are several different weight vests on the market, varying in price. I favor the X VEST, because it is used by Navy Seals and professional athletes. It’s comfortable at most speeds and body movements. The two-piece clamshell design has nylon surfaces with a elastic, velcro waistband and adjustable height and width so as to not affect arm motion, balance, or breathing. It’s also the most stable of the brands I’ve seen, moving very little even during fast running. There is a pocket for keys and a wallet, and it comes in 12 to 84 pound models. Price is $179, (800) 697-5658; www.thexvest.com

Two other options may be of interest to you if you want a slightly less expensive version. They are the Uni-Vest, which is non-adjustable, but provides a one-piece neoprene and nylon construction that enables a secure fit. The vest uses flexible, half-pound rubber weights that contour to the human form and could be safer than the X VEST’s metal weights if you’re uncoordinated. But there’s no place to put keys. Price: $69, (888) 556-7464; www.performbetter.com

The WalkVest is designed for use just with walking, and the sleeveless, cotton vest with midsection pockets hold up to 32 thin steel bars weighing each .5 pounds for a total of 16 pounds of resistance. The cotton construction provides a relatively comfortable fit, and because of the natural fibers, it’s cooler than neoprene vests. I wouldn’t recommend this vest if you plan on any running, because it bounces at all speeds above a simple walk. Straps aren’t made from velcro and must be tightened often. A rear pocket holds keys. And the vest only includes four pounds of weights with the first order. (You have to buy more if you want them).  Price: $85, (877) 925-5837; www.walkvest.com

The gym thrusts upon us all sorts of awkward social interactions. Let’s demystify some of these weird situations.

A NAKED STRANGER STARTS TALKING TO YOU IN THE LOCKER ROOM
Unless you know the person, it’s impolite for him/her to be in your personal space while in the locker room. Politely ask him to step away into a zone where you feel more comfortable. If he persists in talking to you, brevity is key. Replying with short answers will indicate your disinterest in extending a conversation. Even better: try a blank stare. If they persist, a polite, “I’m sorry, but I gotta get going” is an good response

SOMEONE IS WEARING SUNGLASSES
In his workout book, “No Excuses” actor Antonio Sabato Jr. swears by wearing sunglasses in the gym because he says it help him concentrate. I’ve known actress Faye Dunaway to wear sunglasses while bench pressing and while I don’t recommend wearing sunglasses in the gym, it’s more embarrassing for the person wearing them. What to do? Don’t say a peep.

THE GYM BECOMES A FASHION SHOW FOR IMPOSSIBLY TIGHT CLOTHES & FETISH GEAR
This really is a fashion issue. Since 2006, I’ve seen a resurgence in denim, tiny, see through shorts, wrestling singlets, and in Hollywood, even a guy being led around on a dog collar. As with sunglasses, however, none of these fashion choices really intrudes upon your personal safety. Modern day workout clothes are breathable (or wicking) to prevent overheating. Spandex and lycra are helpful to prevent chafing from repetitive movements (e.g., in cycling or spinning). Unless someone’s attire is patently inappropriately revealing, try not to stare. And read the next question.

A GUY KEEPS STARING
Most people stare in the gym because they’re interested in watching you work out or because, as Paris says: “You’re hot.” Both of these reasons should be flattering, but it’s not always the case. An ex of mine told me that as a younger man, guys would stare in the gym to the point where he developed a complex. “I thought something was seriously wrong with me,” he said. “I didn’t understand why everyone was looking at me.” Today, he has more self esteem, saying: “I’m just a hot guy who others like to watch for inspiration.”

If someone’s boring a hole through me, I’ll acknowledge them by smiling politely, which usually discharges the energy. If they persist, consider saying: “I notice you watching me; did you want my autograph?” As you both laugh, introduce yourself, then abruptly end the interaction by saying: “Have a good workout!”

SOMEONE DOESN’T WIPE THE SWEAT OFF THE EQUIPMENT
Assume she forgot to wipe it off, and if you feel confident, approach the individual and kindly point out that he/she might have missed cleaning up the equipment. You can also ask the maintenance team to follow up. It’s ultimately the responsibility of the facility to ensure the equipment is sterile and MRSA free.

SOMEONE WON’T SHARE THE EQUIPMENT
Busy gyms usually enforce a 30-minute limit on cardio equipment. If your gym has a time limit and someone’s extending their stay, ask a manager to handle it. A gym employee reminding a member of the time limit will go a lot further in the long run. If someone’s on the weight machine you want, ask how many sets are remaining. If she replies with three or more, ask if you can “work in” (alternate) for a couple of sets. To be a good “work in” buddy, observe the weight they’re lifting and set it back to that weight before you hand off the equipment.

THAT BRUTE DOESN’T RE-RACK HIS WEIGHTS
It’s not uncommon to leave a couple large weight plates on a machine like the bench press. Set a good example and take pride in always replacing the weights on the rack where they belong and other people will follow. A good gym should have enough staff on the floor to keep the place from becoming a weight wasteland.

A NEWBIE HAS POOR FORM
If he/she’s endangering your safety (e.g., bench pressing without clips, so a plate could fall and hit your foot) then you must say something. But it’s not your responsibility to correct their form. If you’re just being overly conscientious because you’re concerned about his safety, alert one of the certified trainers on the floor and allow him/her the opportunity to give proper instruction. Trainers will value the opportunity to pick up a new client.

When Jerry O’Connell finally “arrived” in Hollywood, his life wasn’t the only thing that had changed—his body did, too. He tells Men’s Fitness:

Today Jerry looks great. He works hard in the gym, (and I know, because I’ve spotted him pumping weights and doing cardio at Equinox). But he’s also developed discipline around his eating habits. Instead of ordering a pizza after a long day of work, now he has a salad with fat free dressing.

The real secret to his hard body? Jerry stopped augmenting his diet with junk food and additives.

“‘Additives are bad,’ he said. “I found that just by cutting out booze, salt, and dressings, the fat just drips off you.’”

Photos by Men’s Fitness

HEY SAM: What’s a deadlift? —Tristan

The dumbbell deadlift, properly performed, is an excellent exercise to develop the back, core, glutes and hamstrings. To perform this exercise, observe the following training points:

1. Stand with feet about 8-inches apart and a dumbbell at each side of your feet.
2. Knees slightly bent, back straight and head up, bend at waist and grasp the dumbbells with both hands. Inhale on the way down.
3. Exhale and stand erect with the dumbbells in both hands while arms are locked out.

Lower weights to the floor with legs bent and inhale.  Remember to keep your abdominal muscles contracted throughout the movement to develop a strong core.

Shredded in Barcelona in ’07 (left) and 1 year later, back in L.A.

AS A TRAINER IN HOLLYWOOD, not a week passes that I don’t hear about the “latest, greatest” TV show revolving around weight loss. Sure, it makes dramatic television, but what about people who face the opposite challenge—that is:  gaining lean body mass? Enter: Scrawny to Brawny: The Complete Guide to Building Muscle the Natural Way, a book conceived for ectomorphs, or people genetically engineered with this problem.

To put on muscle, you need to do away with the “vanity” exercises such as bicep curls and focus on the basics.

Know Thy Body Type. There are three human body types (or somatotypes).  Ectomorph (just described), endomorph, (a pear-shaped frame), and mesomorph.  The latter is the “classic” gymnast or bodybuilder type, (short muscles and thick, compact frames).  Most of us fall somewhere in the middle.  If you’ve fallen prey to the exercise and muscle magazines in your quest to become more toned and muscular, you’re wasting your money.

Train with basic, multi-joint weight exercises. Forget isolation exercises, such as bicep curls, lateral raises, calf raises. You should be doing squats, deadlifts, pull ups, bench presses, military presses, and dips.   You need to train with the heaviest weights you can safely manage with these exercises.  These exercises train the largest muscles in the body, and therefore have the most growth potential.

Slightly modify those exercises to better suit your body type. Ectomorphs generally have longer bones and this means that they have to move the weights through a greater range of motion than their mesomorph counterparts.  Therefore, it is essential to make some alterations to the traditional exercises named above to “mimic” the ROM experienced by mesomorphs.  On the bench press, ectomorphs should use a close grip (6 inches closer than shoulder width) and should bring the bar down only to about four inches from the sternum. On the squat, you should adopt a much wider stance (6 inches wider than shoulder width on each side) and point the toes slightly out, at 11 and 2 o’clock, respectively.  On the deadlift, you should adopt a closer grip, and keep the bar as close to your body as possible.  “The more vertical the path of the bar, the less strain imposed on the lower back,” say the book’s authors.

Train with intensity, but less often, getting plenty of rest. Rest is often overlooked as a pillar of muscle growth. In a nutshell, if you’re an ectomorph, it’s better to train two days a week, with maximum intensity, and plenty of rest in between, than it is to train 3-5 days a week on a “split” bodybuilding/fitness magazine style routine.

Eat more quality, nutrient-dense calories. Eat, eat, eat!  Sounds easy, but it’s one of the things many people have difficulty with.  It’s important to get several high-calorie, but nutrient dense meals, every day.  You must always, always, always…consume a protein drink after every workout.   While it may be “hard” to eat this many calories the authors suggest that it’s also hard to do a lot of things. But if you really want a bigger, more toned and more muscly body, then you need to give your body the nutrients it needs to grow.