Chances are that you've seen Greg Plitt somewhere; if you haven't caught his chiseled face and body on the covers of dozens of magazines, then you probably have watched him as one of the trainers on the Bravo TV show 'Work Out,' which is headed by lesbian fitness guru Jackie Warner. ( And his star is rising: Men's Fitness named Plitt one of the 25 Fittest Americans' alongside people like actor Will Smith and presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, and Ironman magazine recently named Plitt the number-one fitness model in the country. ) Windy City Times recently talked with Plitt about 'Work Out' ( and its recent controversial episode ) as well as about his own military background and cinematic aspirations. ( Pictured: Image # 1, The cast of Bravo's 'Work Out.' Greg Plitt is on the left in the back row. )
Windy City Times: You have a workout video out, right?
Greg Plitt: Yeah, there's one for arms, abs and stuff. It was shot about a year and a half ago.
WCT: What's the biggest mistake that people make regarding exercise?
GP: They bring their pride to the gym; people need to check their pride and ego at the door. People try to impress other people; if they lift too much, they're going to get injured. The other mistake people make is that they think it's a quick fix. [ Working out ] takes a lot of time and patience; it's not a sprint, but a marathon. A lot of people give up easily because they correlate their motivation with the results. All they work out for is their vanity; you need to fuel the fire.
WCT: And you're out in L.A., which seems like the land of vanity.
GP: It really is. I hardly train anybody anymore; it's so discouraging. The trainer's job is to give them the tools. [ The clients ] have to have the 'want' factor; we just [ provide ] the education. … And it goes for diet, too; there are no shortcuts.
WCT: Now do you have a calendar coming out next year that's being distributed by [ pro-LGBT company ] 10% Consumer Products?
GP: I'm not sure. They say one thing and do another. But Jackie Warner has one coming out, and I'm in that one. Also, there is [ 10%'s 2008 ] ICON MEN calendar.
WCT: And speaking of Jackie, let's just jump on over to 'Work Out.' First of all, what is it like being on a reality show?
GP: It's bizarre. You can never be too prepared for something like that—because the producers are always a step ahead of you, so you're always playing catch-up. I was also on an HGTV show called 'Designed to Sell,' in which I played a carpenter, which is something I do in real life—and on 'Work Out,' I play a personal trainer, which I am in real life. So it's been a [ relatively ] simplistic reality-show [ experience ] . It's not like I'm locked in a house with several people. 'Work Out' has this whole drama [ tic ] edge to it. What do they say? 'It's 3 percent body fat and 97 percent drama.'
WCT: That seems to be true, because there was this really controversial episode that aired last month. Not only did Jackie allegedly disparage the physique of a client [ who turned out to be a breast-cancer survivor ] , but she also fired Peeler [ one of the trainers ] . [ Editor's note: In addition, there has reportedly been a fan backlash against the show since the incident, and several companies—including Gatorade—have pulled their sponsorships from the show. ] Has the show recovered?
GP: Peeler was a good guy. I guess they had been bumping heads for a while. It wasn't an isolated incident that caused him to be fired; this had been brewing for two or three years. [ Jackie ] wants things done her way, and she has a lot of good ideas; it's her prerogative.
I'm not quite sure if the show has bounced back. That episode did cause a lot of drama for the producers, because of what was said. But I wasn't there when it happened, so I really can't say.
WCT: Now, what is this short film you've done for Showtime called Dysmorphia?
GP: It's powerful, and it comes out in October. I play a guy named Ryan, who's achieved the perfect body naturally. There's a kid who's trying to get there, and [ his pursuit of the perfect body ] changes his life. It's actually a serious epidemic that I think will be as well known as bulimia and anorexia five years from now. People are pursuing perfection at a very young age, and it's causing them to jeopardize their health. I think the film has a very powerful message.
WCT: You have a military background. Could you talk a little about that?
GP: Sure. After high school, I went to the United States Military Academy at West Point. You have to get a Congressional appointment to go, and there's this long painful court deal to get in. You put in four years, and then you get your next stint as an officer, and you have to give five years back. I went into the Army Rangers and went overseas; I [ eventually ] went to Washington, D.C. I got out as an Army captain, a company commander in charge of 184 guys. So it was an amazing leadership opportunity for me. … You're transforming lives every day.
WCT: What's your opinion of the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy?
GP: [ To my knowledge, ] I never ran into homosexuality while I was in the military. We didn't have any talks about it or anything like that.
WCT: But you wouldn't have trouble fighting alongside an openly gay soldier.
GP: No, no. The military is supposed to be about character and honor. It's supposed to be a brotherhood; sexuality has nothing to do with it. It's like asking if someone wants cereal or eggs for breakfast; it has no [ bearing ] on the battlefield. You have someone you can trust—that's the only test that's necessary. What someone does sexually is not going to save your life, so why does that even matter? I really don't understand why [ sexuality ] is an issue.
WCT: Regarding your career, what would you ultimately like to do?
GP: Film.
WCT: Any particular type?
GP: Drama. I've been taking classes, networking and I'm waiting for the opportunity.
WCT: Who would you like to act with?
GP: Ah, there are so many. My very first acting job was a speaking role in The Good Shepherd [ which stars Matt Damon, Robert DeNiro and Angelina Jolie ] . I'm alongside DeNiro and Matt Damon; for that to be my very first role—and to see the professionalism in that … I hope that I get to experience that type of professionalism again.
See www.gregplitt.com for more information.
