Basedow: Baring It All

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THAT BLOND CROWN OF HAIR. Those piercing blue eyes. And, of course, the chiseled chest that seems to repel clothing. It's hard not to have heard of "fitness celebrity" John Basedow, who catapulted to fame by incessantly airing homemade commercials hawking his DVD line, "Fitness Made Simple." His TV tactics (and vast MySpace following) paid off with a book deal, and he'll be showing off the finished product tonight at 7 p.m. at Borders Books & Music in Kensington.

» EXPRESS: How did you become known as a "fitness celebrity"?
» BASEDOW: Originally, it was going to be "internationally renowned fitness expert John Basedow." But that was too long for the 30-second commercial. Someone said, "How about fitness guru?" And I suggested, "fitness celebrity." They said, "What's that?" But I said, "It's our own word and we'll make up the definition." Whenever people see me now, like walking off of an Amtrak train last night, they said, "Hey, fitness celebrity John Basedow." It's never just "John." I should legally change my name to that.

» EXPRESS: What's new in the book?
» BASEDOW: It's the first time all my secrets about nutrition, exercise and supplements are written down in one place. It comes with a DVD with things people haven't seen yet. It has the Johnisms — it's the first time they've been in print.

» EXPRESS: What's your favorite Johnism?
» BASEDOW: That's like asking who's your favorite child! OK, I have three. "Will it to be and it will be." I like that because it shows the power is in you. Even if you don't believe that at first, if you repeat this, you internalize it over time. And I love this one: "Don't tell me what to do until you show me what you can do." Look at the source of your information. And I always say that settle-itis is a nasty disease that ruins lives. The land of good enough sucks. Never step foot in the land. It's like quicksand.

» EXPRESS: A big part of your plan is morning cardio. What do you do?
» BASEDOW: I vary it up. In the summer, I swim. Most of the time, I'm on the elliptical. I don't have a lot of time to watch TV, so I tape shows and watch them in that 50 minutes. That's my only chance to unwind, plan my day and get physically centered. If you start your day with fitness, you're less likely to cheat.

» EXPRESS: Which TV shows do you tape?
» BASEDOW: I knew you were going to ask that! "Heroes," "Desperate Housewives," "Dirty Sexy Money." They're all fantasy and soap-opera related. Oh, and "Gossip Girl," too.

» EXPRESS: Do you ever worry you're focusing too much on the TV?
» BASEDOW: If TV helps keep your mind occupied, it's fine. I've actually been doing too much cardio because I do a little more at night. But recently I've been doing it while Larry King is on, and I watch the whole thing.

» EXPRESS: How often do you work your abs?
» BASEDOW: Every night. I have to stay within two or three days of doing a photo shoot at all times.

» EXPRESS: Is that your favorite part of your body?
» BASEDOW: Not at all. It's like taking care of a high-maintenance pet. If I had to pick a part, I'd say I like my arms. They develop more quickly and require less maintenance.

» EXPRESS: What makes your plan different?
» BASEDOW: Others are unidimensional. I put together the bits and pieces from each plan that worked. That's the fitness triangle. If you just do our nutrition program, or if you just do the workout, you won't see results. I think of it as an isosceles triangle because supplements are a smaller part. They're the decorative items, the accessories. You need to have a foundation first.

» EXPRESS: What supplements do you take?
» BASEDOW: I have a Renew Life bar with 14 grams of fiber every day. One of the keys to a healthy and lean physique is a healthy digestive system. Regular people have good bodies.

Photo by Yolanda Perez