Strong at 40
BY TAEKWONDO'S PHILIP AMERIS

 Go ahead. Touch his calf. You'll be amazed," said Jeanne Ameris, while our photographer re-loaded her camera. So I bent down and felt her husband's calf, and I immediately burst out laughing. Then I touched the other. I could not believe it. The 40-year-old martial artist wasn't even flexing, but it felt like Philip Ameris had titanium plates in each calf. No kidding, they were rock hard. And I mean literally. You'd have to feel it to believe it.

This disciple of Taekwondo great Hee II Cho is a workout fanatic, but as you're about to see, nutrition also plays a big role in his success and conditioning.

-         Editor

 The Scoop
Name: Philip Ameris
Age: 40
Residence: New Kensington, PA
Occupation: Owner of Cho's Taekwondo center (20 years)
Styles Taught: Taekwondo, kickboxing (for competition) and jiu-jitsu
Contact: www.taekwando-ameris.com
Favorite Technique: Any combi­nation that entails boxing hands with Taekwondo kicks
Cross-Training: "I enjoy run­ning the most. It provides a little bit of stress relief.  It’s like moving meditation. Quiet time. I also gain weight quickly so it keeps my weight down."

 IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION

I never really watched what I ate until I turned 35. Before then, I just ate whatever. Now that I'm older than 35, I have to watch more closely because I will start to gain weight easily. In addition to that, my family has a history of cardiovascular problems, so it's important for me to eat healthy foods.

In the past, I've messed around with all [of the popular nutritional programs]. There were times when I ate twice per day and days when I ate six meals per day. When I ate twice per day, I was too hungry at night. When I ate six meals per day, I was always eating but I never felt full. Interestingly, I was the most tired when I was eating those six meals. This made me feel real weak. I teach three to four classes per night, and they are back to back. The last class is an advanced class, and I can't hold anything back there. Master Cho always taught me that the best way to teach is by example. Unfortunately, when I was trying that six meals per day program, I always felt sluggish. I tried each one of these programs for three months because I wanted to make sure I gave my body time to adapt.

Currently, I'm eating the standard three meals per day, and I supplement those meals with various snacks, such as PowerBars and fruit. The bottom line is that I think you have to do whatever works for you. On this program, I feel real strong and this "diet" is really working for me. But I am flexible, and I am a big eater. I come from an Ital­ian and Greek family, and we are used to sitting down on Sunday and eating for two hours. Anyway, I arrived at this program through trial and error. I am also an avid reader of health books and martial arts magazines, so I will experiment and take ideas from various sources.

FIRST THING

My day starts at 5:30 every morning, when I get up and run. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I run three miles. On Thursday, I go five to six miles. Friday is light. Then, on either Saturday or Sunday, I go seven to eight miles. When I return, I do about 15 minutes of cal­isthenics. This routine includes one set of 30 leg raises followed by 30 push-ups. Typically, I'll do five to eight sets of each, but I might do as many as 10. This routine is done without stopping.

BREAKFAST

I start off with a small breakfast, and this is usually toast and fruit or oatmeal. If I have oatmeal, I will not have any toast. Although I easily get eight glasses of water per day, I drink a lot of Crystal Light Iced Tea, including in the morning.

LUNCH

I have lunch about noon or so, and this is my main meal. I usually have chicken or fish (normally grilled) and a salad. My schedule, of course, is flexible. If I have a dinner appointment, I will make my lunch a small meal and dinner will be bigger.

DINNER

My dinners are very, very small. Normally, I have hot tea and a piece of fruit. Or maybe I'll have a chicken sandwich and some vegetables. I don't want to eat too much because I get home from teaching after 10, and I'm in bed by 11. 

SUPPLEMENTS

In the past, I used to take vitamin C and vita­min this and vitamin that. In all honesty, how­ever, I never noticed any type 6f change in my performance. Thus, I don't take them anymore. I will, however, take a multi-vitamin in case I'm missing something in my meals. They are like an insurance policy. I also don't care for such things as protein drinks. It doesn't matter how good people say they are, they just do not appeal to me. I will have a PowerBar occasion­ally before class to fill me up and provide some energy.

STAY AWAY

I try to stay away from fried foods and red meat because of my family's history of choles­terol. That includes chicken wings, but I love them so I'll have them about twice per month.

WHILE TRAINING

I will get plenty of fluids before and after class. I won't stop to drink in front of my stu­dents while I'm killing them, however. I drink lots of water, but I will also have Gatorade.

February 2003 . MARTIAL ART