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From American Fitness, January/February 1992
"I'm not sure what I'm going to say yet," says Scott Bakula, while filming an AIDS public service announcement during a break in shooting on the set of his "Quantum Leap" series. "Just be yourself," says the director. After searching his soul, Bakula then purges a passionate plea."AIDS touches all of us," says the Emmy-nominated actor just weeks before Magic Johnson announced his retirement from basketball after testing HIV positive. "That's why funding and education are vital." Trailing off after his closing remarks, the director interrupts a thoughtful silence almost as deafening as the initial reaction to Johnson's stunning revelation last November. "And…cut," he says. "That's perfect, Scott. Your feelings really came across."
While Bakula's sensitivity to social issues is in no short supply, his active self seems to be just as well developed. Just as the 36-year old actor is able to summon his emotions to increase AIDS awareness, Bakula is capable of calling on a symmetrical measure of physicality. Starring as a late blooming football player in Necessary Roughness last fall, he has also portrayed a trapeze artist, track team star, boxer and minor league baseball pitcher on "Quantum Leap." In one highly-controversial episode, he even portrayed a laboratory test animal. "The writers don't really think about what they're writing," says Bakula, who works out with a personal trainer three times a week. "But I seem to be in good enough shape for us to go ahead and shoot the physical scenes. It's nice to be able to go ahead and do it when you're in that kind of situation."
He isn't always able to hit the ground running, however. Just as his character, Sam Beckett, is thrust into the past to assume other people's identities because of a botched time-travel experiment on "Quantum Leap," Bakula was plunged perhaps a little too prematurely into the grid-iron for his role in Necessary Roughness. With former football coaches, college-level quarterbacks and arena-league players acting as unofficial technical advisers, Bakula was advised to be convincing, but cautious, while doing his own stunts on the field. "I threw my arm out at the beginning because I didn't have any time to prepare," he says. "Then I got tackled and popped something when I landed on that same shoulder. So I'd be walking around with an ice pack on my shoulder in between shootings and people would ask, 'Is that real? Or are you just acting?' I would say, 'Oh no, this is real. I don't need to walk around with ice on my shoulder to get into a role.'
"When you do your own stunts, it gives the camera the opportunity to shoot a lot tighter," he adds. "I thought it would take away from the storyline if you didn't know it was me getting beat up. The producers were nervous, but they got what they wanted. They were thrilled they got it. I was thrilled when the football was over."
Indeed, Bakula is grateful all his early morning workouts with a personal trainer for the past year are now paying off. His stationary bike sessions and chest, tricep, back, bicep and abdominal exercises have strengthened his stamina on recent episodes. For instance, he held an older Indian fellow in his arms and carried him across a river during one episode. "When you are on the back lot of Universal, you have to get it right," says Bakula, who eats a high-carbohydrate lunch to keep his energy level up during the day. "You can only do it two times because it takes an hour for the water to recirculate, and the sun is going down.
"I had to run the 100-yard dash a couple of episodes ago--and I was not dashing," he adds. "About 60 to 70 yards into it, I could feel it. But I haven't run a 100-yard dash since the eighth grade. I had to know what I was doing and not look like I was going to die. But I ran it pretty well, I actually felt pretty good about it."
Bakula is also proud to bring new dimensions to his "Quantum Leap" role--especially if they are sporting. At his urging, "Sam" became a skilled martial artist several episodes into the series. Taking out his opponents now with spinning back kicks, Bakula learned muay thai, tae kwon do and karate from Pat Johnson--the martial arts choreographer for Karate Kid and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It wasn't too difficult to justify adding this new twist since his character already has a "swiss cheese" type of memory. "It's been a ball," says Bakula. "It's nice because it adds a little color to the series."
Bakula showed shades of brilliance as an athlete while growing up in St. Louis. Active in tennis, soccer and baseball, he excelled in water sports becoming an avid waterskier and making the swim team in high school. Fast forward 20 years, Bakula now likes to take active vacations with his wife and two children. The family spends time skiing in Colorado or golfing, swimming and playing tennis in Hawaii.
Although he has never been prone to any "win-lose craziness" when he played recreational sports as a youth, Bakula's natural competitive instincts have been a bonus to his career. "I've never felt competition against other actors," he says. "I either get the job or I don't. I become more competitive against myself rather than other people. I think being in a competitive situation is good--whether it be athletic or not."
Whatever situation Bakula is in, activity is definitely a priority. His emotional and physical qualities have now balanced out to provide a more fulfilling lifestyle. "I have greater strength overall," says Bakula, who begins his workout at 4:30 a.m. "I think it's essential for me to be in as good of shape as I can be to survive.
"I find my workouts put me in a much better frame of mind," he adds. "I feel invigorated from the workout. Psychologically, I'm in a better place."
It takes a man of strength and energy to survive the rigors of a prime-time series, especially one in which one week he may be holding on for dear life to a bucking bronco in a local rodeo and the next he's a professional wrestler being body-slammed and half-nelsoned. But such a role seems tailor-made for actor Scott Bakula, who as scientist Dr. Sam Beckett travels through time - the '50s, '60s, and '70s - leaping from one adventure to another, from one character to another in NBC's hit show "Quantum Leap". The show packs innovation, history, high-tech, and a dash of whimsy into an hour of physical and athletic endeavors and heart-warming, moral endings.
But Bakula (rhymes with that Transylvanian resident) is more that up to the task. Not only is he a natural and fine athlete, said his stunt coordinator, Diamond Farnsworth, and personal trainer, Mark Harigian, but he can dance, too, as evidenced by his 1988 Tony-nominated stint on the Great White Way, in "Romance, Romance". And said Farnsworth, "Bakula is a quick learner.
" He's had to be. Each week the 34-year old native of St. Louis finds himself in a new and challenging role. Whether he's playing a trapeze artist, a minor-league baseball player, a boxer, or a motorcycling maven, Bakula learns the stunts in no time, often a day or so. "We don't have a lot of lead time. Generally, Diamond will teach me how to wrestle or box, or is he can't, he brings in a specialist to teach me. Sometimes I have to learn on my lunch break!"
Action is choreographed by Diamond, and Bakula follows his lead, generally similar to a dance routine, Farnsworth explained. "We get a script. We have 1 to 1 ½ hours to go over the routine. A television shooting schedule is very demanding," he said. "We can always use more time."
Bakula does most of his own stunts, "usually something in each show," he continued, though, on occasion, Farnsworth, ho doubled for Sly Stallone in the Rambo movies, steps in. "Diamond was thrown out of the ring in a wrestling story. It was a pretty big stunt."
Yet, in another show, Bakula had to learn how to rope and ride a horse. "He took to that horse like a duck to water," the stunt coordinator said, laughing. "He's a fine person; Scott puts so much into his work."
One assumes that Bakula wants to do as many of his own stunts as possible, but he explained, "I got over the need to do everything early in my career. Besides the fact that I could get hurt, I understood that if production shuts down hundreds of people are out of work.
To ensure that Bakula stays fit and is able to master each new task, six months ago he turned to a fitness trainer, Harigian, who created a more structured approach, fashioning a program of strength training and body-fat reduction that would carry Bakula through another season of difficult shooting schedules and even more physically challenging roles.
"I had always been in shape. I hike, ride an indoor and outdoor bike, swim when I have the chance, and play tennis and soccer, but because my time is so limited, I wanted a more concentrated workout. I also wanted to pay closer attention to my diet and reduce my body-fat percentage."
To that end Harigian had Bakula cut the fat from his diet, which included eliminating all dairy products. "I ate pretty well, skipped deserts, but I like avocados, for instance." They're no longer on his menu.
Bakula began with 21-percent body fat, and after five or so months, was down to 9. "Even though he looked lean, Scott had a relatively high body-fat percentage. He was lean, but his muscles weren't dense," Said Harigian. "By stimulating deeper muscle fiber, we created more muscle density, and his body fat dropped immediately." The trainer saw to it that Bakula's lunches were catered, ensuring that he would eat high-carbohydrate lunches - pasta, rice, vegetables - versus those filled with protein. "We focused on specific food groups on specifications of the day. Instead of a lunch of a turkey and cheese sandwich, which are slow foods, we opted for carbs. The body needs immediate fuel. A protein lunch doesn't provide immediate energy. " At the end of the day, Scott eats protein in order to feed the muscles he's worked on."
When Bakula is not on location for filming, he rises very early each morning - on those days when Bakula has a 7 am call, he begins the day with a 5 or 5:30 am workout at Harigian's L.A.-based facility - and the trainer directs him through a series of strength-building exercises. "Initially, I wanted to develop strength in my back and gain greater definition rather than bulk," said Bakula. "I wanted greater strength."
The routine is varied, as Bakula works a different set of muscles each day. He may work on his chest and triceps on Monday, his back and biceps on Tuesday, his legs the next day. "But we work on my abdominal muscles every day.
"It's great working with Mark, because he provides a lot of variety. I've worked out alone, and each workout was the same, I worked all of my muscles every day. But now, as I have less time to devote to staying in shape, I have to be more focused. Mark sets up the weights, takes care of the goals."
Having someone else take charge is important to Bakula. " I find that the more I know and keep track of what I am doing, the mind gets in the way and the less well I do. Training yourself you become very aware of the weights." This is a distraction he can't afford.
Plus, even a seasoned athlete might do things wrong. "I had Scott show me how he did a bench press, " Harigian explained. "Scott did it the way most people do: he lowered and lifted the bar near his shoulders. I had him move the plane of motion in order to develop his shoulder muscles versus his chest muscles. He now lifts and lowers the bar mid-chest. I ensure proper alignment and fine-tune his workout.
Harigian said that Bakula's legs are his strongest muscles, and they've seen major results in his back muscles. Yet the actor has one concern at this point: his lack of aerobic activity. "I wish I did more. I'm not playing tennis as often as I'd like. But when I have the time, I like to hike with my family, or we ride bikes."
He also has a Stairmaster and treadmill in his Los Angeles home. "It's hit or miss," he admits. "I love the Stairmaster because it is so challenging." But he doesn't use either as often as he'd like. Harigian has him riding a stationary bike 15 to 20 minutes at the end of his workout as well.
Bakula used to log many miles running, most of which took him around a reservoir near his New York home, but said he now suffers from lower-back problems, probably aggravated by the miles of pounding. However, the abdominal work Harigian has designed seems to be helping, as the stronger stomach muscles take pressure off the actor's back. "Yeah, it's been feeling much better lately. "I've been feeling stringer in general and have more energy. As a rule, I've always had lots of energy, but these days I seem to have more."
Which is important, since while he may be on hiatus from the demands of shooting "Quantum Leap", Bakula has not been sitting back smelling the roses during his weeks off. Currently in Denton, Texas, shooting a football film for Paramount Pictures titled "Necessary Roughness", Bakula is once more in his element. He plays a college quarterback on a team of unconventional athletes. Did he have time to learn to throw like Major Harris? Are you kidding? This is Scott Bakula, the man who became adept at riding horses in his lunch break. "It's a good thing I played football in high school," he laughed. Actually, he was a 5'5" "monsterback". How things change! After he wraps shooting on this feature film, he files to Chicago, where he'll star in a movie of the week called "Instant Forever". [um... perhaps In The Shadow of a Killer?--Pam] This time he plays a NYC cop. One wonders what new 'skill' he'll have to acquire for this role. [being left-handed, for one--Pam]
While fitness has always been a way of life for Bakula, the notion of entertaining came later. He began pacing the theatre boards beginning with summer stock about five years ago. The University of Kansas pre-law student caught the acting bug, left the plains of Kansas in 1976 to test the waters in the Big Apple, and made his Broadway debut as Joe DiMaggio in "Marilyn: An American Fable".
He appeared in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway production of "Three Guys Naked From the Waist Down", the Los Angeles and Boston productions of "Nite Club Confidential", and then came his success in "Romance, Romance", where his singing and dancing talent went public. Along the way the son of an attorney has earned an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination for outstanding lead actor in a television series.
After the bright lights of Broadway, Pasadena, and Boston, Bakula's next stop was TV. No stranger to nighttime television, he had already starred in two short-lived shows, including "Gung Ho" and the acclaimed "Eisenhower and Lutz" as an ambulance-chasing Palm Springs lawyer.
He made his first feature film last year in the dark comedy "Sibling Rivalry". But, it is his role as the scientist in search of his own time that has made Bakula a household name.
"I hope this show runs for a while. I really think that there are a lot of ideas left for a lot of great episodes. And I work with good people who love the show." Three may be the charm, as this series - in it-s third year - looks like a winner.
thanks to Emma who notes "The interview took place whilst Scott was filming 'Necessary Roughness.'"
Clients of Harigian Fitness value privacy and convenience. There will be no searching for parking places, no waiting for your turn on a popular apparatus or readjusting a machine a stranger has just used.
In fact, Mark Harigian's clients work out in "gyms" that are exactly as they desire, from the lighting and temperature down to the tunes that come across the home stereo system. They have custom ordered the room and paid significant money for the privilege of ensuring it has all the comforts of home.
And comfortable fitness is money well spent, says Harigian, the Agoura Hills-based fitness trainer who now specializes in designing high-end customized home gyms.
"The more successful and more intelligent a person, the more they appreciate the need for fitness," says Harigian, who has trained and built home gyms for such clients as Tom Hanks, Tom Selleck, Madonna and Shaquille O'Neal. "To me, your body is more important than your car. What we're all striving for is to have a home that has everything for us. Most of us like to have every room in our house go along with our taste."
Rooms that work out
In the case of a workout room, that often means the highest quality equipment and easy proximity to a specially designed massage room or sauna. Walls are sound-proofed. Flat-screen televisions are mounted on walls over $14,000 treadmills. Custom floors can take the pounding. Hydraulics can bring TV screens or other equipment out of wall crevices. In one Harigian design, a gigantic slide even leads from the workout room down to a waiting swimming pool. In another, an in-room waterfall feeds a Plexiglass covered koi pond. If you're into multitasking, a computer station can be built into a Stairmaster.
Aesthetics may not be always be the primary goal. Never mind gorgeous leather and fancy metal; the main requirement of Shaq's home gym was that machines such as the leg extension could fit his 7-foot, 300-plus-pound frame; and that the custom dumbbells could sit comfortably in his massive grip.
"Every brand I looked at, and they're all good brands, was designed for people who are 5'6" to 6'2" because that's their market," says Harigian. "I thought, Here's another market that's being missed. But anybody can offer oversize. You're really not doing anything but offering them a product they can't buy."
A recently completed fitness room in a $20 million Beverly Park estate -- whose owner asked to remain anonymous -- got the works, including leather equipment, floor to ceiling mirrors, solid distressed walnut floors, remote controlled blinds, solid steel machine-tooled dumbbells and a top-of-the-line sound system. Total price tag: about $85,000.
In other words, your imagination -- not your checkbook -- should be your only limitation. If you can dream it up, Harigian and the architects and interior designers he works with will make it happen. The aim, Harigian says, is to make the space as enticing and convenient as possible. The more comfortable you are in your space, the more likely you'll be to spend time there.
After interviewing his clients to find out exactly what they're looking for, Harigian draws out three designs. The first, Harigian says, is based on how he would do the room if he were building it for himself. The second and third are lower priced options. His clients invariably go for the top of the line, he says.
That the product is being designed and supplied by one of the city's more exclusive trainers is a bonus. Harigian doesn't simply plant the equipment in your workout digs and move on to the next job; he shows you how to use it, customizing a workout and putting it on videotape. He'll check back with his clients periodically for a fitness refresher since a design client is inevitably a fitness client as well.
A prime directive
"He's in the personal service business, really," says actor Scott Bakula, a longtime friend and client of Harigian's who bought a custom home gym. "When I first met him, he said, 'This is what I do. Anytime, anywhere you need it, I'll be there.' When he's training, he's fantastic."
We won't know for another few weeks whether the flight deck of the Starship Enterprise contains a leg press or pec deck, but at home, Bakula, who will play Capt. Jonathan Archer on the new UPN series "Enterprise" has all the fitness gadgets he needs at his fingertips.
A combination playroom/workout room, Bakula's converted garage contains a leg press/leg extension and machines for upper body work. There's a stationary bicycle and a treadmill is on the way. The walls are mirrored and the windows and French doors bring in proper ventilation. A TV set and entertainment system are set up for program or movie watching and there's a bean bag for the non-fitness set.
It's a room that goes with the flow of the entire house, says Bakula, who previously lived in places where having a home gym wasn't feasible.
"My little kids are dying to use (the equipment)," says Bakula. "The 10-year-old gets on with no weight on the machines. They're just sort of fascinated by all the moving parts."
The entire household, including his wife, actress Chelsea Field, get plenty of use out of the equipment, says Bakula, who estimates he's in the room between four and five times a week.
"I'm very appreciative of the time I get because I don't get a lot of time to do it," says Bakula. "When Mark and I used to go to the Hollywood YMCA, we'd work out for an hour and half, two hours and I just don't have that time anymore. This way, if I'm out the door, I can do 20 to 30 minutes and get a great workout on one or two body parts."
That time saved means more family time, says the fitness-conscious Bakula, whose shooting schedule for "Enterprise" may keep him on the set for 12 hours a day.
"If I've got a 10 a.m. call, do I want to get up at 7, go to the gym and go straight to work?" says Bakula. "Or do I want to get up at 7, spend an hour and half with the kids and Chelsea, work out for 30 minutes and then go to work?"
Richard Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Motion Pictures, estimates he uses the Harigian-designed gym in his La Canada Flintridge home three to four times a week. Function was as important as aesthetics, says Cook, who added that, with Harigian building your gym, a client invariably gets both.
"It's not a super big area, and Mark was able to put in everything you could possibly want and make it look like it was made to go there," says Cook, like Harigian, a native of Bakersfield. "He clearly knows what he's doing, how to operate all the equipment and he can instruct you on getting the maximum benefit from it."
Filling a niche
Harigian started moving away from training and toward design once he realized a potential niche existed. Fitness clients who happened to be designers -- such as Robert Earl, Illya Hendrix and Thomas Allardyce -- began asking Harigian's advice on designing home gyms.
When he would visit the homes, Harigian discovered the gym was the only room that didn't tie in to the rest of the house. Manufacturers wouldn't do custom orders, so Harigian decided to step in and fill the void himself.
"My background in college was mechanical engineering and architecture," he said. "I started applying that, and since I knew the anatomy, biomechanics and the body, it was easy to combine the two."
Still an avid mountain biker and kayaker who does Kern River raft trips, Harigian keeps to his flexible schedule and finds his new niche holds less potential for injury.
"No matter what age I become, I can do this for a living," he says. "And the equipment is going to be there when I'm dead. Somebody else is going to use it."
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Disclaimer: This is a totally fan-originated, -owned, and -operated site, and is not official, or associated with Scott Bakula or Bakula Productions in any way. It is maintained because I want to share any information I may have access to, with all Scott fans everywhere, all in one place, and as quickly as possible. This site was originally the idea of Sue, in the fall of 1995 |
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