• Name: Joel Trinidad
  • Birth date: 16 April 1969
  • Height: 5’5" (165 cm.)
  • Weight: 138 lbs. (62.60 kg.)
  • Website: http://www.upstartproductionsinc.com (Currently under construction.)

Joel is like a brother to me. We’ve known each other forever. Our fathers went to grade school, high school and university together. Our mothers went to the same university. So our families are old friends and Joel and I, eventually, went to the same university our fathers did, thereby cementing our relationship as BFFs.

So having him in this interview series, headlined by that cheesy pick-up line just seems wrong. But, among my closest male friends, he’s the one who’s been most obsessive-compulsive about fitness so I can’t leave him out either.

Joel has been in theater for the past 22 years and has played minor roles in several local and international films. Now, not only is he an actor, he’s a playwright (- he wrote the musical, “Breakups and Breakdowns”), director and producer as well. He and his gorgeous wife (- yes, guys, he’s straight as an arrow), Emerita Alcid, herself an actress and singer in her own right, have started a production company called Upstart Productions. Joel is currently directing a contemporary version of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”, which opens on September 30 at the PhilamLife Theater on U.N. Avenue.

Q: How do you keep in shape?

A: I work out for about 40 minutes a day, six times a week (alternating gym/ab workouts and cardio workouts) and follow a strict diet. I eat six times a day (I count the two protein shakes I have a day as meals) and have one cheat meal a week. For this meal, I can eat anything I want, and as much of it as I want.

Q: That’s still The Abs Diet, isn’t it? Your Bible since January 2007. I’ve bought the book but, typically, have only looked at the recipes. There’s this really good mustard-honey pork chop recipe in there. Could you please simplify The Abs Diet for us cursed with short attention spans. I know it includes peanut butter…

A: Though the exercise component of The Abs Diet is pretty brutal, the diet itself is actually very simple: you eat six meals a day, maximizing the intake of 12 “powerfoods”, all of which I like to eat anyway. These foods are: nuts, beans/legumes, berries, lean meat, green vegetables, whole wheat bread, unflavored oatmeal, non-fat dairy, eggs, extra virgin olive oil, peanut butter (not the sugary kind) and whey protein powder (hence, the protein shakes). You also have to avoid high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats, but those things are so bad for you that you should avoid them even if you’re not working out.

Q: I know that The Abs Diet allows for a cheat meal but have you ever snuck out to the refrigerator on a non-cheat meal night to indulge a craving?

A: I don’t actually get cravings. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to crave for a specific food. Is that weird? Don’t answer that.

Q: How do you manage at parties?

A: If I’m forced to eat stuff that’s bad for me, I just designate that particular meal as my cheat meal for the week. (I usually have my cheat meal on Sundays, just in case some unavoidable social event comes up earlier in the week.) And I just make sure to put powerfoods in there somewhere. Like if I have to eat crispy pata or something, I make sure to eat green vegetables too, and maybe some nuts. It’s really not that hard. And, yes, sometimes, I eat more than one cheat meal a week. I figure one extra cheat meal once in a while won’t kill me.

Q: I know you don’t drink or smoke. And you’re married now. You haven’t turned to gambling, have you?

No, I don’t have any vices. I guess it’s because I really love my work. Is that lame? Don’t answer that.

Q: You now claim to be able to cook. I still don’t believe it. What exactly can you cook and don’t say hard-boiled eggs. Do you still make your own smoothies and do you still go around with canisters of it?

A: Yes, I still prepare my own protein shakes on a daily basis and bring what you call “canisters” of them around. And, yes, I can cook but just basic stuff like omelettes, pasta, steak. The Abs Diet includes easy-to-cook recipes, which is one of the reasons it’s so easy to follow.

Q: If there’s one thing you could eat unlimited amounts of if only it were healthy and wouldn’t make you fat, what would it be?

A: Haagen Dazs Macademia Nut Ice Cream. That is the reason why the concept of dessert was invented.

Q: Thanks, Joel! As a parting shot, is there any advice you could give to someone just starting out on their path to fitness?

A: Be consistent! Almost any sensible diet and exercise program will work if you stick to it. After about a month, which may be the worst month of your life, you’ll find your body will start craving the exercise. And when you feel like quitting, just ask yourself: How badly do I want to be fit? You’ll be surprised how effective that is. Good luck!