By: Dove
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As a busy artist, producer, actor, entrepreneur and activist, it’s no surprise that David Banner has to keep a tight schedule. In the past decade, the Mississippi native has worked tirelessly to create new avenues for himself in music and film, while spending countless hours giving back to his community whenever he is able.
Banner also recently moved into the world of music placement in advertising, films and video games, signing on with a number of projects including the Footloose remake, Motorola, Gillette, Mercedes-Benz and Marvel vs. Capcom. He is also currently in process of creating his next solo album project entitled MTA3: The Trinity Movement.
Of course, the process of building his career has included fine-tuning his body through eating right and working out. With Summer now upon us, we tapped the stunning Gen-Xer for tips on how he maximizes his workout in extreme heat, and how he balances fitness with the every day hustle.
Read on as David Banner gives UrbLife.com some tips for smart fitness training in the sun, and explains why surviving failure can often bring you to the best success.
What are some of your workout tips for people exercising in the heat?
David Banner: People should be careful exercising in the heat. Stay extra hydrated. If you’re really working out, you should be drinking close to a gallon of water every day. I drink a gallon or more of water every day. If you’re drinking that much water, you could lose a lot of water weight, because your body retains water if it thinks it’s not getting anymore. If you’re constantly drinking water and being hydrated, it will release all the excess water.
A lot of times when you’re working out in the sun, it’s very important that you take breaks – you really can’t tell that you overdid it until it’s too late. People should be conscious of the temperature and the conditions they are working out in, and adjust their workout based on the situation at hand.
What about diet? Should you be eating differently if the temperature is a little more extreme?
DB: I wouldn’t necessarily say that. My diet is about the same regardless. I think that if the temperature is that extreme, you shouldn’t be working out in it in the first place. If it’s so bad that you got to watch what you eat, you probably need to work out inside a gym. If you’re truly working out, your diet has been adjusted anyway.
What machines would you give advice for working out in a gym that’s not well ventilated?
DB: Maybe your breaks are a little bit longer, your cool outs are a little longer. Me and my trainer, Scott Parker, the way that we work out, it’s cardio and working out, because we only have a 30 second break. So we go through two hours’ worth of workouts in one hour, really quick, and we’re jumping from machine to machine.
I think that if you’re working out in very extreme situations, then, again, your cool downs are going to be longer and maybe your time switching machines or going to your next reps will be longer.
What’s your daily routine like to make sure that have time for the gym?
DB: I just schedule it the same way that I would schedule a meeting. I put my workouts in my schedule. My progress is actually in my schedule. The time and distance that I run, the amount of weights that I’m using, the amounts that I think I’m going to fluctuate based on my schedule, because I’m trying to slowly push my weight up – as far as the weights that I’m using or the reps, depends on the look that I want.
If I want more of a cut, then I’ll do a higher rep. If I want to bulk up a lot, like maybe for a movie, I’ll lift higher weights. The things that are important to us, we have to schedule it in.
Tell us a little about the projects that you’re working on, because you have been doing more film and still making music. What’s your work schedule like these days?
DB: My work schedule is very hectic now! I’m running several companies right now. I just started a music house – music for advertising, music for movies. We’ve done Marvel, Capcom, Gillette, and Gatorade.
Gatorade: Revolution ad featuring Quinn “Evolve” produced by David Banner
Gatorade: Before During After ad, voiced by Common; produced, arranged and written by David Banner
We’ve done some music for the new Footloose project. Right now we’re making a transition to shooting a score on a film.
Just on the daily, it may range from me taking meetings from the highest ranking people in the movie or music game, to actually being in the studio, to reading four or five scripts a day, to producing up-and-coming artists.
I just got out of the studio working on Lil Wayne. It’s just so much… this has been the best year of my life. The difference now, is that because I have my own company and I’ve had success in it, that I have the opportunity or the leeway to say no to a lot of things.
The thing that’s very important about working out that I just realized, is that you have to rest as hard as you work. The breaking down of the muscles or resting the muscles or regeneration of muscles is just as important as the workout. The results will be so much better if you’re able to rest.
From day to day I work very hard – I used to stay in the studio 20 hours sometimes. Now I do my 8 to 10 hour workdays, sometimes 12 hour workdays, and then I’m done. I do my cardio in the morning, then I do my workouts at night, and then I go to bed.
Do you feel that you’ve made the accomplishments you wanted to make thus far? What do you feel is the biggest accomplishment that you made?
DB: What I’ve realized is that sometimes God doesn’t let your dreams come true because He knows that they may turn into nightmares. Some of the things that we think we want aren’t for us. Sometimes there are bigger things. I was sitting in the studio with one of Dr. Dre’s new artists, Kendrick Lamar, and I realized yesterday that some of my mistakes, some of my failures in my career were meant for me, so that I could be meant for the next generation.
Me being a music producer, I’m usually producing for all of the new, hot up and coming artists. My sacrifices and the things that I went through, I’m able to touch more people with my success and my failures. Sort of like a roadmap for them in their career, and I didn’t have that. So maybe some of the things that happened for me were meant to be.
I’m so much more successful and so much happier than I’ve ever been, because I was allowed the opportunity to gain success in areas of the business that I’ve never dreamed to be a part of. If I would have been successful in the way that I thought I wanted to be, I don’t know where I would be right now. Some of the things that I thought I wanted were not really good for me. Think about all of the people that were successful around the time I first came into the game. None of those people are here now, so imagine if I would have done everything I thought I wanted to do then… where would I be?
My biggest accomplishment was probably my Heal the Hood concert that we did for Hurricane Katrina. Besides the stuff I do in Mississippi for Christmas… That’s a breathtaking feeling, to be able to help people, to be able to make a difference, to bring people together to help other people. To have the opportunity, and to afford and give and to make someone’s life better. It’s a feeling that I can’t explain.
Follow David Banner on Twitter @TheRealBanner and like him at Facebook.com/DavidBanner
