Hamilton had two AM/PM additional, scripted, heart-rate monitored sessions on the elliptical lasting 45 minutes.
A typical circuit session might include:
Core: Gym Ball – Alternate between lower & upper exercises
Lower Crunches – legs grip side of ball with heels on ground
Lower Hyperextension – Upper torso stabilizing on elbows
Upper Crunch – lifting 12 inches off the ball
Upper Hyperextension – knees against ball, feet against wall
Med Ball Warm-Up
Chest throws
Overhead two-arm slam down
Resistance Tubing:
Parallel to ground:
Chest Press – arms below 80 degrees, abducted away from body
Horizontal Abducted Row – below 80 degrees
Close Grip Chest Press – arms at 90 degrees at sides, cord under armpits
Close Grip Rows – arms to 90 degrees at sides
Bow & Arrow – pull back parallel to ground, slightly seated position
Legs: Forward Assisted Lunges – waist high attachment
The exercise would not alone have achieved her goal without an equally rigorous nutritional regimen. Prescriptive meals were delivered to her home twice a week – with medically approved nutritional supplements to support preservation of lean muscle mass and mobilization of body fat – monitored by DXA scans every six weeks. Despite what has been alluded to in inadequate Internet reporting, at no time during my training with Linda did I provide her with any prescription medication. Every nutrient combination used was medically approved in advance and placed in her private medical record, which assisted in her dramatic transformation.
A typical meal plan:
Breakfast:
• Egg white veggie & avocado omelet, fresh berries
• Egg, veggie and ground turkey breast scramble
• Scrambled eggs and veggies
• Non/low-fat Greek yogurt with fresh berries
• May add oatmeal, whole grain/Ezekiel toast or fresh fruit to meals
Lunch/Dinner:
• Large green salad with ample veggies & lean protein, olive oil/vinegar side
• Lean protein (grilled, baked, steamed, broiled, boiled, blackened or roasted using olive oil), steamed, roasted or grilled veggies (using olive oil), 1/2 cup brown rice, quinoa, or sweet potato
• 6 oz protein with each meal
• unlimited starchy veggies
• Olive oil used in place of butter
• Healthy fats with meals: avocado, olive oil, nuts/nut butter
• Fatty fish (salmon/tuna) weekly
Her dedication brought her remarkable results over the first three months, but we were hardly done. In the final nine months, Linda’s training became more functional to what would be required of her Sarah Connor character in the film. We moved to a high school football field. The purpose was to emphasize footwork. That encompasses short sprints, agility drills, and combat training. No way we were going to let a stunt double take her place. Or worse, put her in the position to get pushed around by a younger adversary.
During that period, Hamilton was becoming an Industrial athlete. That meant many of the associated aches and pains that come with this non-profession athlete designation. Low- and mid-back discomfort, shoulder fatigue and lower-extremity aches and pains. Physical therapy onsite and chiropractic care addressed these issues when they arose.
The most unrelenting feeling was the result of 12 weeks of nothing more than train, eat, train, eat, train, eat, sleep – with one week off at the six-week mark to allow for restoration, so that we could push harder over the next six weeks. She allowed her life to exist around the performance system that I put in place and for all practical purposes we became training partners. Though our breaks between exercises were short by design, we spoke about our families and I felt like I became part of hers, and she part of mine.
Any women reading this and thinking of replicating Hamilton’s regimen should first see a doctor and make sure it is safe. And they should know Hamilton, for Terminator 2 28 years ago, was quite ripped by body building standards. Especially her arms, or at least that is what I would hear most from envious women. At age 63, understanding the effects of sarcopenia – loss of muscle with age and dynapenia, and the associated loss of strength – was critically important. Education, and the technology learned from my prior experiences from wound care, provided the solution: the use of an amino acid blend – arginine, HMB, a metabolite of the anabolic amino acid leucine, and glutamine. This partially addressed this issue.
Paramount
Research demonstrated that the standard 0.8 grams per kilogram for protein requirements would not begin to address Hamilton’s needs with the associated intense training. Based on DXA scans every six weeks, the daily protein requirement was determined down to the gram, as with my athlete clients.
It was fascinating to watch Hamilton’s progress in real time. One example was the use of a functional exercise to push away an opponent – like wresting for a weapon. It’s called the Chest Push. Using a stability ball (65cm), assume a standard push-up position – chest resting on the ball, hands on each side of the ball – with legs extended and spread in a wide base for stability. Press into the ball with your chest, then exhale and push up with hands. Return to the starting position and repeat 5-10 times.
When we started, Hamilton fell off the ball – the inability to stabilize in an upright, extended position. By Week 12, she was performing 15.
Courtesy photo
The results? Even though you only had to look at her to see Linda’s metamorphosis back to Sarah Connor, we had her condition reassessed before she departed to the location sites in Budapest and Spain in June of 2018. It was amazing to see a 60-plus female drop 15% of her body fat mass. That is a number less than most healthy, athletic 20 year olds, with increase in lean muscle, stamina, and endurance. In our year together, Linda did not suffer any major injury setback during our project.
Hamilton will rank as one of the best I have had the honor to help. Her drive, discipline, and commitment to excellence was matched only by her love of her craft and compassion, as she said, for anyone who follows with me in her footsteps.
As for Cameron, the filmmaker who brought this challenge to our doorstep?
Photo by Matt Baron/Shutterstock
In one of his last communications, after he was provided with pictures of Hamilton just prior to the project’s completion, Cameron emailed me and borrowed words you would expect to hear from her co-star, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Linda, you look ripped and shredded,” he wrote.