Oscar Smith has inspired many of us over the years with his dedication to his clients and his authentic desire to see people evolve into better versions of themselves. Oscar is the owner of O-D studio (www.O-Dstudio.com) located in Tribeca, New York City.

His unique take on fitness and ability to create the right mindset is what allows his clients to actually have fun while they work out and has earned him an unmatched reputation as a certified personal trainer and gym owner. He is also a certified flexibility technician and has a strong background in kinesiology and biomechanics. His clientele has consisted of supermodels, celebrities and pro-athletes.

Not only has he coached his clients into excellent shape, but he has also dedicated his life to helping and rescuing people. He has served as a Grade 3 Ocean Lifeguard (16 years) and a NYPD Search and Rescue Diver (a position requiring so much physical fitness that only a handful of police officers has made the cut). Oscar is a former gymnast, and is currently a big wave bodysurfer, runner, and triathlete. He has been featured in Men’s Health, W Magazine, GQ, and Shape Magazine, and has appeared on networks such as CNN, NBC, CBS, and Fox.

Oscar is really excited to publish this book so that he can get his message out to everyone. He understands that everyone has different fitness goals and wants to see people bring more passion and fun into their lives. He believes that finding physical activities and workouts that people can get excited about can give us more natural strength. I am proud to know Oscar and hope that his message can help you create a positive change in your life.

Imagine yourself getting in really great shape, having more energy, more self-confidence and more fun. Too good to be true? Well it is not. When I was training to become a member on the U.S. Gymnastics Team, the words I never heard from my teammates were, “I can’t.” I learned an “I can do” mindset from some of the best athletes in the world and have carried this mental attitude with me in all aspects of my life.

I assume you are reading this book because you want to get in great shape and hear what an expert like me has to say about it, right? I will also assume you have picked up this book because other programs haven’t worked. If they did work, you would probably be out there doing whatever it is that makes you look and feel great. Well, I want to let you know that you have come to the right place.

People come to me because they need help to achieve their personal fitness or health goals. There is no diet pill or quick workout that will give you lasting results. The results I offer my clients are real—but it requires hard work and sweat.

I’m really excited to share my secrets of success with you. As a personal trainer and fitness coach, I am very passionate about helping my clients get the results they desire. I’m proud to say that my clientele has consisted of all types of people in various professions, and I have helped all of them get into the best shape of their lives. My aim is to share with you the same things I share with my clients so that you can achieve your fitness goals —whatever they may be.

Natural strength is my own personal philosophy in regard to fitness and it’s about strengthening your motivation, mind, and body. I believe that reaching your peak plateaus and overcoming them in fitness can only be attained if you find things that you naturally love to do. When you were a kid you were probably more active than you are now. Kids love to move around and play games; they also don’t compartmentalize exercise in their minds.

I’m here to tell you that if you reconnect with that inner child, you will be able to maximize your workouts and have more fun in the process of getting healthy. I believe that a balanced approach to fitness that honors our inner child can help us find more happiness and feel more fulfilled.

I notice a lot of people becoming fanatics when they start to get in shape. I don’t believe you need to become a gym rat or yoga junkie. It’s just not necessary. Working out doesn’t have to take over your whole life, but if it helps you to stay a little bit more healthy and less stressed, that’s awesome!

What I want you to realize before you begin to try some of my tips and workouts is that there is no magic fad diet or workout regimen that is going to get you into shape in 2 –3 weeks. It just doesn’t work that way. In my experience as a trainer, I see that the human body loses fat in certain areas first and that it takes people about 2 –3 months of healthier eating and working out to get the results they want.

Don’t be discouraged by this —it’s really not that long of a wait to give yourself what you really desire. In addition, if you work on changing your mindset you will create a lifestyle change that is different than a specific exercise or diet fad. The following section, Mindset, is going to talk about this more.

My program can help you increase strength because I am going to encourage you to increase your endurance, balance, and coordination. Unlike other trainers, my training methods aim to tone the entire body, giving you more power and the ability to perform in sports and real life activities.

Working on increasing your overall strength doesn’t just make you look and feel better, it also has health benefits. It reduces sarcopenia (the loss of muscle mass due to aging) and slows down the aging process in general. Developing a lifestyle of working out will help you stay agile as you age and allow you to retain your power and muscle mass so that you can continue to do activities you enjoy.

In this book I have put together all of my greatest tips and workouts from my 25 years of experience as an athlete and a personal trainer. My hope for you is that you can look at these workouts and pick out a few to try for yourself. Check out my program in the last section of this book (6 Weeks to a Beach Body) if you really want to get serious.