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B ODY J A

The jovial Steinfeld flexes for the camera.

Glenn Triest

BY

Jake Steinfeld has become the home
fitness guru to the stars

HEIDI PRESS

body-building, the maven of macho,
the personal fitness trainer to such
celebrities as film director Steven
shopper in his Livonia Mall Spielberg, Bette Midler, Harrison
audience has a fitness Ford, Henry Winkler, Morgdn Fair-
question. He calls her up to child, Michael J. Fox and 'Teri Garr.
the platform and uses her as
Steinfeld, who has fitness books,
the demonstrator for the ex- videos, TV shows and guest ap-
ercise. "Put your hands under the old pearances to his credit, was in Detroit
buttissimo," he instructs. Everybody recently as the pitchman for the
around the demonstration platform PrimaSport socks collection for Burl-
laughs.
ington. At the Livonia Mall Crowley's
He is Jake Steinfeld, the boss of store, Steinfeld met the public dispen-

News Editor

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sing his fitness knowledge while
pushing the socks. "They're the Rolls
Royce of sweat socks, " he exclaimed.
The 29-year-old Steinfeld, with
the to-die-for body, got into the exer-
cise field as a fluke. As a youngster
he worked with weights and when he
was in the tenth grade, his father
bought him an easy curl bar, which
he admits, was what became the focus
of his attention when he was suppos-
ed to be studying. "I started doing
bicep curls right in front of the mir-
ror to Frank Sinatra's My Way, where
at the end of Frank's song there's
about ten seconds of applause, this
wild applause. And I used to do the
curls going, 'Jake Steinfeld, doing his
bicep curls in front of 40,000 scream-
ing people!' " As his muscles started
to build, so did his popularity among
women.
His parents wanted hirii to go to
college, and he spent one year at Cor-
tland University in upstate New
York. But the Brooklyn-born Steinfeld
had other plans: he wanted to be Mr.
America. "You can't be Mr. America
and live in six-seven inches of snow,"
he decided, and left New York for sun-
nier and warmer climes. To make his
mother happy, he enrolled in Cal
State-Northridge — for about half an
hour, he joked, but "retired" from col-
lege soon after enrolling.
"I retired because it was 85
degrees on- Sept. 9. More and more I
was going to the gym and less and
less going to school and taking
classes. I didn't buy a book." From
then on it was just a matter of being
in the right place at the right time.
Word of his fitness expertise spread to
the likes of Spielberg, and he has
made marked success since. He
credits the filmmaker with helping
him get a start.
"You know, Spielberg obviously
has been just incredible to me. He
taught me how to fly first class and
spread the name when I wasn't real-
ly anything. He's been a real good pal.
He's taken photos with me for
Newsweek, Life, for my book. He's
given quotes when I needed quotes."
And, he said, others have been just as
helpful, and that also has contributed
to his success.
Of his star clients, Steinfeld said
Bette Midler was the hardest to train.
"Bette Midler took a long time to get
involved. She's just crazed. She likes
to be crazed and that's Bette for you.
But when it comes to getting down to
business, man, she gets down to
business." But the socializing with
the Hollywood crowd has not spoiled
Jake Steinfeld. He still likes coming
to the malls on the promotional tours
and meeting the people. "It's great to
come to places like this and you get
to hear what's going on. You get to
hear the questions. What about this
Jake?' You want to show me this
Jake?' The bottom line is people are

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,GOING PLACES

WEEK OF OCT. 23-29

SPECIAL EVENTS

BORDER LINES FESTIVAL
Detroit Institute of Arts,
readings by U.S. and Canadian
writers, 7:30 p.m. today;
Auditorium of The Art Gallery of
Windsor, 7:30 p.m. Saturday,
admission, 833-1858.
MARY KAY COSMETICS
Fairlane Manor, 19000 Hubbard,
Dearborn, "Holiday Happening;'
breakfast and fashion
demonstration, 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, admission to benefit
Children's Hospital, 745-5373.
CENTER FOR CREATIVE
STUDIES
Greenfield Village, Lovett Hall,
Dearborn, Sixth Annual Detroit
International Wine Auction, 5:30
p.m. Saturday, admission to
benefit the Institute of Music
and Dance and Greenfield
Village, 831-2870.

MUSIC

DETROIT INSTITUTE OF
ARTS
5200 Woodward, Detroit, Brunch
With Bach, 10 and 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, admission, 832-2730.
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL
SOCIETY
University of Michigan, Power
Center, Ann Arbor, Don
Pasquale, 8 p.m. Thursday,
admission, 764-2538.
NOONTIME CONCERTS
Downtown Library, 121 Gratiot,
concert, 12:15 p.m. Tuesday,free.
MICHIGAN OPERA
THEATRE
Fisher Theatre, Detroit, Man of
La Mancha, 8 p.m. today,
Saturday, and Thursday, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, admission,
874-SING.
PRO MUSICA
Detroit Institute of Arts Recital
Hall, The Auryn Quartet, 8 p.m.
today, admission, 885-0793.
FOLKTOWN
Southfield Civic Center, Parks
and Recreation Building, 26000
Evergreen, England's New House
Band, 8 p.m. Saturday,
admission, 855-9848.
CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY
Orchestra Hall, Detroit,
Amsterdam Guitar Trio, 8 p.m.
Saturday, admission, 833-3700.
DETROIT INSTITUTE OF
MUSIC' AND DANCE
Orchestra Hall, Detroit, Talent
Education Tom; concert, 1 p.m.
Sunday, admission, 831-2870.
OAKLAND UNIVERSITY
Varner Recital Hall, Rochester,
Continued on Page 73

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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