Amazin Lethi, your background is Vietnamese. What brought you to the USA?

Walt Disney once said that he could take the dreams of America and make them come true. When I looked at him and other well known faces that came from humble beginnings or far away places and had made their vision a reality, then I too believed that America was where I needed to be. So I built my childhood dreams on that fantasy. That was really the driving force that brought me here. I too thought that I could somehow make an impact.

You are a very accomplished athlete, model, and former competitive natural body builder. What else are you qualified for?

I’ve always been very athletic and have competed in many sports outside bodybuilding. Besides my own personal love of sports, I’m a qualified strength trainer, boxing coach and martial artist. I’ve trained everyone from special forces to Olympic athletes. I’ve also studied life coaching, NLP, and holistic counselling. I do many different things. I also create art and have exhibited my work in the US and other parts of the world. I hope to one-day operate art and sport’s workshops in Africa and Asia, as well as, the US.

What audience are you reaching with your new book –Free-Weight Training?

All my books target the fitness enthusiast from different angles. If you happened to buy all of my books, you’d find that there is something for every aspect from fitness and nutrition to the entire healthy lifestyle. With this in mind, my latest book, Free-Weight Training targets an audience that needs greater instructional information on training with free weights and how it can be applied at home or in the gym. My book helps demystify free weights as part of the overall fitness routine.

As a qualified strength trainer, many people I trained found health and fitness books sometimes too complicated to understand. I make a point of writing as if I was there speaking with the client in a very easy to read format with clear pictures and a glossary with useful terminology.

You are physically fit. What is your fitness program?

I workout around 5-6 times a week. My weights routine is a 4 day split workout, grouping opposing muscle groups together, along with other muscle groups that are secondary to large ones. My typical schedule:

Day One – chest, triceps, abs

Day Two – quads, hamstrings, calves

Day Three – rest

Day Four – back, biceps

Day Five – shoulders, abs, calves

Every week I’ll switch the muscle groups I train together and types of exercises I do to keep my workouts fresh. I’ll warm-up and cool-down with cardio training for around 30-40minutes on the treadmill or bike depending on my mood followed by light stretching. Depending on my schedule, I also complement my gym workouts with Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, Boxing, Dance and Martial Arts training. I also participate in many outdoor activities when I have time, such as - surfing, golf, skiing, tennis, skating and horseback riding just to name a few. Variety is the key to maintaining a fitness regime that will last your entire life.

Are free weights better to use than machines?

One is not better than another. They both serve a purpose in any fitness routine. Free weights are just as important as machines and it’s crucial that you incorporate both into your workouts for an overall balanced physique.

Do you follow a special diet?

When I was competing as a natural competitive bodybuilder I had a very strict diet that consisted of calculated weighed amounts of protein and carbohydrate with minimal fat, complemented with bodybuilding supplements. Since I’ve stopped competing, I still focus on healthy eating without the strictness of dieting for competitions. I have an East meets West food plan combining traditional Vietnamese and Asian cuisine with more Western meals. I eat very lean meats, seafood, and a variety of fruit and vegetables--as I would like to say from all the colours of the rainbow. I still take bodybuilding supplements, as well as general everyday supplements such as Vitamin C, iron, fish oils and multi-mineral vitamins.

It’s important not to deny yourself the food that you do enjoy, but the key is in moderation and not to feel guilty when you eat it. I do have a sweet and savoury tooth and enjoy fine chocolate and pastries.

Who inspires you?

I’m inspired by those that have accomplished greatness from humble beginnings such as Oprah, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Walt Disney. Through existing outside the box and believing in your dream you truly can become a pioneer and these three people have proved that everything is possible. Nowadays I’m inspired by the strength of my own belief system. Inspiration first has to start from within before you can share your dream with the world.

What lies in your future?

I’m involved in many different aspects of the entertainment, art, fitness, business industry, and charity sector. I’m definitely very much an entrepreneur. I still have many more books up my sleeve that I will be writing in fitness and other genres. I’m also currently involved in numerous film and TV projects, as well as a very exciting bodybuilding project in the Caribbean. On top of all these many exciting projects I intend to expand further into the fashion industry with my friend who also happens to be one of the top fashion designers from Viet Nam – Toan Nguyen.

I love to eat Vietnamese food. Is there a specific dish you recommend?

Vietnamese food is considered to be one of the healthiest Asian cuisines because we use less sugar, coconut and meats. We use many varieties of fresh vegetables topped with light flavouring that is relatively low in sodium. I would recommend Pho Soup and Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Cold Spring Rolls); these are my two favourite signature dishes in Vietnamese cuisine. They are both very healthy dishes that can be made in various different ways depending on your taste.

Do you have an official website and a myspace.com page where readers can find more information about you?

www.amazinlethi.com

www.myspace.com/amazinlethifanprofile