AVON — He’s not Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels, helping overweight Americans lose weight in front of millions of viewers on NBC’s reality show “The Biggest Loser,” but EMH personal trainer Jermaine Alexander is changing lives with his own personal wellness tips.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Lynn Westphal uses a combination of free weights and cardio with personal trainer Jermaine Alexander (background) to reach his target weight of 250 pounds.

And as the hometown personal trainer to ousted season five contestant Lynn Westphal, Alexander said the heat is on to prove he knows what he’s talking about while also ensuring Westphal loses big come this April when he returns for the show’s grand season finale and vies for $100,000.

Westphal has said he chose the EMH Center for Health & Fitness to continue his weight loss efforts because it offers state-of-the-art equipment and amenities such as a pool and indoor track. But he also learned the staff was made up of dedicated fitness fanatics who were more than willing to whip him into shape.

“In essence, if he fails, I fail as a trainer,” Alexander, 36, said. “That’s why I need to push him hard so we — not he — will be successful in the end.”

That’s why Alexander’s workout regiment for Westphal is not easy. It’s a cross-training program that has him switching between free weights and cardio machines for 60 minutes two to three times a week. But if Westphal sticks with it, Alexander is confident his client reach his target weight of 250 pounds.

Westphal, 60, once topped out at 409 pounds.

“This is about consistency,” he said. “If you do the work, then the payoff will be that the weight will come off.”

Alexander knows what he is talking about. He has been a personal trainer for 10 years, a profession he chose years ago when he topped out at more than 200 pounds and struggled to get the extra weight off.

“The hardest thing for me to do was to get down to a comfortable weight,” Alexander said. “That’s when I knew I wanted to help other people with their weight.”

So, he set off on a weight-loss journey that did not include diet pills, shakes or so-called magic potions. Instead, he upped his personal workout routine and changed his diet to include more fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. It wasn’t easy, as his family was known to dish out a heaping spoonful of temptation, he said.

But in the end it has paid off. Alexander said he is now 168 pounds. His weight drops down to about 152 pounds when he is in competitive body building. And he continues to be a frequent visitor of the gym.

After all, he said, his body is now his best advertisement.

“I’m not the kind of person that pushes my lifestyle on other people,” he said. “I just let them see what it has done for me and let them decide for themselves.”

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