CNN 360° host Anderson Cooper has been getting a lot of attention lately for his buff physique (check out this video on TMZ.com). While it may seem like a sudden transformation, in fact Cooper's muscles are the result of two years of workouts with a personal trainer, Thelonious "T.J." Johnson (right).

In addition to getting Cooper and other high-profile clients in shape, Johnson is also an actor and model, with appearances in Vogue Italia, Details, and the cover of Maximum Fitness. His acting credits include roles on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and All My Children.

Johnson, a New York native whose jazz musician father named him after the great Thelonious Monk, was also picked as one of 2008's Most Eligible Bachelors by Extra. He customizes his training sessions to fit the needs and goals of each individual client.

An extreme sports enthusiast, he also specializes in extreme outdoor training, providing fitness sessions that feature mountain-biking, hiking, "tough man" workouts and boot camps. Citing confidentiality he declines to say exactly how he got Cooper so cut, but the results speak for themselves.

The 7,000-square-foot Ocean Spa & Fitness has just reopened at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, and now provides a relaxing dose of eco-friendliness to go with its revamped facilities and salty air. Plus One Health Management oversaw the redesign and manages the spa, which means you're probably in good hands -- the same company has spent 13 years creating such oases for Merrill Lynch, Trump, and Google.

The greenness comes courtesy of the gym rebuilt with Ecoresin panels made from 40-percent post-industrial recycled resin, Armstrong sustainable ceiling tiles, Mondo recycled rubber floors, and Shaw carpet with Cradle to Cradle Certification. Even the furnishings do their part, coming from reclaimed wood.

As for the spa itself, the treatments have also gone into the revamp shop and come out more verdure. Essential oils from Red Flower are certified organic and come in numerous scents, from Indian jasmine to Icelandic moonflower. Skincare is provided by Pevonia Botanica, all of whose products are paraben- and chemical-free. Our favorite is the Beachcomber, with heated tiger clam shells used to knead away any ill you might have brought in with you. It's the best use of a clam since, well, chowder.

The extensive spa menu is filled out with the usual suspects: manicures, pedicures, a full-service hair salon with cutting, coloring and styling services, dry saunas, and eucalyptus steam rooms. But if you're committed to things of iron and muscles of steel, the gym's cardio equipment comes from Technogym, networked Expresso bikes allow for side-by-side "racing," and the group fitness studio is a playpen for adults that offers all of the c'est necessaire twisty-bendy classes.

And you don't need to be a hotel guest to take advantage; locals can join sign up for memberships, with terms as short as three months. Once you do, you'll get discounts on spa services and restaurant visits, and you can avail yourself of the guests-and-members-only pool deck whenever you wish. Put that all together -- a masseur's hands, poolside cocktails, and ocean air -- and it doesn't get more environmentally friendly than that, does it?



[Source: Loews]

Last year I started seeing MBT shoes all over the place. I thought they were kind of dorky (I still do, a little) but they looked comfortable and I figured there must be a reason they were so popular. NYC women, and many women the world over, will forgo comfort for fashion when it comes to shoes. I learned that the MBT craze likely has something to do with the fact that, like the FitFlop, these shoes promise a boost in the wearer's fitness level. And just in time for spring, the line has some new styles. At Zappos, women's styles range from $390 for a boot to $150 for a Mary Jane. For the men, high price is $270 for a tie shoe to $150 for a fisherman's sandal. View women's styles and men's styles at Zappos. See the gallery for a few women's styles -- though it's hard to tell them apart from the men's.

Canyon Ranch has long been known as one of the top spa and wellness centers anywhere. With two locations (Tucson, Ariz., and Lenox, Mass.) already established, we've been waiting since 2005 for the Miami Beach location to be ready. It finally opened earlier this month and now is accepting reservations. The historic Carillon Hotel, with ocean views, has been restored and now is "infused with the Canyon Ranch spirit of health, fitness, and personal attention." Choose from a selection of 150 one- and two-bedroom luxury suites that range from from 720 - 1,200 sq. ft., and from $300 - $1,800. All include

• kitchenette, and washer and dryer;
• 400-thread-count linens;
• luxury limestone-tiled bath with dual-head frameless glass shower, soaking tub, and exquisite vanity niche;
• two flat screen HDTVs;
• Bose Wave radio;
• High-speed Ethernet and wireless Internet access; and
• multi-line telephones, cordless phones, DID numbers and voicemail.

Download a brochure here to read more about the spa and wellness programs, or use the easy-to-navigate lefthand tabs on the home page to get all the details.

Ready or not, it's bathing suit season. If you haven't gotten yourself in perfect form and you have the money you can study with one of the toughest trainers around, the lovely Tracy Anderson, who works with Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna. Anderson is holding a two week boot camp Monday – Friday, 6:30-9:30 starting on June 16th at the Reebok Sports Club in New York City. Anderson's Method workout is dance-based but there is also a strength-training component for creating those sculpted arms. Those who sign up also have to commit for two week's to Anderson's nutritional principles but when you are paying $3,000 ($2,500 for members) you may as well get the most out of it.

The home spa is usually the place to chill out not to work out but Dimension One Spas has created the Aquatic Fitness System an underwater gym. The workout offers low impact exercises to tone, shape and enhance flexibility while suspended in water. It can be used for rehabilitation and for more hardcore athletes. It lets you swim, stretch and row while immersed in water and also has an area for just relaxing. The water is cleaned with ozone and UV light and the exteriors are made from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs. There are three different models ranging from $29,995 to $44,995.

Ever notice that some of the fittest people you know don't use the machines in the gym? At Aerospace, a fitness center in New York founded by Micahel Olahide, a former middleweight boxer and fitness consultant, and Leila Fazel, a former ballet dancer and a co-creator of Ian Schrager Hotels' Agua luxury spas, the emphasis is on the activities rather than the machines. There are a variety of Aero branded classes including Aerobox, Aerojump, and Aerosculpt which help create a sleek and healthy body. They call it the "most savage and serene workout experience on the planet."

The Aerospace facility is a two-story, 7,000 square-foot fitness center with studios, open space for personalized programs and sparring, an impact training center with boxing equipment, Aeropods that offer personal audio/video projection training and meditation rooms, relaxation suites for reflexology and massage.

Visitors to the city can get a version of the Aerospace experience at the gorgeous Julian Schnabel-designed Gramercy Park Hotel which has an Aerospace fitness center and an Aerospa facility.

With colder weather coming, many people are moving their fitness routines indoors. Pierce Mattie PR raves about the Star Trac Elite Cross Trainer. The machine is an elliptical trainer designed for home use. Features to love about this machine include a built-in fan and computer technology that communicates via infrared (IR) beam with Palm OS software so you can have your fitness info downloaded to your Palm device. The machine can be used with a pushing or pulling upper body motion or can be used to just offer a lower body workout. The console has a large message window, motivational track and can be programmed with eight user-specific workout programs. It sells for $4,595.

I've seen golden dumbells before but never an entire gold home gym. Technogym has unveiled a Gold Edition version of their Kinesis equipment, a home gym that is mounted to the wall and lets you do around 200 different exercises without taking up a lot of floor space. The machine helps strengthen the main muscle groups and improve flexibility and balance. The gold look is applied with gold foil. The machine costs around 10,000 euros and is also available in other finishes.

I once went to a gym that had those old machines where you would strap a vibrating belt around your waist to whittle your middle. It seemed so antiquated but the idea that you can vibrate your way to thinness is back in a big way. The new version is called Whole Body Vibration and promises all the benefits of real exercise in just 10 minutes a few times a week. You stand on a steel plate and receive strong vibrations which are supposed to do increase bone density and muscle tone as well as help reduce cellulite. The newest place to check this out is the Z Med Spa in Pasadena, California. The owner has a new blog documenting her success with the machine. The machine can also be found in some gyms and can be bought for home use. You can buy a personal one on eBay for $3,500.