Film Fitness Stars Buff Up For Specific Roles, But Quickly Fall Back To Flab

Adam West never knew how easy he had it. Slipping his flabby frame into a clingy little bodysuit and cape, the original “Batman” relied on his grace under fire and an endless array of corny stock phrases to get him through the crisis du jour.

But as Michael Keaton steps aside for Val Kilmer, and Kilmer passes the torch to George Clooney, the only constant in Batville is the ‘90s version of that fey ensemble - a futuristic carapace that has “Ab Isolator” written all over it.

“It’s like a body cast,” says L.A.based trainer David Gray. “Like those breastplates that Grace Jones used to wear.”

And unlike co-stars, salary or points, the body required to fill it is completely non-negotiable.

These days, it’s hardly just the female contingent in Hollywood under pressure to whip themselves into shape for a film role: Even gruff Nick Nolte admitted to a “testicle tuck” to enhance his on-screen nude scenes.

But with millions of dollars at stake in the action genre, it is muscle more than privates that brings home the bacon.

Now, a growing camp of non-action types such as Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Charlie Sheen, Kevin Costner and Keanu Reeves are muscling in on Arnold and crew with crash training courses whose effect ends as soon as filming wraps.

According to trainer Todd Person, who trained Keaton both on and off the set during the filming of the first “Batman” (1989), the star’s commitment ended the second the studio stopped footing the bill.

“When the movie was over, that was it,” Person recalls. “He didn’t want to pick up the tab on his own.”

And while Keanu Reeves looked buff in “Speed” (1994), anyone who saw him by the pool at the Chateau Marmont recently knows those biceps are history.

“You can see that Tom Cruise trained super-hard for ‘Mission Impossible,”’ Gray says. “But now, when you see him out promoting the movie, he doesn’t look as in shape. A lot of stars do that. I’m sure George Clooney is working really hard right now.”

Even hard-core action stars such as Jean-Claude Van Damme and Sylvester Stallone suffer from “here today, gone tomorrow” rippling sinew, while some stars - acknowledged heartthrobs, no less - have an almost defiantly anti-fit stance.

“You’d think something would click with Antonio Banderas,” Gray says. “After all, he’s this big sex symbol. But that’s like Hugh Grant - from the neck up, he’s gorgeous.”

It’s generally a bad idea - for everyone, not just celebrities - to engage in a “yo-yo” approach to fitness. It puts undue stress on the cardiovascular system, according to Josh Waldbaum, yet another L.A. trainer with a star-studded clientele. And consistency is mandatory for achieving any type of psychological benefit from exercise.

“The mind and body work together,” he says. “But it takes time for the ‘feel-good’ aspects to kick in - the sense of discipline, the increased self-esteem and energy.”

It’s that psychological edge, more so than the bulging biceps, that keeps Waldbaum’s clients in the gym and camera-ready.

Thus, understandably, he’d prefer his charges didn’t wait until they’re completely under the gun before hitting the free weights and StairMaster.

And if a particular assignment looks like an uphill battle, Waldbaum’s been known to take a pass.

“Ultimately, I’m responsible,” he says. “The client blames the trainer. And unless I’m with them 24 hours a day, I don’t know what they’re doing.

“I can talk to them until I’m blue in the face,” Waldbaum adds. “but if they want to eat ice cream, they’ll do it.”

Not if Stephen P. Gullo, Ph.D., celebrity diet doctor and author of “Thin Tastes Better” (C. Southern Books, 1995) has anything to say about it.

“Our society places a tremendous burden on celebrities to stay thin and in shape,” he says. “But by definition, the dominant personality type in Hollywood is one of excess.”

To help his clients keep on course, Gullo creates audiotapes chock-full of tough-love zingers, i.e.: “Do you like that enough to wear it on screen?”

As an on-location stand-in for office appointments, the tapes serve to send a little bit of Gullo along for use at any moment.

But when simple discipline fails, there is a growing suspicion that anabolic steroids are filling the void in Hollywood.

“It’s blatantly obvious,” says Person, who is more than a little disgusted by the matter. “It’s not natural (muscle and definition). It’s lying and cheating.”

Although Person has never trained a star on steroids - at least that he’s aware of - he’s not shy about pointing the finger at those he suspects of partaking in the illegal activity, including one well-known action star.

“I’m not saying the guy doesn’t work out,” Person says by way of qualification. “And I think he’s inspiring and has a great body. He’s been a role model for a lot of people in Hollywood.”

Gray agrees that steroid use is prevalent among actors, but only for short stretches.

“It’s not about long-term use,” he says. “If that were the case, then you would see actors continually getting bigger. They’ll only use them for quick, six-week cycles. And it’s usually just one type - not three or four, like a bodybuilder would use.”

For their sake, let’s hope so. While it’s easy to understand why a star, especially one who’s getting on in years, would want to use steroids - they promote euphoria, reduce the awareness and concern about injury and increase lean muscle mass and strength when used in conjunction with training - they take back tenfold what they give.

Long-term use of steroids can lead to elevated blood pressure, changes in liver metabolism that can result in hepatitis, prostate enlargement and, in extreme cases, testicular atrophy.

Not to mention the fact that once you stop using them, their effect is reversed almost immediately, leaving you visibly “deflated” - kind of like Batman, circa 1968.