by Robert Igoe

Created on: January 12, 2009

Having that dream body like a Chippendale is a constant game of King of the Mountain.

Getting up there is often the easy part compared to staying in peak condition. Members of the team agree that it takes hard work, planning and discipline to both get to the top of the mountain and stay there. But they also agree that anyone can get to the summit and stay there with the same effort.

Dancer Michael Hammond agrees that keeping in shape is top priority for a Chippendale, though he also says that one workout or diet plan isn't universal.

"We're selling our appearance, so we have to stay in shape," he said. "When you're older, your metabolism shows down so you have to do a lot more cardiovascular work to stay in shape. A younger person has a higher metabolism so he would be able to work out with weights more."

Hammond says that the team believes in a low carbohydrate diet, avoiding breads, pastas and other starches in favor of high-protein foods like chicken, seafood and eggs.

"No matter how much you work out, it isn't going to matter if you don't find a good diet and stick with it," said dancer and singer Bobby Kerecz. "Diet is as vital, if not more important, than exercise.

On the road, the Chippendales benefit from their friends in the nation's fitness clubs.

"All the guys have memberships to Gold's Gym," said Kevin West, another dancer and a former bodybuilder. "It's worldwide in every major city. If we can't find a Gold's Gym, we'll find a local gym to go to and they'll usually let us work out free in exchange for a t-shirt or something. But most of the guys work out four or five times a week. Some guys prefer the cardio, others like me hit the weights more. We all try to keep the pace with workouts."

Kerecz says that variety and consistency are the keys to a good workout and good results.

"I go to the gym three days a week and work two different body parts each day," he said. "One day I might work the arms and back, another day work the legs and the abs. I'll use a mix of free weights and machine weights. The other two days I do my cardio exercises. One problem I have though is that this plan doesn't always work with our tour schedule. There are some days that we've been traveling so much that I'm either too tired or don't have time to go to the gym. So I have to change my workout schedule to fit the time I have."

Can't always make it to the gym? Well, truth be told, neither can the Chippendales. But even men best known for going without shirts still have a trick or

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