FERNANDO AND DOC PERSONAL TRAINER GIVES VARGAS A NEW AND HEALTHIER OUTLOOK.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Staff Writer

BIG BEAR - Fernando Vargas spends a lot time in front of the mirror these days, nodding his approval and patting himself on the back for a decision well made.

Oh, he's never fought while out of shape. One generally doesn't remain undefeated and win a world championship at only 21 if one isn't fit.

However, dreams of attaining greatness danced in his head. He wanted more. He wanted a body that works at absolute peak efficiency and looks godlike, and he did something about it.

Vargas hired an accomplished personal trainer, brought him to his Big Bear training camp and together they've redesigned him in little more than a month: In short, he's ripped in comparison to the old, not-so-defined Vargas, he seems to have inexhaustible stamina and he's bursting with confidence as a result.

His fight with Ike Quartey will be as much an unveiling of a new-and-improved specimen as the fourth defense of his IBF junior middleweight belt.

``I've always trained hard,'' said Vargas, a resident of Oxnard. ``We've now just taken it to a totally different level, to a scientific level.

`` . . . When you look at it, fighters who've been really successful, like Evander Holyfield, have had personal trainers. I wanted that. And I can't tell you how good I feel.''

Again, Vargas has always worked hard.

He trained in a traditional manner: Long, steady runs and minimal weight training outside the gym, sparring and bag work in it. Countless fighters train this way.

And it worked well. He proved in a grueling, come-from-behind 12-round victory over Winky Wright in his last fight that he was in excellent condition and probably could continue to win consistently had he changed nothing.

However, the typical struggle to make weight was proof that something was lacking. He went to sleep hungry often in the days leading up to a fight, which taxed his energy and took a mental toll.

``Cutting weight meant cutting meals, cutting water, stuff like that,'' he said. ``I'm only four pounds over weight now (11 days before the fight). I don't even want to talk about how much I weighed at this time for my last fight.

``Before, I always wanted to stay in bed. I felt tired all the time.''

Enter John Philbin - or ``Doc,'' as Vargas calls him out of respect for his knowledge - and the cutting-edge approach to fitness he's honed as assistant strength coach with the Washington Redskins the past seven years.

His techniques are complicated to the uninitiated. However, the basic concepts are simple:

--He has dictated Vargas' strict, high-carbohydrate diet.

--He has introduced him to stretching.

--He has strategically strengthened Vargas' muscles through weight and other resistance training.

--And has tried to replicate the three-minute bursts of energy and one- minute rest of an actual fight in cardiovascular training.

While Vargas was eased into the program to avoid injury, he quickly discovered things he never knew were possible.

The diet has helped him maintain a constant supply of fuel and help keep his weight down. That would be a load off the mind of most fighters.

The full-body stretching has allowed his body to do new things. Before Philbin came along, Vargas, although a world-class athlete, couldn't touch his toes. Now, he can all but put his head to his knees.

``That's really astonishing. I just feels so much easier to throw punches from different angles,'' Vargas said.

Philbin has been extremely careful when it has come to weight and other resistance training, strengthening all muscles but generally not building bulk. A variety of exercises were done with relatively light weight and many repetitions.

``I feel I'm faster and 110 percent stronger,'' Vargas said.

The cardiovascular work has been particularly invigorating for Vargas.

Philbin has geared interval training - mostly running - to prepare Vargas for the requirements of boxing: three minutes of intense activity and one minute rest between rounds. That, combined with some long-distance running and the resistance training, has Vargas feeling superhuman.

``I can throw punches and punches and punches (during sparring) and I don't get tired. That's crazy,'' he said. ``Mentally, I feel like I never get tired. And making weight is so easy. I'm eating only good meals. I could make weight now. I feel so good.

``I'm quicker, stronger and I don't get tired. I'm so happy with the Doc's work.''

He's also happy with the way he looks.

Before, Vargas' physique was nothing special. He was solid but his muscles weren't defined. One observer even said he saw ``baby fat'' on Vargas' young bones before Philbin arrived.

Now, while he's no bodybuilder, he has been transformed. He looks leaner, more defined, more fit.

The change in his abdominal muscles is most conspicuous and impressive: He's gone from flat to rippled, which prompts him to lift his shirt proudly to show anyone interested in seeing what about five weeks of work can do.

He didn't hire Philbin to look good. However, aesthetics did cross his mind when he made the decision to shape up.

``You really don't see a lot of Mexicans ripped,'' he said. ``I think it makes me even more marketable. It's the difference between a million dollars and 25 million dollars.

``Look at Roy Jones. If he didn't look like he does, would people be as interested in him?''

Vargas trainer, Eduardo Garcia, couldn't care less about how his fighter looks. His only concern: results.

Some old-school trainers might've resisted bringing Philbin into camp. Not Garcia. He knew it was something Vargas wanted and was willing to give Philbin and his new-fangled ideas a chance.

It didn't take long for him to see the benefits. He believes Vargas is still as quick as ever and seems to be stronger and in the best condition of his career. The new diet, he added, has been a godsend.

However, most important is what is going on inside the fighter's head.

``Fernando has 18 fights and no losses and my son Robert (Garcia) has 33 fights and only one loss. Obviously, the way we've been doing things turn out OK,'' Garcia said through an interpreter.

``. . . But mentally Fernando feels better because he likes what he's doing. That's the most important thing. Of course, we won't really know if it's as good as they think it is until he fights.''

That's a fact of which Philbin is well aware.

He'd like to work with Vargas on a regular basis. After only five solid weeks of work, this project is in the early stages.

However, Philbin's job security might depend on the result of the fight. Vargas must win or people will ask: ``What was the point?''

VARGAS vs. QUARTEY

When: Saturday, about 8:30 p.m.

Where: Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas

TV: HBO, card begins at 6:45 p.m.

Undercard: Ivan Robinson defends NABF lightweight title against Antonio Diaz; Paul Vaden faces Shibata Flores in a 12-round junior middleweight bout

MIND

Vargas' new training regimen has transformed his body in little over a month. However, the benefits go beyond the physical: His confidence is soaring as a result of his hard work, an invaluable commodity during a fight. ``He feels indestructible,'' said personal trainer John Philbin.

NECK

Resistance training has strengthened Vargas' neck. A strong neck helps prevent the head from snapping and the brain from being jostled, which can cause unconsciousness.

ARMS

Vargas does no weight training that isolates his biceps or triceps muscles because Philbin didn't want to build bulk and hinder his ability to snap punches. His arms are stronger and somewhat bigger as a byproduct of other exercises. Vargas likes to flex more than ever.

CHEST/BACK

Philbin cited the work he and Vargas have done on the fighter's chest and back as perhaps the most important because it's the foundation of the body. Philbin was careful to build both equally to ensure balance.

HEART

Interval training - relatively short runs, rest, more running, rest, etc. - was designed to replicate the three-minute rounds and one-minute rest of an actual fight. Philbin closely monitored Vargas' heart rate to maximize efficiency. It worked. ``I feel like I can throw punches and punches and punches and never get tired. That's crazy,'' Vargas said.

STOMACH

Vargas has done six different abdominal exercises on a regular basis and the results are stunning. A strong stomach stabilizes the entire body, Philbin said, and looks good. ``He spends a lot of time looking at himself in the mirror,'' Philbin said.

LEGS

Weight training and painful squats, as well as running, have strengthened Vargas' legs - ``30-35 percent,'' Philbin said - and exhaustive stretching has dramatically improved his flexibility. B.P. (Before Philbin), he could barely touch his toes.

- Michael Rosenthal

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo: (1 -- color) no caption (Fernando Vargas closeup)

(2 -- color) no caption (Vargas standing with hands on hips)

Photos by Doug Mazzapica/Special to the Daily News

Box:

(1) VARGAS vs. QUARTEY (see text)

(2) MIND, NECK, ARMS, etc. (details of Vargas' workout -- (see text)