Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Hey San Antonio,

In my last post, I ended it with a quote from General Patton, which reminded me of another of his famous quotes. I am reciting it from memory, but I think this is correct:

“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”

Remember, there’s a difference between getting in the game and sitting on the sidelines. Those who never dare to challenge themselves never feel the satisfaction of reaching a goal. The only thing that can hold you back is you – never settle!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

If my life has a “normal” setting, this is it. I’m back at work after Thanksgiving break and my bodybuilding competition, after what was my first real time off in a few years aside from 3-4 day weekends on occasion. Although I knew it was going to be chilly this morning, it was still a bit of surprise to walk out at 5:30am and to have the wind hit me – winter is here (as much as winter comes to San Antonio).

I am writing up a few posts, but wanted to drop a line here to get back into my routine of daily posting. I have decided when my next bodybuilding show will be, and when I finish the critique of my last show, I’ll post that along with how I’m going to attack the preparation. Actually, my prep for it starts today, but the depletion and misery mode won’t kick in until roughly April or so. Right now is the fun time – adding more muscle!

While most personal trainers consider this a down time for them, it is actually the opposite for me, and inquiries are always increased this time of year, as people who are actually serious about changing their bodies contact me to get a head start on the New Year’s crowd. As I have mentioned before, I do not train everyone that comes to see me – only those who convince me they are serious and are willing to follow my guidelines to a “T”.

In personal news, my beloved Colts managed to come back from 17 down yesterday to beat the Texans to improve to 11-0. While I appreciate a win any way we can get it, I wish they’d go about it a different way and blow someone out on occasion!

My Christmas shopping is 99% done. What a relief knowing I won’t be out picking up anything last minute, as the crowds are already crazy.

Today will be a quick weight training workout for me, basically to just get blood flowing into the muscles and re-acclimating my joints to heavy stress. I am also planning a chiropractic appointment sometime after lunch, as my body has been through a bit of turmoil in the last couple of weeks.

As far as clients go, I’m already training a couple of people who are looking to compete in the spring, and it’s inspiring to know the journey they are about to embark upon – I just completed my journey, so I know what they’re about to go through, and it keeps me motivated to stay focused on my next show in 9 months.

I do have many recipes I want to share, along with workouts of the day, client of the week, and other regular features that I’ll be staying consistent with here on the San Antonio Personal Trainer Blog!

For everyone who sent me messages about my video from my bodybuilding show, thank you very much. I have always felt that when you accomplish a goal, you cannot lose, and the more time I’ve had to reflect upon it, the more excited I am to get back on stage in 2010.

Fat loss and body transformation does not have to begin in January. There is no time like the present, and a month can make a huge difference either way.

“If a man does his best, what else is there?
-General George S. Patton

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio and beyond,

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers. I have been laying really low this week and absolutely recovering, recharging and resting. Today, I woke up and had a healthy breakfast, took a 2+ mile walk, and then had a light lunch, all in preparation for the feast that I will have later today :)

After 16 intense weeks of hardcore training, depletion, insane dieting and cardio, I decided to completely use this week to regroup and to let little ailments heal up.

Today, I’m just going to spend time with my loved ones. But I am already thinking about what show I’m going to compete in next year and what I’m going to do to come in at my absolute best.

In the upcoming days, I’ll be announcing my upcoming regimen, my goals and the purpose for how I’ll be training and eating over the next couple of months. I will break down the year into “season” with each season (or microcycle) having a specific goal in mind, all supporting the ultimate goal of getting on stage a couple of times next September-November.

With a few days to clear my head and recover, I’ve also been thinking of an honest critique for my entire 16 weeks of preparation including the day of the show. I’m my own worst critic, and I’ll be breaking myself down the way I’d want to be honestly assessed if I was paying someone else to do so. I’m a big boy and don’t need to be told something was great if it wasn’t. My conditioning was as dead on as it could be and I was told by nearly every competitor that it was phenomenal. That made me happy as that is something I had direct control on. I will say that I feel like my posing was absolutely horrible in pre-judging. I’ll break it down specifically in a day or so, but for now, know that I’m going to be harsh on myself!

To everyone that supported me and that I influenced during my prep, thank you. I fully intend to take 2010 to new heights, as I have many personal, professional and competitive goals that I want to accomplish, and I know I will.

Enjoy this day with your family – no calorie counting, no guilt!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

I had a blast on Saturday night at my bodybuilding show. This is very grainy, but it is the first video that I received. If the others are better, I’ll upload them as well.

Anyway, thank you to everyone that came out and cheered for me!

:)

For now, I am going to recover and relax. I am drained!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

For all intents and purposes, the show starts tonight, as tonight at 7pm is the athlete’s meeting and weigh in for the 2009 NPC Lackland Bodybuilding Classic.

Of course, there will be the mental games that goes along with sizing up the competition and the introductions, but for me, it’s just another day of business, getting where I want to be.

My calorie intake is very specific today, and at 10-11am, I will be removing water, except for 2oz with each meal (I will be eating roughly every 3 hours). I will be eating every 2-3 hours from here on out, including in the middle of the night, leading up to Saturday morning. Sodium is still out, and carbs have tapered down from the 325 on Wednesday to 150g today.

I slept very well last night and feel very rested, and in my opinion, I am both physically and mentally ready to compete. Yesterday was a bit of extra posing practice, and today will be much of the same.

My tan has completely darkened, and after the meeting tonight, I will be adding another coat. By tomorrow morning, i will be about 50 shades darker than my normal skin color.

A lot of people tell me how they’d expect me to be doing cardio and lifting weights up until the very end to get in all they can. That is actually counter-productive, as body composition changes cannot be made that quickly. Also, every nutrient I put into my body has a purpose – I don’t want to waste my precious calories on an elliptical machine or a treadmill.

It’s like when someone drinks all weekend and eats a bunch of garbage and say “Wow, this weekend made me fat.” Again, body composition does NOT change. Sure, it was a good start to get fat, but too many people associate bloat and scale weight as getting fat.

Right now, I’m getting a bit antsy, and I feel like all of the hard work has definitely paid off and am confident that I will place decently well.

I’ll update later, at least after the competitor’s meeting!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Today, my goal of competing (and doing very well) at the Lackland Bodybuilding Classic became that much more of a reality. While I had no doubt that I’d stop at nothing, today, I began my tanning procedure, and seeing myself tanned reminded me that “It is FINALLY TIME!”

While I have been thinking about it, I have managed to keep how many hours it is in the back of my mind, going one meal at a time (that are actually labeled and numbered in my fridge), just going through the motions like a machine. However, now I am absolutely elated that I finally get to display my hard work.

I have an amazing support staff of friends and clients that keep me encouraged and motivated. Many of my clients have been with me for a while and they’ve basically counted down the weeks and days with me, and I think they all know exactly how grateful I am that they were so amazing, and several have told me how inspiring and motivating it is to witness someone go through the preparation for a bodybuilding show.

Now, I am just trying to stay relaxed and not think about it too much. I intend to spend a couple of more hours posing tonight, but after that, it will be a waiting game for me, as I’ll stay busy playing PS3 and hanging out with Peyton and laughing at and with him :)

For those who have followed my journey, thank you for reading. The Personal Trainer in San Antonio blog’s traffic has increased monthly since it’s inception, and I can’t wait to share everything else that I’m going to be introducing in early 2010 on the web. I promise it will all be fantastic.

I will do my best to post numerous times over the next couple of days, and I will have several pics from the show that I will post here.

I want to give special thanks to Kevin Saunders for his photography and support. I also want to give special thanks to Shannon at Spray Soleil (Huebner Road) for the awesome tan job she did on me today.

When it’s said and done, I’ll be naming many others. For now, I am going to eat my chicken and oatmeal and then practice my posing routine.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Wednesday went off very well. I was able to consume a lot of good, clean carbohydrates (after three days of carb depletion) – with sodium eliminated, it made a drastic difference in my physique and really showed the fat loss and muscle definition that I’ve worked so passionately on since the end of July. I also spent a lot of time practicing my posing, as presentation is everything in bodybuilding.

Today (Thursday) is very similar nutritionally, with the exception of a slight decrease in carbohydrates. Nothing eliminated or drastically changed, just fewer carbs :(

Today is also the beginning of my tanning protocol. I will be visiting Spray Soleil at Vance Jackson and Huebner for my first, heavy dark coat. The downside is that I will not be showering until Friday night (I’ll explain why later). But I won’t be doing anything to remotely sweat.

Of course, I have to be completely smooth and hairless for my show. So I’ll exfoliate and shave before I tan tomorrow, let the tanning dye do it’s thing, and then late Friday, I will rinse off, shave, add ProTan, allow it to dry, add another coat, and another coat on Saturday morning before pre-judging. The late shaving will make sure that I’m completely smooth all day Saturday, and the extra time will make sure that my base tan is “attached” to me.

Friday night at 7pm is the athlete’s meeting and weigh in. I wish it was on Saturday, just so I wouldn’t have to make another trip to Lackland AFB, but it is what it is.

I kept Wednesday as stress free as possible and worked on my online fitness website ideas. But the added glucose (to my brain and muscles) and the relaxation gave me time to reflect and think about a lot of things. I browsed through the Personal Trainer in San Antonio blog and re-read some of my updates. I can’t believe it has been 16 weeks.

Over the last 4 months…
It has been challenging, but it was something that meant so much to me, it was just mostly a waiting game. I didn’t miss a workout. No cheat meals. Never missed cardio. Stuck dead to my plan. For me, that’s a huge win. I’m VERY consistent, but to be as perfect as possible for 16 weeks, even when on days when I worked 13-15 hours reminds me I can do any damn thing I put my mind to.

My life…
Today, I gave a lot of thought to what has lead me to this point. How did I get from a child my son’s age to this day? The paths we take are interesting. I remember when I first got serious about working out for the first time and I seriously became obsessed with learning as much as possible. Why does this happen? How does this happen? I wanted to learn everything about fat loss and gaining muscle. Eventually I became a personal trainer as a hobby, and now almost 13 years later, it is my life and my career.

I think about the people who have most heavily influenced my life…

First off, my son. I’ve worked hard for everything I have ever obtained, but I was still very boy-like. Responsible, but I had a streak. Then, 5 years ago, I was blessed with the most amazing child and I knew it was time to become a man and lead by example. I wanted to be a man that he would be proud of and want to tell his friends about how great his daddy is. More than that, when he is my age, I want him to look back and think “I had a great father.” I’m very firm with him, and I’m his father first, but that little 5 year old is also my best friend on earth and there are times when I feel like he is raising me.

Next, my mother. I know there were times that you did without so I wouldn’t. It never went unnoticed, no matter how it seemed. I look back at us driving 4 hours to see a Major League Baseball game in Cincinnati and I cherish those memories. You ALWAYS found a way, and I believe I get that from you, because no matter how far fetched something seems or how difficult, I find a way. Thank you for that, Mother. With you, no obstacle seems to great.

Finally, my grandfather. I lost my grandfather in March of 2007. Up until that point, I was on top of the world. A new personal training studio, re-united with my son after a long stint in Iraq as a civilian – my life was amazing. While I had accepted that his time was near, saying goodbye to him on the telephone is something that I wish I could’ve done in person. But when I think of him, I don’t think about the end, I think about the time in between my arrival and his departure.

I was born 6 weeks premature and they whisked me away from my mother and had to air-evac me to another hospital via helicopter. It was my grandfather that stayed with me and while they gave me no chance to live, his faith in me never wavered. That faith in me remained strong until the day he died, and sometimes, I feel as if that faith is still there.

Papaw, you were a man that lived his life with very high standards. I have adopted those standards in my own life and I always wonder how you’d handle a particular situation or if I did it in a way that would make you proud of me. Everything I know about being a man, I learned from you and I learned more from you in any given day that we were together than I could’ve learned in 50 years from anyone else. I miss you every single day and I’d give anything for one more minute with you.

I know that this blog deviates from my others, as I don’t often shed light on my personal life, but I wanted to take this time to give credit where credit is due.

I’m very thankful for where I’m at in my life and all of the things (emotionally, physically, financially, professionally) that I have obtained.

I’m also very thankful for the fact that while tomorrow is never a given, the last 16 weeks have made me even stronger than I was before, and I cannot wait to see what challenges I will tackle in the coming months.

Let nothing stop you – go after your dreams and goals aggressively wreckless…

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Before you pig out at your holiday feast at work, before you eat 4 pieces of pecan pie, pumpkin pie and cheesecake, and before you decide to just mail it in and “pick up after the holidays”, remember that no matter how good that food tastes and how happy it makes you at that moment, it could never compare to the satisfaction of liking what you see when you look in the mirror. It could never hold a candle to the comments like “Wow, you look great! I have to know what you’re doing!” It doesn’t come close to people telling you “God, I wish I had your willpower…”

Don’t be short-sighted. The happiness from food is temporary. Eating like a starved hog and then sitting at your desk wondering if you are going to burst is not fun. Of course, sweating, feeling lactic acid burn, and watching fat slowly melt away (it doesn’t happen overnight) may seem painstaking, but the reality is that it is so very much more rewarding.

What is holding you back? The inability to practice moderation? The ability to find any excuse not to do what you need? To convince yourself that you HAVE to do something other than going to the gym, even if it means doing it when you’re tired, had a bad day at work or you’re just “stressed out”? That’s life, and putting those excuses out there doesn’t alleviate the issue at hand: most people are not happy with their bodies.

People talk about sacrifice and giving up certain things. Over the last 16 weeks, as I have prepared for my bodybuilding show, I have given up a lot. Sleeping in on Saturdays because I was out late. Huge dinner tabs because I had appetizers and a few drinks. Fast food. Wasting time sitting at a restaurant when I could be doing something productive.

It’s amazing how many people say they don’t have time when they are so inefficient with the time they have. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. And yes, everyone has a “plate” that is as “full” as yours.

Things happen. Loved ones get sick. Unexpected expenses rear their head. Extra work piles up and requires more hours at the office. Kids need to be shuttled around. We have to cook. The house must be cleaned. We have chores. Responsibilities. Meetings. These things are simply obstacles, not valid reasons not to keep focused on fat loss and changing your body.

When clients come to meet me, I get a feel for them very fast. I turn away as many people as I accept for personal training. Why? First off, is their consultation. I get a feel for the person. If they come in and they tell me “I want this and I’ll do whatever it takes and whatever you say to get there” there is a very good chance that I will train them. Some people have the look of fire in their eyes when they come in to see me and I know that they’re going to run through hell in a gasoline suit if it’s required to change their bodies. I can see it and feel it. Chade has that. Courtney has it. Andy has it. Liz has it. Ellen has it. All of my current clients have it because if they didn’t have it or if they lose it, I’d recommend that they seek their guidance elsewhere. Of course, it is MY job to make sure they keep it.

If on that first meeting people are telling me why they can’t do it, how they can’t help but eat out, how they have to travel and are just too tired to workout, how they can’t get up a few minutes earlier or stay up a little later to get work in, then I’m probably not going to be interested in training them. I am not here to tell you “It’s okay, you can still do a little bit and you’ll feel better.”

I am in the business of maximum results. Serious fat loss. Complete body transformation. Not a pound per week or a couple of inches per month. It is my goal to make you look better than you ever imagined feasible and to show you that good doesn’t have to ever be good enough.

Identify the issues. Correct them. Work hard. Work harder. Stay consistent. Intensity. Intensity. More intensity. Progression. Sustainment. This is how you radically change your body.

This isn’t about bodybuilding or getting on stage. This is about general health and fitness. This is about getting over aches and pains. Not being sick all of the time. More than all, it is about learning that there is no mountain high enough to climb.

I used to view competing in a bodybuilding show as something that I’d like to do someday. Someday is here, and in 3 days, I’ll be on stage accomplishing another goal that I decided I would be denied from no longer.

You have that same ability in you – let it out.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Today I woke up to something that has been missing from my life since Saturday at 5pm (84 hours), my good friend, the carbohydrate. Of course, to illustrate fat loss and muscle definition, the goals are to fill the muscles with as much glucose as possible, remove all subcutaneous water, and make the skin look as thin as possible. The last few days have been spent removing glucose from the muscles (and believe me, I was completely depleted) so that when I added carbohydrates back this morning, the body would super-compensate by storing as much glucose as possible in the muscles.

My carb intake today will be roughly 325g, 225g tomorrow and 150g on Friday leading into the show. Oh, this morning was the death of another nutrient, sodium.

Overall, I feel really good. No stress, no worries. I’ve put forth as much effort as one can for 4 months and I’m happy with the amazing progress I’ve made. I’m also happy with the way my clients have adapted my motivation and have all pushed that much harder. Oh, they push hard as it is, but somehow, together, we’ve ALL managed to find an extra gear. I’m going to stay in this gear for a very long time.

I received many questions about my new websites coming up. I promise to reveal more as the time comes. I’m in an aggressive planning stage right now, and I plan on doing some things that simply are not being done anywhere in the fitness community, on the internet or not.

I get a lot of requests to write about nutritional supplements, and I would, but I’m not a huge believer in that magic pill. There are some things that may provide a marginal advantage, but nothing is going to revolutionize your life. The things that I recommend that will give you the most bang for your buck in the long run are simple nutrients, fatty acids and amino acids. With that being said, my usage recommendations are anything but conventional, but clients are often amazed at the difference.

I was asked today about competing again and going through it all over again. Do I want to? In short, hell yes, I do. I have so many training ideas that I want to experiment with on myself and some new nutritional strategies that I want to test on myself, and I can’t wait to be my own guinea pig. I believe that extreme changes require extreme measures, and I’m a willing subject!

More reports about obesity and health in the news… I used to respond to these, but it’s of no use. We all know the numbers. We all know what is causing it. We all know that no matter what you do, eating fast food will make you fat and will kill you. There’s no “healthy choices” at McDonalds, no matter what they tout.

Three more days for me – I’m ready to explode!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Of course, for the title, it’s too late for me. On Saturday, I will be wearing those phenomenal posing shorts (sarcasm) and will be tanned and oiled up showing what I’ve worked on for the last several months.

When someone comes into my studio, I infer that they have no desire to compete in a bodybuilding show. That is a “gimme” – so it goes without saying. But in my opinion, anyone who wants to change their body and “build” it into something different than it is (and by build I mean remodel, transform, lose fat, or whatever term you prefer) is a bodybuilder. Just because you don’t compete does not make you a bodybuilder.

The body is a constant work in progress. What the body requires to change actually changes day to day and week to week. It is imperatively important to identify those requirements. I’ve said it before, I’m not the average “personal trainer”. I place high demands on my clients and have high expectations. Their success is my success.

Working out doesn’t automatically equal big muscles – it’s not that easy. Training is a definite science, and it is very easy to waste time and not make progress. Think I’m wrong? How many people do you know that workout or do you see in gyms that really NEVER change? They look the same (or worse) day in and day out, year in and year out? They never modify their nutrition nor their training. Nutrition is a lot of it, but as often as that, they aren’t training correctly and doing what they need to do, how they need to do it, and when they need to do it.

Bottom line: training is much more than going through the motions, and eating is so much more than just making better choices.

Don’t guess. Don’t waste time. Most important, don’t waste your money at Lifetime Fitness or Spectrum, San Antonio…

Never settle!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454