Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Hey everyone,

Now that the blog has well over 1000 posts, I am going to add a “Most Popular” (or most important) articles on the sidebar to help people find important information. While I enjoy writing the rant posts and ripping bogus workout routines (especially P90X :) and other things, I’m going to keep the sidebar to the nutritional information that you can use to develop your diet strategy, my main training articles, supplement guidelines and the other information that will assist readers in their body transformations and fat loss endeavors.

If you’d like to suggest a past post to be listed, let me know. If there’s a topic you’d like to see me cover, I always take suggestions into consideration.

I hope everyone’s has a great Wednesday – maybe it will cool off here in San Antonio. As summer comes to an end, there’s never been a better time to embark on your own body transformation program. It’s not easy, but the success rate of my clients is extremely high – make the next success story yours!

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

Without a doubt, few exercise and fitness programs have come along in the last several years with the hype that has been generated by P90X. Since I wrote my Why P90X Sucks article, most people assume that I hate the program. I received so many hate emails and comments because of that article, and many of the messages that disagreed with my assessment of P90X regurgitated exactly what I wrote in the opening of that post, mainly: anything that gets people off of their asses isn’t a bad thing. I would guess it would be safe to operate under the assumption that most of those people didn’t take the time to read my article, saw the title and decided that they should fire off a message to me to defend P90X, even though my article, aside from the title, wasn’t an assault on the P90X lifestyle and program.

It isn’t P90X in itself that I dislike at all. It definitely isn’t the people that do P90X that I dislike. Doing absolutely ANYTHING is better than doing nothing. I don’t care HOW people workout, but life is too short to live it inactive. With that being said, I am actually objective, yet very direct in my assessment. I understand the immense popularity of P90X and most people look at my assessment as saying “he just hates it” and that’s not the case.

I’ve never said that P90X is “easy” or yields “no results”. When I speak out against it, that seems to be the retorts I get. There are simply much smarter ways to reach what so many feel is an unreachable goal.

Please understand what my chief complaint about P90X is: Tony Horton and his crew of Beach Body Coaches have perpetuated every popular myth about fitness and weight training to market their product. I am not saying P90X has NO USE nor am I saying that P90X is a scam. It does have use (albeit not as it is advertised) and I do not feel that is a scam.

And by the way, don’t fall under the hypnosis and believe that every model in that video has only exercised using the P90X system AND/OR ONLY uses P90X as their sole workout program. If you believe that, I have a very nice beach house in Arizona I’d give you one hell of a deal on.

The purpose of this post is to take the myths they are perpetuating, identify the fiction they’re using as support of their program, and evaluate the entire P90X program as a quality form of overall training based on the Laws of Training.

The Miracle of Muscle Confusion…
Hardly a miracle at all and most definitely not created nor discovered by Tony Horton or the Beach Body crew. It’s simply referring to periodization and the SAID Principle. Mixing workouts up is a no-brainer, and I can honestly say that I personally do not know anyone that knows anything about fitness that does the same workouts over and over. A note: muscles do not become “confused”. A muscle responds to a new stimulus – the reaction is known as hypertrophy (or growth). In short, progressively increase the resistance and your muscles will grow. Stimulate and strengthen weak links by using multiple movements and you will see progress with any weight training program, but the key is progressive resistance.

Ab Ripper – Sculpt the Abs of Your Dreams!!!???!!!???
Can you sculpt your abs? Does ab work remove fat from the mid-section and give you that elusive 6 pack? NO, IT DOES NOT. Ab work is done for functionality and strengthening purposes, not for aesthetic purposes. Doing more ab work does not “bring out your abs”. Simply put, the “Ab Ripper” suggests that spot removal of fat is possible by exercising a certain area, and this is not the case. You cannot “sculpt” any area by targeting it – this does not remove fat! Loss of body fat is a product of proper nutrition and training, and one cannot control WHERE their body fat is lost.

Never Plateau!!!
Mixing things up does assist in avoid running into a plateau. However, as you read below and understand the Principle of Overload below, you’ll be able to understand why a plateau is unavoidable. Continuously making fat loss progress while maintaining lean body mass to achieve a defined, toned or ripped physique (you choose your favorite term) is not easy and requires a very specific approach. As I’ve stated numerous times: any guy can get to sub 10% body fat and any female can get into her lean (yet still safe) range, but to become even more defined and to achieve that “Hollywood” or “fitness model” look (read: visible, defined abs) requires a more specified program for 99% of individuals than P90X’s general approach.

Three Phase Nutrition Program
This is what I call “throwing shit on the wall to see if it sticks”. Advanced concepts such as nutrient timing and rotational carbohydrates are completely ignored. Everyone responds differently to not only different forms of exercise, but also to different nutritional techniques. The one-size fits all approach of P90X may help you lose weight, but it does not help you find the optimal nutritional approach for your current condition, body type and other genetic factors.

Not Getting Enough From Your Gym Workouts?
I watch a lot of people go into the gym and just go through the motions. You must workout with a purpose. It’s not just about moving weights and breaking a sweat. Every exercise must have a purpose and everything you do should go toward your goals. If you aren’t getting enough out of your gym workouts, educate yourself on what you need to do and do it with some intensity. Progressive resistance is key: you must push yourself each and every single time.

You Don’t Need a Ton of Weights and Machines!!!

I agree with this part, actually. I keep my training approach very simple. But the bottom line is that you do need more than a few pairs of dumbbells, rubber bands and chin up bars. More than anything, Beach Body is playing off of the fear that most females have of lifting heavy weights. I list the videos below – this is a simple myth that I’ve busted numerous times. The “I just want to get ripped” nonsense? The best way to do that is by performing compound exercises – and a few sets of db’s at a high rep pace and short rest period is simply for muscular endurance. What am I saying? The “high reps builds definition” concept is another myth.

This Program is For Those Who Want To Get Ripped, Not Big and Bulky…
“Big and Bulky” is a product of nutrition and genetics. Actually, there are few people with huge muscles. VERY few. Lots of fat people. I’ve decimated this “cardio first for fat loss” and of course, I’ve explained that muscle has two states: it grows or it goes. It does not firm, harden, or tighten. Growth is a slow process and it isn’t going to just “pop up” overnight. Once you get outside a certain training threshold, you’re in the oxidative threshold (cardio) and that is where 90% of P90X is performed. Why is this important? Because weight training (brief duration, high intensity, progressive resistance and staying out of the cardio thresholod) is by far and away the best way to burn fat and transform the body.

Shakeology!
From a supplement standpoint, I don’t think this is a “bad” product at all. It is both sugar and gluten free, which I’m all for. I’m still totally fine with buying a high quality protein blend and self-manipulating fat and carbohydrate content (oils, oatmeal, etc).

The self-administered studies pretty much say what every supplement company does (you’ll lose weight, feel better, etc) so I’m not going to throw them to the wolves over that. I more often than not suggest a quality protein/meal replacement supplement, so I have no problem with their product as long as individuals understand that supplementation is a small part of training and that any nutritional program must center around proper food selection and timing of nutrients. No program, training nor nutrition, should be centered around supplement use, and the use of Shakeology (or any other nutritional supplement for that matter) will not make up for otherwise poor nutritional habits.

The two things to weigh in most relatively “close” nutritional supplement products are cost and taste. If you’re satisfied with those two things, then the choice is yours. At roughly $4 per serving, there are many superior products out there, but again, you can also do much worse.

How Complete is the P90X Workout?
Take a second to re-read my article on the Principles of Training. Every program I create considers and obeys these principles, as any well-rounded program should. These laws are essential for maximum progress in your fat loss and body transformation goals, male or female, novice or expert physical trainer.

Here is a quick breakdown of how well P90X obeys each of the Seven Principles of Training:

Does P90X Obey:
Principle of Individual Differences.
No. P90X is a one size fits all program. I am a big believer in every aspect of a fitness program being custom made for the user from scratch, and this is one of, if not the most important principle, and it is completely ignored by P90X.

Principle of Overcompensation.
Possible, especially initially. In P90X’s case, this goes hand in hand with the “Use/Disuse” Principle. Like other programs, this program will benefit you most in the beginning (regardless of their “Muscle Confusion” claims). The limitations of constant, forced progression are evident in P90X, and overload (discussed below) is restricted greatly when bodyweight is the most used form of resistance.

Principle of Overload.
Possible. As I wrote in the “Why P90X Sucks” article, as long as bodyweight is the limiting factor, progress is possible. After a while, all of the bodyweight exercises in the world will stop stimulating muscle growth (about the time the exercises cross into the “muscular endurance” rep scheme. I know, I know “you don’t want to get big”. Understand that muscle growth is a very slow process and is how you become defined. You must stimulate growth to maintain muscle to obtain the lean, “ripped” (or “toned”) appearance. Rubber bands and light db’s will quickly become “not quite enough” and the practicality of more equipment doesn’t appeal to most. Also, nothing stimulates overload like relatively heavy compound exercises. There’s no bodyweight/light dumbbell exercise that will substitute for classic squatting and dead lifting.

SAID Principle.
This program benefits from the initial “newbie gains” like any other program would (initially overcoming disuse) but considering it trains toward many different objectives, maximum progress is loss due to lack of specificity and regular periodization of different goals and priorities.

Use/Disuse Principle.
Possible. Use it or lose it – in this case, once you are unable to adequately stimulate a muscle group (for example, push ups yield great results early in a workout program for upper body development, but when they become much less challenging, MORE stimulation is required (traditional bench press, progressively more resistance). Considering this example, if those muscle fibers that were once stimulated by push ups are not continuously stimulated, they will atrophy.

The Specificity Principle.
No. As the program progresses, it does not become more specific. Much of this is due to the first principle being violated, as it is for the masses.

GAS Principle.
No. As a whole, different parts of the body and their required recovery times based on their training intensity and volume aren’t considered over a long period of time

Working out is not easy. It is not supposed to be. Is this program completely worthless? Absolutely NOT. Anything is better than nothing. I do, however, believe that there are many better, more effective alternatives for working out and training. A good workout is more than getting the heart pumping and sweating. You must train with a purpose and toward an objective – this is the reason why most people you see in the gym don’t even look as if they workout at all. Time is too precious not to optimize your training experience. Your training should evolve as YOUR BODY changes.

Regardless of what the masses believe, I do not think P90X is effective as a training system beyond being an intense cardio workout. I’ve mentioned many times the benefits of intense weight training as resistance versus cardio for fat loss and body transformation for both males and females. P90X plays on the fear that many women have that training intensely with weights or working hard in the gym doing something other than bouncing around will make them big and bulky, and my many instances of women lifting heavy weights (and here) have far proven that idea bogus and a myth. The results achieved are simply through consistency and overcome disuse, and breaking the monotony of just going through the motions.

Train with a purpose!

Boyd Myers
San Antonio Fat Loss and Body Transformation Expert
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

There are many principles and philosophies behind training. Depending on how many people you ask will determine how many different answers you get. When individuals are looking to change their body, they’re often mislead by a variety of different sources.

I’ve mentioned many times that although I am a competitive bodybuilder, the main reason I put so much effort into this blog is to let people know that I am very intimate with the science behind body transformation, training and nutrition. Of course, I feel that it is my responsibility to practice what I preach. I don’t feel that I can be an effective role model by walking around with a gut looking like I don’t know where the gym is or that I’ve been in it in a while.

Where do the perpetuated myths come from? Basically, everywhere. Magazines are ran by supplement company ad revenue, so they say whatever the supplement companies want them to. They basically regurgitate the same workout programs over and over as “cutting edge” and fill the magazines with fluff about the latest supplement breakthroughs. Like the “I feel it” with a new supplement, a lot of people do an exercise and think “Wow, that burns, it must work” and they ignore the basic, compound exercises for the isolation “burn” and their progress the is completely slowed. Of course, asking the “in shape” person is the popular way, and while many people who are in great shape work hard, most won’t admit that they’re blessed with great genetics, have been training for years or that they don’t know what they’re talking about. Finally, never listen to a supplement salesperson – they’re trying to make a buck. If a supplement made THAT kind of a difference, it’d be illegal!!!

When you’re developing a workout program, it’s important to keep these seven laws in mind. These aren’t bs from a magazine – these are the absolute basis of any successful training regimen. The success and effectiveness of any training program depends on how these laws are implemented.

1. Principles of Individual Differences
-Simply put, while we are all the same from a basic blueprint standpoint, we all have differences: exercise histories, conditions, response to training, genetics and habits.

2. Overcompensation Principle
-The body responds by adaption: callouses from friction, muscles grow in response to training. Cut tissue scars. It’s a natural response: manipulate it for fat loss and muscle gain and take advantage of Mother Nature’s generosity.

3. Overload Principle
-Exercise at a resistance beyond what is normally encountered and you will force the body to adapt. Simply going through the motions won’t get it done. Intensity is key.

4. SAID (Specific Adaption for Imposed Demands) Principle
-If you want to become a better cardiovascular athlete, train for it. Explosive? Train explosively. More defined? Focus on gaining muscle and losing fat. There’s no one size fits all training program.

5. Use/Disuse Principle
-Layman’s Terms: Use it or lose it. If you don’t train, it will go away. Bright side is something called muscle memory: once you’ve “been there”, you are never starting from scratch again.

6. Specificity Principle
-This discusses the progression of training. Establish general fitness and then focus on specific goals. Basically, you cannot walk before you crawl.

7. GAS (General Adaption Syndrome)
-You can’t train all out all the time. High intensity training periods must be followed by lower intensity training to allow the body to recover and change. Different types of training require different amounts of recovery. Remember that while it’s important to allow different muscle groups time to relax, the body, as a whole, is ONE. The Central Nervous System also needs recovery time as well (hence, you can’t train all out everyday and expect to make optimal gains).

Review your program – is it custom made for YOU? Does it force your body to overcompensate? Do you progressively force overload to force adaption? Are you training specifically for your goals? Are you building in recovery time of lower intensity (but not permanently staying low intensity)? If you aren’t, it’s time to start making optimal use of your workout time and employing these principles.

Questions, comments, criticisms always allowed here!

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

I read and hear so many discussions about the latest fitness crazes and more times than not, people are worried about things that in the grand scheme will have very little to do with overall progress.

I’ve been writing very comprehensive fitness and body transformation blogs for a little over 5 years now. Of course, the first San Antonio Personal Trainer blog crashed and burned a couple of years ago (gotta love computers) and that led to me starting the Fat Loss – Body Transformation blog that you’re reading right now. Since this blog started, I’ve laid it out, and I’ve made it pretty simple. Changing your body isn’t about getting huge or toning or firming. It’s simply about removing body fat, increasing the metabolism, maintaining or gaining lean body mass (and ladies, you are not capable of becoming big and bulky).

I am an expert in the arena of body transformation, drastic fat loss and performance nutrition. You don’t read about the latest fads here. I don’t “diet chase” or get squarely behind one type of training (aka Beach Body Coaches and their glorified cardio routines). My approach is based on science and experience. I don’t believe in making up a catchy term that embodies common sense and pretend it is new and revolutionary (shake weight, P90X, Nutrisystems, etc, etc, etc).

Here are the things you need to be concerned about when it comes to drastically changing the body:

-Intensity, intensity, always intensity. I’m stealing this concept from General Patton, and replacing the word “Audacity” with “Intensity”. It isn’t about quantity of exercise, but about quality. Get in, do work, and get out. Don’t bullshit around.

-From a nutrition standpoint, worry about 1) What you eat, 2) When you eat it and 3) How much you eat. Everyone has different foods that work well for them. How do you find out? Try them. I have posted a few very complete food lists here on the blog and have explained nutrient timing in-depth numerous times. That little search function on the side is your friend.

-Your training should be centered around compound exercises with supplementary isolation exercises, NO MATTER YOUR GOAL.

-Long, boring cardio done daily should only be your concern if you are an endurance athlete. Regardless of what many personal trainers believe, long, excessive cardio is not the basis of body transformation nor fat loss.

-While excessive cardio is poison to your progress, you should develop a moderate to excellent cardiovascular base and should never be limited on your ability to train with intensity because you struggle to recover between sets. Brief, intense cardio (under 40 minutes and in most cases, 30 min max) will lead to a more desirable change in your physique and not that “Kenyan Marathon – Somalian Refugee” look I often refer to.

-Understand that the body works in systems and one system always takes priority. For those that believe you can get your “cardio in with your weight training” and put a ton of focus on heart rate during weight training don’t understand the Kreb’s Cycle. Weight training is to stimulate the growth of lean body mass. Lean body mass has two states – it is growing or it is shrinking. There’s no middle ground here – toning is the addition of lean body mass and the subtraction of body fat. Training at a high heart rate takes the focus away from maximizing lean body mass growth stimulation (the glycolytic and CP/ATP pathways) and puts more focus on the oxidative systems. Thing I’m wrong, P90Xers? IF high heart rate training stimulated muscle growth, then how come marathon runners have very skinny legs, while sprinters have defined, desirable limbs? Again, max heart rate training is important, as the heart IS the most important part of the body. But you will get the most out of your training by specifically focusing on cardio and resistance training at separate times.

-”Now let’s talk about supplements” is a common phrase I hear. No, let’s not. Keep it simple – in MOST cases, all that most people should be buying are healthy fats (EFA, Sesamin), BCAA’s (Scivation Xtend) and a protein blend (Syntha6, ProComplete40) and in some cases, a pre-workout jolt (I like Arginine and Caffeine). Of course, many people need to have nutrient deficiencies corrected, and that is a specialty of mine. I often recommend different supplements such as 5HTP, Melatonin, GABA, Arginine/Orthinine/Lysine, and many other specific antioxidants and minerals – but understand that most of that depends on specific cases, goals and other factors. Most people spend WAY too much money on supplements that they do not need. Nothing gives you amazing results – if it did, it would be scheduled and controlled, and the purchase of those items could lead to agents kicking your door off it’s hinges and seizing your assets! My point is that in no way, shape, nor form should supplements be considered the cornerstone of your training program.

-Most of the things that most personal trainers have their clients doing are designed to look fun, not help them in absolutely any way. “Wow, I want to try that” – that trainer is banking on 3 or 4 people saying that. I don’t get why most personal trainers have their clients doing a lot of silly exercises that will not yield results. I learned a LONG time ago that as a personal trainer, your success only depends on your the success of your clients. When they’re making progress, marketing takes care of itself. I am proud to say that I have not paid for one form of advertising in over 5 years!

Want to read more? Check out the search function on the side, and look for these topics:
-Nutrient Timing
-”Big and Bulky” (debunking myths about women and weights)
-compound exercises
-exercises you should do
-supplement recommendations
-food list

Of course, my clients get much more specific guidance on their programs and needs, but I guarantee that no blog anywhere will tell you more about what you need to make progress right now and help you evaluate your program as a whole.

I totally understand that most people do not want to think that they’ve been wasting time, but I’m amazed at some of the simple adjustments so many people could make that would make a world of difference.

You have the desire, the motivation and are willing to put forth the effort – why on earth would you settle for marginal results? Progress is ALL that matters.

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

I mentioned last week that I was going to start writing a series on training mistakes. I see a lot of people training legs, simply put, the wrong way. Or, they simply follow bs propaganda from infomercials, magazines and personal trainers.

Training legs is hard. Actually, it all out sucks. Why? They’re the biggest muscles in the body and big muscles require a lot of oxygen, which means more blood which means the heart has to churn to deliver the goods. The plus? Bigger muscle fibers burn more calories at work and during rest. Want to be lean? Defined? Work your legs.

Well defined legs are rare, yet extremely impressive. In fact, while most people study a physique starting at the top and looking down (shoulders, chest, arms, etc), I actually judge someone’s build starting at the legs.

Without further adieu, here are the biggest mistakes when it comes to training the legs.

1. Without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest mistake made regardless of what your fitness and body transformation goals are, is to NOT train legs. Running is not a substitute for compound movements such as the squat and all variations, the stiff-leg dead lift, and the leg press.

2. Not using a full range of motion. Sorry, but partial squats and leg presses aren’t getting it done. Get the full range of motion down. If the weight is too heavy to do the full ROM, swallow your pride and go lighter.

3. Depending too much on machines. I have no problem with leg presses – actually, I love them. But stability and full muscular development is achieved by full range of motion on free weight movements.

4. Choosing isolation movements over compound movements. As mentioned, those compound movements should be the core of your training. Leg extensions are an accessory exercise that should be used sparingly. Posterior core work? The leg curl doesn’t cut it – good mornings, sldl, glute-ham raises are where it is at and complete leg development.

I’ve said it numerous times here on the blog: leg training is the singular most important body part for overall development. The hormonal response to leg training is insanely important for body transformation, fat loss and muscular development!

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

Great Nutrition Question from a reader of the personal trainer in San Antonio blog:

Hey Boyd,

I am not bullshi**ing you when I tell you that by simply following your basic nutritional guidelines that you have posted on the blog I’ve made more progress in the last month then I have ever made following any nutritional program or diet in my life. Your food list is very broad and I like that you give many options, but I happen to be a person that prefers limited options. What are your favorite sources of foods from each header?

Samantha, Hollywood Park

Hey Samantha,

I’m very much a creature of habit as well. During contest prep, I like to think as little as possible, and to lower the risk of deviating from my regimen, I limit myself to very few foods. I still choose foods that give me the full spectrum of amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

I do want to throw out a few caveats: first and foremost, I do not enjoy eating vegetables. With that being said, they are ESSENTIAL for vitamin and mineral content and digestive health, so I make it a priority to eat them. Also, I despise chicken breast, so you will not see it on my list. I’m just not a chicken eater. Considering that, I will say that a chicken breast is typically a good serving size and it’s simple. I totally recommend it, I just personally don’t like chicken!

Sources of Protein:
-extremely high grade lean beef
-yellowfin tuna (seared ahi)
-egg whites
-Protein powder blend (I like Syntha6 by BSN)

Sources of carbohydrates:
-oatmeal
-whole grain rice
-sweet potatoes

Sources of healthy fat:
-almond butter
-avocado
-salmon
I like to get my fats in oil form for ease of measurement, so I also use flax, fish oil, and Sesamin oil.

Veggies:
If it’s green or white, I suggest you eat it.

Bonus – supplements that I recommend no matter your goal:
-Scivation Xtend (BCAA Supplement
-Scivation Sesamin
-Probiotics
-Digestive Enzymes
-Protein Blend

Sesamin has nutrient partitioning capabilities. What does this mean? It stores the protein and carbs where they need to be stored, helps you burn what you want to burn (adipose), and also has antioxidant properties.

Do a blog search on BCAA on the right side here – I cover them extensively, and recommend them to anyone who is serious about changing their bodies.

Digestive enzymes and probiotics are key for digestion. It doesn’t matter what you put into your body if you are unable to absorb it, and your body is only as healthy as your digestive system!

Thanks for the reader questions – even when I don’t mention it, typically, it is a simple reader question that gives me an idea for a specific post, so keep them coming.

Oh, quick video of me doing Stiff-Leg Dead Lifts :)

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

Someone sent me a Twitter message looking for this post, and I decided to simply re-post it! And, I’ve added a few more to the list. Enjoy!

I know, I’ve heard it a million times: “No matter what I do, I just cannot get rid of this excess fat.” I’ve been asked about supplements, exercises, gadgets, gimmicks, workout videos, surgeries, drugs, and everything else that might give people an edge.

What does it actually take?

1. Get off your ass. Doing nothing is a sure way to make NO progress.

2. Stop eating garbage. Don’t tell me that you eat good “most” of the time or that you eat “pretty” healthy. I offer a lot of guidance here on this blog about how to eat. Don’t follow it some of the time. Eat “only” one bad meal per day? That’ll get you to around 20% body fat.

3. Work harder. Not sweating during your workout? Rarely get sore? The body changes in response to a new stimulus. Not half ass going through the motions. Don’t waste your time and don’t waste gym space by just being there to “get your workout in”. It’s called work, so WORK.

4. Stop making excuses. I don’t care if you’ve had a bad day at work. I don’t care if you’re stressed. I don’t care if everyone’s going to happy hour. If you want to be fat, make excuses. If not, then make effort and make time.

5. Understand that every day is a step – you can step forward or you can step backwards. Breaking even? Well, if you’re not where you want to be, that’s a step backwards.

6. If it doesn’t grow out of the ground or eat things that grow from the ground, you don’t need to eat it.

7. Force your body to change. Don’t wonder if what you’re doing is working.

8. Under no circumstance should your nutrition revolve around a supplement or a pill.

9. Understand the body doesn’t change rapidly at the cellular level. It is not going to happen overnight. It doesn’t take long to start making progress, but you aren’t going to go from a pot belly to abs in a month. There’s a reason I take 20 weeks to diet for a bodybuilding show!

10. Consistency. Skipping 2-3 workouts per month doesn’t sound like a big deal. However, that’s 24-36 workouts in a year. I guarantee that if you didn’t miss those workouts you’d look drastically different.

11. The gym is not a social club. Don’t dress up. Don’t cake the make up on. Don’t bathe in perfume. Don’t gawk at women in the mirror. Don’t offer every woman in the place a spot. Let them workout in peace, stalker.

12. Eat to live, don’t live to eat. However bad eating really healthy sucks, having definition and looking like someone who works out and has a lot of discipline totally negates that.

13. Every meal has a purpose. Fuel, replenishment, recovery. Treat every meal accordingly. I tell you exactly how to eat for every goal on this blog, so don’t be lazy and do the research.

14. Just because someone works at a gym does not mean their head isn’t in their ass. I workout out a variety of gyms and I see some things that I cannot believe people are paying for. If there are no injuries, you should be squatting free weight (yes, to lose weight). Machines should NOT be the basis of your workout. Your workout should not look like an audition for a circus. Understand that most certifications take little more than a heartbeat to obtain – look for track record and experience.

15. If someone tells you that you sculpt your stomach with ab work (or sculpt any body part with isolation workout) they’re an idiot and you shouldn’t listen to a damn thing they say. Fat is lost in the kitchen and with the exception of surgery, there’s no way to spot reduce fat.

16. If you want to pay $10 or $15 for a personal trainer, I’m not going to talk you out of it! I’m seeing this everywhere now. Simply? You get what you pay for. IF they were good enough to charge more, they would!

17. One size does not fit all. Hormonally, genetically, and from a conditioning and experience standpoint, we’re all completely different. All bodies have different needs and this must be considered when you partake in a fitness program. If a program buries you in 3 minutes, you’re starting at too high of a level. Obviously, if you aren’t sweating? It’s not enough. Your program should always be challenging and progression should be forced (meaning you become better) – stimulate, do not annihilate!

18. If you are confused about something, ASK ME. You see, I am the very best on earth at what I do, and I don’t hide behind my job. If you have a basic question, ask me. I put my knowledge on display for the entire world to read and check me on right here on this blog, and I welcome all types of questions and comments. Ignorance is not BLISS!

ANYONE can lose fat and change their body. Genetics are not an issue, they are an excuse. Get on it – stop making excuses and get to work!!!

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 everyone,

I’ve been slacking on posting a Q&A here of late, but now is as good a time as any!

Q: Hi Boyd: how many times per week do your clients usually train?
A: I have clients that train as many as five times per week (typically this is the last few weeks before getting ready for a fitness related competition or a pre-season athlete) and some clients that train once every two weeks. On average, most clients train 2-3 times per week, but I am pretty clear that it is my goal to reduce dependency on me as quickly as possible. I like for my clients to try it on their own, so I try to get them ready for that as quickly as possible. Of course, with Smart Phones, YouTube and other video media, it’s easy for me to demonstrate an exercise for a client without them being in the gym with me.

Q: How do nutritional programs like Weight Watchers or the HCG Diet work with your programs?
A: They don’t. Simply put, I am an expert at what I do, and that covers both the training and nutritional aspects of body transformation, fat loss and functional training. My programs are custom designed from scratch for each client. I do nothing that is cookie cutter: I assess needs and goals of each client and go from there. Cookie cutter programs like Weight Watchers and Nutri-Systems do not consider important aspects such as natural hormone manipulation and nutrient timing, both cornerstones of my nutritional programs. The HCG Diet is a short term quick fix that has no potential of offering long term results. Plus, why on earth would you settle for 500-700 calories per day when my clients eat several times that amount? I teach clients how to carry their programs on long after they leave me – sustainment is everything.

Q: Hey Boyd, I am really interested in your approach, as it tends to go against the grain of many popular beliefs, while yielding incredible results. One of the most fascinating aspects is that your nutritional programs are based mostly on timing and food selection and less on caloric intake. Even more so fascinating? Your approach makes sense in the way that it IS possible to simultaneously gain muscle and lose fat, which would lead to achieving a more toned, defined physique in a shorter amount of time. I spend a lot of time discussing your principles with co-workers who believe it’s all about the calories and I frequently reference your blog for back up. Sorry for the long question, but do you plan on either writing a book or dedicating a website solely to your nutritional beliefs and principles? They have literally changed my life – I am more energetic, recover faster, and my body has changed more in the last two and a half months of following your principles than it had changed in the previous two years. If I lived in San Antonio (I am in Houston), I’d be training with you every day!

A: First off, thank you for those praises. It’s nice to see someone has enough faith in my reasoning to follow my recommendations. I’m not shy about preaching my beliefs, and while I’m a competitive bodybuilder, I much prefer when someone chooses to follow me because of what is on my blog and not because they meet me out somewhere in San Antonio (I guess I’d prefer to be used for my mind rather than my body!). But to answer your question, I am strongly considering at least writing an eBook that covers my principles. I can’t stress enough the flexibility I use to my approach. Even with this blog, people say “but on your blog, you said…” and they get stuck on that without understanding that in reality, there are always exceptions. Things that I write here are usually to the masses and will work for most people, but when I train with someone one on one and get to see how their bodies react to different types of foods, the amount of willpower they have, their level of fitness (and other genetic based factors as well), I make exceptions to get the most out of their programs.

I have intended to make it a goal to write more articles that outline my nutritional strategies a bit more, and will continue to do so.

Q: Boyd, I’m very interested in both your current daily supplement protocol and your pre/during/post-workout nutritional regimen. Can you outline that?

A: I’ll save that for a full post (coming next). Understand that what I do is based on my goals and condition, but I’ll make some general guidelines that I’d recommend for most people looking to lose fat and change the way they look – and more than likely, they’re things that most people aren’t doing! I’ve d

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

You’ve come so far. You’ve burned off every bit of that you had on your stomach, the arms, the legs, but there’s still a small bit of fat left. Maybe on your sides. Maybe in another area. But it’s that last bit. You’re happy with your progress, but progress fuels motivation, and now you see a completely new you with only one last obstacle, and it’s what we call stubborn fat.

But you’re already doing a ton of cardio. You’re eating as little as possible. How haven’t had a cheat day or a high carb day in weeks. Why is it holding on? Because our intuition to do more and eat less is simply counterproductive.

The body is very adaptive. Unfortunately, it also fears that an ice age or another form of prolonged starvation is inevitable, so in attempt to stay “normal” (and normal to the body is not extremely lean or musclebound in the least), it will either suppress hormones that are helping to make the body extremely lean or it will respond by making the body less sensitive to some hormones.

If you’ve read the San Antonio Personal Trainer blog for any amount of time, you know that I discuss re-feeds. Maybe you followed on during my last bodybuilding show prep and you noticed that on some days, I had a much higher carbohydrate intake than one might expect. There are a few reasons that I do this. It is important that you understand my nutritional strategies to completely understand the necessity and importance of refeeds.

First, when the body is in a somewhat fasted state (and in this case, I mean reduced caloric intake or carbohydrate deprived), the body becomes very sensitive to carbohydrate intake. When you’ve reduced carb intake, you’ve also reduced insulin production. However, insulin is the hormone that not only tells the body to “STORE”, it is also the body’s chief hormone in the battle against cortizol – the “stress” hormone that will force the body to hold on to fat and to catabolize muscle. Of course, controlling insulin is paramount in reducing body fat, but the occasional increase, when calculated and controlled, is an amazing weapon in combating that last bit of stubborn fat.

Insulin and cortisol are but two of the hormones that must be manipulated/controlled when dieting and losing fat. One of the lesser known, albeit extremely important hormones that you may have never heard about is Leptin. I first became interested in this hormone in 2004/2005, and then I was hopeful that research on Leptin manipulation would increase, but for whatever reason, it did not. Of course, we’re in an end-solution society – if we have a headache, we take something for the actual headache. Forget the fact that the headache is probably a side-effect of another issue. We simply don’t look at the root issue. That’s what makes Leptin so important: it is what I like to refer as the master hormone. Like insulin, it is powerful when produced as long as the body still has high sensitivity to it. Also like insulin, during higher feeding periods, more is produced, causing the body to become insensitive to it.

As I just mentioned, Leptin is a master hormone, or a controlling hormone. It is the hormone in the body that controls all of the other hormones in the body that provide the results that we’re all looking for: increased lean body mass and decreased body fat. Of course, when I write that and women read it, I can hear the “back” clicks because they think it doesn’t pertain to them. Ladies, this is not a post aimed just at guys and bodybuilders: it’s aimed at anyone who is serious about making their bodies look amazing.

The occasional re-feed is absolutely required to keep the fat burning process functioning optimally.

How do you refeed? Simple. Spend a day of higher quality carb intake. I typically suggest at least doubling your current intake for a day, and at least to 2g of carbs per pounds of bodyweight. I also recommend using high quality, lower glycemic carbs (grains, oats, etc – not fruit or veggies). Also, keep fat intake at a minimum on refeed days. On refeed days, protein intake can also be slightly decreased.

Refeeding is not a “cheat” day and it is not an all out splurge – it is simply an increase in quality carbohydrates.

How often should you refeed? This is where it gets tricky – there are a few factors that determine how often you can refeed, and one of them isn’t “Well, I want to go out and eat a lot of crap food”. This is cheating, not refeeding. Typically, the leaner you get, the more you refeed. Re-read that – that goes against what most everyone else does and believes. The leaner they get, the less they eat and then they run into the issues that I mentioned at the beginning of this post with suppression of hormones. Also, refeeding isn’t going to be nearly effective if you are on a prolonged period of higher carbohydrate intake.

I believe that a week is a safe period between refeeds for most people. From there, I’d determine, based on how lean the individual was, if they needed it less or more often. As the last few weeks of my last bodybuilding show approached, I was refeeding as often as every 3-4 days: remember, that’s a time when most competitors are nearing starvation (hence, losing muscle and inducing the starvation reflex/fat storage).

Again, I urge you to read through my blog and understand my nutritional principles: food selection, nutrient timing, zero carb days, and now, refeeds – get ready to take your fat loss and body transformation to the highest possible level!

Questions/comments?

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 everyone,

I’m going to make this an “Open” weekend – I will answer absolutely any fat loss, training, nutrition, personal training, weight lifting, cardio, supplement or any other health related question you may have. You can either ask the question in the comments section below (by logging in with your Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, etc ID) or on Twitter and I’ll answer you directly, and maybe even write an entire blog post dedicated to your question.

So, now is your chance. If you’re asking a specific question for your program, please be as in-depth as possible (for example, if you want me to help you with your diet, please let me know what you’re doing right now – for obvious reasons, I’m not going to be writing workout programs and diets from scratch, but I’ll gladly
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