Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Hey everyone,

On May 14, my client Chelsey Young competed in her first NPC Figure Show, the Optimum Fitness Classic in Shreveport, LA. When I first met Chelsey, I knew that she had the potential to do really well at absolutely any level. After a brief discussion, we decided on the show she was going to compete and the work began.

Then, twelve weeks later, she was on stage for the first time:

Due to luck of the draw, Chelsey ended up in the middle. During a Figure Competition, they do what is known as “Call outs” and bring the top competitors to the middle initially and compare them against the others. Chelsey stayed front and center, and they moved girls around her. As soon as I saw her against her competitors, I knew that we were going to place well, and it’d be a travesty if she didn’t win her class.

Here are pics of her next to the girl that would be the eventual class runner up:

At the end, I had little doubt – I actually posted “CHELSEY WINS OVERALL” on Twitter and Facebook before the official announcement (and showed her husband as I was doing it.

Chelsey’s next show is the Europa Pro/Am in Dallas on August 17/18 and is a national qualifier (which will enable her to compete for her IFBB Pro Card). I have a lot of confidence that she will do well and I feel like she will be very tough to beat. Actually, I’ll say it: I expect nothing less than victory.

Chelsey, I’m extremely proud of you – few people have the dedication and the work ethic that you do, and your focus is extremely evident. You are an inspiration and a role model for everyone you come in contact with!

I’m extremely honored to have the opportunity to work with you!

Hey everyone,

About to do a software update, so hang with me for a few hours! Hoping to add a few new plug-ins to make the blog more user friendly and more interactive as well!

Of course, I’m doing this between clients so it may take a couple of hours. I’ll be right back with updates on upcoming events. Figure Competition season is in full effect and I will have clients competing regularly from now throughout the Fall, so that’s always a fun time!

Update: Ok, the latest version of WordPress went through painless. Now I’m checking out new PlugIns to install!

Be right back!

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,

After I posted yesterday’s workout for my client Jonah, I received a few comments about that type of training – let me qualify a few things.

-The type of training he is getting ready for is VERY calisthenic based.

-He spends up to 2 hours per day in the pool, as that is the most difficult part of AF PJ/CCT Training

-He runs over 40 miles per week

-He is 5’10″ 165lbs

One thing that a lot of people who cruise blogs may not understand is that not everyone is training to lose weight or to look like a bodybuilder. Jonah’s top priority is to be ready to take whatever they throw at him at his selection school, and our training days are drastically different from that of say, a Bikini or Figure Competitor.

Unfortunately, most personal trainers don’t get this: a specific workout depends on:
-the client’s condition (to include injuries, pains, strengths, weaknesses, and abilities)
-the client’s goals

There’s no one size fits all!!!

Working out is more than breahting hard and breaking a sweat – there has to be a method to the madness and every movement, every set, every workout must have a purpose!!!

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 client ask me yesterday about different rep schemes, so I thought I would repost one of my longer articles – enjoy!!!

Here’s one of my more in-depth pieces that I’ve written in a very long while that I think will benefit everyone that is remotely interested in training and working out, male or female, novice to expert.

The number of repetitions performed for a specific goal is one of the most confusing topics for most novice exercisers for a few reasons. The myth that higher reps help define a muscle or sculpt a certain body part that is regularly perpetuated by uneducated personal trainers and other sources of misinformation is a large reason for this. I’ve discussed this hundreds of times here on the blog, but to reiterate, “sculpting”, “toning”, and/or “defining” are simply the product of lowering body fat levels. No movement, weight training or otherwise, spot reduces fat from a certain area, no matter how many reps you may do of the exercise. Body fat must be removed from the entire body and without surgery (liposuction), one cannot control where the fat is lost from (crunches and Ab Ripper X do not sculpt the midsection).

In this writing, I’m going to discuss some general guidelines on rep ranges, the pathways of energy (what fuel is being used during a specific rep range) and a few exceptions to help you determine what rep range you should be training in for your specific goals. Hopefully, it will help you better understand why you perform a certain range of repetitions and maybe debunk a few myths about “getting large and bulky by lifting heavy weights” and a certain rep range being used for “sculpting and toning”.

First, it’s important to understand that simply performing a certain rep range means nothing if the load that is being used is not adequate. For example, if I refer to the 10-12 rep range, I am implying that the last 1-2 reps are near or at maximum effort. Sorry, but training is a lot more than just going through the motions.

Below are a list of goals obtained from weight training. As you will see, toning or defining a muscle is not listed. The best way to lose fat? Increase the resting metabolic rate by intense weight training and increasing lean body mass. The actual increase of muscle is a very slow process, and most people have a very low capacity for muscle growth. Read: women, you will not get big and bulky.

So what is the deal? One personal trainer says anything over 8 reps is a waste of time. The next Beach Body fad (okay, that’s a joke, so P90Xers, please don’t waste the time to send me a message unless you just want to chat :D) is 100+ rep sets. Is the holy grail of training somewhere in between? Does it matter which exercises are used for specific rep ranges?

Before I move on to specific rep schemes, I want to cover two important topics that will help you further understand the body’s response to training. Over the last 15 years, I’ve written about Energy Metabolism and the Pathways of Energy numerous times, and with good reason: understanding these principles make it easier to understand how to reach specific training objectives.

But I need to preface THOSE TWO sections with one simple question.

What is ATP?

-Without getting overly technical here and boring the everliving piss out of you, ATP is simply the molecule that stores energy in a form that can be used for muscle contractions. Energy from the body revolves around using the current ATP stores and rebuilding those stores quickly for more workload. Every human movement requires ATP. Unfortunately, the muscles are limited in how much ATP they can hold. Larger muscles are stronger muscles. Why? Because they hold more ATP!

ATP Production/Pathways of Energy
ATP/CP Energy Pathway:
-This pathway is anaerobic, meaning it requires no oxygen for energy use. Think explosive movements (one all out rep, tearing a car door off or lifting it off of someone in a panic – it happens).

Glycolytic Pathway:
-This pathway is also anaerobic. Once you’ve depleted all stored ATP, the body must breakdown carbohydrates to produce more ATP (glycolytic – think, glycogen, glucose, etc). Glycogen is stored in the muscle cells and glucose is found in the blood. See the importance of carbohydrates BEFORE training?

How effective your muscles function in this pathway is determined by several factors:
-How quickly can you get rid of lactic acid (get rid of the burn, get back to work) – increased workload leads to overload of the muscles which is stimulus for change.
-How well you can tolerate lactic acid build up. I’ve had numerous novice clients that completely lock up at the first sight, while more experienced exercisers can push through it.
-How far can you push it before the pain makes you say “to hell with this”.

Oxidative Pathway:
This is the aerobic pathway. It’s tough to understand this for some, but this is the pathway which most ATP is actually produced – it just takes much longer (which is why one cannot all out sprint for 5 minutes).

Obviously, you’re doing a bit more to build lean body mass in the other two pathways, which explains why marathoners and distance athletes typically aren’t muscular (please, don’t confuse “skinny” for “lean”. There’s a big difference). But here’s something that causes a ton of confusion: this is the only pathway in which fat can be used directly for energy. This is why many people believe that they’ll get rid of fat faster by doing cardio, and during the exercise, more carbohydrates are used as intensity as increased. When carbs become depleted at high intensity cardio? The body will tap into muscle for protein (the aminos leucine, isoleucine and valine). The effect? Lost lean body mass, slowed metabolism, less definition.

Don’t be confused: even with extreme volume lower intensity cardio, fat loss is still greatly limited, and the body has a very small window before it will look to breakdown muscle mass for energy.

Energy Metabolism
Physical activities can be based into four groups based on the energy systems (below) that are used to support these activities.

1. Strength/Power
-Energy coming from immediate ATP stores. All out, one rep effort that lasts typically no more than 3 seconds.

2. Sustained Power
-Energy coming from both ATP and available Creatine Phosphate (CP) stores. Near all out effort from 0-10 seconds.

3. Anaerobic Power-Endurance
-Energy from ATP, CP, and lactic acid. 400 meter sprint, 50 rep leg press, 100 yard swim sprint, lasts 1-2 minutes.

4. Aerobic-Endurance:
-Energy from the oxidative pathway, typically any event that lasts over 2 minutes in duration.

With this being explained, is it anymore clearer as to why I refer to P90X and circuit training as cardio based programs with minimal effect on body transformation (you’re spending most of the time in the oxidative threshold, never allowing ATP/CP stores to reload).

And without further adieu – which rep ranges are appropriate for your goals?
Training Goals/Appropriate Rep Schemes
It’s important to understand how muscle fibers are recruited – the body will attempt to use the smallest fibers when it can (slow, then intermediate, then fast twitch fibers).

Goal: Strength/Power – 1-5 reps
Optimal rep range for strength and power are lower reps, usually somewhere in the 1-5 range. As the reps increase, the capability of the load to increase strength and power begins diminishing.

Heavier weight means more muscle fibers recruited and strengthened, enabling us to place a higher degree of overload in other rep ranges, leading to greater muscle development.

Exercises that greatly benefit from training in overall strength and power rep range: compound exercises such as squat, bench press, dead lift. Due to injury risk, it is not optimal to work in this rep range on most isolation and single joint exercises.

Regardless of your overall training goal(s), a foundation of strength and power will transfer well across the spectrum in all rep ranges and training objectives.

Goal: Overall Muscular Hypertrophy (growth) 6-12 reps
The moderate rep range of 6-12 reps is probably the most commonly used rep range and for good reason, as it has many of the benefits of the higher and lower rep ranges. This rep range combines the capabilities of moderately heavy weight to increase intensity, while also allowing the individual to perform a set that lasts long enough to allow the muscle to remain under tension (and cause that lactic acid burn that so many people enjoy).

Exercises that will benefit you most during the muscular hypertrophy rep range: you’re pretty safe here with compound and most isolation exercises, but consider joint structure, tendon and ligament strength and stabilizer issues before going overly heavy with some movements (and by heavy, I mean lower reps vs higher reps).

Goal: Anaerobic Strength Endurance 12-20 reps & Aerobic Strength Endurance 20+ reps

I’ve decided to combine these two goals into one, although they’re very specific. For most guys, they’re reading this thinking “Well, I really don’t have a need to do anything over 12-15 reps, right? WRONG. These rep schemes cause massive glycogen depletion. Why do you care about that? The body compensates by forcing the muscle to hold more glycogen (the main source of fuel for muscle contraction), making the muscle become more efficient. Glycogen also buffers lactic acid – meaning you can do more before the burn becomes so severe that you have to stop.

As far as exercises, you’re safe with any group. Obviously, higher rep compound exercises are a bit more difficult (think 25 rep squats) than isolation work. You can also group cardio based work into this threshold as well.

Putting This Information To Use In Developing Your Workout
Should you be training in one rep range? I think a better question is “why limit yourself”? While I prefer to warm up with lighter weight, due to fiber recruitment and the energy pathways, it makes more sense to perform your heavy work early in your workout before transitioning to single joint/higher rep work. But don’t be afraid to experiment: I often perform 20-50 rep leg presses, 25 rep squats, 20 rep bench presses and other rep schemes to keep things fresh and offer different types of stimulus. Don’t “marry” one rep range. Your specific goals are important, but injury history and risk aside, I’ve given plenty justification to train using every rep range.

Need clarification? Feel free to leave questions or comments below!

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 want to take a few seconds and congratulate Rachel S. on her decision to compete in the NPC Texas State Natural Bodybuilding/Bikini Championships on November 19, 2011 in Austin, TX. She took the first step on her journey today and I cannot wait to post her progress pictures over the next 17+ weeks as she works her way into competition shape.

Competing is NOT easy: there is a reason why so few people do it. The amount of discipline, physical and psychological effort, and sacrifice that it requires is not for the weak-minded. On top of that, just reaching stage is not enough: WE fully intend on winning her division (I say “WE” because I will be with her every step of the way!).

I know, 113 days seems like an eternity, but in the blink of the eye, it will be half that, and then inside a month, and then prep week – and during the entire cycle, I fully intend on keeping the readers of this blog informed on her progress, all the way through comp night when she is holding her trophy on stage.

Get ready for Rachel, everyone!

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,

Here are a few awesome healthy breakfast ideas (protein pancakes, quiche, and a breakfast quesadilla – enjoy!

Protein Pancakes

• 4 egg whites
• 1/3 cup dry oatmeal
• 1 scoop low-card protein powder
• 1/2 banana sliced

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Spray frying pan with cooking spray and cook mixture as you do regular pancakes. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon, sweetener, or sugar-free syrup. Variation: Substitute other fruits in the mixture, such as sliced strawberries, or have none at all.

Crustless Quiche

Crustless Quiche Base

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients:

6 whole eggs
8 egg whites
10 oz. cottage cheese
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Vegetable of your choice

Method:

1. Blend together eggs, whites and cottage cheese until well combined. Add salt and pepper and stir well.

2. Fill muffin cups with vegetable mixture of your choice.

3. Top with egg mixture.

4. Place in preheated 400-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until just set. If using a large baking dish, cook for about 20-30 minutes or until just set.

5. Let cool, then pop out of pan.

Can be stored in fridge for about 4-5 days.

Per portion:

Calories 183
Fat 7g
Protein 24g
Carbohydrates 4g
Dietary Fiber 0

Can be baked in:

Muffin cups lined
Muffin cups sprayed with non stick spray
Silicone muffin cups, no spray or liners
Small ramekins*
Large ramekins
Soufflé Dish
Large pie plate or cake pan
Glass baking dish
Individual mini tin dishes
Large tin dish
Large non stick sauté pan oven proof
Cast iron pan

Breakfast Quesadilla

Ingredients
2 tortilla(s), whole wheet, 8-inch
1/2 cup(s) egg substitute
1 dash(es) pepper, black ground
1 dash(es) pepper, cayenne
2 slice(s) tomato(es)
1/2c fat free Mexican Cheeses
1 slice(s) onion(s), (optional)
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Scramble egg substitute in small skillet.

2. Lay 1 tortilla on a nonstick baking sheet. Spoon cooked egg substitute on top and sprinkle with peppers. Top with tomato, cheese, and onion, if desired.

3. Add second tortilla on top. Press lightly. Bake 5 minutes, flip, and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into fourths to serve.

Yummy!

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,

Meet my new client Renee. She has decided to utilize my services as she prepares to compete in the NPC Europa Super Show on August 13 in Dallas. This show is 2 shows in one, and consists of the amateur portion that she will compete in, along with a IFBB show the same evening. Ironically, that date is exactly 5 months from today, and Renee is out having her “last supper” as I type this. :) It goes without saying that this is one of the premier figure/bodybuilding shows in Texas.

I’ll be discussing her training and tracking her progress here on the blog over the next few months, so if you’re interested in fitness related competitions (bodybuilding, figure, fitness, etc) then stay tuned – most people are shocked at the amount of time and preparation that goes into getting ready for that one day on stage. My track record with competitors is very good, and I’ve helped several win their competitions and several more have obtained professional status while working with me.

It’s important to understand that every person is COMPLETELY different, and no two people respond the same way to nutrition and training. I enjoy training competitors, as it is the ultimate test of what I do and validation of my experience and knowledge.

It’s Sunday, San Antonio! Make your week amazing!

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,

Last weekend, my close friend Brian Hart won overall in the Men’s Bodybuilding at the 2011 Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. With this win, Brian is now qualified to compete in the NPC Nationals – WHEN he wins there, he will be an IFBB Professional Bodybuilder (the ones you see on the magazines). The really great thing about it? THIS was the first show that he’s ever competed in!

Brian and I met at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq in 2005 (of course, we met at the base gym!)

I’m very proud of you, Brian, and I know that you’ll go as far as you want to go. I told you throughout prep that I had no doubts that you were going to win. Savor your victory, as it speaks volume about you as a person and motivates so many that see what hard work and dedication can deliver.

Next stop: PRO! Fans of bodybuilding, make sure you remember Brian’s name!

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,

Received a question in the comments of the blog today from a service member in Iraq:

Hey Boyd, love your blog. Currently I’m deployed in Iraq my buddies and I love to read it daily just for the motivation!

Thanks in advance!!! – Dave

Hey Dave,

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to read my blog for whatever reason! I know you guys are busy over there and appreciate everything you’re doing to keep America great. As I’ve mentioned numerous times, I was in the Air Force and spent quite a bit of time in the Middle East (including Iraq). Hope you guys are able to get some great workouts in, as I know there isn’t always a whole lot else to do over there! So, THANK YOU FOR SERVING!

Now, on to DCT. For those who don’t know, DoggCrapp is a training program created by a guy in California named Daunte Bautista. The name comes from his initial handle on a popular message board he used to frequent where he introduced his program, and weirdly enough, the name just stuck.

He hasn’t done anything revolutionary, he just simply preaches the object of each workout is overload, which is the key to stimulating change: he focuses on heavy compound exercises, forcing progression, focus on eccentric portion, getting stronger (5 more pounds, 2 more reps, etc), and deep, extreme stretching.

DCT basically incorporates what a program should: it isn’t just a series of workouts, like you would find in a magazine – it is a program that has built in progression and forces you to get stronger – as long as you’re getting stronger, you keep the exercise. If you plateau, it’s time to change out the exercise.

Any program that concentrates on progression, periodization (which DCT does with periods of lower intensity every month or so), and concentrating on the main compound lifts is going to “work” – in this case for what I’m assuming you are looking for, yes, you will get stronger and add muscle by following DCT.

Daunte is a lot like me in a lot of ways: he is adamant that if you’re going to follow his program, follow all of it – his nutritional recommendations, the extreme stretching, the exercise recommendations, the widow maker sets, etc. I agree with him – it’s a solid routine and one of the common mistakes that most exercisers make is that they have ADD and think they need to make their own modifications to everything because it’s not enough for them or whatever. If you’ve ever read the initial thread that he introduced DC in (Cycles for Pennies) you’ll see how he feels about this. He blows a gasket when someone says they do DCT and then they go on to say that they do their own nutritional stuff, don’t do the stretches, do extra chest work, etc.

So, in short, following the program to a “T” will produce nice results, but the key is to give any program time. If those weights are going up each workout and you’re focused on going to war with your logbook every single workout, you’re going to make progress. I’m not a cookie cutter, one size fits all type of guy, but DC is flexible and is scalable for most weight lifters. My ONLY problem with DC is that it doesn’t feature enough Posterior Core and rotator cuff work – if you want to get stronger, this work is essential.

If you don’t want to follow the program itself, the principles are transferable and are keys to any exercise program. One more rep, five more pounds, progress, progress, progress!

Thanks for the message, Dave – look forward to hearing from you guys again in the future!

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 like to use variety in training. Not aimless variety like CrossFit – but custom variety based on a client’s needs, strengths and weaknesses. Whether it’s using ropes, kettlebells, Olympic Lifts, the heavy punching bag, plyometrics, the foam roller, powerlifting movements (right, Mary Lou?), circuit training or Yoga, everything has a time and a place.

I’m working toward setting a world record at my bodyweight on the bench press. Yesterday, I inched a bit further, surpassing my former one rep max by a few pounds. My next goal is 600 at a weight of under 245lbs. My long term goal? I want to bench press 720lbs. I’m now well into the 500s!

Right after I nailed my new personal best, I was really curious to see if I could decline bench press 315 20 times. No rhyme or reason – I was somewhat exhausted, almost seeing little birds fly around my head (hey, bench pressing more than a quarter of a ton is hard work). So, I decided to try it:

Didn’t even struggle, even though my foot had fallen completely asleep by rep number fifteen. haha Funny thing? My training is very streamlined and based on percentages and each movement is planned based on what needs to be improved. I was just being spontaneous. Why not?

Just another way to push it! Making the body do things that it normally does not do is key to forcing your body to adapt and change – it is the most basic mechanism that Mother Nature has given us.

No matter what it is, find your “other gear”. Don’t fall into redundancy and never allow yourself to fall into a comfort zone. I routinely force my clients to do things that I KNOW they can do, yet I also know they doubt that they can do it. Last week, when Mary dead lifted 205lbs (at 125lbs of bodyweight), she couldn’t believe that she was able to do it:

Funny thing? Her goal is to become more lean and defined. Most trainers would allow their clients to continue to believe that performing this exercise would make them big and bulky and hulking, yet that is the furthest thing from the truth: it is the most essential exercise ever (I mean, lifting something from the ground is as basic as it gets) and it does wonders for the core, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and the rest of the body.

How are you stepping outside YOUR comfort zone? Is it 3 more reps? 10 more pounds? 500 more feet? Find your threshold and blast through it!

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

Don’t forget that Personal Trainer Gift Certificates are available for the holidays, so give the gift of body transformation and fat loss this holiday season. All packages include complete nutritional guidance, 24/7 access to your trainer to ask any question you may have during your program and complete directions on what to do when you’re not in the gym. We have gift certificates for any of our fitness program packages, so for more information, feel free to email me at boyd@the-personal-trainer.com or give me a call at 210.391.1454.

Hey San Antonio,

This past weekend was a very big fitness related weekend here in San Antonio. Saturday was the Lackland Bodybuilding and Figure Classic while yesterday was the Rock and Roll Marathon. I work with both fitness competitors and marthoners, and I’ll tell you that both are accomplishments to be proud of. The dedication and training that go into preparing for a bodybuilding show, figure competition or a marathon isn’t the type of dedication that many people readily display on a regular basis.

But no matter how daunting either goal may seem, YOU can do it. I don’t mean tomorrow or next month: no matter what condition you’re in, they both take time and a lot of effort. I regularly train fitness competitors for 6-12 months as they prepare for figure and bodybuilding (and it works because they win). Regardless, although a goal like that may seem so far fetched for you, if you wanted it, you could do it.

Set a goal. It doesn’t have to be a competition, but set something worthy. A photo shoot. A big vacation. Something. Anything. Then take control and make it happen. Only you can stop you…

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

How many sets should you do? How many days per week should you train? How long do you train? How much rest should there be between sets? How much weight should I do?

There are many variables when discussing intensity of training. Perhaps the most influential variable is how many reps are performed per exercise. Before continuing with this article, please take the time to read my last article on “How Many Reps?” where I explain the different pathways of energy and what different rep schemes typically constitute from a training and body transformation standpoint.

While the regular myths that low reps build muscle and high reps “tone or define” have been perpetuated for decades (and MANY personal trainers still do not know better), most people do not understand when and why they should perform exercises within specific repetition brackets. There is no “toning” of a muscle – muscle either grows or it diminishes, period, and performing specific exercises at specific rep counts will not spot reduce fat and make the muscle group appear more defined. Again: it grows or goes away. So contrary to popular belief, performing “high rep” work is not conducive to improving definition or toning of a muscle group.

I get the opportunity to see numerous people exercise on their own every day. I spend a lot of time coaching online, and this allows me to review the training logs of several individuals that train both for strength and for aesthetics. Unfortunately, while most individuals often use different exercises, training splits (body parts trained on certain days, etc) few people actually vary their repetition brackets on a regular basis. In my opinion, failure to vary one’s repetition is the most limiting factor in training to change the body – and most people stay pretty true to one particular rep scheme and rarely journey to unchartered waters.

The number of reps should be directly relational to the weight used in an exercise. If someone is doing 10 reps with an exercise that they could potentially do 25 reps with, then that exercise and rep scheme is useless as a stimulus to tell the body to change. If you are working in the 6-8 rep range, that should be with a weight that is heavy enough to where a 9th or 10th rep would be almost impossible. If you are working in the 12-15 rep range, you should not be able to exceed 16-17 reps. When someone speaks about time under tension, they are using the same principle: simply having a muscle under “some” tension isn’t enough. If it is under tension for 20 seconds, it needs to be with a load that means being under tension for a few seconds longer would be extremely difficult, if not impossible (hence the flaws with one of the latest, regenerated fads, “Super Slow” Training).

Also, different muscle groups tend to react differently to different rep schemes, as well as different exercises tend to lend themselves better to specific rep schemes. For body transformation purposes and maximum development of fast twitch muscle fibers, they should be trained at a lower rep scheme (heavier weight) as this is the way they’re designed to train. Contrarily, occasional high repetition training increases the density of capillaries – it doesn’t take a ton of high rep for this to take effect. As few as one high rep training days can more than double the mitochondria of the muscle cells (the work horse of the cell). Of course, this diminishes as more high rep work is performed.

Up until this point, it may seem as if I’m only advocating working with extremely heavy weights. While I do believe that most training load should be 70-100% of maximum capacity, it’s important to understand that progress also quickly diminishes when one trains near 100% one rep max for too long, especially in terms of muscle gain (which is key for body transformation). Ladies who have made it this far, don’t be baited in to “I don’t want to be big and bulky” – I have explained that in-depth on this blog hundreds of times. It does not work that way and you are not going to grow at an accelerated rate beyond your control that will make you look masculine. IF you know a female that looks this way, chances are, she more than likely has used anabolic steroids. There are several reasons to train at higher rep thresholds as well, including buffering lactic acid and also aiding the body in it’s ability to recover quicker between sets.

Rep count isn’t solely dependent on body part or strength vs muscle growth vs muscular endurance either – some exercises, although for the same muscle group(s), tend to offer better results at different rep counts. For example, I’ve long believed that squats are most advantageous when performed heavy and the rep count is low (don’t get me wrong, 20-25 rep squats are a great exercise that will help me tell a lot about a person from a motivational standpoint), while leg press seems to provide more benefit for hypertrophy in the 10+ rep scheme (I often have clients do what I call “widow maker” sets, which may cross into the 50-100 rep threshold).

What is the main reason to mix up rep schemes in your workouts? The body adapts quicker to rep count than it does any other training parameter (weight, volume, etc). I operate under the assumption that the body adapts in less than 6 workouts, so all the more reason to vary scheme. Give the body the stimulus to adapt – but make subtle changes on a regular basis (overhauling the entire program on a week to week basis is not necessary).

Depending on your goals and condition, there are several reasons to perform lifts within certain rep schemes, but it’s important to train accordingly – changes do not happen by chance: they must be forced upon the body.

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

It has been a very good week for me. Of course, I’ve mentioned Sarah winning her IFPA Pro Card in figure, and from a professional standpoint, helping a competitive client obtain professional status is extremely rewarding. However, that is a very small part of what I do, and I take as much pride in every single client as I do in my competitors. Here are a few clients I’d like to give a shout out to for a job well done!

-Jennifer has only been working out with me for two weeks, initially had a little bit of trouble with bodyweight squats, and now is leg pressing 400lbs for reps while losing weight! Intense weight training is the key to becoming lean and defined, and her strength is increasing exponentially with every single workout while the weight continues to fall off!

-After 3 weeks, Jose has dropped 3 1/2″ from his abdominal circumference and 20lbs of bodyweight, while dropping his body fat percentage by over 6 percentage points. THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is remarkable change. The crazy thing? I expect at least that much progress over the next three weeks – my goal is an eight inch decrease from Jose’s mid-section in his first 6 weeks. I know he will do it.

-”First time in a LONG TIME” were the words that Nathaniel spoke after bench pressing 315lbs on Wednesday of this week. While that sounds like someone who is trying to “bulk up”, this is another guy who the fat is melting off, and in just a few weeks, he looks like a different person.

-I’d like to know how many times Joel has heard “What on earth are you doing?” over the last few weeks… I see Joel three times per week, and every time he walks in, he looks a leaner and and more confident. Results motivate, and this guy is the poster child for what effort and discipline will do. Strength keeps going up, fat keeps coming off, and it’s obvious to everyone who sees him. The other personal trainers that work for me here in my studio keep commenting about how quickly he is transforming, and this is just the tip of the iceberg!

-“Teach a woman to fish” – my goal is to teach every client how to keep making progress on their own. Recently, Michelle has started tackling the occasional workout on her own, and I was very proud when she texted me last week (I was in St Louis) to tell me how sore she had made herself following the workout I had sent her. The key to continuing progress is intensity, and no matter what workout you are doing, it means nothing if you aren’t pushing it every single rep of every exercise.

-”I was the hottest one there, thanks to you!” – the text I received from Lisa after her 25 year high school reunion.

-”I must be sick…” – The first thing Ruth told me was that she hated every second of exercise. Now, she can’t live without it. She even finds herself doing lunges at home, and telling people how she loves to workout. I can see how you can hate something if you feel like you are wasting time. But when people regularly comment on how lean you are looking and want to know your secret? It kind of becomes addicting.

What kind of amazing progress are YOU making?

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 just received this amazing write up from my client, Sarah, who obtained professional status as an IFPA Figure Competitor by sweeping all three of her classes last weekend at the Gateway Naturals in O’Fallon, Missouri. This is an amazing write up about her decision to hire me as her personal trainer and her experiences over the last six months as she prepared for her show.
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Being an athlete is part of who I am, it always has been. I find solace in competing in intense sports – from ultra-running to mountain biking to figure competing, I have always been amazed by what the human body will do, if we just ask it and don’t question whether or not it can.

To compete in extreme sports, it takes dedication and intense focus. The more serious you become about achieving your best (no matter what that may be), the more you begin to prioritize and detail out every facet of your training, nutrition, time and training support.

After taking a year plus off from competition and serious training due to a new job and relocating, I decided it was time to refocus my efforts, make a plan, and set a goal of competing in a natural figure competition. New to San Antonio, I knew very few people outside of my professional circle, but was determined to find the right trainer who could take me to a new level. If I knew more then they did, there would be no deal!

And so it began – I researched online, made phone call interviews and scheduled in person interviews in search of the right trainer. After 2-3 weeks, I kept coming back to the same name – Boyd Myers. We met and in the first consultation, I found myself selling HIM that I was a worthy client! (What an unexpected turn of events!)

I began training with Boyd in April 2010. Although I wasn’t overweight, I had a lot of work to do to gain strength and build back my basic fitness. Boyd knew that I had quite the road ahead, and understood that as an athlete who was making a comeback, it can be very challenging; you know what you USED to be capable of, but now have to fight your way back – it’s very humbling.

But then began our true partnership. Boyd encouraged me and was there to answer every question along the way with detailed explanations for all of my “why’s?”. He helped refine my lifting technique and offered constructive feedback that got the message across but left me feeling solid. I was learning and growing as an athlete – this was and continues to be exciting for me!

I was making progress. The nutrition guidelines that Boyd provided were broad and flexible but based on strong nutritional principles – the main movement was from relying on protein bars and shakes to mostly whole foods. This was new to me – former trainers had requirements of measured and scheduled meals 4-5 months out, while Boyd’s strategy is based primarily on timing nutrient intake. I wondered how this was going to work, but placed my trust in him.

In July I picked a show and told my closest friends and family. This was nerve-racking. It meant I was committed to a hard and fast goal; I am not one to take commitments lightly. As we progressed, the training became more intense and Boyd constantly challenged me to push. While I often worked out on my own, he made it priority to be there for my hardcore workouts where I needed the extra support. I broke new ground with my leg press (pressing 800lbs at a bodyweight of under 110lbs) as we worked to build my muscle mass that had been decimated from my ultra racing.

My body was responding – this was no workout designed for a man. This was no pre-designed workout used for the masses who wanted to prep for a show – Boyd had a customized plan to get me there and this plan he constantly changed in complete response to my condition and nutritional needs.

Two months out from my competition and I was getting nervous. The good news – while Boyd’s approach was different than every other trainer I had ever worked with, I knew my body was improving. A battle I fought was for energy and sleep (have I said that I have an upper management position in a large corporation?:). Many times I was working long days – I would get up to workout at 4:30, shower and work and be free go to workout again at 9:00. He helped me balance my supplements to ensure that my body had the fuel and vitamins it needed to best sustain. This was NOT a litany of random supplements – Boyd zeroed in on specific needs and kept them manageable.

As we closed in on 5 weeks out, Boyd planned out a run-through of my depletion. This seemed a bit risky to me, to take my body through this when it was already stressed…this ended up being invaluable as we saw exactly how my body would respond to the varying levels of sodium, water intake, nutrition etc. Boyd proved himself through results to be a bio-chemistry expert – I have never seen my body respond like this.

Boyd had agreed to travel with me to St. Louis – I wanted him there to ensure that every detail had his guidance. What a great decision – I could have never asked for a better helper. Round two of depletion went well – we flew to St. Louis and finished the last two days of prep there. The lessons learned from the run-through depletion allowed for tweaking to optimize our results; on show day we were confident that we were in the right spot.

Competition Day was finally here. While I was carb depleted and dehydrated, Boyd kept me focused and calm. He was a rock throughout the day and constantly coaching and advising on my nutritional intake. Mind you, the last few hours can make or break you as you may be competing in finals (and I ended up doing just this!). He pumped me up and encouraged me – entering two categories meant a T-walk and two pose downs in the morning judging and then a T-walk and pose downs in the evening… if I made it that far. This is gruelingly tiring – Boyd was there through it all.

In the end, we won – and we won big. This was a complete surprise to me – I never imagined this happening. I simply wanted to compete and do my best and left the rest up to God… I was able to go above and beyond and sweep the Open Figure Short Class and the Open IFPA Pro Card, in addition to the 35+ Pro Card. Surreal and very humbling as the ladies I was on stage with looked AMAZING.

Issac Newton once said, “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Boyd Myers was/is definitely my giant and has been key to my unexpected accomplishment of becoming an IFPA Professional Figure Athlete. Boyd, you deserve this win just as much as I – thanks for sharing your gift with me and all of your clients! I look forward to our continued partnership – get ready… time to take on the Pro ranks!

Sarah L
IFPA Professional Figure Athlete
San Antonio, TX

Sarah,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with you, and I look forward to working with you as we get ready to win your first competition as a professional! You are unstoppable!

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

While this article specifically targets what my client went through to change her body as she prepared for her figure competition, I think it’s important that anyone that is serious about changing their body understand what is possible, so whether you’re considering a bodybuilding or figure competition or just looking to lose 10-20lbs and like what you see when you look in the mirror, you can benefit from this! Obviously, competitors are a small part of my client base, but the science of the body is the same no matter your goals, and I take great pride in being San Antonio’s foremost expert in training and nutrition.

Just over six months ago, Sarah came in to visit me about hiring me as her personal trainer to help her get ready to compete in a natural figure competition. For those of you who aren’t familiar with what a figure competition is, Wikipedia defines it as: a class of physique-exhibition events for women; while bearing a close resemblance to female bodybuilding, it emphasizes muscle tone over muscle size. These competitions are frequently held as part of the same events as bodybuilding contests.

The term natural implies that the contest is drug free. In the case of this weekend’s show, Sarah was administered both a polygraph and a urinalysis.

While I realize that the great majority of people have no desire to be a competitive fitness athlete, the process of body transformation is very similar. Trust me, as a competitive bodybuilder myself, I will be the first to tell you that show and contest prep are not lifestyles – they are very temporary and while I typically prefer 4-6 months for preparation, sustaining that type of intense regimen for any longer is not doable. Nonetheless, the sport, as a whole, is the absolute model for discipline, hard work and intensity.

Funny thing is that my approach varies so much from client to client. I had a conversation this morning with a client that was interested in this weekend and had told her friends about it. She said that her friends were “afraid that by the way I trained others, she’d end up looking like a man…” That’s comical, because first and foremost, my goal is to get clients in the condition they want to be in. If you want to lose a little fat and look better? That’s what we do. If you want to be competition ready? That’s what we do. People don’t passively exercise and “kind of” diet and all of a sudden start looking like fitness competitors! (Here’s a pic of Sarah backstage – sorry, it was taken with my iPhone).

I’m not going to speak for Sarah (she’s going to write about her experience and let me post it here), but I cut out a lot of the BS that most people think is necessary. Aside from the last 3 weeks of prep, she did not measure her food intake. Make no mistake, it was excruciatingly regimented, but I base intake on timing and food selection and have quite a bit of flexibility with amounts – proof that the “calorie in versus calorie out” method is prehistoric and useless. My entire programs are adaptive – we gave special focus to weaknesses as they came up and made regular adjustments to her training program to ensure that no time was wasted: week in and week out she made incredible progress.

Are you one of those who “just doesn’t have time”? Sarah works 65-80 hours per week as an upper management professional at a very well-known company. Her goals required her to make sacrifices and adjustments (going to bed a bit later, waking up earlier, etc). Not one time over the entire six months did I hear her make one excuse. I KNOW she was tired. I know she was drained, stressed and exhausted. But a goal is a goal, and she kept plugging along.

Figure is an intense sport – I monitored her condition every single day from day one through the show (and now helping her recover today). I would never allow one of my clients to put themselves at physical risk. Winning is important, but nothing is as important as health. I hear some of the tactics that some trainers employ and it makes me outright angry – some of their depletion and dehydration tactics are far and away ridiculous, and do much more damage and harm than good. My approach is scientifically based, practiced and carefully administered and monitored. A trip to the emergency room should not be on the agenda for the night of your show.

Preparation is everything. The will to win is important, but that will must be exhibited day in and day out. No workout is an easy one. The body must be continuously pushed and the balance between stimulation/recovery and annihilation/overtraining is a very fine line to walk, but must be explored. From day one of training until the night of the contest, nothing was overlooked – it is my job to give me clients that wish to compete every opportunity to do their very best, and she looked amazing.

Bodybuilding and figure are very subjective sports, as it is judged and scored by humans – it isn’t a case of “lifting more weight” – it is solely based on appearance and “who looks best” is determined by judges. While it’s tough to tell what they may be thinking on specific days, my motto is simple: make their job as easy as possible. In this case, we did just that. I’m not sure I did a great job of hiding my excitement when I saw her next to her competitors. I knew she was going to be damn near impossible to beat.

Speaking to the judges after the contest, they told us that it “was never really in question” and she was far and away the best of every division she competed in. I take a lot of pride in that because it was my job to ensure that she was completely prepared, and she was in absolutely every way, won all three of her classes, and obtained her “pro card” (she now has the opportunity to compete as a professional).

Again, words cannot say how proud of her for what she has accomplished. I have a lot of self-satisfaction as well, as having a client get to this level requires a ton of experience and knowledge, and validates my confidence in the type of fitness professional that I am. I can honestly say that I have had few moments in this career that compared with how I felt when she was announced the overall winner.

For me, it’s back to the grind. I have a few other clients that are also preparing for competitions – a couple that I train here at my personal training studio in San Antonio, and three that I am helping online. I don’t hope – I expect the same results that Sarah achieved this weekend.

Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

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