Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

My client Brandy sent me this yesterday (Brandy is 9 weeks out from her first figure competition – GO BRANDY!)

High Protein, High Fiber, Clean Carb, Low Fat Pancakes

112 gms baked sweet potato
112 gms or 3 large egg whites
60 gms or 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 scoop vanilla whey/casein blend pp
Vanilla or almond extract
1/2 TA cinnamon
Few drops liquid stevia
1/2 t baking powder if desired
Mixed in magic bullet or blender, cooked on griddle
Made 5 small pancakes
Topped with 70 grams dark mixed berries

Whole recipe ( without berries)
Calories-234
Carbs-32
Fat-1
Pro-26

Everyone is a fitness expert. Whether it’s the people at the gym offering their unsolicited advice, the latest certified personal trainer that just completed their weekend certification course, a Twitter genius spouting off about their upcoming competition or what have you, you don’t have to look hard to get the “facts” on how you’re supposed to train.

So, I ask myself, why the hell do people still believe that long, slow boring cardio is the way to lose fat? Why are people still doing fasted cardio when research and actual proof has shown that it is catabolic (read: burns lean body mass) faster than AIDS?

Yesterday, one of my clients was doing her prescribed 25-30 minute HIIT cardio that I had given her. Of course, a random lady scrubbing along at 5.5mph told her that her workout was ineffective and that she was only running for a total of roughly 5 minutes.

So let’s break open the journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise and compare the two.

Ok, before we do that, let’s ask ourselves: which saves the most time? Obvious answer there. Of course, NOBODY has enough time, as this is the biggest excuse why people do not exercise (or at least exercise effectively) – always in a rush.

In the aforementioned journal study, the following was discovered:
-In 6 weeks doing sprints, you can run for an actual total of 45 minutes (at 60-75% all out) versus over 13 hours at a constant speed and lose more fat.

-The sprint group lost 12.4% body fat and 2-3kg of fat per individual.
The endurance group lost on average of .5kg of fat per individual over 6 weeks.

-Sprinting increases oxygen consumption, improves metabolic rate, and burns a ton of calories fast. Distance cardio actually has the opposite affect on metabolic rate, due to the body’s basic survival mechanism kicking in an effort to fend off intense catabolic breakdown (induces the starvation reflex).

-Do a search on the side for afterburn effect. I’ve discussed it hundreds of times over the years. Medium of energy (fat vs glucose for you heart rate monitor freaks) is misleading. Just because you are burning most of your calories from fat after a certain point at loser intensity doesn’t mean a damn thing. First, you’re burning more overall calories sprinting, and ACTUALLY, the number is just as high from fat. Also, post-long cardio, your body turns to glucose for energy in an attempt to preserve itself. It’s the opposite for sprinting: your body has already attacked stored muscle glycogen, so now, it’s burning fat for a longer period after training.

Simple comparison: who is leaner – a sprinter or a marathon runner? I said leaner, not “skinnier”. Unless you like the tapeworm look, the sprinter has a much more desireable physique.

Stop slogging through hours of cardio – it’s KILLING your progress!

And if you’re wondering, I have all of my competitors performing HIIT (and nothing slow-go). Is it working? Go check out my Facebook Training Page and look at Chelsey’s pics, who won overall in her first show this weekend.

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

If you’re wondering why you aren’t losing fat and changing your body, it’s time to get drastic. Try this hardcore, yet seriously effective approach.

1. Stop the long, slow go cardio. High Intensity, Intervals, Sprinting. These things make you lean.

2. Limit fructose to sub 10 grams per day.

3. Make your two carbohydrate sources berries (cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) and fiberous veggies.

4. Shoot for 10-15g of fish oil per day, and make sure you have a 1 to 1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids.

5. If you’re training, you should be consuming BCAAs while you are doing so.

6. Have Vitamin D, Zinc, and Magnesium levels tested (it’s inexpensive) and fix any deficiencies immediately.

7. Lift heavy with multi-joint exercises. Intensity is key, progression (getting stronger, adding reps, weight, etc) is king. No, you’re not going to get big and bulky. Keep the rest periods short.

8. Get sleep. It only takes a slight sleep deficit to throw yourself out of whack hormonally. A 3 hour deficit has the same fat storage effect as overeating by 600 calories.

9. Don’t forget the protein. I’ve written about it numerous times, so search the blog.

10. Eat real food. Ditch the bars and supplement meals.

11. Cut the processed foods completely.

12. Cut all trans fats.

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,

Was looking at comments and blog emails and had one from someone who wasn’t completely sold on Fish Oils, so I thought I’d share!

Boyd: I’m usually in step with most of the things you say, but I really am on the fence about fish oils. In a nutshell, why should I take them?

In a nutshell, eh? How’s this? There is plenty of research readily available on PubMed (where government studies are published) that state fish oil can:

-Increase insulin sensitivity

-Decrease post-partem depression

-Improve hormone and blood sugar levels

-Benefit sufferers of Crohn’s Disease, asthmatics, rheumatoid arthritis, prostate cancer

-FAT LOSS

-Improving protein synthesis (increase lean body mass)

I don’t know about you, but I can name a million nutritional supplements that, over the years, have made half of these “claims” without any scientific backing and they’ve been all the rage. But this stuff is actually backed by science.

If those aren’t desirable uses for fish oil, then I’ll definitely not beat you over the head with it (although I should). In short, EVERYONE should be supplementing with at least 6-12g of fish oil per day!

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

1. Slow, low intensity cardio makes you fat. By fat, I mean “NOT LEAN”. Ill looking. High intensity interval training is the only specific cardio you need unless you are training for an endurance event.

2. Working out is great, but being lazy in your daily life isn’t helping you get leaner. Get active and get lean.

3. A little bit of alcohol goes a long way toward making you fat. Give it up if you want to be lean.

4. Lifting with low intensity makes you fat. Get bang for your buck by performing multi-joint movements, and lift in the 70-85 1RM range for true hypertrophic response.

5. Lack of sleep makes you fat. Go home. Put work away. Turn off the television. Turn off the computer. Put down your phone. Go to sleep. A slight sleep deficit has the same hormonal effect on fat storage as overeating 600 calories each day.

6. Increase your resting metabolic rate makes you lean. Add lean body mass, period. It isn’t easy and there is a science behind it. You aren’t just going to get “big and bulky” unless you simply get fat.

7. Trans fats make you fat. Remove them.

8. Processed foods make you fat.

9. High quality sources of protein help you become lean.

10. Water, water, and more water keeps you lean, and keeps the body detoxified.

11. Vitamin D makes you lean.

12. Healthy fats make you lean.

13. Hard work makes you lean. If you aren’t getting there with the effort you are giving, give more.

14. High GI carbs make you fat.

15. Sugar, juices, sports drinks: Yes, they make you fat.

16. Probiotics help you become lean: healthy gut, healthy body.

17. Most people are zinc deficieint. Most people are fat. Zinc helps burn fat.

18. Dieting makes you fat. Yes, I did say that. It has to be a lifestyle.

19. If you are consuming high protein or BCAAs you are working on getting lean. Add B vitamins to the mix, as higher amino consumption robs the B Vitamin pool.

20. Fructose makes you fat. Fruit is fine, but shoot for lower fructose (dark colored berries) versus higher fructose (bananas, apples, oranges).

21. Excuses make you fat. Nobody has you chained up in a room forbidding exercise, and you control what you put into your mouth. You can make excuses, or you can make changes.

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

Welcome back, everyone!

This is the second article in my Keys to Summer Fat Loss series. In the previous article, I covered the keys to training for fat loss. In this edition, I’m going to focus more on the nutritional side of the house to get help get you lean and defined enough to where you’ll be excited the next time someone invites you to their pool party or lake house for the weekend (or wherever else you can wear as little clothing as possible).

I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t already know, but this blog post is infinitely more important than the previous one. Why? First, 80% of your body composition is determined by your nutrition. The biggest difference in a bodybuilder or a fitness competitor that is in off-season versus pre-contest preparation is their nutritional intake, period. The training does not drastically change – only their means of fuel and recovery.

Remember that I am writing this for the masses without a particular body type in mind. So for discussion’s sake, let’s say this is for anyone who needs to drop 10-50lbs. Obviously the amount of time you need to lose the fat is dependent on how much you need to lose. These are only tips – not the end all to fat loss.

With that being said, when I speak in general terms, I focus more on the “IIFYM” approach (IIFYM = If It Fits Your Macros). Obviously, this takes a few types of calculations. You need to have an idea of your resting metabolic rate (RMR or BMR), your approximate daily caloric requirements through activity and last, but certainly not least, your daily caloric intake. Obviously, the most educated estimates on these three things are just that: Estimates. With that being said, actually measuring food, activity, and doing a few simple calculations is going to be much closer to exact than Joe Gym Guy’s estimates that he spends about 35 seconds calculating in his head. Most people under-estimate their food intake and over-estimate their calorie expenditure (hint: calorie counts on most machines are WAY high).

This leads to another item to consider: which macronutrient breakdown do I use? We all respond differently to different combinations of protein, carbohydrates and fat, so for simplicity, the leaner you are, the higher the ratio of carbohydrates one can have.

Understand that your nutritional blue print is a living, breathing document! Different days require different caloric/carbohydrate demands – too many people try eating the same things in the same amounts day in and day out and can’t figure out why they can’t break through a certain plateau. If you do as I say, you will lose fat and your body composition will change. As it changes, you must continue to re-adjust your intake. I know, it sounds like a lot but it’s actually pretty simple. Besides, if you aren’t ready to put a little effort forth and think about this then you’re probably not very serious about it to begin with, and should just give up now. Go away and save yourself a few minutes by not reading this.

How do we determine “how much”?

First, do the appropriate calculations to determine your daily caloric requirements. There will be a period of adjustment here, so don’t be afraid to tinker around for a week or two. If you start eating clean, you’re going to be making progress. I call this period “baselining”, as we figure out exactly what the body needs.

Calculate your BMR:

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) – ( 4.7 x age in years )

Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) – ( 6.8 x age in year )

Once you calculate your BMR, add your “activity calories”. There are thousands of charts available on the web that breakdown activity by hour for certain bodyweights. I prefer to use lower counts versus higher ones. We can always add calories later if needed.

For simplicity (and that’s what I’m working toward, staying simple), let’s use the Harris Benedict Equations:

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2

If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375

If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55

If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725

If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

Be realistic – over-estimating will NOT help you reach your goals. Also, completely underestimating to artificially justify an insanely low caloric intake will not accelerate progress. Even if you lose more weight immediately, you’ll rapidly plateau and force the body to induce the starvation reflex. The body is a fighter and will attempt to preserve itself if it feels as if it is being depleted.

One final important note to remember: the Harris Benedict Equation does not consider lean body mass. The more muscle one has, the more calories one requires.

Macronutrient Breakdown:
Protein (4 calories per gram): Enough to ensure we are getting enough essential aminos for recovery and to ensure that the body is not breaking down muscle tissue for energy. I’ll start the calculation at 1g per lb of bodyweight. The lower your carbohydrate intake is, the more protein your body will require to support the added burden of reduced carbs. On extremely low carb days (.5g per lb of bodyweight or less), I prefer 1.2-1.5g of protein per lb of bodyweight.

Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram): Enough to supply glucose to the brain and to fuel our anaerobic activity for the day. Carbs are important pre-workout (fuel), during and post-workout (anti-catabolic and replenishment). Considering our amount of anaerobic activity changes day to day, this will be the most manipulated number. The key is to keep this number high enough (at the appropriate times) to support our needs, yet low enough to force the body to use stored and dietary fat for energy. Carbohydrate timing is crucial! If you are looking to lose a significant amount of fat, I prefer a starting base that is lower in carbohydrates (in the .5-.75g per lb of bodyweight range). If you are training intensely, I’ll typically add 100g per hour of intense training. Once you know your carbohydrate per day count, the other amounts will be easy to compute.

Fat (9 calories per gram): Enough to support organ function and the release of stored fat for energy while also having a feeling of satiety. Once the other two numbers are calculated, this one is easy.

Putting It All Together
Once you’ve used the calculations above to figure out your daily caloric expenditure, subtract 500 calories per day from that. If you are a little heavier, subtract 700 calories from that. This number will be your target caloric intake. Again, you are not doing the same things everyday, so these numbers should be appropriately adjusted. Using the calculations for carbs and protein, multiply total grams of each by 4. This is the number of calories you will consume from protein and carbohydrates.

For example, my caloric expenditure (Resting Metabolic Rate plus Activity) for a typical Monday is approximately 3200. Caloric deficit depends on the individual but I’d advise against reducing caloric intake by more than 20% at one time. In this case, I’m going to subtract 500 from that and now I have 2700 calories as my daily intake goal.

I weigh 220lbs and am relatively lean and very active. On a day where I consume 170g carbs (680 calories), I consume roughly 320g of protein (1280). 680 + 1280 = 1960. 2700 (goal) – 1960 = 740 calories from dietary fat. 1 gram of fat has 9 calories. 740/9 = 82g fat (I’ll discuss food sources later).

What I Meant Earlier By IIFYM
I put a lot of stock into nutritional timing. I believing fueling activity and eating the proper nutrients at the right time is key to optimizie recovery. With this being said, I tend to focus on more carbohydrate intake pre and post-workout. I typically provide a client with a range of nutrients to be in (for example, one meal may be 35-42g carbs, 25-30g protein and 8-12g fat). If you’re routinely on the low end of the range, I have no problem with using your residual nutrients for a snack, meal, etc later on. The key is to at least hit the minimum at the appropriate times – missing meals altogether will slow the metabolism.

Now, the rules…
1. You cannot make serious fat loss progress and regularly consume alcohol. Nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING will hinder your fat loss goals more than alcohol. I’ve said it a thousand times here on this blog: it has nothing to do with the type of alcohol, the mixers or anything else: it is the hormonal effect that alcohol itself has on the body. If you are not at a level of bodyfat that you are happy with, then you need to stay away from the booze (even the nightly glass of wine) until you are where you need to be.

2. Fuel your workouts and don’t forget the during/post-workout carbs. I know a lot of people believe that when they are dieting, they don’t need post-workout carbs – this is false. The primary goal for fat loss is maintaining the lean body mass you already have. Working out, in itself, is catabolic (meaning it breaks the muscles down) and post-workout carbs are anti-catabolic. I prefer 25-35% of daily carbohydrate intake 60-90 min pre workout, 10-15% during workout and 20-30% post-workout. The remainder of carbohydrate intake can be consumed at breakfast and throughout the rest of the day.

3. Dietary fat is your friend: learn to love it. Want a great way to stop the body from burning fat? Not provide it with dietary fat.

4. Get off of your ass. No, seriously. This is a nutritional article, but damn if humans aren’t lazy creatures.

5. Consistency is king. This isn’t an overnight thing. Look closely at your nutritional habits. Have you ever gone 10 days without one cheat meal? Challenge yourself – if you’re serious about changing, sticking to it shouldn’t be a problem. No one has ever accidentally eaten anything: YOU control what you put into your mouth.

6. Limit fructose (this means fruit). Fruit is terrible for fat loss – fructose wreaks metabolic hell and will keep you fat.

7. A majority of your carb intake should be fibrous vegies (greens, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, etc).

8. Bracket your workouts with a majority of your carbohydrate intake. In many instances, I recommend that up to 80% of the carb intake for the day be consumed pre/during/and immediately post-workout.

9. Limit grains, eliminate flour. Gluten allergies are very real, and much more common than most people realize. Just because you don’t choke up and die when you eat gluten doesn’t mean you’re not allergic to it – keeping a constant “belly bloat”, having trouble with stubborn fat – these are all possible signs of a gluten intolerance.

10. Eliminate all processed foods. Refined, processed, enriched, flour – these are words that you need to look for on the ingredients list and avoid.

Being leaner is a serious commitment. Most people don’t give it anywhere near the effort that they believe they have. It takes serious nutritional discipline and consistency – YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

I have a few more articles in this series, including carbohydrate tips, nutrient timing and a few other ideas I’m working on, so check back soon!

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,

NOW is the season for fat loss. If you’re in San Antonio, there’s a good chance you’ve already been outside in the warm weather, quite possibly in a bathing suit, and realized that there are some changes to be made if you are going to properly enjoy the warm Texas Summer.

This article is number 1 in the Summer Fat Loss series. I’ll follow this one up with a nutrition based article to hit the total fat loss spectrum. IF there’s some demand, I’ll write a third (and maybe a forth one) with example nutrition and exercise routines.

Contrary to belief, fat loss is not about damn near starving yourself and doing hours of endless cardio. In fact, the only time I have any of my clients perform constant level cardio is when they are getting ready for an endurance event: constant level cardio is actually TERRIBLE for overall fat loss!!!

Here are the keys to fat loss and what you need to know to get your body ready for Summer as quickly as possible.

1. Increase your metabolic rate by gaining lean body mass – I know I just lost half of my female readership. They think this means gain huge amounts of size and get “big and bulky”. That is not the case whatsoever. First and foremost, there are hundreds of thousands of guys that WANT to get big and bulky and very few are. If they can’t, ladies, you damn sure can’t, so forget that right now. No, you aren’t going to turn into a man. Understand that at rest and during activity, a little extra lean body mass will go a long way to how efficient the body is able to metabolize fat. Think about it… How nice would it be if your body was in a high gear for fat burning all the time? Resistance (anaerobically) training affects the body in a much different manner than aerobic training regardless of what intensity is performed at, so plan your training program accordingly; train to gain muscle —-> accelerate fat burning —-> become leaner.

2. Your primary goal must be maintaining the lean body mass you have, this must be your focus when your goal fat loss. Muscle is a premium. It’s easier to lose 10lbs of fat than to gain 1lb of lean body mass. You start losing muscle, your resting metabolic rate crashes. Keep the muscle, keep the fat loss going. Most people don’t understand how easy it is to lose muscle mass. It if weren’t an issue, people could get as huge as possible, starve themselves and be champion figure competitors or bodybuilders. The scale is not indicative of progress, and most people become so obsessed with losing weight that they burn muscle at an unacceptable rate.

3. Train heavy, yet focus on shorter rest periods. I’m talking about fat loss here, not powerlifting. If I’m getting ready for a powerlifting meet, I may take up to 5 minutes between sets. Of course, I’m training for an all out, single rep effort. While increasing strength is relative (the increased load is the response to which the body changes), I’m more concerned with your strength in a 4-10 rep range versus what you can do for an all out repetition. The shorter rest with heavier weight is optimal for increasing the muscle building (testosterone) and fat burning (growth hormone) hormones naturally. Obviously, this rep range is much heavier than what you’re going to do on any exercise video, calisthenic workout or body pump class – hit the damn weight room!!!

Duration and volume may vary depending on experience and condition, but exercise selection is much more universal: compound exercises (and variations) such as the squat, dead lift, pull up, rows, bench press, leg press, hack squat, pull downs, cleans, etc. Do not waste your time on isolation machines trying to get that burn.

4. Strength train more often; reduce your total number of cardio sessions. I’ve always said that if you’re going to do cardio, it needs to be of the High Intensity Interval Training style. I wrote my first HIIT article in 1998, when I still had hair. While science has led to changes in many training paradigms, this one is tried and true: train the same way all the time – with intensity. Your cardio sessions should very closely resemble your weight training – all out effort for short bursts, recover, and go again.

Remember, I’m trying to make you lean, not skinny or just a smaller version of youself. I want you to be proud to hit that pool party.

5. Get off the FiretUCKing couch. Be active day to day, not lazy. If your hobby is PS3, xBox and ESPN, get some new hobbies.

6. Put down the booze. This isn’t directly related to training, but I had to include it because it’s an Achille’s Heel for way too many. I don’t give a damn if it’s one drink per night, you aren’t going to “out-train” that. Can you “maintain” a certain level of fitness and drink, possibly (debatable). I can assure you that you cannot IMPROVE your physique if you are hitting the bottle regularly, no matter how little that may be. Is it more important to unwind and be social, or look bad ass when you take your shirt off???

Training down! Keys to Nutrition For Summer Fat Loss coming soon!!!

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’m sure this will ruffle feathers)))

A reader sent me this pic and asked me what I thought about it:

I whole-heartedly agree. Of course, there are a few people out there with debilitating injuries or conditions that cannot be medically controlled. So don’t blow my comments up – as this does not pertain to those with serious injuries and conditions not induced by lack of activity and poor decisions. However, those situations are diagnosed far too often, and in honesty, most doctors would be better serving their patients by giving them this message:

“Sir/Ma’am, it is time to push yourself away from the table, get off of your ass and move…”

Direct and a message with little compassion? Maybe. But there’s a “cure” to the obesity “epidemic”, and that is it – not allowing individuals to reduce their walk from their car to the pie store (I see it everyday, as my personal training studio is next door to a pie shop).

Coarse, harsh, and real. I understand obesity is difficult and that most people truly do not want to be overweight: but they have control over the decision, and society should not be made to conform to those situations. There are people that actually need those parking spots (the elderly and truly extraordinary circumstances) – not the lazy.

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!

Obviously, yesterday’s post was directed toward a very small sample. This one covers a lot more individuals to some degree (whether it is ripped, extremely lean, etc).

While it sounds simple (I mean, workout, eat “right”), most people don’t understand what it takes to get down to an extremely low level of body fat. Obviously, it is so much more than losing weight: if you simply just focus on a caloric deficit, you’ll quickly lose lean body mass, keep much of the fat you have, slow your metabolism, and quickly be in a worst situation than you are in today.

In a nutshell, getting lean means sacrifice. I have people tell me how bad they want to get lean, but they aren’t willing to give up a weekend of drinking, daily or multiple times per week lunch outings with co-workers, getting adequate sleep, and making sure that you are always prepared. And most importantly, it takes TIME. Not just time passing, but time being dedicated, sticking to the strategy, and passing up those happy hour visits, work lunches, and cheat treats.

I’ve written numerous times over most people’s over-emphasis on cardio and starvation, so I’m not going to get into that.

The key is to remember that it isn’t easy – there are very few people with visible abs on this planet (especially that don’t have them genetically). IF you don’t naturally have them, then you have to be willing to do things that other people are not.

How bad do you want 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

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

So many people in gyms. So many people “workout”. The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Personal Training is one of the most in-demand careers in America.

My one question is simple: if so many people are obviously so involved in fitness, why do so few people look like they really workout?

The answers, while as simple as the question itself, aren’t easily fixed.

-To make a drastic change in the body, one must take drastic results. It isn’t as simple as going to the gym and going through a routine of a few exercises that “target” those bodyparts you are interested in changing. I see the smae people doing the same things in the gym and it’s obvious what their thought process is: lunges, leg curls, light squats, etc – she’s trying to firm her butt and her legs. Curls, db bench press, flies? He wants bigger arms and a defined chest. Seems logical, but it takes a more full body approach, and a MUCH more scientific approach.

-What most people think of as “eating clean” isn’t very clean at all

-Working hard is more than breathing hard and sweating. WHAT your doing is just as important as your exertion.

-As humans, we seek the path of least resistance. Most people will settle for a leg press before a freeweight squat, a bench press machine to a barbell bench press. A lighter set before adding 5-10lbs and really pushing it. It’s easy to convince ourselves that we’ve “done enough”.

-Being focused for 4-5 days per week simply is not enough.

-Follow what is popular and look like the masses. We are the most obese country in the history of mankind. What the masses are doing is not working, and when you see someone on tv telling how it worked for them, look at the small print that says “Results aren’t typical”.

IF you’re going to workout, LOOK the part. It doesn’t come easy, but if you’re going to play the game, play it to win!

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 – there is still time to give your family and loved ones the ultimate gift of health. If you have a friend or family member that is looking to make 2012 the year that they get in the best shape of their life, lose body fat and drastically transform their body or maybe prepare for an athletic competition, a Personal Fitness Revolution Personal Training Gift Certificate is the perfect gift idea.

Health clubs and gyms in San Antonio are simply PACKED after the first of the year – not ours. Our private personal training studio is by appointment only, and there is NEVER a crowd.

All clients receive complete nutritional and supplement guidance, 24/7 access to their personal trainer (via telephone, email, etc), and complete directions on what to do on days when they aren’t with their trainer. For more information on programs and pricing, check out our Personal Training Programs or contact Boyd via email at boyd@the-personal-trainer.com or by phone at 210.391.1454. We have hundreds of references available by request.

Any personal training package is available as a gift certificate, but from now until Dec 31, 2011, we will be offering 15% off of any purchased package of 36 or more sessions!

Slots WILL BE limited after the first of the year, and our personal training studio operates on a first come, first served basis (by appointment). Beat the crowds at other health clubs at our private personal training studio!

No gift could be more precious or appreciated more than a healthy, lean body, and there is no better way to help someone you care about get a head start on their New Year’s Resolution with the help of a fitness professional that will drastically improve their chance for success.

Happy Holidays!

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,

Nothing compares to the gift of health. If you have a friend or family member that is looking to make 2012 the year that they get in the best shape of their life, lose body fat and drastically transform their body or maybe prepare for an athletic competition, a Personal Fitness Revolution Personal Training Gift Certificate is the perfect gift idea.

All clients receive complete nutritional and supplement guidance, 24/7 access to their personal trainer (via telephone, email, etc), and complete directions on what to do on days when they aren’t with their trainer. For more information on programs and pricing, check out our Personal Training Programs or contact Boyd via email at boyd@the-personal-trainer.com or by phone at 210.391.1454. We have hundreds of references available by request.

From now until Dec 31, 2011, we will be offering 15% off of any purchased package of 36 or more sessions!

Slots WILL BE limited after the first of the year, and our personal training studio operates on a first come, first served basis (by appointment). Beat the crowds at other health clubs at our private personal training studio!

No gift could be more precious or appreciated more than a healthy, lean body, and there is no better way to help someone you care about get a head start on their New Year’s Resolution with the help of a fitness professional that will drastically improve their chance for success.

Happy Holidays!

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

Hey San Antonio and you other Fitness Fanatics elsewhere!

Had quite a few questions to tend to from the holidays, so I thought I’d do them here!

Hey Boyd,

I am a local high school senior and have committed to play Division 1 football next fall at a prestigious university. Do you work with high school athletes?

Absolutely. I work with athletes of all ages amateur and professional. The transition from high school football (even Texas high school football) to college football is drastic. It is imperative to go into conditioning program a step ahead of the competition. Quite simply, I help athletes become faster, stronger and more cardio conditioned. We focus on regular power moves to develop base strength (bench press, dead lift and squat) as well as explosive movements that transfer into the sport of choice (plyometrics, Olympic movements, etc).

Not only do I focus on the training, but on the nutrition as well to get the most out of your training and to fuel your training and recovery – unfortunately, nutrition is the weakest link in most amateur athletes repetoire. I develop an optimal nutrition and supplement regiment for every athlete.

Ok Boyd, I have tried it all – lots of cardio, less eating, etc. I thought I was doing it right until I read one of your articles from a few months back about becoming skinny fat and how doing what I am doing is only going to make me a smaller version of myself. Not so much a question but a “Dammit I should’ve listened to your advice”!

It’s never too late! Starving and excess cardio may help you look better dressed, but gaining lean body mass and proper training help you look better naked!

Boyd: Which is better? Low reps (3-6) or higher reps (12+)?

Better in what way? Kind of a general question but let me try to help you: no matter your goals, there are reasons to use absolutely every rep range. I honestly use as few as one rep (on a regular basis) and as many as 100 reps in some exercises.

It’s like having a tool box and trying to figure out which is better: a screwdriver or a hammer. You have them both, so why not use them?

Any tips for coming off of a spell with the flu?

More than tips, I have sympathy, because for more than a week, I was battling the nasty flu as well. First and foremost, get yourself some pro-biotics and replenish the good bacteria in your system (especially if you were on antibiotics). My choice is Endo-mune. Second, take a week to “get back into the groove. Your body is still probably recovering, so the worst thing you can do is decimate yourself and make your body relapse into sickness. Increase antioxidant intake (permanently). A great way to not have to recover from sickness is to not get sick. Rest more. Yeah, sounds simple, but most of us aren’t even close on the amount of rest we need. Sleep deprivation has hormonal effects on fat storage and opens us up for a multitude of sicknesses. Sleep more, get sick less, period.

I have a very long email that I am responding to about fat loss/muscle gain, and I will be posting my answer here when it is ready – I think most people will benefit from it, so check back later on.

Make today great!

Boyd Myers
Master Fitness Trainer – San Antonio
Owner, Personal Fitness Revolution
San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio

There’s a very common acronym used: KISS (Keep It Simple, Sweetie). Ok, sweetie is often replaced by STUPID, but I want to stay positive here.

This weekend I was having a conversation with someone about body transformation and they made a comment that when they want to change their body, they simply eat less and do more.

Sure, that may help with temporary weight loss, and that is the way that most dieticians and doctors see things, but the truth of the matter is that most people take a stab at this, make little to no changes, and then give up.

It isn’t quite that simple – if it were, wouldn’t everyone with an ounce of motivation look phenomenal?

Anyone with a pulse can lose weight with little or no effort. However, weight loss means absolutely nothing in reference to changing the body. Losing BODY FAT is what matters, and adding a little bit of lean body mass is important to actually improve one’s aesthetics.

Unfortunately, to lose body fat and to gain lean body mass simultaneously is easier said than done – there is a very delicate balance that few people thoroughly understand. Sure, you can go beat the hell out of yourself in the gym, bouncing around like a crack addict and work up a sweat and try to eat as little (healthy) food as possible. You’ll burn muscle, induce the starvation reflex, and crash and burn after a few weeks due to over-training (and under recovering). Or you can do tons of cardio to negate bad eating, lift heavy for a couple hours of day, and try to gain muscle. You’ll overtrain quickly (besides: there’s a lot more to losing fat than doing cardio).

You have to have the proper ratios of each of these factors:
Training Intensity
Training Duration
Timing of Training
Micro & Macronutrient Consumption
Nutritional Timing
Recovery (and Recovery, and Recovery)
Cardio Intensity (and Duration)

Are you training too much or too little? Intense enough or overdoing it? Are you eating the right things in the right amount at the right times? Are you recovering enough between training sessions or are you waiting too long to train in a certain way again? Are you doing too much cardio? The wrong time of cardio? Inappropriately mixing in cardio and weights and completely negating your progress?

These are all questions that must be considered, and unfortunately the answers vary significantly between individuals based on several different factors.

I know, the information for most people is overwhelming and yes: doing anything is better than doing nothing. But investing the energy to understand each of these factors and how much is required for a) your current condition and b) your goals will result in an infinitely more productive training cycle, and get you the most progress for your investment of time and energy.

Boyd Myers
Master Fitness Trainer – San Antonio
Owner, Personal Fitness Revolution
San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
210.391.1454