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

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

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

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

Monday has come and gone after a slow, relaxing weekend. I’m having a hard time believing my son starts Kindergarten in a week, and it has really made me understand the importance of cherishing every single minute of every single day.

I have a brutal training week scheduled for myself this week. Tuesday will be an attempt at a squat personal record, Wednesday will be an attempt at a bench press personal record, and Thursday will be an all out dead lift day. Mix it in with the brutal, all out assault full body workout that I will annihilate myself with on Saturday (my day of growth style training instead of total strength training) and I will be ready for another relaxing weekend next week. The current goals are to add strength (getting ready for a push/pull – aka dead lift/bench press meet) and slowly add muscle. My days of bulking up to 265lbs to diet down to compete in a bodybuilding show are long over. I prefer to stay lean all year round and add lean body mass at a much slower rate while keeping my body fat percentage in single digits. It’s healthier and in my opinion more enjoyable. Besides, keeping a high level of discipline from a nutritional standpoint makes it easy to switch into competition mode and be ready to diet down for my next bodybuilding show.

With this being said, I’m often asked if I only train bodybuilders and female fitness competitors. While I do assist numerous people with contest prep, it is actually a very small part of what I do. In reality, 90% of my clients are training to feel better and look better – lose body fat, tone up, become more defined, while feeling better and performing better in every aspect of their lives. My training philosophies vary greatly from client to client: no two workouts are ever the same and I integrate every aspect of training that has ever been used: high intensity, circuits, all out strength, full body, body parts, cross-training, plyometrics, Olympic Style lifts, powerlifting, etc, etc, etc. I believe in breaking the mold and the key to long term success is variety and regular progress.

It’s time to down my last meal of the day and get ready for bed, as I have a full slate of clients tomorrow. Mid-August is always a very busy time of year for me, as people have a bit more flexibility with the kids going back to school, and since I also extended my Two For One Training Special, I’ll be very busy. I have an awesome staff of expert trainers that are more than capable of handling the workload, so being busy is a very good thing in this business.

Train with a purpose – don’t waste a rep nor a second!!!

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 have a few nice posts coming up over the next few day, including a few great healthy, low fat, high protein recipes, supplement information, reviews and schedules for different goals, and one of my bigger posts, the marketing myths perpetuated by P90X. Be on the lookout!

I’m off to go workout myself. I’m destroying goals and showing no signs of a plateau anytime soon!

Make today YOURS!

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

I hope everyone is having an amazing Monday after a nice, warm weekend. I kept a very low profile this weekend, relaxing and recovering. If you’ve seen the replay of the UFC fight from the weekend, you’re probably as in awe as I am of Anderson Silva’s pain threshold whether you are a fan of MMA or not!

I know a lot of people have seen the Vibram Five Fingers, and more times than not, have probably been more repulsed by the way they look than to ever consider buying them. I’ll admit, I was in the same boat. I’m definitely not one of those people who follows the masses “to be different” for no reason. But shoes have always been an issue for me.

My feet are completely flat. Since I’ve continuously added small amounts of muscle mass over the years, my feet have continued to grow (I’m 5′11″ and I wear a 13.5 shoe). I’ve worn every brand of shoes, different width, different levels of supports, Orthotics, special socks, etc, but have never felt a great deal of comfort in my feet. Throw in the fact that I enjoy lifting extremely heavy weights that would obviously apply some form of pressure to the feet (squats, deadlifts, leg presses) and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why my ski size feet are usually a bit tender. Well, WERE tender.

I’ve had my Vibram Five Fingers for almost two weeks now, and I must say they are unlike any shoe that I have ever owned. Yes, I totally get that they look a bit weird:

But don’t judge a book by it’s cover. The model I have (Vibram KSO) is the version of their shoe that can be used for anything: climbing, running (yes, barefoot running is becoming extremely popular), swimming, surfing, and LIFTING/FITNESS. In short, the shoe provides the comfort of being barefoot with the safety of a shoe. The sole provides a great deal of traction on most any surface.

Here’s a quote from the Vibram website: “The typical human foot is an anatomical marvel of evolution with 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised.

Many experts believe the shoes we wear not only cast the foot in a protective form, but also weaken our foot and leg muscles, leaving them underdeveloped and more prone to injury. And while there are many occasions where traditional footwear is essential for protection, safety, and security, it is equally important to stimulate and exercise the foot in a more natural state on a regular basis.

That’s why we recommend wearing FiveFingers for exercise, play, and for fun. Stimulating the muscles in your feet and lower legs will not only make you stronger and healthier, it improves your balance, agility and proprioception.”

I completely agree with this analysis. From a user standpoint, my feet have never felt better. At a weight of 5 ounces, the shoe is so ridiculously comfortable that I usually forget that I have shoes on at all.

I paid $85 for my shoes at Run Gear Run here in San Antonio. They are sized in European sizes, so I’d recommend trying them on. I’ve found them on the internet for as low as $67, but with shipping, one might as well actually check them out in the store to ensure proper fit. Also, beware of fakes (which, at $67 may be a concern).

It does take a little bit of time to get used to them. I’d recommend wearing them for a few days before making your final judgement. Initially, you may have a bit of soreness in the lower legs as some of the stabilizing muscles adapt (depending on your activity) but I personally didn’t experience this. Oh, and putting the shoe on may seem a bit awkward at first, but I’ve found if I get the two big toes in first and then go to the smallest toe and work my way toward the center, it is pretty simple. They are machine washable and extremely durable.

Again, I know they may not be the most stylist of shoes, and you probably aren’t going to wear them to the office (unless, perhaps, you’re a personal trainer and your office is a gym as mine is), but in any other activity (pool, beach, river, exercise, hiking, etc) I would not hesitate to recommend them.

If you’ve tried them out, I’d love to read your comments on them!

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 never develop workout routines – only programs; only individual, custom fitness and nutrition programs for specific individual goals and needs. Programs that adapt as your body changes, and forces your body to continue to change, no matter your fitness level. Whether you need to lose 300lbs or 3lbs, it makes no difference. Many times, clients expectations increase when they see just what is possible. My thoughts? The sky is the limit – I help clients distinguish between reasonable and reasonable, realistic and unrealistic, but I do find that many people really don’t know just exactly how far they can take their bodies…

It’s my job to not only help you workout and eat right, but help you become someone who LOOKS like they workout and eat right. Is it easy? Hell no, it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do, and if anyone says it’s easy, they’re lying to you or they aren’t doing the work they need to be doing.

I know that P90X loves to throw the term out “Muscle Confusion” as if it is something that is revolutionary. It is anything but new nor was it discovered by Tony Horton or any of the other P90X crew – it is a very basic principle of training that has been around as long as people have been focused on changing their bodies. Fitness nerds like myself know that Muscle Confusion simply describes to the principles of SAID (Specified Adaptation to Imposed Demands” and GAS (General Adaption Syndrome). Bottom line is that training must change regularly to force the body to continuously adapt. Progression is key – the body responds to unfamiliar stimulus.

Can you change? Absolutely – Mother Nature built it into our genetic blueprint as a survival mechanism. You simply have to introduce your body to the required stimulus, from both a training and nutritional standpoint, and force it to adapt. Of course, herein lies where most people become terribly confused: if they train too much or too hard, they force the body into a state of suppressed hormones and motivation. If they eat too little, they induce the starvation reflex, forcing the body to hold on to absolutely everything you feed it. This is where science and experience come into play. It is my job to determine the exact volume and intensity of training and timing of nutrient intake to optimize your effort into every way.

Results breed consistency, and progress toward our ultimate goals (and subsequent ones that we set after we’ve achieved our initial “ultimate” goals) are what body transformation is all about.

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

Lots of good feedback on the first Biggest Training Mistakes (Legs) article. I’m working on the next few – core, back, chest, arms, and nutrition are definitely coming.

Make the start of your week great, San Antonio – fitness is YOURS!

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

I’ve had a tough weekend. For those that have children, you probably realize that they enjoy carrying germs around! I ended last week with pink eye, then was able to enjoy a nice sinus/upper respiratory infection during the weekend.

I’m still a little under the weather, but definitely feeling a bit better. My mind was saying go to the gym, but considering that pink eye is pretty contagious, I decided against it and rested this weekend while taking my meds.

Nonetheless, I still managed to keep eating very clean this weekend with little deviation from my normal eating habits. When your sick, your body pulls from multiple resources to get itself healthy. Obviously, increasing antioxidants is a must, but I also focus on keeping my essential amino acid intake high, because the slightest stress can affect protein synthesis and amino acid utilization.

I already feel light years better than I did yesterday, but am going to stay careful to make sure that I get back to 100% quickly. I’m not complaining – I feel that over the last few years, my immune system has done a good job at protecting me. As long as these little setbacks are rare, I’ll be fine. I’m just not good at doing nothing!

I had a client that was telling me a story about someone that she ran into this weekend that was asking her about what she has been doing and she said the lady asked her “does he work you hard?” We had to laugh at that. A lot of people think that as long as you go to a gym or give a personal trainer money that the pounds just fall off. It’s not that simple – I do not beat around the bush when I say training with me is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. But it works, period!

Anyway, hope everyone is off to a great start to their week. Stay hydrated and healthy! I’ve had a lot of emails about my Caveman Program (nutrition and training) and I’ll discuss that a bit this week.

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 have received an influx of really good nutritional questions over the last few days and I’m planning on doing a “Nutrition Only Q&A” session in the next day or so. As far as I’m concerned, there are no bad nutritional questions, and I totally understand the confusion behind food combinations, nutrient timing, pre and post-workout nutrition, supplementation, hydration and just about anything else that may cause some individuals a little angst. If there’s something you’re wondering about or just would like a different opinion on, feel free to ask and I’ll answer.

I also want to take this time to give a little shout out to a few of my clients that absolutely kill it each and every time they walk through the doors of my personal training studio. Chris has been training with me for three weeks and he is absolutely killing it. I love seeing what happens when someone follows my directions to a “T”. I will do everything I can to provide the knowledge and I will push you harder than you’ve ever dreamed of being pushed, but it still takes a lot of discipline on the client’s behalf to change beyond what they might’ve thought possible, and the visible change in Chris in just 3 weeks has been phenomenal. Self-admittedly, he was a guy that was eating fast food a few times per day, and just decided that he’d had enough, came and visited, signed up, and is absolutely kicking ass in every single way. Tomorrow is the first measurement day, and I’m excited to see the progress in numbers.

Another huge rush for me is when a client trains with me for an amount of time and then is ready to move on and do it on their own: I do everything within my power to get them ready for that, and that’s what Deron has done. If you do a search on Deron’s name, you’ll see his amazing transformation. He stopped by to see me on Friday and I was excited to see that he’s still making progress. As all of my clients know, whenever their time with me is complete, I’m always accessible to answer any fitness or training related question they may have. I’m not just their personal trainer when they are with me; instead, I am their nutrition and exercise consultant for life, and I take great pride in that.

I have a few ideas for some upcoming videos: both exercise and nutritional related, and I think those will come across really well. The traffic that this blog is receiving has far exceeded my expectations, so I definitely want to give my readers something to enjoy. As I mentioned, I’m going to be writing a ton of nutritional articles in the next few weeks because for the most part, quality nutritional guidance is tough to come by on the internet.

I hope everyone is having a great day. It’s a big gloomy out today, but hot and steamy for sure. Time for my afternoon clients, so I need to get to work (but is it really work if you love 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

Insulin
Insulin is key in controlling many things, including preservation and growth of new muscle (keys for body transformation) and fat loss and fat gain. You see, when insulin is elevated, a signal to “STORE” is sent. Here’s the thing – when you eat 100g of carbohydrates, your body secretes the same amount of insulin whether it is from eating straight sugar or if it is from a lower glycemic choice such as oatmeal. The difference? Oatmeal’s insulin secretion is much lower, but sustains for longer. Table sugar, on the other hand, has an immediate and intense spike. To keep fat low, you want to completely avoid these spikes.

Of course, the more frequently you eat, the more stable blood sugar stays. The more stable it stays, the more stable insulin stays. Hence, the main reason why it is important to eat regularly timed smaller meals. Remember, the hungrier you are, the more insulin that you are forcing your body to secrete when you do eat. I won’t get into low glycemic carb choices, because there are several. My favorite, quite simply, is good old fashioned oatmeal. Of course, there are many glycemic index lists on the internet. Remember, the scale is based on sucrose being a score of 100 (the higher the number, the more insulin that is secreted in a shorter amount of time). Obviously, we like the lower numbers.

Remember that nutrient value is also important, so don’t look at M&M’s and think “Wow, they have a low GI value” and think they’re safe to eat for body transformation. Excess, junk calories are a sure way to get fat.

Alcohol

One of the more common questions I receive is about alcohol. How much to drink when, what to drink (beer vs liquor, mixed drinks, etc). Look – here’s as plain as I can put it: the hormones you need for fat burning and gaining muscle? Those are completely shut down with alcohol. Forget what you drink or whatever you mix it with. Of course, excess leads to more, and most people don’t continually eat healthy when drinking.

Walk into a bar and look at how few people have trim mid-sections. The bottom line is alcohol makes you fat. A beer a night, a glass of wine before bed, getting smashed once or twice per week: all sure fire ways to lead to excess fat storage. Do it rarely, and use moderation. Don’t let hangovers get in the way of your workouts.

My Nutritional Programs

I’ve talked about this quite a bit, but people do often ask me what nutritional strategy I use. First and foremost, for fat loss and transforming the body, pre-packaged programs (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystems) are absolutely terrible.

No, I don’t use the Atkin’s Diet nor do I use ketogenic diets, Southbeach, or anything similar.

I have a few principles:
-Timing nutrient intake: what you eat and when you eat it based on workout times, time of day, etc

-Food selection: you are what you eat, and this is everything. I allow slow digesting carb sources, veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats

-No measure: Yes, you you are reading that right. I don’t have the time, nor the patience to measure every bite. If you are OCD, then be my guest. But don’t obsess over it.

-Carbohydrate cycling (rotational carbohydrate days): For different days and different goals, I have carb cut-off times that vary daily, maximizing the benefits and minimizing the negatives of insulin secretion.

-Every meal has a purpose. I don’t obsess over any one meal more than the other. They are ALL important and they all serve a purpose: to make you look and feel exactly like you want.

And the best part? I allow a pre-bed snack.

Of course, I can’t give absolutely every part away, but if you read throughout the website, you can at least put together an effective meal plan to help you get better than you are now, period. Of course, it would take a little bit of nutritional education/experience to put the cycling days together, but there’s definitely enough information on this site to get you started.

Cardio

No doubt, I will answer a question today, tomorrow, Sunday and every other day about cardio.

First and foremost, get a cardio base. If you are gasping for air at a light workload, you need to work in the “cardio” range first. Why? It will make you more efficient. This is very important: later on, if you’re cardio conditioned, you’re able to burn more fat calories with less work.

High intensity or slow burning cardio? They both have their places throughout your fat loss and body transformation journey. The key is to sustain. Do something that keeps you injury free, and keep working the most important muscle in the body (the heart).

One thing I cannot over-express: cardio is not the holy grail of fat loss – it is a small piece of the pie that includes resistance training and a solid nutritional program. Unfortunately, the first thing people do when they want to burn fat? Excess cardio… Go in any aerobics class – typically, they aren’t full of “lean” people!

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

Nonetheless, my training is really on a roll. Most of the people that know me know that I train like an animal, but I definitely feel as if I’ve taken that to another level and I’m not going to slow down – I will be working out on both Saturday and Sunday morning.

Today is a rest day for me. While I may do some intense plyometrics today, today is a day of non-weight training. I say it often: the body changes at rest, not while training. Intense training however is the stimulus for change. Train hard, rest, eat accordingly.

Anyone watching UFC 116 this weekend? I’m definitely a fan. I’m not one of those guys that watches it and thinks I should be in there (who wants to be punched?) but I’m definitely a fan of the entertainment, albeit brutal. Those guys train like few athletes in the world. Predictions for Lesnar – Carwin?

Today’s a busy day of personal training for me (as always)! I have a lot of exciting stuff happening at my personal training studio, and I’ll have a few announcements about that in the coming week – I’m very exciting!

Enjoy your Thursday! Stay dry and drive carefully – watch for the OTHER person!

Get serious about your results!

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