Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Funny I have to do this, but she deserves the attention!

Today, one of my long time clients, Chelsey Young, (due to her job) was a witness for the defense in the Jody Arias trial that, apparently (I typically don’t pay attention to stuff like this) has been a hot topic in the news of late.

Of course, I trained Chelsey for four different NPC Figure Competitions last year. Anyway, I’m one of the first pages that comes up when you Google Chelsey Young San Antonio (or anything related).

Now, my blog is getting a lot of hits due to her appearance on multiple television networks today and I appreciate it (she’s known as the BUFF chick in the Jodi Arias trial, the GUN show, etc) because people are searching for her. While I definitely love the traffic to my blog, I want to make sure that people find her.

Chelsey’s competitor Facebook Page can be found HERE.

I appreciate everyone’s comments about how amazing she looked today, so go to her page and tell her and wish her luck for her upcoming show!

Great job today, Chelsey – hopefully your testimony will put that wacko lady away forever :)

Hey San Antonio,

Yesterday, I saw a guy in the gym that had a shirt on that said “I Live Paleo”. It’s hard to put into typing how hard I’m rolling my eyes right now.

So, you really live Paleo, eh? I don’t doubt that you TRY to eat a Paleo style diet (although most Paleo style dieters spend a lot of time justifying why they can eat pretty much anything and use a lot of miracle logic to convince themselves that a particular food is “Paleo”).

If you’re really going to live Paleo, here’s what needs to be done.

-The gym I was at was in the middle of nowhere, I didn’t see any horses, mules, etc outside. The caveman didn’t have a car nor a bicycle and I don’t think you walked or ran. So no, you’re not Paleo.

-The caveman didn’t have Under Armour. Nor polyester. You’re not Paleo. Fig leaves only.

-Love the toe shoes. Not Paleo, though.

-Air conditioner in the gym. Damn sure not Paleo.

-Shower after your workout? Are you too good for the creek? Not Paleo.

-Beautiful girlfriend. Doesn’t look like you drug her around by her hair enough. Not Paleo.

-Shake bottle? Not Paleo.

-It was really cold last night. Did you turn your heater on? Not Paleo. Oh you built a fire? Use a lighter to start it? Not Paleo. Two sticks rubbed together, only.

-I’m pretty certain that the caveman didn’t write, so your shirt makes even less sense. Not Paleo. And stop speaking. Grunting only, since you “live” Paleo.

Ahhhhhhhhhh, my point? Stop looking for an excuse to be faddish. Of course, as close to natural eating is incredible, but the shirts, the justifications, the flow charts, the Facebook posts, etc aren’t going to be enough to get you in shape – Paleo is the current fad, and if you’re not paying attention to input versus output and intense training, Paleo is about as useful as your Tony Little Gazelle and that Tae Bo Black Belt!

You decide every moment of every day who you are and what you believe in. You get a second chance, every second.

Make it happen NOW!

From a professional standpoint, I’d be an idiot not to take advantage of social media. Many of my clients stay connected via Facebook and Twitter and they help me spread the word about my business. However, there are a few people, and I’m sure that you have them on your feed/timeline, that feel the need to update the world constantly on their fitness and nutrition journey. You are going to know everything about my body, dammit!

Here is a typical social media schedule of someone who really enjoys fitness:

6am: Wake up, post a motivational comment that refers to everyone as warriors and make sure you use the words GRIND, DOMINATE, etc.

6:15am: Tell the world that it’s #cardiotrain #rollcall

6:30am: We need to know every supplement you take. It is important to the rest of us and our success.

7:15am: Let everyone know that #cardio is done, post a pic of you at the gym (in the locker room, preferably)

7:30am: the whole world wants to know about your protein shake – tell them that you just killed it!

7:35am: Bitch about traffic. Morons that have to go to work. Do they not know that you need to get home and shower?

8:05am: showered, shaven (body or face). Damn you’re looking good. Throw that ab pic up – twitter universe, check this out. Stand sideways so that we see the separation in your obliques and use that light. Girls, make a kiss face.

9am: mid-morning snack in the microwave: asparagus and chicken breast. Here’s my pic!

9:30am: #meal2 hammered #zone #paleo

10:15am: Back to the gym tweeps. Gotta get my swole on. #doworkcrew

10:30am: another ab pic in the mirror

11:25am: arm #workout done. KILLED IT! (Optiional tricep pic)

11:35am: Love my new protein. Yummy! #discipline

12 noon: Just finished my first gallon of water! (Instagram empty pic of water jug)

1pm: pre-workout meal down. Operation #GUNS – getting ready to down my NO-Xplode, JAKKED, NOXI-PRO, C4, CO2, NITROGLYCERINE pre-workout mix and #KILLIT!

1:10pm: optional ab pic

1:15pm: bitch about how many people are at the gym on their cell phones

1:20pm: Your tweet: “There’s some idiot in the curl rack doing squats…”

1:30pm: Ab pic. Instagram.

2:15pm: Food (and subsequent tweet about food)

2:45pm: Critical tweet about heavy people

3:15pm: Pre #crossfit meal #paleo

4pm: #wod #crossfit #pukey

4:13pm: post #wod time

4:15pm: optional ab pic, sweaty

5pm: post #crossfit #paleo #zone meal

5:02pm: pic of said #paleo #zone meal

5:30pm: post about making tomorrow’s food

6:45pm: PM #cardio #rollcall

8pm: shower

8:12pm: post #cardio #shower ab pic

9:30pm: Goodnight Tweeps. Clever statement about #recovery

12pm: Facebook post about how you can’t sleep and how tired you’re going to be for 6am #cardio

Hey San Antonio,

This obviously isn’t the first time I’ve written a tongue in cheek piece like this. If you’ll do a search on this site, you’ll find a few of my gym etiquette related articles. A couple of years ago, I wrote this one: Gym Etiquette – Things You Should Know. I’m sure there are duplicates in this list, but some of these things are worth reiterating.

Due to the recent merger/acquisition in the San Antonio gym community (Spectrum and Gold’s) there has been a drastic increase in need to remind individuals what NOT to do in the gym, because, quite frankly, it’s getting out of hand!!! :)

1. Do not sing. There are more than a few guys that are belting out what is on their headphones, and it is annoying to everyone. Trust me on this one.

2. Do not ever go barefooted in the bathroom. No, really.

3. Wipe up sweat. I know you feel like you’re working hard, but we don’t want to share that with you.

4. Clanging weights and dropping weights does not make you look stronger, it makes you look like an idiot.

5. Google this: RANGE OF MOTION. 1/4 reps are not the answer.

6. Share. There is no reason for you to be using 11 stations at one time.

7. Buy mirrors at home. IF all you are doing is staring in the mirror and flexing, you can do that elsewhere.

8. There are more exercises than just bicep curls.

9. Do not drive around for an hour to get a parking spot up front. It’s a gym, you can use the walk to the door as your warm up.

10. While the occassional spot is great, I am not your personal spotter. I’d like to get my workout in as well!

11. I’m here to workout. Not chat!

12. It is a squat rack, not a curl rack. Not a shrug rack.

13. Swinging like that while you’re doing pull ups is going to get someone hurt.

14. Your sternum is too delicate to bounce weight off of it like that when you are benching.

15. Grunting… I mean, come on…

I’m on my way to lift now, so I’m sure I’ll have many to add when I get back! Enjoy and feel free to contribute!!!

Saw an awesome “Pearls Before Swine” comic strip today from the paper that was fitness related. Not sure of the little pig’s name in the stip, but he approaches a guy in cycle gear and starts this conversation:

Pig: Hey, Jeff the Cyclist, what are you having for breakfast today?

Jeff The Cyclist: 50 Grams of oatmeal, one cup of berries, and a quarter cup of almonds. It’s a part of my “Fitness Regimen”.

Pig: That’s great. Having a fitness regimen is important.

Jeff: Essential. And what is yours?

Pig: I’ve stopped frying my twinkies…

Silly, funny, but all too common. Like having a Diet Coke with your Big Mac Extra Value meal.

My fitness advice for today? You cannot out-train a bad diet. Real fitness and body transformation takes a complete approach: Nutrition, Training, and Recovery. A “part-way” approach will lead to very disappointing 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

I know, I know – this is YOUR training time and you’re going to do what you came to do and you could give a little less than a damn with whomever you are annoying. But trust me, if you are doing these things, the rest of the gym congregation thinks you are a douchebag.

1. Curling in the squat rack. Maybe I’m the dumbass for squatting in the “curl rack” but there are literally 50 stations in any gym where you can perform bicep curls. The squat rack is for squatting. Not stretching, not curling. Take that stuff somewhere else and let people who are serious about fitness use the squat rack for the purpose of which it was intended.

2. Occupying every piece of equipment at once for your “circuit”. Sorry, but if you are in the cables, on the pulldown, using 3 benches, the leg press and the squat rack, you need to put a little more effort into fewer exercises, or not be upset when someone else uses one of your 16 stations. Be considerate…

3. Taking pics of your abs or biceps in the mirror makes you a tool.

4. Telling everyone on Facebook and Twitter about how hard your working out? You aren’t working out hard enough.

5. Towels are essential even in the locker room. Nobody wants to see you naked, especially shaving in the mirror or “hanging” around in the sauna.

6. You’re working hard and sweating. We don’t want to share that, so clean up after yourself.

7. There’s a such thing as too much cologne/perfume. We’re trying to breathe here…

8. Having a full conversation DURING a set? You’re not training hard enough, and you’re talking too much.

9. No, she does not need your help, want your advice or need a spot.

10. Allowing cables to “clang” hard doesn’t mean you’re working out harder, it just means you are being unnecessarily noisy and damaging the equipment.

11. Having a workout partner is a great motivator. Having a workout entourage is annoying to everyone else in the gym trying to move around you.

12. I’ve never been in a gym bright enough to wear sunglasses (nor a bar).

13. You probably aren’t a pro MMA fighter, so don’t shadowbox and such in the mirror.

14. You aren’t a pro rapper either, so stop dancing and singing between sets.

15. 1970 running shorts aren’t cool. Put that thing away.

16. Spinning class doesn’t require aerodynamics – your cool cycling gear isn’t cool.

17. There is no way that every day is biceps day.

18. Personal Trainers: people are looking at you. QUIT if you are fat (unless you are prego) and your clients should be the ones doing things properly… Usually, not the case in most gyms.

19. Deodorant is your friend. Always.

20. Guys, be a little more non-chalant about gawking into the aerobics room.

21. If you cannot use a full range of motion, you are using too much weight.

22. That shirt will not disintegrate if you wash it every once in a while.

23. You are at the gym, driving around the parking lot looking for a spot for 45 minutes makes no sense.

24. Grunting while curling 10lbs does not make your muscles grow.

25. If you don’t look like you’ve ever worked out, there’s a good chance nobody wants your unsolicited advice.

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 have several irons in the fire at once. I own my personal training studio and train full time. I train several people online and advise athletes and competitors all over the world, so sometimes, my schedule conflicts with others so I have to multi-task often.

I’m also an Agency Director for a mobile marketing company and had an important business call to tend to at 10:30am yesterday with my national director. Only problem with that was that clashed with my workout time. So, I took the call, contributed my information while asked, and manged to stay busy during the call.

While I absolutely hate when people don’t focus in the gym and chat it up on the phone instead of working out, I didn’t have much of a choice but to be on this call.

Here I am, fielding a question on my business call:

Life doesn’t wait, and weights don’t wait. I could’ve found an excuse, but it is up to me to take care of my body and my responsibilities.

Efficiency is key! ;) Make your life work around 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
Text BOYD to 90210 for my mobile business card!

Don’t look at a workout as something you have to do. It has to become something you do.

It’s not a curse. It’s not punishment.

It’s not supposed to be easy. But the responds to a new stimulus by CHANGING.

When someone asks why you’re eating the same thing over and over and asks if you “wish you could have THIS?” Tell them no – you’d rather not look like they look. Trust me, they’re only doing that out of jealousy of your willpower.

Gym or happy hour? Choose the gym – the people are better looking anyway. Even without being dressed up and dolled up.

Don’t be sidetracked. Don’t be lured. You can and will conquer it. You will conquer your worst enemy: YOU.

Set the standard. Be what everyone else wishes they could be. That choice starts within.

Kill it. Crush it. Change your body/Change your life.

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,

Big recovery day for me. I’m training a few clients this morning and then I’m quickly off to a couple of hours worth of brutality (AKA Active Release Therapy massage).

The Twitter suggestions for upcoming articles were phenomenal, and I want to thank everyone who gave me an idea. There were suggestions for articles on Yo-Yo Dieting, Healthy Fats, Different Modifications for Women and Men, and several others that I want to write in the upcoming days. I’m always open for suggestions on what you’d like to read, so feel free to send me any ideas you may have. I’m here to help, and even if it is helping one person, it’s worth it.

Oh, and I received a nice comment this morning from a mouth-breather defending P90X against my P90X Sucks post from several months ago. I have no problem with people disagreeing with my point of view, but if a comment is poorly written with lack of support for your argument, I’m probably not going to respond – especially if you only respond with their infomercial and advertisement propaganda as your supporting evidence as to why the program is great. In short, it was basically a poorly written comment from someone who read something and inferred only what they wanted to, and actually argued my point well – its results/progress are short lived (anything will work for a short amount of time), and explained to me that it does exactly “what you need when working out” and that my philosophies are nonsense, etc, etc. It was just the laugh I needed first thing this morning!

Truth? I do find entertainment in the P90X and CrossFit Cults that go around searching the internet for defaming articles about their narrow-minded approaches to training (and I think that is a huge part of what they do) and how their programs are the best – I do not have a “program” that I follow – I take the best possible approach for each specific client based on their fitness levels and their goals, and that may be a variety of several different types of training, from cross-training, power movements, high intensity training, etc – there’s nothing canned or “one size fits all” about anything I do (unlike P90X or CrossFit).

In short:

P90X and CrossFit Suck – I’ve explained this in-depth, and will gladly do it again – sorry to call your baby ugly, but wake up! It is human nature to be protective of what you feel safest with.

Okay all, no more being divisive and pissing people off today, we have the government to do that! ;) Decimate this day and let nothing stand in your way. No matter your goals or the methods you use to attack them, doing anything is better than nothing at all!!!

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

Another great weekend is coming to an end. This weekend, I was able to spend some amazing Father/Son time with my 6 year old, Peyton. Yesterday, we spent about an hour working on martial arts. I am actually a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. While TKD isn’t as glorious as some other arts made popular by Mixed Martial Arts, I think it’s an excellent activity to get kids involved in. While my son is not yet the most graceful individual in the world, what little boy doesn’t have fun learning how to kick and punch? Of course, the kicking and punching are just the fun parts. The reinforced discipline and self-esteem improvements that children often receive as a nice side effect of martial arts training is a huge bonus. And, of course, it gives him a chance to burn off a lot of that energy that 6 year old are capable of building up!

Of course, his gnat like attention span quickly transferred from side kicks and back fists to “I want to do like they do on UFC, Daddy”. So, I decided to work on his “ground game” and teach him a few simple chokes arm bars. Here is a video of him making me “tap out” :)

In reality, yesterday’s “Karate Practice” (as Peyton calls it) had nothing to do with kicks, chokes, punches, jumps, rolls, take downs, self defense or anything else. It was all about me not being a personal trainer, but being daddy, and spending quality time with that amazing little boy that is the reason I do absolutely everything I do in this world.

Make time for those kiddos – there’s nothing in the world quite like 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

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There’s a difference between being a member of a health club or a gym and actually going to the gym. I cannot workout in my personal training studio. It is my office. It’s where I work. It is where my computer is, my phone is, my clients are, my employees are, where prospects come to ask me about training, and where I make my money. I personally need separation! So I workout at a fairly well known health club here in San Antonio. A club that has a lot of members, but also a club where few people actually GO to the gym.

Clubs like Planet Fitness (which is NOT where I workout at) are designed to have as many people sign up as possible. They want to have MANY members (at $12 per month, their goal is a ton of people). But these gyms are very small, don’t allow any noise at all, don’t like you to sweat, have VERY small weights, have a pizza party every month and have chocolates at the front desk. These clubs do NOT want people to actually show up to workout – they are 100% against that! Weights are going to “clang” against each other. Some people are overly obnoxious, but weight training is performed in a gym, not a library. Hence, there’s nobody actually going to these gyms that is serious about working out nor making progress. Tank tops are banned. Really?

However, I can’t say that it is any better at Lifetime, Gold’s or Spectrum. There are people that come and spend most of their time naked in the locker room (no kidding). There are a lot of people that “show up”, but few of them are actually productively working out. They’re reading magazines while they train, drinking Starbucks, and enjoying the social aspect of the club. Of course, there are the Abercrombie wannabes that are doing a few sets of curls and crunches, then staring in the mirror for an hour at a time between sets.

Instead of actually pulling up in the parking lot and being seen at the gym, GO to the gym. Go to get your business done. It isn’t a night club. It isn’t a social gathering. It’s a place to go in and make yourself physically and mentally stronger. It’s a place to push your body to new limits and to learn about the satisfaction of reaching goals, realizing that the body is a resilient machine that can achieve whatever the mind tells it to, and that when you put forth the effort to focus on intensity, while combining that effort with discipline when you’re not in the gym, you can make yourself look pretty amazing.

Working out should not be easy. Conversely, you should not be in there to destroy your body. Push hard, focus on your plan, and go home. Stimulate – not annihilate. But remember the task at hand: it’s a fitness club, not a country club. Most of your time should be focused on physical exertion, not flapping your gums.

Change starts within – make it happen!

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’m asked a lot about organic food. My opinion is simple: the hormones used to get food to production quicker is more damaging to our health than any single factor that we can control. Ever wonder why kids are hitting puberty half a decade quicker now?

In short, I know it’s a bit more costly, but eating organic is infinitely more healthy (and will make a huge difference in fat loss for someone looking to do so, and if you’re reading this blog, I’m assuming that is a goal of yours). Of course, many people are going to dispute this simply due to cost – they’re going to tell you what you want to here. You “can” make okay decisions eating non-organic, but if you want what’s best, then it’s a no-brainer.

Anyway, here’s a nice, short, entertaining video about organic food, special thanks to the Organic Trade Association.

Enjoy, and of course, may the “force” be with 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

Hey San Antonio,

We are now less than a week away from Valentine’s Day, the commercial joke of a holiday where flowers are marked up 1000% of their normal price and average restaurants have 2 hour waits to get a table. Ahhhhhhh, LOVE!

For most people, the pursuit of companionship isn’t doing a whole lot for their physique. Happy hours, dating (which usually equals dinner, maybe drinks), time away from the gym – these are things that will lead to you not looking the way you want to look.

In a new relationship? Forget it. That sense of urgency to look phenomenal often escapes the newly occupied, and on top of that, people tend to pick up all of their partner’s bad habits. Compound those things, and the pounds will add up. How many people have put on the pounds in the first 6 months of a relationship?

Do not use a new relationship as an excuse to become complacent. Dates do NOT have to revolve around dinner and drink, and just because your new found mate likes to order pizza and have a 6 pack every night doesn’t mean you have to join suit.

In fact, exercising together is an excellent way to become more familiar with one another. Aside from the natural pheromones that are produced during exercise, there’s something bonding about knowing that your significant other puts forth the effort to stay healthy and work toward looking their best. Even if you decide not to exercise together, the gym is a great way to keep your autonomy and have your own time, which is a certain way to help avoid burnout.

Instead of becoming complacent, use a new relationship to become inspired – if their everything you think they are and you want to be the same, challenge yourself to improve and motivate them to do the same. As a personal trainer, I’ve worked with numerous people who share the same story – they were in excellent shape when they met, but kind of fell off the wagon when they got together. While it is very common, it is also avoidable! Obviously a personal trainer for Valentine’s Day probably isn’t the most romantic of gifts, but an active date of hiking, biking, mountain climbing, training, etc will beat the hell out of standing in line or crowding into a local restaurant on Valentine’s Day.

Always be your best for YOU – if you’re happy with yourself, you can bet that someone else will be as well! Stay active, stay healthy and stay (or get) lean!

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,

Someone passed this video along to me yesterday, and as silly as it seems, I can guarantee you that anyone that has ever competed in a figure or a bodybuilding competition, it’s not silly at all.

I know that anytime I or one of my clients go through contest prep, we are answering each and every one of these questions every day – “What are you doing with that lunch box?” or “Wanna go out tonight?” and “Do you win money?”

If you don’t get it, you just don’t get it! But you don’t even have to be training for a competition to get these questions: start making all of your food on Sunday and carrying a lunch box. Talk about your workouts with your personal trainer. Start carrying a gallon jug of water around with you. You’ll get so much fitness advice from people that have never worked out in their lives. They’ll tell you “all you need to do is…” or they’ll refer to your new lifestyle as a “health kick”.

Nonetheless, I’d much prefer to be viewed differently, especially because I have chosen to look different: lean, healthy and fit are not very common in today’s society. IMO, it’s ok to stick out!

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