Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

This time of year is a very busy time for my personal training studio, as many parents find just a little bit of extra free time with the kids going back to school. I can relate, my 5 year old started Kindergarten just last Monday!

The holidays will be here before you know it, however, there is still PLENTY of time to make a total body transformation while learning how to keep momentum through the holidays (wow, I can’t believe I’m already referencing the holidays, but don’t blink, they’ll be here soon enough). It’s now September 1 – how would you like to look and feel radically different when you visit family and friends at the end of November/December?

You can drastically change before the holidays are here!

Don’t put it off any longer. The first step is the hardest, but once you start moving, building momentum comes naturally and a new wardrobe for Christmas will seem like a phenomenal idea (and a very realistic goal).

Live stronger, live leaner, live better – the “best shape of your life” is not a thing of the past, it will be your holiday present! Get ready to work for it!!!

For our back to school personal training specials, contact me at 210.391.1454 or email me at boyd@the-personal-trainer.com for more information.

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 at La Cantera the other day, I heard a lady say “Size 12 is the new size 4.”

No, it is not…

No matter what Shape Magazine or any of the numerous periodicals in the checkout line of Target or HEB may tell you, lean will always be preferred over “not lean”, and being “comfortable in your skin” is society’s way of saying it’s okay not to make taking care of your health and your body a top priority. Most everyone has been through it: watched clothes stopped fitting and either attempted to keep “squeezing into” and not accepting that it’s time to rope things back in.

The obesity rate has multiplied exponentially over the last few years, and as quickly as it has grown in the last 10 years, I expect that rate to double again in the next 4 years. It is NOT slowing down, and making it acceptable will not protect you against heart disease, diabetes, and the painful joint/bone conditions that come along with carrying excess weight.

Sadly enough, obesity isn’t just an adult or “growing old” problem. Of course, the childhood obesity epidemic is well documented, and the amounts of excess weight related injuries, juvenile diabetes and other conditions is absolutely staggering in children today. While many people look at the “video game” generation, honestly, it is just a microcosm of society as a whole. It’s happening across the board, from 3 to 73 – we are getting larger, and it has to do with less intense activity and consuming more processed, hormone filled food. The difference? Children are at the mercy of adults who are willing to make bad decisions. Parents, take care of your children in every way. Sacrifices to make sure they go to a better school and that they have things that you may not of had as a child aren’t enough: give them the gift of health.

Regardless of what has become socially accepted, do not let that influence your decision to practice what is best for you and your family’s health. While acknowledged as an epidemic, the overall cost of obesity due from a health care and lost work standpoint cannot even begin to be estimated – living longer is worthless if you aren’t living better.

Take control of your life and your body. While it has definitely become more socially acceptable to become clinically and morbidly obese, do not settle for a lower quality of life. Life is amazing thing, as long as you are able to live it and fully experience it every single 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

Hey San Antonio,

I just wanted to take a few seconds to recognize a few of my amazing clients!

Sarah is 6 weeks out from her figure competition in which I do believe she will win and obtain her professional card as a figure competitor. Her work ethic is like few I’ve ever dealt with and while she is competing for the ability to obtain professional status, that is NOT her full time job: her corporate job contains her for 12-14 hours per day minimum, yet, she makes time to do what is necessary from both the nutritional and diet standpoint. She’s a perfect example of what hard work and consistency can do. While many people don’t train with the goal of competing, if someone with her schedule is able to do that, anyone can train to get to where they want to be physically.

Andy and Chade have worked with me for some time now, and they continue to make progress. I’ve bragged about these two guys for a while now with good reason: they’re business owners that put in a ton of effort in their highly successful business, yet, make the time to invest in themselves and that has turned in to more than 100 combined pounds lost and a total transformation of their bodies: from soft guts to visible, defined abs! More than 10″ off of each of their abdominal circumferences with every body part defined and conditioned – absolutely amazing progress and I’m happy every time I see them because they are perfect examples of what drastic changes are possible.

Catherine has only been training with me for a short while, but she is obsessed with making a drastic change and is willing to take whatever I dish out. She told me Tuesday was the hardest workout that she had ever done – that although she felt that I was trying to make her cry (and/or quit) that there was NO WAY she was going to “give me the satisfaction”. I recognize her desire to drastically change. Catherine, I am not trying to make you cry: I’m going to make you BETTER! I have no doubt that quitting is not an option for you.

For those that think it’s too late to change? Tell Ruth: she’s 58 years old and during our initial consultation, she basically explained that she hated everything about exercising. Now, she does lunges and abs on her day off and her clothes that she used to wear are falling off of her. She enjoys the “torture” (her word) and works harder and does more than the average 23 year old: never does a “girl push up” (Only the real things), squats, bench presses, kettle bells, plyometrics – if it can be done, she does it!

Chris came to me roughly two months ago in his final couple of months as an active duty Air Force member. While I think he initially came to me thinking he wanted a jump start on getting him fit for the rest of his life (trust me, people tend to put on weight at the end of their military careers!), I don’t think he was prepared to change as drastically as he did. His family will be here for his retirement ceremony next week and he’s extremely excited for the person they’re going to see – and I’m honored that he gives me so much credit (HE did the work). The best part? He routinely tells me how it’s just something he does now: the eating and working out are natural to him now and were easily integrated into his lifestyle.

I could go through my client list and tell a similar story about each and everyone of my clients: this personal training studio is full of the same type of success stories, and I’m extremely proud of each and everyone of my clients. I told them what was required when they came to me, and that I expected nothing but exceptional change for them.

You CAN do it – the only limitations that are holding you back are self-imposed. Do not settle!

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 hope everyone has had a great week. I’m writing more huge posts like the one I wrote the other day on rep ranges, so keep checking back!

This weekend will be busy for me – I have a late night of training tonight, morning clients tomorrow and on Sunday, I film my spot for the Springtime 65 show on Public Access here in San Antonio. I have a few ideas for topics but I’m open for suggestions. If there’s something you’d be interested in having me discuss, let me know and maybe I’ll use your topic on the show!

I’ve been absolutely murdering it in the gym myself over the last several weeks, and I’m taking some scheduled downtime after what was a brutal week of lifting. It’ll be tough to keep myself out, and may even go against my mind and do an extremely light day to keep the blood flowing tomorrow, although I know rest and recovery is exactly what I need as I’m about to begin a brutal microcyle of training next week to get to the next level of my program!

I hope everyone has a great weekend – as I finish my upcoming articles, I’ll post them here and link them off of Twitter and Facebook.

Remember, we are still running our Two For One Personal Training Special, so if you would like to get in shape with a friend, co-worker or family member, this is the perfect opportunity. Training goals and condition differences do not matter, as my personal trainers and I are extremely comfortable of training individuals simultaneously with contrasting goals.

Make your weekend great!

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,

For many, August means a fresh start, as it is the month in which school starts. Make it the month you begin getting into the best shape of your life with a friend or loved one, as I have expanded my Two For One Personal Training special.

Whether your goals or fitness levels are similar or entirely different, my personal trainers and I are able to simultaneously able to train both of you accordingly to help you reach your goals in as little time as possible – we have experience in simultaneously training individuals in completely different conditions with completely contrasting goals.

Not only is it motivating and fun, but it’s also less expensive per person/per session to do so. As always, all personal training packages include complete nutritional guidance, 24/7 access to your trainer and complete guidance on what to do when you’re not in the gym with your trainer. Whether your goal is fat loss, body transformation, or athletic performance, our training and nutrition programs will help you reach your goals in the shortest amount of time possible.

For more information, check out our webpage: Personal Fitness Revolution – San Antonio Personal Training

Also, my personal training studio does also offer Occupational Discounts for students, active duty military and teachers.

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 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 had a client give me the perfect tagline today. You see, he has lost roughly 6 inches off of his abdominal circumference in a little over a month. Perfect example of what a few adjustments can do – he has worked out for years and was doing what he thought was “the right thing” when it comes to eating.

Anyway, he made the statement: San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio, Personal Fitness Revolution – Where Fat Comes To Die!

I really like that!

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’d like to take this opportunity to welcome our newest personal trainer, Chaunte Shepherd to our team of expert personal trainers here at Personal Fitness Revolution. Chaunte’s in-depth training knowledge, experience and educational background enable her to work with a wide variety of clients who are interested in body transformation, fat loss, athletic competition preparation, and other fitness related goals.

Aside from several certifications from the top personal training educational agencies in the country, she is also a Certified Yoga Instructor, and often integrates Yoga related exercises into her clients’ tailor-made programs to ensure that each client is focusing on the complete spectrum of fitness.

As the owner of Personal Fitness Revolution and someone who is very serious about what I do and the reputation that I have, I am extremely picky about who trains with me at my studio. With that being said, I have no reservations whatsoever about Chaunte’s experience and ability to produce amazing results.

Welcome Chaunte – The best personal training studio in San Antonio just became even better!

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

Just hammered out an insane back workout. I’ve shifted my focus and now it is my intention to compete in a powerlifting contest in November (bench press + dead lift for sure, may do the squat as well) at a weight of less than 210lbs. That’ll have me really lean and will compliment my new goal of competing in April/May 2011 in my next bodybuilding show quite nicely. Since competing is just a hobby of mine and not a profession, I have the luxury of doing it when I want to and mixing things up in a way to keep things interesting for me. This is an odd week for me (which happens about once every 8 weeks) where I will be doing legs 3 times in one week. Hey, the volume in itself is a form of overload, and with my focus on rest and nutrition, recovery should not be that big of an issue.

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

Food is fuel. Eat to live, don’t live to eat. How many other trite lines can we come up with this morning?

So, why do we eat? While most people will put happiness, stress, and enjoyment on that list, the truth is we eat because we have to. However, when it comes to body transformation, eating becomes the entire universe to most people, and is, by far, the most difficult thing for most people to get a handle on.

Regardless of what myths personal trainers, nutritionists, dieticians, and P90X Beach Body Coaches perpetuate, eating is much more than just calories in versus calories out. I have spent hours upon hours discussing the importance of nutrient timing and food selection as keys to body transformation. I see way too many people drop a bunch of weight and find out that they now have a mineral or nutrient deficiency, or even worse, they end up with a more serious health problem.

Wait a minute here: while we all want to look better, is looking better worth an induced thyroid issue or severe hypo or hyperglycemia issues? Is looking better worth being mentally unstable or on the verge of a nervous breakdown? If you don’t have the energy to get out of bed, how much does it matter that you look amazing?

My nutritional programs take on a full spectrum: yes, you will transform your body. But I also focus on the other things that most nutritional programs don’t – higher, more stable energy levels, complete mineral nutrient profile, optimum thyroid, pancreas, kidney, liver, and digestive health, pain management (no really, through food), higher performance levels and yes, maximum optimization of the metabolic system. I also fully expect my clients to have more relaxing and rewarding sleep.

Supplementation
The word supplement means “in addition to a whole part”. ANYTIME you see a nutritional program that revolves around a protein shake, a pill, or any other philosophy that is not real, whole food, be wary. There are very few supplements that provide any benefit at all, and most do absolutely nothing without the proper eating strategy and training program.

Nutrient Timing
I’ve discussed nutrient timing numerous times on this blog, and I suggest you perform a search here for “nutrient timing” to learn more. In a nutshell – a calorie is NOT a calorie, and based on activity and time of day, there’s a time to consume different nutrients (carbs, fats, and proteins) in different combinations at different times.

As a performance nutrition specialist, it is my responsibility to help you simplify the science behind nutrition. Unfortunately, most people in the fitness industry do not have the understanding of nutrition at the most finite levels to develop the proper program that covers the full spectrum of one’s health needs. Bottom line is that your fat loss and body transformation program should not sacrifice the other benefits of healthy eating, neglect the body’s needs and most importantly, should never induce an unhealthy condition. Understand that your body and your healthy are too important to hand over to a novice that is incapable of developing the proper nutritional strategy.

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