Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Hey San Antonio,

I was chatting with a lady today about what it is I do, and the more I think about it, the more I realize that me and my colleagues are so much more than just personal trainers. All clients receive full nutritional support and we all hold degrees and/or certifications in Fitness and Performance Nutrition. We set up meal plans and give every client detailed instructions on what to do on days they aren’t training with us. We allow each and every client to call, email or text with any issues they may have. Changing the body is a tough road to travel, so we understand what it is you may be going through.

In essence, we’re life coaches. I want nothing more than for my clients to not only reach their goals, but to absolutely shatter the ceilings they may have set for themselves. I want them to look and feel better than they ever thought imaginable. I invest a lot of time and effort in educating people on not only the benefits of exercise and fitness, but how to apply my information and stay motivated, which in turn helps them remain consistent and make fitness a part of their lifestyle.

It is my job to motivate, educate, push and also lead by example. I feel a sense of obligation to keep this blog updated and current, and it is so far beyond the business aspect of promoting my services. I’m fortunate enough to have this blog read a couple of hundred times per day – a golden opportunity to attempt to inspire maybe just one of those to start a nutrition and exercise program that will not only change their bodies, but will change their lives. That isn’t fodder to fill this blog, it’s the absolute 100% damn truth. I see it every single day. I live it, because fitness has taught me so much about myself as a human and that I’m capable of anything in this world.

When you go into a gym or a fitness center and you see some guy counting reps, guiding people from machine to machine to bench to mat – that’s not a personal trainer. That’s a guy that works at a gym. Me and my crew go way above and beyond that, and we encourage you to discover the difference and not to fall into the expensive trap of throwing money away on that sort of “service” – you’ll only end up frustrated.

You want to do it, so don’t be held back. It’s time to take that desire and allow me to empower you – whether you’re using this blog or my personal training services as your educational tool, don’t slow down. As my clients know, I’ll do anything in this world absolutely possible to give you every opportunity for maximum success.

THAT is my OBLIGATION.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutritional Specialist
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Here’s the second installment of our client of the week feature here on the Personal Trainer in San Antonio blog. As mentioned last week, how I decide which client will be the client of the week will be based on numerous factors: motivation, progress, and intensity will all be factors. There will also be intangibles, such as distractions and hardships overcome.

As I also mentioned last week, this is not easy for me to do. Not because I think someone not being selected may think they’re not being recognized, because I’m a straight shooter with my clients. I do everything possible to keep them on the right path and am considered strict, because when you hire a personal trainer, reaching your goals isn’t a small piece of the puzzle, it’s everything. Whether it’s to feel and live better, simply be healthy, or if you have major fat loss and body transformation goals, it’s my responsibility to do what is necessary to help you get there.

This week was especially hard. Overall, I have an amazingly dedicated and hardworking group of clients that are all serious about achieving their fat loss and other fitness goals. I would’ve been safe if I had picked one of eight or nine clients because in reality, it was that close. So…

Congratulations to Lindsay! Her situation is inspiring on many levels. First and foremost, her schedule rivals anyone, as she is a nurse. She never has the same days in the gym each week due to her hectic schedule. Over the last two plus months, I’ve noticed huge changes in her in so many ways, and yesterday, the “noticing” was confirmed when I measured her and found that she was down 7 inches (yes, seven inches) in her abdominal circumference. You’re not talking about someone with a 50″ waist by any means – just someone starting out with an average build and making extraordinary progress!

I have no doubt that there is nothing that can stop her in any goal she may set. I’m extremely proud of her progress and she not only looks amazing, but is doing an excellent job of representing me!

Thanks Lindsay for all of your hard work, but this is just a small piece of the progress you’re going to make over the next several weeks!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Top Personal Trainers in San Antonio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Today has been one of those days – back to back clients, teleconferences and everything else, but I intend on doing a full slate of updates this weekend, including an article or two on fat loss, an Ask the Personal Trainer article, Client of the Week and more recipes, since those seem to be insanely popular here on the blog.

Have a great rest of your Friday, and check back all weekend!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Most people don’t have a problem coming up with food combinations for any other meal except breakfast. I’ve posted my breakfast “smoothie” here numerous times (2 scoops of High 5 Protein, 1 cup of oatmeal and if it is also my pre-workout meal, a banana). Here are a few other ideas to get you going.

Reese’s Cup Oatmeal
Ok, one of my major rules when following my nutrition programs is that you don’t mix a source of fat and a source of carbs ever. Read my rules in the nutrition section. Well, this one sounded too good to leave out, so I’m posting it! Good Saturday breakfast, at least! ;)

1/2 cup of oatmeal, pre-cooked
1 scoop of chocolate High Five protein powder
1 Tbsp of natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp water

Mix all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. If too thick for your liking, add more water. Microwave for 30 secs to a minute.

Strawberry Cupcake Muffins (are you for real?)
4 servings — 3 muffins per serving (yes you get 3)

1 1/2 cups oatmeal, flourized (I use oat flour)
8 Egg Whites
1 scoop Designer Whey vanilla protein powder (or protein powder of choice)
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup lowfat Cottage Cheese
2/3 cup Splenda
1 T vanilla extract
1 T strawberry extract
1 tsp baking powder
4 tsp vital wheat gluten
1 T Butter Buds
1 serving frozen strawberries

Put oatmeal in blender first . Grind until flourized. Add remaining ingredients and blend until well combined.

Pour batter into 12 muffin pan well sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean). So moist and yummy! (and NOT eggy!!!)

Crustless Quiche

2 C egg substitute (or 8 egg whites and 2 whole eggs)
3 frozen turkey sausage links (cut into 1/2 in slices)
6 asparagus spears or 1/2 C broccoli
1/2 C fat free cottage cheese
1/4 C finely chopped onion (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients until well blended; pour into prepared pie plate. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until center is puffy and top is golden brown. Can use a toothpick in center as a test.

Vanilla French Toast (From Eating For Life)
3 Tbsp vanilla Myoplex Lite or vanilla High 5
1/2 C egg substitute or 1 egg and 4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 slices light whole-wheat bread
1/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter flavored cooking spray and place over medium heat.

Place protein powder in a pie plate and slowly pour in egg while stirring with a fork until smooth. The batter will be thick. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Dip one piece of bread in the batter and let it soak for about 10 seconds. Carefully turn bread over to coat other side. Repeat with second piece of bread.

Place batter soaked bread in skillet and spoon any remaining batter on top. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Pour warm sugar free maple syrup over and ENJOY!

I may have breakfast more than once today!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

I just visited a gymnastics center that I am about enroll my son in, and we spent about 20 minutes watching the children do things that, well, that would absolutely leave you speechless. When I returned to my personal training studio, one of my personal trainers (Dan), had a client going through an atrociously difficult and challenging circuit. I took notice of the circuit training they were doing, because just a few short weeks ago, his client was having trouble doing a few body weight squats and lunges. Now he was doing everything with little to no rest.

Why am I writing this? Because in a short time period, I witnessed the power of the mind and what it can do. When Dan’s client came in here the first time, he let Dan know he was willing to walk through fire to get the body he wanted. Now, he’s looking pretty damn good. Those children? As soon as they got passed “I can’t”, they can and do. It’s the power of the mind.

Knowledge isn’t an excuse. I’m here at my studio at 7pm. I will be here at 5:30am in the morning. I KNOW what you have to do to get the body of your dreams. That is my job and I love it. All it takes is for you to make the decision that nothing will stop you. Trying to find information is damn near impossible – magazines, internet, friends – all the information is contradicting, overwhelming and leaves most people more confused than on the path to looking great.

If you’re waiting for fitness to just happen, you’re going to be waiting for a very long time. It doesn’t just happen. Quit believing the hype of these magic pills and bs supplement ads, garbage ab equipment (the Bender Ball – trash), and come see one of my professionals that will design a program and nutritional strategy FOR YOU to get you the results you want as quickly as you can get them. Don’t waste your time nor your money on a young kid that has been a personal trainer for all of a month at Gold’s Gym or a good salesman at Lifetime Fitness. Your body and your time are too important and too precious. That’ll hit a nerve and I’ll get emails, but I don’t care – it hurts because it’s true.

It’s up to you. Once you decide and really, honestly decide that you’re going to do whatever it takes, you will get to where you want to be.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
North San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Looks like we’re in for some bathing suit weather – a few days over 90 degrees (in February) and after a small drop later in the weekend, it will be much of the same next week. The question is, are you ready to peel off the layers of clothes, head to the beach, lake, river, pool, etc? It isn’t too late to get fired up for the sping – drastic changes can be made in as little as 6 weeks with full body makeovers happening in 12-15 weeks if you’re strict (the way we make our clients be strict). I just laid by my pool with Peyton for an hour and let me tell you, the water was cold but it was NICE!

Don’t hide behind a towel and a big shirt! This is Texas – enjoy the spring and summer the way they were meant to be enjoyed!

Get FIT – the time is now.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
North San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Want to totally change the way you look? Want to FORCE your body to change?

For the next 12 weeks, try this… Every time you’re in the gym, hit a new high point. Shave off 5 seconds off of a mile run. Do 3 more reps of at least one exercise on at least one exercise than you’ve ever done before. Add 5 more pounds to a certain lift. Whatever it is, break a plateau every single time you’re working out. And don’t sandbag it. You want great things? Make them happen. Your body will change – you’re going to force it to just like I FORCE my clients to. Lose fat, look better. Period. You will do it. Don’t give your body any other choice BUT to change.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
North San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

I made a huge mistake and fell asleep way too early on the couch this evening, so now I’m rather awake at 2:30am! So why not update the blog, eh?

As promised, here is a list of upper body exercises broken down by each body part. This list isn’t all inclusive, but it is a good list for exercise ideas. With that being said, read back through some of my training articles – you will see that I recommend building your routine around compound exercises and using much fewer isolation exercises.

Just because an exercise isn’t on this list doesn’t mean I don’t believe it should be used. Remember, it is 2:30, and I’m just wanting to name a few per body part, not list every exercise I know. One thing I am not a huge fan of is obliterating a muscle group from every angle. I think people would be much better served with keeping the number of exercises they do at a decently low number and focus on intensity on those exercises.

WHY do we do particular exercises? Well, there are 2 reasons. Some (bench presses, dead lifts, squats, etc) are done to simply overload the body and force muscles to grow (as I always state, this is the goal during fat loss as well). Now, muscles have only two states – they grow or they go away. There’s no toning, firming, or hardening. No sculpting or shaping. The other reason we choose some exercises is for functionality purposes, either to improve coordination in a part of a major exercise, or to strengthen a group of muscles that may be used to stabilize during another exercise.

So, here’s a list of my favorite exercises. I’ll be listing exercises under their primary muscles worked (note, I do think heavy bench pressing is paramount for increased tricep growth, FYI :D). Proper form is ALWAYS a must.

Chest
Flat barbell bench press
Incline BB bench press
Flat dumbbell bench press
Incline db bench press
Decline bench press (either bb or db)
Dips
Cable and DB Flyes (various angles)

Upper Back
Dead lifts
Pull Ups (and chin ups)
Bent BB Rows
Rack Chin Ups
Pull downs
Seated Rows
DB Rows

Deltoids (shoulders)
Military Press (standing/sitting/db)
Push Press
Lateral Raises (medial)
Front Raises (anterior)
Rear DB Flyes (posterior)

Trapezius
-I want to qualify something here. For some odd reason, people like to include this muscle group (aka the “traps” as part of the shoulders. The trapezius is a huge kite shaped muscle in the upper back and is not part of the delts). With that being said, it is hit quite a bit with heavy pulling exercises (especially dead lifts).
Face pulls
Upright Rows

Triceps
Reverse Grip Bench Press
Close Grip bench press
Bench dips
Skull Crushers
Overhead Tricep Extension (db/bb/rope-cable)
Tricep Cable Pressdown

Biceps
BB Curl
DB Curl (seated/standing/incline – many variations)
Preacher Curls
Cable Curls

Again, this list isn’t all inclusive, but it is more than enough to give you a few ideas for exercises. I left out many popular machines, but that was because not everyone reading this has access to them. If you’re unclear on how to do these exercise, there are numerous videos floating around youtube. Of course, many of the individuals may or may not be performing the exercises with correct form, so don’t hesitate to drop me a line with a URL to the video, and I’ll take a look at it!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
North San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

I’ve found and tried a few more of these, so here you go!

Sundried Tomato and Spinach Dip
Ingredients:

1 Cup Frozen Spinach
1 Cup Fat-free Cottage Cheese
2 Tbsp Fat-Free Cream Cheese
2 Tbsp Sundried Tomato pesto
1 Whole Wheat Pita bread
Servings: 1

Instructions:

In a mixer, blend cottage cheese, cream cheese and pesto
Thaw frozen spinach in mircowave for 1 minute and squeeze all water out
Add spinach and mixed ingredients in a heated pan, cook for about 5 min
Toast pita and spread spinach dip on top of pita

Desserts!!!
Pineapple Cheesebread Pudding
Ingredients:

4 Slices Bread (whole-wheat)
8 Oz Pineapples in its own juice (can crushed)
1/2 Cup Egg Beaters or 6 Small Egg whites
1/2 Cup Fat Free Ricotta Cheese
2 Tsp Vanilla extract
1 Tsp Lemon extract
1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 Cups Fat Free Milk
8 Tsp Splenda
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Break or cut bread into small pieces and place in 8 inch square baking pan thoroughly coated w/ non stick cooking spray
Spread pineapple and juice evenly over the bread
Combine remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
Pour mixture over bread and pineapple. Let stand five minutes.
Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until set
Chill, then cut into eight small squares.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:

2 egg whites
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
4 Pkts Splenda
1 Tbsp Molasses
2 Tbsp Cocoa
Dash Vanilla
Dash Salt
Dash Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Oats
1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

Instructions:

Mix in order listed, drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet sprayed with Pam
Bake at 350º for 10 minutes
Cool on rack

Frozen Mocha Shake
Ingredients:

1 Cup Skim milk
2 Tsp. Instant coffee
2 Packets of Splenda
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1 Envelope of Swiss Miss Fat Free Hot Chocolate Mix
1 Scoop of Chocolate protein powder
1 1/2 Cup Crushed ice

Servings: 1
Instructions:

Blend all together in a blender until smooth and thick
Enjoy It!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
North San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Here’s another version of “Ask the Personal Trainer” – enjoy!

Hey Boyd,
Love the site. Just curious, how many hours do you put into this site per day? As often as it is updated, I have began to think that you must have a staff that is dedicated to working on your website!

-Thanks! I try to schedule one hour per day to do work on all of my sites, which mostly includes behind the scene things for search engines and other server stuff. I enjoy writing, so it’s easy for me to write a lot quickly. Much of what I write is stuff I think about all the time, so I just type and it comes out! For me, this site is a great way to spread information that I feel people need to know to change their bodies. All of the writings are mine – I sometimes find recipes on the internet and share them, but everything else comes straight from me. I like having a forum where I can be unbiased, straight forward and not be influenced by advertisers or corporate – I’m 100% independent!

Hi Boyd,
Could you give me an idea of what protein bars are the best out there? Recently, the market has been flooded with them. Thanks!

-A few years ago, a couple of very prominent supplement companies were nailed for totally mislabeling “Protein” bars. In essence, they were wrapping a Snickers and lying on the labels. Since then, I’ve just decided to stay away. The FDA doesn’t stay on top of the supplement industry, so what you think you’re getting and what you are getting are two different things. Companies tend to be a little better about protein powder, so I prefer to make my own protein drinks, smoothies, and even chocolate pudding out of protein powder for easy snacks. With all of that being said, remember that real food is king – don’t live off of protein snacks, powders and processed meals (Healthy Choices and such).

Hey Boyd,
I read your post yesterday about your 10 favorite lower body exercises. Any chance that you’re going to do your ten favorite upper body exercises soon?

-I actually did write an article about my favorite exercises (in the training area), but over the next few days, I’ll do one better and list my favorite exercises per body part, broken down.

Boyd,
What is your take on athletes getting busted by “tainted” supplements? Do you believe it?

In short, hell no I don’t believe it. These guys are athletes and there bodies are their tools. That’s how they get paid. They have to know everything they put in their body. If there is something in there that isn’t supposed to be, it was more than likely put in there intentionally. “Accidentally” taking a pill or “rubbing a cream on” is garbage. They know exactly what they’re doing and they are given a very strict list of what is and what is not acceptable. ALSO, if there are any questions about a product, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) will test it.

Boyd,
Is two years enough time to make a drastic change?

-Two years? Drastic changes can be made in as little as 12-15 weeks, and absolutely incredible changes can be made in 6 months. That takes a lot of effort and as close to perfection as you can possibly achieve – not regular cheat meals, missing workouts, making excuses, etc. If you want to change, it can be done. Think lifestyle change, replacing the bad with the good, but don’t set out with the mindset that you’re going to waste 2 years. Bust your tail and get it done – maintenance is a hell of a lot easier than getting there the first time. But if you’re like me, your work is never done and you’re always looking to improve.

Boyd,
I like your motivation and the way you look at training and nutrition. It is not easy, and it takes so much effort. Are you currently looking for a workout partner?

-Definitely my favorite email. Right now, I’m not looking for a workout partner, because my schedule is very dynamic. I always keep 90 minutes open for exercise 4-5 times per week. With that being said, it does fluctuate a couple of hours each way every few days. I actually have several different workout partners that join me for workouts sporadically. It’s always nice to have someone that can push you and that can motivate you, and friendly competition is great. But if I do decide to find a workout partner, I’ll definitely let you know!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, PFR – North San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

When losing weight, starvation is the enemy. Hunger is starvation’s best friend, so it’s the enemy as well, through proxy. Truth – you aren’t supposed to be hungry!!!

Why do we need a late night snack? First and foremost, sleeping is when the maintenance is done. If workers were coming to do maintenance on your house, wouldn’t they need materials? Think of a before bed snack as the materials.

But won’t it be stored as fat? Food is stored as fat when it is NOT needed. During sleep, the body takes amino acids and begins repair of damaged muscle. Remember this – the body does not change during training, it changes during recovery!

So what do we eat pre-bed? I prefer a casein based protein. There are two obvious choices for this. One is protein powder, as most people find it easy to drink something before bed and don’t get full. The other is low fat cottage cheese. It’s loaded with a ton of essential amino acids that are perfect for recovery.

Why casein? Well, casein is much slower absorbing and the delivery of amino acids is sustained for longer than, say, whey protein. This would also be a good time for a healthy fat (fish oil, macadamian oil, olive oil, etc) to further slow down absorption. I choose a fat over a carb here (look at my food guidelines, I choose carbs when I need energy, and I don’t need energy before bed). Look at this from another standpoint – fasting leads to slowing the metabolism. Feeding the body a source of slow delivery amino acids stops it from invoking the starvation reflex. If your body perceives starvation, it will freeze your metabolism.

Again, don’t fall for the myth that anything eaten late is stored as fat. Your body is under construction – give it the materials it needs to be repaired.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in North San Antonio
Owner, Personal Fitness Revolution
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

I just wanted to take a second to review one of my favorite protein supplements, High 5 by Max Muscle. If this is your first visit to my blog, take the time to read my protein articles in the nutrition section.

High 5, as its name suggests, is a complex composed of five different proteins for a very complete amino acid profile and a varying rate of absorption. From the highest rate of absorption to the slowest, High 5 contains Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Soy Protein Isolate, Egg White Albumen, and Potassium Caseinate. What does this mean? Well, when you drink it you get an immediate dose of aminos, followed by a sustained release of others for up to four hours.

My take, it’s perfect for a snack, meal, enhanced recovery, fat loss and muscle gain. It mixes perfectly (I use a blender, but it does great in a shaker bottle). I’ve used vanilla, chocolate, banana and strawberry and have enjoyed each of them, but vanilla is my favorite. It also only has 1g of sugar per serving.

Each container has 43 servings, and costs approximately $55, so each serving is just over $1 (not bad or a meal).

It’s my favorite protein blend, and I typically drink it as a meal replacement (or supplement it with lower protein or lower quality protein meals) two to three times per day.

Check it out!

If there’s another supplement you’d like reviewed, please don’t hesitate to ask. If you’re the owner of a supplement company or a store and would like for me to try a product and review it, feel free to contact me via the tab above.

Boyd Myers
San Antonio Personal Trainer
North Central San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Here’s a list of my favorite lower body exercises. Most people don’t like doing legs because a) they hurt, b) they’re hard, and c) they come up with another excuse (like “I run a lot”) to avoid doing them. The legs are the largest muscles in the body – working them burns calories. They also respond quickly and grow, increasing your resting metabolic rate. Not to mention the effect hormonally that training legs has. This article is not mutually exclusive for men, women, toning or getting massive – these are exercises everyone should be doing.

If you aren’t doing legs, you’re cheating yourself out of about 70% of the progress you could be making. Don’t hide behind the excuse “my legs are good enough”. If your arms looked good enough, you wouldn’t stop training them, and training legs goes far beyond how they look.

I’m not going to go into descriptions of these exercises – I’ll save that for another article. These are just the ones you need to include. Of course, you can’t do every exercise every workout!

1. Squats – this one is a no brainer. It uses 3/4 of the muscles in the body, and must be done. If you can’t squat with weight, squat with your body weight until you can add resistance. It HURTS when the muscles are weak, but it has a bad rep as not being safe. It’s not safe when you don’t do it right.

2. Stiff Leg Dead Lifts – Few people KNOW how to do this right, but learn it. It’s amazing for the hams, glutes and posterior core.

3. Front Squats – Not easy, but it’s called working out. Takes a lot of pressure off of the knees and lower backs, and is usually better for individuals with longer legs.

4. Leg Press – lifting heavy is fun, and most people can do more on this machine than any other exercise.

Me leg pressing - I did this 6 times, quads to my chest!

5. Glute-Hamstring Raise – This is not something you see people doing often, because most gyms don’t have the piece of equipment. There are ways to rig it up, but don’t if you aren’t sure how. Learn this exercise and figure out a way to do it. It strengthens everything.

6. Hack Squats – I’m talking about the old school original with the bar, not the machine. Talk about burning the quads up?

7. Lunges – Either with dumbbells or with a barbell on your shoulders, walking or stationary, this exercise is murder on the hams, quads and glutes.

8. Pull-thrus - I don’t see many people doing this one, but it’s amazing for the posterior core.

9. Good Morning Raises – Form is important on every exercise, and this one is no exception. Strengthens the entire posterior core.

10. Zercher Squats – Ouch, this one is painful, but heck if it isn’t effective for hitting just about everything below the waist and the lower back. Requires skill and experience, but it will give you that “jolt” you need to improve your legs!

There aren’t many leg exercises I don’t like, as I can’t express enough their importance. There are many more that could be on this list, but these are my favorites! Try them out and comment! If you’re having trouble finding a few of these exercises, drop me a line.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Personal Fitness Revolution
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

I’m asked pretty often how old is old enough for children to begin working out, and that answer surprises a lot of people. Much of it depends on how coordinated and developed they are, but I’ve met many children that could begin really light weight training as early as 8-10.

Of course, there’s the old myth that it stunts growth and development – not true. But it is also important to understand that at an early age, you aren’t trying to turn a child into a bodybuilder, you’re trying to teach them simple form and technique, develop coordination and make exercise fun for them. Mastering body weight exercises and developing flexibility at an early age is a very good starting point.

I believe that children should be involved in several activities (as long as they enjoyment and it isn’t for the parents), but two that I’ve found that seem to transfer well later in life for not only coordination and athletics, but also confidence and self-esteem are gymnastics and martial arts. Find a reputable gym/studio for both and do your homework, just as you would for anything else. Both develop flexibility, coordination, explosive strength, balance and several other skills that they’ll use in most activities they participate in throughout their young lives.

As mentioned above, entertaining and fun are the two most important aspects when it comes to pre-teens and the likelihood that they’re going to enjoy an activity.

As far as teenagers and older, they can go at a much more “aggressive” rate, and due to the natural presence of hormones in their bodies, the changes they usually make (as far as muscle gain and fat/weight loss) are astounding. Again, teaching proper mechanics and learning the basic exercises is absolute key at this point, and a solid workout program will get them interested in a lifetime of fitness.

As parents, we want to do what is best for our kids – what is better than helping them not only stay healthy and lean, but also develop self-confidence and esteem, improve their self image, while also increasing their ability to focus and concentrate.

I work with numerous pre-teens and teens, and I’m telling you, there is absolutely nothing like seeing their reactions to the changes in their bodies and watching them develop confidence.

Kind of a change of pace post, but there’s a picture on my fridge of my 4 year old “attempting” push ups, so it inspired me!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, Personal Fitness Revolution – San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

I know that a lot of times, I’m guilty of writing articles for individuals who are already working out and have already started, but I do try to discuss the basics often. This is definitely the latter: when you’re wanting to change your body, where on earth do you even start? It can be daunting and quite overwhelming trying to decide what on earth you want to do and how to get started…

Make a Decision to Change.
Alright, this one goes without saying, but it is a bit more difficult to do than to think. Actually making a decision that you’re going to do it, no matter what is more than telling friends “I’m ready to start working out” or “I really need to lose weight” – it’s about acquiring the dedication and the discipline that you’re going to make it work.

The Food.
Read my “Basics of Nutrition” article and print off the grocery list. Go through my recipes articles and print off the ingredients. Understand my basic guidelines until you can repeat them verbatim. Go shopping, and get enough food to last the week. Cook at least 3 days worth at a time and keep it in the freezer (I love Gladware). Focus on the nutrition immediately, and don’t forget the water…

Choose a Gym.
First, find a gym you feel comfortable in. There are small community gyms, medium sized gyms and huge corporate health clubs like Lifetime Fitness and Gold’s Gym. Accessibility is important – if you have to go out of your way, you’re more than likely not going to do it. Check it out on a few different days during the time you’d like to workout to assess the crowd. Of course, you can workout at home, but I definitely prefer a gym due to variety. Also, most of us have a quite a bit of distractions at home, so it’s easier to just get away.

Understand Your Goals.
I have a ton of articles explaining physique transformation, fat loss and muscle gain. Understand what you need to do. LOSING WEIGHT usually implies that you want to lose fat. Make sure you understand the importance of maintaining muscle mass and not overdoing cardio. Key is keeping your metabolism high, and starvation and long sessions of cardio are a sure-fire way to bring it to a crashing halt.

Learn exercises.
If you’ve NEVER exercised, you could benefit from hiring a personal trainer, even if it is just for a few sessions to teach you a few exercises. I have several articles on exercises you should be doing, so print them off and learn them – YouTube and Google have several videos available to show you how to perform the exercises correctly. Watch several and practice. Safety first, don’t be afraid, but don’t be silly and get hurt. Know your limitations.

Start training.
If you’ve never been on a healthy regimen, this may be the most overwhelming. Humans work better on a schedule. Make TIME for working out. Don’t say “I’ll get to it.” If you find yourself beat after work, do it in the morning or lunch. GIVE yourself a chance to succeed. Wanting to workout and having to miss a workout because you had to work are not the same thing as working out. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions? Well, so is the road to being fat. You can WANT and WISH and INTEND all you want, but application is the key here.

What one has to strive to do with the working out and eating is to do things that are sustainable. If you hate what you are doing you aren’t going to stick with it, period. You can eat tasty food that is healthy and training can and should be enjoyable. Consistency + Hard work = Results. You stick with it and strive for progression – more reps, more pounds, more sets, etc and you will see changes in your body.

Stop procrastinating and start doing – wanting to change your body isn’t going to get it done. Get the wheels rolling! It is up to you…

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, Personal Fitness Revolution
16613 Huebner Road
210.391.1454