Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Hey San Antonio,

No matter who you are or what you do, you will face adversity. Six weeks after finding out that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, PGA golfer Phil Mickleson found out yesterday that his mother also has the condition.

Having one person in your life diagnosed with cancer can be completely overwhelming. To find out the two women that mean more to you than anything both have breast cancer is unfathomable. But Mickleson makes his living in the most mentally challenging game on earth, and I have no doubt that he will adapt.

Things will happen in your life that will make you feel like completely giving up. Those who adapt are those who make a decision to do so. Your mind is your most powerful muscle, and when channeled, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.

Not having time, being tired, busy at work: these are NOT obstacles and they aren’t adversity. They are excuses. If you want to change your body and your life, become stronger, healthier and live longer, you have to decide to do so.

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,

Hope everyone had an amazing Independence Day weekend and they aren’t feeling the negative effects too bad on this cloudy Monday. 40% chance of rain – I’ll give 2-1 odds on anyone who actually wants to bet me. Rain has forgotten San Antonio, TX. lol I mean, real rain, not a 30 second sprinkle.

Usually when I start a post, I have a message in mind. While I do not pre-write or write a rough draft, I typically know kind of what I want to type. Today? No idea. So I’ll just discuss whatever comes to mind over the next several minutes.

My Workouts This Week
A typical workout for me is much like the way I post. I go with the flow, and hit what I need to hit. Again, I know WHAT my objective is, but as I train, I feel certain things and make sure I focus on what may be a weakness, whether that weakness is aesthetically or strength-wise. I never do the exact workout twice. My workouts are about progression and intensity, period. I work out REALLY hard, and more times than not, people usually comment on me being an “animal” with the intensity I use. LOL – NO, I’m not a grunter and I don’t make a lot of racket.

This week will probably be 3 lifting sessions, probably 3 full body training sessions. I am planning on at least 6 cardio sessions – one in the evening on lifting days, 2 on non-lifting days, and take 2 days of where I won’t do cardio (or won’t do it as intense). Dietary goals, as always, are to keep lean proteins high (mostly from lean beef, casein blend powders, fish, chicken, turkey) and carbs at breakfast and bracketing my workouts (mostly oatmeal, red potatoes, grains, etc) and lots of healthy fats later in the day (peanuts, fish oil, flax, etc). I don’t obsess, although I do shoot for roughly 1.5g of protein per lb of bodyweight most days, which is roughly 370g per day for me. I’m more concerned with meal timing than I am measuring foods. Does it work? I’m pretty damn lean for a 245 pound guy. LOL I mean, I was on stage as an underwear model just a couple of weeks back, so I can safely say my approach works.

Leg Workouts
I will say that working legs isn’t easy. It can downright suck, but I’ve learned to embrace them. Why? No other workout burns more calories and induces more muscle growth. Bottom line, they are essential. NO, cardio (running, etc) doesn’t replace resistance training, so don’t think it does. If you’re training to transform your body, hit your legs. If you have a personal trainer that tells you that you don’t need to do legs, they’re only telling you what you want to hear and they are ripping you off.

Energy Drinks
I’m guilty. I try to avoid the carbonated versions and ALWAYS avoid the sugary ones. My favorite early morning, pre-workout drink is ABB’s Speed Stack (1g of carbs). Later in the day, I prefer ABB’s Turbo Tea. Lots of caffeine, so understand that you will build a tolerance to it. Don’t become dependent on them…

Protein Powder
I currenly use Pro Complete 40 from Alamo City Sports Nutrition. Tastes great, has the amino acid profile your body needs, blends easy, and did I mention that it tastes great?

Cardio – You do THAT much?
Ok, I go through periods where I do more than normal, and this is that period. First and foremost, weight training and nutrition are the centerpiece of my routine. The cardio is a nice compliment. It keeps my metabolism going, keeps my heart strong, and helps recovery. I don’t kill myself during these sessions, but I don’t lollygag. My diet is completely designed to support these sessions as well. It’s not about “just do cardio and watch the fat melt” because most people just watch the muscle melt, and look like hell because they lost their muscle and are still fat. There’s a science behind it. Don’t ignore it.

Injuries, a part of life…
Flexibility and muscle will help you stay healthy, but inevitably, you’re going to have a point of pain that will slow your training down. Be prepared for it. I love using my chiropractor and massage therapist as injury prevention tools, but be smart. Pain is your body’s way of saying “take a step back”. Working through the pain is idiotic at times. Know the difference between pain (a burn) and an injury. If you’re hurt, rest.

Rest, Ah yes…
Don’t convince yourself you don’t need it. REST is when the body changes. If you are neglecting this key component, your body cannot change. A 4 hour sleep deficit has the same hormonal effect as overeating 900 calories in a day. Here’s a word to the wise: you cannot beat hormones…

Twitter
I swear, I will do more to update the San Antonio Personal Trainer Twitter - so, add me!!

I’ll come up with more later – change your body NOW!!! In closing, a client sent me a text this weekend that I want to share:

“I have been outside l weekend in short sleeves and shorts. I have never enjoyed being out in the heat before. It’s crazy how limiting it is to NOT be happy with your body. I love my arms!”

Yeahhhhhhhh!

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’ve been EXTREMELY busy today – when today is said and done, I will have trained 13 people and I’ve had two consultations today. So to say the least, I’m slammed as we approach July.

During my consults, my goal is to find out exactly what it is you want to achieve. While most people don’t have exact, specific goals, most people do, at least, have a general idea (like “I want to look better naked” or “I want to see my abs”).

A good personal trainer will help you narrow it down to what you really want. You don’t just want to exercise and pay top dollar and not get a serious return on investment. You aren’t just paying for the hour of personal training. You can exercise on your own. Your personal trainer should be a full support staff: nutritional advisor, motivation provider, and slave driver (ok, joke bcause my clients think of me that way ;)). I receive texts, calls, twitter messages and emails daily from current and former clients about fitness and nutritional related issues they have. I don’t only encourage my clients to ask me, I expect them to – ignorance is NOT an excuse. Your progress is my business. If you don’t look good, simply put, people don’t come visit me and I don’t make a living. I’ve never lost sight of that.

Having a personal trainer for motivation and accountability are huge reasons why many people hire trainers, but knowledge (why, how, when, what, etc) are the keys to making progress. There’s so much to learn about the body, and the normal person has no idea where to begin. If you try to read a magazine or a website, you’ll be lead to believe that it’ll cost you $500 per month in supplements or that it takes several hours of training per day to look the way you want to look. Or, you’ll see the pics of the models and competitors and just become discouraged because it seems so unrealistic.

The truth is, progress does take time, but not an eternity. Drastic changes happen in as little as 6-12 weeks. You may have seen my client Courtney listed as the “Client of the Week” a few times, and for good reason: she has put forth the effort and is reaping the benefits. She was training less than a month after having a child. Talk to ANY woman that has had a child and ask them how hard they’ve had to work to get a little weight off. It’s not easy.

Progress is up to you. Don’t waste time with a low-level personal trainer at a commercial gym, club or fitness center in San Antonio. It may sound harsh, but it’s the truth. If you want to look your best, get help from the best. It’s not bragging when you back it up. ;)

Don’t be held back, by anything!!!

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,

Looking for an easy snack to carry with you? Try this: Chicken Apple Salad. Loaded with protein and low glycemic carbs. Absolutely delicious!

Makes 2 portions

Ingredients:

10 oz. grilled chicken breast
2 small granny smith apples
1/2 red onion
1 red bell pepper
1-2 jalapenos
1 lime, juice and zest
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 handful fresh cilantro
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:

1. Cut chicken into strips, apple slices, red onion slices, pepper slices. Put all this into a large bowl.

2. Zest lime and add to bowl.

3. In small food processor add jalapeno, juice of the lime and process. Add olive oil and process. Pour this over the salad and mix. If you don’t have a food processor, mince jalapeno with a knife and add to lime juice. Wisk in olive oil, then add to bowl with chicken.

4. Add lightly chopped cilantro and salt and pepper. Mix well.

5. Let this sit for about an hour for the flavors to mix.

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,

Are you tired of doing nothing? This heat is brutal and will absolutely wear you out. Make you lazy. Help you come up with excuses about why you aren’t going to workout. Make you tired, and tired of being tired.

I was eating lunch at Jason’s Deli yesterday, and witnessed a man go back for at LEAST 6 ice cream cones. I say at least, because he very well might’ve had a few before he caught my eye. Now, I don’t make it a point to watch other people or think about what they’re eating. To each their own, but more times than not, a person’s outer physical condition is directly related to what they typically eat. With that being said, this gentleman was a little larger than the average person.

Why live that way? He was gasping for air from simply walking to the ice cream machine and back. Understand, I’m not laughing – to me, it is sad. How on earth can someone in that condition do things with their family or be physically productive for any amount of time? It’s a sad case.

Whether it runs in your family or not, obesity is NOT something you just have to accept and deal with. I hear people say all the time “I’ll never be lean” or “I will always look big” and that’s simply just not true. You will get out of a workout program what you put into it. Diabetes, heart disease, and other obesity related conditions are NOT inevitable.

But don’t wait. It’s never too early to start exercising, and the earlier in your life you make it a part of your life, the easier it will be to stay lean, healthy, and strong. If you aren’t still under 45, 50 or 60? Then it’s still not too late. Exercise and a healthy diet can reverse the signs of many obesity illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes.

It’s not simply exercising more, it’s exercising smarter. Doing the right things at the right time, and eating the right things at the right time. There are methods to the madness. Not just eating less food and doing more work. Do it right – save time and effort. It’s not “easy”, but there are things that you will need to know to get the most out of your exercise routine and 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