Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Hey everyone,

I probably think about this stuff way too much! I always have things in my head and think about writing about them, but being the poster child for ADD or ADHD (or whatever attention deficit condition is the latest flavor of the day), I either forget or lose interest on the topic. But I have a rare break right now, so I have time to mention a few things that I have been thinking about from a fat loss, nutrition and training standpoint.

When you’re focused on burning fat, your biggest downfall will be when you start burning muscle.
-People are so obsessed with losing weight that they aren’t concerned with the consistency of the weight loss. Your main mission is to lose fat. When you lose muscle, your metabolism comes to a screeching halt. At a very quick point, your body will invoke what is known as the starvation reflex and will stop burning calories at rest. Your training should not drastically change. Your muscles have two states: they are dissolving or growing. With that being said, you train like you want them to grow. It’s a slow process and getting big and bulky is not going to happen, ladies. Training to make muscle grow will help you PRESERVE the muscle you have, will keep the metabolism high and will help you obtain that evasive toned look that is so coveted (but few people have a clue about how to actually get there). Your goal should to never allow the body enter a catabolic state. I’ve explained it a thousand times on this blog (search calorie in versus calorie out) – calorie in versus calorie out is ancient science and is not the path to follow to transform the body. Calorie in versus calorie out helps you go from a big fat person to a smaller fat person. I’m in the business of helping people transform the way they look: from flabby to outstanding…

Just because something is labeled as healthy does not mean that it is “fat loss” safe.
-I’m well aware that a banana has potassium and a host of other vitamins. I know the supposed antioxidant count in many wines. Cigarettes have traces of Vitamin C. Beer helps cleanse the kidneys. Well, bananas spike insulin, and when you’re looking to burn fat, you want to avoid that – there are VERY few times during a day that a banana should be consumed if fat loss is your primary goal. Alcohol KILLS the metabolism and is hell on the body’s fat loss from a hormonal standpoint. Understand nutrient timing. Also understand that most everything requires cost-benefit analysis: even when there are positive properties, you may be sacrificing progress, even if it is widely regarded as healthy.

Not all water is created equal.
-Water pH could be a 2000 word post, but just understand that the body should be as alkaline as possible (ph level of 7 or greater). Sub-seven puts the body in an acidic state, and being acidic is a great way to develop disease and a host of other issues. Also, higher alkaline water that is void of bs chemicals (found in most tap and many bottled waters) is much more hydrating than acidic water. My favorite? A brand called Essentia (9.5 pH, and I’ve actually read a lab report from someone completely independent). Great part? It’s less expensive than most popular brands of bottled water (Aquafina, Fiji, Dasani, etc – by the way, not one of those popular brands is anywhere near a pH of 7…)

Doing ab work does not change the way the midsection looks.
-I see personal trainers perpetuating this all of the time and I can’t say it enough. So, I’m saying it again.

The pre-workout meal is neglected by most people, even those who know better.
-Want to know a secret? The process of fat being converted to energy during weight training? It doesn’t happen. Glucose is the primary fuel for weight training, so carbs in the pre-workout meal is a must. Protein is muscle sparing as well, and it’s needed in every meal. Timing is person specific, but I prefer 60-120 minutes out. This should be your largest source (clean source) of carbohydrates of the day: ESPECIALLY IF YOUR GOAL IS TO LOSE FAT.

I wouldn’t allow most personal trainers to train my dog.
-Ok, I don’t have a dog. But the more I observe other personal trainers, the more I realize that most are completely clueless. Let me explain something: if you’ve been doing nothing for months/years, pretty much anything you do will yield some level of results. It may not be optimal, but it’ll be something. Most personal trainers have a basic amount of knowledge to capitalize on that and absolutely nothing more. References, track record, experience: get proof of their knowledge and get an idea of what they can do for you. Oh, and if they can’t tell you that you need to tighten it up a bit more and get your ass in gear? They’re worthless…

I’m glad I am not a woman in the gym…
-Ladies, I’m never surprised at the bullshit you have to put up with in a gym. It’s fascinating, but unfortunate that you can’t enjoy your workout in peace without being gawked at or stalked. Guys, leave them alone and let them workout.

Most supplements simply create expensive urine.
-That’s as basic as it gets. I am pretty direct on my supplement recommendations. I pay a lot of attention to science and breakthroughs (which contrary to what supplement companies want you to believe are rare) and few ingredients are necessary and helpful. Simply put, stop wasting your money. The benefit does not justify the cost. You’ll find that the more advanced someone has become from a fitness and nutrition standpoint, the more they understand that most things are a waste of time.

I always try to keep this place a “NO BS ZONE”, and it seems that most readers really appreciate that. If you have something else to throw out, feel free to comment!

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

As June draws to an end, it is now Summertime here in San Antonio, Texas. Of course, the holiday weekend looks as if it will be a very wet one, however, I do hope to spend some time in the sun this weekend, assuming we aren’t completely underwater!

I’ve had a few emailers ask me about my current workout split (which changes regularly to a) keep me interested, b) fit my current goals and c) optimize training and recovery considering my intense schedule.

Right now, I’m looking to simultaneously maximize muscle gain and fat loss. With that being said, I’m training legs twice per week. While my legs are my best body part, training them has affects both muscle gain and fat loss drastically, and I want to take advantage of that.

Of course, my workout revolves around free weight, compound movements.

Day 1: Legs (squats, stiff-leg dead lifts, front squats, hack squats, good morning raises, glute ham raises, etc) – light tricep work as well.
Day 2: Back/Pull Muscles (no dead lifts – pull ups, pulldowns, all row variations)
Day 3: Rest/Plyometrics
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Legs/Power workout (squats, deads, leg press, lighter on the posterior core direct work than on Day 1) – light bicep work as well
Day 6: Chest/Push Muscles (multiple variations of bench press, rotator cuff and shoulder work, triceps)
Day 7: Rest

Later on, I’ll give a sample rundown of my current nutritional strategy.

Questions/comments welcomed!

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 make no bones about it: working out with me is one of the hardest things you will ever do. It’s not easy, I hold you accountable, and while I will give credit when it is due and I will let you know when you’re making the progress that you should be, I will also let a client know when more can be done. I expect every client to hold me accountable – because I will damn sure hold them to a very high standard.

You know what? It works. I am in a position to where I can choose who I want to train. That is not arrogance: it is the culmination of hard work and a very high rate of success from my clients (and for my clients). My expectations are high, because as I have said numerous times, every client is a walking billboard for the personal training services I provide. The percentage of clients that I train on referral is extremely high, and in my opinion, that is the ultimate compliment that I can be paid.

It is my job to educate every client. Too many people are confused about too many aspects of fitness, nutrition and fat loss. Due to other personal trainers, infomercials, magazines and websites, there is way too much misinformation. It is my job to help a client distinguish what is true and what is not. If someone thinks they’ll lose fat in their midsection by doing crunches, I’m not going to say “okay, we’re doing an hour of ab work” – I’ll explain to them that ab work is done for functionality and that spot removing fat is absolutely impossible. I will not ever hesitate to tell them that it’s okay to have a bad meal once per day, no matter how many potential sessions they are able to buy. I’m judged by results. I’ve heard too many people describe their personal trainers as a “great person, but I really haven’t made too many physical changes with them”. I’m an engaging person that enjoys being around people, but the only thing that matters is client results! I want every one of my clients to become a walking encyclopedia of health, nutrition and fitness.

Do not settle. Don’t waste your time or your money on marginal results and good conversation – if you have the desire to change, then find a personal trainer that has the knowledge and the ability to motivate you to get there.

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’m enjoying a peaceful, beautiful morning. Sometime in the middle of the night, Peyton had a dream that he and Mario (from Mario Bros fame haha) were walking and Mario was caught up in a tornado and they were separated, so he came in my room to sleep. I think it has something to do with his new Super Mario pajamas that he wore last night!

I’m about to write what I think will be a really good article on nutrition. There’s a lot of confusion about eating for fat loss and eating “healthy”. The two do not always go hand in hand. Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly simple to eat healthy and lose fat, but some people tend to believe that they can consume a so-called “healthy” food at any point and it’s okay because it’s “good for you”. Timing is crucial in fat loss, and I plan to delve into that.

I know that MMA fans are shocked that Fedor was defeated last night. Not just defeated, but he tapped out in about on minute. I know that anything can happen in a fight, but a fighter that is as dominant as he supposedly is does not make that mistake, and I believe he chose not to go to the UFC because he wanted to protect himself. I’m looking forward to the match coming up on Satuday between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.

I’m finishing up my breakfast and am going to take a warm shower to loosen up a little before what I plan to be a very intense workout in about an hour. I enjoy working out on weekends because it gives me the chance to take my time, get it done early and not have to rush back to work when I’m finished.

It is going to be a scorcher in San Antonio today, so make sure you’re staying hydrated and wear sunblock! Get your food prepared for the week so you’re not caught off-guard – preparation is KEY!

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’m going to make this an “Open” weekend – I will answer absolutely any fat loss, training, nutrition, personal training, weight lifting, cardio, supplement or any other health related question you may have. You can either ask the question in the comments section below (by logging in with your Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, etc ID) or on Twitter and I’ll answer you directly, and maybe even write an entire blog post dedicated to your question.

So, now is your chance. If you’re asking a specific question for your program, please be as in-depth as possible (for example, if you want me to help you with your diet, please let me know what you’re doing right now – for obvious reasons, I’m not going to be writing workout programs and diets from scratch, but I’ll gladly
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

In my workouts, I pick an exercise that I’m going to be doing in my workout and choose to do something as close to maximum effort as I can possibly go. The exercise changes regularly, and the goal may be do a higher number of reps with a particular weight than I’ve done in a while (or have ever done) or do more weight than I’ve done for fewer reps. Yesterday, I dead lifted 635lbs. The other day, I leg pressed 1000lbs 20 times. Today, that exercise was flat db bench press… To my workout!

DB Bench Press
I’m very particular about who I do the regular bench press with during my workouts. I do not like to bug people for a spot and I don’t trust most people spotting me if I get up into the 400lb range, so today I just stuck with the db’s.

100×15
125x10x3
Hell set: 125×33 reps

I’ve never tried to see how many times I can do 125lbs but this is the biggest set of db’s my gym has. I still feel this.

Incline DB Bench
125x10x3
That one set wore me out, so this one wasn’t so intense.

Flat DB Flies
45x15x2

Hammer Strength Decline Bench Press
4 plates each side (360lbs) x 10 x 4 sets

Lateral Raises
40x12x2
45x12x2

Dips
2 sets x 20 reps

Hammer Strength Dip
360lbs x 8 reps x 3 sets

Tricep Pressdown
180lbs x 15 x 3 reps

DB Skull Crushers
30lbs x 15 x 2 reps

I was sufficiently cooked at this point, but I’m enjoying the high volume. I typically get in and out of the gym in under 50 minutes, but the last couple of weeks, I’ve been spending a bit more time lifting. I have some improvements I want to make and some goals to reach, and I’ll talk about those a bit more in a later post – lots of stuff to accomplish from a muscle gaining/fat loss point of view over the next few months. I’ll also be discussing my current nutritional strategy over the next few days.

If you don’t slow down, you’ll always go forward!

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,

Here’s next month’s segment from San Antonio Public Access’s Springtime65 show on hydration.

San Antonio Master Fitness Trainer Boyd Myers discusses the importance of hydration

A few things to remember about hydration:

-Hydration is a 24 hour process that cannot be accomplished in a few minutes.

-Most people do not drink enough water. An active individual should drink at least .5 to 1oz of water per pound of bodyweight.

-You should be regularly drinking water throughout the day – never guzzle, keep your drinking rate the same throughout the day

-Exercising in heat is DANGEROUS and DOES NOT yield any results whatsoever. I see a lot of people running during the hottest part of the day – that is dangerous and provides absolutely NO extra fat loss benefits.

-Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, meaning they force excess water from the body. If you are consuming drinks with either of these ingredients, it is important to compensate by drinking more water.

-Do not confuse being bloated for being hydrated. As a matter of fact, the best way to remove excess water from the body is to consume more water. If the body senses dehydration, it will retain water.

-There are a lot of people that buy those sweat suit exercise bags. These things remove water that your body needs and do not reduce body fat. These things are a severe health risk and are completely dangerous. Yeah, I am wearing a Hefty garbage bag in the video!

-Don’t depend solely on sports drinks – in extreme situations, their electrolyte content is beneficial, but be mindful of the caloric content.

-The best drink for hydration is simple water. Of course, there are different qualities of water, each containing different pH levels and electrolytes. If you go to my blog (www.personaltrainerinsanantonio.com) and search for Water Quality, you’ll find a list of the best bottled water brands by pH and electrolyte content.

Be safe – dehydration is dangerous and results in thousands of deaths each year. Don’t become a statistic. Remember that you are only able to lose so much fat in a given time period – you are not going to expedite that by training in intense heat.

For more information on pH levels of popular brands of water, check out this link:
Water Quality – Bottled Water pH List

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

Of course, the personal record was not MINE. I want to take a quick second and give credit to my client Matt who bench pressed an amazing 400lbs for the first time today – roughly twice his bodyweight!

To me, that’s more rewarding then setting on my own PR, and I’m very proud of what he has been able to do with both strength gain and fat loss – amazing transformation Matt, you’re incredible!

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, hope you’re having a great Tuesday. It’s already nice and warm down here in San Antonio!

As I mentioned a few posts ago, motivation fluctuates for everyone. Fortunately, I always enjoy working out, as it is not only my passion, but my profession. With that being said, I definitely have periods where the intensity may not be as high. All of my training is performed in cycles of higher and lower intensity periods to maximize progress and to minimize the chance of burning out. Burn out is a caused by a combination of factors that may be psychological or physical (injuries, hormonal). The proper training schedule is crucial to consistently make progress. I mean, you can’t make progress if you’re taking a month or two off, so it’s up to you to schedule time to recover (actively) and then get back to the grind as soon as possible. Too many people keep pushing and pushing and then hit the proverbial wall, and decide to take a few weeks off. Of course, the diet slacks and the “couple of weeks off” turns to a few months and then, all progress is lost.

I’ve absolutely murdered myself as of late in the gym! Hey, I’m feeling it and essentially, I am riding the wave. But today, I KNOW I need to relax and recuperate, so I am forcing myself to “sit this one out”. That’s tough, because I’m an active person, and right now, I am motivated to workout as much as possible – I’m completely recharged. But I also know that the body can only make so much progress, and I stimulate progress by my intense training. In this case, more would not be better.

So today is a rest day. Of course, I feel like a caged animal, but tomorrow will be welcomed as I will be training one of my favorite movements, the dead lift.

I don’t mind standing still if it means I’ll get to take 5 steps forward – of course, that’s better than taking one step backwards!

Stay motivated!

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

We all have ups and downs in motivation. Fortunately for me, my motivation is extremely high right now and it is indicative by how I am training. I always train with intensity, but the ability to keep the intensity high for a longer period of time changes just about everything.

I like to think of being a competitive bodybuilder as an extreme. I do believe, however, that the extremity of preparing for a competition transfers very well to a person looking to get to a certain level of fitness for the first time (or for the first time in a long time).

Look, getting ready for a competition is it’s own animal. I do not expect a client to jump right into something that fierce unless they are coming to me to get ready for a show. However, I do expect a very high level of discipline and accountability. I don’t put together nutritional programs for the fun of it: I do it to get my clients from point a to point b in the shortest amount of time possible.

For many people, body transformation and fat loss is a constant body of work – once one goal is reached, new ones are set and a new course of action is plotted. For others, they just want to get to a fitness level that they are satisfied with and maintain it.

I work with both groups. I have mentioned many times that it is my goal to teach you what to do so you can eventually do it with minimal assistance from me over time. Whether it is to get to a point and have me teach you how to maintain it, or how to keep making progress once your time with me is done.

I know the kind of client that I attract and I know which clients seem to avoid me like the plague. A lot of the inquiry emails I receive usually mention that they are ready to whatever it takes to get into shape. That they need someone to push them very hard, stay on them and get them to where they want to be. They kind of person that avoids me? They’re the ones that just want to casually exercise, feel a slight burn (not get sore at all), don’t want to sweat, just chat it up. Those people go to Gold’s or Lifetime, the others come to me. We’re not going to be in here doing things that look ridiculous just for the sake of looking silly – we’re doing things that get you in the condition you want to be in.

You’ve read some of my articles. You’ve watched my videos and you’ve seen that I can be a bit outrageous at times. If you follow me on Twitter, you see that I say what is on my mind and I don’t beat around the bush. But you

This is a portion of my monthly fitness segment on the Springtime65 Show on Public Access here in San Antonio. Sure, it is kind of humorous, but today I saw people wearing those ridiculous plastic suits while they sat in the sauna. I saw several people running in full sweats at 4pm. It’s 100 degrees out – that will KILL YOU. Sweating profusely does not lead to accelerated fat loss, it leads to dehydration and DEATH.

Enjoy the video – I’ll post the entire segment on hydration later!

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

To all of the fathers (and single mothers who play both roles), I want to take this time to wish you Happy Father’s Day. I believe that as a father, the holiday is everyday, as there is absolutely nothing that compares to being a daddy.

Peyton and I had a great breakfast together, and while he played in the pool, I was able to get a head start on the week and get a nice, intense workout in. The workout of the day was Push muscles (benching, shoulder work, triceps, etc) but I finished off with some calf work and then several sets of what I’ll call light box jumps, as it wasn’t scheduled to be a plyometric day – my entire posterior core is still on fire from a few days ago.

I was able to get a vid of me jumping on to a 36″ box (one guy was saying 42″, but this one is the one I’ve always called 36″ and I’m pretty sure I’m right) holding 25lb plates in each hand. Later this week, I’ll try to get a vid of me actually doing this with the bar on my shoulders (a jumping squat).

Nonetheless:

Sorry for the quality of the vid and my lack of energy, but this was more than 2 hours into an already intense workout in a very hot gym!

Now Peyton and I are going to get cleaned up for a nice, early dinner. I look at everyday I get to spend with him as a great day, and I’ve cherished absolutely every single day since he was born.

I hope everyone is enjoying this special day. I will be posting more workout related videos over the next few weeks as I start focusing on the insanity I like to train with!

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 specialize in knowing exactly what to eat, when to eat it, what exercises clients need to get the most and help them change their bodies in the shortest amount of time.

But changing the body is a bit more than these things. It’s about fixing what is broken: determining what is limiting clients, what is holding them back, and correcting the behavior that is keeping them from exceeding their goals. Many times, this behavior is obvious. However, it isn’t hard for a personal trainer to say “you have to stop eating McDonald’s every meal.” Sometimes, there’s something the client is much more emotionally attached to that will take more than just identifying to help them kick the habit. It could be drinking, smoking, or a variety of things: the fact is that a great personal trainer and life coach will not only have the courage to tell the client what they need to give up, but will also teach them how to replace the bad habit with something good.

I am not the typical personal trainer. I help you force yourself into a better body. I take great pride in having the courage to tell each client what they need to hear versus what they want to hear.

Do not settle. I become very close on a professional level with my clients. However, they do not pay me to coddle them and to tell them that the bad habits that have put them in the condition they are in when they come to me are okay.

While the client is in the gym with me for an hour at a time, I feel my sessions never end – they go from the time the client leaves until they return, because it is during those times when the change takes place: the actual time in the gym is the easy part for me – it’s making sure you do exactly what you need to do to get the most out of that time in the gym.

There are too many average and sub-par personal trainers that count reps and are only concerned about what you’re doing when you’re beside them in the gym… My job is body transformation, and that is an active, 24/7 process.

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

I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday! I had a busy start to my morning but now have a little downtime until the evening when I’ll be training for a few hours. Right now, I’m just relaxing with Peyton and preparing for a nice workout (that kid loves the kid’s area of ANY gym). We spent about an hour working on reading (for him, not me! He starts Kindergarten in August). It takes patience, but nothing like when he sounds a word out and starts gaining confidence. He’s playing with his math flash cards now (he’s a math wiz).

Tomorrow, I’ll be filming my monthly segment on San Antonio Public Access. The topic is easy: HYDRATION! Staying hydrated is so much more than consuming liquid, especially in this heat. The body is more than 70% water, and the slightest decrease in hydration will drastically affect performance. I’ll cover the importance of electrolyte balance, the effect of diuretics (alcohol and caffeine), pH of water and a few other topics that I think will be useful.

For now, I’m preparing to upgrade to the next version of WordPress (the software I use for this blog). This always makes me nervous, and I hope it goes smooth!

Hope everyone has a great Friday!

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

As I mentioned yesterday, I wanted to do a little extra sprint work to help me recover between sets. Today, I only ran at about 60% to avoid too much trauma after an intense leg workout, but I only rested 15-30 seconds between sets. Simply put? Fifteen 40 yard sprints with light rest.

Everything you do should have a purpose. Train smart! Whatever your weaknesses are, focus on improving them. This is the primary thing I focus on with my clients – every workout, every movement has a reason behind it – nothing is ever cookie cutter.

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