Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Just wanted to take a second to congratulate my client Lynette for finishing her first half marathon in Dallas a couple of weeks ago. We worked together to ensure that her weight training complimented her run training, to maximize recovery via both training and nutritional protocols, and to minimize loss of lean body mass. During her preparation, we made many adjustments as recovery demands increased, and we kept her recovery optimized, allowing her to continue to train with high intensity and to keep making progress.

Here’s a pic of Lynette with her “bling” (1127):

Big congrats to you, Lynette! I’m very proud of your accomplishment and I’m excited to see which goal you decide to conquer next!!!

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, the new year means a fresh start, as it is the time that the calendar starts over and when resolutions are made. But you do not have to wait until 2011 to get started. Don’t forget about December – 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

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

This is a hell of a time of year for the body! I’ve always thought it was funny how so many websites focus on how to eat on Thanksgiving and Christmas to NOT gain weight, when, truth be told, an all out eat festival is not going to do much to set you back if you act accordingly during the other 363 days in the year.

While one or two days is not enough to turn you from fabulous to flab-ulous, 6-7 weeks of eating debauchery, partying, completely foregoing the gym/exercise IS enough to make you gain a ton of weight (fat).

Bottom line, do not put off exercise and fat loss in December. Do not use the holidays as a crutch – I expect the same results out of my clients as I would expect any other time of the year, and for new clients that includes 4-6″ lost on the abdominal circumference in their first month of training and following my nutritional guidance.

I’m working on two other articles right now: one on essential fats and another on the most important exercise that EVERYONE should do, but for whatever reason, few personal trainers have their clients perform it.

Make your week 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,

I hope everyone is having a great beginning to their holiday! I’m spending it with my family without a care in the world, and it is just what I needed – rest, recover, relax and recharge! I’ve been giving a lot of thoughts to my own personal fitness goals and I’m very excited with where I am heading. I’ll definitely be discussing that in the upcoming days and weeks, and I cannot wait to share my goals with each of you, and would love to hear from you about what you are looking to achieve as the new year approaches.

I realize that my approach to fitness, nutrition and personal training is not typical. There’s no bullshit talk about calories in versus calories out. I’m against slow, go, long, boring cardio unless you are training for an endurance event (marathon, etc). My goal is simply rapid results and drastic changes in both your body and mind. Progress is the key motivator, and a small taste of what I offer is all it takes to completely hook you and put you on the proper way to getting control of what evades so many.

My focus has definitely shifted on the San Antonio Personal Trainer blog – this is the home for the serious. I know that sometimes I get outright vicious when I talk about the path that most personal trainers take their clients on. It completely pisses me off that they’re so willing to waste the client’s time, energy and allow the client to waste their hard earned money. Times are tough, and I understand that it isn’t easy to part with what you’ve worked hard to earn, and that you had damn well better see results – not waste time with things that aren’t going to get you to where you want to be.

I want to thank all of my clients and all of you that read the blog on a regular basis. This is the home for no-bullshit fitness and nutrition advice. I know that I come across as completely insane and hardcore. Well, do you know what I view as insane? To keep doing the same thing and expect different results – in fact, I think this is the top training mistake of all time – things do not mysteriously start working once they have stopped. All too often I see person after person doing the same thing and they’re all getting the same nothing out of it. Starving. Hours of cardio. Aimlessly moving with no purpose. That is the perfect way to stay exactly where you are, or even worse, lose progress. Everyday, every meal, every movement – they all have a defined purpose that ensure you are putting one foot in front of the other and are moving forward. Not spinning your wheels and wasting time. I view myself as an artist, a sculptor: you bring me the clay and I’ll provide the masterpiece. Putting faith in a novice personal trainer? A simple case of the blind leading the blind: the lack of knowledge that most personal trainers has is mind-boggling, and I’m not afraid to say that. I take great pride in being an expert of fitness, training, fat loss and nutrition.

It’s not easy – it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do. But you WILL do it, and you WILL get to where you want to be. Whether it’s by following the information on my blog or by giving me the pleasure to work with you personally. I will not lead you astray, as my track record plainly shows: whether it’s to get bikini ready, get jumpstarted and set on the right path or to compete in a fitness competition, your goal will be your reality.

I’m obsessed with your success!

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

Nothing in this world comes easy but failure. Anyone who tells you that drastically changing your body doesn’t require work is simply lying – it forces one to master their mind AND their body!

Do not settle and do not look for the easy way. There are no shortcuts – but the journey is completely worth the destination.

I hope everyone is prepared to enjoy the upcoming holiday, and use it as a time to reflect on what is important to you! For me, it’s family and those who are close to me, health and success in all I do!

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

This is also on one of the most regularly asked questions, and the answer may be a bit more important than most people think!

First thing one must understand that is glucose is the fuel that is responsible for muscle contractions (ATP — CP — Glucose). When you lift weights, you must have glucose in the body, period. When doing cardio, your body will burn up glucose before it dips into fat for energy. Reading those two statements alone makes it pretty evident why you need to do cardio first. But let’s delve a little deeper.

Doing Cardio Then Lifting
Too many people confuse warming up for cardio. A warm up is just that – increase the body’s temperature and get it ready to work. A typical warm up lasts from 5-10 minutes. So what happens when you go hardcore on cardio for 20-30 minutes and then lift? In short, you burn all glucose up, barely tap into fat stores during cardio, then force the body to tap into MUSCLE (not fat) for glucose to fuel muscle contractions. Let me reiterate – fat to glucose is a slow process that isn’t efficient enough to support a heavy set during resistance training. It simply does not work that way!!! Not only is this worse than the other way, it is actually COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE.

Lifting Then Cardio
Read my posts about pre-workout nutrition, as I explain the importance of carbohydrates and protein before you workout and why you should not weight train on an empty stomach (you don’t have glucose to fuel contractions). With that being said, weight training will do a sufficient job of using the desirable fuel (Glucose) for muscle contractions. Once you’ve completed your weight training session, it is safe to say that you are glucose depeleted, and ready for the body to get into the oxidative pathway for energy and tap into fat stores. My one recommendation would be to consider a small source of amino acids to protect muscles from being attacked for glucose (for example, 20g or so of whey protein).

I understand the convenience factor of doing cardio and weight training at the same time – the “I’m already here, right?” logic. If I had my preference for what would be optimal, I’d do cardio on non-weight training days or separated by several hours on the same day (say, at least 2-3 meals in between for recovery, replenishment and proper fueling).

I’ve mentioned before that people totally abuse cardio when they’re looking to lose fat and do way too much. Of course, people take that statement to an extreme and believe that I’m anti-cardio, and that’s simply bogus. It definitely has it’s place, but when large amounts it simply breaks down muscle at too quickly of a rate which leads to a slower resting metabolism in the long run. For body transformation, brief periods (15-30 minutes) of intense cardio is infinitely better, due to it’s muscle sparing and after-burn effects on fat (see my other cardio articles for more information on this).

Saving what muscle you already have shouldn’t only be something you try to do, it should be your PRIMARY goal – saving muscle will result in more fat lost. Burning all of your glucose prior to weight training will ultimately lead in muscle loss, worsening your shape. Trust me – I’ve seen too many people totally set themselves back by doing cardio first, and actually increase their body fat percentage.

Looking at working out from a “calories burned from fat” standpoint is like looking at the world through a straw. The amount of calories actually burned from fat is very small in the grand scheme of things. Do not view individual workouts as “calories in versus calories out” – look at progress as a set of workouts and over a period of time.

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

Question from a San Antonio reader this morning – keep them coming!

Hey Boyd,
I see a lot of personal trainers in the gym I workout at having their clients do squats on the Smith machine as opposed to doing them free weight. In fact, one of the trainers told me that it was much better for leg development than free weight squatting. I’m a 33 year old female really looking to add some definition to my legs, and of course, build a nice butt, and I know you’re a big fan of squatting. My question is should I be doing them free weight or would the Smith Machine suffice?

Thanks for the question! First, never think because you see a personal trainer having a client do something that it is proper. Squatting takes practice and a lot of supervision when a client isn’t well practiced at it, and most trainers don’t have the patience (nor the knowledge) to teach the client the proper way to squat. It’s unfortunate too, because a little extra time teaching the client early would go a long way in helping the client’s overall physical development. Squatting is real work, but it’s called working out, so it is to be expected.

The thing that drives me crazy about Smith squatting is when the trainee puts their feet way out in front of the bar – this is hell on the patella tendon. It’s slightly safer with the feet under the bar, but I’m personally against squatting with a locked/fixed bar. Go free weight.

Free weight squats are king for leg and glute development. There’s also a hidden component that most people don’t know: squats are probably the best exercise known for overall strengthening of the core as well. If someone is having trouble at a certain area of the squat (lack of flexibility, limited range of motion, aches, etc), it’s important to identify what is limiting the client and perform corrective exercises to make sure that they are able to perform the squat with full range of motion without risk of injury.

Unless a client has an injury that cannot be worked around or corrected (and these are few and far between), full range of motion, free weight squats should be a centerpiece of most any routine, no matter the training goal (fat loss, body transformation, athletic competition, etc).

If you keep squatting, the butt you’re after will arrive quickly enough!

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

Often asked question about my personal training services!

Hey Boyd,
I am fascinated with your nutritional guidance. By simply following your general guidelines here on your blog, I’ve made amazing progress towards fat loss and changing the way I look without constantly measuring and obsessing about calories like traditional dieting would lead one to believe is necessary. My question is more about your training style: I know you are a competitive bodybuilder and powerlifter, but which type of training protocol do you use most often with clients? High-Intensity Training? Westside Barbell? CrossFit? (Just Kidding).

I can honestly say that I train no two clients the same. What protocol do I use? To put it simple, I use the one that works for that specific client. Each client has different needs and capabilities, so that determines what we’re able to do. My competitive bodybuilding/powerlifting goals don’t have a great influence on how I train unless those are the goals of my clients. Of course, those clients are the exception and not the rule, and while many of the principles are similar for clients across the board, goals and condition dictate how a client will be trained.

I begin assessing weaknesses the second a client walks through the door. No two workouts are the same – I may have a 120lb female dead lifting one and a half times her bodyweight (right, Mary?) or I may have a client moving nonstop from exercise to exercise with a very short amount of rest. It depends on progress, sticking points and individual weaknesses of each client. I don’t just have people moving around to be busy for no reason. Every movement has a purpose, whether it be correcting muscular imbalances, increasing flexibility or oxidative efficiency, bringing up a lagging body part or polishing off an already strong area of the body. Of course, keeping training fresh and interesting is an important aspect as well to help the client keep mental focus and enjoy the process.

How I do I work? A client gives me their goal, and I get them there in the shortest amount of time possible with a scientific focus on training, nutrition, recovery, and supplementation, whether that goal is based on aesthetics or athletic accomplishment.

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

Another question from a regular reader on my first stage of my nutritional strategy, the Baseline Stage. I put all of my clients through this stage, typically for 2-4 weeks to get their metabolism running at an optimum level and to jump start the metabolization of fat, whether they’re just trying to burn a few pounds, get bikini ready for a vacation or compete in a fitness related show. In this post, I explain the science behind it.

Hi Boyd,
I have read on your blog that before you begin making reductions in carb and caloric intake, you induce a baselining stage. Can you explain this in more detail?

I have people with all types of nutritional habits that come to visit me, and for the most part, clients have not been doing what I will be recommending they do. Most “diets” are garbage, based on deprivation and starvation with little attention to science: they aren’t concerned with nutrient timing, micronutrient intake, and typically pay little attention to hormone control. I put clients through a “Baselining” stage in their nutritional programs to ramp up their metabolic rate to the highest point possible to increase fat metabolism to ensure that they start becoming leaner immediately. Most people are usually surprised at how much food I allow them to eat in the beginning stages to get their metabolism supercharged – and they’re also excited by the fact that the more I allow them to eat, the hungrier they become, and the quicker they begin to lose fat.

In short, this stage gives me the chance to see how different clients respond to different foods. By taking various skinfold measurements, I can determine how tolerant a client may be to specific types of carbohydrates and can immediately tell what type of carbs they need to avoid. I have some clients that can consume pasta and breads on a regular basis and continue to burn body fat, while others must rely strictly on natural carbohydrates that come directly from the earth and are unrefined. Beyond that, it also gives me a chance to set their metabolic rate a bit higher than it more than likely was before they came to me, get them used to my timing principles (when I allow certain macronutrients throughout the day based on training time and other activities), and to get them used to eating on the schedule I devise for them. Of course, the biggest change for most clients is the food selection, as I have specific reasons for each food I allow based on their nutrient needs, condition, and any deficiencies a client may have.

Once the client’s nutrition is baselined, it is very easy for me to zero in on the exact foods that they need, the proper amounts they need and the times they need them. Too many personal trainers, dieticians and nutritionists begin cutting calories immediately, while paying little attention to the person’s metabolic rate based on their food consumption, which ultimately (and quickly) drops their caloric demands to a very small quantity, inducing the starvation reflex which quickly leads to plateaus and a halt in progress. As much as most personal trainers don’t want to hear this, there are several things that the little equations for basal metabolic rate don’t account for, so developing a nutritional program is much more than doing a little bit of math based on gender, weight and approximate body fat and then reducing or adding so many calories per day based on a goal. I’m never surprised to see how few trainers and nutritionists can determine carbohydrate selection, type (neo vs paleo) and amounts based on different skinfold measurements (subscaplular, suprailac to name a couple).

Nutrition is not about deprivation – if you wake up tomorrow and decide to drastically reduce calories in and start doing a lot more activity, you’re going to quickly plateau, look the same over time, and lose motivation. Timing, food selection, and amounts all play a role based on specific activity.

Don’t guess – science and experience cannot be replaced!

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

Hey San Antonio,

I’m really focusing on answering most every common question I get, and since a lot of guys tend to ask about man boobs, I think it is time that I address the question head on.

Boyd: Although I once had a very high amount of body fat, I feel that I have lost enough to where I should not have man boobs. I’ve never used anabolic steroids, so it isn’t gynecomastia, just an issue I’ve had since puberty. Is there any hope for me, or is surgery the only way to remove them?

Man boobs (medically termed as gynecomastia, as you mentioned) is typically experienced during puberty and is a problem in which the male body will begin to produce additional estrogen and stop producing as much testosterone that is necessary for a growing male child. This would cause the mammary glands to activate and grow as if they were a girl. All males have the chemical known as estrogen in their body but they have it in much lower quantity than a woman does so it is not abnormal for this to get out of whack in one way or another. If a male is suffering from this type of condition there is little that can be done other than waiting for him to grow out of it. This typically happens within a year or two.

But for the problem to persist is, nine out of ten times, due to zinc deficiency. Actually, most people are deficient in zinc, especially those who train intensely with weights. Zinc supplementation is tricky because most of it is unable to absorb in supplement form, so the key is to increase it via nutritional intake (organic nuts, unrefined grains, quality grass-fed meat, scallops and oysters) or find a high quality, pharmaceutical grade product.

Oh, and by the way guys, want to know what else can give you man boobs? Beer – alcohol is VERY ESTROGENIC. If that isn’t enough to make you cut back, enjoy wearing a bra, guys. That’s very attractive to most women… If you were looking for a reason to reduce alcohol intake, this should be that reason, at least temporarily.

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 the personal trainers that I see in gyms all across San Antonio training each and very client the same way, you know: one leg db curls, high “skip” walks into lunges, tornado broom handle twists, 45 Swiss Ball exercises, half rep bench presses and endless ab exercises; instead of wearing the moniker “Certified Personal Fitness Trainer”, you should use the title “Professional Con Artist”. You aren’t doing anything to improve your clients’ fitness levels, transform their physique or helping them perform better. You are putting them at a very high injury risk, wasting their energy and time, and taking their money for nothing in return. Not to mention, you are bringing discredit to your career choice.

I personally don’t even classify myself or my personal trainers in the same group – there is a serious difference between fitness experts and commercial gym novice trainers.

See the difference – my track record speaks for itself.

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

Question of the day:

Hey Boyd,
For fat loss and body transformation, how much protein should one be consuming? Of course, there is the old adage of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. The US RDA is something like 55 grams per day on a 2000 calorie diet, and some websites/authors suggest 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight or more.

Thanks in advance! Love the information here on your blog.

One of the most commonly asked questions I receive is “how much protein should I consume to (get lean, gain muscle, burn fat, etc).

First and foremost, understand that the US RDA is designed based on the least amount to help you survive doing absolutely nothing. So when it comes to training and changing the body, the US Recommended Daily Allowances should not play a role in how much you consume of anything!

To determine how much one needs, that person must first understand protein on the micro scale, so please take the time to read my article “Amino Acids and Protein Synthesis In Depth.”

I’ve heard a lot of females say “I don’t like too much protein because I’m not trying to get big”. This is ridiculous and protein does not “make you big”. Readers of this blog understand that females just don’t get “big and bulky” so I’m not going to go into this. The information I’m disseminating below is for body transformation: looking better when you have little or not clothes on. That is accomplished by a reduction of body fat and improving your body fat percentage and appearance by increasing leanness, definition and tone.

The key is not to just consume worthless sources of protein that aren’t loaded with essential amino acids. Many of the proteins that vegetarians consume are incomplete proteins or are low in important aminos (especially leucine), hence their low amounts of lean body mass. Also, one of the first things I do when accessing a new client is by measuring certain skinfolds, determine the client’s sensitivity to carbohydrates. How sensitive the client is determines how many I am going to allow them to consume throughout the day.

I mention these two factors (quality of amino acid content and amount of carbohydrates consumed) because they directly determine how many grams of protein I’m going to require a client to consume. If a client is adding 30-60 grams per day of a BCAA supplement (like Scivation Xtend), the amount of protein intake will be much lower than typical because Xtend increases protein synthesis by giving the body the aminos it needs to complete the amino profile. If the client only consumes high quality protein sources, the amount that they require is also much lower.

From a carbohydrate standpoint, if I have a client that has a high tolerance to carbohydrates and is able to consume up to 60-70% of their daily caloric intake from carbohydrates, they require much less protein (per pound of bodyweight) – carbohydrate consumption spares muscle from being broke down for energy.

On average, if a client is moderately sensitive to carbs and is eating the protein sources that I recommend, they will typically consume 1 to 1.3g of protein per pounds of bodyweight. In cases where individuals have a very low tolerance to carbs and I am forced to drastically reduce their carb intake, I may take them as high as 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. The amount of carbs and protein or inversely proportional – if I recommend more carbs, I’m reducing the protein intake and vice versa.

In some cases, I may have a client that is really attempting to put more weight on (an athlete or competitor in the off season). I don’t let them do this by just eating and purging themselves with as much food as they can get. Gaining muscle is key, not getting fat, so I’m very specific with the macronutrient ratio and the amounts of food for these individuals. Of course, these clients are the exception and not the rule. Most clients I work with are looking to reduce their body fat.

With all of this being said, I don’t obsess with calories. I look at timing first and food selection second. That is the point at which I determine “how much”. If you’re trying to determine how much protein you should have, first and foremost, you need to know how sensitive your body is to carbohydrates. Once this is determined, it’s easy to figure out when you need to be consuming carbohydrates and how much you need to consume, and how much protein your body requires for maximum progress.

Just like everything, there is no one size fits all answer. I have females that are consuming 1.8 to 2.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day and they are drastically reducing their body fat. With that being said, I have other females that may only consume 1-1.2g per pound of bodyweight per day and are able to increase their lean body mass.

Everyone has a different sensitivity to carbs which is completely relational to how much protein their body requires to reach their goals.

Thanks for the question – keep them coming!

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,

This past weekend was a very big fitness related weekend here in San Antonio. Saturday was the Lackland Bodybuilding and Figure Classic while yesterday was the Rock and Roll Marathon. I work with both fitness competitors and marthoners, and I’ll tell you that both are accomplishments to be proud of. The dedication and training that go into preparing for a bodybuilding show, figure competition or a marathon isn’t the type of dedication that many people readily display on a regular basis.

But no matter how daunting either goal may seem, YOU can do it. I don’t mean tomorrow or next month: no matter what condition you’re in, they both take time and a lot of effort. I regularly train fitness competitors for 6-12 months as they prepare for figure and bodybuilding (and it works because they win). Regardless, although a goal like that may seem so far fetched for you, if you wanted it, you could do it.

Set a goal. It doesn’t have to be a competition, but set something worthy. A photo shoot. A big vacation. Something. Anything. Then take control and make it happen. Only you can stop you…

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

Hey San Antonio,

I’m going to try to do this a few times per week because I get some really great questions from readers. Often, I just use the question as motivation to write on a certain subject and this one could very well be an entire article in itself. Actually, it could be ten articles, because I don’t like giving vague answers. But in this case, I have mentioned each of these supplements numerous times here on the San Antonio Personal Trainer blog, so I can leave this one vague and allow you all to use the search function on the right hand side ;)

Boyd, if you had to name ten supplements to recommend, what would they be?

I say it often that I’m not a “depend on supplements guy”. NO supplement is worth a damn if training, nutrition and rest aren’t in order. The word supplement in itself means “in addition to a whole part” and in the case of nutritional supplements, that is especially true. With that being said, there are some decent products out there and I’ve at least dabbled in most forms of them.

A few caveats…
1. Do not try to take everything all of the time.
2. Different nutritional requirements can affect this list drastically
3. If you expect a supplement to make a difference, you’re doing everything wrong.
4. There is no such thing as a magic pill.
5. No supplement replaces proper eating and intensity.

Here are the supplements that I’d recommend (and I link to related articles that will help explain some of my choices):

-Scivation Xtend (BCAA)

-Scivation Sesamin

-EFA Lean Gold (I’m writing a huge article on essential fats right now, will be added shortly)

-A protein blend such as BSN Syntha 6 or Pro Complete 40

-If lean body mass is your primary goal, True Mass by BSN

-Redline Xtreme (high energy, caffeine drink – assess your tolerance accordingly)

-NoxiPro by CTD Labs (Pre-workout drink mix, I also stack this with NoxiVol)

-Tri-Chromium

-Vanadyl Sulfate

-Sleep/Recover supps (I like GABA, 5HTP, Tryptophan, Melatonin and Valerian Root to help me relax, get into a deep sleep quicker, and stay in a deep sleep to improve recovery function.)

I tend to gravitate toward BSN Products because they’re easy to find and reasonable here in San Antonio (I use Cost Plus Nutrition at the Vineyard, Blanco/1604).

So there you go, a few more than 10. Keep the questions coming!

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 most personal trainers and nutritionists recommend what works for them or what they’ve simply read in a book as the “next big thing”, I’m not a one size fits all personal trainer and from a Performance Nutrition standpoint, I understand the genetic and physiological differences that exist between us all.

When accessing a client and developing their nutritional requirements, there are a few tests that I use to determine how carbohydrate sensitive the client may be and which types of carbohydrates they can have the most of. With many clients that have a lot of body fat to lose, I simply measure them visibly – by where they hold body fat, I can tell how sensitive they are to carbohydrates. The subscapular skinfold is an excellent indicator of how genetically sensitive one is to carbohydrates.

Once we get to a certain level of leanness, I focus on allowing the client to consume as many carbohydrates as possible to fuel training and recovery, while still reducing body fat. The suprailiac skinfold measurement (abdominal area) is the ideal area to make this assessment. Simply put, even those that handle carbohydrates well will store body fat in the abdominal area if they are eating too much. This varies greatly between clients based on several genetic indicators – I have several clients that can continue to burn fat on as many as 500 grams of carbohydrates per day and some that gain body fat by looking at most carbohydrates. But there is no one size fits all and no rule of thumb: without laying eyes on an individual and taking these measurements, making a recommendation is completely irresponsible.

As I’ve mentioned numerous times here on the blog, one of the principles that I focus on is nutrient timing – in short, it’s having the right nutrients at the right time. I’ve also mentioned that in my nutritional philosophy, food selection and timing of intake trump “how much food” is consumed. One of the primary reasons that I focus on timing is the manipulation of insulin. If you perform a search on insulin on this site, you’ll find several articles about it’s role in metabolism, fat storage, protein synthesis, etc. The hormone is quite powerful and has both benefits and negatives. It is very anti-catabolic – after training, the body is in a “broken down” state and the hormone cortisol is very high. By spiking insulin, we suppress cortisol and allow the recovery process to begin by also promoting protein synthesis to begin repairing muscle with ingested protein. Of course, the regular over-production of insulin is the prime contributor to inducing Type II Diabetes.

When I speak of both carbohydrates, I do not imply that a carb is a carb, because the type of consumed carbohydrates is important. I have spoken about my Caveman philosophy numerous times, and my rule of thumb is simple: if a caveman didn’t have to eat, you don’t need it. No, the caveman did not have cereal, pop tarts, pastries, cakes, breads, bagels pancakes, etc (Neo Carbs). The Caveman did have grains, berries, etc (Paleo Carbs).

Simply put, if it didn’t grow from the ground or eat things that grow from the ground, you don’t need it! So when I’m talking about how sensitive one is to carbs, I’m primarily speaking about Neo carbs. Of course, there are exceptions to everything, and there are plenty of Paleo Carbs that I do limit (or eliminate): bananas, carrots, and peas to name a few.

As you can see, my approach is not one size fits all, and requires constant monitoring and regular adjustments. It varies greatly across my client base, but the results strongly support the science.

I’m tired of the one size fits all diets and the personal trainers that treat everyone the same and aren’t able to make specific determinations based on anything other than gender and body weight and what they’ve personally tried. Most haven’t a clue about the science behind nutrition and they’re simply just seeing what sticks when they throw it on the wall. That’s why everything I do is individualized. Yes, it takes more work for me, but I base my success on client success, not how many people I can work with in a day.

Every person is completely unique, and starving and spending hours on the cardio machine is not what it’s going to take to give you the drastic results you want.

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