Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

I have to admit, I have a really bizarre phobia. I cannot as much walk into a building with a piece of antique furniture in it, period and I am completely able to determine the difference between a real piece of antique furniture and a piece that just looks like an antique.

As weird as it sounds, I actually met a client today with the same phobia. He was chatting with one of my trainers and said “I’ll tell you what creeps me out, antique furniture.”

Funny thing is, I’m in no way ashamed of this phobia. While I take it very serious (and yes, I KNOW HOW WEIRD IT IS), I am able to laugh about it.

Want to know a much more common phobia? One that seems to dominate society today more than ever? The phobia of “commitment” and “hard work”.

Fact is, more people spend time looking for shortcuts and excuses than anything else. Our lives in today’s age of technology, while in many ways have become more simple, have become overly complicated, and while we are able to do so much more with less, we have probably actually never done less, due to our many distractions.

In my several business ventures, I meet all types. I meet those who are motivated and willing to do anything as long as they have a simple opportunity. I have the same type of clients. I often get those who just need a little bit of my guidance and they’ll do whatever I ask. They’ll work their tails off and they’ll make amazing progress. These are the clients I look for. I say it up front: I do not train every client that comes into my business, and that has nothing to do with money. I want people that will get the most out of my services. Occasionally, the other type can slip through the cracks. They’ll take my guidance and try to get by doing as little as possible and still expect amazing.

What is the difference between me and a fat loss scheme? I tell clients up front: body change is hard damn work and there are no short-cuts. If a personal trainer tells you different, they are a liar. A fat loss scheme will tell you that it only takes a pill or “just minutes per day”. Don’t trust that bullshit. It takes more than good intentions – it takes action.

Life doesn’t work that way: the benefit you get from any effort is directly relational to the amount of work you put into it. Let me clarify that: it’s not about how much work you perceive or think you’re putting in – it is about how much you ACTUALLY PUT IN.

No excuses.

Do the work, reap the rewards – in the gym, in business, and in life.

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
Text BOYD to 90210 for my mobile business card!

Hey Everyone, time to give some well-earned praise!

During Lena’s first month of training, she dropped her bodyfat 7 percentage points. On a three point skin fold test, she dropped 27mm in 29 days, and her abdominal circumference (at the navel) went from 36 1/2″ to 32″, more than 1 inch per week!

So you’re busy? Lena is a NICU nurse – she works 12 hour night shifts and then stops by to train with me three days per week on her way home at 8:30 in the morning. She’s also a mother and a wife, so many times, her day just begins after she gets off work.

If you’re serious about changing your body, the decision is yours, and once the decision is made, ONLY you can stop it.

Congrats Lena – now let everyone of this blog’s readers be inspired by your progress!

Progress pics to come very soon (yes, Lena, I’m holding you to that :)

Who is going to be the next testimonial?

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
Text BOYD to 90210 for my mobile business card!

As I mentioned a few days ago, you can subscribe to my free Mobile Fitness Trainer service, where I’ll send out regular tips on training, nutrition and fitness, and also keep users updated on when I post useful information here on the blog. Again, the service is free of charge and all of your information is always safe!

Simply text the term FITNESSTRAINER to the number 90210 to get started!

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
Text BOYD to 90210 for my mobile business card!

Hey everyone,

I’d like to invite everyone to follow my clients Cheryl and Robert as they document their fitness journey – they started training with me last week and subsequently started their blog: Body By Feng Shui.

Stop by and give them your support (and offer it here in the comments) – their blog is a great motivator and a way to keep all of us accountable!

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
Text BOYD to 90210 for my mobile business card!

Hey everyone,

Free Mobile Fitness Trainer
I’m now offering a new service! If you’re interested in receiving regular tips from me on training, fat loss, and body transformation right on your mobile phone, you can simply text FitnessTrainer to the number “90210″ – this is MY service, and I’ll be sending out regular messages on training and nutrition, and also notifications of important posts on this blog to help you maximize your body transformation endeavors. Of course, it is completely free.

My Mobile Business Card
If you’re interested in my “Mobile Business Card“, simply text BOYD to the number “90210″ (yes, really). From this mobile business card, you have the option of adding my contact information to your address book. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you and I’ll never sell your information (I HOPE you know that anyway :)

If you’re interested in setting up a mobile business card for you and/or your business, feel free to send me a message and I’ll help get you up and running.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend! It was nice to relax and recover from the week I had of being under the weather. No, me being sick had nothing to do with the NCAA Basketball Tournament being on, but there were some very entertaining games, especially this weekend.

I plan on adding more body transformation friendly, low fat, and healthy recipes this week, so check back often!

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
Text BOYD to 90210 for my mobile business card!

Hey San Antonio,

Here are a few awesome healthy breakfast ideas (protein pancakes, quiche, and a breakfast quesadilla – enjoy!

Protein Pancakes

• 4 egg whites
• 1/3 cup dry oatmeal
• 1 scoop low-card protein powder
• 1/2 banana sliced

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Spray frying pan with cooking spray and cook mixture as you do regular pancakes. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon, sweetener, or sugar-free syrup. Variation: Substitute other fruits in the mixture, such as sliced strawberries, or have none at all.

Crustless Quiche

Crustless Quiche Base

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients:

6 whole eggs
8 egg whites
10 oz. cottage cheese
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Vegetable of your choice

Method:

1. Blend together eggs, whites and cottage cheese until well combined. Add salt and pepper and stir well.

2. Fill muffin cups with vegetable mixture of your choice.

3. Top with egg mixture.

4. Place in preheated 400-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until just set. If using a large baking dish, cook for about 20-30 minutes or until just set.

5. Let cool, then pop out of pan.

Can be stored in fridge for about 4-5 days.

Per portion:

Calories 183
Fat 7g
Protein 24g
Carbohydrates 4g
Dietary Fiber 0

Can be baked in:

Muffin cups lined
Muffin cups sprayed with non stick spray
Silicone muffin cups, no spray or liners
Small ramekins*
Large ramekins
Soufflé Dish
Large pie plate or cake pan
Glass baking dish
Individual mini tin dishes
Large tin dish
Large non stick sauté pan oven proof
Cast iron pan

Breakfast Quesadilla

Ingredients
2 tortilla(s), whole wheet, 8-inch
1/2 cup(s) egg substitute
1 dash(es) pepper, black ground
1 dash(es) pepper, cayenne
2 slice(s) tomato(es)
1/2c fat free Mexican Cheeses
1 slice(s) onion(s), (optional)
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Scramble egg substitute in small skillet.

2. Lay 1 tortilla on a nonstick baking sheet. Spoon cooked egg substitute on top and sprinkle with peppers. Top with tomato, cheese, and onion, if desired.

3. Add second tortilla on top. Press lightly. Bake 5 minutes, flip, and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into fourths to serve.

Yummy!

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

Arizona State University Wrestler Anthony Robles wins the NCAA Wrestling National Championship in the 135lb weight class.

I have no thoughtful analysis nor any insight on his workout regimen. All I can even assume to know about is this young man’s heart, discipline and work ethic.

I simply have one question:

WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE?

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 group training phenomenon is huge. People really enjoy the dynamic of working out in a group and being motivated by others.

I’ll be perfectly honest about something: Outside of a group larger than about two or three people? I absolutely hate group training! Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand that by offering group training, I could easily increase my income and offer my services to more people. I’ve offered several fitness boot camps over the years, and most of them have done pretty well!

But here’s the deal: regardless of what Cross Fit or commercial gyms would like you to believe, group training is not for everyone.

I routinely preach that there is no one size fits all training program. I believe in a custom approach. Although we are all humans, our backgrounds, experiences, conditions, strengths and weaknesses vary greatly from one person to another, and while what works best for Person A may work okay for Person B, it isn’t going to be the best approach. There are many differences in what will work best from one person to another.

That’s why I prefer working with individuals and groups no larger than two or three people at one time. No matter their goals and their condition, I can give each of them specific attention and ensure that what they’re doing is best for them.

I set the nutritional programs up much the same way I set up one’s training. Just as the workouts are constantly evolving and changing, so is the nutrition. As you change, regular modifications must be made to ensure that your body can continue making progress, from both a training and nutritional standpoint.

While I realize that group training is a less expensive alternative to what I do, I also understand that many people need a more personal approach to maximize progress and safety, and to ensure that they’re getting the most out of their precious time, and that’s why I decided long ago to not chase after hysteria of group training that’s popping up all over San Antonio.

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 totally understand that I don’t look like what many would consider average. And not a day goes by when someone doesn’t ask me about my fitness, training and nutritional lifestyle. It may be when I’m drinking a meal, between sets at the gym, ordering extra chicken breast with a meal, or stopping by Cost Plus Nutrition to pick up a few supplements or an energy drink.

And most of the time, for my answers, I receive a look that makes me wonder if I have suddenly grown an extra nose or another ear.

Initially, when you don’t get it, you simply don’t get it. The extra snacks during the day, constantly carrying a water bottle around, making time out of the day to absolutely torture yourself (or in many cases, paying someone else to seemingly torture you?)? It may sound a little crazy.

For me, I look at it this way: if I’m going to do it, I’m really going to do it. If I’m going to put myself through the intense workouts that I put myself through, I’m going to eat what I need to eat to get the most out of my training sessions. If I’m going to think about everything I put into my body, then I’m not going to the gym for a social gathering – I’m going in there to bust my tail and get the most out of the time I’m in there. I want to look a certain way: my body is my business and I have to ensure that I stick out in a crowd.

What’s great? I have helped so many people that once would’ve thought this lifestyle was absolutely crazy adapt to it seemingly overnight. No matter how odd it may seem when you’re an outsider, once you step into it, it really takes control of you and the difference in the way you feel and the way your body responds is really overwhelming. And the people that now live this way aren’t what the people you think live in the gym: they’re your co-workers, neighbors, people you go to church with, nurses, teachers, doctors, general contractors, and from every walk of life you can imagine.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in looking better. You’re wondering how to get the most out of the workouts. You’re probably trying to decide if you’re doing the right things when you go to the gym and if you’re heading in the right direction. For taking the time to read my words, I want to say “thank you” and invite you in to read more or to contact me and allow me to help you further, whether you’re in San Antonio or anywhere else in the world (I have online clients all over the planet!).

It isn’t one size fits all, but if you take this lifestyle for a test drive, you’ll never go back to what you view as “normal” again.

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 often asked: Am I doing enough cardio? More times than not, when someone asks me that they are usually doing too much cardio. Most people actually spend way too much time performing cardio, in turn, causing them to actually do my harm than good (decrease in lean body mass which is directly relational to a decrease in resting metabolism).

I can’t over-emphasize the importance of having a great cardiovascular system when trying to lose fat. So many people get tied up in the “fat burning ranges” for heart rate and they miss a very important point: when your heart and lungs work efficiently, you are able to more efficiently burn calories. Individuals often neglect this because they don’t want their heart beating too high which will take them out of the fat burning zone. But here’s what they’re missing: when the body burns glucose for energy (like it primarily does during intense cardio) there is an “afterburn” effect once you are finished working out where the body, in an attempt to preserve glucose, will shift to releasing adipose tissue for fuel.

It’s also to important to understand that if you become cardio-efficient, you are able to train at a higher intensity while maintaining a lower heart rate. Other effects of performing intense cardio? There’s a direct carry over to your resistance training – you recover quicker between intense sets, increasing your ability to do more in the same or less time. Also, your body becomes more efficient at buffering lactic acid (that excruciating burn you feel at the end of a set).

During a weight loss program, I feel that it is very important to focus on lower volume, higher intensity cardio at the beginning of your program to develop the cardio-vascular system. As you begin to progress, slowly increase the volume while decreasing the intensity for maximum fat burning effect. However, it is still important to train at a higher (albeit less regular) to maintain the level of conditioning you have achieved.

If you’ve only been focusing on slow-go cardio, try speeding it up for a bit. Worried about training at a high intensity? You shouldn’t: think of athletes who only train in the high intensity range: sprinters and other power athletes. Typically, they are very lean, defined and have a desirable physique, while endurance athletes often look unhealthy, frail and less desirable. This can be attributed to the afterburn effect I mentioned (it goes both ways – when you train at a low intensity, once you are finished, the body will attempt to preserve body fat by, you guessed it, tapping into muscle).

While everyone’s different, this is a typical breakdown of how I’d begin a 12 week fat loss program from a cardio standpoint:
Weeks 1-3 – 3 High intensity cardio sessions (20-30 min)
Weeks 4-6 – 2 High intensity cardio sessions (20-30 min) / 2 Moderate intensity cardio sessions (30-40 min)
Weeks 7-9 – 1 High intensity cardio session (20-30 min) / 2 Moderate intensity cardio sessions (30-40 min) / 1 low intensity cardio session (40-50 min)
Weeks 10-12 – 1 High intensity cardio session (20-30 min) / 1 moderate intensity cardio session / 2 low intensity cardio sessions

Using this set up, you develop a decent cardiovascular base at the beginning of your program, force progression and transfer over to a focus on fat burning (as the body becomes more efficient) while still maintaining a decent cardiovascular base obtained in the first weeks of the program.

Of course, this would vary person to person and depending on how their progress was, I would adjust time, number of sessions and/or frequency. Considering other factors, I may have them performing different types of sessions at different times during the day.

In body transformation, It is important to understand that resistance training is the stimulus for increasing lean body mass. When focusing on fat loss, the primary goal must be maintaining as much lean body mass as possible, due to the lost metabolism by decreasing lean body mass. Cardio is NOT the holy grail of fat loss, and doing more does not mean you are burning more fat. Remember that fat is lost in the kitchen: cardio is simply a way to stimulate the fat burning process while increasing the capacity of the cardiovascular system. From a body transformation and fat loss standpoint, there is absolutely no benefit that can come from performing excessive cardio (you simply cannot preserve lean body mass – losing lean body mass, even though you will lose WEIGHT, will lead to a higher body fat percentage and a less desirable physique).

For body transformation and fat loss, use cardio to supplement your resistance training and nutritional program, not be the basis of it.

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

Hey everyone,

I received a question on twitter about cardio and how effective it is for fat loss. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I’ll simply repost an article that I wrote a few months back.

Here’s some advice that 99.9% of the people trying to “make that change” do not want to hear: cardio is pathetic as a tool for fat loss. Period. I know, I know. “But my personal trainer told me I needed to do more and more cardio”. He was telling you that to alleviate his responsibility of actually educating you or training you. Or he simply does not know better. Or he thinks that if you lose a lot of weight initially you’ll be hooked. He isn’t looking two or three months down the road. He doesn’t care if you’re doing it the “right way”. All he cares about is this week. Well, I care about continuing progress. Body transformation is a lifestyle – a marathon. Not a sprint for the first few days. Those are the individuals that crash, burn and fail to reach their goals.

“But the charts tell me where my heart rate needs to be to burn fat”.

The body may use a little bit of fat for fuel DURING cardio, but there is absolutely NO afterburn effect (meaning your body does not burn fat at an accelerated rate post-cardio). Actually, it’s the opposite: in an attempt to preserve itself, the body switches it’s focus on preserving body fat and burning glucose.

Fat loss is a product of nutrition. Period. Abs are made in the kitchen. Want to increase your metabolism? Increase your lean body mass. That doesn’t mean gain slabs of muscle and get huge. Don’t worry – you aren’t capable of doing that. I put hours upon hours into getting massive and I’ll make you a promise: after your initial adaption period of the first 6 months of training, your body will fight you tooth and nail to put more muscle mass on. In fact, the body starts breaking itself down as we age, giving us another battle to fight – gaining muscle is by far the hardest thing to do from a training standpoint. I bench press over 600 pounds. I eat over 7000 calories per day. I gain weight at the pace that a glacier moves and that is my FOCUS! My metabolic rate is so accelerated that becoming any larger is becoming insanely difficult. So “I don’t want to get big and bulky” is a ridiculous concept.

Weight training has the opposite effect that cardio has: there is an afterburn effect – your body begins to preserve glucose and switches it’s focus to burning fat after training. Weight training stimulates an increase in lean body mass, which, in turn, increases the resting metabolic rate. Become leaner, burn more FAT calories at everything you do.

Cardio is completely overdone by 99.9% of people looking to change their bodies. If endurance is your goal, then cardio is great for you. Same can be achieved by training at a higher intensity from a standpoint of resting between sets and increasing the training volume in a given time period.

While training my last figure competitor, she was shocked at how little cardio I had her doing. She was under the impression that she needed to be doing two hours per day in the last several weeks of prep as she had done in the past. In the past, she was always an “Also ran” – in her last show, however, all she did was win every class she was in and obtain professional status as a figure competitor.

I know a lot of people, especially females, are reading this thinking that this does not apply to them, that I’m speaking about competitors and athletes – but I’m talking to everyone – those who need to lose 5lbs, 25lbs, post-natal, etc.

There’s a difference in dropping body fat (becoming lean) and “losing weight” (becoming SKINNY). Disease and sickness will make you skinny. Starvation will make you skinny. Skinny is NOT the desired result. Lean is what is desirable, and should be the focus.

Calories in versus calories out is ancient science: I use up to date science to make sure the body partitions the nutrients you intake to do what you want them to do, that it preserves what you want it to preserve (lean body mass) and that it burns what you want to get rid of (body fat). Again, I understand that a lot of people just “want to be smaller” but from a practical standpoint, that is a terrible approach. Just “losing weight” will lead to a reduction of lean body mass, bringing the metabolism to a screeching halt and causing the body to rebound in a horrible way and cause any future attempts to get rid of extra weight to become increasingly difficult.

So few people actually ever reach their fitness goals. Yet everyone seems to think they know how to get it done, and the first thing that anyone thinks of when it comes to losing weight is that they need to spend hours upon hours doing cardio.

Cardio definitely has a place, but the amount that most people need is much less than most people are trying to do. I’m not anti-cardio by any means – I simply know how to help people most efficiently transform their bodies.

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 and beyond,

While I’m the first personal trainer that will tell you that there is not a magic pill, there are simply some things that are difficult to obtain from a diet, regardless of what many doctors and medical professionals say, when you are training with intensity, the RDA is not what you use as an indicator of vitamin and mineral needs. The RDA is designed for survival, not optimal performance.

Something many personal trainers and even nutritionists do not understand is the different requirements that males and females have. Deficiencies in different minerals/nutrients cause quite contrasting issues for males and females – something that may not have an effect on a male can make a female not feel like getting out of bed. Also, since many females goals are seemingly different than most guys, trainers and nutritionists hesitate on certain recommendations.

Let me reiterate two things that are very important to understand: first off, there’s no magic pill. These recommendations are made under the assumption that you are following my nutritional guidelines and making healthy choices and exercising intensely a few times per week. Also, don’t judge your needs based on the RDA. The RDA is based on what is needed to survive. If you are training intensely, your demands are much different then someone who lives their life on a couch doing nothing.

If you’re a female looking to lose weight, add definition, recover better, rest deeper and live healthier, here are my supplement recommendations for you.

1. Branched Chain Amino Acids. Most people view this as a “get huge” supplement but that is not the case. It’s a “spare lean body mass, keep the metabolism high, force the body to turn to fat for energy, recovery” supplement. And a female adding 10-20grams of BCAAs per day will notice a marked difference in every one of those things listed in bold.

2. Probiotics. We are not what we eat, we are what we absorb, and probiotics promote the growth of the healthy bacteria in the intestines and digestive track. Digestive health is key to overall health, and probiotics are essential for optimal digestive health.

3. Iron. Many females aren’t fond of high iron foods, and iron deficiencies run high in many females. Iron’s primary function is simple: to deliver oxygen to red blood cells. In fact, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency. The most common side effect of too little iron is anemia.

4. Zinc. Essential for protein synthesis, immune system, digestion, control of diabetes, improves stress level, energy metabolism, acne and wounds healing. Also, pregnancy, hair care, eczema, weight loss, night blindness, cold, eye care, appetite loss and many other factors are included as health benefits of zinc.. Also wipes out several common cravings that females have (salt and chocolate, to be specific).

5. Fish Oil. Kind of a miracle supplement for overall health, improving insulin sensitivity (and buffering insulin from higher carbohydrate feedings), eliminating free radicals, overall heart health, reducing inflammation, suppress fat storing hormones (cortisol) and many other functions. I typically recommend a supplemental amount between 6-12g per day for most females. Yes, that is higher than the package recommends, but it is optimal.

6. Vitamin D. Osteoporosis and arthritis affects females at a much higher rate than it does males, and Vitamin D increases the body’s ability to absorb and store calcium, improving bone strength.

7. Pre-workout drinks. Most people shy away from recommending these to females but I’m not one of them. If something gives you a little jolt, improves performance and increases focus and intensity, it is beneficial. Of course, watch out for high sugar drinks and pay attention to dosage. You should not feel nauseous and jittery. Drink just enough to give you a pep. I like Redline by VPX and NoxiPro by CTD Labs (always start with a little bit, less than recommended by the manufacturer to assess tolerance!)

8. Calcium and Magnesium. I’m putting these two together, but I’m not a fan of a calcium/magnesium bland. The benefits of these minerals cannot be understated, and most people remove dairy while dieting for fat loss, causing calcium depletion. Everyone knows that calcium is important for strong bones, but when your body isn’t getting enough calcium, your body will assume you are starving it and will induce the starvation reflex, keeping body fat stored. Calcium also improves the health of the heart and colon, while also improving mood during menstrual cycles.

Magnesium improves the function of bodily nerves, muscles and bones. It also helps in protein synthesis and cellular metabolism. Magnesium is vital for sustaining the normal heart beat and is used by doctors to treat irregularity heart rhythm. Other health benefits of magnesium are osteoporosis, eclamptic seizures, sugar level, asthma, diabetes, constipation, back pain and psychiatric disorders.

9. Protein Blend. Notice I said blend. I am not an advocate of whey protein by itself – I prefer using a blend (casien, wpi, wpc, egg, etc) for the broader spectrum of amino acids and longer sustainment of delivery to the muscles. One popular brand of protein for females is Lean Dessert by BSN, as they have many amazing flavors (cinnamon roll, banana nut, caramel turtle, vanilla milkshake, etc). A blend such as ProComplete40 is also pleasing to the palate for many females and will do the trick, although it is more commonly marketed toward men. No, it will not make you put on insane amounts of muscle, lady. I’ve covered that hundreds of times here, and it just does NOT happen that way!!! Of course, serving size depends on your nutrient needs. A bonus? Most are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals.

The body is only as strong as it’s weakest link, and if you are deficient in any nutrient, mineral, vitamin or amino acid, your body will not operate optimally.

Ladies, taking supplements doesn’t mean you’re going to turn into a bodybuilder, but the right supplementation combined with the proper nutritional program and training regimen will make you lean, toned and sexy!

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,

My allergies are killing me today! Welcome home, Spring (and the green oak powder all over the cars this morning)! I’m finally upright, but it has been a struggle today.

Of course, this post isn’t really focused on my personal training business or fat loss, just a quick update on the progress of my own goal.

As I have mentioned a time or two over the last several months, I am in pursuit of a record that just a few short years ago, I would’ve considered completely unattainable, the raw bench press record (raw means doing so without the assistance of gear, such as a bench press compression shirt, etc).

My last major attempt was for 635lbs, and I did it with what I felt was ease. I’m not saying it wasn’t an all out effort, but I definitely feel like I had more in the tank. Instead of making an attempt at a few more pounds, I’m going to take a little down time and recovery from some injuries, sicknesses allergies, aches, pains, etc. Not time off, just cutting my volume down for a few weeks.

During this journey, I’ve definitely run into some physical obstacles that I personally had doubt that I’d get over. I do not have the typical build of a bench presser – while I am very “thick”, so to speak, I’m not really “round”, have long arms for my frame, and very small joints. So aside from anything else, I’ve got to pay extra special attention to staying injury free.

So for the next several weeks/months, I’m focusing on getting myself to 100% health – mentally and physically. I’m kind of exhausted and while I intend to keep this as my primary focus, I gave myself 18 months for a reason: chasing a goal like this is brutal on the mind and body, and there is a reason why the current record has stood for the last 6+ years. I mean, it’s not like anyone isn’t personally in the gym trying to get stronger!

I’m by NO means slowing down or backing off – just taking time that I had initially scheduled to allow myself to prepare for another huge attack on the weights. Kind of like an Olympian that trains to every 4th Summer – I have to wind down, recover, recharge and get ready to my next intense run. In training circles, this is known as “deloading”, and it is the point of which the body recovers, grows, and changes in response to long periods of intense training.

When will it be time to make my next intense run? I’m listening to my body on that one. While I fully intend to train with intensity and work on getting stronger, for now, recovery and health are my two primary training factors. I’m going to self-evaluate every two weeks and see where I am physically, see how I feel mentally and then determine on whether I’m ready to go insanely hardcore for 6 straight months – by that point, God willing, I should be getting pretty close to a 700lb bench, just 15lbs away from the ultimate bench press mark. Getting the mind and body ready to lift as heavy as you can is different than typical training – the mental strain to force yourself to lift as much as you can for one to three reps and to constantly improve isn’t easy, especially when you’re getting to a point of which no one has ever been! To make a few steps forward, sometimes I have to take a step back and recover.

Keep YOUR eyes on your goals – don’t let yourself be sidetracked. Whatever other people are using for excuses as to why they fail, you should use those things for reasons to succeed!

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

Happy Spring, Everyone!

I wrote this a few months ago, and wanted to repost it, as many of the questions I’ve received over the last several days have pertained to this subject!

What day invites a new beginning more than the first day of Spring? Enjoy the post!

Here’s one of my more in-depth pieces that I’ve written in a very long while that I think will benefit everyone that is remotely interested in training and working out, male or female, novice to expert.

The number of repetitions performed for a specific goal is one of the most confusing topics for most novice exercisers for a few reasons. The myth that higher reps help define a muscle or sculpt a certain body part that is regularly perpetuated by uneducated personal trainers and other sources of misinformation is a large reason for this. I’ve discussed this hundreds of times here on the blog, but to reiterate, “sculpting”, “toning”, and/or “defining” are simply the product of lowering body fat levels. No movement, weight training or otherwise, spot reduces fat from a certain area, no matter how many reps you may do of the exercise. Body fat must be removed from the entire body and without surgery (liposuction), one cannot control where the fat is lost from (crunches and Ab Ripper X do not sculpt the midsection).

In this writing, I’m going to discuss some general guidelines on rep ranges, the pathways of energy (what fuel is being used during a specific rep range) and a few exceptions to help you determine what rep range you should be training in for your specific goals. Hopefully, it will help you better understand why you perform a certain range of repetitions and maybe debunk a few myths about “getting large and bulky by lifting heavy weights” and a certain rep range being used for “sculpting and toning”.

First, it’s important to understand that simply performing a certain rep range means nothing if the load that is being used is not adequate. For example, if I refer to the 10-12 rep range, I am implying that the last 1-2 reps are near or at maximum effort. Sorry, but training is a lot more than just going through the motions.

Below are a list of goals obtained from weight training. As you will see, toning or defining a muscle is not listed. The best way to lose fat? Increase the resting metabolic rate by intense weight training and increasing lean body mass. The actual increase of muscle is a very slow process, and most people have a very low capacity for muscle growth. Read: women, you will not get big and bulky.

So what is the deal? One personal trainer says anything over 8 reps is a waste of time. The next Beach Body fad (okay, that’s a joke, so P90Xers, please don’t waste the time to send me a message unless you just want to chat :D) is 100+ rep sets. Is the holy grail of training somewhere in between? Does it matter which exercises are used for specific rep ranges?

Before I move on to specific rep schemes, I want to cover two important topics that will help you further understand the body’s response to training. Over the last 15 years, I’ve written about Energy Metabolism and the Pathways of Energy numerous times, and with good reason: understanding these principles make it easier to understand how to reach specific training objectives.

But I need to preface THOSE TWO sections with one simple question.

What is ATP?

-Without getting overly technical here and boring the everliving piss out of you, ATP is simply the molecule that stores energy in a form that can be used for muscle contractions. Energy from the body revolves around using the current ATP stores and rebuilding those stores quickly for more workload. Every human movement requires ATP. Unfortunately, the muscles are limited in how much ATP they can hold. Larger muscles are stronger muscles. Why? Because they hold more ATP!

ATP Production/Pathways of Energy
ATP/CP Energy Pathway:
-This pathway is anaerobic, meaning it requires no oxygen for energy use. Think explosive movements (one all out rep, tearing a car door off or lifting it off of someone in a panic – it happens).

Glycolytic Pathway:
-This pathway is also anaerobic. Once you’ve depleted all stored ATP, the body must breakdown carbohydrates to produce more ATP (glycolytic – think, glycogen, glucose, etc). Glycogen is stored in the muscle cells and glucose is found in the blood. See the importance of carbohydrates BEFORE training?

How effective your muscles function in this pathway is determined by several factors:
-How quickly can you get rid of lactic acid (get rid of the burn, get back to work) – increased workload leads to overload of the muscles which is stimulus for change.
-How well you can tolerate lactic acid build up. I’ve had numerous novice clients that completely lock up at the first sight, while more experienced exercisers can push through it.
-How far can you push it before the pain makes you say “to hell with this”.

Oxidative Pathway:
This is the aerobic pathway. It’s tough to understand this for some, but this is the pathway which most ATP is actually produced – it just takes much longer (which is why one cannot all out sprint for 5 minutes).

Obviously, you’re doing a bit more to build lean body mass in the other two pathways, which explains why marathoners and distance athletes typically aren’t muscular (please, don’t confuse “skinny” for “lean”. There’s a big difference). But here’s something that causes a ton of confusion: this is the only pathway in which fat can be used directly for energy. This is why many people believe that they’ll get rid of fat faster by doing cardio, and during the exercise, more carbohydrates are used as intensity as increased. When carbs become depleted at high intensity cardio? The body will tap into muscle for protein (the aminos leucine, isoleucine and valine). The effect? Lost lean body mass, slowed metabolism, less definition.

Don’t be confused: even with extreme volume lower intensity cardio, fat loss is still greatly limited, and the body has a very small window before it will look to breakdown muscle mass for energy.

Energy Metabolism
Physical activities can be based into four groups based on the energy systems (below) that are used to support these activities.

1. Strength/Power
-Energy coming from immediate ATP stores. All out, one rep effort that lasts typically no more than 3 seconds.

2. Sustained Power
-Energy coming from both ATP and available Creatine Phosphate (CP) stores. Near all out effort from 0-10 seconds.

3. Anaerobic Power-Endurance
-Energy from ATP, CP, and lactic acid. 400 meter sprint, 50 rep leg press, 100 yard swim sprint, lasts 1-2 minutes.

4. Aerobic-Endurance:
-Energy from the oxidative pathway, typically any event that lasts over 2 minutes in duration.

With this being explained, is it anymore clearer as to why I refer to P90X and circuit training as cardio based programs with minimal effect on body transformation (you’re spending most of the time in the oxidative threshold, never allowing ATP/CP stores to reload).

And without further adieu – which rep ranges are appropriate for your goals?
Training Goals/Appropriate Rep Schemes
It’s important to understand how muscle fibers are recruited – the body will attempt to use the smallest fibers when it can (slow, then intermediate, then fast twitch fibers).

Goal: Strength/Power – 1-5 reps
Optimal rep range for strength and power are lower reps, usually somewhere in the 1-5 range. As the reps increase, the capability of the load to increase strength and power begins diminishing.

Heavier weight means more muscle fibers recruited and strengthened, enabling us to place a higher degree of overload in other rep ranges, leading to greater muscle development.

Exercises that greatly benefit from training in overall strength and power rep range: compound exercises such as squat, bench press, dead lift. Due to injury risk, it is not optimal to work in this rep range on most isolation and single joint exercises.

Regardless of your overall training goal(s), a foundation of strength and power will transfer well across the spectrum in all rep ranges and training objectives.

Goal: Overall Muscular Hypertrophy (growth) 6-12 reps
The moderate rep range of 6-12 reps is probably the most commonly used rep range and for good reason, as it has many of the benefits of the higher and lower rep ranges. This rep range combines the capabilities of moderately heavy weight to increase intensity, while also allowing the individual to perform a set that lasts long enough to allow the muscle to remain under tension (and cause that lactic acid burn that so many people enjoy).

Exercises that will benefit you most during the muscular hypertrophy rep range: you’re pretty safe here with compound and most isolation exercises, but consider joint structure, tendon and ligament strength and stabilizer issues before going overly heavy with some movements (and by heavy, I mean lower reps vs higher reps).

Goal: Anaerobic Strength Endurance 12-20 reps & Aerobic Strength Endurance 20+ reps

I’ve decided to combine these two goals into one, although they’re very specific. For most guys, they’re reading this thinking “Well, I really don’t have a need to do anything over 12-15 reps, right? WRONG. These rep schemes cause massive glycogen depletion. Why do you care about that? The body compensates by forcing the muscle to hold more glycogen (the main source of fuel for muscle contraction), making the muscle become more efficient. Glycogen also buffers lactic acid – meaning you can do more before the burn becomes so severe that you have to stop.

As far as exercises, you’re safe with any group. Obviously, higher rep compound exercises are a bit more difficult (think 25 rep squats) than isolation work. You can also group cardio based work into this threshold as well.

Putting This Information To Use In Developing Your Workout
Should you be training in one rep range? I think a better question is “why limit yourself”? While I prefer to warm up with lighter weight, due to fiber recruitment and the energy pathways, it makes more sense to perform your heavy work early in your workout before transitioning to single joint/higher rep work. But don’t be afraid to experiment: I often perform 20-50 rep leg presses, 25 rep squats, 20 rep bench presses and other rep schemes to keep things fresh and offer different types of stimulus. Don’t “marry” one rep range. Your specific goals are important, but injury history and risk aside, I’ve given plenty justification to train using every rep range.

Need clarification? Feel free to leave questions or comments below!

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

Three months from now will quickly become three months ago.

July 4th will quickly go from “in a few months” to “last week”.

I know – the hill looks daunting when you’re at the bottom looking up, but the journey goes by quickly. And there are decisions to make. The training is hard. You will miss the food.

But understand this: the feeling of skipping a workout to relax will never be better than the feeling you’ll get when you get that first compliment (and you’ll have no guilt from the compliment).

No food can ever taste as good as being lean feels. Taste and comfort from eating garbage is very temporary, the satisfaction of being in shape is very sustaining.

Do not be overwhelmed – take that first step today! No matter what it takes to help you move forth with your healthy lifestyle, DO IT! I KNOW it can be daunting and tough, but it is doable: I’ve helped hundreds.

For those of you still waiting for the UFC Nutrition Analysis, I’m working on it! It’s an important post to me, so I want it perfect. I’ve been working with some new online clients, and getting their nutrition up and running takes a little extra time, because I want everything to be perfect for them. Hell, we have an interview process before we get anything laid out, but the process is well worth it.

Make the rest of your week perfect!

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