Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Wanted to answer a write in question from a reader. I run into these issues quite a bit.

Hey Boyd:

I follow you on a couple of the online forums that you participate in and I’ve always liked your direct approach. I read something that you wrote last year where you discussed that you eat more than 6000 calories each day. You’re obviously very lean and I’m thinking that you have written that you weigh between 225-235lbs. How on earth are you consuming that many calories and not putting on more weight? That is more than 20 calories per pound of body weight! Most of the so-called web experts advocate less than 12 calories per pound for maintenance and 15 calories to begin weight gain. How do you completely defy that? Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the message. Metabolism is one of those things that is completely specific to the person and to a great deal, their activity. Of course, I stand quite a bit as a trainer. I obviously expel quite a bit of calories, as many of my weight training workouts go over the 2 hour threshold (another thing that drives the internet fitness scientists crazy). But the biggest part of why I can eat so much is because I DO eat so much: the more you feed your body, the more your body will burn at rest.

For those of you that haven’t known me since I was in my teens and early twenties, I am not your typical 230-240lber. Actually, my joints are fairly small, and I’m carrying a LOT more muscle than I’m probably genetically disposed to do. In fact, 6000 calories is the absolute LEAST I eat in a day. If I drop to 6000, I’m dropping weight at a very fast pace. In most cases, I eat anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 calories.

What makes me different from most trainers is that I understand individual differences. In many ways, we are all very similar, but the key is that we are all completely different! Of my current client list, I can think of one or maybe two clients (and both are young males) that can eat the pounds per calorie that I do.

Here is the kicker though: while I have clients that start off at a low caloric need, I am always monitoring to see when they can start consuming more. The popular science is to keep reducing calories to lose fat and that is actually contrary to what needs to be done: as the person becomes leaner, their metabolism increases allowing them to consume more calories. The amount of calories has very little to do with their body weight versus how lean they are. And to continue to keep eating the same amount? Now hold on now: the second your body changes, it’s time to alter amount. I look over a lot of what people are doing to burn fat and 99% of the time they are inducing the starvation reflex and killing any chance they have of fat burning.

Honestly, the “baseline caloric intakes” are usually very flawed. My primary concerns are food selection and timing. Once I get the person eating exactly what they should when they should, the “how much” part is very easy to solve.

Actually, it’s time for me to eat now! :)

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

The biggest enemy of change is the Comfort Zone. I have the fought this enemy, and he is a formidable opponent.

Overcoming fear is tough. Most of us are completely paralyzed with fear when it comes to stepping outside of our comfort zone. While I have at least had an “athletic” appearance and have been very strong/conditioned for many years, I decided a few years ago that I wanted to be abnormally conditioned and strong. I didn’t want to be “pretty good” – I wanted to be physically different and one of the strongest men on the planet. I had become very comfortable with the way I was training and eating, but it was time to take it to another level if I was going to ever get myself to where I wanted to be.

My training sessions are brutal. No, I don’t bounce around and sweat like crazy – that is not the way I workout and is not optimal for training at the powerlifting level I train at. It’s completely the opposite: Psychologically, it is extremely difficult to get pumped up enough to lift at nearly all out strength for several sets each day for 1-3 reps. Trust me, it is emotionally straining and mentally exhausting. Not too mention, it is physical hell.

Eating is no different for me. In fact, most people usually freak out when I tell them that I’m actually dropping a little weight right now and am down to 6000 calories per day (typically, I eat anywhere from 7500 to 10000). Is that NORMAL? No. In fact, I’ve never had a client consume that much food. 99.9% of my clients do not train nor eat the way I eat – unfortunately, most personal trainers train every single client exactly the way they train because they know no other way (no matter their goals) – don’t waste your damn money on these Bozos.

What I do is done with a purpose: I want to be drastic, and drastic results require drastic measures.

It’s the same when you have been cruising along in life for a few years merely satisfied, and then decide it’s time to make a change. You have to step out of that comfort zone and do things that aren’t normal: break some habits, add some things, remove some other things. If you keep doing the same thing, you’ll keep getting the same results.

Here’s a video of my son stepping out of his comfort zone: he had a loose tooth that he wanted OUT! Of course, you can see that he isn’t comfortable, but he needed that tooth to come out because it was making it difficult to eat. Funny, but it’s the perfect case of someone stepping out of their comfort zone…

See, tooth is gone (along with 5 others :).

It’s time to step out of your comfort zone: if you want change, you have to be willing to force 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

I hope everyone had an amazing Father’s Day weekend and was able to spend time with your family! We were able to catch the new X-Men movie at the Paladium in San Antonio and I thought it was the best movie of it’s genre that I have ever seen (and my 6 year old absolutely loved it).

I am just between clients right now and am chomping at the bit to get my workout in today. I took a few days down to rest last week and allow myself to completely recover before I decided to throw myself to the wolves and turn it on and start chasing some of my big time personal goals, both physical and fiscal! Doing everything I can to inspire both with each of my businesses that I run.

I’ve cut my normally massive caloric intake back over the last several weeks to give my joints a little break as well. My body wants me to be a very skinny guy, and I typically carry way more muscle mass than my body appreciates. This morning, I was weighing in at 225, which is extremely light for me. I do not pay a lot of attention to the scale, but I usually stay in the 245 range. I will stay light for a bit, but of course, as chasing my personal power lifting goals requires, I will be adding back a little more weight in the near future.

I have a few pics I want to put up, but I am typing this on my iPad and WordPress and iPad aren’t the most integrated yet, but I am sure they will get it figured out soon.

Time for meal number 3 of this early day and to get ready to finish my morning clients. Make your week great!

Text FitnessTrainer to 90210 for fitness and nutrition related info sent right to your cell phone!

Boyd Myers
San Antonio Personal Trainer
210.391.1454

There are few things that can derail a really motivated person. They’ll wake up early to do what needs to be done, make sacrifices, stay up late, or whatever else it takes to get to where they want to go.

On the other hand, there is very little that can be done that can motivate someone who is completely unmotivated. I say “little” as a relative term. For example, for most people, it is easier to simply sit around and blame everything on circumstance. Of course, there are those who find self-motivation from anything – a perceived slight, the thought of a goal, or just by simply waking up in the morning.

There are two reasons that individuals act: to avoid pain or an unpleasant situation or to achieve comfort. Unfortunately, most people are more likely to act on the former and not the latter. Why? Because most do not like to upset their habits or their comfort zone: avoiding a situation is being reactive while achieving is being proactive. Most individuals are typically reactive or proactive: reactive gets them back into their comfort zone while proactive forces them to voluntarily come out.

The ONLY way to force someone to act is to fiind their reason WHY. As mentioned, some just WANT IT. Some do not require deep interaction or a degree in advanced pscyhology to get to: just simpy need the challenge to be put in front of them. Others require a specific goal or set of goals. Further, they need to get past the fear of failure and realize that they are going to be able to achieve their objective.

Whether it is in fitness, your professional life, relationoships, or anything else, ask yourself “WHY?” Find what it is that will drive you to get to be where you want to be. First and foremost, that reason has to be internal – of course, living longer and healthier to see your kids grow up and being more physically desirable are fine, but ultimately, the reason has to completely come from within.

Once the desitnation is determined and the motivation is discovered, take that first step and let nothing stand in your way.

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,

Summer is here, and it is never too late to get in shape – 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

Is it possible to get ripped without eating perfect?

Is it possible to bench press 500lbs if I only workout 2 times per week?

Is it possible to lose 30lbs in a week?

Is it possible to _________ ?

I get these questions all the time.

Allllllways looking for a shortcut.

My answer?

It is possible to win the lottery and get struck by lightning twice. It’s possible to strike oil and find a gold mine shaft in your yard.

Stop looking for a shortcut. It takes discipline and hard work to reach your physical goals. It isn’t impossible, but it isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would look amazing.

Do the work: get the benefits. Don’t guess, don’t hope.

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,

By far, the most common reason I hear about why people don’t exercise and change their life is that they don’t have time. Ironically, we all have the same 24 hours in a day, and we all have responsibilities, obligations, jobs, families, and more. Of course, some have more than others, but the fact of the matter is that priorities always get taken care of.

That leads me to this thought: When something becomes important enough, you will make time to take care of it.

In fat loss and body transformation, nothing could be more true. Many people want to look or feel a certain way, yet, they don’t have a real “WHY” leading them to the decision point. They can say they want it, but when faced with the challenge of actually doing it, it is easier to defer and put it off until they have more time.

Unfortunately, you’ll never “find” time. You’ll wait forever and keep hiding behind the same reasons that never allowed you to take those first steps.

I’ve worked with many and helped many people transform their lives. Before they took that first step, they didn’t FIND the time, they made it. They reached the tipping point of which they decided they wanted to change their bodies and their lives, and get into the best shape of their lives.

Instead of waiting for time, make body transformation a priority. You do not have to over-analyze it and become a PhD in nutrition and physiology – just have to take that first step.

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,

If you ask anyone what the three most important movements for any workout program are, more than likely, the squat will make nearly everyone’s list, as well it should: few exercises recruit so many muscle fibers and place emphasis on so many areas of the body (including the core).

Sadly, you can walk into most any gym across America and it seems that there are fewer and fewer people doing the squat. One reason is that most people are simply intimidated by it. Of course, much of that comes from not understanding proper form.

The key to perfecting the form is to perform the lift. And by squatting, I mean freeweight, barbell squats: NOT FIXED SMITH MACHINE SQUATS.

How do you perform a perfect squat?

-At the bottom, the back slightly arched (NOT ROUNDED) bend at the hips slightly forward (NEVER at the back)

-bend at the hips slightly forward (NEVER at the back).

-chest forward, (should not be concave) – keep the shoulders back

-head up, your spine will follow your eyes, so pick a spot and keep your eyes locked on it

-Foot/stance width varies (shoulder width or a bit wider).

-Hips, knees, and ankles stay aligned, and try to keep the knees from going pass the toes (obviously, leg length varies). Toes slightly turned outward, with the feet at approximately a 30 degree angle

-Keep your butt down, buried, but focusing on keeping the back straight.

There are few body structures that have great difficulty squatting. I would not recommend abandoning all forms of the squat altogether. Practice with different stances (much wider or narrower), and using different variations of the squat (hack squat, zercher squat, front squat and dumbbell squat).

There is a reason that the squat is called the king of all exercises, and is extremely important to overall body development.

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 give many of the readers of this blog credit: you do your homework! Over the last year, I’ve probably been asked more than 20 times about some of my old Hormone Peaking Programs, where we cycle and combine different types of training and nutrition days (high rep, low carb, fasting, splurging, power days, interval days, etc). Basically, each day is designed to manipulate the body’s natural ability to produce the hormones we need to maximize body change.

While I haven’t written one of these 21 or 28 day programs in quite a while, I do use many of these philosophies in most of my writings, but not condensed to a short period.

Well, today a reader asked if I’d be interested in offering the “Ultimate Jumpstart” to body transformation – a 3-4 week program to help people get started AND see massive results. While I’m very adamant that there’s nothing that you can do that is going to DRASTICALLY change the body in such a short period, maybe there are several of you that are almost there and they want to peak by July OR maybe several just want to take that first step, and seeing real results for the first time would actually help you get that start you want.

Whatever the reason, I’m with you! My mind has changed over the years as I have progressed in my knowledge of training and nutrition. Of course, everyone is different and there’s no one-size fits all program, but I’ll give you guys some broad guidelines and let’s see if we can have a little fun with it. Hell, it’ll keep me in practice for writing to the masses.

So give me a day or so to write it up and I’ll focus on getting it posted before the weekend. I don’t want to just slop something together – I’d live to give it as much thought and be able to explain exactly why we’re doing what.

Stay tuned – ladies and gentlemen, let’s look our best this summer!

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