Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

During a discussion with a client this morning, she told me that someone had asked her how working out with her personal trainer was going. She explained how she told them how I am quite different from other personal trainers she has had in the past at big gyms, and how much more she enjoys working out at my private training studio versus working out in the big box fitness centers.

Mission Accomplished, sort of…

I have made no bones about saying this: I am San Antonio’s foremost expert on fitness training and performance nutrition. My track record of client success, whether it is simple fat loss, sports performance, figure/fitness/bikini/bodybuilding prep, injury recovery and everything in between is unequaled in this community.

I opened Personal Fitness Revolution in 2006 for several reasons:

-Professional. I was tired of seeing personal trainers in San Antonio (and everywhere else, for that matter), train their clients incorrectly. I have 15 years of personal training experience, hold advanced degrees, and have worked with over 2000 clients that range from housewives to professional athletes. Most personal trainers are in the career field for less than one year – it is definitely a field that defines “survival of the fittest”.

-I hated the idea of anything being before progress and client success. At the large gyms, there is one concern: Sales, sales, sales. Sell them the nutrition package. Get them to sign up for a year in advance. Sell this, sell that.

-Gyms are meat-markets and social clubs, and to many, they are overwhelming. I wanted a private environment with the real essentials, without the distractions of morons posing in the mirror and the dangers of people practicing their “stunts” in the corner, putting everyone within 100 feet in danger.

-Put the “personal” in personal training. Every individual is different. I do not train any two individuals identically, because no two people are identical. Most trainers are what I call “fad” trainers, and do what the newest craze is – to hell with it actually working, it gives them the chance to “seem” cutting edge. Nothing I do is cookie cutter. What my clients do depends on a) their condition and b) improving weaknesses while maintaining strengths, and c) their goals. Not what I saw in a book or what the CrossFit studio down the street is doing (incorrectly).

-Privacy. Never more than 2-4 people training at one time. No crowds, no waits.

-No memberships. We work by appointment only, and clients get the sessions they pay for. No time limits, no hidden monthly charges.

-Holistic approach. Simple diet and exercise are do not guarantee success; rather, one must integrate a synchronized and synergistic diet and exercise program that is focused completely on one’s needs and condition.

When people call me or email me looking for the cheapest trainer, I’m not going to be that person. There is a difference between a typical personal trainer and a professional – if you’re looking for a rep counter with less than a year experience, you’ll definitely get what you pay for at other gyms, and I take it personal when people believe that all personal trainers are like the ones you see at the big gyms. When you’re ready for the best and you are serious about your goals, that is when you call me.

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 you other Fitness Fanatics elsewhere!

Had quite a few questions to tend to from the holidays, so I thought I’d do them here!

Hey Boyd,

I am a local high school senior and have committed to play Division 1 football next fall at a prestigious university. Do you work with high school athletes?

Absolutely. I work with athletes of all ages amateur and professional. The transition from high school football (even Texas high school football) to college football is drastic. It is imperative to go into conditioning program a step ahead of the competition. Quite simply, I help athletes become faster, stronger and more cardio conditioned. We focus on regular power moves to develop base strength (bench press, dead lift and squat) as well as explosive movements that transfer into the sport of choice (plyometrics, Olympic movements, etc).

Not only do I focus on the training, but on the nutrition as well to get the most out of your training and to fuel your training and recovery – unfortunately, nutrition is the weakest link in most amateur athletes repetoire. I develop an optimal nutrition and supplement regiment for every athlete.

Ok Boyd, I have tried it all – lots of cardio, less eating, etc. I thought I was doing it right until I read one of your articles from a few months back about becoming skinny fat and how doing what I am doing is only going to make me a smaller version of myself. Not so much a question but a “Dammit I should’ve listened to your advice”!

It’s never too late! Starving and excess cardio may help you look better dressed, but gaining lean body mass and proper training help you look better naked!

Boyd: Which is better? Low reps (3-6) or higher reps (12+)?

Better in what way? Kind of a general question but let me try to help you: no matter your goals, there are reasons to use absolutely every rep range. I honestly use as few as one rep (on a regular basis) and as many as 100 reps in some exercises.

It’s like having a tool box and trying to figure out which is better: a screwdriver or a hammer. You have them both, so why not use them?

Any tips for coming off of a spell with the flu?

More than tips, I have sympathy, because for more than a week, I was battling the nasty flu as well. First and foremost, get yourself some pro-biotics and replenish the good bacteria in your system (especially if you were on antibiotics). My choice is Endo-mune. Second, take a week to “get back into the groove. Your body is still probably recovering, so the worst thing you can do is decimate yourself and make your body relapse into sickness. Increase antioxidant intake (permanently). A great way to not have to recover from sickness is to not get sick. Rest more. Yeah, sounds simple, but most of us aren’t even close on the amount of rest we need. Sleep deprivation has hormonal effects on fat storage and opens us up for a multitude of sicknesses. Sleep more, get sick less, period.

I have a very long email that I am responding to about fat loss/muscle gain, and I will be posting my answer here when it is ready – I think most people will benefit from it, so check back later on.

Make today great!

Boyd Myers
Master Fitness Trainer – San Antonio
Owner, Personal Fitness Revolution
San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio

Hey everyone,

Questions were starting to pile up in my email and on Twitter, so I thought I would play a little catch up and answer a few questions here on the blog!

Boyd: Have you ever used the topical pain roll-on, BioFreeze? What are your thoughts?

Yes – I love BioFreeze. As a person that has had several breaks and injuries in my life, I am very arthritic, and sometimes it takes a few minutes during a session to work the cricks out! I typically apply BioFreeze directly to the aches/tight muscles, and let it go – the great thing? It allows me to train with intensity relatively pain free. There are several similar brands, but I like BioFreeze the absolute best.

Hey Boyd, I often see people recommend massage. Is it really helpful, or just hokie science?

Massage is a critical component of my training and recovery process – it is great to relieve pain, work out knots, increase circulation and keep the body working optimally. Of course, the right therapist is key, and when you find one, they are worth their weight in gold. I personally like to get massages every 2-3 weeks, depending on how intense I am training.

To play off of the last question, my massage therapist actually USES BioFreeze during the massage!

Hi Boyd, what are your thoughts on nutritional requirements when you are recovering from an injury?

In short, your nutritional demands are greatly increased. Injury puts the body into a stressed state, increasing the demand for quality nutrients. When I am injured or recovering from sickness, I increase antioxidant intake, BCAA intake, healthy fat intake, and the consumption of the trace minerals, giving my body the optimal environment to quickly recover. Remember – if you are hurt or sick, you cannot train optimally and make progress, so I have little time for injury or sickness.

Send more – I am always ready to answer them!

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 have been getting a lot of good questions here of late, so I thought I would do a quick Q&A!

Hey Boyd, Sorry about your pig… I know how they can become so important to us. Anyway, I feel like a pig now. I want to go all out and get my diet back in order. Any boot camp style eating tips you care to give?

Thank you for that. I miss him terribly, but I am getting another one very soon :).

While variety is the spice of life, when I need to get insanely serious, I try to limit myself drastically – I choose 4 lean meats, 4 clean, low glycemic carbs, load up on the green veggies and go from there for 2 weeks. Sure, it is tough, but I believe in challenging myself and I go ultra strict with no deviation. I pre-cook a few days worth of food, grab and go, leaving nothing to chance by having someone else prepare food. After two weeks of perfect eating, it always seems much easier to keep things tight, and the synergy of hard training and great eating really changes the body drastically.

The key is to eat enough: most people induce starvation when they try to eat clean because they simply do not eat enough. Two weeks is NOTHING – start today!!!

How is the benching?

Better than ever. Well on my way to a personal record (665 current) – I have no doubt that 14 plates (7 on each side of the bar) is coming down soon!!!

Boyd, have you ever considered opening a CrossFit studio?

Kay, you must be new to the blog ;) While I am for people doing anything versus doing nothing, I simply believe CrossFit SUCKS (I don’t mince words). No bench pressing, poor supervision, lack of proper program design, periodization, poor exercise order, etc, etc, etc. You cannot be a master of all at once. Hell, start here and you will see why I feel the way I do – welcome to the Personal Trainer in San Antonio Blog!

Hey Boyd, I have a question – I have read in your blog that you hate chicken. I do too, but not for the reasons I think you do. You see, when I eat it, it feels like it sits like a brick in my stomach. Not sure why, but I just don’t think I digest it well. I do not have this problem with red meat, oddly. Thoughts?

Actually, that is exactly why I do not eat chicken! Everyone has foods that their body simply has trouble absorbing. I have had this doctor diagnosed: my body has trouble breaking down chicken. It isn’t common, and most people have a much harder time with red meat, but if I eat 3oz of chicken, I feel like I have eaten a pound of concrete.

The key to health is digestion. Each of us has foods that work better with us for energy, absorption and assimilation, and we are all mutually exclusive. This is another reason why I like to suggest a food journal. Not just list what I eat, but to also document how I feel at certain times, how my gym performance is affected, etc – I don’t always suggest keeping such a journal 365 days per year, but for a short amount of time to see how you are responding to different types of food.

Remember: Texas is in a lot of trouble right now with wildfires, so keep the people that are being affected in your thoughts and prayers.

Keep the questions coming – YOU are the reason I keep this blog!

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,

Will we ever get a break from this heat? This is going to be kind of a random posting with no real train of thought – just had a few questions from readers that I thought I would answer!

Business Related
-I am running my two for one personal training special right now (two people train together for the price of one. Call me at 210.391.1454 for details (or email me at boyd@the-personal-trainer.com)

-Since most people would prefer to text than call, YES, you can text me questions about my personal training service: 210.391.1454 :)

-Speaking of which, text the word FITNESSTRAINER to the number 90210 for my health, fitness and fat loss tips. Your number is safe, never sold, and you can opt out of my messages at any time.

Reader questions (some not related to actual training):
Boyd: have you watched that Ninja Challenge Show – what are your thoughts?

Haha, I had heard about it and my son and I actually watched a few hours of the marathon this weekend. It looked like fun and very challenging. I would love to see the actual huge obstacle course in Japan. I suppose I could find it on YouTube!

How is the bench press world record going?

I am actually doing better than I would have hoped to be doing right now. I have some vids coming out soon, but I am way ahead of schedule. My next huge goal is a 675 bench, and I have recently adjusted my goals to do that at a lighter weight than I actually benched 650lbs! For those who are new and haven’t been following, that is completely raw bench pressing, and I am currently after the raw world record of 715lbs.

Hey Boyd: From a fitness standpoint, who is your favorite athlete?

Hmm, good question. I am a huge football fan, but to be honest, many of those guys are genetic freaks and don’t have an insane training regimen. Based on what I know about specific athletes and their training, I would have to say that UFC Fighter Georges St Pierre is the most impressive. The guy does a little bit of everything and is in incredible shape.

He is pushing his workout videos now, and I doubt he does any of that that is in the vids. He is very meticulous with his diet and his old workout vids, (weights, plyometrics, etc) were pretty impressive.

Whatever it takes!

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,

Received an interesting question from a reader via email and wanted to answer it here.

Hi Boyd,

I am a new personal trainer (also in Texas) and would like your opinion on something. I know several personal trainers that say things like “this has never changed” when discussing nutrition and training, and seem very narrow-minded and limited in their approach: they train all of their clients the same, have them all following the same nutritional strategy and have very little variation in any aspect of what they do. How much has your philosophies changed (either in part or completely) over the years and do you believe that there is only one way to skin the proverbial cat?

Unfortunately, most people look at becoming certified as the “end all, be all” of fitness and refuse to learn anything else from that point forward. Science has brought us many discoveries in training and nutrition over the years, and while there are some very basic, root principles that will remain the same, as science improves, we learn more about the different responses to different types of training and different nutritional strategies, and a good personal trainer cannot ignore it.

Of course, those old-school personal trainers will say that it is just something else with a new name, and in many cases, it is. But the truth is that some long-time believed “LAWS” have been completely decimated and proven false.

Training and nutritional science have evolved and are evolving – people are facing different challenges now from cultural, hormonal, disease based, and environmental standpoints. Athletes are under greater demand to perform and be “better”. At one point, people who worked out were considered “Weird” or “freaks”, now it is a trillion dollar industry.

Becoming a personal trainer does not mean that you have become a fitness and nutriition master: it simply means you are now able to begin training and start learning more about the science.

As far as training every client the same, that is the same thing as the guy or girl in the gym that does the same thing everyday – it is what they are comfortable with and their experience nor knowledge will allow them to venture outside their comfort zone. Again, while there are some basics that are a must to understand, there are no two exact beings in the universe, and everyone has different goals and conditions. My philosophy of improving weaknesses as a priority has not changed. I also have not wavered on intensity, focus, consistency and effort: those things are the basis of changing the body.

There is little credibility in the fitness industry. Most people are simply looking for the next easy buck, but the ones that work to master their trade while realizing that they must always look to learn are the personal trainers that will sustain.

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

Hey everyone! Hope you had a great weekend. Of course, if you are in San Antonio, you have been dealing with this intense heat – please make sure to account for that while focusing on hydration.

I have had several interesting questions asked lately, so it is time for a little Q&A session.

Hey Boyd: What do you think of Vibram’s Five Finger shoes for weightlifting?

You must know me, because they are the only shoes that I have one for the last 2 years (I mean, I try to avoid wearing regular shoes at all costs). I LOVE being barefooted, and as a power lifter, not having to exert force into a shoe padding is a great asset when it comes to lifting heavy. I actually used to lift barefoot, but most gyms frown on that. Now, there are several minimalist shoes to choose from, and I find all of them very comfortable, even if they look ridiculous.

Hi Boyd: What are your thoughts on using pot and how it affects training? (Seriously received this one haha)

Just to be clear, you do know that marijuana is illegal, right? Now that the moral/ethical dilema has been covered, I would assume that it would have an effect on VO2 capacity (and more than likely, training motivation). And nothing that induces “munchies” can be great for fat loss (I love all of my readers :)

Boyd: Which do you prefer: low fat or low carb diets?

I do not prefer either. There are cases for each, but the best approach is consistency and timing of nutrients based on need.

As humans, we natually look for the quick fix – however, extreme depletion or removal of a specific nutrient is not that fix. Of course, there are times for lower levels and amounts (relatively speaking, based on what you already eat) but eliminating either fat or carbs from the diet is an excellent way to lead to many more long term issues.

Hey Boyd: I have read you since way back in the day at MW, BB4U and several other message boards and you are a man ahead of the game! I remember you suggesting D3, CoQ10 and many other nutrients years before they became mainstream. Right now, what is the one that you would recommend that people need and are severely overlooking?

Thank you for the message – I am glad that you have found some of my recommendations useful. I am sure that you know my affinity for BCAAs and fish oils. Over the last 5 years, I have been a huge advocate of Sesamin – and the more time that passes, the more I believe in it. Benefits? Kidney and liver support, antioxidants, nutrient parititioning (it improves fat loss and muscle gain), recover, etc. I am not a supplement feind, but Sesamin has a use for absolutely everyone.

Boyd: If I were wanting to learn more about gaining strength, what authors do you recommend? When are you going to write a book on bench pressing? I have seen some of your vids: that is INSANE for anyone, and you are built like a real athlete, not a blocky bench presser!!!

Thanks (I am giggling at that). I hear that comment everyday (about not being built like a traditional powerlifter). Bench pressing is so much technique and focusing on individual areas to support an entire movement. I am a stickler for form and learning HOW to bench has a great deal with how much you can move.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the premier strength training coaches, and one of my mentors is Charles Poliquin. Google his name and read some of his Q&A from years past. He knows his stuff, speaks at a basic level, and has trained an entourage of Olympic WR holders.

A bench press book… Hmmmmm, I think about it everytime I bench or see other people benching. I seriously may put a nice eBook together on building the perfect bench press. I believe it doesn’t take a genetic freak to become at least a double your bodyweight bencher.

It is competition time – I have a lot of people asking for my assistance in competitions coming up. IF you are looking to compete in the Fall and are thinking about using my services, let me know as I do have a hard limit on the number of competitors I train at a given time. It is time consuming, and I limit myself on the number of competitors I train to give each competitor the attention they need.

PUSH YOURSELF FURTHER!!!

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

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

I’ve been getting a lot of cardio based questions lately. I totally get why: it’s warm here in Texas, and no matter how much I type, no one wants to believe that cardio is NOT the holy grail of fat loss. People want to know “HOW MUCH, WHAT TYPE, WHAT INTENSITY???”

Top training mistake? The myth that cardio is the epicenter of fat loss and that more, slow go cardio will get you lean. No, it will make you FAT by reducing your lean body mass, actually increasing your overall body fat percentage.

I’ve written a lot about cardio (see my “Getting Started” Articles). Actually, read this to get a complete understanding of why Cardio Is Not The Answer For Fat Loss.

Cardio is a very small part of fat loss. If I had to rank the factors for fat loss, I’d probably rank them in this order:

1. Proper Nutrition (increasing the metabolism, not starving)
2. Resistance Training
3. Sleep (this is key to improve the hormones that dictate fat storage)
4. Cardio (but make no mistake: NOT slow go marathon style, low intensity cardio)

You read a lot about me talking about HIIT training. There’s no one style HIIT, as it varies based on the condition of the individual doing it. HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. In short, it’s training at a varying resistance for varying amounts of time, and compared to “staying in the fat burning range heart rate”? It is superior in absolutely every way for fat loss.

Intervals With Intensity!
“All out” or even “high intensity” varies from person to person. One of my favorite styles of interval cardio is going as intense as I can for 20-30 seconds, recovering for 45-60 seconds and then going again. Now, this isn’t an all out sprint for 20-30 seconds, no matter what people want you to believe, unless you’re already in Olympic condition, you aren’t going at 100% for 30 seconds (though it may feel like it). I personally prefer the 20-30 second threshold (and I like keeping the overall duration sub 30 minutes).

In many cases, I may do 8-10 second sprints, recover in the 30 second threshold, and then repeat. Obviously, if I’m running at an 8-10 second rate, that means I’m close to my max capacity for that time – that is pretty close to an absolute top speed sprint. Since it is a bit more intense, I prefer to keep the duration of this higher intensity in the 15-20 minute range.

The key? Vary it – vary intensity, vary intervals, vary duration of overall. Stop being obsessed with the bullshit hysteria that is calories in versus calories out, I’ve debunked those theories for years. Varying the intensity in a single session forces the body to adapt by using different pathways of energy and forcing the cardiovascular system to adapt to varying resistance just as you ask the other parts of the body to adapt to weight training. Varying the duration on different days keeps the body guessing and unable to adapt to the style of training you’re doing (remember, variety is the key to body transformation and the body is very capable of adapting to nearly anything, so you have to work to confuse it).

One nice side effect of high intensity cardio? It transfers perfectly in to the weight room, allowing you to recover quicker between sets, as the training intensity is much closer related to weight training than slowly riding an elliptical machine for an hour.

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 guess I can make this an “Ask the Personal Trainer” type post, but some of the most common questions I receive are about my own personal workout program.

It’s important to understand that no two people are the same – in fact, there are many cases where I have seemingly similar clients with similar goals, yet, do to different training histories, conditions or genetic situations, train differently and are on totally different nutritional programs. It’s all about optimizing what is best for each client – it’s not just about working out, it’s about looking at where you are and figuring the best way to get there.

Since most of you that read this blog know that I am an avid powerlifter and have competed in bodybuilding in the past, my workouts are either geared toward gaining all out strength and/or increasing muscle size. I typically focus on each goal roughly two years at a time, but due to the fact that I’m closing in on the raw bench press world record, training for strength is currently my primary goal.

With that being said, I typically train with weights 3-4 days per week. Yes, that’s roughly half the week, but remember that the body changes while at rest, not during training. My workouts, in a word, are BRUTAL, so there’s no way whatsoever that I could lift more than 4 days in a week – recovery would be completely impossible. Each of my training sessions typically last between 90 minutes and 2 1/2 hours. When I am more focused on bodybuilding, my training sessions are typically 60-90 minutes in length. The reason for the contrast is that when you’re focused on all out strength, the amount of time to recover between sets to train near all out capacity is increased. In some cases, I may take 5-7 minutes between a heavy set of bench press (that’s 550-650lb neighborhood)! During a more conventional style workout (my bodybuilding training), I rarely take more than 90 seconds to 2 minutes for breaks.

The heart is the most important muscle, so I do dedicate a day or two per week to high intensity interval training cardio. This pushes the heart rate up as high as possible for a short amount of time and trains the body to drop it and recover quickly. It’s also optimal for fat loss (as I have written about numerous times).

Nutrition-wise, I eat a LOT. I try to focus on my Caveman Principles (if a caveman didn’t have it to eat, you don’t need it). I typically weigh between 238-246 pounds and I’m very lean. My metabolism is a furnace and my body demands nutrients for recovery, so my typical caloric intake is well over 6000 calories per day, and in many cases, over 8-10000 calories.

Remember, this is what I do based on my condition and my goals. I have very few clients that are able to consume anywhere near this amount of food – besides, most clients don’t share the same goals that I have!

It’s important to understand your goals (where you want to be) and your current condition and ability (where you are) – the program is simply the map you follow to get from point A to point B – this is why each journey is different for each person!

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 about which supplements I use, why, etc. If you’ve ready any of my writings about amino acids (check it out here), you understand my emphasis on the BCAAs and why it is important to ensure that your body has an adequate supply at all times, especially if losing body fat and/or increasing lean body mass are your primary goals.

Without hesitation, my favorite supplement is Scivation Xtend. Not only is it the perfect ratio of BCAAs (Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine), it actually tastes amazing (I love the lemonade and blue raspberry).

I know, I know “I already get a ton of protein”. Truth is, the metabolic effects seen from ingesting free-form amino acids are different from ingesting the same amino acids when they are in a whole protein (peptide bond). Also, Xtend contains Glutamine, Citrulline Malate, and Vitamin B6 that will give you the energy you need to maximize your training while promoting recovery at the same time.

There is NO magic pill, but without hesitation, no supplement will improve recovery and promote increases in lean body mass and body fat reduction (through increased metabolism) better than Xtend.

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

If there is one question that I can call a Frequently Asked Questions, it is these:

Which type of cardio should I perform? Should I perform cardio in a fed state or on an empty stomach? I’ve heard that on an empty stomach the body is more apt to burn fat – is this true?

First and foremost, you determine which type of cardio you need to be doing based on your goals. If your goal is to run a marathon, than you need to be pacing yourself for distance and training specifically for running.

With this being said, 95% of the people I work with on a daily basis are training for fat loss and body transformation. In this case, let me make a few points:

First, never do cardio fasted. Keeping up with “how much fat you burn during a workout” is like trying to determine how much muscle you have built during a training session. It doesn’t happen immediately, and we are more concerned with the cumulative effect of training and nutrition. With this being said, being fueled will allow you to train with more intensity and will delay the body’s production of hormones that break lean body mass down for fuel. Remember, the biggest benefit from resistance training and intense cardio is the Afterburn Effect – the body’s increased ability to burn calories at an accelerated rate after the training session has ended.

The type of cardio that is most effective for fat loss is, without a doubt, high intensity interval cardio (where you go as hard as possible for a period of time, recover, repeat). I’ve written about high intensity cardio versus slow-go cardio here (as I have addressed many of the questions in this article).

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 the number 90210 for my mobile business card!

Hey gang,

Just received a question about supplementation that I wanted to share with the blog!

Hi Boyd: I’ve read where you aren’t keen on supplementation. Why?

Let me clarify that: I’m not keen on people basing their entire program around supplementation. I’ve spoken to many people that have stated their goal and the first thing they’ve come up with is “I need to start taking _______.” That’s the wrong mindset.

Training is the stimulus for any change. It is the action. Nutrition is the combination of materials needed (and the amounts) needed to perform the change. Regardless of what supplement companies want you to believe or not, most supplements offer no more than a marginal change.

Before I ever give a client a supplement regimen, I focus on their training, nutrition and specific conditions that they may have. We’re all different, and there is no one size fits all regimen – in fact, not even close to one. Everyone has different needs and while I do my absolute best to acknowledge deficiencies before they occur, sometimes intense training, dietary deficiency, stress, sickness, allergies, colds, etc creep in and make different demands on the body. That is when we make supplemental recommendations and adjustments.

So, I hope this clarifies my stance!
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

Great question from Nathan about recommendations to help Ectomorphs (skinny) gain muscle. Every body type falls into one of three different categories, Ectomorphs, Endomorphs, and Mesomorphs. Here is a chart that provides a great example:

I get to speak from personal experience on this one, because without the lifestyle I live, I’m a VERY skinny, average guy!

How skinny?

Here’s a picture of me at 18 years old. I’m not very menacing, obviously. A cool 135lbs.

Here’s a pic of me in contest prep, more than 100lbs heavier. Needless to say, gaining muscle is possible!

It takes time, effort and consistency! Onto the question!

Love the blog. How do you feel about Crossfit style works outs for the ectomorphs? What types of routines and systems have you had the best fortune with for us skinny guys?

Nathan

Hey Nathan,

Thanks for taking the time to email – glad you like the blog!

I know, I know, I’m usually pretty hard on CrossFit. Ideally, I think Cross Training is great for establishing that basic, general level of fitness, especially for someone that hasn’t done a lot lately, but does have some sort of fitness background. The way it is designed will definitely get someone that has slipped a little back to acceptable quickly. For many individuals that fit into this category, we typically start off with different variations of cross training to get people “up to speed”, per se. It takes about 2 weeks to reach this point – after that, intermittent cross training is fine. It is not very effective as a primary method of training.

With that being said, I’d recommend that ectos stay as far away from CrossFit as possible. Ectos already burn calories at an accelerated rate, so keeping their heart pumping through a workout and working to finish as quickly as possible isn’t the ideal scenario for them.

I worked out with an old professional power lifter very early in my own training life and he had an old adage that has stuck with me: more weight on the bar, more mass on the ass. Now, I realize that not everyone in the world cares about being the strongest guy in the gym or the biggest. But the bottom line is that typically, the guys who are the strongest are the biggest.

When I train a guy that comes to me and says “I’m 135 and I want to be 200 and I’m willing to do whatever you say, let’s go” from the training perspective, we’re working like a power lifter. We’re focusing on getting him stronger in the basic lifts (rowing, benching, squatting, dead lifting, etc). BEING strong doesn’t guarantee that you are large, but GETTING strong is the most basic, primary stimulus for muscle growth. Now, how does that differ from CrossFit? The key to strength is the ability to put forth all out intensity every lift. When you’re performing your core lifts, it is very important to ensure that every set is performed at maximum ability, meaning max recovery between sets is essential (not running or jumping around to stay busy).

Also, it’s important to understand “WHY” you’re not getting stronger at particular lifts. This is another big deviation from CF – while the best way to become a better squatter is to squat, it’s also important to understand muscular imbalances and weak links and when is the best time to strengthen that weak link of the chain by singling it out. Everyone varies greatly here, so a one-size fits all approach will never work. Right now, I’m working with a guy online that I had to basically dissect his leg workout to a point of making him “learn to crawl before he could walk.” He had several muscular imbalances and weaknesses that were never going to be brought up to speed by simply performing the power movements – while we kept him squatting, his issues required him to compliment his squats and deads by performing single abductor/adductor movements, glute specific exercises and giving special attention to his posterior core. Great thing? It’s fairly easy to bring the support groups up to speed and he’ll blast through plateaus at a record pace.

The thing is, there’s ALWAYS some group or part of a movement that must be prioritized to ensure that maximum progress is made, and everyone is different here.

Aside from the specifics in training, intensity must be cycled as well – you have to have periods of low intensity to allow the body to recover. You cannot train balls to the wall forever, and CrossFit does not work that into the equation.

With all of this being said, proper nutritional intake is essential as well. If someone isn’t gaining weight, they’re not eating enough of the right stuff, PERIOD. Don’t put one in front of the other: heavy training is the stimulus for growth. Nutrition maximizes that effort.

Body type does determine what type of training one should perform – again, there IS no one size fits all program!

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

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Thanks to professional fitness model Isabelle Rochon (follow her on Twitter @fitizzy) for suggesting this blog topic. If you’d like to suggest a topic for a future blog, post it in the comments section on the Ask the Personal Trainer Page or shoot me a tweet @boydmyers!)

The key to any body transformation goal is to have the highest metabolic rate possible so that the body is burning more calories during any activity. While many people may understand this in theory, the drastic nature of humans leads us to do things that bring the metabolism to a screeching halt: years of yo-yo or starvation dieting, excessive cardio, minimal weight training, overly rapid fat loss, hard living, drinking, lack of sleep or even rebounding from a long term contest or competition prep. And although change doesn’t happen immediately, the good news is that the metabolism is repairable and can be re-stimulated and optimized.

First, let’s understand what “metabolism” is - by definition, metabolism is the sum total of all the physiological, energy-expending processes that take place in every cell of your body. As mentioned above: for fat loss and body transformation, the goal is to have this rate accelerated, so that no matter our activity (including rest), our bodies are expending more energy (calories).

Often, people will boast about their weight loss accomplishments. When someone tells me they’ve lost a ton of weight in a relatively short amount of time, the first thing that comes to my mind is “at what cost?” – the metabolism is quite adaptive, and rapid fat loss leads to a “shock” in the metabolism. Same response when someone tells me “I don’t eat a lot, maybe one or two meals per day”: this induces what is known as the “starvation” reflex, and before you know it, the body, in defense of being starved to death, starts grasping every calorie it is fed – instead of burning calories at an accelerated rate, the body holds on to everything fearing that it’s next feeding won’t be until after a prolonged period. Also, it is important to understand that fat is a more dense source of calories for the body than muscle or glucose. In an attempt to preserve itself in an emergency situation, the body will metabolize lean body mass for energy, saving the stored fat for the “inevitable emergency situation” that it senses. From a body transformation standpoint, this is obviously undesirable.

There are other signs of metabolic damage. Reached a weight loss plateau? This is another common sign.

The common approach to fixing a slowed metabolism is to just do more and consume less. Unfortunately, this further pushes the metabolism into peril. In many of my past writings, I’ve stated that ‘calories in versus calories out’ is extinct with the dinosaurs. This method pays absolutely no attention to where the body stores nutrients or where it “borrows from” when it needs fuel. It is simply only effective for WEIGHT LOSS. No matter what you believe, in 99.9% of instances, FAT LOSS is the desired result, not necessarily weight loss. Of course, there are instances where weight must be reduced (cardiac health, joint issues, etc) but there are healthier ways to lose weight than to just burn more calories than you consume.

For the metabolism to run optimally, the body has to be in perfect hormonal harmony. When we overeat, the body over-secretes many hormones that would otherwise enhance the metabolism, but due to the overeating period, the body becomes desensitized to the hormones (or ceases to produce the hormone altogether). On the other end of the spectrum, when we under-eat or fast, the body produces less of the hormones we need to keep the metabolism running optimally. Also, during periods of reduced caloric intake (and enhanced physical activity), our body produces many stress hormones, and not of least importance is cortisol – during high levels of stress (physical, emotional or psychological), over secretion of cortisol is a certain way to slam the metabolism to an absolute stop. Want all of these things compounded? Alcohol is the absolute enemy in fat loss and body transformation, as it compounds each and everyone of these issues (over-secretion of catabolic and fat storage hormones, de-sensitivity to anabolic hormones, reduced protein synthesis, unstable blood sugar levels, etc).

So now we understand WHY our metabolism slows down. Let’s examine the many different ways to improve our metabolism and how to repair metabolic damage. It is important to understand that some damage is easily repaired and happens quickly, while other, more severe damage may take more than several weeks to bring back to optimum levels.

Here are a few major points to focus on to increase metabolic rate.

Increase Meal Frequency. This is common sense, but regular feedings remind the body that it doesn’t have to hold on to everything it receives, stabilizes blood sugar, insulin production and energy levels, and reduces the likelihood of binge eating due to controlled hunger. Skipping meals, even occasionally, is a sure-fire way to induce the body’s natural “starvation reflex” (the body’s response to lesser food by stopping the metabolism in it’s tracks).

Food Selection. My motto is simple: eat things that grow from the ground, or eat things that eat things that grow from the ground. And the closer you get to it’s original state, the better you are. Refined and processed foods and created ingredients (hydrogenated oils, HFCS) are hormone killers. These are foreign substances to the body, and they do a number on insulin. Also, think organic. Many foods are pumped full of hormones that also throw the body for a loop.

Cycle Carbohydrate Intake on Different Days. I know a lot of people eat the same amount of food each and every day. This is NOT a nutritional strategy, it is a diet and will offer limited returns in progress. One of the hormones that gets little attention, yet it’s secretion and the body’s sensitivity to it completely dictates the body’s ability burn fat and increase lean body mass is Leptin. You must employ a strategy that optimizes insulin’s benefits (suppresses cortisol, anabolic) and increases sensitivity to Leptin and insulin. This is where carbohydrate cycling comes in. Refeed days are days of higher carbohydrate intake to re-stimulate Leptin production. These are not cheat days, just days of higher intake of quality carbohydates (low GI grains) are optimal for refeeds.

On the other end of the spectrum, zero carb days also serve a purpose. The key is to not overuse these days, as the goal is not ketosis – it is simply to ensure the body stays sensitive to hormones that are increased by carbohydrate intake. Timing refeed and zero carb days, in addition to normal consumption days will keep the metabolism running optimally and unable to adapt and slow.

Nutrient Timing. What you eat during a given day means very little compared to when you eat it. First and foremost, every feeding must be centered around a source of lean protein. For optimal metabolism, carbohydrates must be consumed for both fuel and replenishment, and also to suppress catabolic hormones (after the fasting of sleep and post-training). Macro breakdown for a specific day must be broken down further and focus on carbohydrate timing: carbs must be consumed first thing in the morning, pre and post-training to maximize metabolism. Also, times when carbohydrates aren’t needed for one of these purposes, they must be reduced. I suggest replacing carb sources for healthy fat selections during these feedings.

Here’s a sample of meal breakdowns for a day:

Breakfast, Pre and Post-workout:
Carbohydrates + protein

Meals that do not fall into these three categories:
Essential Fats + protein

Vegetables are welcomed at any point, but focus on green and white veggies for their antioxidant fiber levels. Veggies are not good sources of carbs for catabolic hormone suppression and energy – focus on veggies for fiber, not as carb sources.

Ensure a complete nutrient profile. Definitely one of the most overlooked aspects of nutrition. It is important to understand that different individual bodies metabolize different nutrients (minerals, vitamins, aminos) at different rates. If you’re deficient in one mineral or one amino acid, your metabolism cannot work optimally. In Layman’s Terms: the body is robbing Peter to pay Paul, and the nutrients in the body cannot be used for their intended purposes.

Train With Weights. A lot of individuals, especially women, think that weight training equates to weight gain and that cardio is the way to go for fat loss. This is obviously bogus. Weight training stimulates an increase in lean body mass, which is the basis for an increased resting metabolic rate.

Forego “Slow-Go” For Intensity. As I mention often here on the blog, intense cardio has a much better “afterburn” effect than slower cardio. Thinking in terms of “leanness”, compare a marathon runner or distance cyclist (skinny fat) to an Olympic sprinter (lean, defined). Of course, these are extreme cases, but a lesson is to be learned from this example. High intensity training may focus on glucose during the session, but quickly switches to fat burning post-training. Slower cardio, however, is the opposite: you burn a little fat during, but the body quickly switches to glucose and amino acids post-slow cardio.

Sleep. People make more excuses about not sleeping than they do about not training. Lack of sleep increases fat storage and secretion of metabolism slowing hormones. In fact, a 3 hour sleep deficit (which is quite easy to accumulate), has the same metabolic effect of overeating by up to 600 calories per day.

Focus on Recovery. Overtraining is real. It is also known as “cumulative microtrauma”. It has nothing to do with being sore. If you’re always doing intervals and loads of cardio? You’re on the fast track to overtraining. Timed rest is important, and taking time off before you feel like you need it is key. Every 10-12 weeks, it is important to take a few days off or lower the intensity greatly for a week or two. Working out everyday? This is not a badge of honor or something to be proud of- it’s a way to accumulate the hormones that destroy the metabolism. Training is the stimulus for change. The body actually changes at rest, not during training.

Stop Drinking. When I discuss alcohol with clients, I am quick to let them know that caloric intake from drinking is very secondary to the hormonal effect that alcohol has on the metabolism. Simply put, it doesn’t take much alcohol to shut your metabolism down, and stop all fat burning and muscle building progress for up to 72 hours.

Have Blood Work Done. Thyroid issues, low testosterone, high estrogen, insulin sensitivity: these things are very real. However, doing many of the things that I have listed already will correct many or these conditions (the lowered metabolism is typically due to having rates outside of optimal levels). Of course, with age, stress and hard living, some of these hormones can be completely damaged and may require doctor administered assistance in the form of hormones.

When someone tells me they have hit a plateau or that they’re having trouble getting their fat loss started, these are the things I focus on to help get them moving in the right direction. There are other minor issues, but in most cases, focusing on the aforementioned will not only repair your metabolism, but will also ensure that it is running at optimum levels. It is also important to understand that as your body composition changes, you must re-adjust intake based on your new body composition.

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