Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

So many people in gyms. So many people “workout”. The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Personal Training is one of the most in-demand careers in America.

My one question is simple: if so many people are obviously so involved in fitness, why do so few people look like they really workout?

The answers, while as simple as the question itself, aren’t easily fixed.

-To make a drastic change in the body, one must take drastic results. It isn’t as simple as going to the gym and going through a routine of a few exercises that “target” those bodyparts you are interested in changing. I see the smae people doing the same things in the gym and it’s obvious what their thought process is: lunges, leg curls, light squats, etc – she’s trying to firm her butt and her legs. Curls, db bench press, flies? He wants bigger arms and a defined chest. Seems logical, but it takes a more full body approach, and a MUCH more scientific approach.

-What most people think of as “eating clean” isn’t very clean at all

-Working hard is more than breathing hard and sweating. WHAT your doing is just as important as your exertion.

-As humans, we seek the path of least resistance. Most people will settle for a leg press before a freeweight squat, a bench press machine to a barbell bench press. A lighter set before adding 5-10lbs and really pushing it. It’s easy to convince ourselves that we’ve “done enough”.

-Being focused for 4-5 days per week simply is not enough.

-Follow what is popular and look like the masses. We are the most obese country in the history of mankind. What the masses are doing is not working, and when you see someone on tv telling how it worked for them, look at the small print that says “Results aren’t typical”.

IF you’re going to workout, LOOK the part. It doesn’t come easy, but if you’re going to play the game, play it to win!

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,

No matter what gym you may venture into anywhere in the world, you could easily mistake any given day as National Arm Day, World Bench Press Day, International Ab Day, or something similar. No matter how often you frequent the gym, no matter how much you run or whatever else you do: if you do not squat, then you do not workout…

Many of you may be thinking you don’t want bigger legs or you are just trying to lose weight – this article is for you too – squatting is essential for fat loss!

I know: doing legs sucks, and squatting sucks more than anything else. But put temporary anguish aside and consider these things:

-The largest muscles in the body are below the waist. When you do a proper leg workout, those large muscles do the work – when large muscles work, more calories are burned.

-Large muscle groups grow the fastest. More lean body mass = a higher resting metabolic rate

-Training large muscle groups forces the body into a desirable hormonal state – In Layman’s terms, training legs causes an increase in overall muscle building and fat burning hormones.

Your legs move the weight, your lower back stabilizes the body, your arms squeeze the bar: squatting is not JUST a leg exercise – it’s a full body exercise (as is the dead lift).

Proper squatting provides even more benefits:
-Gaining strength will lead to increased lean body mass
-Squatting increases flexibility
-Regardless of what the misinformed think, proper squatting actually strengthens the knees

Now, I would guess that less than 1/4 of the people in a typical gym perform squats. Of that number, I would then say that less than 5% actually do them properly, which leads me to: “How do you squat perfectly?”

I know what a lot of personal trainers and doctors believe (I’ve heard it at least 100 times): squatting less than full range of motion is ok and will lessen the likelihood of injury. This information is completely false. While these partial squats may very well stimulate the quads, the lack of full ROM doesn’t properly activate the glutes and hamstrings, leading to muscular imbalances that greatly increase the chances of a knee injury.

First, let’s discuss unracking the bar.
-I personally like to set the bar in the power rack at about upper chest level, so that I am slightly squatting to get under the bar. I do not want to lift the bar off by going to my tip-toes or bending at my lower back.

-Position your feet directly under the bar.

-Place the bar on your upper back/mid-trapezius. Do not try to put it on the top of the shoulders or on your neck. Sounds crazy, but a lot of people hold the bar entirely too high.

-Tighten everything and lift the bar from the rack

-One step back with each leg and then you’re in position to begin.

Before you begin:
-Chest up.

-Eyes forward – do NOT look at your feet.

-Again, bar on the muscles, NOT the spine.

-Straight wrists – your back should be supporting the weight, NOT your wrists.

-Elbows back.

-Feet at proper stance (depending on the style, I prefer at least shoulder width).

-Toes OUT.

Descension:
-Knees out. If your hip flexors/groins are weak, you may have a tendency to buckle the knees. Don’t let this happen – keep them out.

-Focus on sitting. Do not let your knees go past your toes.

-Get DEEP. Your hips should drop below your knee. I know it may FEEL like it is, but have someone judge it, or better yet, video yourself. Stopping before this is basically using the knee as your “brakes” – use the muscles and the natural range of motion.

Going UP!
-Torso angle should be like this: /

-Hips and chest go up together – this is a squat, not a good morning raise

-Keep your feet flat and “Grab” the floor with your feet to activate the glutes. Do NOT shift the weight to your toes!

-Keep those knees OUT! IF you are injured, you cannot train!

I always prefer the squat/power rack and free weight squatting. Locked machines and fixed routes are not optimal for developing the full and natural ROM, and will lead to the same imbalances and injury risks listed above.

Practice makes perfect. If you cannot keep perfect form and use a full ROM, swallow your pride and lower the weight. Performing lighter, proper sets will lead to better gains than heavy, improper squats and will keep your risk of injury lower.

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:

Last week, I switched a few days around on my training and actually ran my mile Friday. After not running for several years and then running for the third time in a week, the mile was insanely difficult (I ran a fast 3/4 on Monday and a slower 1.5 on Thurs). Anyway, Friday I felt as if I was running in a foot of water. But that will change once I get conditioned to actually running again.

One other note I’d like to add is that I AM running in my Vibram Five Fingers. Not a huge deal, because I have always been a toe runner, so this changes nothing for me as far as my form.

This morning was only scheduled for a 1/2 mile. I wanted to see how close I could get to 3:15, and I actually was able to break that time and did a 3:06. I know that sounds terribly slow, but I really haven’t ran anything other than sprints in over 7 years (50lbs ago). Not bad considered I did 10 sets of heavy squats and 8 sets of heavy front squats yesterday!

Again, I am doing this for time only. I stay considerably lean and I focus on nutrition for fat loss, not added cardio (scan the blog, I discuss why personal trainers don’t understand this philosophy often). But then again, most personal trainers don’t know which ocean borders California, how many states there are in the US, nor their right from their left. Harsh, but sadly, true.

Anyway, Thursday will be my “over-reach” run where I try to improve on my pace from last week, and Saturday will be my first actual TIMED mile (since the first one). Can’t wait to see exactly where I am!

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

Hey everyone,

As I mentioned yesterday, I have decided on a goal of running a sub-five minute mile.

The key to any training goal is specificity – you have to train specifically toward that goal. Obvious, right? Well, you’d be surprised at how many people don’t get this simple concept: to become a better runner, you run (not swim or bike) and vice versa. There may be a little transfer, but training specifically for your goal is imperative. I work with a lot of people to help them prepare for marathons. Although I am not an avid runner, it requires more than “just running” and the full body approach is important. Still, remember the goal: running x distance in x time.

As a personal trainer, I run into lack of specificity often. People tell me what they want to do and what they have been doing to get there, and they are usually miles away from where they need to be from a training and a nutritional standpoint. Of course, most of the times it is due to misinformation and not knowing HOW to get from point A to point B.

There are a few things I have to work around. First and foremost, I am chasing the world record for a raw bench press, and power lifting is a priority to me. My current power lifting numbers are all considered world class, and so that can’t take a backburner if I am to remain competitive on the power lifting scene. My current training split is typically a 3-4 day split where each workout centers around either squatting, bench pressing or dead lifting. With that being said, while running is part of the picture, I’ll probably train only 3 days per week. My lifting sessions are simply brutal, so recovery is important.

Here are the first couple of weeks worth of training:
Monday:
This is my high intensity, moderate distance day. On this day, my runs will be as fast as I can possibly run for 1/2 to 3/4 mile in the morning. As I progress, I will probably add a second similar run later in the afternoon/evening, and start with 1/4-1/2 mile on the second run with the same goal.

Tuesday:
This is Squat day. With the low volume of the previous day, this is probably the most optimal day to do squatting and still be able to put a quality workout in. While my power lifting is a priority, I am prepared to scale back the volume on my squat days to allow proper recovery.

Wednesday:
This is bench day. With no lower body on this day, I’ll be ready to run on Thursday.

Thursday:
This is my distance day. Remember, I’m not running a marathon, just optimizing my mile run. I’m 245lbs, hate running, and I have my knee drained every 2-4 weeks (old military and football injuries). This day is a very light pace 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 mile run.

Friday:
Dead Lift Day! While my bench is my best lift, my dead lift is also near world record levels for my bodyweight. I also focus on upper back lifts on this day as well.

Saturday:
Time Trial Day! This is the day I determine where I am at! I’ll actually evaluate myself every other week, but I will run one mile every week and focus most on the highest pace I can maintain for the entire distance, and focus on improving that pace regularly.

Sunday:

Rest day. This is the day for recovery – mind, body and soul!

Throughout, I’ll post my nutritional strategy and changes that I make.

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

Hey everyone,

Hope this week is treating you well.

I realize that many of my readers are new to my blog and don’t know a lot about me other than the introduction and maybe they’ve watched a few of my videos and read a few of my articles. If I had to drive myself, I’d say I was very motivated and driven, to say the least.

Many of my long time readers realize that I have been chasing the raw bench press world record for the last year plus. I’m not far – within striking distance, and I am now beginning my final push to at least tie the record (715lbs) by my birthday (March 16).

But this week, I have also started another chase: I want to run a sub five minute mile.

Now, I know this isn’t world record pace or anything close, but let me give you a little background:

-I personally HATE running with a passion.

-I used to be an avid runner (I ran 10 miles every Saturday at a sub 6 minute per mile pace).

-That was 10 years ago, and my physique has drastically changed – I was in the 180lb range then, now, after several years of focusing on bodybuilding and power lifting based goals, my bodyweight stays much closer to the 240-245lb range.

-While I do mix high intensity training along with sprinting into my current regimen, my typical longer endurance cardio is on a machine (elliptical, bike, etc). I have NOT ran much over the last decade.

With that being said, I will be running 3 times per week with my one mile assessment being every other Friday to chart my progress. I am a person of metrics and love to measure to see where I am at to stay on track and to make sure I am doing what needs to be done.

Understand, I am not running as a weight loss tool. When I shed weight, I do so with manipulation of food intake and by changing up my macro-nutrient intake. This is a pure “Me Versus The Clock” scenario.

I’ll keep a training log here on the blog for those who are interested, along with my time progress, recovery and more. If you’ve read my training blogs in the past on message boards (and here on this blog when I competed in my last bodybuilding show) you’ll know that I cover nearly every aspect of what I am doing.

Oh, and of course, I will continue my power lifting training (which includes very heavy squatting, dead lifting and benching). Working my runs in to allow for optimal recovery will be tricky, but I have a great strategy where I shouldn’t suffer too much.

Help me out by cheering me on! If you have a goal you are working on, post it in the comment section!

Let’s CRUSH our goals!

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

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 San Antonio,

Just a quick snippet we took about 40 minutes into my client Joey’s workout. Joey is a martial artist and while we often train for strength, this workout was totally circuit and cross training, where we worked with the TRX Suspension System, Kettle Bells, and the ab wheel of torture.

There is no one way to skin a cat, you just have to work hard and have the proper plan of attack (like Joey) – here is about 5% of his entire workout:

All tools are on the table in my personal training studio, whether it is power lifting, Olympic weight lifting, cross training, Russian Kettle Bells or whatever it takes. No training studio has a more complete view of training than mine, I assure you.

KICK BUTT!

Boyd Myers
210.391.1454
16613 Huebner Road

THE Personal Trainer – San Antonio!

Hey everyone,

No time.

Busy with kids.

Have to work, cook, clean.

Exercise is a luxury that I just don’t have time for right now.

Eating healthy is too expensive.

All common things I hear, and no matter how legitimate they may be, they are simply EXCUSES.

The way I see it is simple:

LIFE IS TOUGH, BUT I AM TOUGHER.

If you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen, and that goes for getting into incredible shape.

While it may seem like “poor, poor, pitiful me” right now, I challenge you to read the Jimmy Graham story:

Overcoming True Adversity: Saints TE Jimmy Graham

This story has grown since the above post, and he is dominating the NFL now. As a child, he was basically dropped off at an orphanage by his mother, and beaten daily by the older children in foster care… So, your life is tough?

We all face adversity: some much more than others. But waiting for things to simply get better is insanity – same process doesn’t yield different results.

If there is something you want, it is up to you to go after it, whether it is a better body, better life, better job, more money, nicer home, etc.

You are in control of you. The difference between winners and losers? Losers wait for things to happen, winners make things happen.

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 FITNESSTRAINER to 90210 for my fat loss and body transformation tips!

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 San Antonio:

Heard a radio ad today for a chain of gyms that is using the “Want to avoid roided up guys in the gym” and playing on most people’s perceptions that most people in gyms are in amazing shape, the guys are huge and hulking and the females are all fitness models – a laughable notion that is as far from the truth as possible (most gym members are normal people just looking to stay in shape).

While my client and I were laughing at the incredible stupidity of the ad (and for the record, it is an ad for Planet Fitness, WHOM, BY THE WAY, serves pizza to its members on Fridays – yeah, real serious about your fitness), she told me that she was talking to a friend that had some questions about something her personal trainer had told her, and my client told her friend that “my trainer (me :) is an encyclopedia for fitness, you should ask him about that and see what he says”. Long story short, my client’s friend called me and asked about a few exercises her personal trainer had told her about that are designed to target belly fat.

While the average person is often led to believe that belly fat can be spot reduced by specific exercises or different foods, it does not take a “fitness expert” to know that site reduction of fat is impossible.

I decided to look up this personal trainer’s website and read about his principles, his experience, etc. Of course, it was littered with false truths, catch-phrases, and told very little about the personal trainer’s background (other than his weekend based certification). It simply proved a point that I often make: unfortunately, personal training is a career that has a very low border of entry, and to become a personal trainer simply requires a small investment. Even the most respected of “certifications” is not all that difficult to obtain – ANYONE can be a personal trainer. However, how many people can be successful at personal training and can live off of their income that they make by helping others?

I have received over 17 different certifications, a degree, have competed as a bodybuilder, have trained several figure competitors, bodybuilders, pro athletes, and individuals of all walks of life, special populations, and everyone else that falls into that spectrum. I have had my private personal training studio in San Antonio open since 2006. While I am obviously not a fly-by-night personal trainer, I must say that it is not one of those things that qualifies me as a fitness expert. Nor is it that I have been a personal trainer for over 15 years – it is a combination of all of those things. The great thing? I am educated and experienced enough to admit that the learning process is always continuing, and that being a fitness expert is not something that is obtained with a weekend course or even an in-resident program or advanced degree: it is something that is cumulative, obtained with years of doing more than simply surviving as a personal trainer.

While there are a few personal trainers that survive and do well in this business, most are unable to operate as fitness trainers for more than 12-18 months. Before you throw your money away on a novice personal trainer that is just learning the ropes, do your homework: while many gyms have personal training for $10-$20, understand that you get what you pay for, and the investment will be worth the made up time and the knowledge that your personal trainer is willing to share with you.

There IS a difference!

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,

After a great weekend, I am back and trying to make a little free time to keep my blog consistently updated. I would’ve had that time today and had a great topic on my mind today, and then my iPhone died. Good news is that the Apple Store replaced it hassle free. Bad news is that I lost every single number that I had.

I mentioned the loss of my micro-pig, Ziggy, last week. Well, a reader referred me to a reputable breeder and this weekend, my new piglet will be arriving.

This weekend was the start of the NFL football season, but more importantly, it was the 10 year anniversary of September 11, 2001. Hard to believe that it has been that long, because in many ways, it seems like yesterday. I was glad to see that the NFL didn’t overdo it, and was very tasteful with celebrations and such.

Oh yes, the TWO FOR ONE TRAINING SPECIAL IS STILL GOING – IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, LET ME KNOW AND WE WILL SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION AND HELP YOU 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

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,

The Bad
First and foremost, my prayers go out to everyone affected by the fires in San Antonio and across Texas. As someone who lost their home and all of their belongings to a fire, I can relate and would never want anyone else to ever go through that horrible event. Be safe and be smart: have your important belongings, documents, valuables, etc ready to go if you are in a danger area – do not wait until the last minute. Anything can be replaced, except life.

Speaking of which, I want to say farewell to my sweet pet, Ziggy. While I cannot post a pic from my iPad on this blog, Ziggy was my Teacup Micro-pig that passed away in his sleep from faulty breeding. I know, a PIG, but he was the smartest, most affectionate animal I had ever known, and I have been extremely bummed by his passing. I am in the market for a new micro-pig, and this time, will research breeders a little better and not fall prey to a less than reputable breeder trying to make a buck at the expense of an animal’s health.

The Good!!!

Congrats to Esperanza for her great progress in her first month of training: she lost nearly 5 inches from her abdominal circumference in only 27 days, and lowered her bodyfat by over 6%. Awesome job and I am very proud of her!

It is FINALLY FOOTBALL SEASON! Definitely the most amazing time of the year for me, and a sign that it should start cooling off in the very near future. This morning, it was only 60 degrees here in San Antonio, but should be in the 90s by the end of the day. Of course, I am always sad to see Summer go, but this year, the heat has been almost unbearable, and I will welcome Fall and hopefully, some precipitation.

Now is a great time to get serious about your fitness – the holidays are right around the corner and there is time to create a NEW BODY before Thanksgiving. If you have been contemplating starting a fat loss or body transformation program, don’t hesitate: we are ready to help!

Keep moving forward!!!

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

Hey San Antonio,

I had a client ask me yesterday about different rep schemes, so I thought I would repost one of my longer articles – enjoy!!!

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

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