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 everyone,

I want to take a few seconds and congratulate Rachel S. on her decision to compete in the NPC Texas State Natural Bodybuilding/Bikini Championships on November 19, 2011 in Austin, TX. She took the first step on her journey today and I cannot wait to post her progress pictures over the next 17+ weeks as she works her way into competition shape.

Competing is NOT easy: there is a reason why so few people do it. The amount of discipline, physical and psychological effort, and sacrifice that it requires is not for the weak-minded. On top of that, just reaching stage is not enough: WE fully intend on winning her division (I say “WE” because I will be with her every step of the way!).

I know, 113 days seems like an eternity, but in the blink of the eye, it will be half that, and then inside a month, and then prep week – and during the entire cycle, I fully intend on keeping the readers of this blog informed on her progress, all the way through comp night when she is holding her trophy on stage.

Get ready for Rachel, everyone!

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,

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

Protein Pancakes

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

Instructions:

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

Crustless Quiche

Crustless Quiche Base

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients:

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

Method:

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

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

3. Top with egg mixture.

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

5. Let cool, then pop out of pan.

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

Per portion:

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

Can be baked in:

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

Breakfast Quesadilla

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

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

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

Yummy!

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

Hey Everyone,

Meet my new client Renee. She has decided to utilize my services as she prepares to compete in the NPC Europa Super Show on August 13 in Dallas. This show is 2 shows in one, and consists of the amateur portion that she will compete in, along with a IFBB show the same evening. Ironically, that date is exactly 5 months from today, and Renee is out having her “last supper” as I type this. :) It goes without saying that this is one of the premier figure/bodybuilding shows in Texas.

I’ll be discussing her training and tracking her progress here on the blog over the next few months, so if you’re interested in fitness related competitions (bodybuilding, figure, fitness, etc) then stay tuned – most people are shocked at the amount of time and preparation that goes into getting ready for that one day on stage. My track record with competitors is very good, and I’ve helped several win their competitions and several more have obtained professional status while working with me.

It’s important to understand that every person is COMPLETELY different, and no two people respond the same way to nutrition and training. I enjoy training competitors, as it is the ultimate test of what I do and validation of my experience and knowledge.

It’s Sunday, San Antonio! Make your week amazing!

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 weekend, my close friend Brian Hart won overall in the Men’s Bodybuilding at the 2011 Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. With this win, Brian is now qualified to compete in the NPC Nationals – WHEN he wins there, he will be an IFBB Professional Bodybuilder (the ones you see on the magazines). The really great thing about it? THIS was the first show that he’s ever competed in!

Brian and I met at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq in 2005 (of course, we met at the base gym!)

I’m very proud of you, Brian, and I know that you’ll go as far as you want to go. I told you throughout prep that I had no doubts that you were going to win. Savor your victory, as it speaks volume about you as a person and motivates so many that see what hard work and dedication can deliver.

Next stop: PRO! Fans of bodybuilding, make sure you remember Brian’s name!

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,

Received a question in the comments of the blog today from a service member in Iraq:

Hey Boyd, love your blog. Currently I’m deployed in Iraq my buddies and I love to read it daily just for the motivation!

Thanks in advance!!! – Dave

Hey Dave,

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to read my blog for whatever reason! I know you guys are busy over there and appreciate everything you’re doing to keep America great. As I’ve mentioned numerous times, I was in the Air Force and spent quite a bit of time in the Middle East (including Iraq). Hope you guys are able to get some great workouts in, as I know there isn’t always a whole lot else to do over there! So, THANK YOU FOR SERVING!

Now, on to DCT. For those who don’t know, DoggCrapp is a training program created by a guy in California named Daunte Bautista. The name comes from his initial handle on a popular message board he used to frequent where he introduced his program, and weirdly enough, the name just stuck.

He hasn’t done anything revolutionary, he just simply preaches the object of each workout is overload, which is the key to stimulating change: he focuses on heavy compound exercises, forcing progression, focus on eccentric portion, getting stronger (5 more pounds, 2 more reps, etc), and deep, extreme stretching.

DCT basically incorporates what a program should: it isn’t just a series of workouts, like you would find in a magazine – it is a program that has built in progression and forces you to get stronger – as long as you’re getting stronger, you keep the exercise. If you plateau, it’s time to change out the exercise.

Any program that concentrates on progression, periodization (which DCT does with periods of lower intensity every month or so), and concentrating on the main compound lifts is going to “work” – in this case for what I’m assuming you are looking for, yes, you will get stronger and add muscle by following DCT.

Daunte is a lot like me in a lot of ways: he is adamant that if you’re going to follow his program, follow all of it – his nutritional recommendations, the extreme stretching, the exercise recommendations, the widow maker sets, etc. I agree with him – it’s a solid routine and one of the common mistakes that most exercisers make is that they have ADD and think they need to make their own modifications to everything because it’s not enough for them or whatever. If you’ve ever read the initial thread that he introduced DC in (Cycles for Pennies) you’ll see how he feels about this. He blows a gasket when someone says they do DCT and then they go on to say that they do their own nutritional stuff, don’t do the stretches, do extra chest work, etc.

So, in short, following the program to a “T” will produce nice results, but the key is to give any program time. If those weights are going up each workout and you’re focused on going to war with your logbook every single workout, you’re going to make progress. I’m not a cookie cutter, one size fits all type of guy, but DC is flexible and is scalable for most weight lifters. My ONLY problem with DC is that it doesn’t feature enough Posterior Core and rotator cuff work – if you want to get stronger, this work is essential.

If you don’t want to follow the program itself, the principles are transferable and are keys to any exercise program. One more rep, five more pounds, progress, progress, progress!

Thanks for the message, Dave – look forward to hearing from you guys again in the future!

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 like to use variety in training. Not aimless variety like CrossFit – but custom variety based on a client’s needs, strengths and weaknesses. Whether it’s using ropes, kettlebells, Olympic Lifts, the heavy punching bag, plyometrics, the foam roller, powerlifting movements (right, Mary Lou?), circuit training or Yoga, everything has a time and a place.

I’m working toward setting a world record at my bodyweight on the bench press. Yesterday, I inched a bit further, surpassing my former one rep max by a few pounds. My next goal is 600 at a weight of under 245lbs. My long term goal? I want to bench press 720lbs. I’m now well into the 500s!

Right after I nailed my new personal best, I was really curious to see if I could decline bench press 315 20 times. No rhyme or reason – I was somewhat exhausted, almost seeing little birds fly around my head (hey, bench pressing more than a quarter of a ton is hard work). So, I decided to try it:

Didn’t even struggle, even though my foot had fallen completely asleep by rep number fifteen. haha Funny thing? My training is very streamlined and based on percentages and each movement is planned based on what needs to be improved. I was just being spontaneous. Why not?

Just another way to push it! Making the body do things that it normally does not do is key to forcing your body to adapt and change – it is the most basic mechanism that Mother Nature has given us.

No matter what it is, find your “other gear”. Don’t fall into redundancy and never allow yourself to fall into a comfort zone. I routinely force my clients to do things that I KNOW they can do, yet I also know they doubt that they can do it. Last week, when Mary dead lifted 205lbs (at 125lbs of bodyweight), she couldn’t believe that she was able to do it:

Funny thing? Her goal is to become more lean and defined. Most trainers would allow their clients to continue to believe that performing this exercise would make them big and bulky and hulking, yet that is the furthest thing from the truth: it is the most essential exercise ever (I mean, lifting something from the ground is as basic as it gets) and it does wonders for the core, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and the rest of the body.

How are you stepping outside YOUR comfort zone? Is it 3 more reps? 10 more pounds? 500 more feet? Find your threshold and blast through it!

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

Don’t forget that Personal Trainer Gift Certificates are available for the holidays, so give the gift of body transformation and fat loss this holiday season. All packages include complete nutritional guidance, 24/7 access to your trainer to ask any question you may have during your program and complete directions on what to do when you’re not in the gym. We have gift certificates for any of our fitness program packages, so for more information, feel free to email me at boyd@the-personal-trainer.com or give me a call at 210.391.1454.

Hey San Antonio,

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

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

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

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

How many sets should you do? How many days per week should you train? How long do you train? How much rest should there be between sets? How much weight should I do?

There are many variables when discussing intensity of training. Perhaps the most influential variable is how many reps are performed per exercise. Before continuing with this article, please take the time to read my last article on “How Many Reps?” where I explain the different pathways of energy and what different rep schemes typically constitute from a training and body transformation standpoint.

While the regular myths that low reps build muscle and high reps “tone or define” have been perpetuated for decades (and MANY personal trainers still do not know better), most people do not understand when and why they should perform exercises within specific repetition brackets. There is no “toning” of a muscle – muscle either grows or it diminishes, period, and performing specific exercises at specific rep counts will not spot reduce fat and make the muscle group appear more defined. Again: it grows or goes away. So contrary to popular belief, performing “high rep” work is not conducive to improving definition or toning of a muscle group.

I get the opportunity to see numerous people exercise on their own every day. I spend a lot of time coaching online, and this allows me to review the training logs of several individuals that train both for strength and for aesthetics. Unfortunately, while most individuals often use different exercises, training splits (body parts trained on certain days, etc) few people actually vary their repetition brackets on a regular basis. In my opinion, failure to vary one’s repetition is the most limiting factor in training to change the body – and most people stay pretty true to one particular rep scheme and rarely journey to unchartered waters.

The number of reps should be directly relational to the weight used in an exercise. If someone is doing 10 reps with an exercise that they could potentially do 25 reps with, then that exercise and rep scheme is useless as a stimulus to tell the body to change. If you are working in the 6-8 rep range, that should be with a weight that is heavy enough to where a 9th or 10th rep would be almost impossible. If you are working in the 12-15 rep range, you should not be able to exceed 16-17 reps. When someone speaks about time under tension, they are using the same principle: simply having a muscle under “some” tension isn’t enough. If it is under tension for 20 seconds, it needs to be with a load that means being under tension for a few seconds longer would be extremely difficult, if not impossible (hence the flaws with one of the latest, regenerated fads, “Super Slow” Training).

Also, different muscle groups tend to react differently to different rep schemes, as well as different exercises tend to lend themselves better to specific rep schemes. For body transformation purposes and maximum development of fast twitch muscle fibers, they should be trained at a lower rep scheme (heavier weight) as this is the way they’re designed to train. Contrarily, occasional high repetition training increases the density of capillaries – it doesn’t take a ton of high rep for this to take effect. As few as one high rep training days can more than double the mitochondria of the muscle cells (the work horse of the cell). Of course, this diminishes as more high rep work is performed.

Up until this point, it may seem as if I’m only advocating working with extremely heavy weights. While I do believe that most training load should be 70-100% of maximum capacity, it’s important to understand that progress also quickly diminishes when one trains near 100% one rep max for too long, especially in terms of muscle gain (which is key for body transformation). Ladies who have made it this far, don’t be baited in to “I don’t want to be big and bulky” – I have explained that in-depth on this blog hundreds of times. It does not work that way and you are not going to grow at an accelerated rate beyond your control that will make you look masculine. IF you know a female that looks this way, chances are, she more than likely has used anabolic steroids. There are several reasons to train at higher rep thresholds as well, including buffering lactic acid and also aiding the body in it’s ability to recover quicker between sets.

Rep count isn’t solely dependent on body part or strength vs muscle growth vs muscular endurance either – some exercises, although for the same muscle group(s), tend to offer better results at different rep counts. For example, I’ve long believed that squats are most advantageous when performed heavy and the rep count is low (don’t get me wrong, 20-25 rep squats are a great exercise that will help me tell a lot about a person from a motivational standpoint), while leg press seems to provide more benefit for hypertrophy in the 10+ rep scheme (I often have clients do what I call “widow maker” sets, which may cross into the 50-100 rep threshold).

What is the main reason to mix up rep schemes in your workouts? The body adapts quicker to rep count than it does any other training parameter (weight, volume, etc). I operate under the assumption that the body adapts in less than 6 workouts, so all the more reason to vary scheme. Give the body the stimulus to adapt – but make subtle changes on a regular basis (overhauling the entire program on a week to week basis is not necessary).

Depending on your goals and condition, there are several reasons to perform lifts within certain rep schemes, but it’s important to train accordingly – changes do not happen by chance: they must be forced upon the body.

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

It has been a very good week for me. Of course, I’ve mentioned Sarah winning her IFPA Pro Card in figure, and from a professional standpoint, helping a competitive client obtain professional status is extremely rewarding. However, that is a very small part of what I do, and I take as much pride in every single client as I do in my competitors. Here are a few clients I’d like to give a shout out to for a job well done!

-Jennifer has only been working out with me for two weeks, initially had a little bit of trouble with bodyweight squats, and now is leg pressing 400lbs for reps while losing weight! Intense weight training is the key to becoming lean and defined, and her strength is increasing exponentially with every single workout while the weight continues to fall off!

-After 3 weeks, Jose has dropped 3 1/2″ from his abdominal circumference and 20lbs of bodyweight, while dropping his body fat percentage by over 6 percentage points. THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is remarkable change. The crazy thing? I expect at least that much progress over the next three weeks – my goal is an eight inch decrease from Jose’s mid-section in his first 6 weeks. I know he will do it.

-”First time in a LONG TIME” were the words that Nathaniel spoke after bench pressing 315lbs on Wednesday of this week. While that sounds like someone who is trying to “bulk up”, this is another guy who the fat is melting off, and in just a few weeks, he looks like a different person.

-I’d like to know how many times Joel has heard “What on earth are you doing?” over the last few weeks… I see Joel three times per week, and every time he walks in, he looks a leaner and and more confident. Results motivate, and this guy is the poster child for what effort and discipline will do. Strength keeps going up, fat keeps coming off, and it’s obvious to everyone who sees him. The other personal trainers that work for me here in my studio keep commenting about how quickly he is transforming, and this is just the tip of the iceberg!

-“Teach a woman to fish” – my goal is to teach every client how to keep making progress on their own. Recently, Michelle has started tackling the occasional workout on her own, and I was very proud when she texted me last week (I was in St Louis) to tell me how sore she had made herself following the workout I had sent her. The key to continuing progress is intensity, and no matter what workout you are doing, it means nothing if you aren’t pushing it every single rep of every exercise.

-”I was the hottest one there, thanks to you!” – the text I received from Lisa after her 25 year high school reunion.

-”I must be sick…” – The first thing Ruth told me was that she hated every second of exercise. Now, she can’t live without it. She even finds herself doing lunges at home, and telling people how she loves to workout. I can see how you can hate something if you feel like you are wasting time. But when people regularly comment on how lean you are looking and want to know your secret? It kind of becomes addicting.

What kind of amazing progress are YOU making?

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