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