The Variables

Why hello there again, Mr. Contest Prep Red Deer, Mega himself is here to tell you another one of his wild ideas straight from his brain to your eyes. Or something like that at least.

This is a bit late for the New Year's resolution people, but none the less I would like to share my views on how some of the coaching process works for myself and my clients.

Does anyone remember algebra? ME TOO (har har) !

Basically, the less variables you know in the equation, the harder it would be solve.

ABCDEFG = H

If we want to know H (the end goal), then we're going to have to turn some of these variables (ABCDEFG) into constants (an actual value, ie. "7").

Lets say A is the amount of sleep you get every night. Let's say we know you get 8 hours of sleep every night. Perfect. For the use of our example, lets say A=8.

Let's say B is the Food you eat each day. C is the amount of cardio you do. D is the workouts you do per week. E is your stress levels. F is your environment/social setting. G is physical limitations such as rotator cuff injuries, knee injuries etc.

The more you can CONTROL  these, the more we can solve for H. Individuality will put more things in front of H (so some people  might have ABCDEFGHIJKLMN = O) or less.

So, we set your food at a certain amount. Now we know the value for B. We get you on a workout program. D is now a constant as well.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

If you vary your cardio and your food intake every week/day... now we don't know the values for B and C. How the HECK are we going to be able to know what to change to solve for H?!?

Also when assessing progress, don't change more than one variable at once. Think about it: if we change A,B, and C all at once, and progress occurs, how do we know which one was the cause for most of the progress?

 There are going to be some variables also that effect  one another. Let's say you wanted to change C, and do more cardio. This could negatively effect E,  causing your stress to go up because now you need to allocate more time to the gym. Conversely, maybe you're one of these crazy people who enjoys cardio, and C positively effects E, causing your stress levels to descend.

This is how PROPER individualization can occur.

Control your variables to the best of your ability.

Listen to your body. Work with it, not against it.

As always, Mr. contest prep red deer wishes you the best of luck in your goals.

A Big Secret

Mega Marty, Mr. Red Deer Contest Prep is back again, bringing you all the tricks and secrets there is!

Today I'm going to chat about a big secret that people have been scratching their heads at. My competitors, and clients that are training to improve how they look are taught some of the "Mega Principles". Now I do NOT claim to have came up with these, but my coaching of eliciting these principles is definitely one of a kind. My goal with  my competitors in the off-season is to get them eating as much food as possible, without gaining too much fat. So, how can my clients, especially my girls, be eating (to the normal person) huge quantities of food, and not overdoing cardio by ANY stretch? Well Mega Marty blog reader, let's try and shed some light!

So, what I'm hearing is, "I don't get it. I eat well, I workout following a sound program, my results are really, REALLY slow. What am I missing?"

This DOES apply to both men and women, but I'm talking mainly to women here.

Take a look at the girls who are in great shape. Okay, now watch them train. More often than not, ESPECIALLY outside of the insanely genetically gifted, they'll be borderline killing themselves. I'm talking they're giving it everything they got,  in terms of execution of their sets, reps,  workouts, technique,  everything. Now, this DOES that a special kind of lady to be able to do this. To be able to go in on HER OWN and crush a set of 135 lbs+ squats. Not at that level yet? Work towards it.

You'll find these girls out of breath. Usually sweating profusely. Body shaking from their workouts, during and after.

They won't be spending hours in the gym. They'll go in, kick ass, the leave to go eat MORE to fuel their muscles.

THAT is the secret.

I've said it time and time again to people asking these questions, to watch a certain couple of girls (or my own clients) workout. What do you notice? The intensity.

I've touched on intensity before,  but here are some general guidelines to follow:

These girls aren't using nearly enough weight...

1) Lift some damn weight.  

Yes, you've heard you have to lift heavy now from me to gain muscle. This is such a huge principle. You REALLY think that the 5 lb laterals you're starting your shoulder workouts is giving enough stimulus to build a great set of shoulders? I saw today someone said "Stop lifting weights lighter than your purse!"

Exactly.

2) Stop taking years in between sets.

Watch the clock. Some people have the exact opposite and do sets too quickly. I like to have a GENERAL (extremely general and will be a client to client, program to program basis) guideline of 1.5-2 minutes for the bigger compound exercises (ie.deadlift) and 45 seconds - 1.25 minutes for the smaller exercises (ie. triceps push down) Then go again. Doing exercises faster than the prescribed time? You didn't use enough weight/perform the exercise correctly. Waiting longer than 2.5 minutes? You're taking too much time.

3) Control your weights on the negative portion, explode on the positive.

Now once again, GENERAL guideline, but things like squats? Shoulder Press? Bent over rows? CONTROL your negatives. Letting the weight drop/fall back to the starting position will have you miss out on a TON of muscle building benefits. Also, just pushing the weight back to the starting position without a controlled, explosive force usually won't yield enough for to cause muscle fiber damage. Of course, there are exercises where you want constant tension and controlled, slow positives, but in GENERAL? Try blasting the weight back up with impeccable form.

There are 3 things I would DEFINITELY implement into your current program if you aren't already, or at the very least take a look at how your workouts are, and see if these apply to you. 

"Why don't I look that that Marty?"

"They destroy themselves, properly."

As always, Mr. contest prep red deer wishes you the best of luck in your goals.

The Speed Limit

Red Deer Contest Prep Mega Marty is BACK finally after a much needed break.

I've discovered some things that I can articulate as best as I can on paper for you. Some of these things people in my industry just don't want to talk about because it's not "what you do" or "everyday" life. Life, I am finding more and more as I get older, is ALL about balance. The people I find without some kind of balance in their lives come up short or failure horribly in lots of aspects of their life. That isn't all encompassing, but it is DEFINITELY a trend that I am seeing.

The Speed Limit.

The concept is simple, however the implementation and practicality of it might be lost upon some so here it goes.

Not everyone is ALWAYS going to be "on" with their nutrition plan/fitness plan/workout plan/Lifestyle change (I'll get into the "actual" lifestyle change in another blog). This means that there is going to be periods where a break might not even so much be needed, but be mandatory.

Over the summer, I was done. I'll admit it. I have been under the guidance of various coaches myself for the past 4 years, focusing a LOT on my physique and my pursuit of knowledge in my field. After my show this June (Men's physique) I got tired. I had turned down many social events, had been tracking my food almost to the point of nauseam,  and was just... done.

People started asking me what I'm doing with my summer. There were tons of concerts coming up I wanted to attend, so I gave myself a speed limit. I was going to assess myself still and determine what speed I was going.

Huh?

Think of it this way. Most highways around here in Canada are 110. Let's say that's our speed limit. Let say you go to 120 (over eat/let some junk slide/don't track your food/miss some workouts). You might not get caught. Some, with a poor genetic card or haven't been at it long, might get pulled over even at 120. 130? Hmmm... starting to slide a bit more. chances of you getting pulled over are getting higher. 140? 150? You won't be able to maintain this long and you WILL get pulled over.

What I'm saying is if you don't have a HUGE goal in your sights, you have to at LEAST glance down at your speedometer to see how fast you're going. If you're blowing by cars (clothes starting to fit worse, less energy, you start changing in the mirror) it's time so SLOW DOWN. clean things back up again. I did this for July and most of august, roughly 6-7 weeks and I don't regret it at all. 

WIthout always looking at the speedometer, I was able to see the things I was usually missing. The scenery. Other types of cars on the road. Listening to music more intently.

 Mid august hit, and I was ready. I was EXCITED. I couldn't WAIT to get back on a plan, go in, focus on some new goals. My battery was recharged. My mind was clear. It was go time.

It's okay to look up from the Speedometer here and there. It really is. I've seen people with their head down focused so much on keeping that speed at a perfect 110 that they don't look up to see the detour signs in front of them... and inevitably crash. Don't be that person.

Factors in Bikini Competitions

Hi Everyone! Mega Marty back again, head coach of #TeamPopTart talking to you today about bikini competitions.

What I've been noticing, especially at the regional levels, is that bikini competitors are showing up without the correct muscle balance and proportions. This is what I have been noticing:

-Girls have dominant, in most cases MUCH too dominant quad muscles

-Fairly decent core/abdominals 

-Lacking in the shoulders

-Lacking in upper back/rhomboids

-Hamstrings/glutes SEVERELY lagging.

-Arms a BIT too small

In Canada, Alberta Especially, we like our ladies a BIT bigger and leaner than they do in the USA. we'll ALMOST call it a mini-figure look (but a different shape and posing of course)

Girls, you need to realize you must have some muscle to diet down to. If you haven't been lifting weights for a while, you're going to have build up muscle to achieve the look they're after. Of course, I have seen exceptions where some girls just genetically have fuller muscle bellies and therefore can do OKAY with little training. These ladies are outliers and are NOT the norm.

Another thing is that this is not JUST bikini. Bikini girls need to work for this. Anyone who thinks bikini is easy hasn't seen the work that most of these girls need/have to put in. 

Going back to the original topic:

General guidelines for bikini Training:

1) Get your strength up. You do NOT need to be doing upside down bosu squats if you cannot squat 50 lbs on your back. Get a strength routine under your belt with proper technique so that imbalances with posture and strength don't arise.

2) Ease slowly into more of a "bodybuilding" training split. Women do not have the testosterone that males do, and therefore need to beat themselves up in the correct manner to put on any sizeable muscle mass. Yes, I am talking about bikini here. They are NOT just skin and bones.

3) NOW move into a more "classic" bikini approach. Now the "fluffier" exercises will have a place, and can finally have usage of them. This is not implying to ditch barbell squats in lieu of bosu squats. I am saying though that when properly implemented, they COULD have a usage now.

4) Troubleshooting/proportion work. Are my quads to big? Do my arms need more work? Is my current routine addressing these goals? All questions that are now prevalent.

Having a competent coach is becoming increasingly important now, to make sure that you're not wasting your time in the gym with incorrect workouts.

Make sure you're doing it right.

Do it Mega.

Get on the team.

#TeamPopTart

What is Men Physique Contest Prep ?

The growing sport of which is Men Physique contest prep is humongous. It's the division that not only I compete in, but where my heart lies in terms of Putting people on stage. I trained my first client to it, and immediately fell in love. So, whats the deal?

Men's Physique is a MUCH different look from bodybuilding (or at least it should be).

Bodybuilding:
MASSIVE everything
Body fat at 3-5 %
Big
Judged from neck down
Mandatory poses

Men's Physique:
Aesthetics
Proportion
TINY waist
Not "big"
Big Arms, Chest, Wide back.
Judged on skin, hair, face.

This is where I knew I belonged. It's a MUCH more pleasing look to the eye in my opinion, safer in terms of body fat/ supplement use.

The workouts ARE different. The Training IS different. There are ways to sabotage your Men Physique look without knowing, so Guidance goes a long way. The things they don't want are:
-Overdeveloped traps
-Blocky, distended waist
-High amounts of vascularity

This is also what I'm finding that "general society" is after as well. It also makes entering a fitness competition MUCH more feasible for those without heavily muscled physiques to be able to enter a show!

It isn't as easy as some think though. The training is different from bodybuilding a BIT yes, but it's still JUST as intense.
Some general guidelines to think about:
1) you MUST have a muscular base before you diet down. They don't reward "slender with abs"
2) you MUST be at least somewhat of an attractive man. The judges need to see a great smile, good complexion and Well groomed.
3) You MUST have personality that shines through to your posing. Stiffness such as the mandatories in bodybuilding won't cut it.

There are more, but there is a taste.

I believe people need a spectacular coach to make sure their on the right track for entering Men Physique contest prep. I'm not new to this, and have coached many competitors in the division, some of which are at the National level, one step away from becoming professionals.

Do it Right.

Do it Mega.

Get on #TeamPopTart and get going on your contest prep/offseason today.
martymacphee@gmail.com

Environment for Growth Part 2

Whether you're in the market for contest prep or not, this is a huge part of your success.

Part 1 discussed the physical location for your environment for growth. Part 2 is about everything else.

work.

home.

family.

friends.

I've talked before about social circle and it's importance. It's time to really drive that home.

You are who you hang around. The people at your gym will help, as will people with similar goals. The people who support you. The people that bring you down. They're all part of your environment, but YOU have to make it an environment for growth.

I like it when people think I can't do something, it fuels me. That's part of my growth. I hire phenomenal coaches to help me as well, I practice everything I preach.

A lot of this does weigh upon yourself to change. If friends around you are crushing you and not being supportive, maybe it's time to confront them. Are they jealous? Do they simply not understand your goal? Is it something more? There are tons of questions you should be asking yourself AND your friends.

Work I have found will be a bit tougher on multiple fronts. Some work places have very structured schedules and therefore eating on time and in the correct amounts is MUCH easier than those without those structures. Jobs like Nursing, serving, most oilfield jobs will be MUCH more challenging on this front.

Family will be something to consider too. If you're in a relationship, the other person should be on board with you or else you are in for a WORLD of pain. I've sadly seen it time and time again when one spouse is excited and very into the gym when the other is not. Even worse, sometimes the other spouse can even be resentful and damage the gym experience completely for a variety of reasons.

Kids shouldn't get in your way NUTRITIONALLY. Just because they're being treated here and there to ice cream/pizza/cake etc. doesn't mean you HAVE to eat with them every time. If anything, teaching your children healthy habits will make your life and theirs easier!

Keeping a set time for your gym will be a great thing to keep you on track and in the right mind frame. You'll get used to the people there, maybe even gain some friends and acquaintances! This will certainly add to your growth.

Here is something most don't talk about and I want to mention: Blood work. Is your BODY in an environment for growth? There could be things going on inside that you are unaware of. Your lipid profile could be off, testosterone, estrogen, blood pressure, cholesterol and many other things. Having regular (6 months or even more often) blood work can keep you in the know about your body and make sure the path you're on nutritionally is correct.

Training partners can be great, but should have the same goals in mind. Ground rules should be laid, aka. no talking about outside topics until after, what body parts are being trained, how long the workout will take etc. These should be all in fun and still keep the fun, energetic mood going and enhance it because someone else is there who understands.

Some of these will be hard to change, and others you will be able to do so easily!

As always, the contest prep red deer coach wishes you the best of luck in your goals!

Environment for Growth part 1

Want to know what the #1 reason is that people choose their gym?

Location.

People do not want to spend their time commuting any more than they have to, on top of work and everything else.

In my VERY firm opinion, this should not be a determining factor in your choice. UNLESS the gym you want to go to is 40+ minutes away.

Most of you know, Gyms are not created equal. Gym chains and commercial gyms are exactly that: Mass produced for the most part. Yes, you can find some really good chain gyms out there run by very inspirational people and therefore create a great environment for growth.

Let me tell you a little bit about the gym I work at.

It is locally owned by a husband and wife team who OOZE positivity, Inspiration, Motivation, and most of all, Fitness. (Hi Kathy and E-Bomb!)

The #1 thing people say about Bent Iron Gym is that it is an incredible environment for growth. encouraging, helpful, and always uplifting. THERE is where you should be driving. Especially if you're determined/serious about your goals.

I have been to "gyms" before, and it's your classic. Guys there working out just to impress girls. Girls hugging the treadmills wearing too much makeup. Skinny guys grunting louder than Gorillas attacking each other. You know what I mean.

I didn't like it. I would spend more time being uninspired than actually working out or progressing towards my goals.

When you're in an environment for growth, you'll feel it. The staff at the front desk will be knowledgeable and more than willing to help. The members will be friendly and focused on their goals. The Personal Trainers/Nutritionists will have a slew of clients whom are active in the gym and are very happy with their results and the gym itself (Shameless self plug!)

I cannot stress this enough. I have trained people from other gyms who will come in for one session and be simply blown away. whether it is the cleanliness, the atmosphere, the gym members, or something else, it will be something they wish they had at their gym. Most of them switch to it SIMPLY for that reason.

Bent Iron Gym has 20+ people competing in ABBA's Southerns June 2013. I don't think any other gym in Alberta can boast that kind of number for competitors.

If you're thinking your gym's equipment is limiting, or you feel the members "aren't your style" or even just want a change of pace, Look into it.

Remember, the brain leads the body. You always need to walking into a place you WANT to me, not somewhere you dread.

To me, and many others, the extra drive/commute is more than worth it.

As always, the contest prep red deer coach wishes you the best of luck in your goals.

Now What?

Now What?

You have hired a coach, you’ve seen results, your technique is decent, you have accomplished some goals… now what?

First off, what’s the goal now? Let’s say you’ve made it from point A to point B. Where you want to be is point C or beyond. What do you do now?

There are many things you can do, ONCE NUTRITION IS ON POINT.

So, you’re eating clean, and you’re doing it all yourself. Let’s give you some free help!

Now, all those supplements you see flashing their ads MIGHT hold some value!

I know people that talk about during/intra/around workout (weight training/resistance training) as if it is the end all be all. I believe it should be talked about a bit.

Before your workout, try some carbs. 30 mins or less? Nothing heavy. Hour or so before? Heavier can work aka oatmeal. Combine it with protein, and a bit of fat so that the insulin spike isn’t gigantic.

During the workout? This is tricky, due to where you’re at in terms of your goal. Are you trying to lean down for a contest? Maybe just water. Are you a fairly muscled person? Maybe you need some intra workout carbs/protein/aminos to fuel the brutal intensity. Are you in the offseason trying to throw on lean mass? Then you might consider adding in this intra protocol due to all the food you’re consuming during the day just seems overwhelming. Why not try having an extra meal during the workout?

Post workout – now here you can have some fun ONCE NUTRITION IS ON POINT. If you have been reading any of the “new school” authors, you can see cereal, low fat ice cream, candies being tossed around as if it’s no one’s business. It is delicious, and well deserved. The trick? It’s measured. It’s not just “grab some crap carbs and down em” it’s “let’s have 30 grams of carbs, coming from sugar, which is coming from gummy worms.” Then you measure out 30 grams worth of carbs from gummy worms.  Then you measure out protein to go along with it. Some coaches will use fat, some won’t. each have viable options DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU EAT THIS MEAL.

I’m not giving away everything here, I’m making it so it gets your wheels turning.

I personally prefer to make my own version of some of the supplements out there today. In other words, I buy bulk ingredients, measure them out, and mix them in a jug of about 2 liters and drink that a little before the workout and during. This way, I know what I’m getting is measured exactly. Yep, it becomes that silly once you’ve reached this point in your nutritional career per say.

I know this was quite a bit different from my other blogs, but I wanted to let everyone know just how to change their plan that might JUST push them over the edge to continue progress one way or the other.

Make sure you have ammo for your gun.

As always, the contest prep red deer coach wishes you the best of luck in your goals.

-Marty

You're always being watched

                                                                

I've been milling this one over for a bit, as I don't want to upset anyone, but it has to be said.

In my industry, there are tons of people labelled as professionals. I have no issue with that, just act like one.

I have lost it more than a couple times myself, and I admit this. It has been immaturity on my part, especially for when I have been getting a feeling for the coaching aspect of this career/profession.

My clients, especially the ones who have been with me for a while, know my style of coaching and know how to take a lot of my responses. Sometimes they are confused as abrasive, or "being a jerk" or something that is out of the context I am trying to get at.

I almost always make sure now that people understand where I'm coming from. It's harder online/through blogs because some of you haven't met me let alone don't know my tone.

What I'm referring to (the title, you're always being watched) goes deeper than this.

I, myself, am a Nutrition and Fitness Coach. I have labelled myself as such. I do have other things I like to do in life, absolutely.

However,

Clients need their coach/trainer to be the pinacle of Fitness and nutrition. They need to see you dressed properly (especially while in the gym) and giving every single person top notch coaching.
Would you like it if you wandered into a Doctor's office and it was dirty everywhere?
How about a dentist that while working on your teeth was scarfing down a hamburger ?
Why then is it okay to be a sloppy trainer?

My opinion is: It isn't.

As I have addressed before I do have a life, and what I choose to do in my own time is exactly that: mine.

However,

You're always being watched. At the Mall. At the grocery store. At the Theatre. everywhere.

In my younger days I did not think about this ONE LICK.

It makes a lot more sense now since I have had some great talks with other business professionals and professionals in my field.

It's also not the clients you're with aka. the people who have already hired you.
It's the clients you DON'T have.
I've gotten caught up in telling a joke or something before, and probably said it too loud. My client would have enjoyed it or laughed, but it's the person on treadmill behind me, the potential client, who is now formulating an opinion of me.
Maybe they were interested in training.
Maybe they wanted to see what trainers were like.
Maybe their view just went down on me in particular.

See what I'm getting at?

I am by NO MEANS perfect, but I have been re-evaluating time and time again on my poise, posture, and just all around how I conduct myself in general, ESPECIALLY in my work area (the Gym, PROUDLY Bent Iron Gym :))

So, to trainers in particular,

Maybe it's time to conduct yourself in a higher fashion.
When you said you were going to get back to the client/potential client, do it. would you want to wait around for a call?
Would you want someone to be telling you a joke in between sets? maybe, maybe not. Ask the client.
Are you talking too much about yourself? Maybe. Maybe not.

Get constructive criticism, not only from clients but other gym members. Introduce yourself and old yourself high in this position.

Be one of the "good ones"

Humility

This has to be said.

You've just joined a gym for whatever reason. Maybe a buddy talked you into it. Maybe you've finally had enough with being not in the shape you want to. Maybe you have an end date (trip, wedding etc.) and you need to look your best!

So, you've been working out for a little bit, and you're starting to get some results. you start noticing things tightening up, your weight going down (or up, depending on the goal), you're losing some fat, building some muscle, getting stronger, etc.

A couple people start to tell you that you're looking good! You're doing great! They can tell you've been "working out"!

Awesome! That is very good that people are telling you this, and that your work is paying off. Accept the comment with grace and humility.

Know what isn't awesome? conceit.

"Yeah, I've lost so much fat I look amazing!"
"I've gained 15 lbs of muscle in a month! I should do a bodybuilding show!"
"I cannot believe how ripped I am, all the girls love me!"
"Boys think I'm so hot now, it's insane!"

girls, how many times has a guy picked you up by telling you he can bench press 300+ lbs?
guys, how many times has a girl picked you up by telling you they ran at 9 KMH for an hour on the treadmill?

Let your results do all the talking. ALL of the talking.

Know how there is always the embarrassing photos of girls with their muffin tops hanging out?
Know the guy wearing too tight of a shirt so his gut pokes out?

This is the EXACT verbal equivalent.

I hate to break it to you, but people don't want to hear it. They really, really, really, really don't.

Let them do the talking for you. Let someone who cares tell you that you look great and they notice.
Let someone in the gym tell you they've noticed results from the hard work you've put in. Let the co-worker congratulate you.

Don't congratulate yourself too much.

I see this time, and time, and time and time and time and...

You get the point.

I assess myself. Of course. I look in the mirror, see where I think there is progress, and I have my coach to give me feedback too.

Keep those opinions to yourself. If you're doing great, others will take notice and tell you.

Here's another catch: There is always someone out there, somehow in better shape (running, body, strength etc) than you.

There is always someone out there in better shape than you who ISN'T parading their results around like they've won an Oscar.

I'm not trying to take away you're successes, especially valid successes. Even little ones, like giving up that junk food you thought you never could, doing a squat with your own body weight, or even making it up a flight of stairs without needing to stop to catch your breath.

Want to know how I know this?

I was that guy. I thought I was huge. Thought I was so muscular and that everyone loved how I looked.

I had a real close friend who had not seen me in a while tell me I was fat. Not big.

Think I learned? Nope.

So I leaned down. Thought I was ripped. Thought I was shredded.

Same friend looked at me and told me I was skinny.

Me parading around me "results" and "hard work" was really all for nothing, and the results weren't even worth bragging about.

This is what happens in most cases from what I've seen. The people with the least results brag the most, and the ones with the greatest results don't brag at all.

Take my advice from someone who has been there:

Let the results do the talking. Adopt Humility.

Free Advice...

Free advice is never adhered.

I heard this once, and for the most part, I believe it.

For some reason, when people pay large amounts of money, they either seem to think the product they're getting is good, or better than a free product.

I have been asked questions in the gym, questions from the blog, and questions on my facebook page. Depending on the depth of the question, I'll generally answer it. If someone whom isn't a client asks for a "specific to them" question, chances are I won't.

Why is this?

People don't listen to free advice.

Then why ask?

They're looking for reaffirmation of their original answer, whichever it may be.

"Should I buy the red shirt, or the blue shirt?"
The person will already know which shirt they want you to say. Chances are they'll pick the shirt they want anyway with your input.

This is not being arrogant, or being "all about the money"

I had a client tell me recently "You can't help fix everyone Marty, but take pride in those you do!"

And I need to be reminded of this time and time again. Those who pay are more willing to listen. For one reason or another, they've wound up using my coaching services, and these are the people who I have to give all of my attention to. The ones who want it.

Where am I going with this?

This is directed a lot towards other trainers and other professionals, and they'll understand when they read it, or even made the same mistakes I have.

Recently, I got screwed out of quite a bit of money. Roughly 8 weeks of nutrition coaching, and some training sessions on top of that. Why? Because I once again believed someone when they said they'd pay me later.

Ring a bell?

This is my own fault, I admit it. I should have learned this 4 years ago when it was happening too often. Me being the nice guy, saying "no problem! I'll catch ya next time" and next time never comes.

I'm also trying to say to people out there that when you ask a specific question, or have a LOT of questions, maybe you should look into hiring a coach (MEEEE!)

This service should be invaluable if the coach is worth their salt. Some coaches are expensive for good reason, some not. Some are cheap for good reason, others are not (yes, I've seen GREAT coaches undersell themselves).

We in the fitness industry who put in time and research into what we do will more often than not give responses you don't want to hear to questions. It's not that we're trying to be different, we're trying to be right and give you correct resources. There is a TON of confusing information out there about simple questions.

When should I have carbs?
How much protein should I eat?
How much cardio do I need to do?
How many days should I work out?
How long before I see results?
Why hasn't my weight gone down?
How did you get so handsome?

And so on and so forth.

The ones who seem to get "mad" or rant are seriously the ones that care. Just like me writing this blog, I care. I believe the general population has been screwed over by society, media, beauty magazines, and a lot of other mediums.

The next time someone says "Maybe you should make an appt" or "I'm sorry that's too specific a question to answer quickly", maybe don't shrug them off as rude, a jerk, or "all about the money"

Would you fix someone's car for free?
would you build a deck for someone for free?

I'll give you a free estimate (hence the apt. I ALWAYS give free 30 minute consults, and ALWAYS will) but I won't do the work for free.

I still, as always, encourage general questions. I'll always do that too. But specifics? You need a qualified coach then. You really do.

New School

There is lots of things in the world out today that weren't out 30 years ago. even 20 years ago.

When it comes to nutrition.

A lot of this is going to mystify people, and I'm not going to get super in depth here. I'm going to talk a bit about the myths out there when it comes to food, and hopefully try to dispel some of them.

What people think in general:

1) Calories in equals calories out.

2) You must consume less calories than you burn on a daily basis in order to lose weight.

3) You must feel like junk/tired/moody when trying to lose weight.

4) Losing weight is complicated

5) You can't eat "food you want to eat" while trying to lose fat

6) You must do endless/lots of cardio to lose fat

Those are just some coming to the top of my head right now. There are more out there obviously.

What I think/have seen/have researched:

1) 2000 calories of steak is not the same as 2000 calories of ice cream

2) absolutely not. I just consumed over 10,000 calories of carbs in 8 hours with fat loss being my goal.

3) I feel fantastic and have a whopping amount of energy

4) It is so simple it's scary

5) See #2. I had gummy worms, pancakes with loads of syrup, skittles and oreo ice cream sandwiches.

6) I'm doing very little cardio right now.

Yes, I'm using me as an example, but there are many people out there that are doing what I'm doing with great results.

I've been reading a lot lately on metabolic damage. What is this? Simplified, it is when someone has drastically under eaten calories, done a whopping amount of cardio (hours a day), done too much weight training, or a combination. It is when your metabolism is rebelling against you, and you cannot seem to lose fat or gain weight correctly (aka. all the weight is predominately fat and the fat gain is very quickly.)

I'm not going to talk about this much more because there are others who are authorities on the Subject. Google Scott Abel and Erik Ledin. They know their stuff.

When you consume less calories, your metabolism slows down. and vice versa. If you do this too long, you can shut your metabolism off. This is obviously a bad thing. You want your metabolism working with you, being on fire, blasting through calories and burning them efficiently.

The owner of the gym I work at, Kathy Mack, is a PRIME example of "doing it right".

She does ZERO cardio. consumes a WHOPPING amount of food a day and per week, with roughly 3 ish free meals. She is lean as can be, strong as an Ox, feeling amazing.

How can this be? 

New school nutrition strategies and New School training protocols. 

I love it when people see me either eating my Frosted Flakes or see my Reese's Puffs box in my office. I usually get something along the lines of

"That guy is a certified nutrition? Doesn't look like he knows what he's talking about."

"How can you put that crap into your body? That is awful for you."

"That stuff is going to make you fat."

I just smile and take it with stride. I have to. I understand that the average person, even the above average person in the fitness and nutrition world won't understand and will label it as "bad"

There is actually NOTHING better that I could be consuming after my workout than Reese's puffs or any other kids cereal (See Ken "Skip" Hill for more on PWO cereal).

When my clients trust me, and they see my track record, they might just be crazy enough to follow a New School meal plan. WITH carbs. WITH junk. 

They're not only be insanely healthy, but they'll zip MUCH faster towards their physique and performance goals. 

I hope this blog left you with a LOT of questions. It's meant to poke beehives. It's meant to rattle cages.

I am NOT the pioneer on this form of dieting. I have learned from those better than me and done my homework.

The point is: There is New School Nutrition, and it's awesome. Enough Said.

The Fear

Everyone has "the fear" someway, somehow.

There are a couple different types when it comes to fitness, so I'm going to try and cover the ones I have encountered and share my thoughts.

People generally aren't ready for change. They may want to change, but they aren't ready. People aren't ready to give up some things from their live (see my sacrifice vs suffering blog). This is usually a coping mechanism, and is why people are scared. There are NUMEROUS excuses out there people use. "I can't afford healthy food" "I don't want to give up my social life." "I'm meant to be overweight" and the list goes on. A lot of it, my clients don't even believe themselves when they say it.

I've been doing this for a while now, and I notice trends. People tend to share everything down to the last detail, or share nothing at all.

What are you scared of?

When people come into my office for the first time I completely understand why they don't want to divulge their secrets to their past failures. It's embarrassing. When we get down the road, aka. when a client has been working with me for a while, more patterns emerge.

If I ask them something, such as to give me a food journal, or as to how their mental health is (life, work, home life etc.) it can provoke hostility. I have come to the following conclusion.

They either think I am attacking them, or they know they've been doing something wrong/slacking off, and are trying to push it aside or make more excuses.

This has to stop.

This isn't meant to be easy. This is one of the fears I'm talking about. Your trainer/coach/nutritionist should be there for NOTHING but help. If all they are concerned about is money, I would look in a different direction.
The coach should reassure you that through their experiences, they have found lots of people like yourself and that you're not alone. This fear can be overcome. It will take varying degrees of work, of course it will. But, once broken, the benefits can be endless.

Don't let yourself be your own worst enemy. I know I have been before and will be again. That is why I have coaches myself. I have stated this numerous times and don't plan on stopping.

The other fear is the fear of success. Yes, that's right.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us..." -Marianne Williamson


This rings very true in the fitness business. I have seen people that swear up and down they could never be at body fat X or lift weight Y, then surpass both of these expectations (these are just two examples). I love seeing the look on someones face after they have given it their all, and come back immensely surprised at how far they've blown by their own expectations, let alone my expectations for them.

Everyone will get the fear. Make sure there is support within yourself and others to help you scare the shadows away, and surpass your goals.

Sacrifice vs suffering aka "How hard are you willing to push?"

Been a while. I know

So, I have been talking about a very important topic lately with quite a few clients.

Balance. This is key for most people. I train people all over the map when it comes to gym adherence. This means:
A) going to the gym and doing workouts I instruct (easy for most)
B) doing the prescribed cardio that I want (harder, but still easy for most)
C) eating the prescribed meal plan (usually the most challenging)

There will be other factors, but these are the ones I want to touch on the most.

When first starting at the gym, as I have stated numerous times, it will be and should be relatively easy to do so (factors depending)

But then there will come a point where you want more results, or will inquire about obtaining better/faster/more results. I always pose the question:

"How hard are you willing to push?"

It will be in different forms. Sometimes it means implementing a new dietary tactic. Maybe a new cardio strategy. Maybe a new workout decision. Maybe all the above.

What I'm getting at is that you can't turn sacrifice into suffering. This will be different for everyone. Some people can stay on a very strict perfect meal plan all year round. Some can't.

Some have very flexible schedules and more free time than others. Some don't.

I will tell you your options, and what you need to do. People then either opt to go for it, or not.

I have seen it time and time again when people pick fitness and end up going backwards. This means that now that their food is better (an example), now they don't see friends anymore and miss events or resent the gym because it's taking up all their time. This then leads to back pedaling even though their gym goals are "more strict" or "better".
Remember, the brain almost always leads the body. If the brain is happy, body will follow.

Where I'm going with this is that not everyone is a slob, but also not everyone is a professional bodybuilder/fitness model.

You have to be able to choose your blanance with the help of your trainer/nutritionist.

Life should be lived, and that is going to be different for everyone. I'm not saying go get wasted drunk because that is your "balance",
But what I am saying is sometimes when events come along, maybe you shouldn't pass them up.

There have been events/times in my life where I've picked fitness and health over everything. And guess what? Me being an authority on these things (nutrition and fitness), I regret those decisions.

When I have a end date aka. a competition or some other event, yes I'm going to be much more strict. I eat very good almost all of the time. I going to give you a perfect example.

My cousin is getting married this summer, and yes, I am going to be having some alcohol. Why? There are numerous reasons but I'll give you examples.

1) I work hard and pass up many opportunities so that I can enjoy things like this without regret.
2) I don't want to be "that guy" at the wedding being one dimensional, talking about nothing but the gym and food looking like I'm condemning anyone/everyone enjoying themselves.
3) I'm Nova Scotian and incredibly witty and hilarious when alcohol is involved.

I hope all of you understand this and don't take it the wrong way. I am all about proper meal planning and fitness. But I'm also all about my family and having fun when it is deserved.

Mood

First Blog in a long time. I know.

It seems I've been talking about this a lot lately to my clients, and I want to go more in depth with it.

Mood takes over control of everything.

Mood is controlled by stress as well.

Your meal plan can and will change your mood.

People ask a lot; what is the perfect diet? My answer is always "The one you can adhere to."

Most people, when on an "ideal/perfect" diet, their mood isn't changed TOO much. However, when people start pushing the limit, or really let their body goals become their #1 goal, they can bite off more than they can chew.

Now they're cranky. They're making others around them cranky too. They're tired. They're hungry. They're starting to scowl. They realize their social life is impeded more than they like. They're...etc.

Watch for this. Not everyone is a superhero and can follow a "perfect/ideal" meal plan forever, let alone for long.

I've talked about social circle, that's huge. If others are doing it with you, you're more opt to succeed because you're on the same team.

However, the reverse works too. Aka emotional eating or things along those lines. People get stressed out, or something else starts effecting your mood (break up, job loss, tragic situation) and now your meal plan suffers too. You might either revert to old ways (ie. eating badly, not eating at all, timing varying) or lose sight completely.

THIS HAS TO BE WATCHED FOR.

You can watch for this yourself, or have some close friends watch it for you.

Mood is everything. When you're in a bad mood, you won't be performing optimally in all aspects. If you are, email me and a lot of others your secret.

Mood Controls Success.

The Quick Fix

I've been meaning to do this for a while now, I've talked about it briefly before seeing as my views are very clear for the main part. I'm going to go in more depth today.


This was sparked mainly by the new Body by Vi and their product Visalus.

I'm not picking on Body by Vi in particular, but it happens to be the most prominent and dominant of these types of products out there.

First and foremost, Body by Vi is a network marketing scheme. What this basically means it is a product/service sold by people (mainly your friends) in order to get money out of you. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it?
I had some of my clients and some of my clients friends/family ask me about the particular product Visalus. So I googled the info.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2 rounded scoops (26g)

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 10Calories 90

% Daily Values*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 75mg 3%
Potassium 125mg
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Sugars 1g
Protein 12g

Vitamin A 30% Vitamin C 30%
Calcium 30% Iron 5%

This is what I found.

Now, to most of you, this might seem "sound" enough.

Let's look at it a bit closer.

Most competing protein brands are around 22-27 grams of protein per 30 grams.
This is 12 grams of protein per 26 grams. What the HECK is that other 14 grams?
Well, 5 are fiber according to the nutritional info. 7 grams of carbs total. 1 gram of fat.
The protein comes from 3 sources. Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Hydrolysate, and whey protein concentrate.
This is not an ideal source of protein (soy) for a lot of reasons. They Hydrolysate is a fantastic expensive source of protein, and concentrate is one of the cheapest you can find.
But, at only 12 grams per 2 scoops, I wouldn't expect miracles as it is.

So there is also "fibersol" in here, which looks to be a form of metamucil. I could be wrong, but that seems to be the brunt of the carbs.

So long story short, we're looking at a tiny bit of protein with a lot of fiber.

Why does this work then? Because everyone is under dosed on mainly those 2 things. Fiber and protein.

Put out a product with both, make up some hilarious "it's better than X" claims, market the hell out of it, get some people to lose weight on it, and POW! success!

I have a beef with products like this because:
1) it is overcharging customers big time
2) it is an inferior product in most cases
3) people attribute the success to the product instead of the nutritional clean up.

This means that if you were eating junk, and you even replace it with something less crappy, you'll get results! It really is that easy !

If these products would help set people on the right path, aka a non-crash diet plan with sustainable results, then there really would be nothing wrong.
People become dependant on these products and don't grasp the basic nutritional background as to why they're working.

My recommendation:

1) up your vegetable intake or buy some metamucil
2) buy a cheaper, higher quality protein supplement aka. Isoflex
3) replace these with one or two of your junk meals you usually have.

Watch what happens. Same or better results with more money in your wallet.



As always, if you have more questions, ask away. I'll be more than happy to answer them !

Meal plans failing/failing to plan meals

So yes.

You've hired a nutritionist.

You're working out for your goal.

Results are stuck per say. Whether it's you gaining weight, losing weight, gaining strength etc.

You now are starting to blame the meal plan.

Really? First off, ask yourself WHY you're questioning your meal plan.
Do you think your nutritionist isn't good?
Do you believe that you have followed it perfectly?
Have you taken a food journal to see if you're REALLY following it?

Or...

Could it POSSIBLY be that you're failing the meal plan?

That's right.

Now, this isn't a quick answer.

I've heard this quote before, so I'll stick it here. It's about meal plans and following them.

"It's simple, but hard."

Think about it. A meal plan consisting of PERFECT foods per say, its VERY simple. Let's give a VERY basic example.

You're to eat chicken and broccoli for 5 meals a day. 6 oz chicken. 2 cups of broccoli.
(I'M NOT SAYING EAT THIS, IM GIVING AN EXAMPLE!)

That is VERY simple.

Now, could your average person do this and sustain this??? Probably not. It's extremely bland, and boring. So there is where it is hard.

So this is unrealistic. So that is another angle to look at. Can you NOT follow it? Is it too hard? How? Interfering with a social life? With work?

These are all things to consider. Your nutritionist should be asking you all these questions too, and hopefully be able to help you sort out your answers. Doing a meal plan alone/your own meal planning is not a great option in my opinion. Having a professional do it will make everything much easier.

ALSO

Let's say you're eating perfectly. The meal plan is actually 100%

Have you done all your training? Have you done the weights? The cardio? 100%?

How long have you done it 100%? 2 days? a week? a month?

I get this complaint all the time.

"I'm following my meal plan and I'm not seeing results."

So therefore I ask you/my clients:

"Are you really?"

I might be onto something here...

The Edge of a Knife/All over the Map/Goals

There have been times that the best of us question why we're doing what we're doing. Doubt.
Yes, even the people that you constantly see motivating others everyday.
They, at times, struggle to be motivated.

I recently got back from the CBBF National Bodybuilding Championships.
It put many things into perspective.

Watching one of my good friends, Rob Friss, go through hell and back. Questioning things, being at an all time low for energy reserves, not only physically but mentally.

Back to the point.

Really ask why you're doing what you're doing.

If you're doing something to cross it off your bucket list, do a LOT of research first.

Do you know that the average first time bodybuilding/figure show requires around 16 weeks of perfect dieting?

Do you know how long a marathon is?

I'm not talking about pick up softball in a bush league here and there, I'm talking about serious feats of "fitness."

I would like it if people boarderline equated it to an Olympic sport. People don't just wake up and say "the heck with it, I'm going to do a skeleton race this year at the Olympics."

No.

Not only that, but let's also say the following.

You're dieting for your first figure/bikini show. You're doing great, you have a trainer who's pumping you up, motivating you, you're following your meal plan, following your workout, following your cardio regimen, everything.

Everyone is telling you how awesome you look. Friends, family, everyone. You're pumped.

Let's also say you do in fact look good. Great even.

You compete.

You place dead last.

Here is that edge of the knife.

Does this crush you?

Or does this motivate the living hell out of you?

Tons of questions will be swirling about your mind. Were my friends/family lying? Did I look like crap? Should I have even competed? Should I dig myself into a tunnel and never come out?

You have to be prepared for this stuff.

Not only that, but if you are "serious" about your endeavor, you should get back up, dust yourself off, and do better.

Imagine if the first time you fell off a bicycle, you said "screw this" and never did it again. Sounds kind of silly, doesn't it?

To motivate yourself is challenging. I have a trainer/nutritionist myself as I have stated many, many times. I love it. They help me out a ton.

But also, reflection should be there. Let's keep with the bicycle analogy. Obviously if you have competed in something like figure/fitness/bikini, you are competent at riding the bicycle, and are trying tricks per say.

If you do it, and ACTUALLY decide you don't like it, that's another gig as well. Let's say its taking away from other activities you love. Being social, doing other physical activities. Trips. Work.

Balance. Yes its been talked about a lot, but not necessarily at this angle.

In order to improve somehow, eventually you're going to have to give up certain things you REALLY enjoy.

Bodybuilding - you're not drinking a few beers on the weekends with buddies.
You're not having a piece of cake at your birthday party. Especially if you're in pre-contest and it's not on your meal plan.

What are you willing to give up?

I've motivated myself a lot. By the changes I see. How I feel. How I train my clients and the success I see them have. I motivate them, which in turn motivates me. Plus, If I get wildly out of shape, who would listen to me in the first place? A fat nutritionist? Nice Mega, Nice.

Don't hesitate to be honest. But if you're willing to put effort, and sacrifice but NOT suffer... Maybe some magic will happen...

The Human GPS

I was talking to one of my clients about this, and we came up with this together.

My position is very similar to a GPS.

When you hire a personal trainer/nutritionist, you're shopping for a GPS.

There are going to be great models out there, economy models, overpriced models, and then ones that are worth what you pay.

Picture yourself in the middle of a desert. And you have a GPS.

The end destination, aka. where you want to be for fitness, is as far away or as close as your goals are.

The GPS is the personal trainer/nutritionist.

The GPS should be telling you the exact course, the exact direction you need to go.

In the beginning the route will be very straight forward. You're in a desert, it will tell you which direction to go, and simply walk in that direction.

Eventually, if your goal is big, you'll have to pay close attention to the GPS and take the correct turns, off ramps, detours etc.

All seems simple, correct?

Here's the kicker:

There are people that won't follow their GPS. They think they know how to get to their destination quicker. They think they know where their destination is. The proper turns. The whole shabang.

Then I ask you:

Why did you buy the GPS?

If you feel the GPS is defective (bad training/nutritionist)

Return it. Get another one.

But, if you get lost, and you didn't use the GPS, don't blame the GPS.

Calories In vs Calories Out

A great debate.

Let's preface by saying this. Are you trying to tell me that if we were to duplicate your genetics, and we were to feed one of you 2000 calories of chicken, and the other 2000 calories of ice cream, they'd end up the same?

It just sounds hilarious to begin with.

Once again, this depends on your goals.

Most people would like to retain muscle mass and lose their bodyfat.

Let's go over some elementary concepts first however.

If you eat 2000 calories, and you're burning 2500 a day by your total daily expenditure, you will lose weight.

If you eat 2000 calories, and burn 1500 calories, you will gain weight.

Remember what we've talked about, how "weight" means water, fat, muscle, glycogen and a host of other lovely variables.

This is where what the calories are coming from matters.

This is why "eating smaller portions" will only work for so long, until you change WHAT those portions are.

Remember the macro nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

Having the macros set up in the correct amounts will be the key to your success more so than how many calories you are eating, depending on exercise, goals, the whole shabang.

And something else quickly I wrote on my face book page:

If you eat an ice cream sandwich, and expect to get on the treadmill and "burn it off" you're out of luck. Your body isn't that smart at tossing out crap, it will toss out a mixture of things, possibly fat, possibly hard earned muscle.

It doesn't work that way, crap in does not mean crap out. It could be crap in = muscle out.

There are tons of formulas out there for how to set up your meal plan, but try to remember:

Clean it up first. If your big fallacy is crap, then cut it out or at the very least minimize it.

If what you're eating is clean and progress has stopped, figure out what macronutrients are in the foods you're eating, and change them around.

Hope that helps!