Today I am pleased to have an interview with Dr John Berardi the author of Precision Nutrition and Craig Ballentyne author of Turbulence Training.

Practical Nutrition
An Interview with Dr John M Berardi, CSCS

In this great interview with Dr Berardi, he and Craig Ballentyne (of www.cbathletics.com) cover the basics of practical nutrition. Prepare to learn a few practical nutrition and lifestyle tips from the master himself.

CB: John, what are some of the latest practical tips you have come across that can help the everyday, pressed-for-time men and women stick to their nutrition plan and help them lose fat and gain muscle?

JB: Well, when it comes to practical tips, I like to separate my advice into two categories – food tips and lifestyle tips. Both categories are essential for overall results. Sure, what we eat is absolutely critical – but knowing what to eat is only part of the battle. Having the right foods available at the right times is just as critical as knowing what to eat. So really, we’re talking about both knowing AND doing.

In terms of food tips, the most important tip – far and away – is the idea that carbohydrate intake should be activity-dependant. This is similar to my 4th habit of the Precision Nutrition plan and it goes like this — Non-fruit and veggie carbs should be saved until the during- and post-exercise periods. So, simply put, the typical recreational exerciser saves his or her starches (pasta, bread, oatmeal, rice, etc) and sugary carbs (sweets, recovery drinks, sports drinks, etc) until they’re exercising or immediately after. The rest of the day is for proteins, good fats, and lots of veggies (along with some fruits).

By following this rule, my typical clients see BIG, IMMEDIATE body comp changes! And, truly, this tip has been the biggest in terms of body composition impact for my recreational exercisers since they’re typically only exercising 3-4 times per week.

In terms of lifestyle tips, my compliance grid is a huge one.

CB: Yes, I’ve heard a lot about your “compliance grid”. What is this and how can people use this to gauge their commitment? What do you learn when you have a client complete this?

JB: The compliance grid has been a huge help in terms of helping clients stick to either what they already know to be good nutrition (for those who are well-read in this area) or to what they’re learning to be good nutrition (for those new to the Precision Nutrition principles). The compliance grid basically helps a client plot out 1 week of their life and keep track of how well they’re doing nutritionally. In simple terms, we create a table in which the seven days of the week are plotted along the vertical axis (far left column) and the 7 meals of the day are plotted along the horizontal axis (top row).

Then, if a person eats a Precision Nutrition compliant meal, they place an “X” in the corresponding box. If they miss a meal, they place an “O” in the box. And if they have a non-compliant meal, they place a “*” in the appropriate box.

This very simple and easy-to-use compliance system helps folks gauge their commitment and regular adherence by giving an honest and accurate assessment of how well they’re REALLY doing. You see, many folks – in their minds – count their hits but fail to count their misses. This makes them believe they’re doing FAR better than they really are. So the compliance grid forces them to count both hits and misses – helping them avoid “blind spots.” We often have clients who swear that they’re at 90% compliance (the gold standard for Precision Nutrition) and then, upon using the compliance grid, find out that they’re really at 50% or 60%. This is eye-opening and shows them that there is indeed room for improvement.

CB: From your experience with fat loss clients, what are a few of the biggest nutritional mistakes men and women are making each day? Are your clients often surprised to find out that a particular food shouldn’t be included in their fat loss plan?

JB: Here are the biggest mistakes I see people making when fat loss is their immediate goal:

Not enough total exercise. Several independent studies, in thousands of exercisers, have shown that those who are happiest with their bodies exercise for at least 5 total hours per week. Now I know, many people have heard otherwise. But seriously, the data are there. So unless you’ve been born with a really fast metabolism OR you are a meticulous calorie counter, make sure you’re getting at least 5 hours of physical activity per week. Some folks need more – but 5 hours is a great starting point.

Not using nutrient timing. As discussed above, carb timing is critical! Now remember, I’m not talking low carb or high carb here. I’m talking carb timing. For the best results, it’s important that recreational exercisers make sure to eat their sugary and starchy carbs ONLY during and/or after training – as discussed in Precision Nutrition.

Not using outcome-based decision making. I see so many people wanting to get lean and beginning the process with 1 training program and 1 diet plan. And this plan usually works for a short period of time – whether it’s 4, 6, or 8 weeks. However, once they’ve lost fat and adapted to the program, it stops working. And when it stops working, they give up. Well, it’s important to expect all one-off programs to stop working. And with this expectation, it’s important to use an outcome-based decision making strategy. What I mean here is that folks have to adjust their training and nutrition programs based on their results. And in Precision Nutrition we teach people how to do just that.

CB: How can the average guy and gal eat as health as possible without breaking the bank? When should they buy food in bulk? And where?

JB: Healthy eating really isn’t all that expensive. In fact, my colleague Amanda Graydon of Healthy Kitchens Makeover (www.healthykitchensmakeover.com) has done detailed studies of her clients’ “before” and “after” grocery bills showing huge savings once they start eating the Precision Nutrition way – as long as they make smart decisions.

For example, did you know that of each food category, the most expensive items are located to the left of the relevant section and at a level between eye-level and stomach level? Therefore when looking for peanut butter, for example, the most expensive ones are placed in the best visual position. So, to save money, you just have to look down and to the right and voila, you’ll find the cheaper items – no name brands which are often of similar quality.

Another great tip is to check out bulk food stores for healthy grains like quinoa or oats, natural nut butters, mixed nuts, green tea, and other similar bulk items.

And another great tip is to frequent farmers’ markets or ethic food stores (like the produce markets in China-Town) for produce. I started saving 75% on my produce bills when I started shopping at such places. And the quality is often better.

CB: Let’s talk about fish oils for a minute. First off, what are your daily recommendations in terms of quantity and quality (specific brand recommendations)? And second, do you think fish oil helps people lose fat? If so, how do fish oils help accomplish this?

JB: Studies I’ve been involved in at the University of Western Ontario have shown that sedentary folks taking between 1-3g of fish oil per day can speed up metabolic rate (+300-400kcal/day) and can help these same individuals drop 3 lbs of fat and gain 3 lbs of lean in just 3 weeks. So yes, I’d say fish oil helps people lose fat!

In terms of recommendations, I recommend anywhere from 6-10g of total fish oil per day (that’s 6-10 fish oil capsules or 2-4 tsp of liquid fish oil per day). For some clients, I recommend more (esp. those with inflammatory problems, triglyceride elevations in the blood, and those with insulin insensitivity).

And in terms of quality, I think most fish oils are just fine. Although many companies insist that “regular” fish oils are contaminated and low quality, this is more of a concern for fresh fish than supplements. Farmed salmon tends to be very high in polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and tuna is high in mercury.

Independent studies at Harvard Medical School, Consumer Reports, and the watchdog group ConsumerLab.com have shown commercially available fish oil supplements to be free of toxins such as mercury, dioxins and PCBs. I recommend that people visit www.nutrasource.ca for a list of supplements which have been independently tested.

CB: What other general supplement advice do you have for men and women that want to lose fat? From multi-vitamin use to post-workout drinks, etc.

JB: In Precision Nutrition, I list the “big 5” – Protein supplements, Greens supplements, Fish Oil, Creatine, and Workout Drinks. And further, when metabolic decline is a big concern, I recommend Acetyl-L-Carnitine and rAlpha Lipoic Acid. I think most people will do great with a good nutrition plan, smart training plan, and these basic supplements – if needed.

CB: I’m a big fan of Green Tea. Is the instant Green Tea I get at the grocery store going to be just as healthy as getting Green Tea leaves from a specialty shop?

JB: Studies have shown that Matcha green tea can be between 3 and 100x more potent that most commercially available green teas. So yes, some teas are better than others. However, if you’re not drinking any green tea and want to start reaping the benefits, start drinking what ever kind you can right away.

My best recommendation is this: since Matcha is much more expensive, have 1 cup of Matcha tea per day and then use regular old tea bags through the rest of the day.

CB: And finally, a bit off topic, but what are your keys to your success? With such a successful business and such tremendous outreach, I’m sure we’re all curious about how you can get it all done!

JB: Teamwork, Craig! I’m a very dedicated person and I love everything about my work – the writing, the coaching, running my business, and more. So it’s not difficult for me to get lots done – all by myself. But my current business success is fueled by the efforts of my entire team. My business partners Phil and Carter as well as my associates Amanda and Kris are all tireless colleagues that also love what they’re doing and bring unique skill sets to the table. For example, Phil is a master of web technology. Carter is an amazing coach and body composition coach. Amanda is tremendous as a customer service director and seminar promoter. And Kris has a real gift in working with others to create great affiliate relationships. With 5 unique individuals dedicated to creating the best fitness information, resources, and technologies, we tend to get a lot done and we tend to do it well.

This is especially true for our Precision Nutrition project. When someone purchases Precision Nutrition, not only do they get the 5 manuals, the 2 DVDs, the 2 CDs, and the cookbook, they also get an amazing online resource in our private membership forum, they get our technologically advanced online results tracker, and they get our amazing online exercise database with over 460 exercises demonstrated in 3 different ways and categorized in a host of very practical ways. Without all of our skill sets, this would have been impossible.

CB: Thanks for the great interview!

SEE ALSO:
For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out our complete system, Precision Nutrition. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want — guaranteed.

And what’s more, your online access allows you to talk exercise and nutrition 24/7 with thousands of fellow members and the Precision Nutrition coaches. Find out more about Precision Nutrition.

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Remember to sign up for my 5 part Building Muscle and Strength e-course.
If you are interested in me personally designing your programs and helping you achieve your size and strength goals go to busy-fitness.com/online-personal-training/
Wayne

I just received the EDT (Escalating Density Training) DVD by Charles Staley. I am looking forward to checking it out this weekend. I will give a full review in the next couple of weeks.

Also coming up will be some nutrition tips from John Berardi and Precision Nutrition.

Remember you can have your say and add to this site by submitting a review or training tip on the “contact us” page.

Remember to sign up for my 5 part Building Muscle and Strength e-course.
If you are interested in me personally designing your programs and helping you achieve your size and strength goals go to busy-fitness.com/online-personal-training/
Wayne

Here is the second instalment of the Jason Ferruggia interview. In this instalment Jason, author of Muscle Gaining Secrets dispels what he considers to be the biggest training myths and gives some training advice.

Muscle Building Interview #2

By Jason Ferruggia

Question: You are known in the industry as the go-to coach if you are looking to gain strength and put on muscle size. Can you first just give a little background about how you came to your training philosophy?

Answer: I started out training in middle school and was taking the advice of a nearly 300lb pro wrestler whom my cousin was dating at the time. I didn’t know it then but he was obviously juiced to the gills. He wrote me a program and I got nowhere. This road continued all through high school as I continued to get advice from the muscle mags and whatever else was popular at the time. Eventually I broadened my horizons and started to look elsewhere. I began reading about what a lot of the old timers did before anabolic steroids became popular. I also studied the methods of every popular strength coach and trainer at the time. I read everything I could get my hands on, went to seminars, did internships and basically just became a sponge for training knowledge.

I opened up my own private training facility in the mid 90’s and trained over 500 clients there during the 11 years that I ran it. Most of my clients were athletes with a small percentage being general population people just looking to get bigger and stronger. Through all those years of experience working with that many people I came to some pretty strong conclusions about what works for building size and strength, fast.

Question: There is a lot of conflicting training advice out there online, in books, on TV and especially in magazines. What do you think the top myths or misconceptions regarding weight training are?

Answer: That you need a high volume of training. This is a myth that has been passed down from one generation to the next and people continue to blindly follow this protocol without thinking rationally. There is no hard evidence anywhere that you need to use high volume training to get bigger and stronger. Sure lots of guys with great genetics and/or a great pharmacist make progress on high volume training but that doesn’t mean it’s the right way to train.

That you need to hit muscles from a multitude of angles for full development.

That you need a full dynamic warm up before weight training. You don’t. Before sprinting, yes; before lifting, no.

That bodypart splits are the most effective way to train.

Another misconception is that you need a boatload of supplements to make great progress. The bottom line truth is that most supplements suck and do nothing but drain your wallet.

Another sad misconception is that you can’t make great progress without steroids. This is a self defeatist attitude and is simply not true.

Question: Other comments that I have heard coaches say are that the only way to put on any muscle size, is really going to be based on genetics. So they are saying for example that skinny kids can’t and will never be able to put on size.

Answer: That’s the biggest copout under the sun and an excuse that really makes me sick. Genetics are responsible for how far you may eventually go but the fact of the matter is most people will never truly reach their genetic potential. If you use this excuse it shows the world that you have no heart whatsoever and are destined for failure. Using the hard-gainer excuse as a crutch will guarantee you sub par results in your training from now til eternity.

I have some of the worst muscle building genetics imaginable but I never let that hold me back. I have also trained some genetic misfits who made incredible progress and eventually were getting asked what steroids they were on. This is because they had the balls to train like they needed to and had the dedication to eat and rest as much as was needed. Most people simply don’t have what it takes; so the only genetic capacity they may be missing is mental toughness.

For a coach or trainer to say or write that is even worse than just the average trainee or athlete saying that. Making a comment like that shows that you have no heart and no balls, and in that case you should never, EVER be coaching or training ANYONE!

Question: It has been said as you get older it get harder and harder to put on size and strength. Some even say that it can’t be done. What do you say to older athletes or even coaches that say this?

Answer: This is just like the hard-gainer excuse; it’s nonsense. One of my good friends is named Mark Crook (his brother Paul played guitar in Anthrax for seven years and is now lead guitarist for Meatloaf) and we first met right after his 40th birthday when he came to me to help him get bigger and stronger. He took his bench from 155 to 275 in one year and gained over 20lbs of muscle. Mark’s enthusiasm led to a friend of his coming in to my gym a year later and he experienced similar gains. I have had several guys in their 40’s and 50’s experience tremendous gains in size and strength over the years.

It may not happen as fast and as easily as it does for a 20 year old but it can be done. You just have to take into account that your recovery ability may be a bit lower and as such you need to keep your volume lower and be very smart with your training.

Also, you have to remember that most guys don’t even hit their strength peak til sometime around 30 or so. Most of the biggest and strongest guys I know are all in their mid to late 30’s. So the day you hit 40, this doesn’t just do a complete 180 and you shouldn’t be on your training deathbed at 50. Just keep training hard and if you believe you will get stronger then you will.

Question: How about softer chubby or overweight athletes that want to increase strength and muscle mass without looking big and bloated?

Answer: This is a little tougher situation than the skinny ripped guy. You have to be smarter about food choices here and have to do a decent amount of energy system work. If you are above 15% bodyfat you should probably consider getting leaner first and then look to start gaining some muscle mass. When you are fatter your insulin sensitivity is lower, meaning that you don’t tolerate carbs as well and the ingestion of them is more likely to lead to body fat accumulation. In this situation I would recommend keeping carbs low and doing some interval training a few days per week until you get lean enough to switch into a muscle building phase.

That is not to say that you can’t gain strength while getting leaner, though. If you are an athlete you don’t have the luxury of doing typical fat loss workouts and instead need to keep getting faster and stronger. Train like you normally would for size and strength, do your interval training, and keep the diet tight and you will be able to get stronger while getting leaner. Certain lifts like your squat may go down due to you losing some of the favorable leverage that comes with increased abdominal girth, but for the most part you should be able to gain or at the very least, maintain strength while dieting.

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great muscle building information, please visit http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com/

Remember to sign up for my 5 part Building Muscle and Strength e-course.
If you are interested in me personally designing your programs and helping you achieve your size and strength goals go to busy-fitness.com/online-personal-training/
Wayne