Gals and guys, please excuse the mess: my projects are now off the table and on my guitar amplifier, and while I can’t reveal too much about what lies in present disarray, I can tell you about my latest collaboration with bro-extraordinaire Alan Aragon. With just a few juicy posts on internet fitness forums Alan became an online legend, and now I, with my great coercive powers, have culled the Brofessor himself out of his PubMed hibernation.

Besides serving time with Men’s Health as their weight loss coach and trolling online forums as a superhero of skepticism, he’s been hitting up the podcast circuit and pumping out issue after issue of his Research Review.

But now it’s time the Brofessor take center stage. He and I will host a sparkling new podcast titled Brotology 101. The show will address both lay press topics, and, with equal verve, those compelling the publication of new scientific research. We’ll also spotlight the best threads and debates in the online fitness world sure to ruffle some avian threads. It’s going to be a great show and should be dropping in early October.

What’s even cooler, I want you, my readers, to participate. Post in the comments section topics you’d like discussed on the show and any questions you want answered. We’ll try to fit in as much reader content as we can.

Thanks for participating, I think you’ll really enjoy the end product. Stay tuned for the early October release of Brotology 101 with your hosts Ryan Zielonka and Alan Aragon.

If you missed Part One of the interview, click here.

RZ: Having followed your progress from day one, your development has been a true inspiration.  What did you learn about yourself during your most recent journey to striated glutes?

TJ: Thanks!  I appreciate that!  I can tell you, I learned a great deal about myself in the weeks leading up to that last competition.  You start to experience some really dramatic changes, not only physically, but even more so psychologically.  As you diet down to ultra lean levels, most of your hormonal processes start to shut down.  Hunger shoots through the roof, libido is non-existent, mood is all over the place, etc.  It’s one of those things that you can’t really describe very well; you just have to experience it to fully understand what I mean.  When I say hunger, I’m not talking about your normal, every day, “I’m hungry for lunch” type of hunger.  I’m talking about you being hungry as you are eating, hungry immediately after you eat, and hungry to the point that food gives you no satiety whatsoever.

Now, apply that analogy to mood swings and try to get a picture of just how cranky you can be.  I’ve learned how disciplined I can be if I want to be.  I’ve learned the TRUE meaning of patience.  I’ve learned which people in my life truly care about and support me.  I mean, the list goes on and on.  Bodybuilding can be a very humbling experience, but you have to be doing it for the right reasons for it to be.

RZ: A lot of bodybuilders are hyper-obsessive compulsives.  Eating disorders and body image issues are ever-present.  How do you keep an even keel on things and avoid some of the negative behaviors typically associated with physique sports (i.e. binge eating, starvation, etc.)?

TJ: To fully understand why the majority of people act in that way, you have to take a look at the root of the problem.  See, as I mentioned earlier in the interview, I got into bodybuilding the way most do – I had insecurity issues within myself.  But, in my case, I learned what health, fitness, bodybuilding, etc. was really all about.  I not only worked on my physique, but I was also working on myself as a person.  Then, inevitably, my reasons why I was doing everything changed.  You have to be into bodybuilding, sports, or whatever for the right reasons.  If you think having a great body will solve all of your insecurity issues, you are wrong.  Having a nice physique is great, but it’s still nothing more than working on the surface.  You have to work on yourself as well.  What I see in the people who have those issues is a great deal of insecurity.  The look they have on the outside is just a façade and covers up how they feel about themselves on the inside.  I maintain an even keel because I continually work on myself as a person.  I read self-help and personal development books, attend church, and surround myself with positive people.  And you know what?  My quality of life is much better and I am able to enjoy the physique I am building because I am doing it for the right reasons.

RZ: Name your top three most influential diet and nutrition specialists and a single lesson learned from each of them.

TJ: The first one would have to be the guy that really was the first one to open my eyes to diet and training – Lyle McDonald.  The big thing Lyle really taught me about diet/nutrition, was that my body really does hate me.  Seriously though, the body does not want to be big and lean, it wants to be small and fat in times of severe dieting and ultra leanness (like contest prep).  He really helped explain to me about the things that go on when dieting for a contest and what things we have control over, what things we can do, etc.  Still to this day, he continues to give advice to me whenever I ask anything from him, and I highly recommend reading the books he has out.  That’s not a shameless plug either…his books are loaded with incredible information about nutrition and physiology.

The second would have to be Layne Norton. I followed him through his journey to becoming a professional, and have since started working with him and picking his brain every chance I get.  The biggest thing that Layne has taught me has to do with contest prep and not cutting out water.  I, like most other natural amateurs, had been brainwashed into thinking that you need to cut water to get dry.  It simply is the exact opposite.  Of the many things about contest prep that he has taught me, not cutting water was the biggest eye opener for me.

The third would have to be Marc Lobliner from Scivation/Primaforce.  His continuing effort to optimize all dieting approaches has had him researching many different areas.  The big thing I have learned from Marc has been the different ways to skin a cat.  Seriously, there is no one way to skin a cat.  So many approaches can be used for different people and it’s al about finding that right approach that someone can stick to and get results from.

RZ: Name your top three most influential training specialists and a single lesson learned from each of them.

TJ: The three I mentioned above have really been influential to me in both nutrition and training.  Layne has taught me a great deal about optimal approaches of training, especially for specific muscle groups, and setting up splits that just flat out work.  He’s taught me a lot about slow and steady progress with small adjustments over time being the key.

Lyle, with his “no bullshit” approach has gotten all of the typical brainwashing I had from the magazines and media out of my head and taught me a lot about the differences in styles of training between naturals and drug users.  I, like many others, have fallen victim to believing what I see in the mainstream media as far as training, nutrition, and the worst, supplements.  Lyle has grounded me to constantly rely on the tried and true (what’s been proven to work) and always build your training schemes off of the basics – bench, squats, and deadlifts.

The third I’d probably have to go with Dante (Doggcrap).  His style of training has opened up my eyes on a lot of things.  I believe in a lot of his principles, especially the rest pause set, and try to incorporate his principles into my workouts all year round.  Just in adding rest pauses alone, I’ve seen dramatic improvements in my physique in just weeks.  He really knows his stuff and his philosophies are solid.

RZ: Are cheerios the secret to mad gainz, sw0le trapz, and rippt abz?

TJ: You bet your ass they are!  Whether it’s cheerios, oats, pastas, breads, you name it…just remember that carbohydrates are not the enemy!  When used right, they can be very beneficial on any dieting approach.

RZ: Tommy – you are a true sport, no pun intended… okay maybe.  Once again, congrats on everything – you deserve it all.

It’s not surprising, given the online company we keep, that Tommy and I were trolling the same online forums and within a few years he’d catapulted himself into the limelight of the fitness interwebs. Beside winning the 2007 OCB Mr. Natural Indiana and gaining his IFPA pro card the same year, he’s plastered near naked on the cover of Lyle McDonald’s The Stubborn Fat Solution. Not bad for a bodybuilding nerd. I had the opportunity to interview him, so without further ado, here’s the first of a two-part interview with ‘Sporto’ Tommy Jeffers.

RZ: Tommy, you’ve been elevated into the professional ranks of natural bodybuilders.  Why don’t you give us a little history lesson as to what got you here?

TJ: Growing up, I’d always been involved in sports and had a very athletic childhood.  When I reached middle school, and then high school, I had become quite the skinny kid.  My family didn’t have a lot of money, and I never wore any of the nice, preppy clothes, so I was picked on all the time by the “cool” kids.  And then one day it just hit me.  I remember the exact day too.  It was during my sophomore year of high school, and on this particular day of being picked on, I had simply had enough.  I remember being so mad at myself for not standing up to these kids that it was right then and there I decided to do something about it.  It was then that I literally became OCD with training, nutrition, supplementation, all of it. I essentially got started into weightlifting because of insecurity issues I had with myself at the time.  I mean, who isn’t insecure at that age right?

Obviously, the reasons why I do what I do now have changed, but that was my birth into the world of weightlifting.  Now, as for bodybuilding, I never really had aspirations for it growing up.  It didn’t even occur to me as something I would do until I the year 2004.  I had just been through a very emotionally tumultuous time in my life – ended an engagement, ended my professional baseball career, didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, etc.  We’ve all been there, and if you haven’t yet, you will!  But, it was that year I decided to actually try bodybuilding out at the local contest that my college has annually called Mr. ISU.  It was a great experience.  It gave me something in my life I felt like I could control again with the dieting, the training, etc.  And best of all, I ended up winning the competition that year and I have been hooked ever since!

RZ: Tommy, that’s awesome. I think a lot of the guys in the game today can relate to your story. I was surprised about your approach for this most recent competition. In the past I know you experimented with aggressive, cylical diets. Even Lyle’s now infamous Ultimate Diet 2.0. For your latest competition, it seems you took a moderate approach vis-à-vis diet and training. Intensity non-withstanding (as obviously it was through the roof), how could the average trainee adopt the broad strokes of your modality so as to apply some of your ideas to their own plans?

TJ: That’s just it!  There isn’t anything fancy or complicated with what I do.  And, what I do isn’t difficult at all.  You know what is?  Making what I do a habit, that’s the hard part. I mean, how difficult is it to sit food on a scale and weigh it?  It’s not.  How difficult is it to remember to do that all the time?  That’s the trick.  It’s those very little things that you don’t even notice that separate the average from the elite.  Let’s face it, there really hasn’t been anything revolutionary come out in the fitness industry that has caused the big and ripped look to happen any faster than doing the mundane basics over a period of time.

You know why?

Because that’s the big secret.  What you see in my physique is nothing more than hard work ethic and discipline over a long period time.  Consistency is what separates the average from the elite.  Most people will do it for awhile, then back off, then get back in it, then back off, etc. I have been training, eating right, and supplementing the necessities for years and years.  If there’s one thing I would love to hammer into the brains of all the “average” trainees it would be to stay consistent with all of this and make it part of your lifestyle.  Once you do that, the results will inevitably come and it’s all downhill from there.

RZ: I know you’re not a fitness guru by anymeans, but I also know you’ve worked as a trainer. You strike me as the eternal student, but presume you have 12 weeks to take a “skinny-fat” trainee at a roughly intermediate level.  He needs to get into awesome shape for (okay, let’s aim high here) a movie role.  What sort of protocols what you employ to develop your ideal “Spartan?”

TJ: This is where the fun begins on my part as a trainer, and is why I love doing what I do.  Most trainers that you see at a local franchise gym, have a couple of cookie-cutter programs that they put everybody on.  What separates the good trainers from the bad ones is the ability to adapt and tailor specifics to each individual for whatever their needs are.  As much as I’d like to think so, not everyone wants to look like a pro bodybuilder!

In a situation like that, here’s what you’d have to do.  First, you have to find out roughly how much he/she needs to lose to get the desired look that he/she is wanting.  That will determine what their weekly fat/body fat loss needs to be to hit their desired goal.  Now, we take the weekly goal and use that to determine the calorie level per day that we need to achieve that goal.  Then, I would decide the best approach (macro-nutrient ratio wise) based upon what body type they have, to determine what daily numbers he/she needs to hit.  Then the training approach will be tailored to them base on recovery ability, any injuries or limitations, what machines/equipment they have access to, etc.  So, essentially what I end up with is a big puzzle and my job is to put the pieces together in the most optimal way possible based on everything that I have learned over the years.

RZ: There’s been much talk recently of the merits of compound routines versus plans that focus on lower frequency and greater isolation (i.e. body part splits).  I noticed for your latest competition you took on a fairly traditional bodybuilding style approach.  Could you talk about your philosophies when it comes to training?

Ah yes, the infinite debate on what’s considered the most optimal approach. My training philosophy, which everything I do, preach, and teach with, does not focus on any particular routine, rather thebalancethat lies within that routine.  The 3 variables that we have at play with any training routine are volume, frequency, and intensity.  In my opinion, what’s far more important that what training routine/split you choose, is the balance that you have with it.  Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t think that some programs are more optimal than others, because I certainly do – and that all depends on what the ultimate goal is for that individual.  But, as long as you can find and attain the right balance of those 3 variables…I believe the program will work.  So, again, my philosophy on training isn’t within any particular style of training, rather the balance within that style of those 3 variables.

RZ: Okay, seriously, how did you develop that kind of volume tolerance?

TJ: Hah! I will admit, for whatever reason, I have found that my body has downright freaky genetics when it comes to recovery ability and volume tolerance.  And honestly, I think that’s really what it boils down to: genetics.  I haven’t seen anything in my own research that has shown prolonged adaptation to high volumes of training, i.e. you can’t “train” your body to have better volume tolerance – which is why we have over-reaching/over-training.  Now, I do believe that your body will adapt to anything that you can throw at it in the acute sense, but trying to prolong higher volumes of training than what your body is genetically able to recover from will just result in overtraining.  So, unfortunately, it’s just that I’m a genetic freak.

Check back soon for Part Two of this installment of Five for, um, More than Five with IFPA Pro Tommy Jeffers.

In a rare turn for fitness blogs, part two of this installment of Five for Five contains a dose of humor alongside crunchy science awesomeness. Click here to read Part One. Jamie and I continue our discussion, covering ‘body part’ splits, Bruce Lee and metabolic training.

So travel to the mountain top and empty your cup as we conclude this installment of Five for Five with Sifu Jamie Hale. I hear tea tastes better at high altitudes.

RZ: There seems to be a huge split between what the literature claims as ideal and what coaches’ claim as ideal with respect to muscle hypertrophy.  Here, I’m thinking of the literature supporting a higher degree of training frequency, where what most professionals are doing falls closer to the one body part per week style of training.  Who’s right and why?  And if one body part per week is insufficient, why have so many competitors had success with it?

JH: Trainees from around the world have used a wide array of protocols to enhance hypertrophy.  There is no magic rep and set scheme. There are four key training elements to consider when training for muscular growth. These elements include load (weight on the bar), work (load multiplied by total repetitions), frequency (how often training is performed), and duration (time involved in seeing significant changes).

A commonly held belief often expressed in literature on hypertrophy goes something like this:

High volumes and moderate intensities (e.g. 8–12 sets of 6–12RMs) with short rest intervals are thought to promote hypertrophy whereas those with low volumes and high intensities are expected to promote strength gains without hypertrophy.

What does the evidence say?

In the mid 1960s, O’Shea compared a low-volume protocol (three sets of 2–3RM squats) with a high-volume protocol (three sets of 9–10RM squats) over six weeks and found significant increases in thigh girth in both groups, but there was no significant difference between the groups.  Campos had subjects train using a low repetition group (performing 3–5 RM for four sets), an intermediate group (performing 9–11 RM for three sets), or a high repetition group (performing 20–28 RM for two sets). Hypertrophy occurred in all three major fiber types for the low and intermediate groups whereas no significant increases were demonstrated for the high rep group.  Recent work shows that maximal hypertrophy can occur with loads as low as 40% (as in the case seen in the occlusion studies) up to and beyond 100% of 1RM (as seen in eccentric loading studies).

Most studies show that a range of 80–90% of 1RM is pretty close to ideal though.   There is little evidence to suggest that there is one supreme loading scheme.

So how does total work influence hypertrophy?

First let’s define work.  Work as defined in physics is force X displacement, a scientific way of saying work=force X distance moved. Putting this into a context we are interested in, we can say that work = load X total reps.

Moss looked at triceps brachii muscle mass ratio changes using three differing loads—90% 1RM for two repetitions, 35% 1RM for seven repetitions, or 15% 1RM for ten repetitions (each group performed 3–5 sets). Increases in triceps brachii muscle mass ratio were only seen in the 35% 1RM group. At first, this would leave one wondering. But, when the amount of work is computed, it’s apparent that increases in work may be a potent stimulator of hypertrophy. Using an average of four sets and assuming the 1RM for all groups averaged 50 lbs; the work for the 90% group was 360, 490 for the 35%1RM, and 300 for the 15% 1RM. The 35% had the highest work. In another study by Ostrowski, he found that two or three sets (9–12 RM) were superior to one set (9–12 RM) with regards to gains in triceps brachii muscle mass.

Looking at the scientific research data, it seems pretty clear that adequate work is necessary to increase the hypertrophic response to training. The volume used is dependent on the load or the intensity of 1RM.   What are the implications in training? In order for muscle to grow, it is important to use an intensity that would allow enough work to be performed no matter what the training status of the individual.

How about frequency (how often you train)?  Studies suggest:

DeMichele tested rotational torso strength gains between 1d, 2d, and 3d per week subjects. No differences between 2d and 3d per week were found, but both 2d and 3d were superior to 1d per week.  Carroll tested strength and MHC gains in the leg muscles for 2d versus 3d per week training. In this study, results were similar, but higher strength gains were seen in the 2d per week subjects.  Abe used a 3X weekly protocol and Staron used 2X weekly. Both training programs produced significant increases in mass.

In general healthy adults seem to benefit the most from training the same muscle or muscle group two times per week. Of course the optimal prescription may be different for competitive athletes.  I have found for many competitive athletes, training the same muscle or group once every five days (referring to targeted body part training) is sufficient.

Many followers of the bodybuilding-training gurus seem to be convinced that training a body part more than once per week is overtraining. I disagree with that statement for the most part.  Keep in mind; this thought process was originally promoted by heavily drug-induced athletes (and drug intake significantly alters normal physiology).

How long to see changes in hypertrophy?

The majority of studies indicates that initial gains in strength come primarily from neural adaptations that include improving recruitment patterns, rate coding, and synergistic/antagonistic muscle activation increases or decreases While hypertrophy does contribute to overall strength changes, this probably does not occur (at significant levels) during the early initial adaptation and is delayed more so than neural gains.

In as little as 4 weeks we can expect to see some gains in hypertrophy. This is primarily seen in smaller muscles that do not require as much nervous system learning.  In general, when looking at long-term studies we see much greater changes in hypertrophy.  It is the cumulative effect of repeated training bouts (in combination with proper nutrition) that ultimately leads to significant gains in skeletal muscle tissue. Don’t be upset if you don’t get huge over night.  You can also expect gains to come at a slower pace as you become more experienced.

Why have so many competitors done well with training bodypart 1x per week?

Maybe they could have done better with more frequent sessions?  Maybe genetics and a properly designed drug regimen may have helped. Maybe they have done better despite their training protocol not because of. It is not uncommon to see an athlete excel even though their training regimen is less than optimal.  In fact, I know some athletes who do very well in their sport despite horrible training, resting and nutrition protocols.  Think what they would do if they done things the right way (or at least a better way, as there is no one right way).

RZ: What was it that made Bruce Lee so awesome?

JH: I am a big fan of Bruce Lee and he was probably the biggest reason I became involved with martial arts.  Bruce was way ahead of his time when it came to his philosophies on fighting.  He was charismatic, a hard worker, and a true student of fighting.  He didn’t believe in being stuck in one particular style or way of doing things.  His thoughts were you need to be able to adapt to any situation.

I was watching a program last week on the History Channel about Bruce’s life and they referred to him as the godfather of mixed martial arts.  I am not sure if I agree with that statement but as I mentioned he was definitely ahead of his time when it came to understanding fighting and realizing the importance of not being reliant on any particular style.  I think he would have been really pleased today to see the popularity of mixed martial arts.  I am often asked if I think he would have done well as a MMA Competitor and my answer is always the same “I have no idea”.  I think he would have been involved with the sport, but probably as a coach, promoter or commentator.

RZ: What’s your take on ‘extensive’ bodybuilding protocols?  Here, I’m thinking of sets in the 15 – 20 range that have a tendency to deplete glycogen and approach the lactate threshold.  A few guys swear by this as a fat loss training protocol.  Is this just as viable as, say, HIIT sprints and why?

JH: As Zelasko (1995) stated:

Although exercise does increase energy output during and after exercise and can expend energy from fat for many overweight persons, excessive caloric expenditure has limited implications for substantially reducing body weight independent of nutritional modifications.

No matter what type of exercise regimen you are following or how many calories and fat you oxidize while training you must create a caloric deficit at the end of the day to lose bodyfat.  A calorie deficit on a regular basis will result in bodyfat loss.

The amount of bodyfat lost or gained also depends on P-ratio.  P-ratio is the amount of weight stored or mobilized as protein during weight gain or weight loss.  People with higher P-ratios tend to gain and lose higher percentage of weight as protein.  Lower P-ratios result in less weight deposition as protein and less weight loss in the form of protein (Henry 2008).  P-ratio can be altered to a degree (with exercise, nutrition, drugs) but is largely dependent on genetics.

My competitive bodybuilders rarely perform conventional high rep sets during contest prep.  Although the final week before the show I usually advise a workout similar to the one you mention.  This is used in conjunction with a very technical nutrition protocol.

RZ: Thanks again Jamie.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to sit down with Jamie Hale of Max Condition. He blogs regularly at knowledgesummit.net. One of the finest minds in the industry, Jamie has been at the fitness game nearly as long as I’ve been alive.  Jamie isn’t just brilliant, he’s jacked too, but don’t take my word for it. So with gratuitous ab shots out of the way, here’s the first installment of Five for Five, where I pose five hard to answer questions to vetted fitness industry experts.

RZ: First off, thanks for taking the time to sit down and chat today Jamie.  I appreciate it.  I’m curious, what does your intellectual background look like with regard to training?  As they say, stand on the shoulders of giants.  I come from an academic background myself, and in research, you look for the antecedents of today’s great ideas.  Who did you learn from, who do you still learn from, and who played the greatest influence in your present understanding of training protocols and methodologies?

JH: I have acquired my knowledge from a wide array of sources.  I have extensively studied the work of Siff, Zatsiorsky, Tipton, Rennie, Freedman, Owen, Dreschler, Verkhoshansky, Moore, Crewther and so on.   A great deal of my knowledge comes from sharing and discussing data with a group of people I have made connections with from around the world. We discuss Primary Research studies, Reviews, Seminar Key Notes, Books, Lectures, and so on.

The group consists of individuals who share a common interest in the science and practical aspects of exercise and nutrition (and to a lesser degree logic, and general science).  I have also worked with some great coaches over the years including Olympic Weightlifting Coach (member of Olympic Weightlifting Hall of Fame) David Pursley, boxing coach Emmit Igo (coach of numerous pros and amateur champs), Strength and Conditioning Coach John Davies, Brian Jones (MMA athlete, author of Sandbag Training Manual and The Conditioning Handbook published by Ironmind), Mike O’Donnell (owner of 4 seasons Mixed Martial Arts, BJJ Coach, BJJ black belt), Stonnie Dennis (Pro MMA fighter and Hook N’ Shoot Veteran) Darrin Van Horn (boxing coach and 2x IBF World Champ) etc.  Really, there are too many to name, but the ones I have just mentioned are some of my biggest influences.

Much of my knowledge has also been acquired through personal experience.  I have tried a multitude of different training and nutrition regimens.  I have participated in many different physical activities and I have conducted too many quasi-experiments to keep track of of. Currently most of the information I promote is derived from scientific journals and in the trenches knowledge.  I have a few coaches I stay in contact with such as David Pursley and Stonnie Dennis.  Alan Aragon (nutritionist and author) and I also discuss things on a regular basis.   I learn new things everyday and spend 6-8 hrs per day conducting research on all things science, fitness, nutrition, and logic.

I am also very active in the Kentucky Association of Science Educators and Skeptics.  This group has furthered my education and strengthened my critical thinking skills (skeptical thinking process), which is very important.  In fact, I recently gave a presentation at the JP Fitness Summit that addressed critical thinking and the fitness industry.   Education is a life long process.  It is important to look at all the data available on a particular subject if you really want to understand the subject.  Don’t cherry pick.  Oh yeah, if you are going to refer to scientific studies you need to learn how the read them first.  Understanding basic research methodology is a must.

RZ: How do you design a diet for long-term maintenance without being tied to Fit Day?  In this industry, so many people focus on the margins, the extremes, and forget the middle ground.  Few guys are going to be aggressively cutting or bulking lest they compete.  For lack of a better example, I’ll appeal to the present cultural Zeitgeist – presuming a guy has sub-par genetics (and he probably does if he’s spending hours on fitness sites and forums) how does a guy maintain Abercrombie levels of leanness and equivalent or greater musculature?   I’m not so interested in numbers but rather behaviors, general diet recommendations, and training philosophy.

JH: It is important for trainees to realize they have genetic limitations.  It is also important to realize reaching goals take time.  That does not mean they should use genetics as an excuse for sub-par performance or development, but it does mean realistic goals are necessary.  In my many years of working in the industry (18 yrs) I have seen many athletes and general fitness enthusiasts discontinue their programs because they were not reaching their goals fast enough or they simply felt like they would never reach their goals.  Most people want things right now and they feel like they can’t wait.  I am sorry that is not how it works in the fitness industry (or most other fields for that matter).

So, we have established that it is important to set-up realistic goals and it is important to give yourself a realistic time frame to reach these goals.  What is realistic?  It depends.   But in general I will have a client (such as the one you mention with sub-par genetics) set up monthly goals.  I prefer that goals be a little on the conservative side.  If the trainee surpasses their target weight, body fat comp, or whatever they are very pleased.  On the other end if expectations are too high and the goal is not reached then some mental anguish may occur which can have negative effects on further progression.  This is a delicate matter and it needs to be played be ear.  It is important that the trainee enjoys at least some aspect of their program and eating plan.  Of course, they probably won’t enjoy the entire protocol but it is important from an adherence point to ensure that they don’t despise every aspect of the program.

With some trainees this is a no win situation because they hate all physical activity.  Although most people can probably find something physical they enjoy or at least do not hate.  The same goes for food ask them about their likes and dislikes.  If you suggest they eat only bland foods and tell them food is not suppose to taste good it is unlikely that they will stick to the plan (at least the average trainee).  Try to make the workouts at least partially enjoyable and the same goes with eating plan.  Also remember you don’t have to be stuck inside of a gym to exercise.  Go outside and enjoy nature.  Modify the plan if needed.  No program is written in stone.

Again, a big thanks to Jamie for taking the time out of his busy schedule to participate in the column. Part Two will be posted shortly, so check back soon!