That being said, what I’m about to say is going to bruise some egos and piss some people off.

I’ve worked for myself for over 30 years now.

I like it that way because I can enforce MY rules.

I call the shots.

My business, my rules, my way or the highway.

You can’t do that when you work for someone else.

To me it’s worth every penny… and every headache… to be self-employed.

I have to hold myself accountable. It is my career and my responsibility to do what I need to do to be the best I can be.

If I don’t perform every day I don’t make money. I have no one to blame but myself.

That’s the way it should be.

When I hire trainers and employees I expect the same from them.

My trainers and employees get paid to produce. Everything is performance-based. PERIOD.

Trainers and employees know EXACTLY their roles, my expectations and the method by which I assess their performance.

No excuses, none of that “I didn’t know I had to………” crap. That’s nothing more than lies.

Businesses hire employees to make the business money. NOT the other way around.

I’m no different.

I don’t hire someone for the privilege of giving them money that I worked hard to earn.

Don’t expect to just stick your hand out and take money out of my pocket.

I work to support my family. It’s not my responsibility to support yours, too.

If I help you out by giving you money while you get started, don’t think you earned it because you didn’t.

If I let you work with my clients so you can try to cultivate referrals for yourself, don’t think you’re entitled to anything because you’re not.

Call it what it really was… Me helping you out.

You earn your own money by bringing new clients into the business.

Guess what? That’s the way it should be!

I don’t pay you to sit around text messaging or talking on your cell phone to friends and family, or other time-sucking acts that benefits neither one of us professionally. I pay you to actually perform.

I don’t reward for lack of initiative, lack of desire, lack of self-belief and negative self-image.

That’s your choice, not my fault.

I give you access to the tools, tactics, systems, strategies and even the scripts to be successful if you really want to. What I can’t give you is the desire to take action. That’s up to you.

I hire based on potential. It’s up to you to shit or get off the pot.

I reward action-takers, not excuse-makers.

Let the cream rise to the top. I reward the A players accordingly.

The compensation plan I offer trainers is unheard of in the fitness industry… if they perform.

To bottom feeders and underachievers I say THANK YOU FOR TRYING OUT… GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEXT CAREER CHANGE.

And when you fail to live up to your potential, don’t measure up to expectations, don’t make an effort to perform and don’t generate income by your own efforts, take responsibility for your own failures.

YOU failed you, I didn’t.

Quit claiming that you were underpaid or never got paid at all.

The problem isn’t me. The problem is YOU.

The truth is I did you a favor.

I gave you the opportunity to discover if you’re cut out for this business or not.

This business requires desire, ambition, and passion.

If you don’t have the desire to chase your own ambitions, you sure as hell can’t help others achieve their ambitions.

THANK YOU FOR TRYING OUT… GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEXT CAREER CHANGE.

Two girls at the beach were admiring the passing scene, which included a bodybuilder who was strutting his best.  “That’s my type,” said the first girl. “Well, I don’t know,” the other replied.  ”I have a friend who married a man that owns a two-car garage, but he just keeps a bicycle in it!“

There’s a postulate in quantum physics that states, “We don’t know how much we don’t know.”  This statement rings out such resounding truth when it comes to weight training… and, yes, sex… but for now we’ll stick to the topic of weight training. 

Every gym across the country has them… you know the people… the ones who make you put on that set of headphones (no stereo mind you, just the headphones) just so you can be left to yourself…. the woman who sees no wrong in setting the treadmill to the very lowest setting, and staying on it for an hour and a half while others are in line… the wannabe Hulk who loads 280 lbs. on a barbell and starts pounding away bicep curls by throwing his upper body back and forth – without ever bending the elbows… the men and women who filter in and out of the gym every day thinking that they are accomplishing something with their aimless antics and lack of planning. Every one of them thinks that they are doing it right!

The reality is that most people in the gym have lousy form, and pathetic knowledge of weight training. There’s little wonder why they look exactly the same, week after week, month after month, year after year. In fact, over 90% of the people who frequent gyms fall squarely into this category.

Let’s take a look at some of the characters that are commonly found in any gym across the nation:

“No Pain, No Gain.” There are actually people who believe this! I sincerely doubt that Ronnie Coleman or Arnold have ever consciously tried to hurt themselves. Yet there are morons out there that actually train with that mentality. Exercise should never be painful. If it is, you’ll run the risk of injury as a result of overtraining. Once you enter the “overtraining zone,” you’re guaranteed to experience physiological and mental stress which can eventually lead to a number of health problems.

The Flirt. All you guys know who she is. She is the one that thinks she’s the hottest girl in the gym, but in reality she is simply the most annoying. She is the one that comes up to you immediately after you have just pounded out a set of squats from hell, bats her eyes at you then proceeds to ask you “Can you please come take these plates off the leg press. They are just too heavy for me.” To which I would say “Hell no, what do I look like, your personal trainer?” (You know how moody one can be after doing a set of brutal squats.)

The Screamer. Every gym has to have at least one of them. I know you will easily create an image in your mind of the person that I’m talking about. He’s the guy that, for some reason, feels it’s his obligation to shriek at the top of his lungs before performing any set. What makes it even more astonishing is that this person will be lifting such a small amount of weight. I find these people more humorous than annoying. I’ve had the “privilege” to experience quite a few occasions where the “Screamer” has made his presence known. Although it may seem to provide a psychological edge, it has been proven through research, that yelling before or during an exercise provides absolutely no benefit whatsoever. It can, however, be very distracting. My first reaction when I hear someone scream is, “OH GOD! Someone’s stuck beneath a barbell,” or “OH NO! Someone just tore a muscle!” Whenever I am in the presence of a Screamer in the gym, I always remember something I was told when I first started training. I was having a conversation with a young lady that was training next to me when a Screamer yelled at the top of his lungs. As I was trying to suppress my laughter, she turns to me and says, “You know, I’ve always heard that the noises a person makes while training are the same ones they make while in bed.” After hearing that, I nearly had to use the restroom to wipe my backside clean. As funny as it was at the time, I think she may just be right! What to do think?

The Spandex Lady. This one is not a pretty sight to see. This is the lady who really needs to lose about 75 more pounds before she tries to squeeze that lard into those tight-fitting spandex shorts. Lady, let me clue you in on something, NOBODY WANTS TO SEE YOU IN THAT! To makes matters worse, she’s the one I described above… the woman who sees no wrong in setting the treadmill to the very lowest, slowest setting, and stays on it forever while others are waiting in line to use it. She goes so slow that she burns maybe 20 calories the entire time she lumbers along. This lady needs to make it worth all of our time by picking up the pace, or getting the hell out of the way. More importantly, she needs to do us all a favor and just wear some big, baggy sweats.

“My Ego Is Bigger Than My Bench.” Inevitably, you will always have at least one guy who feels the need to place more weight on the bar than even Ronnie Coleman himself will lift on a regular basis. What sucks about this guy is that since you look like you work out, you are a prime candidate to spot this person. Being the nice person you are, you happily agree to spot them. Then just before they begin, they look up and ask you, “Give me a lift-off on 3 and make me work!” You respond by saying, “Okay, on 3″. One, two, three, lift.” The person holds the weight for an instant and then, in the blink of an eye, the weight accelerates straight down like, well…dead weight! You fear the worst, thinking that the person over-estimated their abilities and could be seriously injured. So, with all of your strength, you apply as much possible resistance to slow the downward plunge of the weight. The thud it makes at the bottom makes you cringe! You breathe a sigh of relief when you notice that the person is not hurt and you immediately begin to pull the weight up and towards the rack. As you do, the most mind-boggling thing happens. The idiot murmurs in a low, strained voice “Help me get one more…” Your mouth nearly hits the floor in amazement as you think to yourself, “What? You didn’t even get the first one.” You repeat the process. After it’s over and your traps are recovering, you swiftly move to the other side of the gym in hope that the person won’t ask you to help him again. As you move away, this clown asks the question heard around the world, “How much did you help me”? “Well, Bullet Head… A WHOLE DAMN LOT!” From that day forward, you avoid that person like cardio during the off-season.

There is a common theme that must be adapted by any successful bodybuilder. It’s called “Let Go of My Ego.” This is where you must convince yourself that your body will grow with proper technique, correct form, and most of all… nutrition. It is not always necessary to lift massive amounts of weight all the time, and sacrifice good form and technique to do so. The moral of the story? Big weights only look cool if… and ONLY if… you can lift them without subjecting the person spotting you to an unexpected set of shrugs.

The Rat Pack. Similar to the previous category, except this is usually a group of three or four guys that work out together. They are usually using way more weight than most pro bodybuilders fathom using. There are two distinctive characteristics of this group of pinheads. First, they all think they are getting bigger and stronger. I mean… they truly believe it! Picture these guys. They load up a barbell with way more weight than any of them can dream to lift with proper form, and then proceed to take turns spotting each other through set after set of gyrations and movements that defy nature. The second distinctive trait is that the person spotting is actually getting a better workout than the one doing the exercise!

Marathon Man. He always seems to be the first to arrive, and the last to leave. He believes that the longer he trains in the gym, the more weight he will lose (or gain). His workouts are of epic durations. He’s the guy that performs every conceivable exercise designed for the particular body part he is training that day. He just doesn’t get it. The longer you’re in the gym, the more muscle fibers you’ll tear down. This is an unhealthy way to lose (or gain) weight. Once your body hits a catabolic state, you begin to lose energy… and that eventually leads to over-training… which leads to a plateau. A plateau is an inability to make progress in training. It can last for months. To be safe, consider working out for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, increase the intensity and continue to progress.

The Serious Person. When this person gets ready to train the first thing he will do is get into his own little world. Then he gets the “if you talk to me I will kick your butt” look on his face. He grabs his belt, straps and whatever else he may need on that day of training. When he gets in this zone he doesn’t like to be bothered. You know him… he’s the guy that after doing a heavy set of dumbbell curls will walk around and brood even though he has just pushed himself through a pain barrier that nobody else in that gym is willing to do and doesn’t even have the guts to do. He never looks at anyone in the eye. Everyone avoids him until it is finished. Then as quickly as the all-out assault started, it is over. Then he comes back to the real world and once again he is a really nice guy… until the next time he trains. I guess this is why people think bodybuilders are crazed idiots. He can be intimidating to most people, but at least he has a purpose for his training.

I am sure you can relate to most, if not all, of the people I have written about. If you are one of these people… let me ask you this? Do you want to be stuck in the stagnant pond of mediocrity all of your life? No? Then get over yourself and change your views towards training. Be like the Serious Person… determine the PURPOSE of your training… determine the PURPOSE of your workout… determine the PURPOSE of the exercise. And then train WITH A PURPOSE. Only then will you begin to train RIGHT! Only then will you begin to feel the pleasure of accomplishment after each repetition of every set. And only then will you truly ENJOY your workouts… sounds a lot like sex, doesn’t it? Whatever your training goals, whether it’s the size of the muscles, or the use of them, don’t miss the adventure along the way… again, it sounds like sex. Vince Gironda once said, “There’s joy on the gym floor.” Only those with a heart for training can understand what he meant.

I believe that about wraps up Dr. Diet’s Personal Rant Session. I feel much better now. And if anyone reading this knows me, yes I am talking about you!

Have thoughts about this post? Let us hear your comments…

Have you ever quit your exercise routine because you became bored with it? And going to the gym seemed like a chore?

Have you ever struggled to lose just a few pounds, even though you were going to the gym and eating a bunch of boring healthy foods?

The sad fact is that most people who try to do it on their own fail. Very rarely does their body seem to change much, even when they try their hardest.

By far, the absolute best solution to this problem is to get a personal trainer. They can guide, direct and motivate you to a better body. Personal fitness trainers can help to change someone’s physique like nothing else on the planet

But, many times this isn’t the case and the trainer ends up being more problems than they’re worth…You see, often times when someone hires a personal trainer the only place they end up trimming any extra fat away is in their bank account.

Have you ever known anyone who hired a trainer and got NO results at all?

Have you ever been working out in a gym and actually observed the trainers?

If you have, I bet you probably could tell right away that the trainer is just doing a job, and has no emotional investment in seeing the client get results.

If you’ve ever hired a personal trainer yourself you know what a crap shoot it can be to try and find the right one.

If you’ve had friends who’ve hired personal trainers it’s no doubt you’ve heard the horror stories… The flakey trainers who are always late and missing their appointments, the trainers who promise everything yet produce nothing in the way of tangible results and the trainers who go on and on about insignificant matters the entire workout all on the client’s dime!

If you’ve ever done a trial workout with a trainer you know that many of them can give great sales pitches, but how do you know if they’re really the best trainer for you?

Keep reading and you’ll find out…

The Problems with Many Personal Trainers…

One of the problems with many of the personal training programs in Camden County is that the trainer and client spend a lot of time talking about their personal lives, and frankly, the trainer wastes a lot of time just standing around counting reps.

Why pay good money for someone just to count your reps? You could easily hire someone for minimum wage to count your reps if that’s what you’re looking for.

And if you’re looking for someone to talk about your personal life with for an hour then a therapist might be more what you’re looking for…not a trainer.

Here are a few of the types of problem personal trainers that are giving the rest of us a bad name:

The Selfish Trainer… who’s motto is if it works for me it will work for you – This is the trainer who doesn’t take their client’s goals into consideration when designing a routine.

This is why it’s common for a female to hire a personal trainer and then 3 months later she looks all buffed out like she’s been taking steroids.

Or why you’ll see people in the gym working out with a trainer doing some really ineffective and funky exercises.

You see, while the client’s goal might be to lose fat and tone up, the trainer will put the client on one of “his” favorite exercises, which won’t do anything but add a couple of yards to your golf swing… but if you want to lose fat, who cares about improving your golf swing! Just because the trainer’s a golfer and finds that doing a lot of functional sport training routines helps him improve his swing and impress his buddies on Saturday morning doesn’t mean that’s the same workout his client’s need to reach their own fitness goals.

But the Selfish trainer doesn’t see this. Because he’s completely self-absorbed and self-obsessed and what his clients want really doesn’t matter to him.

So it’s very important when hiring a trainer that you let them know EXACTLY what your goals are.

Make sure the trainer knows that you have no interest in improving your golf swing, unless that’s your goal.

If you’re a female and don’t want to get big and bulky, make sure you tell this to the trainer before you sign ANYTHING, and ask the trainer to see before and after pictures of his clients, so you can make sure he’s not turning women into bodybuilders.

Watch out for the Selfish Trainer who just puts his clients on “his’ favorite exercises, with no consideration for the client’s goals.

The Amateur Psychologist Trainer… One of the biggest problems in the industry is personal trainers trying to be amateur psychologists.

They’ll happily give out financial advice even though they’re broke.

They’ll happily dish out marital advice, many times as a way to get into their clients pants! (I’ve seen this one more times then I can count).

They’ll talk to you about your inner child; right after they just snorted a few lines of coke in the gym bathroom (cocaine and steroid addiction is a giant problem in the personal training industry).

The truth is many of these “pop-psychologist” personal trainers live lives that are an absolute mess. And it’s easier for them to dish out information about how their clients should live their lives than it is to fix their own.

Watch out for the personal trainer who wants to play “psychologist.”

The Know-It-All Trainer… It’s impossible to know EVERYTHING about exercise. There’s just so much to learn. Science is rapidly finding the best ways to go about losing fat and toning muscles that to know it all would require a hundred lifetimes and a university-sized library of knowledge.

Any personal trainer who claims to know it all is dangerous! If a client comes to this kind of personal trainer with an important question regarding their body or health, if the trainer doesn’t know the answer many times the “know-it-all trainer” will just dish out any old line instead of admitting they don’t know the answer and going and finding the best answer or solution for that individual client with the client’s best interest in mind.

A true fitness professional will keep their client’s best interest at the absolute forefront of their mind at all times, and won’t be scared to say “I don’t know”
An amateur will THINK that by admitting that they don’t have the answers to everything that it’s a weakness, so they’ll tell a boldfaced lie to the client and dish out possibly harmful information just to protect their own ego.

Beware of the know-it-all personal trainer.

The Rep-Counter… The Rep-Counter is the most harmless of trainers yet also has the worst track record for getting results.

You see, a lot of personal trainers just train for the money and look at it as job.

In fact, gyms are filled with unqualified personal trainers who could give a damn about their client’s goals and only care about bringing in a paycheck.

Here’s a typical situation of how this kind of personal trainer gets hired:

In this case we’ll call our trainer Johnny.

A local gym puts and ad in the newspaper or online saying they are hiring for Personal Trainers, Sales People, Front Desk Staff and Custodians.

Johnny is fresh out of high school (maybe college) and needs a job so he can afford his weekly sack of weed, gas money and the $25 a week he pays his parents for rent to live in their house.

While looking through the classifieds, at the strong urging of his mother, he sees a job listing for “Personal Trainers”.

This catches Johnny’s eye because he’s heard trainers get a lot of “chicks” and Johnny kind of looks like a trainer. Not because he works out, but because he’s young, has good genetics and took P.E. in high school for the past four years… he looks like he’s in good shape.

So Johnny applies. And since many gyms will hire just about ANYBODY to be trainer, he gets the job. They make him go to a two-day certification program that the gym offers which amounts to one day on how to train people, and then another day split in half between how to sell personal training to people who don’t want to buy it and how to up-sell their clients on the line of crappy supplements that the gym offers, allowing the trainer to make a 5% commission.

Johnny loves his job because he quickly realizes that all he has to do is sell packages of personal training and count reps and his boss is happy.

And the fringe benefits are, while Johnny’s on the job, he can check out “chicks”, go on and on about his personal life, and even possibly sleep with a few of his unhappily married Osage Beach housewife clients.

A common disguise for this kind of trainer is the stop watch and clipboard, which will many times only serve as “costume” for making them look like they know what they’re doing.

Shocking yes, but common…

When searching for a trainer, be sure and avoid “Johnny the Rep-Counter.”

Two-Routine Trainer… Another common situation that gives personal trainers a bad name are the trainers who put clients on one of two workout routines.

Routine #1 is where the trainer will stick the client on a treadmill for half the workout while the trainer either blabs about his personal life to the captive-audience client on the treadmill or while the trainer hangs out and chats with his trainer buddies at the “trainer desk”. All while the client is forking over good money for the hour.

Routine #2 is where the trainer knows how to do one workout (usually the one he learned in that two-day certification program) and he puts his clients on this routine, EVERY TIME THEY COME IN THE GYM.

What the trainer didn’t learn in his two-day certification program is that this not only will get clients very little in the way of results due to the “Law of Physical Adaptation,” but this will cause pattern overload syndrome, which will ruin the client’s joints and cause them to have that horrible-rounded-shoulder- head-poking-forward-posture that will make them look like a caveman.

Do NOT hire the “Two-Routine Trainer” unless you want to end up paying high dollar to walk on a treadmill while you turn into a hunchback.

The Genetically-Gifted, Steroid-Freak Trainer… The last kind of trainers I’m going to warn you about is the “genetically gifted” and the “steroid freak.”

Often times this trainer comes in a combination of both and is actually a hybrid, which I call “The Genetically-Gifted, Steroid-Freak Trainer.”

Due to either steroid usage or genetics or a combination of both, these trainers can do just about anything and be in perfect shape. Any kind of exercise they do will make them look like Greek Gods, even if they live on cheeseburgers and onion rings.

Now that’s great for them, but the problem is these trainers think that since whatever they do in a gym works for them, then it must work for everyone else.

And their clients believe it too because any trainer in that kind of shape MUST know what he’s doing. Right? WRONG!

Unfortunately, most of us weren’t blessed with perfect genetics, nor are we willing to order black market pharmaceuticals from third-world countries online and then inject them into our tush just to get six-pack abs.

There is so much science behind what it truly takes for the average person to get into incredible shape, and what works for “Genetically-Gifted, Steroid-Freak Trainer” will not work for the vast majority of the population.

But “Genetically-Gifted, Steroid-Freak Trainer” doesn’t need to keep up on this science because hell, anything works for him!

The truth is that this is an extremely dangerous breed of trainer because often times they are so amped up on the ‘roids that they can perform near superhuman feats in the gym. And the harder the feat, the better the results.

Yet the real problems start when they give these kinds of routines to their clients.

Not only will these routines put the average client into an over-trained state which will actually cause their bodies to lose muscle and hold onto fat, but they risk seriously injuring the client as well.

Avoid “Genetically-Gifted, Steroid-Freak Trainer” like the plague, they are the most dangerous of all trainers!

And to make matters worse…

Did you know that many trainers make the majority of their income by keeping their clients out of shape and dependant on them?

They know that once they get you into great shape you probably won’t need them anymore.

They also know that if they give you just enough results to where you see a small change in your physique, you’ll probably keep coming back in hopes of really getting into shape.

And they know if they keep you uneducated that you will most likely completely rely on them to get into and stay in shape. This means big bucks for the trainer yet a feeling of dependency for you.

Bottom Line…

It’s extremely important when looking for a personal trainer that you are (or stay) on the lookout for these kinds of trainers and avoid them at all costs.

There are a lot of great trainers out there but there are also a lot of scam artists who will take your hard earned money and then throw you on a treadmill for the entire workout.

Or they’ll make you do the same unproductive routine every time you come in for a workout.

Their sales pitch might be great, but the only place you’ll lose any fat is in your wallet.

Make sure you state your goals and what you’d like to achieve before you make a commitment to any trainer.

There’s nothing worse than seeing a female get all buffed out because of her personal trainer, or watching a guy get a nicely developed upper body from workouts but get stick-figure-twig legs that all his friends tease him about.

The sad fact is that 93% of personal trainers just look at training as a job.

So make sure you find one of the 7% who love to help people get into shape, find a trainer who trains people because that’s his or her passion in life.

When you first meet the trainer, ask him or her why they decided to become a trainer in the first place.

Asking this question could save you thousands of dollars and countless hours working out with the wrong trainer.

Make sure you can try at least one workout before making any financial commitment to a trainer. Many will just want to do a quick consultation and then sign you up. So remember to make sure and really taste the goods before you buy… Insist on a trial workout.

During this trial workout your job is to see how well the trainer motivates you.

Do they push you to do your best while still showing you respect?

If not, I would run away, not walk, RUN from that trainer as fast as you can.

Immediately after choosing your trainer, make sure and go home and clear out your fridge and cupboards of any junk (it’s been my experience if there’s junk in the house, it will eventually get eaten).

Then go buy the foods your trainer tells you to buy. This will ensure you will lose fat as quickly and safely as possible. Eating the right foods is extremely important.

And another tip is to find a trainer who works with multiple people at one time. You’ll be amazed at how much more enjoyable the workouts are when there’s someone else beside you giving the workout their all as well.

The energy of a semi-private workout is much higher than with traditional one-on-one training and the results the clients get are much greater and come much faster.

One last tip… Find out how busy they are. Usually the best personal trainers are busy. With the rare exceptions of the dedicated trainer just starting out, the trainer who just moved to the area or the instructor who chooses not be busy because of personal value preferences, the best personal trainers in Camden County are busy training clients… especially because there is such a demand for good trainers in this area.

So What Do You Do Now That You Have This Information?

Armed with this information you’re now one of the most savvy and educated consumers in the entire world. You now know instantly how to differentiate a good trainer from a bad one.

Go to Fit Physique Custom Fitness and opt in to my Get Fit Newsletter. It will keep you on the forefront of the fat loss frontier with cutting edge information on how to lose fat FAST, and keep it off for good.

Also, I want to let you know that I’ve hand-picked a team of what I believe to be the best 1% of personal trainers in Camden County.

Not only do these trainers bring a tremendous amount of passion and experience to their training, but they are all down to earth, good human beings with a proven track record for getting people into incredible shape.

I urge you to learn more about this unparalleled team of personal trainers here…

Click here to learn about the Fit Physique Custom Fitness Training Team

Yours in Never Ending Health and Fitness,

Rick Streb

Physique Transformation Expert
http://www.fitphysiqueonline.com

P.S. By the way, I’m not sure how well you know me yet, but as a new subscriber to my Get Fit Newsletter you can learn a little bit about me here:

Click here to learn about who I am and why you should listen to me

And in case you haven’t checked out my Fit Physique Online Training Program, be sure and check it out:

Click here to learn about the Fit Physique Online Training Program

5 Things You Should Know to learn more about finding the right personal fitness trainer for you.

You can visit our Osage Beach personal trainer page to learn more about finding the right personal fitness trainer for you.

I am often asked about steroids via e-mail, and the questions are usually related to specific drugs and dosages. “How many mg. of Sustanon should I do per week in an 8-week cycle,” or “is it better to mix Winstrol and Primo for a 12 week cycle, or should I start with Anadrol to get some size first?”

It alarms me that teenagers, non-competitive athletes, and those who are new to weight training get caught up in the language of drugs, believing they’re about to make positive changes when they’re teetering on the brink of randomly altering the hormonal system that regulates body composition, sex drive, and a sense of well being.

Because of the number of steroid questions I started receiving, and because each question answered seemed to lead to a follow-up question, I decided as of 2004 that I would no longer answer steroid questions. Despite my decision, they keep coming in. Today I received one that prompted me to write this article.

“I’m only 22 and I want to get my pro card next year. I don’t really know who to ask, but I’m having a hard time. I was hoping you could help. My training is great; my diet is clean all year. I am 100% dedicated to bodybuilding and know I’d make a great pro! I started out cycling Cypionate, 400 mg per week, and Decca 400 mg per week for 8 weeks and then switching to oral Winstrol and Primobolan depot for cutting. It worked great. For contest prep I use some thyroid hormones and it’s pretty easy for me to get stripped. Here’s my problem. I know you’re supposed to stay clean for a few months before doing another cycle, but I know guys who are “on” all year and they keep making gains. I decided I’d go back to the Cypionate right after my last show, staggering 400 mg with 600 mg. on alternate weeks.

“During my first cycle my sex drive went through the roof, but since my last contest it dropped to nothing. I keep telling my girlfriend it’s the diet, but she’s smarter than that and it’s affecting our relationship. While I’m still making gains, my testicles are tiny, which seemed to happen suddenly, which even more makes me avoid sex. I don’t know if I should stop now, go through a few months of recovery, and let things get back to normal, or if I’ll lose too much muscle. Or is it better to use some Clomid or HCG on top of the Cypionate? I get very confused by everyone’s advice. I know everyone says there are long-term risks of staying on the stuff, but right now I really don’t care what happens to me after 30. I just have to be at the top of my game right now, and I want to keep my relationship with my girlfriend. I’ll admit I haven’t been the easiest guy to live with, but she’s been solid and I don’t want to lose her. Every time I inject my test, I get this feeling I’m making a mistake, but I’m afraid it’s a bigger mistake if I stop. Any advice you can share would be appreciated.”

This is the type of email that throws me.

My first instinct is to ignore it, but I can’t. It’s someone reaching out for help.

My second instinct is to try to get this kid to get himself clean and start to readjust his priorities.

The catch there is, there’s so much psychology involved, and he’s so caught up in the importance of winning at all costs, if I urge him to abandon the anabolics, he’s likely to disregard everything I have to say.

I decided I’d write an article that I can now direct people to that will share some of my take on anabolic steroids. If readers of this article do opt to use steroids, they can at the very least be educated to make responsible decisions.

I remember the first time I eyeballed steroids. A new gym opened in Florissant, Missouri, just a few miles from the weight training dungeon at the YMCA where I was first bitten by the bodybuilding bug. Some local muscle heads were sticking flyers on cars in and around the “Y.”

Now Open! Champions Gym!

My buddy Larry and I went to check it out. It was in the basement of an apartment building. There were a couple of squat racks, some benches, and a rack of dumbbells going up to 120 pounds. There was a lat machine, a few scattered Olympic bars, and a few thousand pounds of weights. There were pictures of Sergio Oliva, Frank Zane, Arnold, Franco Columbu, and the AAU Mr. America Ron Teufel. I remember paying particular attention to Ron. He was around 180 pounds, looked incredibly muscular, and was only three years older than I was at the time. If three years of intense training could bring me to that level of physique, I’d be a happy camper.

Larry and I decided we’d pay the $15 a month and work out there for 30 days. We met a few of the locals and a few days after we’d enrolled, the guy who had the best abs in the gym asked us if we wanted some “stuff.” We knew what he meant, but we hadn’t ever used, touched, or seen steroids. A bit scared, but more curious, we asked, “whaddya got?” “D-Bol.” He took out what looked like a prescription vial and showed us our first glimpse of Dianabol. “All the guys here are on it.”

It wasn’t the glance at the vial of pills that struck me, it was the comment. I started to see things differently. Larry had the best dead-lift in the gym, and although he’d mix up some pretty bizarre things in his blender, he had never used anything that was even near the fringe of legality. I was squatting a respectable 365 for 8 reps and I could hold my own on any beach. When we heard “all the guys are on it,” rather than finding temptation, we found satisfaction in being “natural.” At the time I was naive enough to believe that if we kept training and kept eating right (which we barely understood at the time), we could develop physiques that rivaled Arnold, Franco, and the other greats of the period. We turned down the D-Bol offer.

Later that month we went to watch a friend compete in the teenage Mr. Metropolitan contest and decided right then and there we could do better . . . drug free. We started learning about competition and I was amazed how back then, in the late 1970’s, even among teenagers and twenty year olds, there was this language of “cycles,” and “needle gauges” and “milligrams” and “cc’s.” I’ll admit the curiosity resurfaced and the lure to cross that line of temptation returned with it, but within the next few months a few experiences caused me to shut out the possibility of crossing that line.

Turner’s Gym opened, and this was a real gym, owned and operated by bodybuilding legend George Turner. It had the heart and essence of the bodybuilding persona. It made Champions Gym all but obsolete. There was an entire room of leg equipment! There were two dozen benches, eight squat racks, power racks, and every type of machine I’d seen in the Muscle magazines.

My first day at Turner’s I ran into a guy I had known from the neighborhood for years. He was a skinny kid who suddenly grew traps, pecs, and quads. He told me had just gone in for surgery to have breast tissue removed.

“Breast tissue?”

“Yeah. I didn’t wanna take the stuff that’s floating around here so I went to a doctor who gives prescriptions for testosterone. I’d been going for shots and I started growing tits!”

That was the first time I’d heard of gynocomastia.

To me, at the time, it was the most bizarre thing I’d ever heard.

My buddy grew traps, quads, and tits?

There were some serious power-lifters who trained at Turner’s. Massive, solid, strong. My 365 squats were laughable compared to what these guys were doing in the power cage. The strongest of the power-lifting squad was the nicest guy in the world, but watching him dead-lift and squat was the equivalent of watching pure rage in motion. Veins popping out of his neck and forehead, his skin turning purple, teeth clenched, chalk flying from his body. It was a sight. He was in his 20’s when he died. The rumor was liver failure.

A few days after the power-lifter stopped coming to the gym, Larry and I went to another contest as spectators to cheer on a couple of the locals. One “regular” from Turner’s, whose name escapes me (it was 25 years ago), was being “counseled” by a local steroid guru for his contest prep. He showed up at the prejudging looking drawn and lifeless. His face was gaunt; his skin had a yellow pallor. The whites of his eyes were yellow. He quivered as he tried to hold the mandatory poses. We spoke to him backstage as he sucked on an ice cube and it was as if we were speaking to the walking dead. He never made it to the evening show nor did we ever see him again.

I never gave steroids another thought until I visited Southern California for the first time years later. The “health food stores” were selling “anything you wanted.” Clenbuterol was the “hot drug” that “everyone was on,” and within minutes you could find someone ready to sell you something in any local gym in Venice. That helped me recognize how prevalent steroid use was, not only among the pros, but among even the casual lifters in search of muscle.

Over the years that followed, I came to know quite a few professional athletes, and I came to realize that the drug “program” was often more of a priority and concern than the training. They sounded like scientists, yet they were toying with science they didn’t fully comprehend, thus they were human guinea pigs. I set out to learn as much as I could about the endocrine system, the drugs being used, the potential benefits, and the potential risks, thus my steroid education began. Thankfully I’ve been sensible enough to stay away from the idea of becoming my own guinea pig. I just interviewed people. Over a thousand people. I asked questions. I learned from biochemists, physicians, bodybuilders, and the underground “gurus.” I would not by any means categorize myself as a steroid expert, but I know enough to help people make educated decisions.

The common line of thought among amateur bodybuilders breaks it down to an oversimplification.

Want size? Anadrol and/or Sustanon
Want minimal side effects? Primobolan
Want hardness? Winstrol and Clenbuterol
Want to avoid side effects? Clomid or Nolvadex

There are two primary parts of the endocrine equation that are being ignored in this oversimplified line of thought.

We are all biologically unique and the drugs and dosages that act to “compensate” for low testosterone levels in one individual might “super compensate” in another and the side effects cannot be predicted with any level of accuracy. Worse yet, many of the side effects, such as gradual stress placed upon the liver, may not make themselves known for years. Decreases in HDL production, increases in blood pressure, and alterations to the myocardium cannot be detected in the mirror.

When you mess around with a link in the hormonal chain, you are altering the activity of the glandular system as a whole, and short term increases in testosterone can lead to long-term decreases in endogenous hormonal production.

If you’ve been sent a link to this article it might be because you’ve asked me a steroid question, my first question to you is, “have you carefully examined the specifics of your training?” Most people I meet who are looking for their first cycle are simply missing some part of the formula for ongoing growth. They’re failing to cycle their training regimens, they’re sticking with the same old workout they’ve been doing for months, they’re failing to provide a greater challenge to muscle, or they’re overtraining and failing to adequately recuperate.

Even if their training regimens are well strategized, if they aren’t taking in enough protein-sparing nutrients, they’re limiting their muscular growth potential, and if they’re failing to take in sufficient calories and amino acids for growth, all the training in the world will leave them frustrated. Whenever someone comes to me for a consultation before using steroids, we’ve been able to facilitate new gains . . . naturally.

I will NEVER recommend that anyone use steroids. Will I understand if someone opts to use them? In some cases, yes. Are they as “bad” as the media reports would lead us to believe? I’d have to say many of the “shocking reports” are overblown in their severity, but that doesn’t mean “steroids are safe.” An interview conducted with former Mr. Olympia competitor Mike Christian several years ago shared some of the realities behind uncontrolled drug abuse . . . that abuse including ergogenic and anabolic training aids. When we’re dealing with professional athletes, or aspiring pros, which are thrown into arenas where superhuman drug-enhanced strength is the norm, anabolic steroids become almost an absolute, but even the pros need clear direction and education.

I’ve used the headline “People Are Dying To Get Fit” in descriptive articles and releases related to weight loss surgeries and weight loss drugs, but we’re at a point in time that the same headline might be used to describe bodybuilding.

In 1999 Sonny Schmidt, at 46 years old, placed 3rd in the Masters Olympia. On January 25, 2004, Sonny Schmidt died.

In 2003, 285-pound 30-year-old bodybuilder Scott Klein died of heart failure.

Remember that picture of Ron Teufel I told you about at Champions Gym? He died in 2002 at the age of 45.

These are just a few of the premature deaths related to users of anabolic steroids at relatively high dosages. There are also the stories of pros at the highest levels suddenly dropping out of competition . . . permanently . . . due to liver failure.

I’ll never forget retired pro bodybuilder, Steve Brisbois, telling first hand about the death of Mohammed Benaziza seven hours after winning the Dutch Grand Prix. Bill Pearl, who has been retired from competition for decades but is without question a bodybuilding legend made the following comment that probably best describes the competitive sport of bodybuilding, “The guy left standing on the stage today at the end of a bodybuilding show is probably the guy in the arena who is closest to death.”

The bodybuilding realities, or at least the dark side, have been well protected, but it’s important that those who are lured by “easy muscles, lots of chicks” understand the whole picture.

Going back to the email I wrote this article to answer, the line, “I really don’t care what happens to me after 30,” makes, at least in his eyes, most of the premature deaths I’ve mentioned meaningless, but I’d guess that any competent psychologist would identify the “win at all costs death wish” as a twisted perspective on achievement.

Because I know that many regular “juicers” who come to read this article will turn their noses at the deaths I’ve mentioned, if you’re asking me a steroid related question, I’m not going to give you the “steroids kill you” speech, nor am I going to deny that they can help to pack on lots and lots of muscle. Testosterone and hormonal products do have their place.

In aging individuals where endogenous production of testosterone has declined, hormone “replacement” can certainly add to the quality of life. I’d even suggest that those who are paid to perform at superhuman levels can find a benefit that outweighs any downside if their “prescription” is supervised and their body chemistry is monitored by the watchful eye of someone with a recognized credential and proven expertise in the workings of the endocrine system. Still, I am going to suggest that in an individual with a functional glandular network, more rewarding gains can be achieved naturally.

If you cannot find comfort with avoiding drugs just because Rick told you to, at the very least learn as much as you possibly can, be extremely careful in obtaining what are, in essence, uncontrolled controlled substances, and err on the side of caution rather than random experimentation.

If I’ve dissuaded you from the idea of using steroids, great! If you’re still hovering around the line of temptation, at the very least consider investing in credible information related to the endocrine system. Set up a consultation with a qualified medical professional who can request and assess a hormonal screening before you spend money on substances you don’t fully understand. Once the first “cycle” begins, it’s difficult to turn back.

Training and eating . . . that’s the magic . . . and if you’re willing to take the high road, the magic can lead to immense long term reward.

Rick Streb is the #1 Osage Beach Personal Trainer and Lake Ozark Personal Trainer

Such a theory could potentially unlock all the secrets of nature and the universe itself, or as theoretical physicist Michio Katu, puts it “an equation an inch long that would allow us to read the mind of God.”

That’s how important unified theories can be. However, unified theories don’t have to deal with such heady topics as physics or the nature of the universe itself, but can be applied to far more mundane topics, in this case nutrition.

Regardless of the topic, a unified theory, as stated above, seeks to explain seemingly incompatible aspects of various theories. In this article I am attempting to unify seemingly incompatible, or opposing, views regarding nutrition… namely, what is probably the longest running debate in the nutritional sciences: calories vs. macro nutrients.

One school, I would say the ‘old school’ of nutrition, maintains weight loss or weight gain is all about calories, and “a calorie is a calorie,” no matter the source (e.g., carbs, fats, or proteins). They base their position on various lines of evidence to come to that conclusion.

The other school, I would call more the ‘new school’ of thought on the issue, would state that gaining or losing weight is really about where the calories come from (e.g., carbs, fats, and proteins), and that dictates weight loss or weight gain. Meaning, they feel, the “calorie is a calorie” mantra of the old school is wrong. They too come to this conclusion using various lines of evidence.

This has been an ongoing debate between people in the field of nutrition, biology, physiology, and many other disciplines, for decades. The result of which has led to conflicting advice and a great deal of confusion by the general public, not to mention many medical professionals and other groups.

Before I go any further, two key points that are essential to understand about any unified theory:

A good unified theory is simple, concise, and understandable even to lay people. However, underneath, or behind that theory, is often a great deal of information that can take up many volumes of books. So, for me to outline all the information I have used to come to these conclusions, would take a large book, if not several and is far beyond the scope of this article.

A unified theory is often proposed by some theorist before it can even be proven or fully supported by physical evidence. Over time, different lines of evidence, whether it be mathematical, physical, etc., supports the theory and thus solidifies that theory as being correct, or continued lines of evidence shows the theory needs to be revised or is simply incorrect. I feel there is now more than enough evidence at this point to give a unified theory of nutrition and continuing lines of evidence will continue (with some possible revisions) to solidify the theory as fact.

“A calorie is a calorie”

The old school of nutrition, which often includes most nutritionists, is that “a calorie is a calorie” when it comes to gaining or losing weight. That weight loss or weight gain is strictly a matter of “calories in, calories out.”

Translated, if you “burn” more calories than you take in, you will lose weight regardless of the calorie source and if you eat more calories than you burn off each day, you will gain weight, regardless of the calorie source.

This long held and accepted view of nutrition is based on the fact that protein and carbs contain approx 4 calories per gram and fat approximately 9 calories per gram and the source of those calories matters not. They base this on the many studies that finds if one reduces calories by X number each day, weight loss is the result and so it goes if you add X number of calories above what you use each day for gaining weight.

However, the “calories in calories out” mantra fails to take into account modern research that finds that fats, carbs, and proteins have very different effects on the metabolism via countless pathways, such as their effects on hormones (e.g., insulin, leptin, glucagon, etc), effects on hunger and appetite, thermic effects (heat production), effects on uncoupling proteins (UCPs), and 1000 other effects that could be mentioned.

Even worse, this school of thought fails to take into account the fact that even within a macro nutrient, they too can have different effects on metabolism. This school of thought ignores the ever-mounting volume of studies that have found diets with different macro nutrient ratios and with identical caloric intakes have significantly different effects on body composition, cholesterol levels, oxidative stress, etc.

Translated, not only is the mantra “a calorie us a calorie” proven to be false, “all fats are created equal” or “protein is protein” is also incorrect. For example, we now know different fats (e.g. fish oils vs. saturated fats) have vastly different effects on metabolism and health in general, as we now know different carbohydrates have their own effects (e.g. high GI vs. low GI), as we know different proteins can have unique effects.

The “calories don’t matter” school of thought

This school of thought will typically tell you that if you eat large amounts of some particular macro nutrient in their magic ratios, calories don’t matter. For example, followers of ketogenic-style diets that consist of high fat intakes and very low carbohydrate intakes (i.e., Atkins, etc.) often maintain calories don’t matter in such a diet.

Others maintain if you eat very high protein intakes with very low fat and carbohydrate intakes, calories don’t matter. Like the old school, this school fails to take into account the effects such diets have on various pathways and ignore the simple realities of human physiology, not to mention the laws of thermodynamics!

The reality is, although it’s clear different macro nutrients in different amounts and ratios have different effects on weight loss, fat loss, and other metabolic effects, calories do matter. They always have and they always will. The data, and real world experience of millions of dieters, is quite clear on that reality.

The truth behind such diets is that they are often quite good at suppressing appetite and thus the person simply ends up eating fewer calories and losing weight. Also, the weight loss from such diets is often from water vs. fat, at least in the first few weeks. That’s not to say people can’t experience meaningful weight loss with some of these diets, but the effect comes from a reduction in calories vs. any magical effects often claimed by proponents of such diets.

Weight loss vs. fat loss!

This is where we get into the crux of the true debate and why the two schools of thought are not actually as far apart from one another as they appear to the untrained eye. What has become abundantly clear from the studies performed and real world evidence is that to lose weight we need to use more calories than we take in (via reducing calorie intake and or increasing exercise), but we know different diets have different effects on the metabolism, appetite, body composition, and other physiological variables…

My Unified Theory of Nutrition

… Thus, this reality has led me to my very own Unified Theory of Nutrition which states:

“Total calories dictates how much weight a person gains or loses;
macro nutrient ratios dictates what a person gains or loses.”

This seemingly simple statement allows people to understand the differences between the two schools of thought. For example, studies often find that two groups of people put on the same caloric intakes but very different ratios of carbs, fats, and proteins will lose different amounts of body fat and or lean body mass (i.e., muscle, bone, etc.).

Of course these effects are not found universally in all studies that examine the issue, but the bulk of the data is clear: diets containing different macro nutrient ratios do have different effects on human physiology even when caloric intakes are identical.

Or, as the authors of one recent study that looked at the issue concluded:

“Diets with identical energy contents can have different effects on leptin concentrations, energy expenditure, voluntary food intake, and nitrogen balance, suggesting that the physiologic adaptations to energy restriction can be modified by dietary composition.”

The point being, there are many studies confirming that the actual ratio of carbs, fats, and proteins in a given diet can effect what is actually lost (i.e., fat, muscle, bone, and water) and that total calories has the greatest effect on how much total weight is lost. Are you starting to see how my unified theory of nutrition combines the “calorie is a calorie” school with the “calories don’t matter” school to help people make decisions about nutrition?

Knowing this, it becomes much easier for people to understand the seemingly conflicting diet and nutrition advice out there (of course this does not account for the down right unscientific and dangerous nutrition advice people are subjected to via bad books, TV, the “net,” and well-intended friends, but that’s another article altogether).

Knowing the above information and keeping the Unified Theory of Nutrition in mind, leads us to some important and potentially useful conclusions:

• An optimal diet designed to make a person lose fat and retain as much lean body mass (LBM) as possible is not the same as a diet simply designed to lose weight.
• A nutrition program designed to create fat loss is not simply a reduced calorie version of a nutrition program designed to gain weight, and visa versa.
• Diets need to be designed with fat loss, NOT just weight loss, as the goal, but total calories cannot be ignored.
• This is why the diets I design for people (whether for gaining or losing weight) are not simply higher or lower calorie versions of the same diet. READ THESE NEXT SENTENCES CAREFULLY. In short: diets plans I design for gaining LBM start with total calories and build macro nutrient ratios into the number of calories required. However, diets designed for fat loss (vs. weight loss!) start with the correct macro nutrient ratios that depend on variables such as amount of LBM the person carries vs. body fat percent , activity levels, etc., and figure out calories based on the proper macro nutrient ratios to achieve fat loss with a minimum loss of LBM. The actual ratio of macro nutrients can be quite different for both diets and even for individuals.

             Did you get that?

             If not, read it over and over until you do.

• Diets that give the same macro nutrient ratio to all people (e.g., 40/30/30, or 70,30,10, etc.) regardless of total calories, goals, activity levels, etc., will always be less than optimal. Optimal macro nutrient ratios can change with total calories and other variables.
• Perhaps most important, the unified theory explains why the focus on weight loss vs. fat loss by the vast majority of people, including most medical professionals, and the media, will always fail in the long run to deliver the results people want.
• Finally, the Universal Theory makes it clear that the optimal diet for losing fat, or gaining muscle, or what ever the goal, must account not only for total calories, but macro nutrient ratios that optimize metabolic effects and answer the questions:
  1. What effects will this diet have on appetite?
  2. What effects will this diet have on metabolic rate?
  3. What effects will this diet have on my lean body mass (LBM)?
  4. What effects will this diet have on hormones; both hormones that may improve or impede my goals?
  5. What effects will this diet have on (fill in the blank)?

Simply asking, “how much weight will I lose?” is the wrong question which will lead to the wrong answer. To get the optimal effects from your next diet, whether looking to gain weight or lose it, you must ask the right questions to get meaningful answers.

Asking the right questions will also help you avoid the pitfalls of unscientific poorly thought out diets which make promises they can’t keep and go against what we know about human physiology and the very laws of physics!

There are of course many additional questions that can be asked and points that can be raised as it applies to the above, but those are some of the key issues that come to mind. Probably the most glaring question that you are asking right now is, “How does one determine the total calories needed, or correct macronutrient ratios?” Well, if I told you that you would have no more need for me, now would you? Sorry. Besides, it’s not that simple.

Bottom line here is:

If the diet you are following to either gain or loss weight does not address those issues and/or questions, then you can count on being among the millions of disappointed people who don’t receive the optimal results they had hoped for and have made yet another nutrition “guru” laugh all the way to the bank at your expense.

Any diet that claims calories don’t matter, forget it.

Any diet that tells you they have a magic ratio of foods, ignore it.

Any diet that tells you any one food source is evil, it’s a scam.

Any diet that tells you it will work for all people all the time no matter the circumstances, throw it out or give it to someone you don’t like!

Rick Streb – Osage Beach Personal Trainer

Have thoughts about this post? Let us hear your comments…

Ahhhhh . . . . the sounds of a gym. Music blaring, people chattering, workout partners shouting at one another believing that the greater the decibel level the easier the rep, people grunting as they grind out one final rep before complete muscle failure, and of course, what would a “gym” be without the reverberation of . . . weights CLANKING, BANGING, SLAMMING, SMASHING and CRASHING into one another?

The Awful Noise…
The racket created by metal colliding with metal . . . the hallmark of a hard-core gym where the serious bodybuilders train! Right? Wrong! Actually, noise created when dumbbells collide is just that . . . noise. In fact, this sort of racket is the antithesis of training with intensity employed by the great bodybuilders of yesteryear.

I will dare say that the legendary bodybuilders that graced the “hard-core” gyms at that time were much less concerned with the sound of their heavy weights clanking together as they were with bullying their muscles into growing bigger and stronger.

For our predecessors in the iron sport, intensity was the name of the game. The motto was not “train heavy or go home.” The mantra back in the late 60′s and early 70′s was more along the lines of “get serious or get out!”

Next time that you are in your gym, take a brief moment and listen to the discourse transpiring all around you. What is the topic of conversation? Now imagine the legends in bodybuilding discussing the very same topics. Unlikely that you would hear Arnold Schwarzenegger discussing the latest movie reviews in between sets. Difficult to imagine Frank Zane or Mike Mentzer sitting at a juice bar in a posh health club discussing the events of their workday or their plans for the weekend!

Train Hard or Don’t Train At All…
When these individuals entered the sanctity that they called a “gym,” and began their training session with equipment that would be considered rudimentary at best according to today’s standards, they were not there to impress anyone. These folks used the gym for one reason, and one reason alone . . . to TRAIN and to train HARD. . . PERIOD!

For these bodybuilding icons, the rush did not come from the sound of the weights clanking together or from the sound of heavy dumbbells crashing to the floor.

The adrenaline rush, the “high,” came from the burn and the pump created by relentlessly grinding through each and every rep and then having a workout partner assist with forced reps until the muscle literally could not contract against the resistance one more time. Anything else was a waste of time.

Today, distractions in the gym abound. In fact, one of the most pervasive distractions which also happens to be one of my greatest pet peeves, is the noise created when people clank the weights together or otherwise slam them down onto the floor announcing to everyone in the gym that they completed their set.

No Respect…
Aside from the lack of respect displayed for the equipment and utter disregard for the safety of fellow patrons, people that insist on banging the weights disrespect their own training. In fact, banging the weights together at the top of any movement for any body part bleeds the tension right out of the muscle fibers and erodes the value of the entire set.

Allowing the weights to crash into one another is not only infinitely annoying, but it absolutely cheats the target muscle out of a peak contraction and diminishes all of the intensity created up until that point.

Don’t believe me? Well, you can actually see it. Wander over into the free weight area of your gym. Find a gentleman that sports a tank top and happens to be training his chest with dumbbells. Before I continue, please note two things. First, the reason that I told you to select a male subject is not because I am particularly sexist. A man’s muscles are simply larger and thus easier to observe. And secondly, men typically are the worst offenders.

When you hear clanking and banging emanating from the free weight area, more often than not, the source will be a male rather than a female. Please understand that what you are about to observe applies to all exercises for all body parts. I selected the chest simply because they are the easiest to observe. The precise exercise performed does not matter. For right now, just get a good view.

Watch Them Closely…
If you watch closely, you will see the pectorals move toward a contraction as your subject approaches the very top of the movement. During the concentric phase, the pecs turn red indicating increased blood flow to that area. Now, observe what happens to the tension generated in the pecs the moment that the weights make contact with one another. You can literally see the pectorals relax momentarily at the very top.

Generally, “clank and bangers” as I often refer to them, NEVER obtain the full value of any rep. Once the weights crash into one another, that’s it, the muscle relaxes and the tension is lost. Now watch the eccentric phase post “clank.” Momentum and gravity escort the resistance back to the start position instead of the target muscle commanding control and restraining the downward movement.

And by all means, please don’t leave before the grand finale. Stay until the final rep of the set. You certainly don’t want to miss the big “bang” as your subject abandons all control over the weight sending the dumbbells crashing to the floor. And if I’m there, stick around to watch the fireworks that ensue when I lambaste the individual for their obvious disregard for the equipment they are using.

Indeed, when the weights clank together at the top, the pectorals automatically relax and the value of the continuous tension principle, one of the most important tenets of weight training, evaporates. Fundamentally, this principle provides that for complete muscle development, you must maintain continuous tension in the target muscle throughout the entire range of motion.

This means that you cannot bang the weights together with impunity and expect your muscles to respond and develop to their full potential.

Why…
Why then, do individuals insist on banging the weights together? For some, it is simply a bad habit. A subconscious act reified over the years with every successive workout.

And then there are those who actually enjoy hearing their weights collide lest no one in the gym notice their efforts.

But I assume that for the vast majority, banging the weight at the top of the movement simply allows the target muscle to relax, which makes the following rep easier and less painful to perform.

Whatever the reason, these individuals remain unaware of how this habit adversely affects their training and thus hinders their overall muscular development. These people train hard but NEVER see the gains they are hoping for.

The Training Regime…
To begin incorporating the continuous tension principle into your training regime, really concentrate on controlling the resistance on the negative phase of the movement. Instead of allowing gravity and momentum to take over after the target muscle contracts, concentrate on slowly returning the resistance to the start position and focus on keeping the target muscle tight. When you reach the bottom, do not allow the muscle to relax even for a fraction of a second.

Keeping the muscle tight, immediately begin the next rep and continue until you complete the final rep of your set. If you are maintaining continuous tension, you should feel the burn in the muscle develop within the first few reps making each successive rep more difficult to perform.

You cannot, however, benefit from the continuous tension principle without complete and utter concentration rep for rep, set for set, exercise for exercise, and workout for workout. If you concentrate on feeling your body, and focus on maintaining continuous tension in the target muscle, you will surely notice a transformation in your physique! Remember that noise and intensity are inversely related. The existence of one implies the complete absence of the other. The clanking generated from weights banging into one another signifies nothing other than waning intensity.

Mental Intensity…
At the end of the day, consistent mental intensity is really what produces results! Your time in the gym should be sacred time. Make it your time. Leave your family concerns, workday worries and every other distraction at the door. The second that you enter the gym get your mind in your training. Shut out all of the “noise.”

Do not allow the obligatory “how are you” and “what did you do this weekend” conversations to interrupt your training session; they are nothing but mere distractions.

Get centered and ready to concentrate on sculpting your physique. Think about the intensity and the focused energy commanded by all of the great bodybuilding icons of times past.

They did not clank and bang their way to optimum performance or the ultimate in muscular development. Instead, they honed their intensity and constructed their physiques . . . one rep at a time!

What has this world come to? Is the gym no longer sanctity where one can go to get away from the chaos of their hectic lives? And, heaven forbid, someone actually going there to WORK OUT! Every time I think that I’ve seen everything that there is to see in the gym, or believe that nothing could possibly surprise me, inevitably, I see something that makes my jaw hit the floor. When you enter a gym, there are certain sounds that you expect to hear. Loud music, dumbbells banging together, people chattering, weights dropping to the floor (which drives me absolutely ballistic), workout partners shouting at one another, and guys that feel it necessary to scream out in writhing pain so thunderous that you believe you might be witnessing the very first male childbirth. That’s fine. No matter how annoying, we learn to live with these sounds and antics.

However, amidst all of this noise, there is yet another distraction that has made its way out onto the gym floor these days; it’s the ringing of someone’s CELL PHONE! If you’re lucky you might actually hear an attractive little jingle instead of the generic ring.

I have to ask… what possible usefulness could a cell phone have during a training session? Why would someone willingly invite a distraction into their workout? I just don’t get it.

I’m not sure if it’s just an over-inflated sense of self-importance that prompts people to treat their cell phones as an indispensable accessory and take them onto the gym floor, or whether there is just a universal decline in the desire to concentrate and train without distraction or interruption. I see people wandering around on the gym floor in between sets chattering away; I see people on the Stairmasters, elliptical trainers and bikes with their cell phone glued to their ear, and I’ve even seen people talk on their cell phones while performing a variety of exercises! If the phone call is that damn important, the caller will leave a message!

In fact, just the other day, while I was in the midst of a heavy set of incline bench presses another person’s cell phone went off on the bench right next to me. It could have easily distracted me, possibly causing an injury. But, the most inexcusable point about the situation is that the owner of this annoyance wasn’t even in the same room as his damn phone! His line of reasoning was that he was waiting for a possible business call – POSSIBLE! He didn’t even know if he would get a phone call… but just in case… he better have the phone nearby (nearby being defined as thirty yards away). My argument, as animated as it was, was to put the damn gadget on vibrate and keep it the hell away from me!

And the very next day, I observed people on five consecutive treadmills all with their cell phones glued to their ears, not to mention the sixth person whose Walkman was apparently turned up so loud that I can only describe the level as “stun,” as he was wailing the songs equally loud. Then there was yet another person who actually ended a set of leg presses early to answer his phone! These people dumbfound me because when I’m training or doing a cardio session, the last thing I want to do is talk on a phone, much less hold it to my ear the entire time.

The gym floor is not a place to conduct business, gossip about the neighbors, or make plans for the weekend. For some of us, the gym is still a type of safe haven. It’s somewhere to go and leave the day’s crises behind. It’s a place to get into your own world for just an hour. It’s a place to convene and commune with others of similar mind; talk about training, exchange theories, and share experiences; or at least it used to be.

Certainly, Ronnie Coleman did not earn 7 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles discussing it on his cell phone during his training sessions. I could not imagine this incredible athlete interrupting a set for ANYTHING! Similarly, I doubt you would ever catch him performing a cable lateral raise with one arm and holding a cell phone to his ear with the other saying, “Yea, I’ve been thinking about it. I think that I’ll win the Mr. Olympia again. By the way, what are your plans for tonight?” I’m pretty confident that Ronnie channels every ounce of physical and mental energy into becoming bigger and stronger.

Nowadays, way too many people are content to just go through the motions. Perhaps this is why I constantly hear “no matter how much I work out, I just don’t see any changes.” Here’s one tip… leave your cell phone in the car and concentrate on your workout! These people “train” at the gym just to pretend like they actually did something regardless of whether or not the workout was even minimally effective on ANY level. Increasingly, people just don’t care about the quality of their workouts.

Is it any wonder that more than 67% of Americans are overweight or obese?

I hear people boast all of the time about spending two hours a day in the gym, yet I watch these very same people perform one set and then walk around pointlessly for a half of an hour talking on their cell phone. Time alone in the gym means absolutely nothing; its just time. I’ll bet I have more intensity in the first five minutes of my training session (while I’m stretching) than these people get out of their whole weekly routine.

It’s no wonder that they complain about their lack of progress.

If you want results, simply getting into the gym is not good enough. Anything desirable comes at a cost. The more desirable something is to us, the more the cost. Maybe that explains the problem. Maybe anyone who is willing to spend their time on a cell phone instead of training properly is not willing to pay the price required to reach their “goals.”

Let’s face it… the people we’re talking about are not the ones that are even remotely in exceptional shape. They are typically the persons who feel sorry for themselves because “no matter how much I work out, I just don’t see any changes.”

My response? Get a clue! Slap yourself upside the head. Knock some sense into yourself. Better yet… let me do it for you! Quit complaining about your own shortcomings. Quit blaming your personal trainer or diet consultant for your failures. If you’re not getting the results that you brood for, then leave your cell phone in your locker and get your mind into your workout.

Rick Streb – Osage Beach Personal Trainer

Have thoughts about this post? Let us hear your comments…

Okay… I need a little help. I need someone to explain something to me.

Hear me out, please.

Whether we are trying to lose unwanted body fat or gain additional muscle to our bodies, nutrition comprises 70-80 percent of the equation when it comes to reaching our fitness goals. Cardio training and resistance training make up only the remaining 20-30 percent. This is an irrefutable fact! There is no questioning this. It has been documented and confirmed time and time again. Anyone who has walked into a health club, or read a fitness magazine has heard this concept.

That being said, here is my question:

Why is it that 95%… no, make that 99%… of the people who frequent health clubs, while knowing the above fact, spend 100% of their efforts working out and 0% of their time on their nutrition?

I just don’t get it. Let’s see… let’s spend all of our time on the smallest part of the puzzle and completely disregard the single most important factor necessary to achieve our goal. I do not understand how otherwise intelligent people can ignore such a basic tenant and expect to see results. Do they take the longest, most difficult route when it comes to their jobs? Hell no! They do what they can to get the fastest and best results. They take the path that yields the highest rewards. Why? Because in the long run, it makes their job easier. What makes it different when it comes to achieving your fitness goal? I’ll tell you what… NOTHING!

(Don’t worry. I have the solution below!)

Think about it for a minute… in every gym across America, you will find the guy who trains intensely, doing everything possible in the weight room to add muscle to his physique, to sculpt his idea of perfection… yet, he still has a huge gut. Or you will see the woman who slaves for hours, doing seemingly endless cardio sessions, busting her ass to get ready for the upcoming swimsuit season… just to look in the mirror and see that her hips and backside are not getting any smaller. Why is that? I’m going to go out on a limb here.

Maybe… just maybe… their nutrition program is sub par. What a concept! It’s a safe bet that when they leave the gym all of their dedication, discipline and desire goes right out the door with them. Why then, would one waste their time to begin with? I really don’t understand this.

You still don’t think you fall into this category? Let me ask you a few questions.

Do you know exactly how many calories it takes on a daily basis to reach your specific goal? Not approximately… but exactly what it takes to get there. I’m not talking about some arbitrary number that someone threw out there.

Do you know… I mean really know… how many calories you are eating every day? I hear people every day talk about how they eat healthy, but when I ask them how many calories they ate the day before they look completely dumbfounded. It really doesn’t matter how well you are eating if you are still ingesting way too many calories.

So… if you don’t know how many calories per day you need to be eating, nor how many calories you are eating each day… how on God’s green earth do you ever expect to see any appreciable results?

Finally, why would you want to work so hard in the gym just to look exactly the same now as you did last year? It doesn’t matter what your goal is… losing 10 pounds of body fat or gaining 10 pounds of lean muscle… it all comes down to the amount of calories required to get you there. That’s the bottom line! So why bust your ass for nothing?

REMEMBER: Knowing the answers to those three questions make up 70-80% of your chances of being successful. This is not a guessing game. You cannot go about this haphazardly and expect to be triumphant.

It’s like going to a gun fight with a butter knife. You are completely unprepared… and the results will not go in your favor… unless, of course, the other guy is also a complete idiot and forgets to load his gun… but, come on, this is reality. And, yes, it is idiotic to work your ass off on a regular basis to get in shape… trying to lose body fat, or to gain more muscle, etc. and completely neglect the most single important ingredient for success.

If that last statement bruises a few egos… GOOD!!! The truth can hurt. Get over it. I’m just trying to help you get where you want to be.

I’m not telling you that you have to eat perfectly to achieve your goal. I’m not telling you that you cannot eat your favorite foods. In fact, you can choose foods that you enjoy and be successful if you are eating within the parameters required to meet your specific goal. Of course, you cannot load up on Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, potato chips, candies and Krispy Kremes and expect to look good. If you put junk in your body you will take on the appearance of junk. I have seen it a thousand times. But what I am saying is that every meal should include a proper balance of essential nutrients.

See… once you know the answers to the above questions you become empowered… you are in complete control of your situation. You are in a position to choose meals according to your likes and still excel. What more can you ask for?

(Are you ready for the answer? Read the next paragraph!)

Okay… I can hear you now. “Well, that’s great Rick, but where do I go to find the answers to those questions? How can I do this without spending a fortune on a nutritionist and personal trainer?” I’ll tell you where to go… CLICK HERE… that’s where! Check out my online nutrition program… watch the demo… take advantage of the program. It arms you with the knowledge, the power, and the ability to thrive. And it’s child-proof. In fact, my eight-year old daughter prepared all of my meals for tomorrow using the program. It took her a total of 15 minutes once she learned how to use the program. If an eight-year old can do it… you can do it! You will know exactly how many calories you need to eat, you will know exactly how many calories you are eating, you will be able to quickly plan your daily meals, and you will be able to include your favorite foods! You will be in total control!

When you choose to take control of your nutrition you will notice a new joy weaving its way into your life. Your workouts will seem more productive, your body fat percentage will drop regularly and the mirror will bring a smile to your face.

Well… now I’ve got some really bad news for a lot of you… actually, most of you. Now there is absolutely no good reason for anyone to not reach their fitness goals. NONE!!! No more excuses! When you know these answers you have the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT necessary to reach your goal. If you are truly serious about reaching your goal… not just providing lip service about your intentions… then this program is a no-brainer.

It could be argued that we are in the middle of a fitness revolution (isn’t there a gym on almost every street corner?), yet despite documentaries such as “Supersize Me” and my own personal attacks against the bad eating habits of the western world, we are very much entrenched in a junk-food culture. Medical experts agree that high-calorie, low-nutrition foods contribute to obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol and many other ailments.

Today, I am asking you to evaluate your current eating habits, increase your confidence and change your health, vigor and physical appearance by taking this advice to heart. You’ll reach a place of your dreams if you do.

Yes… we really are what we eat.

Choose wisely… you only have one body.

CLICK HERE and I’ll show you how you can get the results!

Want to know my response to them?

“Good!” 

They need to take it personally.

They need to be offended.

But what is it that offended them?

Was it what I said? Yes and no.

What I said offended them because what I said was true!

They took it personal because it described them precisely!

They weren’t offended by me, but by my words that drove home the truth about themselves.

This is not something I need to apologize for.

Nor will I.

If my words offend you about your health, or lack of health, then let the truth convict you.

Maybe you will finally get your over-sized backside in gear and do something about it.

Maybe you will finally realize that there is no one else to blame but yourself.

Maybe you will quit making age or ailments or any other excuse for your dismal health and take the initiative to do something about it.

I hope so, because if you do something positive about it then I succeeded.

I managed to make you realize that you are the only one responsible for your own health.

The big question is what are you going to do about it?

Don’t blame me.

Don’t blame your children.

Don’t blame your spouse.

Blame yourself!

Then pull the tonnage off the sofa and get yourself started.

Go to the best fitness center in the area, hire a personal trainer that can help you get REAL results and take control of your life. (If you live in Osage Beach, MO CLICK HERE right now!)

Take responsibility for yourself.

I guarantee that if you can follow simple instructions and dedicate as little as three hours a week to yourself, you will succeed in improving your health and appearance.

You see, it’s easy to blame someone else for your own failures.

By doing so, you don’t have to take responsibility for yourself.

You don’t have to admit that it is your fault that you use a zip code instead of a scale to measure your size.

If the mirror cringes when you stand in front of it, then that’s your fault!

Quit trying to justify your girth.

The only one you are fooling is yourself.

That is offensive!

That is something that I take personally because you must think I am slow!

 Maybe I am, but not that slow!

I take that personal!

I do so because I am a product of my beliefs and I know that fitness works.

I know that anyone can improve their health and maintain a higher quality of life.

I know that you can do it because I did it.

I also know that if you let me I will take your health and fitness personal, as well.

But don’t expect me to pull punches.

I’m not good at that, and it would be as transparent as you blaming your depressing shape and health on someone else.

Rick Streb – Osage Beach Personal Trainer

Have thoughts about this post? Let us hear your comments…

He is not a fictitious character.

He is a real person.

Brad has been exercising for about twelve years now. Brad isn’t a large man by any means. He weighs about 165 pounds. If you met Brad you wouldn’t think anything special is standing in front of you. He is a very kind, unassuming individual. But Brad is a special as it gets.

Brad has the heart of a lion and a will to live that is rare and exceptional.

Brad is what I want to be.

Brad loves life and is doing what is necessary to live.

Brad has cystic fibrosis. That’s right, cystic fibrosis!

The deadly disease that kills most people inflicted by it before their sixteenth birthday.

The ailment that systematically eats away at any active tissue fiber in the body.

The syndrome that literally rots away the lungs, muscle and immune system of anyone inflicted by it.

Brad’s lung capacity is one-third that of yours and mine. Yet, Brad has lived almost twice as long as doctors and medical experts expect.

Have you figured out why Brad has bucked the odds?

Has the light bulb come on yet? Isn’t it obvious?

It’s right there in front of your nose.

I gave you a hint in the very first sentence of this post…

Brad exercises!

Brad realized at an important time in his life that exercising could prolong his life.

When the doctors told him that he had only about two years to live, Brad said “Wrong!”

And because Brad did so, he is enjoying life well past everyone’s imagination.

Brad decided that he would not just endure life, but he would live life!

And that is exactly what he does.

Now, take a look at yourself.

Do you refuse to do something about your dismal physical existence?

Are you really that lazy?

Excuses are for losers!

You have no valid excuse for not taking control of your own health.

In any contest or sporting event, you don’t hear the winner making excuses for winning, now do you? No! It’s always the losers!

And the people who look and feel healthy aren’t the ones you find justifying themselves. It’s always the ones who feel and look terrible! They are the ones who are always trying to justify themselves with pathetic excuses.

See the correlation here?

Losers make excuses for their failures!

Winners take control of a situation and excel.

Brad is a winner. Twelve years ago he was written off for dead. Yet, today he lives a healthier, a happier life than most people. I salute Brad. He’s the type of person I want to be like.

What about you?

Are you a winner or a loser?

Do you want to live life, or simply endure it?

The choice is yours to make.

Live or die.

Is there really a choice?

Do you really have to think about it?

If so, that’s too bad.

Rick Streb – Osage Beach Personal Trainer

Have thoughts about this post? Let us know your comments…