Ask any one of my clients that has ever worked with me and they will tell you that I am a far reach from your conventional, text book personal trainer. For one, I rarely if ever record anything that I do on the floor with  a client. I also like to get frisky with my sets and zesty with my reps. I don’t believe in always following standard generic training protocols that offer 4 sets of this and 12-15 reps of that. I’ve been known to get rambunctious at times during my clients’ workouts by throwing in the occasional superset, dropset, and most feared…quadruple dropset. I like to use pre-exhaust techniques on overdeveloped muscle groups and isolation exercises on the weaker ones. I circuit train to maximize my clients’ time and efficiency in the gym. And I stick to heavy compound movements as a staple in any workout to ensure that my clients are maximizing their results to the absolute best of their ability each time they set foot in the gym. Oh, and I also tell them NOT to DIET!!!!

Ugh, talk about a crappy trainer right? Well, over a decade later and while many trainers have come and gone, I’m still in this game and busier than ever. So I must be doing something right. Right?

Why More is Moronic

We live in a society that tends to think that more is always better. And nowhere else is this more prevalent then when it comes to losing fat and building muscle. I cannot tell you how many people I have met and worked with over the years that have been under the impression that to transform their physiques and improve upon their overall health, that they have to starve themselves and practically live in the gym 24/7. This “all or nothing” mentally may have worked in a Rocky Training Montage, but the reality is, is that life is longer than a 90 minute action movie and staying focused and “driven in” on one’s fitness goals 24/7, 365 days a year, is not practical nor is it even realistic.

Getting Strong Now or Just Getting Stupid?

As I mentioned in my blog last week, I don’t diet nor do I tell my clients that they need to diet. I don’t like the word diet. I think it’s a negative word that inflicts feelings of fear, anxiety, shame, depression, guilt and the list goes on. I also blame diets for causing most if not all eating disorders, metabolic meltdowns and extreme poor health issues, such as certain types of diabetes and heart disease that develop over a period of time. Plus, dieting sucks!!! So do I really think that someone is more weak minded because they have trouble staying on track with their eating habits and that someone else is a superior human being because they go to the gym everyday and lift weights? Absolutely Not! I just think that the person who lacks self control and discipline needs a little help and guidance, both physically and mentally.

Progressing for Perfection

Despite what many people may think, I actually do like food. In fact, I like to eat ALOT of food. If I were to estimate the amount of calories I consume on a daily basis (and it would need to be an estimate, because I don’t count anything I do), the number would be well over 5000. Over the years, I’ve learned how to enjoy my food while still being able to maintain a lean and muscular physique. Do I have ripped abs year round? Ofcourse not. But I’ve always been able to stay within a 15lbs striking range from my competition stage weight, which has always been the weight that I am at when I’m my absolute leanest. And after 5 years of not counting my calories or obsessing over my macros, do I look the same as I did when I was in my 20s? Ofcourse not. I look and I feel better!

Going Against the Grid

So if I don’t count calories and if I don’t obsess about macronutrients, then how the hell do I help people lose body fat, build muscle, feel energized, and continue to make progress with their physiques and overall health?

Simple. I do what works for the person. I’ve always believed that the absolute best way to help someone achieve a goal that they’ve set for themselves is to customized the pathway that they need to pave to achieve their goal. In other words, I look for a formula that works for the particular individual with whom I am working with. This can sometimes take a few weeks to a few months and there is ofcourse a trial and error process, however once I learn my client’s body and what works and which type of plan that they respond best to, then the rest becomes easy for us.

The trick is to know how to replace the so-called “foods” that are highly processed, contain copious amounts of trans fats and the foods that claim to be “low in fat” or “fat free” that are extremely addictive and richly chemically induced with artificial flavours and sweeteners for healthier options that will leave you feeling full, satisfied while at the same time allow you to actually enjoy your foods again.

But how you do this? Most people cannot just quit a junk food habit overnight or give up processed sugar for the rest of their lives. It takes time, it takes effort and it might also take the help of a trained, licensed and experienced professional that knows how to get you there.

Now if only we knew who that someone was…….

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove