30 day transformations

So being that summer is in full swing, the topic of conversation at the weight room has turned to leaning out and “shredding”. Today’s high school athlete can do their own research and be bombarded with a ton of marketing on gadgets, supplements, Apps, e-books etc all claiming amazing results! There are plenty 30 Day Transformation diets and contests filled with “examples” of people who transformed their bodies in days using the product being promoted.

The problem is, most of the fitness industry is 10% science, 40% marketing, and 50% lies. Some people on YouTube and Instagram are just outright scam artists that prey on hopes and ignorance of the masses that are looking for shortcuts. If the stuff works it is usually temporary and results in a weight rebound that puts you in a worse state than when you started.

Aint no one got time for that.

The truth is not marketable, unfortunately because the steps needed to get the results people want require consistent hard work and some lifestyle changes. I mean, would you buy an e-book that basically said:
Title: Hard Work, how to get in good shape.

1. Eat healthy foods until full (not stuffed)
2. Get 8+ hours of sleep
3. Work hard, lift Heavy objects for 1-2 hours a day
5. Sprint
6. Repeat every day for the rest of your life

Probably wouldn’t be a top seller but there it is… the secret formula that people follow to actually get in shape. Hard work? In today’s world of 5-minute abs, fat burning detox tea’s and transformational shredding supplements… Ain’t no one got time for that!!

The truth

The athletes I work with get the truth from me. They get an explanation that you are either eating to perform and grow or you are eating to shred and shrink, but you shouldn’t focus on both.

My athletes are in high school or college, which means they need about 2500 calls on average. On top of that they are active and lift weights and go to practice for their sport. This easily pushes their caloric needs into the 3500-4000 calorie range.

Unless we are talking pizza and burgers, it’s hard to get a young athlete to eat 3500 calories a day. Most of the kids I talk to are eating 800 to at most 1600, which means their bodies are pretty much in starvation mode. I have to remind them, we are not eating to be skinny, dehydrated thin skinned models. We are eating to fuel our bodies so that we can push our physical limits daily and perform at a higher level than our competition on game day.

Whats your plan?

So what are you eating for? Are you eating blindly without goals? Are you not sure where to you even start? If you have no clue how to get started, the information is out there, just beware anyone that pushes a brand or supplement or style of training over others. If you have the money or your school offers access to one, talk to a nutritionist!

If you are more of a diy’er then start by figuring out how many calories and protein you need, and start tracking your calories to make sure are eating right.

If you are like me and your competition days are behind you, then at least be aware so you can stop misinformation and point people you know in the right direction. But if you compete as an athlete at any level, then eat and sleep the way you train… with purpose!