SNI: What is the most common dietary and training mistake made by individuals starting a fitness regimen?
Billy Beck: Great question there are a lot of mistakes made by people when they first get started but the most common one has to do with “eat less, exercise more.” That is what everyone believes is the answer to fat loss. What ends up happening is people don’t eat enough. They lose weight for a couple weeks then progress comes to a screeching halt. Soon frustration outweighs motivation and they stop…again.
The other side is “exercise more.” The problem I see with beginners is that they have been sitting on their asses for months or even years. Then suddenly they think they need to train like Arnold Schwarzenegger. They see a P90X infomercial and it’s on. But soon their body cannot keep up with the massive workload. One of two things happen here:
1. They get so sore that they would rather be fat than live life in this much pain.
2. They overload the body to such a degree that they incur an injury.
In order to get results, all that is needed is to challenge the body a little more than it is accustomed to. There is no need to annihilate it; all that is needed is to stimulate it. Add in an ample amount of nutrient dense calories throughout the day and you are on your way to the promised land.
SNI: What are the top 3 training myths that you’ve come across?
Billy Beck: 1. “The More is better No Pain, No Gain” Myth. Like I just said, this is a limiting belief almost everyone has about creating physical change. Clients often brag about how sore they are or how hard they worked. Stimulate, don’t annihilate. It is true that only challenge creates change but you can get too much of a good thing. Be smart.
2. “I got to do abs so I can lose this (guy grabbing fat rolls)” or “I have to use the adductor machine to lose my inner thigh fat” – Simply performing endless repetitions of a certain exercise will not burn the fat off from that area of your body. Fat burning is a systemic process and it requires the combination of the right nutrition, challenging all of the muscles in the body with compound movements, and a mindset that allows for consistent positive action.
3. “Go heavy or go home” This myth is true and false. It is true because you must challenge the body in order to stimulate physical change. However, it is false because most people go about it the wrong way. They do anything and I mean anything to lift more weight. Just go into any commercial gym on the planet and watch guys do bench presses and curls. How’s their form? Yeah, most of these guys look like they are being attacked by a swarm of bees. They compromise their technique, which increases the risk of injury, and decreases the benefit of the movement.
Keep the form tight, use a challenging weight and lock your focus into the target muscle. Check your ego and your big head at the door. J
SNI: What qualifications do your trainers have (e.g. certifications) and how do you maintain such high standards in an industry rife with goofs, oddballs, and quacks?
Billy Beck: At BB3 Personal Training & Performance Center we may have the highest standards on the planet earth. LOL! It all begins with me. I am a nerd. All 15 of my trainers are nerds. We love to learn. We love to train. We love to help people. But even with that you need something to hold it all together. This is why we created a system to enforce our high standards. First off, we require our trainers to be NSCA certified as well as ISSN certified. But anyone can cram and get certified once. There is a huge difference between memorizing information and OWNING IT. I believe the most important part of learning lies in taking a consistent approach. That is why we have weekly continuing education seminars. Throughout the day, we even have seminars playing in our break room. We also bring in some of the top experts in various fields to teach. To put the icing on the cake, every client is measured each month. I personally review every client measurement. If someone is not getting results I want to know why and what needs to be done to get the client back on track. We marinade our team in an information rich environment. With so many fun ways to learn and grow the trainers have no choice but to become better.
SNI: What supplements do you typically recommend to your clients?
Billy Beck: My philosophy on supplementation is to first provide the body with ample amounts of the essentials – vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and EFAs.
The basics are a multi-vitamin/mineral, fish oil/krill oil, greens, and whey protein from grass fed cows. Along with these I will test and often find most people need additional B-vitamins, Vitamin D and Zinc.
Digestive issues run rampant in the US, which negatively impact nutrient absorption. I often address it with digestive enzymes and betaine HCL.
Once digestion has been restored we then focus on stress/cortisol management with various types of adaptogens.
SNI: What is the ‘secret’ of success?
Billy Beck: So many people criticize, complain and blame others for what makes them unhappy. Think about it and you will find that this is true. To be successful you must take 100% responsibility for everything in your life. No exceptions. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says or does or what happens. What matters most is how you react to the world around you. It sounds simple to do but it’s scary and very few people will ever summon the courage to take full responsibility for their life. This is not the entire secret to success but it is certainly the first one. You must get in the drivers seat to get what you want. Stop blaming others, stop bitching, see the good in all things and in all people and give you’re very best at all you do and I guarantee you will literally astound yourself.
Billy Beck III is one of the world’s most elite personal trainers. For his unmatched ability to create physical change and improve performance he has garnered many awards. Billy is the winner of the MET-Rx World’s Best Personal Trainer Contest and recipient of Personal Fitness Professional Magazine’s Trainer of the Year. As an inspiring leader and in-demand speaker, trainer and coach, Billy has helped thousands of people to gain control over their bodies and lives. His client list includes professional athletes, Hollywood celebrities and super achieving entrepreneurs. Billy has been featured on NBC, CBS, and ABC as well as on the pages of Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Muscle & Fitness, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and dozens of other magazines, radio shows and interviews. His recent book, LEAN & Mean, Fat Burning Secrets of the World’s Best Personal Trainer, is quickly becoming the underground document for professional trainers and fitness enthusiasts nation wide. Billy has a Masters Degree in exercise physiology and multiple certifications in fitness, performance and nutrition. He alongside his elite team of trainers deliver unprecedented results at the innovative and inspiring BB3 Personal Training & Performance Center located in Weston, Florida. Meet him at http://www.BillyBeck.com
