From a June seminar in Long Beach
Berardi's talk was more of the "how" and less of the "what" of nutrition, and was characterized by a lot of "I knew that!" moments that you didn't actually know.
• Fundamentally, exercise doesn't work all that well without nutrition. Just check out this study from the University of Texas where they put people on a 12-week strength-training program complete with three strength weight sessions and two interval sessions per week. Oh, and they had 90% compliance on the workouts.
Here are the results from the group that trained over 12 weeks:
.7lb weight gain
1.5% body-fat loss
2lbs total fat loss
2.7lbs lean muscle gain
Not too shabby, right? Well, check out the control group that didn't do any type of exercise for 12 weeks. (Again, nutrition wasn't tracked.)
.5lb weight gain
.5% body-fat loss
.5lb total fat loss
1lb lean muscle gain
Statistically, it's significant. But to a client that just paid you a few grand for 62 personal training sessions, it's not even close to satisfactory. In fact, you better duck because you're going to get hit with a flying chair from a very pissed off customer.
So, exercise + no diet intervention = mediocre and embarrassing results
Exercise + Diet = fantastic results
In fact, with nutrition dialed in, people lose an average of 1-3lbs of fat per week. That's 12-36 times better than training alone.
Exericse + diet = Fantastic results.
• Want to perform better and look good naked? Well, it depends on how well you control the 4 Pillars:
Training
Nutrition
Stress Management
Sleep
• "I hate it when people say 'Diet is about 80% and training is 20%.' It's all important, okay? Quit trying to break it down. It's kind of like saying, 'What's more important, your heart or your lungs?"
• Lack of sleep can actually influence what you eat. "When people aren't sleeping enough they tend to go after higher sugar and carb diets." That's just another reason to get to bed earlier and stop watching Cinemax.
• Good nutrition encompasses three things:
What to eat
When to eat (nutrient timing)
How much to eat
Interestingly, "how much to eat" is usually ranked number 1, but it's probably the least important.
• "The truth is, genetically, all of us are built to be able to regulate bodyweight. None of us should necessarily have a problem managing our weight."
• Nutrition still wont be as effective if you're not moving around a lot. According to John's research, it takes about five hours of physical activity a week to break the threshold from sedentary to non-sedentary.
• If you're getting enough exercise, and getting the right food, you don't need to count calories.
• Want to lose weight but feel like you have no outside support? Just enlist the help of the American Nazi Party! That's how John Bear, author of the Blackmail Diet, lost 75lbs.
Bear put $10,000 in escrow with his attorney to be donated to the Nazi Party group if he didn't lose 75lbs in one year. He absolutely loathed the idea of giving money to them and thus made a commitment to get the weight off. Of course, he accomplished his goal. And how did he keep the weight off? By doing the same thing and writing a check to the Ku Klux Klan, of course.
Whatever works, I guess.
• According to Berardi, there are three nutritional levels:
Level 1 -- "3rd Grade nutriton" -- Better food choices
Level 2 -- "Scientific nutrition" -- Choice, timing, amount
Level 3 -- "Advanced Nutrition" -- Individualized, high-level
• "Don't try to force yourself to the next level. Just take a look at your goals. If you're already accomplishing them, stick with what you're doing!"
