Fat Guy to Not So Fat Guy
Bloated fatties waddling around lifting big weights is a thing of the past. Catch up.
The Fat Loss Blueprint
This is your six-step blueprint for creating the lean, strong, powerful, and healthy physique within you.
Is Recomping the Holy Grail or a Waste of Time?
Recomping is a strategy of simultaneously losing body fat and gaining muscle mass aka the holy grail.
10 Tips for STAYING Lean During the Holidays
The holidays equate to roughly 12 meals. If you can’t handle 12 meals and instead turn into a slob overnight…
Strongman Training for Non-Strongman
As an athlete, a powerlifter, or weekend warrior, strongman training can be extremely beneficial. Here’s how to program it in.
Counting Trace Macros Is Overrated
Tired of inputting your nutrition information into an app to count your total macros and calories? Give this method a shot.
5 Zombie Myths on Dietary Protein for Performance and Body Composition
You are a badass, meat-eating dude who likes steak; hence, you eat a 12-ounce all at once. If you can only use 30 grams, where do the other 50 grams go?
3 Training Rules to Throw in the Trash
When you get to the point that you know what works and what doesn’t, or you are limited by injuries, the rules need to change.
The Real Reasons You Didn’t Reach Your Strength Potential
We all need to progress as lifters and coaches. As a year in review synopsis, here’s a list of things to repeat and eliminate for 2022.
Never Fear Change
Trying to get stronger or bigger? Carrying too much fat? Regardless of the goal, change is inevitable. Embrace it to reach your goals.
A Bodybuilding Diet for Powerlifters: How to Eat to Build Muscle and Get...
A few easy dieting strategies can make a big difference in your recovery, strength, and—most of all— how you look.
3 Questions to Ask Your Client BEFORE Their Next Diet
As a coach, this is a tough spot to be in because you may have to tell a prospective client, “You’re not ready to diet.” Here’s what to ask.
Weight Loss Tips from Two Guys Who Lost 100 Pounds Each
Check out this interview with Vincent Dizenzo
The Top-4 Habits of Successful Dieters
Successful dieters come in all different shapes, sizes, and genetic codes. Regardless of disposition, the rate of dieting success relies heavily on your mindset. What exactly are you telling yourself?
Hormone Panels 101
I instruct all of my clients to get a full hormone panel at least once a year. Here’s how to prepare for these labs and what a comprehensive hormone panel looks like.
Why Your Diet Isn’t Working
Are you tracking calories? If so, are you tracking correctly? What kind of cardio are you doing? Are you expecting to lose the fat fast? Super stressed? When’s the last time you had your hormones checked?
Can You Gain Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time?
The idea that you can maximize muscle growth while minimizing fat mass is an approach that most people dream of. Is it attainable? If so, for who?
Carb Cycling to Get Shredded
Most people are satisfied with the results they see from simply adjusting food quality alone. Others want to see more drastic results, so a specific macro breakdown is necessary IF they are ready and can handle these adjustments as well as the work that goes into tracking it.
Skipload Manifesto
I am providing this information in detail in one location, not so much for people to use the information themselves (though this will obviously happen), but to explain the methodology to those who still don’t understand it or feel that it isn’t an effective way to get lean.
Smart Fat Loss During a Pandemic
For the sake of this article, I am going to explain the smartest moves and what I have done personally with my clients with regard to fat-loss goals. We will go over two categories – general fat-loss and bodybuilding competitor.
3 Major Principles of Weight Loss
Don’t start at 60 minutes a day on the stair stepper. It’s not about losing as much weight as soon as possible. Remember, it is very hard to gain muscle so we don’t want to be too aggressive with our weight loss and sacrifice the hard-earned muscle we have.
Enjoy a Drink and Still Lose Weight
Let’s be honest, tis’ the season. Here’s how to socialize with your friends, drink alcohol (more than a glass of champagne), all while still reaching your fat loss goals. Cheers!
Fat Loss Advice That Is Complete Bullshit
I’m going to dive into the top-4 pieces of fat loss advice that are complete garbage and why they’re garbage. So, buckle up, buttercup, and grab some popcorn — it’s lie detector time!
WATCH: I am Vincent Dizenzo
“To be able to give back is a much bigger legacy than anything you’ll leave on a platform.” elitefts coach Vincent Dizenzo finds his calling in helping others by passing on knowledge, especially when it comes to dieting and weight loss.
Show Report: 1st Place Novice at the 2019 NPC Mid-Atlantic Cup
I started my bikini prep at 147 pounds with 27 percent body fat and ended at a low of 113.8 pounds with 15 percent body fat — a total of 33 pounds lost. Despite that loss, after my results from the first show, I knew I had to bring in my glutes tighter…
4 Potent Supplements That Fight Insulin Insensitivity
Even if you’re doing all the right things, sometimes the fat won’t come off. One possible explanation for this could be insulin resistance. If you are insulin-resistant, it might help to try some supplements. These are four I’ve used with success.
10 Tips for Managing Fat Loss Goals on the Road
Going on vacation is a blast, but not when you’re trying to blast body fat. Nothing is more frustrating than working on a show-prepped and/or beach-ready bod only to lose progress while you’re actually at the beach… so here are 10 tips to help you avoid that. Von boyage!
The Truth About Late-Night Snacking
A calorie at 7:59 p.m. is the same as a calorie at 8:01 p.m. Whether you’re eating at 7:59 p.m., 8:01 p.m., or in the middle of the night, it really doesn’t matter. Instead, consider each of the 24 hours in a day to be equal in terms of importance… or simply the number of calories you eat in a
Macronutrient Tracking for Fat Loss
Now that I’ve explained the basics of macronutrient tracking, I want to delve further into using macronutrient tracking for a more specific purpose: fat loss. Admittedly, it’s not as simple as you might think; however, there are a couple good options out there. Here the ones I tend to use with my clients.
Super Bowl Fat Loading Feast Options
Here are two versions of a Super Bowl feast that can easily be prepared just in time for the game. There are many versions of macronutrient cycling protocols that we use to maximize client success. These two examples are a great way to get you started.
The Basics of Macronutrient Tracking
If you’re interested in tracking macronutrients but aren’t sure how to get started, no worries. With the assistance of fitness apps and smartwatches, it’s easier to track macros than ever before. I’ll teach you the basics, gram by gram.
Are You a Prius or a Ferrari?
In terms of fat loss, we have to take into consideration the efficiency and inefficiency of how our systems work. It may seem odd, but looking at how these cars operate, and why, will help us to understand how our bodies can maximize their fat loss potential.
How to Manage Stress Before It Manages You
There are no magic pills, nutrition protocol, or training method that can address the root of the problem and reduce stress. You have to prioritize your life, what is important, what can wait, and what can be eliminated. And a lot of that has to do with your mindset.
The Basics of a Diet Break
There are many types of diet break protocols, but for the simplicity of this article I am going to discuss four types and why I use them.
5 Things Every Competitor Needs To Be Successful
In my 30 years of competing and 20 years of training competitors, I have narrowed the endless list of requirements for success down to five main variables.
The Top 5 Guidelines for Fat Loss
I hate to speak in absolute terms but there are certain rules that simply can’t be broken.
No Planned Cheat Meals
As I am approaching my 29th week of this body recomposition, I have had no planned cheat meals. This might sound crazy and restrictive to a lot of people, but there is a method to the madness.
6 Big Boy Season Must-Haves
I was 417 at my biggest, and very ill-informed about my strength. Powerlifting seems to have a general acceptance of “bigger” meaning “stronger,” but bigger isn’t always better.
Peak Mental Performance Podcast — Brain Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet
In this episode, Dr. D’Agostino and I dig into one of the most popular dieting methods and its lesser-known benefits, as well as covering ketone supplements and athlete considerations.
The Max Effort Method vs. Dynamic Effort Method in Group Training
Trying to build superior performance without diversity in your training is like trying to build a house with nothing but a hammer and a box of nails: the final product isn’t going to impress anyone.
Energy Budget: Why You Can’t Exercise Your Way to Weight Loss
Your friend who runs seven miles a day is likely not burning any more energy than you are doing chores around the house. How the hell is this possible?
Another Supplement Store
I have tried it all, and I will not sit here saying I never spent money on crazy supplements thinking I would make huge gains. Learn from my mistakes.
10 Nutrition Myths That Just Need to Die
Despite how inaccurate these nutrition beliefs are, they just won’t seem to go away. It’s time we kill them.
High-Density Training for Fat Loss and Conditioning
These high-density training protocols are the holy grails of body composition training. Here are the best ones to get you started.
WATCH: Blast from the Past — The Beginning Stage of a Diet
How many carbohydrates do you need in every meal? Should you consume more on training days than rest days? How many grams of protein are necessary? These actually aren’t the questions you should be asking.
Lean Gaining 101
Lean gaining is the holy grail of bodybuilding. This article will teach you how to do it in three easy steps.
Why I Need to Make a Change — The Plan
Change is difficult but can hold great rewards. Here’s how I’m going to make it all happen.
Tissue Takes Time — 3 Lessons From Improvement Season
Given the advantage of hindsight and the progress I enjoyed during a productive six month off-season, it’s time to share the most valuable lessons from placing all my efforts on getting big without letting my physique get sloppy.
WATCH: Dr. Eric Serrano SPS Presentation — Eating and Supplementing for ...
In part two, Serrano gives you macronutrient ratios, supplements for fat loss, and which popular ingredient found in many supplements you should avoid.
Raspberry Ketone Supplementation: A Woman’s Perspective
This compound became popular a few years back, especially after it received attention on national television. But does it work?
The Finer Points of Getting Shredded
As with any training-related goal, there’s a great way to go about things, and a not-so-great way to go about things. Let’s get into four of the finer points of shedding your unwanted fluff.
5 Things to Know for Your First Show
Competing in a bodybuilding show can seem overwhelming, and you may have no idea what to expect. Don’t let fear hold you back.
WATCH: Dugdale UGSS Presentation — Fats, Blood Sugar, and Macronutrients
You know the importance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, but are you overlooking the finer details such as fiber and what types of fats are best?
Do You Have the Guts to be a Successful Powerlifter?
All the success in your lifting that stems from work you put in at the gym can be compromised, often significantly, by your failures outside of the gym.
WATCH: UGSS John Meadows Presentation — Getting Ripped
Play your cards wisely. Once you use them, you can’t get them back.
