Expert Tips

To be a life-changing fitness pro, you need to take responsibility for both the advice you offer, and your client’s ability to follow that advice. Yes, even those “difficult clients.” The ones other fitness professionals tell you to fire. Here at Precision Nutrition, we don’t fire our clients. We take a completely different approach. In this 4 part video series – filmed live at the 2011 Perform Better Summit in Long Beach, California – we’ll share that approach with you. And, by the end of the series, you’ll be better equipped to get unbelievable results with every type of client you work with. Even the challenging ones.

To be a life-changing fitness pro, you need to take responsibility for both the advice you offer, and your client’s ability to follow that advice. Yes, even those “difficult clients.” The ones other fitness professionals tell you to fire. Here at Precision Nutrition, we don’t fire our clients. We take a completely different approach. In this 4 part video series – filmed live at the 2011 Perform Better Summit in Long Beach, California – we’ll share that approach with you. And, by the end of the series, you’ll be better equipped to get unbelievable results with every type of client you work with. Even the challenging ones.

When we have clients with health challenges that exercise and nutrition – not to mention their own doctors – can’t seem to solve, there’s one guy we call: Dr. Bryan Walsh, aka Doctor Detective, naturopath and forensic physiologist.

From an environmental standpoint, food packaging can be a serious problem. Here’s how Ryan Andrews became more aware of his trash habits related to food. And how he cut down on his own garbage production.

Lean Eating women’s coach Georgie Fear is playful, bright, eager, and full of loving energy, like a happy puppy. Well, a happy puppy with PhD-level nutrition expertise and two cookbooks to her name, that is.

Last year, when we first created the S2B coaching program, I did an interview about my own transformation: what it was like, why I did it, how I did it and the key lessons I learned in the process. If you’re interested in transforming your own body, check it out.

Last week we unveiled our latest project, a free e-book detailing my recent experiments with intermittent fasting. The number one thing readers asked for? A a printable version. So we created just that. Click here to download a free PDF version of the book.

If you want to finally gain some size and learn how to add muscle the right way, we suggest you avoid the “deadly six” and heed our advice. Not only have we gone from Scrawny to Brawny ourselves, we’ve coached hundreds of guys through the process. And we know where they all trip up.

Today we’re launching something I’m very excited about and extremely proud of. It’s a new book detailing my recent experiments with something called “intermittent fasting” (IF). The best part? It’s totally free.

What you eat, how you exercise – even how much stress you have in your life – can impact your body’s acid-base status. And this can have a tremendous impact on your body composition, hormones, and health. In today’s video post, Dr Berardi and Dr Alwyn Wong share some practical tips for improving your acid-base balance.

It’s hard to stay fit when working out in hotel gyms and eating at chain restaurants. Or so you’d think. Here are some useful, time-efficient strategies for working out and eating well while traveling. If there’s a will — and just a few spare minutes — there’s definitely a way.

Mysterious hunger is when you “feel hungry” but you know you can’t be. It’s when you’re “hungry” for more food even though you’re already full. In this article we explore how you can actually feel hungry but be experiencing a totally different emotion instead. We also share a dozen strategies for uncovering the mystery of “mysterious hunger.”

This week, I have something very cool for all the trainers and coaches in the house . . . a brand new, 5-day video course: Nutrition Coaching for Fitness Professionals. And it’s totally free.

Most personal trainers think that their job is exclusively exercise related. However, clients don’t hire trainers to exercise. They hire them to change the way they look and feel. And personal training is evolving to reflect these client expectations. Click here to learn how to deliver what your clients really want – body transformation.

In this post I’ll cover the 10 things that the top trainers and nutrition coaches in the world are doing. I’ll also recommend 6 books (many of which you probably haven’t read) that are guaranteed to make you a better coach. . If you read these with an open mind I promise you’ll come out of this with a new perspective and an expanded skill set.

A few months back, the USDA shook things up in the nutrition world, ditching the iconic – and hotly debated – Food Pyramid in favor of a new design. In this article, we talk about the USDA’s new food recommendations, discuss whether they’re any good, and offer some suggestions and improvements based on our experience in helping folks improve their nutrition.

Want to know JB’s latest thoughts on post-workout nutrition, “Paleo” eating principles, intermittent fasting, and a host of other topics? If so, check out this interview, first published in the CrossFit Journal in 2011.

In the PN Certification Program, we’re careful to remind fitness professionals never to dismiss clients as “unmotivated” or “lazy.” An elite fitness professional can help all kinds of clients lose fat, build muscle and improve their health, but it requires tailoring your approach. Here’s how we do it at Precision Nutrition.

Back in March, Nike asked us to help organize the nutrition program for their upcoming NFL Pro Training Camp. Working closely with their culinary team, we prepared an awesome menu for the event, and hooked them up with a premium line of supplements. Then they flew JB and I out to their World Headquarters in Portland, Oregon to work with the athletes one-on-one. Here’s the story of our trip.

Marsha lost a whopping 20 lbs of body fat in 16 weeks, dropping from 150 to 130 pounds, by doing only 8 and a half hours of exercise. That’s 32 minutes of exercise a week. Is Marsha just lazy? Or is she onto something? Click here to find out.

Through his books and articles, it’s estimated that Dr. John Berardi has published nearly a million words. But even the most diligent of readers is left without an understanding for the man behind Precision Nutrition. Because despite the million words Berardi has written, only a few thousand have been written about him. Today, that changes.

Today I have a gift for all PN readers, a sneak peek at something we’ve been working on for some time now, something new and exceptionally cool. It’s a new 5-day video course: Precision Nutrition for Fat Loss. And the best part? It’s TOTALLY FREE.

Lean Eating Coach Jason Bonn spent the last four months interning at Cressey Performance (CP) in Massachusetts. I figured he may have had a few decent experiences there, you know, considering it’s one of the premier training facilities in the U.S. I caught up with him and had him answer nine questions about his experience.

A growing body of evidence shows that food allergies, or more accurately, food sensitivities, can cause serious harm to a host of different body systems – not to mention a bunch of unpleasant symptoms. And the first, easiest, and most effective place to start treating these symptoms is with a simple elimination diet.

Are your expectations for healthy eating too unrealistic? Are you making it impossible for yourself to succeed? If so, maybe it’s time to test those expectations against reality.

On March 22nd, 2011, I ended one year of dessert-free, sweet-free, and candy-free living. Twelve months. No added sugar of any kind. Am I somehow a better human being? Do I have exceptional self-control? No. I simply wanted to explore what it would be like to live without something that most North Americans take for granted.

What happens when 17 fit people get together? A behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at PN HQ. Hint: It involves steak, salad, and Swiss balls.

It’s an obvious fact, but we often forget it: What makes us successful in one area of life applies to other areas. In this article, Lean Eating coach Jay Bonn talks about his experiences interning at the renowned Cressey Performance and what they taught him about success.

Knowledge doesn’t change behaviours. So why try to know more? Maybe you need to do more instead.

Sometimes “free time” is a luxury. And getting to a gym is a pipe dream. But here’s the thing. Gyms aren’t actually required for a great workout. Neither is baby-free quiet time. And in this article I’d like to show you how to get a great workout with minimal time and no gym access.

In the spirit of giving, today I have a gift for all PN readers, a sneak peek at something we’ve been working on for some time now, something brand new and exceptionally cool. It’s a new 5-day video course: Precision Nutrition for Fat Loss. And the best part? It’s TOTALLY FREE.

In his recent television appearance, Dr Berardi talks about several hot topics including: the pH balance of the body, joint pain, fibromyalgia, getting quality sleep, and Precision Nutrition’s huge body transformation project. Click here to check it out.

Pursue excellence if you wish — but keep it real and enjoy the journey.

It was once thought that the only connection between ones emotions and food was the tendency of some people to eat when they were depressed or under stress. But, recent research has been painting an altogether different picture. We now have the understanding that the foods we eat can actually cause certain mood states.

In this video, Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a pioneer in the field of health and social networks, talks about the extremely powerful (and virtually hidden) influence that our social network exerts on our actions, attitudes, and – ultimately – who we become.

Last week, I brought you some advice from guys enrolled in the Scrawny to Brawny coaching program — advice from skinny guys that can actually help you lose fat. This week, people who are trying to lose fat return the favour.

Sure, there are some physiological differences between “naturally” lean people and “naturally” heavier people. But it’s not all just genetics or metabolism. Naturally leaner people think and act differently too. Believe it or not, former scrawny guys can actually help heavier folks lose fat.

In the certification program we’re careful to remind our students that every single client, even the ones who at first seem unmotivated (maybe even downright lazy), can lose fat, build muscle, and improve their health. And in today’s update we’d like to share some strategies for getting the best out of each client you work with – from the Low Compliance, Low Results clients to the High Compliance, High Results clients.

Just getting set to open registration for the next PN Certification program on Sep. 29th, and looking over the questions I received from students in the last group, I was struck by one in particular: “What resources do you recommend for learning how to be a better coach?” Well, here are my top 6 book recommendations to get you started.

Low hormone symptoms can have multiple causes. Many things can go wrong in this complex chain. If you’re experiencing symptoms of hormonal dysfunction, look at the “big picture” and consider all the possibilities when seeking health care.