Expert Profile: Nate Green

At first glance, there’s not much surprising about Nate Green. At 23 yrs old, Nate wears his athletic looks and confidence well, and if he happened to be shopping at your grocery store, he would come across like most guys his age. Between the playful way he shoots his food into his cart, tosses and catches apples in the bag, and grooves to the tunes on his iPod in a hoodie and ratty tee, you would think nothing of finding a few beers and men’s fitness magazines in this guy’s shopping cart.

That is, until you looked a little more closely. Not only does the majority of Nate’s collection of grocery items defy the typical food selection of a 20-something guy, but inside those magazines you’ll find the latest articles written by Nate himself.

Nate started working with athletes and regular people as a personal trainer in 2002 but was hungry for more. He loved to write and wanted to reach out to more people through his writing.  He pursued his dreams constantly, putting in time preparing to be a fitness writer. It paid off in a big break: the opportunity to write full time for Testosterone Nation, as well as being a regular contributor to several popular fitness magazines.

Now Nate’s got a new book, Built for Show, a book for guys who want to look better and get the body that women like.

“Yes, I know it’s a little vain,” Nate jokes, briefly sounding a little more like a cheeky youngster than a seasoned fitness pro. “Shut up. ”

The story of Nate’s quick rise to success is one of dreaming big and persistence; a story of going after a goal and not stopping until that goal is reached.

We can tease him but Nate is already being recognized as a notable expert in the fitness industry. Built for Show offers a year’s worth of training programs and nutritional guidance that teaches guys how to gain muscle, lose fat, and build an attention-getting body. Nate’s expertise in fitness and nutrition is solid, but he’s not afraid to embrace a little motivational vanity either. He argues that cultivating one’s appearance builds confidence that extends to other areas of life.

No matter what part of life you’d like to improve – career, physique, love life, etc. – preparation and commitment is crucial. Every Sunday night, Nate prepares for the week ahead with a ritual that includes planning and shopping for the majority of his food for the week. On this particular shopping trip, aside from filling his cart with a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, nuts and tea, he also happened to find two magazines that he’s in.

In the grocery cart, from rear left to right:

Organic non-homogenized milk
Organic carrots, onion, bell peppers, kiwi, and apples
Organic bananas
Organic green leaf lettuce and spinach
Organic strawberries
Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice
Fat Tire amber ale
Yerba Mate tea
Almond butter
2 packages ground bison
3 bags mixed veggies
Pecans, walnuts, and almonds
Organic omega-3 brown eggs
Turkey sausage
Chicken breast

(Oh yeah, and a couple of fitness magazines with his articles!)

As much fun as Nate looks like he’s having, he doesn’t spend his Sunday nights at the grocery store because of his love to shop.  In fact on most trips, you’ll find him listening to music to make time go by faster.  But the time he takes each Sunday night at the store furthers his goals to get stronger and stay lean. This amount of food sets Nate up for a week’s worth of easy-to-put together meals, and he’ll only need to pick up a few random things as the week goes on.  Planning ahead and knowing what kind of meals he’ll be eating, combined with the habit of a regular shopping trip, is essential for achieving his successful physique.

With a kitchen kept full of a variety of healthy foods and a general meal plan in place, Nate can follow his nutrition plan without much thought or challenge.  Here’s an example of what Nate’s meals look like on a non-training day.

Breakfast – 9:00 AM 3 Omega 3 eggs 3 turkey sausage links (”I took a bite out of one of them – I was starving.”) Strawberries and kiwi Yerba mate tea 4 Flameout fish oil caps
	Snack #1 – 11:30 AM 2 pieces whole wheat toast with honey mustard Tomato and avocado Flaxseed meal and pepper Strawberries and a banana Glass of milk (”When I run out of clean glasses or just want to feel fancy, I use wine glasses!”) Yerba mate
Lunch – 2:00 PM Chicken with barbeque sauce Peas and carrots 4 Flameout fish oil caps Water
	Snack # 2 – 5:00 PM Two hard boiled eggs 1 banana 2 scoops Metabolic Drive in water 2 scoops of Biotest Superfood
Dinner – 8:00 PM Two bison burgers with chopped bell pepper Spinach salad with avocado and strawberries Glass of milk 4 Flameout fish oils caps A badass book
	Beer me! – 10:00 PM Fat tire and a smirk

On training days (right now 4 days/week) Nate’s meal plan pretty much stays the same but he does add in a few more carbs in the form of whole wheat pasta, brown rice and fruit, as well as original flavored Biotest Surge pre- and post-workout. For a peek into Nate’s typical training schedule and workouts, check out his blog: The Nate Green Experience.

Eventually Nate will want to add more lean muscle mass. With a strong foundation of eating and planning habits in place, he will be able to go after those goals by simply adding in these types of carbs to his meals on non-training days.

Some may think that this level of success at 23 years old means Nate’s just been lucky, but as Nate describes it, “luck is when preparation meets opportunity”.  Though Nate’s opportunities may be a little different than those of your average 20-something, his story of success is inspiring for anyone looking to make their dreams happen.  It’s clear that much of what Nate’s achieved has come from his commitment, preparation, and willingness to work hard for what he wants in life.

Whatever your goals may be, take a hint from Nate. Develop strategies that allow you to go after your dreams.  With a plan in place, you too will be ready to succeed when opportunities come your way.

Pick up a copy of Built for Show at Amazon.com