Category Archives: Bodybuilding
Dietary Flexibility: Adjusting the Numbers Based on the Physique Goals
Summary: I’m going to show you how simple it is to adjust the details of the Intermittent Feast diet to match your current physique goals. For better or worse, New Year’s is a time of transition, and regardless of what new (or old) goals you’ve decided to pursue, this diet can be modified to help you accomplish them. The overall structure of the diet stays the same (hunt & feast), but the numbers change.
First off, I want to start off by saying I know you don’t really give a sh*t about me or my pursuits, you just want to know how my experience as an athlete and coach can help you reach your goals. I get it.
But I’m going to use myself as an example in this one, because I think recent changes I had to make in my own plans are a good example of how flexible this dietary approach can be. I truly believe it is a year-round lifestyle plan that can be used regardless of the goal — gaining muscle, slashing fat, or maintenance/recompositioning.
And of course, it can help you seamlessly transition amongst those goals at a moment’s notice.
I also think it will help answer a lot of common questions I’ve been getting through various channels. And on a side note, I’m NOT ignoring any of you, its just been hard to keep up with Da Inbox while having an offline life.
How do you specifically adjust Da Feast for this or that? Well I was in maintenance mode, mapped out and was about to go into bulking mode, and for an upcoming opportunity, had to completely switch gears and go into full on shredding mode.
WHERE I WAS AT
So for the past few months I’ve been in maintenance mode. Basically, I wasn’t training or dieting for anything specific, just maintaining good condition. I don’t yo-yo up or down drastically because I want to look decent all year round for my personal (mirror) reflection time, not just for photo shoots.
Mid-December Maintenance
Mid-December Maintenance
At 165lbs, the diet basically looked like this. Since I engage in consistent, anaerobic activity, it is a carb-based diet (if you are sedentary, you should follow a lower-carb version of a Paleo Diet):
15 calories/lb: 2500 calories
1.5-2.0g pro/kg or slightly less than 1g/lb: 150g
15-25% calories from dietary fats, mostly by-product of a mix of lean and not-so-lean animal proteins: I was around 45g
Remaining calories from carbs: roughly 375g
How was I achieving this? Although sources varied, basically the summary is:
20 oz of animal protein
unlimited non-starchy vegetables
1-2 pieces of fruit around da workouts
all starch at dinner from rice or potatoes (which means on most nights I was eating around 300g of carbs or roughly 6 cups of rice).
Low-carbers, I do have a defibrillator near by.
WHERE I WAS GOING TO GO
My initial plan was to shift into a muscle gaining/bulking mode for the first part of the year. I hoped to compete in some natural bodybuilding contests at the end of the year, and planned to gain some size and move up a weight class. The adjustments were to be simple:
Calories go up through carbs
Protein is already at optimal levels = stays the same. Fat comes primarily as by-product of protein = stays the same. Carbs are increased to get into that surplus necessary for gaining muscle. New totals:
18 calories/lb = 3000 cals
Protein: 150g
Fat: 45g
Remaining calories from carbs = 500g
Food choices stay the same, just the starch portions go up, so that’s like 9 cups of rice at dinner. One question I get is, “what if I just can’t eat the recommended food amounts in one meal at dinner?” Well first, doesn’t that just sound like a funner challenge than, “how do I stop myself from gnawing off my significant others’ arm as a result of dietary-induced starvation?”
But yeah, when food amounts start to get this high, I basically suggest breaking up that feast into 2 dinners: one early (4-5pm), one later (7-8pm). So more along the lines of a traditional fitness spread, but not so extreme that you are back to an impractical plan of 18 meals a day every hour.
Basically, a protein and veggies lunch, and then two starch-loaded meals toward the end of the day. 1-2 pieces of whole fruit around the workout.
*Note: I personally increase carbs in bulking phases until I reach about 5-7g/kg of bodyweight, which is right about what Sports Nutrition research recommends for strength training athletes. After this, liver and muscle glycogen stores are probably nearing saturation. At this point, that’s when I would start including “added” fats as a means to increase calories.
And if you have some degree of insulin resistance and shouldn’t be eating high amounts of carbs, then personally I don’t think you should be bulking either. You should be losing weight, improving insulin sensitivity, and taking care of your overall health first. Then you can worry about bulking. That may not be considered “hardcore” bodybuilding, but I save my “hardcoreness” for the bedroom, not with regards to my overall health.
WHERE I’M GOING
Over the Holidays, a potential big new opportunity was pitched to me. Legally, I’ve been told I can’t talk about the details, but basically it is a video-based fitness project with a major international distribution partner (vague enough legal team?). Not only has my training had to change a little bit (from pure bodybuilding back to a hybrid plan that incorporates more of my martial arts background), but my diet as well.
Basically, they want the ripped Miyaki. I’m shooting for John Rambo 3-style shredded.
Rambo III
Carolco Pictures
So the next day, I shifted the diet towards fat-slashing mode. And again the transition was simple — calories go down through carbs
Again, protein is already at optimal levels = stays the same, fat is primarily by-product of protein so it stays the same, carbs are decreased to get into the deficit necessary for fat loss (although note, they are not cut out completely. If you are in a calorie deficit, you can keep some carbs in the diet to support anaerobic training, lean muscle mass, and natural hormone production). New totals:
12 calories/lb = 2000 cals
Protein: 150g
Fat: 45g
Remaining calories from carbs = 250g
Food choices stay the same, just the portions are adjusted. And I’ll tell you a few days after eating 9 cups of rice at dinner, 4 cups of rice seems like a disturbingly unsatisfying snack. But its much better than the old diet days of trying to pretend a piece of protein and a few lettuce leaves was a real dinner.
THE TRANSITION SUMMARY
1. Diet structure stays the same regardless of goal (but maybe splitting up the feast into two dinners during high calorie bulking phases).
2. Protein and dietary fat (as by-product of protein) stays the same = optimum levels to support lean muscle and natural hormone production.
3. Calories go up or down based on physique goals, primarily via carbohydrate changes.
THE MESSAGE
In studying philosophy, I’ve come to the realization that the messenger is irrelevant, its the message that matters. The same thing is true in fitness. So don’t just copy my plan because this might not be exactly what you need to do with the exact numbers, given your unique situation and goals. But I think it does give you a good idea of how to transition between different dietary phases.
You can start by plugging in your numbers based on your bodyweight and goals to get a good ballpark starting point. But from there, you’ll need to take some personal accountability and then test, assess, and refine in the real world to find what works best for you.
5 Holiday Diet Tips & The Ripped Heskett Brothers
PART I – 5 HOLIDAY DIET TIPS
* I recently wrote an article for my column over at T-Nation. It was some non-fluff, no B.S. Holiday diet advice that will give you a better strategy the next few weeks than “drink more water” or “carry around celery sticks with you to all of your Holiday parties” or “buy a magic pill detox kit to start the New Year after your XXX-MAS debauchery”. I’ve included part of the intro section, the 5 actual tips, and a link to the full article published on T-Nation if you are interested.
THE INTRO SECTION
Here’s the unfortunate truth – almost all the holiday “diet” advice you get from a variety of mainstream sources goes against our natural human instincts, which is to feast like a beast once a day. It also goes against our evolutionary history and social patterns, which is to eat animals, and party like animals, at night.
That’s why those mainstream fitness tidbits rarely work. It sounds good on paper, but doesn’t work in real life situations when the animal inside takes over. Yet, we keep coming back to this fluff because we know we need some kind of help.
But what, you’re supposed to be cool with nibbling on a disturbingly unsatisfying 200-calorie, low-carb snack while everyone else is chowing down on a wicked dinner spread, hitting the open bar, and fooling around under the mistletoe? That’s like saying you can look all you want, but you can’t have sex over the holiday season – unnecessary, unfathomable, impossible. And it doesn’t have to be that way.
Everyone today is focused on Intermittent Fasting, which I think is a viable play call in a fat-slashing playbook. But I tend to focus on the infinitely more fun part, The Intermittent Feast. Cut calories and carbs at night? Ha! Maybe if you want to hate your life.
One of the core principles is an eating structure that mimics our evolutionary past, the hunt and feast structure – eat lighter while active during the day, eat the majority of your calories and carbohydrates at night while relaxing or socializing.
Doesn’t that already sound more doable over this upcoming holiday season? If not, good luck with your snack packs. If yes, lets dive into some feasting details.
THE 5 TIPS
1. Don’t Eat Light at Night — when you try to cut calories at night you binge anyways, eating at night doesn’t make you fat, eating too many calories over the entire day makes you fat, you can either set your diet up to suffer or set it up to cruise…
2. Eat Light During the Day So You Can Eat Big at Night — optimizes body’s ability to burn fat for a large portion of the day, most people find it relatively easy to cut calories and make better food choices during the day as long as they know they can eat a larger meal at night and get to end the day satiated and satisfied.
3. Unleash The Feasting Beast — If you’re eating a big, real, whole foods dinner, chances are you’ll be stuffed, and you won’t have much “room” leftover to binge on holiday foods like pie.
4. Don’t Fall Off the Infomercial Edge — Intermittent Feast is not a B.S. fad diet approach with the promise of some magical structure allowing you to eat crap every night. You still have to make good food choices most of the time to lose fat and optimize health.
5. Implement Strategic Cheats — Don’t waste a cheat night on bean dip and light beer. But at a party at a 5-star restaurant, where the company is buying everything, the top shelf of the bar is open, and the cleavage is out and about, it may be time to let loose.
Full T-Nation Article here: 5 Holiday Diet Tips That Don’t Suck
PART II – THE HESKETT BROTHERS
Chris Heskett
I received an email recently from a new friend of mine — Chris Heskett. He had read some of my work, it made a huge difference in his physique, and he took 2nd place at the OCB Charm City Classic Physique Competition. Congrats my brother.
The dude looked awesome as you can see. This is the type of physique I think a lot of us aspire to achieve — lean, muscular, a throwback to a more classic physique instead of the chemical warfare/freak show that dominates the bodybuilding industry today. It was an honor to be informed that my nutrition advice was a part of his preparation.
Chris also has a real brother Benjamin (not brother as in the expression that I always like to use, kind of like Hulk Hogan). He also has a very impressive physique. They’ve agreed to come on here at some point and tell us more about their protocols. They are also hosting a natural bodybuilding/physique show in the Spring of 2013 — OCB Bodybuilding competition March 30 at Bloomsburg University. So if you are in the area, check it out.
In the meantime, if you want to connect with them, here are their facebook pages:
Intermittent Feast Travel Edition: An Easier Diet Plan on the Road
One of the biggest dietary pitfalls is the dreaded “T” word.
Teabaggin’? Nope, but mine are a blend of Japanese Green and Irish Breakfast. Although small, they are potent, and I’ve been told are quite refreshing, especially with the patented Miyaki steeping method…
These are no match for Miyaki’s 100% organic, gluten-free bags. But I only have two.
But that’s not what I’m talking about today. The “T” word I’m talking about is travel. “I was on track and making great progress until I had to break up my normal routine, and leave town. Then everything went to hell.”
THE OLD, PARANOID, FITNESS DIETING DAYS
I used to feel you.
Back in the days when I was following a more conventional fitness diet, trying to figure out where my next small meal or snack was going to be, pulling over and getting a bullshit candy bar (oh, I mean protein bar) because I feared my muscles were wasting away, canceling afternoon plans because it had been 3 hours and I needed to get my next protein feeding in, trying to figure out how to keep my chicken and rice cold with no fridge at da beach, or without being able to bring a frickin’ cooler into a professional meeting room, etc.
Then, after all that effort of sticking to an impractical (and completely unnecessary, other than fitness tradition) plan, I would eat a big feast-style dinner and drastically overshoot my calories and macro’s anyways because — f*ck it — you’re on vacation or socializing or doing business or whatever.
It was a disaster for my obsessed and paranoid bodybuilder/fitness athlete mind. And I would always come back looking more like Da Baby Sumo and less like Da Ripped Ronin, despite my best efforts to stay on track. I’d come back into town thinking, “damn man, I need to get back in shape.”
My nickname as a portly kid was Baby Sumo.
Any of this sound familiar? If it does, I’m going to free you from the obsession that you’ve been brainwashed to believe is necessary. If it doesn’t, welcome to the mind of a paranoid fitness guy/girl. Be glad you never got sucked into the madness, and can follow a more reasonable and sane plan right from the start.
THE NEW, FEASTING NOMAD
The game has changed since switching over to my Intermittent Feast approach (which is basically the final evolution of my nutritional philosophy). If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t have a clue what I’m talking about, here is a post with a summary of the basic outline. Go read this (I know you were going to gloss over it without taking action) because the structure of this plan is what allows for maximum flexibility and practicality on Da Road. Don’t worry, we’ll wait up for you to finish:
Introducing Intermittent Feast
Not only do I think this is a much more functional and sustainable approach for your every day routine, I think it makes it infinitely easier to stay on track when traveling.
No worrying about small meals, no planning your day around food instead of actually living your life, you get to look for bikini babes instead of for snack shacks, trying to get laid every 3 hours instead of trying to find your next fitness meal with perfect macronutrient percentages, etc.
Just grab a lower carb, protein + fat based lunch (which can be done anywhere), and a big, protein + carb based dinner. Vegetables can go with either meal. If I happen to be training or doing something very active, I might also include some whole fruits around that activity. Simple, effective, functional, flexible, practical.
NATE’S EXAMPLE
Want an example? So here’s how I did it on my most recent trip to Hawaii. It was a 4-day whirlwind trip with 4 plane rides to take care of some family stuff. We didn’t have access to a kitchen, we were on an island we had never been to before, we had to eat out every meal, etc.
There was not a lot of control, but it was still possible to stay on track with this Intermittent Feast approach. And honestly, it was actually pretty easy. So easy a guy who eats “a caveman-style diet with some sports nutrition modification” could do it.
So first, a little background about my current diet program. Right now, I’m just eating for maintenance or recomposition, staying in good physique shape (I had a photo shoot the day after my return with a fitness equipment manufacturer). I’m 165lbs, don’t know my body fat, but if I had to guess I’d say 7%ish.
And for all the meatheads who want to keyboard bash now (guess I spend too much time in forums), trust me, I’ve met some of the guys that claim online to be 220lbs and 6% body fat. Hahahaha, more like 200lbs and 6 months pregnant….Its like pro wrestling, guess everyone has to embellish. When I was pro wrestling they used to list me as 6′ 200lbs.
But listen man, I’m not trying to impress anyone. I’m happy with where I’m at and where I’m going. My goal is to help YOU make some progress, and give YOU useful tools. I can’t do that if I’m bullsh*tting you trying to maintain some kind of mysterious online image.
I’m an open book, and a real guy trying to get real results, just like you. Maybe what I’ve learned along the way will help you. I think this lesson definitely will.
On off days, I eat in a slight calorie deficit with numbers geared more towards fat loss
12 cals/lb = 2000
1g pro/lb = 150-175g
20-25% fats = 45-55g
remaining cals from carbs = 250g
Calories go up through carbs on training days, but I didn’t get to train while traveling this time. I was using it as some informal, active recovery — lots of walking, had one day where we got to climb down to a waterfall, and I unleashed the Little Shitake for some much needed sunshine and Vitamin D (hoping that it will make it grow).
Hey, I think that’s a life-size replica.
So this was about trying to stay right around those #’s. I did not carry around a portable weighing scale or measuring cups. If I overshot or undershot the numbers, I didn’t call my mom crying, have a nervous breakdown, or think about committing Sepukku (ritual suicide in the Samurai era).
4-DAYS OF INTERMITTENT FEASTING ON THE ROAD
*All numbers are estimated and rounded based on eyeball method.
DAY 1
Lunch
Place: Airport Cafe
Meal: 4-egg scramble with veggies. Told them to hold the cheese and didn’t need bread. Totals: 25g pro, negligible carbs, 35g fats (assuming cooked in oil or butter).
Dinner
Place: Japanese Market with prepared take out meals
Meal: Beef, rice, and vegetable bowl; 2 Korean beef sushi rolls, 1 Futo Maki roll (egg & pickled vegetables)
Totals: 100g pro, 250g carbohydrates, 30g fats
Daily totals: 125g pro, 250g carbs, 65g fats, 2100 calories
DAY 2
Lunch
Place: Strip Mall Diner
Meal: 8oz New York Steak, plain salad
Totals: 50g pro, negligible carbs, 25g fats
Dinner
Place: Thai Restaurant
Meal: 2 fresh shrimp spring rolls, Salt ‘n’ Pepper chicken, 1 cup rice (I adjusted carbs down because this chicken was obviously smothered in oil, thus making the meal much higher in fat)
Totals: 100g pro, 100g carbs, 75g fats
Daily totals: 150g pro, 100g carbs, 100g fats, 1900 calories
DAY 3
*This was my normal cheat day
Lunch
Place: Bar
Meal: We were out and about doing a bunch of errands and stopped off for a drink. I got a black coffee & whiskey. Now young kids, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to glorify drinking. I’m just trying to give an honest snapshot of the trip.
Dinner
Place: Vietnamese
Meal: 4 fresh spring rolls, Chicken Pho Noodle Soup. Later I had some left over Chicken Pad Thai (chicken with large rice noodles) from the night before (thanks Leina).
Totals: 150g pro, 325g carbs, 65 g fats, 2500 calories
DAY 4
Lunch
Place: Hawaiian Plate Lunch Cafe
Meal: 8oz bbq’d steak (told them to hold the rice and mac salad)
Totals: 50g pro, 0g carbs, 15g fats
Dinner
Place: Airplane
Meal: Teriyaki Chicken plate, 4 large futo maki rolls (we bought these at a grocery store and brought them with us on the plane).
Totals: 75g pro, 250g carbs, 15g fats
Daily totals: 125g pro, 250g carbs, 30g fats, 1800 calories
WRAP-UP
The night we returned, dropped my bags, dropped a deuce, and then took a photo.
As you see, it wasn’t perfect, but I was able to stay on track with my goals, relatively easily. More importantly, I felt great the whole time, didn’t come back feeling like crap or like I had to “make up” for lost time.
I hope this gives you some hope that it’s not all that hard to eat for fitness when traveling, IF you have a more reasonable approach. Its a lot more manageable when you only have to worry about getting 2 meals, and get to eat a big, satiating, Feast at night.
Another Miyaki Interview
You guys tired of hearing what I have to say yet? I hope not, because my fitness buddy Kyle Hunt recently interviewed me on his site.
I’ve re-posted the piece for you here (I added the sub-headings and a few pics). Hope you enjoy
Note: I first saw Nate’s material on T-Nation. I was reading one of his articles and thought to myself “damn this guy views nutrition pretty similar to how I do” lol. So being the information junkie that I am I had to check out his site and find out what he was all about. Then some time passed and I started to hear his name mentioned more and more. Eventually, I got around to contacting him and the rest is pretty much history. I think you guys will really enjoy this interview.
-Kyle Hunt
DA GUY
Hunt- For the readers who may not be familiar with the name Nate Miyaki can you tell them a little bit about who you are personally and professionally as well as how you got involved in the fitness lifestyle?
Miyaki- How is someone not familiar with the legend that is Nate Miyaki? Hahahaha… Dude, it’s like one of those Geico commercials man. “Could switching to Miyaki’s hybrid nutrition approach help you slash 15% of your body fat?” What have you been living under a rock?”
Personally, I’m a laid-back beach dude, a pervert, and a slightly weird guy with no filter. I’m passionate about health, natural bodybuilding & fitness, fat slashing nutrition, and Bruce Lee & Miyamoto Musashi philosophy, and I enjoy sharing those passions with anyone who wants to listen. So yes, I talk to myself often.
Professionally, I run a private training and nutrition consulting business, although lately I am focusing more on my writing and speaking engagements in the industry.
Professionally, I also strip under the stage name Little Shitake Miyaki. Just kidding, at least about the first part.
Hunt- You are a competitive bodybuilder. What are some of your past shows and what are your future plans in the sport?
Miyaki- Yeah, I won the lightweight class at the 2004 NPC Max Muscle Naturals, got my a$$ kicked at the 2004 Musclemania America & World Championships, and won the bantamweight class (the weight classes are different in Musclemania) at the 2009 Musclemania America & World Championships.
I plan on doing the 2012 Musclemania Championships again this year, this time as a lightweight. So if the existing pattern holds true, I’ll probably get my a$$ kicked. But it doesn’t matter.
My goal with this whole bodybuilding “thang” is twofold:
A. Show I have at least some practical experience in the fat loss and physique enhancement game, unlike a lot of trainers and coaches out there.
B. Show that you can get in bodybuilding-style shape with some non-traditional methods, and without compromising your health OR career goals.
Otherwise, you can sacrifice everything, follow some extreme protocol, destroy your health and sanity, be miserable and depressed all the time, set yourself up for huge weight rebounds and a lifetime of yo-yo’ing (guys too), live in a van down by the gym, etc. all for a 6-pack and cheap trophy (or even for some, just a Facebook photo). Oops, did I just say that out loud. Sorry dude. To each their own.
Hunt- How did you first get involved in the fitness industry as a trainer and nutrition coach? What are some of your credentials?
Miyaki- Well, I was working at a gym and the owner knew I was studying Kinesiology in school. He also knew I had some practical experience as an athlete. So he offered to pay for my certification and help me get started with building my clientele.
Since I don’t think too far ahead, I was bored doing the gym’s accounting work, and I was broke, I accepted. 13 years later, we’re still rocking and rolling with this thing.
Certified Personal Trainer (ACE)
Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition (ISSA)
Certified Specialist in Sports Nutrition (ISSA)
Post-baccalaureate studies in Kinesiology
Certified Cool Guy (self-certified in this one)
DA NUTRITION APPROACH
Hunt- How would you describe your general approach to nutrition? I have heard you describe it as “paleo plus sports nutrition” can you explain that?
Miyaki- Well, now that we’re getting down to the real sh*t, lets dispense with the fun and games and get down to the heart of the matter. And let’s simplify this completely fluff-filled and information-overloaded industry.
1. Use Paleo/Caveman Nutrition as a base for both your food choices and overall diet structure (food distribution).
2. Food Choices: Emphasize real, natural foods (relatively lean animal proteins, vegetables, whole fruit, nuts, muddy pond water) over both refined garbage, and even self-proclaimed health foods (100 calorie snack bars, whole grain breads and cereals, pro-biotic yogurts). But what about “x”, Oprah says its good for me? CAVEMAN THEME!! See how simple that is.
3. Diet Structure: Hunt and Feast, baby. We evolved fasting/eating lighter during the day while hunting, and eating the majority of our calories/carbs at night while relaxing or socializing. You should do the exact same thing if you want to make shedding fat as functional, sustainable, and quite frankly, enjoyable, as possible. There is virtually no science that supports the “eat 6 small meals a day and starve at night, most miserable way to frickin’ diet” approach.
I’m not saying it doesn’t work (it absolutely does, and I’ve used it myself in the past with good results). But it’s more tradition than necessity, and it’s not a realistic, long-term plan for most. That’s why so many competitors yo-yo, and the majority of the rest of the population never get started. Go with, not against your evolutionary instincts (eat big at night), and your fat slashing plan becomes infinitely easier.
4. And the Sports Nutrition modification. Cavemen were trying to survive, not performing glycogen-depleting strength training sessions for cosmetic enhancement (building lean muscle, slashing fat, looking awesome, etc.). Low/no-carb diets are great for insulin resistant, obese, and sedentary populations, but not so much for athletes. Add back in some low gluten, low sugar starch foods to support this targeted anaerobic training.
For this I use the Traditional Village-style Japanese Diet as an example/simple educational tool (not dogmatic creed to follow). Paleo-style diet with the addition of root vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.) and rice at dinner (remember, eat the majority of our cals and carbs at night).
That’s about it in a nut sack. Mine is 100% Paleo-friendly and available for the right price by the way.
Am I brilliant or stupid? Only you can decide that for yourself. There are people on both sides of the fence. So be it.
Hunt- Do you have specific pre/post workout parameters you like to go by?
Miyaki- Pre? I think the best option is to train in a relatively fasted state. So if you train in the morning up until lunch, train fasted and then fill the tank the rest of the day. If you train in the afternoon or evening, I recommend a Paleo-style lunch 3-5 hours before. Gives you just enough energy without digestive stress or rebound hypoglycemia from a more traditional, starchy-carb filled lunch.
Post? Lets reverse it. If you train in the evening its simple, carb-feast like a beast for dinner, which is your post-workout meal. If you train in the morning or afternoon, it’s a little different. While I get that the majority of your carbs should be placed in the “post workout window” (although I do think that is a little overstated, full glycogen restoration can take 24 hours or more, protein synthesis can be elevated for 48 hours, etc., but I digress), I still think the most functional, sustainable, and enjoyable plans, which means the most successful plans, are the ones that place the majority of carbs at night.
So eat some protein with a piece of fruit post-workout regardless of what time of day you train (the fruit provides some quick digesting carbs for glycogen replenishment, halts catabolic activity, etc., without spiking insulin and leading to rebound hypoglycemia and energy crashes).
Then feast on those insulin spiking carbs at night to induce a hyper-anabolic environment.
Hunt- What is your opinion on intermittent fasting and carb back loading?
Miyaki- As you can see from the above answers, I’ve studied them both, love them both, and have incorporated both into my overall approach. And listen, I’m not the type of guy who has a big ego, wants to become a guru, or needs to claim I invented anything. I think you can learn a lot from “The Intermittent Fasting Guy – Martin Berkhan” or “That Carb-Backloading Dude – DH Kiefer”. To be honest, the Godfather of it all is Ori Hofmekler. If you are a knowledge whore, you should read their work immediately.
These guys are brilliant and have contributed a ton to the health & fitness industry, help shattered dogma and myths, etc. But on that same note, if my approach were exactly the same as any of them, I’d just refer you to them.
My Way has subtle differences in either food choices or overall diet structure, or both. I take a Ronin approach (not serving any master, not following any creed, using whatever weapons necessary to get the job done, etc.) to both my nutrition plans and to my life in general. It is what it is.
If you want to do the same, learn from valuable resources, and then follow Bruce Lee’s advice: “absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own.”
I hope you can absorb a few things from my work. That is all.
Hunt- How do you structure food selection? Do you have specific protein, carbohydrate and fat sources that you recommend and/or ones that you tell your clients to stay away from?
Miyaki- Back to the Caveman Theme, plus rice and root vegetables for anaerobic athletes. See, it is a simple and effective educational tool.
The one detail I tend to harp on is if you eat “added” fats in your diet. Fat in nature is meant to be eaten with protein or fiber. Eat whole food fats (nuts, avocado, coconut), not refined oils, which are easy to overeat, have no effects on the hormones that regulate appetite, how you end up with the 2000 calorie salad that you think is a “light” lunch, etc.
And carbs tend to get a bad name because of the ones most people emphasize. Stay away from concentrated sources of fructose (sugar, HFCS), gluten (wheat), what Paleo nutritionists would refer to as “anti-nutrients” (found in most grains and cereals), and of course, Cocoa Pebbles.
Stick to rice and roots, and you’ll do alright.
Hunt- What supplements do you recommend to your clients and do you have any that you would consider “staples”?
Miyaki- Whole foods are the only thing I consider to be “staples”.
But I’ll be totally honest man. I haven’t spent a lot of time studying targeted supplement protocols. It’s just not my area of focus or interest. So I generally refer supplement questions to one of my colleagues who have spent a good portion of their careers researching the “ins and outs” of all of that.
In other words, don’t ask a plumber about your taxes. Ask an accountant. Cool?
Hunt- Who are some of the people in the fitness industry that you respect and look up to?
DA INFLUENCES
Miyaki- Well first off, don’t look up to anyone in life you haven’t met in person. There are successful scumbags and average heroes just the same.
But respect their work? Too many brother, as I consider myself a lifelong student. Here are a few, not in any particular order, there are more: Robb Wolf, Loren Cordain, Ori Hofmekler, Chris Aceto, Jason Ferruggia, Martin Berkhan, DH Kiefer, John Meadows, Lyle McDonald, Layne Norton, Asker Jeukendrup…
I could keep going on and on, but the sands of time are ticking away (and I gotta “drop a deuce” pretty soon here), so lets wrap this thing up in the next few minutes or so. Cool?
Hunt- I get asked this question a lot so I figure I would ask you. What are the top 5 books you recommend on training or nutrition?
Miyaki- My passion is the nutrition side of the ballgame, so…
The Paleo Diet – Loren Cordain
The Paleo Solution – Robb Wolf
Sports Nutrition, 2nd Edition – Asker Jeukendrup
Championship Bodybuilding – Chris Aceto
Maximum Muscle Minimum Fat – Ori Hofmekler
Hunt- You yourself just came out with a new book. Tell the readers a little bit about your new book “The Fat Loss Consultant” and how they can get it.
DA BOOK
Miyaki- Why yes I did my friend, and its available now, hahaha….
I’m not going to lie, this interview covers about 90% of what you need to know. Fat loss nutrition is basic and simple. The industry overcomplicates it to sell you a bunch of sh*t you don’t really need. Coaches overcomplicate it to either validate their profession, prove their superiority, or because they are actually more information overloaded and confused than the general public.
It’s the Wild West minus the cool hats.
Me? I have no secrets. Hunt and eat lighter Paleo-style foods during the day, and feast on the majority of your calories and carbs at night. I can’t tell you it is more complicated than that because I don’t believe it is.
Consistency is the key to success, not magic pills or miracle formulas.
So why the book? Damn, sh*tty sales job so far huh? Good thing I’m my own boss. Let me see if I can improve:
1. If you go out and apply my advice, you get great results, it changes your life, etc., well, you should buy my f*cking book out of shear appreciation. That’s called honor.
But beyond that, it is all about the details my friend, and the details can make or break you…
2. It gives you specific food charts, targeted numbers and calculations for higher-level physique goals, sample diets based on specific situations, etc.
3. The hunt and feast structure makes fat loss dieting way more realistic, functional, and sustainable for busy working professionals (or students, or those of us addicted to video games or internet porn = anyone whose time is limited). The book goes into even more practical application strategies regarding how to stay on track with your plan. Food prep tips, how to eat out at almost any restaurant (with examples and guides), how to improve the office setting, what to do at coffee shops and bars, etc.
Most plans look great on the chalkboard or in a textbook, but DON’T work in the real world. What’s the point? Not this one. We get into the real world strategies that make a difference.
4. A lot of what I’m recommending goes completely against mainstream/traditional health, fitness, & bodybuilding advice. If you trust me, that’s the end of it. But if you are skeptical, the book expands more upon the theories from which my Way was formulated. And despite my laid-back attitude, I have spent over 10 years studying this stuff and know what I’m talking about. Towards the end, the book dives into the hardcore science. I’ve provided my resources and references with links to supporting studies on every individual topic. You can come to your own conclusions, as you should with everything in life.
And you should spend some time educating yourself, whether it is through me or someone else. Otherwise you’ll keep blindly jumping from program to program with no results.
5. At the very least, you’ll get to dive more into my messed up mind. So at least you will be entertained.
Here’s where you can get it: http://www.thefatlossconsultant.com/
Hunt- Lastly, how can people reach you?
Miyaki-
https://twitter.com/natemiyaki
https://www.facebook.com/NateMiyaki
Booty calls can hit me up any time. My number is 555…
Thanks a lot for allowing me to hang out with you and your crew Kyle. We’ve shared some laughs, shared some cries, made some new friends (and probably some new enemies), etc. It was a blast.
*You can visit my buddy Kyle’s site here: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/
The Complete Renegade Strength Interview
My buddy Jason Ferruggia hit me up and asked me if I’d like to do an interview on his Renegade Strength & Conditioning blog. It was a huge honor and I accepted. When asked a question, I give an honest, straightforward, no bullsh*t answer, and then I ramble about nonsense because I’m a weird guy like that. I guess Jason liked that style, because the interview ended up being a 3-parter.
Quite frankly, I think this is one of the best pieces of content I’ve been a part of, and contains a ton of useful information for you. Here are the links to each part of the interview, including what we covered:
NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE BOMBS WITH NATE MIYAKI – PART I: Why low carb diets are good for certain populations vs. the various reasons why anaerobic athletes & strength trainers should include some carbs in their diets, why you should go AGAINST mainstream fitness advice and eat the majority of your calories and carbs at night, good carb choices (hint, Japanese Village-style – white rice and root vegetables), various Seinfeld quotes and references.
NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE BOMBS WITH NATE MIYAKI – PART II: We call out bullsh*t “health” foods including why flaxseed oil sucks, why “whole food” fats are far superior to refined oils, specific pre-workout advice and modifications, and we talk about what would be the female equivalent of erectile dysfunction (but are a little more vulgar about it, so beware).
NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE BOMBS WITH NATE MIYAKI – PART III: Starts with a phenomenal picture of Eva Mendes which is all you really need to know but then, specific post-workout recommendations and modifications, how the diet set-up changes for gaining muscle/mass vs. targeted fat loss, specific adjustments for those dealing with acute or chronic inflammatory conditions.
AND, a lot of the magic happened (I answered a bunch of questions) in the comments section, so make sure to check that out.
Until next time, this is how the Renegade and the Ronin (me, in honor of Musashi) roll…
