One of the most widespread weight training misconceptions is that if someone works hard at the gym and lifts heavy weights, they will soon become cut and jacked. However after spending an hour at the gym, there are still 23 more left in a day – which often go to waste. Too many lifters are either unaware of the importance of nutrition or choose to disregard it. This may be due to a range of things – stereotypes, conflicting knowledge or sheer laziness – which always ends up with the same result: hindered progress.
Jacob Schepis knows his nutrition inside out and back to front. As the founder, owner and head trainer at JPS Health & Fitness, he has seen first-hand the huge role nutrition plays in achieving weight-training goals. Despite being only 21, Schepis has been doing his own training for years and has been learning as he goes – he obtained his certificate 3 and 4 in fitness in 2010. He has used this knowledge to not only to help his clients, but also to achieve his own results. At 5’7″, Schepis currently tips the scales at 77 kg and boasts an incredible body fat percentage of 6%. He runs his business, does his own training and studies business/law at La Trobe University yet he still finds time to maintain his diet.
Today I had a chat to him to find out why nutrition is so important in weight training.
There is a popular saying in weight training: “30% of the work is done in the gym and 70% is done in the kitchen.” Why is nutrition so important for muscle development?
Nutrition is the most important factor in making any body compositional changes, whether it be dropping body fat or building lean muscle. Our nutrition and intake of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat) will determine our hormonal status and significantly influence your bodies capacity to either build muscle and burn fat. Training is merely the stimulus to which the body must adapt to. However, it is what we eat and when we eat it that will determine how our body adapts to such stimulus, whether it be growth or weight loss.
Weight training is fundamental for those trying to either add size or cut fat. How do the contrasting goals of bulking or cutting affect a person’s diet?
When your goal is to build lean muscle, it is critical to ensure that your caloric intake is at a surplus. Additionally, ensuring that adequate carbohydrates and protein are consumed will ensure that you are anabolic (regenerating tissue). Alternatively, if your aim is to drop body fat, then you should continue to consume adequate amounts of protein to spare muscle. This is due to the fact that maintaining lean tissue will improve your RMR (resting metabolic rate) drastically. When ‘cutting’ (dropping fat), depending on your current body compositional make up, it is important to be cautious and limit the consumption of carbohydrates. If this is your goal, you should consume them at 3 key times: breakfast, pre workout and post workout.
What is an ideal pre-workout meal?
An ideal pre workout meal will depend on your current goals. If your goals are weight loss, I’d suggest having a high-protein meal with some polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. If muscle gain is your goal, similarly a high-protein meal with some low GI carbohydrates for glycogen store replenishment as well as energy.
Apart from a whey protein shake, what else should a lifter consume post-workout?
Egg whites are a great source of protein and which have a great amino acid profile and have a high bioavailability.
Many lifters complain that they simply don’t have time to prepare necessary meals. What are your favourite quick, easy meals?
My favourite fast and simple meal is two cans of 135g tuna in spring water mixed with spinach leaves, capsicum and cucumber. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and some apple cider vinegar and you have a great low-carb high-protein moderate-fat meal. Perfect for both muscle growth and weight loss, however this will depend of course on when you consume this meal.
Alcohol is detrimental to weight-training progress. Tell us why.
When seeking to make physical adaptions, alcohol is your worst enemy.
Not only does it contain empty calories, but as an energy source, alcohol disrupts all other metabolic processes. When we consume alcohol, it goes straight to our liver. Once it hits the liver, our body produces enzymes in order to oxidize the alcohol because we cannot store it, and thus it must be metabolized immediately.
Additionally, alcohol decreases testosterone levels, which are extremely important to either building muscle or burning fat. It also negatively impacts muscle protein synthesis – that is rebuilding muscles.
Give us your five favourite high-protein snacks.
Chicken breast, tuna in springwater, whey protein powder, kangaroo fillet and casein protein powder.
There is a lot of suspicion about supplementation in relation to weight training. Many doubt that supplements are natural – some even tie the word to steroids or cheating. Can you explain why supplementation is so important and tell us your favourite supps and why?
Supplements are as only effective when added to or ‘supplementing’ an already sound nutritional and training program. Taking all the supplements in the world will not help you create a cut and jacked physique.
My favourite supplements are whey protein, glutamine and BCAAs.
Before we go, tell us how people can find out more about JPS Health and Fitness and get in touch.
Website: www.jpshealthandfitness.com.au & email: Jacob@jpshealthandfitness.com.au
Put It On The Bar 