Nutrition | Top Form Fitness

DrawBacks of a Low Carb Diet

In this post I’d like to share a guest contribution from a good friend and one of my mentors, Joseph Hughes (Fit N Sync). Joe has extensive experience competing in physique competitions as well as coaching many other women and men for physique, figure and bikini contests. He also helps the average individual lose unwanted body fat while following a balanced, sustainable nutrition plan. Joe helped me prepare my nutrition plan for my first Men’s Physique competitions last year, leading me to a first place victory in my Regional contest and 3rd place at the Provincials, qualifying me for the Nationals. We share the same philosophy regarding flexible dieting, also called If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM), which relates to tracking your calories and macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) and eating a variety of foods while meeting your calorie and macro needs, based on your individual goals. One big aspect of nutrition [...]

Josh Hewett2020-06-06T17:13:45-04:00

Why You Shouldn’t Listen to Your Body

Nutrition seems to be one of the most debated topics in the fitness industry. I’ve had numerous discussions or debates with other trainers about the value of tracking your food intake using some form of journal or nutrition diary. I argue in favor of using a journal or a free app like My Fitness Pal to track your calories and macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbs), or to at least have some awareness of portions and approximate macro intake. Those who oppose tracking often recommend just “listening to your body” to determine how much to eat. […]

Josh Hewett2020-06-06T17:42:23-04:00

4 Proven Benefits of a High Protein Diet

With every new year comes new fad diets promising fast fat loss. These range from low carb, low fat, elimination diets, food timing diets, liquid diets, “clean-eating” diets, and the list goes on. But like I’ve said many times before, the fundamentals of fat loss nutrition remain the same: 1) Caloric deficit – take in less energy than you burn off. 2) Appropriate macronutrient ratios – particularly higher protein and adjust carbs and fats according to calorie goals. 3) Food quality – choose less processed foods, adequate micronutrition and fiber, and consume mostly natural “whole” food. 4) Nutrient timing – consider WHEN you eat, such as meal frequency and timing your carb intake primarily after exercise. Check out my blog post on this topic: => TOP 5 PRIORITIES OF FAT LOSS NUTRITION The one recommendation that I most often see debated is following a High Protein Diet. There is still a lot [...]

Josh Hewett2020-06-15T22:14:49-04:00

Top 5 Priorities of Fat Loss Nutrition

One of the things I’ve frequently noticed in interviewing new clients, speaking to other trainers, and communicating with other fitness freaks online, is how many different opinions there are and how much confusion there is related to fat loss nutrition. Some people are just completely clueless, while others are so devoted to a particular way of eating that their diet becomes like their religion! People have some pretty strange ideas about their diet. With so many different fad diets and nutrition protocols out there, it’s no wonder people get confused. For example, you’ve probably heard about: Paleo, Keto, Atkins, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Low Fat, South Beach, The Zone Diet, Volumetrics, Raw Food Diet, Dr. Bernstein, No Carbs After 6:17PM, etc. That’s not even getting into tracking systems (calorie / portion control plans) like Weight Watchers or Nutri-System. Now, I’m not saying that all (or any) of the above nutritional strategies are necessarily [...]

Josh Hewett2020-06-15T22:04:43-04:00

Which Supplements Are Worth Taking?

If you’re into fitness chances are at some point you’ve considered using supplements to help you reach your goals. The problem is there is so much hype, marketing, and misinformation about supplementation that it makes it really difficult to know which supplements are actually worth taking. As a trainer I get a lot of questions about what supplements to take, and since I became sponsored (by SD Pharmaceuticals) I’ve done a lot of research into this topic. The fact is that there are some supplements that can have a very significant benefit to you, while others might be a waste of money. […]

Josh Hewett2020-06-15T22:07:46-04:00

Nutrient Timing: Is There an Anabolic Window?

I used to be a strong advocate of consuming carbs and protein within an hour post-workout to take advantage of the supposed “Anabolic Window”, when insulin sensitivity is greatest, damaged muscles are starving for protein, and muscle glycogen stores are depleted and ready to suck all that nutrition in to support faster gains. However, I recently attended a lecture by Brad Schoenfeld in which he discussed nutrient timing, and questioned whether it was as important as many thought. Because of this lecture and the reading I did following it, I have changed my opinion… I no longer believe the post-workout “anabolic window” is as narrow nor as important as I once thought. Let’s look at why. First of all, one argument in favor of consuming carbohydrates within 30 minutes post workout is that this would cause a spike in insulin which has an anti-catabolic effect and would increase nutrient uptake [...]

Josh Hewett2020-06-14T22:05:39-04:00

5 Benefits of Supplementing with Creatine

Despite being one of the most well-researched sports nutrition supplements around, there still seems to be a lot of misunderstanding surrounding Creatine. In this article I will attempt to clear up some of this confusion, explain exactly what creatine is, introduce Five Big Benefits of Creatine, and provide a few links to some of the relevant research. What is Creatine? First of all, let’s take a look at what exactly creatine is. Here is a simplified description: the basic currency of energy in your body is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). When your body uses it, it gives up a phosphate group becoming adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Creatine is stored as creatine phosphate (CP) in your body. Before your body starts using glucose for energy, it first breaks down ATP as a quick energy source. So when your body needs energy quickly (ie: power for the first few reps), the creatine “donates” its phosphate to [...]

Josh Hewett2020-06-14T22:06:32-04:00

My Pre and Post Workout Supplements Review

Someone on Facebook recently asked me what supplements I recommend before and after a workout. Since pre-workout powders and drinks seem to be all the rage right now, and everyone is also talking about what supplements to take during and after your workout to optimize recovery and maximize “dem gainz”, I decided to shoot a video discussing my own peri-workout recommendations: […]

Josh Hewett2013-10-25T11:41:32-04:00

Prevent Illness with the Power of Vitamin D

Every winter we get inundated by what I call “flu shot ads”… basically a marketing campaign to promote the importance of getting the flu vaccine. Well, I suppose this makes sense, because this is the “flu season”, although the flu vaccine may carry with it a few health risks itself; but there is another way to safely protect yourself against the flu virus. Vitamin D! […]

Josh Hewett2013-10-19T18:45:40-04:00

IIFYM (aka Flexible Dieting) vs Clean Eating

A friend and colleague of mine, Kane Sumabat, is one of the most fit, muscular, lean and aesthetic guys I know, and yet poptarts, pizza, hamburgers, and bacon are staples of his diet. How can he stay in such great shape while consuming all of that so-called “junk food”? Keep in mind, those aren’t his cheat meals… they are just some of his food choices that fit into his carefully planned nutrition program. Once he described his nutritional philosophy to me I was interested to learn more about it, so I began to do some research. I’d like to share some of what I discovered in this article. When it comes to losing body fat, gaining weight, and transforming your physique overall, the primary factor to consider is nutrition. Obviously an intelligent approach to training is necessary, but for most people if the diet isn’t on point the results will [...]

Josh Hewett2013-08-09T13:09:33-04:00

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