Why You Should Care About Macronutrients

Guest Post by Jake Dermer

Bodybuilders and gym rats alike obsess over their macronutrient splits, a term that refers to the ratio of carbs, protein, and fat consumed per day.

When it comes to my online coaching program, I rarely call clients’ attention to macronutrient splits, trying instead to make a weight loss friendly split happen naturally. I like to have them track their protein intake and aim for their target body weight in grams of protein per day. Additionally, I tell everyone that vegetables should make up half of your diet.

So what does that look like on a daily basis?

My 5 Biggest Personal Training Mistakes

Most seasoned trainers and coaches will tell you unashamedly that they’ve made a ton of mistakes over their decades in the trenches. For instance, Mike Boyle himself wrote an article a few years back called 25 Years, 25 Mistakes.

In 25 years, you’d expect a guy to make a few boo-boos here and there. No one’s perfect. But what about relative newcomers to the training game? I for one don’t have nearly the tenure of Coach Boyle. (I obtained my personal trainer diploma in 2013.) Yet I have to admit I’ve also made quite a few mistakes.

For younger trainers, however, there seems to be a taboo surrounding this admission of fallibility. After all, if people know I’m not always right when it comes to fitness, will they still want to train with me? Or will they realize I’m nothing more than an imposter in a personal trainer costume (i.e. sweatpants and a dri-fit t-shirt)?

Real personal trainer or imposter?

I think it’s safe to say that eternal professional damnation will not be in the cards if I admit to my snafus. I state this with confidence for the following reason: You have to make mistakes to stay fresh and keep learning. If you’re not screwing up every now and then, you’re not improving at your craft.

It’s exactly these “Oh Shit! Moments” that engrain in you the lessons you can’t learn from reading a textbook, blog post, or T-Nation article. Not only that, but experiencing them firsthand solidifies them in long-term memory, so you’ll never make the same mistake again.

How Being Born with One Leg Gives Me Strength

When I first met Jen Sinkler in person a few months ago and she told me she was in the process of rebranding to “Unapologetically Strong,” I thought, "Wait, I like Thrive as the Fittest!”

But as I reflected more on the meaning of her new mantra, “Unapologetically Strong,” it quickly began to resonate with me. Perhaps it does with you, too.

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I’ve had the cards stacked against me ever since birth. In fact, when I was born there was a pretty good chance I would never walk, attend a regular school, join a swim team, or deadlift 175 pounds.

Yet, one by one, I accomplished each of those feats. While they might not seem like much without context, you can probably imagine what a big deal they would be for a guy who was born missing a leg.

“Unapologetically Strong?” To me, this motto means being strong not just physically, but also emotionally -- and not being afraid to show it.

That's me.