Everyone needs a mentor - someone that you can look to for inspiration and direction. Over the years I have had several (whether they knew it or not). Some have passed on, some have gone crazy, and some I have simply outgrown.
One of the few individuals whose opinion and knowledge I still respect after 15 years in this business is Lyle McDonald. Lyle tells it like it is and his unwillingness to sell-out only lends more weight to his training and nutrition advice.
Do yourself a favor and head over to his website - bodyrecomposition.com. Browse his article section. It is a wealth of free and practical information for trainers/trainees of all levels.
He even has a free forum where you can find like-minded individuals and ask questions. Do your research before asking though. There is such a thing as a stupid question and patience is not one of Lyle’s strongest virtues.
Here are a few interesting articles to get you started:
Steady State and Interval Training: Part 1
Steady State and Interval Training: Part 2
Stead State vs. Intervals: A Conclusion
Meal Frequency and Energy Balance
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Steven, you’re right on point about Lyle vs. the typical “gurus” in our industry. While I do make it a point to read and listen to what everyone’s got to say, that doesn’t mean I’ve been able to maintain the same level of respect for some of these people as the years pass. Yet with Lyle, my respect grows the more I learn (whether from seeking out the information and knowledge, or from “learning by doing” and having the experience simply confirm something I’d already learned from him in the past).
There is a stark difference between someone like Lyle, who does thorough research, isn’t happy with a “fact” simply because so-and-so said so and calls bullshit when he sees it; and people who just regurgitate myth and dogma - not to mention each other’s thoughts, too - with slight changes to the point where you’re not even sure anymore where the information originated or how much it has morphed into unreliable but persistent “truths”.
Lyle’s the man.
Thanks for your insight, Ivonne. I can honestly say that Lyle is one of the few people that has consistently and permanently impacted my career. He fosters my own inclination to think critically and I’ve become a more astute reader of research thanks to him and the “mean forum”.
Yep! Unfortunately not every study that is done is a good one. Heck, I’ve heard top level researchers argue about the SAME data!
Critical thinking is crucial.
And watch out for people who put letters after their name, hehehe
Rock on
Mike T Nelson PhD(c)
Extreme Human Performance