QUESTions With … Kurt Weber
Kurt Weber was an All-American track athlete, and US National rugby player. He is now a Strength Coach at Cal Fullerton and private trainer, certified by NSCA-CSCS and USAW.
In today’s QUESTions With, Kurt talks about eating well, talking too much and broad shoulders.
What nutritional information have you learned that most people don’t know?
Everyone knows that how much you eat determines your size, but it’s WHAT you eat that will determine your body composition, energy levels, mood, and overall appearance! 500 calories of grilled chicken and veggies is NOT the same as 500 calories of doughnuts.
What training information have you learned that most people don’t know?
Most people search for the perfect program, and wind up training in circles, changing their workout to the next best thing they read about every month in the magazines. There really is no perfect program. CONSISTENCY and INTENSITY far outweigh exercise selection in reaching your goals. Sure, the exercises you are doing are important, but they won’t do any good if the consistency and intensity aren’t there with it.
What are your three biggest nutrition pet peeves?
1) Not eating breakfast. This will not help you lose weight, and you’ll just end up eating more later in the day anyway. If you’re not hungry in the morning, odds are you ate too much/too late the day before.
2) Food Ratios – The typical american meal contains 3/4 of the plate carbohydrates, and 1/4 of the plate protein. 95% of the population does not exercise at an intensity great enough or long enough to expend those carbohydrates. Flip those ratios and you’ll drop bodyfat quickly.
3) Vegetarians/Vegans – Now, I can understand if you do it for religious purposes, or maybe you just don’t like the taste, but humans were made to eat meat. It’s not that you can’t have gains without meat, or can’t be healthy without meat, but if your goal is to gain muscle or drop bodyfat, it makes an already difficult process that much harder. The diet that must be followed has to be much more calculated, and the food choices are very small, which are two major causes of “diet failure.”
What are the three things you see people doing in the gym that bother you most?
1) Talking too much
2) Anything other than squatting or shrugs in the squat rack
3) An hour of cardio, followed by 20 minutes of abs… every single day
What is a quote that you live by?
(I’m going to resist putting my favorite Dwight Schrute quote here) “Fitness is not a season, it’s a lifestyle.”
Who is your inspiration?
My dad. The guy never had an excuse, even throughout his battle with cancer. He just did what he had to do no matter what.
Who or what got you started?
I suppose myself, I was tired of being skinny. If you’re doing it for anyone else, you’re in it for the wrong reasons.
What is one piece of advice you give to new lifters?
DO NOT STOP. No matter what the scale says, no matter how your clothes fit, no matter what anyone else says, do not stop. Make it a part of your daily routine, just like you brush your teeth every day. Take it one day at a time, one workout at a time, even one rep at a time. Nobody ever failed because their program wasn’t good enough. People fail because they quit.
What is one piece of advice you give to seasoned lifters?
If you’re the strongest person at your gym, it’s time to find a new gym. Always keep in mind that there will always be someone out there that is stronger, bigger, or looks better than you.
What’s your goal for 2011?
At this time, I’m working towards a few feature articles in fitness magazines, hopefully landing a cover soon. I’ve never been the type of athlete that trained for “looks,” but since the chance at a professional sports contract has passed, I’d like to compete in a physique competition.
What body part do you struggle with the most, and what have you don to overcome the problem?
I have broad shoulders, so I’ve never had much roundness to my pecs, as the muscle is stretched over a wider area. Genetically it’s never going to have that teardrop shape. It’s the same problem that tall people have, they never get much thickness to a muscle because it is stretched out over a longer area, which is why most bodybuilders are under 6′. I just make sure to stimulate as much of the muscle as possible by using multiple planes, angles, and range of motion.
What does your typical diet consist of?
I’m very boring, and can stick to a diet without much variation. I basically take the same 10 foods or so, and combine them in different ways and with different low sugar sauces to make it different. Along with a good protein shake, every single meal I eat contains one or more of steak, chicken, fish, ground beef, turkey, eggs, brown rice, black beans, oats, low carb tortillas, low carb yogurt, natural peanut butter, broccoli, bell peppers, and other “colorful veggies.” I still have my cheat meals from time to time, but it’s still something with nutritional value like a burrito, sushi, teriyaki chicken, or even homemade chicken and broccoli pizza. And I always plan ahead of my cheat meals, and make sure I earn the food that i’m eating, rather than punishing myself after the fact.
