QUESTions With… Matt Porter
Matt Porter is an NPC Bodybuilder, winner of Mr. Oregon in 2010 and winner of the 2011 Oregon IronMan Championships (Where he proposed to his girlfriend on stage – Congrats Matt!).
In this weeks QUESTions With, Matt talks about getting ready to compete and keeping an open mind.
Q: What nutritional information have you learned that most people don’t know?
A: I have tried and experimented with pretty much every nutrition protocol you can think of. Everything from Targeting Ketogenic Dieting, Cyclical Ketogenic Dieting, Carbohydrate Cycling, Natural Hormonal Enhancement Dieting, The Warrior Diet, you name it, I have tried it.
I believe there are numerous ways to get the desired results you envision, however, it is important to find out what works best uniquely for yourself. This means finding the most EFFICIENT dieting practice for your genetics and lifestyle.
Q: What Nutrition program are you currently following?
A: Well, I am in DEEP pre-contest mode now (5 day out from the NPC Oregon IronMan) So, I am currently carbohydrate depleted and dietary fat depleted.
I am consuming 4 lbs of Tilapia a day with 2 lbs of Asparagus. I consume 2 protein shakes that consist of the following:
- 1 scoop of micro-filtered/cold filtered whey isolate
- 1 scoop of chocolate micellar casein
- 1/2 cup of liquid egg whites
- 1/2 scoop of Pro Greens
I also have 1 Quest protein bar per day (Yes, even the LAST WEEK of contest prep!)
Q: What training information have you learned that most people don’t know?
A: Very similar to my nutritional practices, I have tried just about every training regimen you can imagine. Ranging from High IntensityTraining, DC Training, High Volume Training, Giant Sets, FST-7, variations of Rest/Pause sets and more.
I feel that the human body is very efficient at adaptation and you should change variables in your training frequently. Perhaps every 3-6 weeks switch to a new routine.
Q: What is your CURRENT training plan?
A: Since I am in pre-contest mode, days away from stepping on stage, I adhere to Giant Sets. Giant Sets is a multitude of 4 or more exercises for the same muscle group performed continuously in non-stop fashion.
I will NOT lift heavy the final week as injury is very likely in such a depleted state.
Q: What are your three biggest nutrition pet peeves?
A: 1.) People being close-minded and thinking that they know a “cookie cutter” approach that will work for everyone – This train of thought is ignorant and surely not true.
2.) The glycemic index dictating your carbohydrate consumption. The GI of each meal can change dramatically depending on many variables. Namely, food combining. Adding steak to a white potato will change the blood sugar response of that meal as the fat in the steak will slow gastric emptying and keep your insulin levels more balanced.
3.) Post workout carbohydrate consumption. Numerous studies have revealed that carbohydrates do NOT increase the protein synthetic response any more than ingesting protein by itself. What the carbs will do is simply blunt cortisol levels and aid in replenishing glycogen into the muscle cells.
Q: What are the three things you see people doing in the gym that bother you most?
1.)Talking and not working out
2.)Grunting obnoxiously loud
3.) Talking on their cell phone at an exercise station
Q: Who is your inspiration?
A: I get truly inspired by people I personally know that achieve results or goals that are impressive. I get really motivated by other competitors locally that have done well and are not only great Bodybuilders, but great people.
Q: Who or what got you started?
A: Started weight training my Sophomore year in High-School, and began getting immediate results, which was noticed by my peers. The feedback triggered me to keep on improving. I became very entrenched into everything pertaining to Bodybuilding shortly after I started.
Q: What is one piece of advice you give to new lifters?
A: Start with the basics for weight training and nutrition. Learn your body and record everything that you do. Eventually you can find out what your body personally responds best to diet and training wise.
Q: What is one piece of advice you give to seasoned lifters?
A: Never think you know everything and ALWAYS keep an open mind. Filter out the things that you know won’t benefit you and absorb information that does. Your body is always changing from year to year and what may have worked for you in the past might need to be adjusted in the future.
Q: What’s your goal for 2011?
A: To compete and be a better version of myself than I was in 2010.
Q: What body part do you struggle with the most, and what have you done to overcome the problem?
A: Calves. Pretty common lagging part for most individuals. They have good shape, vascularity etc…but accumulating appreciable mass to them is difficult. I actually got great growth from walking on my toes during cardio on the Step Mill.
Q: What does your typical diet consist of?
A: I will assume off-season eating. Each year it changes, as it should, since my body is changing as well. However, I try to always prioritize essential fats and proteins as my staple macro-nutrients. Carbohydrates are plugged into the diet as I see needed. Around training, loaded heavily on weekends, or simply rotating them from day to day as I feel carbohydrates need to be used infrequently to keep insulin sensitivity heightened.
Q: Do you have a video you’d like to share?
