QUESTions With … Vinny Russo
What nutritional information have you learned that most people don’t know?
I learned that carbohydrates are just as important to the body as protein is. They help with over all energy, muscle fullness, absorption PWO (simple carbs spike insulin) and need to surround you workout.
Your diet should consist of complex carbohydrates in the forms of baked potatoes (sweet or white), brown rice, rolled oats, and multigrain rice cakes. Complex carbohydrates provide a slower and more sustained release of energy than simple carbohydrates. In their natural form they contribute to long-term good health, appetite control, and sustained energy levels. Complex carbohydrates also provide a great deal of calories with a great deal of nutrient value. I also throw some simple carbs in there (depending on what I’m training for) in the form of white rice or maltodextrine. When compared to Complex carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates give you a quick rise and fall in your energy levels and have a great deal of calories with little to no nutrient value. The simpler the carbohydrate, the faster the glucose is released into your blood. This can cause peaks and drops in your blood sugar level, and less stable energy levels in the body. Although these simple carbohydrates have a bad reputation, there are certain times of the day where it is important to consume them (POST WORKOUT!)
What training information have you learned that most people don’t know?
LISS cardio will help you lose fat without burning muscle. You will have to engage in more frequent and longer cardio sessions with LISS then with HIIT training but HIIT will use muscle for fuel when attempting a fasted cardio.
What are the three things you see people doing in the gym that bother you most?
1.) Throwing weights down uncontrollably after they complete a set
2.) Taking Instagram pictures in the Mirror
3.) Excessive Grunting and yelling for no apparent reason
What are your three biggest nutrition pet peeves?
1.) “Its ok it’s fat free” – fat free means more sugar!
2.) “You eat a lot” – I know and I need the fuel
3.) A personal trainer/nutritionist that is giving nutritional advice and apparently doesn’t follow what they preach
What is a quote that you live by?
“Our Greatest Glory is Not in Never Falling, but Getting Up Every time We Do.”
Who is your inspiration?
I don’t narrow it down to one person per say. I am an avid user of BodySpace and read many testimonial s that inspire and motivate me.
Who or what got you started?
I started weight training for sports with my father through-out high school. We started with basic power lifts and multiple training techniques for speed. As I saw results I fell in love with the feeling, I took this attitude with me while I played football in college and basically became a “meat fridge.” I had a lot of size and strength but not that much definition! I didn’t really know enough about nutrition, so I started reading everything and anything I could find that involved nutrition.
I joined bodybuilding.com and their body space community and this is what 1st started my progression. The support I got from the community as a whole, as well as all the nutritional and exercise information provided is more that I could have asked for. Not only that I get many of the supplements I use from their site which aided in my transformations.
Slowly but surely I changed the way I ate, the food I bought, and the times of day I would eat. It went from reading forums, magazines and books, to asking professionals to really get an understanding of what to eat, why to eat it, and when to consume my fuel. The change in my diet sparked my results, and from there I stayed with it. Making progress on my own got me thinking about competing but I only had a limited knowledge for it, so I went out and found G-Force.
G-force is a company used to help competitors become competition ready or to help anyone trying to live a healthier life style. I’d never done a competition before and wasn’t sure how to go about it, but G-Force provided me with a well renowned trainer Danny Hawtin. He basically showed me the ropes and is the reason I am where I am today. I wanted to do bodybuilding but he insisted I take up Men’s Physique so I took his advice and we went from there. He adjusted my diet, workout, and cardio plans and met with me regularly to keep making adjustments. My body fat levels decreased dramatically, my metabolism increased 10 fold, and I never felt better.
What is one piece of advice you give to new lifters?
Don’t worry about how much weight you’re lifting, or how much weight people around you are lifting. Concentrate on stimulating your muscles using good technique and the progress and weight gains will come. Lift for your muscles not for your ego!
What is one piece of advice you give to seasoned lifters?
Be helpful in any way possible! Share your knowledge and it will be appreciated
What’s your goal for the rest of the year?
To get my Pro Card and keep my Sponsors (Beast Sport Nutrition and Bodybuilding.com) Happy!
What body part do you struggle with the most, and what have you done to overcome the problem?
My Claves! I now train them 3 times a week with heavy and high reps. They’re very strong, and they’re making progress, but not where I want them to be.
What does your typical diet consist of?
My Meals look something like this right now:
3 whole eggs, 5 whites, 6 slices of Ezekiel bread, half cup of blueberries
(preworkout1-1.5 hrs before training) 6 oz chicken, 8 oz sweet potato
(postworkout) 50 g whey protein, 11.5 oz white rice (on off days use brown rice)
6 oz of chicken breast, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1.5 oz of almonds
50 g of whey protein, 3 tablespoons of natural almond butter
8 oz of top round steak, 5 oz of almonds, 4 fish oil caps
Find Vinny on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/vrusso1025 or BodySpace Page http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Linebacker1025/
