steve cook has seen the fitness industry from numerous perspectives. The former college football player, Men’s Physique spokesperson and bodybuilding competitor is now most notable for his video work, both in your own YouTube channel (where he has over 1 million subscribers) and his recent roles as coach of the hit TV show The Biggest Loser and the great deal of men’s healthThe Next Top Trainer competition from. As Cook’s personality has evolved over the years, he has performed as more than just a competitor on stage: he has become a trainer and gym owner, in addition to his own activities. . His role as a fitness advocate is not taken lightly.
“Even if it’s just 30 to 40 minutes a day, getting out there and getting your vitamin D, the benefits across the board are sorely underestimated,” Cook says of maximizing your active time. He spoke with mh to share what else he’s learned on his fitness journey, and what he hopes others can learn from those lessons.
Who would you consider your first fitness mentor and what is the best advice that person shared with you?
My first mentor was a natural bodybuilder named Craig Toth. He was very knowledgeable and helped me go from a football player, “bigger, bigger” mentality to helping me count calories, use a food scale, and basically follow a flexible diet. He showed me that you can follow a somewhat normal diet while still working towards your fitness goals.
Speaking of nutrition, what’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen people make in your experience working with clients and coaching people?
Too strict, too fast. I’ve seen people go on a diet on January 1st and people starting their fitness journeys think they have to be perfect. They can only eat chicken and rice, cut calories too drastically from the start, and are simply setting themselves up for failure. I try to tell people that the goal is not to lose 10 pounds in the first week. If your long-term goal is to lose 40 pounds, then you don’t want to start from scratch and starve yourself. Competitors do the same thing, and they shouldn’t. It’s going to result in long-term metabolic damage.
So what can beginners and new dieters do to avoid that kind of mistake?
Start by keeping a food diary for a typical week. Don’t even weigh your food. Simply write a rough diary of what you eat during that week. Then go for another week, but this time weigh your food. After that week, you can start reading the labels and determine which foods are not providing the best performance. Find out which calorie-dense foods can be swapped out for healthier options. There are so many options that have fewer calories or more protein with less fat. You can start a diet without being too strict and eliminate the foods you like.
Do you also occasionally give yourself that freedom to enjoy less healthy options?
Yeah, I saw my dad for the first time in six months recently, and I had a pizza. He looked at me as if to say, ‘how do you do that?’ I said it’s because the other times of the week I don’t eat like an asshole. I also make smart decisions.
steve cook
Can you share an example of a smart decision someone trying to stay on a plan might make?
Sure, I’m traveling today. I’ll have a protein bar instead of a bag of chips and a Mountain Dew. That’s a small thing, but those little things add up over time. If you are somewhat educated on how to read labels, then you are ahead of the curve. That doesn’t mean counting macros every day, but knowing what a serving size looks like and which macros are in the grand scheme of your plan can go a long way. It is similar to learning to balance a bank account.
Another example of a good option could be a protein shake. Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe that you want to share with people?
I have always liked to go with a vanilla base (powder). I’ll add some almond milk or oat milk, then my favorites are banana, strawberries, spinach, and chia seeds or flax seeds. You could even add some almond flakes for texture. I’m not a big fan of drinking calories when dieting, but I do like thick shakes for people who are trying to get fat and have trouble eating that much food.
He has helped many people through his online programs and training, but many of them may already have a fitness foundation. What was the difference between that and training people who were beginners on The Biggest Loser?
There are two schools of thought. In fact, I liked helping people on the show much better because they were blank canvases. They had no expectations, and many of them reacted super quickly to exercise and diet. Of course, we had to be careful to avoid injuries, but the change is immediately visible. The change is drastic, which is really cool.
What do you think is the most overrated exercise and why?
I have a warning with this one. Is he conventional deadlift with poor form. I say this because of the frequency with which it is done incorrectly. When we look at the movements in life, we rarely find ourselves in a position that requires us to do something like a conventional deadlift. There are many people who have longer torsos and different support points, which causes them to do them incorrectly.
I like him hex bar deadlift, and I think it would be a great substitute for many people. i even like a sumo deadlift over a conventional one because many young people do it wrong. I love the hexagonal version or anything like a cleanup that comes from a hanging position.
What is the most underrated move that more people should be doing?
Anything one-sided it is underrated and should be used more in my opinion. I like to do movements from a kneeling position, and I find the single-shoulder dumbbell press while kneeling to be great. I do them with a dumbbell, but you can use a land mine with a barbell and do them that way too. I think unilateral moves are always a great option. We all have one side that is stronger than the other. It also really makes you use the mind-muscle connection because of the form and you have to keep your core tight from a kneeling position. However, you really have to pierce it at the top.
When it comes to cardio, popular options include high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and low-intensity steady state (LISS). Do you favor one over the other?
I do both. I treat HIIT cardio more like a workout that can be done during the day or as a workout on its own. It’s taxing on the central nervous system, so I’m not a fan of doing it first thing in the morning or every day. When I was competing in bodybuilding shows, I would incorporate two HIIT sessions a week and do two to three LISS sessions a week. LISS is great to do in the morning. I like to go for a walk. I don’t do HIIT on an empty stomach in the morning because I want to feel the body. That’s what the hike does for me. Now eating, waiting an hour, then doing a HIIT workout will get you more bang for your buck because your metabolism is faster. Both have their place in a complete plan.
Sleep is essential, but many people feel like they don’t get enough sleep. What tips or tricks do you use to help you at bedtime?
The biggest thing that helped me and my clients is getting on a schedule. I can attest that he has traveled the world as much as I have over the last 12 years. If I didn’t sleep well and tried to train hard, I would get sick all the time. Go to bed at the same time every night and turn off all electronic devices two hours before that time. I’m a big fan of sleep aids too. I like GABA, but the main points are that electronic devices are turned off two hours before bed and go to bed at the same time every night. I also try not to do a lot of carbs before bed. I want to eat my last meal about two hours earlier too.
What other recovery methods do you use?
I do mobility work for about 10-15 minutes around each training session. I like the massage sessions every week. Now, these are not fun massages. These hurt. It’s not that he’s napping or that they feel fine. It is meant to help me recover better. I’m not a fan of cryotherapy, but I also like ice baths.
steve cook
Your body is your business in a sense, but many people reading this will never need to make that level of commitment. Why should they go out of their way to invest time and energy in their health and wellness?
i still love to do [workouts], and when I don’t, it throws me off, and the people around me can feel it. If I haven’t been as active as I should have been, it can affect the rest of my day. I feel that aside from all the obvious medical factors, people who focus on fitness are going to be much happier overall. We as a society would be in a much better position. I also think they would see much more success in other areas of their lives: business, personal relationships, you name it. When you don’t feel good about yourself, you’re not going to be a better worker, spouse, or parent. It’s such an easy thing to do, and it pays off in so many ways. It’s easy to underestimate your health until something like an injury, Covid, or something else happens. Suddenly, you appreciate it more. Appreciate it now and take action to look and feel better now and for years to come.
This content is created and maintained by a third party and is imported into this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content on piano.io
