Anthony Bevilacqua Interview

Today im interviewing Anthony Bevilacqua. Anthony has undergone a massive transformation and not just fitness journey, but life journey. Lets jump straight into this!

Hi Anthony, thanks for being with us today. Give our readers a run down as to what you do and what your website is about.

Adam thank you so much, it is an extreme pleasure to do this interview for you. I have been in the fitness industry for well over a decade now. I am the guy people come to when they are frustrated about their current progress and want to finally start seeing results.

I like to call myself the Transformation Specialist because I can help anyone make a turnaround in their progress and finally start seeing gainsJ. I have two websites currently, www.ABFitnessTrainer.com which is the website for my online training services and client testimonials. My second website is www.AnthonyBevilacqua.org and that website is my article database. I write detailed articles on training and nutrition on that site. I also interview other bodybuilders and fitness minded people on there as well.

When did you first get into weight lifting and exercising?

I got into working out my first year of high school. I remember this vividly being a skinny kid with my book bag packed to the brim walking into the locker room for the first time. I remember seeing all the seniors with muscles and veins things I have never noticed before. I said to myself “Wow, I need that!” It has been an awesome ride since then!

What was it that inspired you’re to get started?

Being skinny my whole life played a part in my inspiration also. As a child growing up I was so embarrassed that my arms were so skinny I used to wear a t-shirt under everything so it made me look bigger. After my first day in gym class in high school I knew this is what I wanted to do. I went home that day from school and I did some research on working out, bought my first muscle and fitness magazine. Who was on the cover…take one guess…ARNOLD! From that moment on I was hooked!

It looks as though you’ve met some very influential people in from fitness and wrestling. Which ‘celebrity’ meeting is your favourite, and why?

Yes I have met a ton of cool people; I have gotten great advice from everyone also. My favourite celebrity meeting was of course meeting Arnold. That was insane, it was also the first time I became star struck. I remember standing there stuttering like crazy, I mean I was standing next to the best bodybuilder who ever lived and the guy that I looked up too for years. At the time when I met Arnold he was governor of California and he had body guards everywhere. The body guards surrounded Arnold and myself and I got to hang out with him for 10 minutes. I even met his children! Talk about once and a lifetime experience.

As an aspiring bodybuilder, to me, working out and nutrition is more than just a hobby. It’s a lifestyle. When did fitness become more than just a hobby to you?

Fitness was never a hobby to me, it instantly became my lifestyle. If you want to achieve permanent results you have to make it a lifestyle. Working out and dieting is not something you can do for 3 months at a time. I have never slowed down in this sport and I probably never will. Since I first picked up my first muscle and fitness magazine till this day I live, breathe and eat fitness. Bodybuilding has given me everything in my life and has brought me some of the best experiences of my life; I am so glad that I chose to make this a lifestyle!

You’ve also won awards from Bodybuilding.com and been featured on FOX news. Tell us a little about that.

Bodybuilding.com every month has a personal trainer of the month contest and actually they approached me and told me I had won! One of my clients nominated me so that was extremely incredible on so many levels. One because bodybuilding.com is huge and they chose me out of a ton of other trainers in the world but the second reason why it was incredibly was because my client recommended me without me even knowing. It’s amazing to know that I made a difference on one person’s life that they would go out of their way to nominate me for such a great award.

Being featured on Fox 5 News was insane! One of those moments in your life that makes you almost. Fox 5 had contacted me asking if I would be interested in doing an interview with them. Being on Live TV is such a rush, knowing that millions of people are watching you and that you have the potential of influencing so many people is extremely humbling. Everyone asks me if I was nervous, honestly I was not one bit nervous. I was going on there being me and letting my “inner trainer” come out. As soon as my segment aired I checked my phone to find millions of texts, calls, facebook messages saying how great I was. Aside from marrying the love of my life and the day my daughter was born it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

I believe you’ve competed in 3 shows; do you have any future plans to compete?

I have actually done 7 competitive shows. My first show ever was the INBF Hercules in New York and I placed 4^th in a line up of guys who have been training longer then I have been alive! My highest placing was 3^rd in the Open Middleweight class. I wanted to compete last year but we found out my wife was pregnant and there was no way I would contest diet during that. Business has also exploded for me so I really have no time for it.

Don’t get me wrong I still train everyday and diet everyday like I am stepping on stage tomorrow but you really need to be mentally ready for competition and I have other things in my life I want to focus on. Contests will always be there so there is no rush. I would say probably within the next 2 years look out for me to be on stage. Until then I want to try my luck at some powerlifting.

The world of fitness can be confusing, with so many methods, training plans and ways to achieve a good physique. How do you personally workout?

You can say that again. Just do one Google search and you will find 30 programs that promise results. Everything works you just have to find what works best for you. Trial and error is key to finding out what works for you. I always tell everyone, try everything because you never know when you may stumble upon something that works well for you.

My training has evolved over years; currently I am following a Daily Undulating Protocol which is geared toward more powerlifting. I think of my body as my own science projects, I take detailed notes on my training and compare what is working to what is not working. What works best for me is high frequency and high volume. Low volume, low frequency routines do nothing for me. The first time I tried training each body part more than once per week my results nearly doubled! Your training journal is your own secret weapon toward getting a great physique.

Give us a rundown of your training split.

Well right now I am trying out a DUP type program. I am looking to build back my strength after hurting my lower back a couple of years ago. I am focusing on getting past my previous best.

Before hurting my back I was lifting

Bench 315 paused for a single

Squat 495×1

Deadlift 560×1

So I am looking for a 355×1 Bench, 515×1 Squat and a 600×1 Deadlift. Once I hit those in the gym I would like to try powerlifting J but anyways my routine is as follows

Day 1: Squat, Bench, Deadlifts plus accessory work

Day 2: Push

Day 3 off

Day 4: Push Power

Day 5: Lower Power

Day 6+7 Off

With Daily Undulating Training you are varying your reps and sets, so none of that stuff is static. I may do a 5×5 or a 4×8; it all depends on what I am trying to bring up.

Would you give a client the same routine as what you follow? How do you determine what workout programme would be most optimal for a client?

NO WAY! Everyone is built differently and have different strengths and weaknesses. Someone asked me the other day “Aren’t you bored with training people, isn’t it the same thing with every person?” The truth is every person is so unique that in a single day I am dealing with a dozen different issues. Some people are better squatters then others, some are more top heavy, some people respond well to higher fat intakes while others respond well to high carbs.

Every body is literally different, that’s what makes my job fun. I figure out what works optimally for clients based on several things, dieting history, years lifting, current maxes, current routines, etc. I always tell all my clients the program I am giving you is not the final product, we may have to tweak it 100xs before we truly know what is working. I had one online client who I worked with who I never had to change one aspect of his program.

This guy was getting crazy results and we never had to alter anything. On the other hand I had a woman who started on one type of program and ended on a completely different one. In order to be a successful coach you must be able to tailor to your clients needs and not be afraid to be flexible in your approach.

Are there any exercises that you would never recommend to someone?

Generally no, unless the person had an injury.

What is your approach to training for muscle mass, compared to training for fat loss?

As far as training goes my approach is the same. My explanation for that is simple; whatever builds muscle in the offseason will maintain it when you’re cutting. Diet wise things will be completely different. I will never change anyone’s training based on their goals. The only thing I might do is cut back some volume and stay away from “powerlifting” type training when in the final weeks of contest prep or diet.

Moving onto diet and supplementation. Tell us about the supplements you use.

I am currently sponsored by All American EFX and I use their entire product line. I always recommend to clients the basics

1. Whey Protein– I honestly don’t even consider this a supplement I consider it food. I recommend whey protein because it is a quick and easy way to get your protein in. It is especially good when you’re on the go.
2. Fish Oils- These are great for your blood lipid levels and to help improve your insulin sensitivity.
3. Multi Vitamin- I use this as an insurance to ensure I am getting all my micro nutrients in
4. Joint Supplements- Training puts a huge stress on your body especially the joints, so I like to combat this by using a joint product to help my joints recover faster.
5. Creatine– One of the most tried and true products on the market. Creatine is rather cheap and is backed up by science proving its ability to help gain strength and muscle mass.
6. Pre Workout- I only use a pre workout on the days I have a long workout and when I am trying to attempt to crush some PRs. I usually use half a serving I have found that’s all you really need in order to give you that quick burst

That is all I use. I always tell my clients that people were gaining muscle and losing fat way before supplements were even around. I would rather you spend your money on your groceries then on supplements. Remember 80% of what you see in the mirror is based off your nutritional habits.

In the UK we have a ton of choices when buying supplements. Bulk suppliers such as My Protein, Protein Works, Go Nutrition and the likes are gaining ground with more established brands such as BSN, Maximuscle, and Optimum Nutrition. Do you think people need to go with the ‘big brands’ or do you think the bulk suppliers deliver equal quality?

I do not think you need to go with “Big Brands”, bulk suppliers stuff will work for you as well. The only thing is if you’re trying to replicate your favourite product it maybe costing you more to use the ingredients in bulk. Big Brand supplement companies usually have good ratios of ingredients.

Quality control is something that I am concerned with which is why I am super excited to be a part of the AAEFX team. Our facility has the best in quality control and we also have a ton of certifications that help to ensure what you’re getting in your supplement is 100% and not loaded with fillers and anything else.

What is your go to brand of supplements?

All American EFX

What is your favourite supplement from their range?

Kotic is great, one of their preworkouts. No crash or jittery feelings!

Do you use different protein supplements such as whey protein at certain times in the day, and then casein before bed?

I use protein throughout the day as needed and before bed I usually have a meal. I am not a big believer in casein protein powder.

How do you incorporate supplements into your diet, so that you have a good mix of whole foods and supplements?

My calories come from 90% food and around 10% supplements. I use 2-4 scoops of whey a day. When I am not around food I will use whey and Karbolyn from AAEFX

How do you establish macros for weight gain?

Wish I could give an exact answer for this, I will say it depends on the individual. Usually I have the person do a food journal recall. Where we analyze 3 days worth of eating. I take the average calories and I will 200-500 calories to that number then just adjust as we go. I would rather be conservative when planning someone’s plan then be aggressive and get them fat.

When someone is trying to gain weight they are looking to gain lean mass. Lean mass does not come on overnight. I rather keep them leaner and slowly add the calories and keep adjusting as we go. We may need to bump calories up every week until weight is being gained or we may have to keep them the same.

How would this caloric intake differ when trying to lose fat?

Same idea as above I will just minus some calories to get them started. A diet recall will allow me to see what the person is currently eating and in what range. It gives me a better insight as to what makes the person tick and gives me real world data that I can apply to the client.

How important is meal timing to you? Do you eat every 2.5-3 hours, or do you not worry about timing, as long as you hit your goals for the day?

A little bit from column A and a little bit from column B, Meal timing is important but not to the extent people make it out to be. I believe you should be having protein dosed every 3-5 hours throughout the day and if you are on a higher carb diet you obviously want to space your carbs out in the same manner.

People like to make big things out of the minor things. Overall you need to be concerned with your calorie goals for the day. Hitting your calorie goal for the day will dictate whether or not you will get results. Meal timing is just the icing on the cake.

What does a typical day of eating look like to you?

I have an insane schedule so what works best for me is 3-5 bigger meals per day

Meal 1 is typically a shake

Meal 2 Post workout meal

Meal 3 Whole Food Meal

Depending on the day

Meal 4 maybe another meal or a shake

Same goes for meal 5

It ultimately depends on my day. If I am extremely busy I may only have 3 meals per day, if I have time I will have 5.

What is your take on post workout shakes? Carbs & protein? Just carbs, just protein? No shake and just wait for a meal?

I have a scoop of Amino EFP by All American EFX immediately post workout then have a whole meal 10-20 minutes later. My meal will contain carbs and protein with the fat really low in order to speed up absorption. Protein and carbs post workout are far more superior for muscle growth then protein or carbs alone.

What would be your go to ‘cheat meal?’

A nice dinner out with my wife. I typically won’t eat like a lunatic during that meal but just enjoy the time I have with my wife and have a meal that isn’t getting weighed lol

If you’re craving something sweet, would you do some protein baking to make a healthier alternative, or just have the real deal?

I will usually try to fit whatever it is into my daily caloric limit. If my diet is restricted because I am contest prepping or dieting hard I will make a healthy alternative.

How important do you think practical experience is compared to academic knowledge for a trainer or coach?

It will make or break you, you can have all the degrees and certifications out there but if you don’t have experience you have nothing. You have to be ready for any scenario has a trainer or coach and you need to be flexible in your approach to clients. What works for one person will not work for another.

If someone was reading this, and wanted to become a personal trainer, where would you recommend they start?

Start by training a few friends or family members gain some experience with that while working on getting your trainer certification. Once you have accomplished that put an ad in the paper and start advertising your services, travel to people’s house and train them at their homes. Apply to work at the gym while doing this; you will be gaining double the experience by doing gym sessions and home sessions. Build a website and start marketing your services to the world.

Give us the 3 biggest workout or nutrition based myths you’ve heard.

1. Carbs make you fat
2. Lifting heavy makes you bulky, blocky and will ruin your physique
3. This supplement will help you gain 10lbs of muscle in 4 weeks

What advice would you give to someone looking to get in shape?

Count your macros; this will help you out tremendously. Tracking your eating will help you to find where you’re going wrong, show you the food choices you are making that may not be optimal. No foods are better for you than others, everything in moderation. Tracking will allow you to live a normal life while still hitting your goals.

How would this advice differ from a casual gym goer, looking to just get in shape, compared to someone who is looking to get on stage and compete in a physique or bodybuilding contest?

The advice I gave above is universal unless it’s someone who wants to step on stage. For someone stepping on stage you need to make sure that your portions and macros are 110%, cardio is done and that you never miss a weight training session. Why? Because that person standing next to you is trying to take away your trophy. You will get outworked if you don’t put in the work. The more diligent you are the more your competition has to worry about you!

What projects have you got lined up for the rest of the year?

I have two big projects that will be out before the end of the year

1. I am writing a comprehensive guide to Building your ultimate body. My book will teach you step by step what you need to get the body you deserve. It will teach you how to design workout plans and meal plans for whatever your goals are. I will also be showing you how to adjust your workout or meal plans in order to never hit a sticking point.
2. I will be teaming up with a big name in the bodybuilding world (he will remain nameless) to do a weekly podcast on training, nutrition, contest prep and anything else fitness related.

Where can our readers follow you?

Online Training and Nutritional Coaching: www.ABFitnessTrainer.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/antbev87

Twitter: @abev87

Instagram: @flex1987

Are there any final words you’d like to share with our readers?

No matter what your goal is don’t stop until you achieve it. Results are never linear, you will experience highs and lows but the more you grind through the better you will come out! Train hard and hit your macros!

Thanks for your time Anthony!