“Fitman” Eric Brown, who earned his pro card in natural bodybuilding by winning the 2022 NGA Mr. Natural Philadelphia competition, has a wealth of fitness knowledge and information.

Owner/head coach of the Fitman Performance & Physique Center in Roslyn shared the following for his new series, “Fit Talk.”

1) What Is The Best Training Split?

A training split is the blueprint of your individual training program. For example, you might alternate between training your upper body and lower body every other day.

“I have used multiple training splits over my now 25 years in the iron game,” he said. “And the best training split you can use is the one that allows you to maximize your primary training goal.”

“Someone training primarily for fat loss is going to have a completely different training split than someone training strictly to increase their athletic performance,” he said. “One issue that many trainees run into is using the wrong split for the wrong goal.”

“The training split for a natural bodybuilder is different than the split for a sprinter because the primary goal is different. Bodybuilding is all about improving your physique, building muscle, and losing body fat. Sprinting is all about getting faster and improving your performance in your event.”

“Lifting weights 3 or 4 days per week works well for most natural bodybuilders and lifters looking to transform their body. Lifting weights 2 or 3 days per week works well for most athletes because athletes have to factor in their actual sport specific training.”

“Athletes absolutely need to get stronger, push iron, and get more durable. But spending too much time in the weight room at the expense of developing their sport skills will have a detrimental effect on their athletic performance and recovery.”

2) How Important Is Knowing What And How Much Food To Eat?

“The importance of knowing what and how much you are eating are the critical keys to losing body fat or gaining muscle mass,” Fitman said. “How in the blue sky can you expect to lose body fat or build muscle if you do not know what foods you are eating and how many calories you are putting into your body?”

“I find it absolutely fascinating when I hear many people talk about getting leaner or building muscle but when I ask them about their caloric input I get the blank stare or a generic, hollow answer like “I eat good.”

“The statement about eating good means nothing to me. What matters to me is objective results. If you have not gained any muscle or lost any body fat since the Eagles won the Super Bowl, it is past time to take a hard look at exactly what and how much you are eating,“ he said. “To truly change your physique you’ve got to dial in your nutrition.”

Fitman’s thoughts on if treat meals are allowed:

“Treat meals are absolutely allowed,” he said. “You should of seen what I ate after the 2023 NGA Mr. Natural Philadelphia competition! The problem comes when many people eat treat meals every single day, and for multiple meals a day, which is not conducive to losing body fat or building muscle.”

“During my off-season, I like to enjoy some foods that are not the “typical” bodybuilding foods. For example, myself and my beautiful wife Shekhinah B have pizza night almost every Saturday in the off-season. I enjoy pizza from Bella’s in Jenkintown, which is the best pizza in Montgomery County. I also love my brother’s phenomenal homemade cookies.”

“But the key to getting or staying lean is that the vast majority of the time you are eating nutritious foods and controlling your overall caloric intake. You cannot lose body fat if you eat too many calories.”

“If you eat nutritious foods, control your caloric intake, train hard, and recover well you will decrease and control your body fat levels. But you cannot eat a lot of pizza and cookies every single day and think you are going to reach your physique goals. That’s the definition of fake hustle!”

3) What Is The Best Way To Recover?

“Quality sleep is the answer for recovery. If you are not letting your body recharge from hard workouts and the stresses of life, you will struggle mightily to dramatically improve your physique,” he said. “If you are actually serious about building a leaner and stronger body, you have to put a priority on sleep. Naturally, I’m a light sleeper, as my mind is always racing, but I’ve worked hard to improve the quality of my sleep over time. A cool, dark, and quiet room plus an eye mask can work wonders for you. It absolutely does for me.”

Your Time Is Now

It’s hard to get into great shape and even harder if you do not have a plan of action on how to get there. Fortunately, we have one of the elite personal trainers in the nation (as rated by Men’s Health magazine) right here in the Abington area. To work with Fitman at his gym in Roslyn, please book your appointment by visiting https://fitmanclassicbodybuilding.com/book-appointments-with-fitman/.

Prospective clients will receive one complimentary consultation throughout the month of June. When you are working with Fitman, you are working with an honest, certified professional whose only goal is to get his clients to unleash their inner greatness.