Mike Francois on Fat Loss: (interview with Doug Jackson)

Expert Interview:

Mike Francois, IFBB PRO, Certified Personal Trainer

I've always had the approach that one should listen to as many people as possible when making up their mind. Thus, printed ideas are not endorsed by Personal Fitness Advantage but serve as a primer for progressive thought.

I had the good fortune of interviewing world-famous bodybuilder Mike Francois. Many thanks to my good friend Ben Sellers who arranged the interview. Mike is a former Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Champion and has been featured on ESPN as well as magazines such as Muscle and Fitness and Flex. Mike is currently personal training in central Ohio and is president of Pro-MD Nutrition, Ltd. For more information, visit his website at www.mikefrancois.com

Doug (DJ): Mr. Francois, Thank you very much for allowing me to interview you today. This interview will be going into the first newsletter of my emerging personal coaching business, Personal Fitness Advantage. I'm hoping to get at some of your main philosophies regarding exercise and nutrition during our interview today.

Mike Francois (MF): Sounds great. Let's do it.

DJ: Alright, well, how did you begin personal training?

MF: It really emerged out of my bodybuilding career. My academic education was actually in theology. When I retired from bodybuilding, I felt that personal training was a natural step while capitalizing on the knowledge I've gained and the name I've built in the industry.

DJ: Right. How has your career as a bodybuilder impacted your role as a personal trainer?

MF: It has in the sense that the methodologies I use are similar. People think that as a professional bodybuilder I spent hours in the gym per day. Actually, when I was training at my peak, I was only spending 45 minutes per day in the gym. But it was intense and it was hell, basically. So that same philosophy-stepped down a bit-for people who don't want it or don't need it is still what I follow when I train people. We hit it hard. We get in and get out. We usually don't even spend an hour hitting the weights. From all the research I've done, that's what I think works best for people. This works really well for professional people who are very busy and don't want to spend a long time in the gym. That's what I've carried over from the bodybuilding. The biggest part of it is diet. Proper diet is 75-80% of the importance in achieving the physique you want to achieve. You can work all day in the gym, but if you don't eat the right foods, you don't benefit as much from it. People can work out hard, but if they don't eat good, they don't look good. On the other hand, someone can not workout, but eat really good, and they look good.

DJ: Okay. Do you have any specific nutrition strategies you tend to use with people?

MF: I believe that low carbohydrates are the most effective way to burn body fat. That's fine for someone like a bodybuilder and someone interested just interested in the end result. However, that may not be easy for professional people. So I say, here's what we have to do to achieve the results the quickest, but if you want to do it more moderately and follow a longer term approach then we can make it more balanced. I tend to promote the long term strategy although the results aren't as quick.

DJ: Do you think there is a difference between bodybuilding nutrition and health nutrition?

MF: Yeah, let's face it. If you're a really competitive bodybuilder, it's not the healthiest thing in the world. It's an extreme thing.

DJ: Right. I really promote the longer term, more moderate approach with my clients. Of course 'moderate' means different things to different people. There's a lot of different information out there regarding protein intakes and health and fitness. I wanted to hear your viewpoint.

MF: Most doctors don't discriminate between an inactive person and someone who is working out hard in the gym and trying to dramatically change their physique. The same recommendations for two very different people are just not going to cut it. I definitely believe in higher protein. Eric Serrano (one of the leading sports nutrition MD's in the country) is a good friend of mine. He has the same philosophy and he's as well read as anyone you're going to find out there. He believes in lower in carbohydrates and higher in good fats and proteins. I even moderate his suggestions. I try to find a plan that someone can follow for the rest of their life.

DJ: Have your physical conditioning strategies changed since you have retired from bodybuilding?

MF: Personally, I just don't lift as intensely and I do a little more cardio. When training others, my main philosophy is let's not focus on cardio too much, let's focus on building muscle. That leads to the long term increased metabolic rates. Cardio raises metabolism for a lot shorter period of time. Of course with some women, they are afraid of bulking up and we have to say, 'that's not really going to happen'. On a side note, I have to say that emphasizing lower body strength training is a key to keeping the metabolism elevated and burning fat.

DJ: I noticed that you were starting your own Pro-MD nutrition company. Can you tell me a little about that?

MF: We're starting out with a protein product that Eric Serrano developed. It's a blend of four different proteins with good fats added in. We're targeting it towards the regular person, although it would also be a good product for bodybuilders. We are distributing it in some local gyms and health food stores and Canada. Obviously, we'll just work on increasing distribution from that point.

DJ: You mentioned good fats. What's your own stance with clients regarding fat intake?

MF: A lot of my philosophy has been influenced by Serrano. The good fats seem to support a lot of different health factors such as metabolism, intestinal health, testosterone levels, immunity, and other things. I recommend that my clients consume a little olive oil and/or flaxseed oil everyday. We keep saturated fats low and unsaturated fats high. It has seemed to work well for my clients.

DJ: Right. I really appreciate your time. Do you have any last comments that you feel would benefit most readers?

MF: Get in the gym. Know what you want to work on. Work it hard and get out. Don't spend a lot of time in the gym. That's really crucial.

DJ: Alright. Thanks a lot Mike.

Sign up for Doug's can't miss newsletter, Fitness Empowerment

Ask Doug your most pressing fitness-related question

Schedule a FREE phone consultation