I’ve had the honour of spending time with—and learning from—some of the best in the business. Three names that stand out are Drs. Mel Siff, Mauro Di Pasquale, and Eric Serrano. Not only have I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from these mentors, but I’ve also been fortunate enough to visit and chat with each of them in their homes. Here’s a glimpse of what I learned.

Dr. Mel Siff

Back in 2000, I had the chance to visit Dr. Mel Siff at his ranch in Colorado. He shared with me several advanced recovery techniques, particularly emphasizing the effectiveness of contrast hydrotherapy used by Russian and American lifters.

And believe me—the method works! After countless sets of Olympic lifts, I got to experience Dr. Siff’s “contrast” approach alongside EliteFTS.com founder, Dave Tate. Picture this: Tate and I jumping from an 8-foot-deep Jacuzzi (with handrails on the side to hold us up) set at 110°F into a 62°F swimming pool where we did a few laps. Talk about contrast! And it all happened after midnight. Needless to say, we slept like babies that night.

Although Dr. Siff is no longer with us, his legacy lives on. For example, today’s four-digit tempo prescription in strength training can be traced back to him.

The concept of tempo—originally introduced in the 1970s by Arthur Jones, inventor of Nautilus and MedX machines—started with a simple two-digit notation (seconds up and seconds down). It was later expanded to three digits by strength coaches Charles Poliquin and Ian King with the addition of an isometric component. Toward the end of the 20th century, Dr. Siff added a second isometric phase, creating the four-digit tempo we use today. You can read more about this on page 43 of The Elite Trainer.

Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale

Without a doubt, Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale is a thought leader who was well ahead of his time—especially when it comes to the ketogenic diet.

I’ve consulted with Dr. Di Pasquale many times over the years and have had the pleasure of visiting his massive home in Cobourg, Ontario. This man knows his stuff—when he talks, I listen… and so should you!

I’ll never forget sitting at his kitchen table as he drew a large circle on a sheet of paper, then dotted it with small semi-circles along the edge. He explained that the big circle represented everything we need to know, while the little semi-circles represented what we currently know. In other words, we’re only scratching the surface. There’s so much more to learn!

As new research surfaces, we’re able to apply more to our training, nutrition, and supplementation. That’s why Dr. Di Pasquale is always reformulating and upgrading his supplements to reflect the latest science.

Every person—and every situation—is different. For example, estrogen may help one individual build muscle and lose fat, while in another, it could have the opposite effect. The same goes for carbohydrates: they can either make you lean and muscular or contribute to fat gain.

As one of the earliest authorities on ketogenic diets, Dr. Di Pasquale has spoken extensively about the confusion surrounding carbs. Believe it or not, even in the absence of carbohydrates, you can replenish glycogen post-workout.

According to Dr. Di Pasquale, if no carbs are consumed post-exercise, the muscle will maintain the capacity to fully compensate or supercompensate glycogen stores once glucose becomes available—either from the diet or through gluconeogenesis. By keeping carbs low and protein (including amino acids) high, you can extend protein synthesis over time and produce a prolonged anabolic effect.

For more on this, see page 17 of Mass Explosion.

Dr. Eric Serrano

I’ve done three interviews with Dr. Eric Serrano, and each one has been a hit. They’re all over the internet—if you look, you’ll find them.

Over the years, I’ve flown down with several clients to have Dr. Serrano work his magic. He’s always just a call, text, or email away when I need him.

Dr. Serrano moderates a very exclusive group of experts who brainstorm and share cutting-edge information across various fields. He’s a research junkie, constantly sending me new papers and studies—so many that I can hardly keep up! Honestly, to understand everything Eric says, you might need an interpreter, a codebreaker, and a PhD… but that’s a story for another day!

Though he’s best known for his expertise in sports nutrition, Dr. Serrano also knows a thing or two about training. At 55 years old, this guy is strong. Let’s just say he can pull his weight in the gym—and then some. Check out this video of him doing chin-ups with an extra 100 pounds strapped to a dip belt.

Dr. Serrano has helped countless individuals build muscle, increase strength, and shed body fat. Here’s a fat-loss tip from him that I share in Lean and Mean, particularly for females looking to slim down hips and thighs:

Perform 30 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), then follow it with 30 minutes of steady-state cardio at a low to moderate intensity. Choose any modality that heavily involves the legs—but avoid the stationary bike, which may lead to a sagging butt in some cases. For example, you can use a sprint protocol followed by a brisk walk or light jog.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

I’ve been fortunate to stand on the shoulders of three giants in this field—Drs. Mel Siff, Mauro Di Pasquale, and Eric Serrano. There’s no reason why you can’t do the same.

• Dr. Siff’s classic texts Supertraining and Facts and Fallacies of Fitness should be in every trainer’s library.
• Pick up every book Dr. Di Pasquale has written and sign up for his newsletter.
• Go see Dr. Serrano live—his seminars are highly informative and entertaining. You’ll often get his best gems right after he says, “Turn off all audio recordings for a moment!”

Dr. Serrano will be coming to Toronto in November for a three-day course on functional medicine. Don’t miss it.