My practical experience is extremely diverse. I’ve been lifting for over a decade, been an assistant weight training coach for UGA athletics, received a personal training certificate from NASM, taught Kinesiology 3500 at UGA through both the NASM and ACSM textbooks (this course teaches you how to obtain a personal trainer certification), and instructed group exercise to older adults at UGA. I’ve also provided 1 on 1 coaching, and I’ve had a variety of clients ranging from athletes, to gastric bypass surgery recipients, to a past winner of Miss Georgia.

 

My academic experience has also been multifaceted with clinical and performance roots which gives me a sound understanding of how nutrition and exercise influence both general health and wellbeing as well as maximize physical fitness. I’ve taken doctoral level sport nutrition courses at UGA and FSU, and subsequently assisted with teaching the graduate sport nutrition class at FSU. I’ve been invited as a guest lecturer for several courses at UGA and FSU discussing topics related to exercise, nutrition, and human physiology. Most importantly, I have a strong background in cellular biology and applied medical physiology therefore when I explain topics, I intertwine the basic principles of life up to the larger, applied concepts that detail human health and performance. Individual genetics make people different but the same cellular mechanisms are shared between us. By helping you understand the foundational roots of the human body, nutrition, and exercise, you will be equipped with the knowledge you need to always make the best decisions for yourself.

 

Blending the academic and practical work in the gym is what differentiates me. I want you to understand the science of lifting, explained by a dedicated lifter. I don’t want your time wasted by people who have purely theoretical knowledge and can’t relate to what really happens in the gym. I also don’t want you to get dejected because you’re comparing yourself to a genetically gifted social media influencer who posts edited, carefully angled, and misleading pictures that inflate their achievements, but who couldn’t tell you how a muscle contracts or how hormones are impacted by undereating. I want to merge what I’ve learned during my years of rigorous academics, applied field training, and personal exercise experience to give you the most pertinent, yet comprehensive information you need to chisel your physique, increase performance, and improve your overall well-being through nutrition and exercise.

 

My time learning about and teaching health and fitness topics at the collegiate level has shown me that there are many gaps in the current available information. Additionally, what gets filtered down and spread amongst the general public is not always accurate and sometimes very dangerous. For example, “reverse dieting is best accomplished by increasing calories by +100 each week” rather than achieving an energy balance. There is about as much evidence concluding +100 calorie additions weekly after a prolonged energy deficit are optimal for your body composition and health as there is evidence of the existence of the tooth fairy. On the contrary, the Minnesota Starvation Experiment and studies on anorexia taught us continual undereating, just not as severe, only prolongs very dangerous hormonal complications derived from undernutrition, sustains continual fatigue, keeps your metabolism slow, and ultimately wastes away your health and time. If you don’t yet know about the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, you will soon become an expert on it and on the science of carbohydrate fueled refeeds. That’s what we do here. We empower ourselves with knowledge to make the best decisions.

 

My Goal

I believe accurate science is the beacon we can use to achieve success efficiently, but I understand that science has limits. I’ve learned that most research is directed more so to the general population rather than avid lifters. As an experienced lifter, I see these limitations and practical shortcomings. Advice for literally everyone is rarely great for specific individuals. Some of the widely accepted research conclusions are rather basic and don’t lead to the most efficient, quickest physique transformations. And, on a more down-to-earth and less scientific point, it doesn’t inspire an abundance of confidence when the guys telling you how to get big and strong weigh less than a burrito bowl at Chipotle. I adamantly believe that it’s not enough to just study exercise physiology and nutrition. You have to practice what you preach to actually know if it works. I live exercise physiology and nutrition.  

 

And, just as importantly, you can’t educate others if you’re only good looking, but have no academic foundation. Many elite physique athletes and social media coaches use anecdotal evidence, aka “what works best for them” when delivering training, nutrition, and supplement advice. Their advice has limited applicability to the people reading it because most people have countless other time-consuming priorities aside from just looking good. Also, most physique athletes and online fitness coaches sell out to companies and promote products that simply do not work. Their conflicts of interest drive them to give awful advice.  I’ve got a lot of hobbies but compromising my integrity to make a quick buck isn’t one of them.

 

 My goal is for you to achieve your dream body in the fastest and healthiest way possible. I believe the only way to do this is to combine textbook education with advanced lifting experience and a straightforward delivery of the information that ensures you understand it and can apply it. I will interpret research, point out what’s applicable to you, and explain how you can use that research to better yourself. I will discuss bias in research, detail science without the use of unnecessarily fancy terms, highlight fake news, and reveal the inconsistencies or lack of applicability with the existing evidence. Whether you’re a lifter just starting out or a seasoned veteran of the gym, we all want to be satisfied with what we see in the mirror, improve our health, and break through obstacles to achieve our goals. I hope we can learn together, grow together both in and out of the gym, and most importantly leave a positive impact on others through our shared passion for the fitness lifestyle. Welcome to The Science of Sculpture, Let’s get after it. 

 

My Philosophy

 

Trusting someone to help you on your fitness journey is a big deal. Because I want you to be 100% confident that you’ve made the right choice with The Science of Sculpture, I want to lay out more than just my professional credentials. I want you to understand my philosophy and approach to fitness science so you can be sure that this is the right place for you.

 

The internet is an encyclopedia of inaccuracy, dishonestly, and exaggeration. Most of the popular websites detailing fitness info contain ads and their end goal is to sell you something, usually supplements, but sometimes cookie cutter “personal” training, or nutrition advice smothered in pseudoscience. The information found on The Science of Sculpture is rooted in scientific evidence. Over 3,500 peer reviewed studies have been referenced so far, but the quantity is not important. The real key is that you receive high quality information in a way you can actually use.  I want to equip you with resources so you can succeed. But I don’t want you to stop there. I want you to beat your wildest expectations for success. Whatever performance or aesthetic goals you have, let’s achieve all of them. Then, let’s create a new vision of you who sets even higher goals, far beyond what you think you’re capable of now. As a professional collegiate educator, I take the responsibility to help people very seriously. I’ll never promote any information that is dangerous or disadvantageous to your progress or sell you anything that won’t benefit you. 

 

I do want you to sell a few things though. Sell doubting yourself. Sell plateaus. Sell frustration. Sell the negativity that surrounds you and prohibits you from reaching your goals. Sell everything that’s holding you back and invest the time, energy, and positivity into yourself. Invest that time into resources that move you forward instead of hold you back. Invest your trust in me and the information on this site. Invest in a serious, integrity-based approach to being that version of you that you dream about. Don’t let doubt and fear control you. There are an infinite number of reasons not to do something but giving in to despair never moved anyone forward. I’ve been exactly where you are right now. I’ve been discouraged, deceived, and discontented by past false information given to me and this depressed my physical progress, health and well-being, and at times, stole my spirit and ambition from me. I will do everything in my power so that never happens to you.

 

I take pride in ensuring that nobody has to make the mistakes I’ve made or be misled like I was misled by other websites, information on social media, online coaches, and fitness “experts” who were just salesmen disguised as helpers. When you purchase a subscription to this site, you don’t just get the information and training protocols you need. You will also amass a new confidence and belief in yourself. You will have the tools you need to move forward. You will gain happiness when you look into the mirror. You will buy into a life of progress fostered by the knowledge you’ve gained through The Science of Sculpture. You will inspire others to improve themselves. But only you can do all of that. This site can give you all the equipment you need to succeed, but we can’t lift the weight for you.  

 

If you really want to lose that weight, build that muscle, and achieve that dream body, then don’t waste another minute. Let’s rock and roll right now.   

 

What Sets Me Apart?

Everyone is an “online fitness coach” these days. The guy bagging your groceries, the woman who works at the supplement store, and pretty much anyone who can post a good looking #transformationtuesday pic to get your attention all have a side hustle as an online coach. Why should you care what I have to say? It’s as simple as this: Anyone can give advice, but advice that actually helps requires the right academic and professional training. Unlike social media influencers who offer “online coaching” with credentials smaller than the amount of clothing they’re wearing, I’ve made a career out of taking the most complicated issues in nutrition, exercise, and human physiology and explaining them to students and clients in ways they understand.

 

It doesn’t matter if you barely know anything at all about anatomy, physiology, nutrition, exercise, supplements, or pharmacology. You don’t have to know. It’s my job to explain it to you. It’s my job to give you the tools you need to succeed on your life-long goal of being the best version of yourself. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own and you don’t have to just accept some person on the internet telling you to do this and do that without knowing why you’re doing it or how safe it actually is. I’m not going to give you a fish so you can eat for a day. I’m operating a fishing school so we can eat for a lifetime. By explaining how the body works and giving you the full spectrum of simplified information on health and fitness topics, The Science of Sculpture is the comprehensive resource that puts the power of personal transformation into your hands.

 

I also want you to have confidence in the process and in your ability to achieve your health and fitness dreams.  When I explain something, I’m not speaking from opinion. I’m speaking from actual experiences as a student and teacher. I’ve passed my comprehensive exam indicating I have the knowledge of a PhD in Exercise Physiology. I’ve taken the highest level of sport nutrition classes at two of the top universities in the world and thereafter helped teach one to fellow graduate students. I’ve also completed coursework in endocrinology, micronutrients, medical physiology, and cell biology. More importantly, I haven’t just sat in the room, I’ve maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout my entire academic career since entering the Exercise Science major as an undergrad. I believe it’s my responsibility to give my students and clients the absolute best information and advice at all times. I believe you deserve the highest quality information in the world. I want you to understand everything and you shouldn’t settle for subpar advice from another online fitness “coach.” Therefore, I am constantly learning more with the goal of forever expanding your knowledge as this will help you get to where you want to be, faster.

 

Perhaps most importantly, I take what I’ve learned in the classroom and I apply it to real life. The lab has limits. Research studies have flaws. PubMed and practicality don’t always mix. The applicability of some findings in research simply don’t translate into the real word. Theoretical knowledge is empty without an understanding of how theory plays out in real life. When I offer advice, it’s not based on a YouTube video, podcast, or a reading derived from someone else’s interpretation on the matter. My advice is taken from the conclusions of all the available scientific evidence, the foundations of cellular biology all humans have in common, and some good old fashion sweat equity to see how laboratory studies hold up outside of the lab.  

 

Finally, I’m not just offering my own personal experience. I’ve worked with hundreds of others in the health and fitness fields and learned from their experiences as well. I’ve worked with and learned from some of the best strength and conditioning coaches at UGA, world renowned exercise physiology and nutrition professors, medical doctors and endocrinologists, and interacted with hundreds of my personal clients over the years. Seeing how the top minds in the field approach certain problems has given me the perspective and tools to help everyone with any level of fitness achieve their goals. Unlike the part-time “online fitness coach,” you aren’t just getting my personal opinion on an issue or a copy and pasted version of whatever science, accurate or inaccurate, they can dig up on google. You’re getting the synthesis of over a decade of research that has been tested under real world conditions in every single body type, physical shape, gender, and various health conditions. You’re getting advice that will work for you.