Natural Physique Training
Advanced Training Strategies to Build Lean Muscle, Shape Your Physique, & Look Awesome at The Beach
Lets skip the salesman script and let me ask you a few real, tough love, self-reflective questions right off the bat...
Are you tired of putting a ton of time, effort, and money into your fitness program with no noticeable results to show for it?
Have you tried jumping around like a cheerleader on an energy drink bender for 90-Days, or getting your butt kicked in a boot camp or cross-training class, but instead of ending up ripped, muscular, and “tight like a tiger” (as Goldmember would say); you just ended up beat up, burned out, and back on the couch?
Are you doing endless hours of cardio, but just like that damn treadmill or stationary bike, your progress is spinning around and around and pointlessly going nowhere?
Are you slinging around heavy weights with painfully shitty form, trying to live out meathead manifestos from websites and T-shirt taglines, but deep down know these programs are failing to produce the physique results they promise?
Have you tried to follow programs from hardcore bodybuilding magazines or Instagram model profiles that are designed by drug-enhanced athletes, juiced up strength coaches, or fitness freaks with no life outside of the gym; and realized they were completely impractical and unsustainable for a busy professional with a career, family, sex, and social life? Or worse yet, did you realize that because you were training under different physiological conditions, a natural dude trying to copy these plans can end up with a ton of negative physical, mental, metabolic, and hormonal side effects?
I don’t say any of this just to be a judgmental douche.
I talk about these traps in the physique transformation fitness field because I’ve seen countless people in my 20-year career get caught up in these misinformed training plans. I've made many of the same mistakes myself. I know just how incredibly frustrating it can be to put forth a ton of effort, but to see pathetic results in return.
There were times where I worked out like an ADD madman, but didn’t look I trained at all. I ended up skinny-fat, with multiple injuries, and suffering from chronic fatigue and joint pain. I know how bad it feels to desperately want to achieve the lean physique of your dreams, but to also feel lost and hopeless in finding an effective path to getting there.
Ridiculous first-world problems, but a problem high on your priority scale nonetheless.
I get it man. And the good news is that I’ve helped thousands of fellow physique enthusiasts from around the world find a better, more efficient physique transformation path.
Our mission here is to integrate physique-focused fitness programs into your busy life. We want to help you reach your elite physique goals without compromising your career, cognitive function, health, happiness, sanity, sex, or social life.
We want to help you build that lean, natural, fitness model-style physique without having to become a fitness freak. And although it does require some discipline, commitment, and consistency -- don’t let the infomercial shysters selling magic pill solutions fool you -- we do believe it is possible with an informed approach that combines principles from The Exercise Physiology & Sports Nutrition fields with decades of practical experience in The Natural Physique Game.
So lets go conquer this physique transformation process together!
Natural Physique Training is our flagship, foundational training course. In it, you are going to get everything you need to know about physique-focused training in order to build the body of your childish, ridiculously vain, but nonetheless glorious dreams.
This includes the research and theory behind the program parameters (so you can understand “the why” behind the plan), down to the detailed specifics = set and rep schemes, targeted exercise recommendations, video exercise demonstrations, physique technique tips, a follow along workout plan, additional training templates, and personal customization strategies (so you know exactly what to do).
But before we dive into those details, we need to make sure this program is exactly the right fit for YOU. We’re not trying to be everything to everyone.
Despite my bitchy bashing of other training programs above, the truth is that there are a lot of different reasons to work out, and a lot of great ways to go about doing it. But we are teaching a very specific approach to a very specific type of person with very specific goals. I don’t want you to waste your time, money, or energy on this course if it is not the right fit for where you are currently at, and more importantly, where you want to go.
I think I can summarize it best with the following three (love in an) elevator pitch points:
(1) Physique-Focused Training (2) The Natural Way (3) For Busy Professionals
1. Physique-Focused Training
You want to achieve an elite physique goal – lose body fat, build lean muscle, or totally transform it.
Maybe you are ramping up your training to get ready for a reunion, wedding, to take your shirt off with pride at a Ron Burgundy-style pool party, or to just look great naked while landing some good old-fashioned Summer Loving. It happens so fast when you’re fit and ripped.
Perhaps you are preparing to take a fitness model-style photo (or douchey selfie) for your e-dating site profile, or in order to prostitute yourself on social media. Or maybe you just want to finally get that 6-pack, look aw esome, and live lean year-round as a sustainable lifestyle plan, simply for shits and giggles.
First, may The Physique Force be with you. Second, you must narrow your focus and apply the principle of specificity in order to reach these goals in the fastest and most efficient way possible.
Here’s the unfortunate truth -- most training programs out there these days, even those designed by many professional trainers, are NOT optimal for physique transformation. Sure, they may have you running faster and farther than Forest Gump, getting better at doing a bunch of boot camp drills, posting about your lifting totals or cross-training times, or just getting the shit kicked out of you by the trainer with testicle-revealing short-shorts trying to re-live his high school glory days.
But the key objective, analytical question to ask yourself is this -- are these programs getting you any closer to your main physique goals? There are plenty of people who are putting a bunch of time, energy, and money into the gym, but are frustrated with their lack of fat loss and lean muscle-building progress.
You need to make sure that your training program is structured in a way that matches your main goal. If you don’t, as is the case with many who just blindly follow the latest and greatest trends in the gym, your results will be less than optimal.
You see training to improve performance is different than training to improve your appearance. There is overlap among these plans. But there are key distinctions as well, that is if you want to take the most effective and efficient route to results possible.
What we're talking about is achieving that fitness model look, a classic physique, or a Hollywood action hero body with an efficient, practical, and sustainable program.
My personal goal has always been to build a classic physique like the legendary Vince Gironda, or to look like the comic book character The Crow...
A few of my physique friends and clients are good examples of the classic, shredded, superhero-style physique as well.
Shawn as Blade
Bill as James Bond
Christoph as Wolverine
What physique do you have in mind for yourself?
Let's get you on a targeted, focused, and optimized plan to get after it.
2. The Natural Way
We need to differentiate natural physique training from what people might think of first when it comes to physique-focused fitness plans:
(A) Drug-enhanced bodybuilding where girls end up looking like dudes, dudes end up looking like pregnant gorillas, and physical health, emotional stability, and psychological side effects are swept under the rug to sell supplements or “hardcore” T-shirts. And by the way, this isn’t just in the extreme bodybuilding world, which is the most glaring visual representation of it. I’ve been around the fitness block, and have seen this madness maybe even more in the bio-hacker, powerlifting, cross-fit, Paleo, ketogenic, and mma communities.
Just look at all of the dudes getting popped for performance-enhancing drugs since stricter testing policies have gone into place. You cannot train intensely 7 days a week on starvation-level calories and no carbs, AND also end up looking jacked and ripped like Jean Claude Van Damme in his prime, without some kind of chemical assistance.
I hope you have an IQ higher than the lowly Sea Otter so you don't get scammed by scumbags.
Ron Burgundy's Chart of Human Positionality (source)
(B) The extreme, fitness obsessed dude or diva that has no life outside of the gym, works out twice a day for hours at a time, eats no carbs, and destroys their metabolism, natural hormone production, and sanity along the way. And despite the fact that a high percentage are some of the most miserable, depressed, anxious, and ADD-ridden people on the planet, they somehow think that’s what normal people with a real life, family, and career outside of the fitness space should be doing too!!???
Disasters and extremes get the most media attention I guess. But building a beach-ready physique in a healthy and sustainable way is nothing like the above scenarios, although it often gets lumped into the same category. We need to differentiate what we’re doing, both in terms of the details of the training program AND the end look that we’re after.
3. For Busy Professionals
Based on my practical experience in the industry, I'm confident in saying that the programs in this course can be used to prepare for some sort of higher-level physique competition (natural bodybuilding, men's physique, etc.). I also believe they can be used to prep for some kind of a physique photo shoot -- a professional fitness-model-style shoot, or even just an annoying Instagram Selfie.
But I want to reiterate that the competitive physique demographic are NOT the primary people I am teaching to in this course. I’m not talking to the dude who is living in a van down by the river (or in this case, the gym), jerking off to fitness forum posts.
Those crazy bastards are generally the ones continuing to perpetuate the myth that you have to give up everything else in your life just to look good. An efficient approach to Natural Physique Training doesn't have to involve that fitness industry ridiculousness.
I truly believe that what we teach in this course is practical even for a busy professional, and sustainable as a lifestyle plan.
As you’ll learn in this course, with a targeted strength training program including specific training variables (sets, reps, inter-set rests, etc.), you can build muscle, transform your physique, and look awesome at the beach with an average of 3, 30-45 minute strength training sessions a week.
“Just 3 days a week for 30 minutes.” That sounds like an infomercial right? But it’s the truth, and I think you can handle the truth. The whole truth, the kicker, the fine print, is that you’ll have to put all of that extra time and energy you'll be saving into improving your nutrition plan.
But baby, that’s a lot more practical, efficient, and sustainable than programs that recommend stuff like 2 hours of cardio a day, training 6-7 days a week, or 20+ hours of exercise a week, etc. Hack away the unessential and save the shotgun approach for the OCD fitness peeps that just don’t know any better, or have no life outside of the gym, and so actually want to live in it.
Nate has provided me with a strong structure and flexible program
that has helped keep me on track to reach my health & fitness goals. Nate makes sure I
understand why we’re doing what we’re doing, and also makes sure the
program we built is sustainable. This was critical for me, as I’ve got a
demanding job that requires long hours and frequent travel, so having a program I could make
fit into my lifestyle was paramount. In six months, I’ve lost 20 lbs.
of fat while putting on significant lean muscle. I feel stronger, have a
higher level of energy, and can see and feel a difference on a daily
basis. That has provided motivation to keep going in this direction and
seek out additional knowledge and program modifications to achieve even
more aggressive goals.
I feel lucky to have Nate as my trainer, fitness advisor, and friend. He has also proven to be a great resource for a number of my friends and colleagues. He has helped demystify training and nutrition in very easy-to-understand ways, which ultimately allows us to make better, more informed exercise and nutritional choices, regardless of where we are -- in the office, at home, or on the road -- and despite our hectic schedules. If you are a busy professional looking to improve your body composition and fitness levels, I highly recommend his course.” — Matt H., PR Executive
Your Instructor
Normally I write my author bios in the 3rd person in order to convince people that someone else was compelled to tell my most glorious tale. But since this is my own damn training academy that I’m super passionate about, I figured I’d flip the script, and just shoot the shit straight up with you.
So, who the hell am I to be teaching this course?
On the practical application side of the physique game, I’ve competed successfully in several natural bodybuilding and men’s physique competitions. I’ve also worked as a fitness model and representative for a few different fitness brands. Since I'm not blessed with anything below the belt line to brag about, I'm assuming I got paid because of the 6-package above it.
But I also realize that the ability to get myself into shape is one thing. In the end, that is completely useless to you.
Acquiring and applying the strategies necessary to help others do the same is a whole different ballgame. So I've spent a lot of time studying that craft. Professionally, my formal education includes post-baccalaureate studies in Kinesiology and several national training and nutrition certifications. I’m also a nerd, so I follow research reviews for fun.
I’ve written several Amazon best-selling books, and have had my work featured in Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, Muscle & Fitness, LIVESTRONG, Bodybuilding.com, and T-Nation.
My main business, however, has been in the fitness trenches running a private training and nutrition consulting practice in San Francisco for close to 20 years. Throughout that time, I’ve worked with professional athletes, models, and physique competitors. But the majority of my clients have been just like you -- busy professionals with a life and career outside of fitness. Yet they still wanted to achieve high-level physique goals despite the many unique obstacles that demographic faces. They needed effective and efficient plans to get the job done.
Now, I know you don’t really give a shit about me, my career, or my private clients. You just want to know how I can help YOU reach YOUR goals.
Well, with this career focus as an athlete and coach, I’ve been able to work in a real-world lab studying, researching, applying, testing, failing, revising, refining, hacking away the unessential, and streamlining strategies down into simple, practical, and effective physique transformation plans. The culmination of that work is this training academy, and I truly believe the courses within it will help you reach your physique goals.
Formal Credentials
- BA, University of California, Berkeley
- Post-baccalaureate studies in Kinesiology, San Francisco State University
- Certified Personal Trainer, American Council on Exercise (ACE)
- Certified Specialist in Sports Nutrition, International Sports Science Association (ISSA)
- Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, International Sports Science Association (ISSA)
- Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy Certificate, DSW Fitness/Human Kinetics Continuing Education
- The Janda System of Evaluation & Treatment of Muscle Imbalance Certification, The American Academy of Health and Fitness
- Functional Training & Corrective Exercise Specialty Certification (ACE)
- Sport Yoga Instructor Certificate (NESTA)
- Un-Certified Specialist in Immature Humor, my many clients and my mirror
Over the years I have witnessed the incredible results Nate has
achieved with his clients. Nate combines his broad personal athletic
background in performance sports and natural bodybuilding with his in depth education and
research in Exercise Physiology & Sports Nutrition in order to bring about true transformations in
not only the bodies, but also the lives of his clients. He offers
detailed and efficient programs through the intricate design of training and
nutrition plans so that every client moves forward towards their goals
in an efficient and well-expedited manner. I have seen him help clients
lose weight, pack on muscle mass, and often do both
.
A majority of our trainers go to Nate as a resource for information on the best methods, the latest research and smartest steps for leading clients towards their goals. His thorough research and studies, as well as his own personal workouts and fitness accomplishments, have made him an experienced and intelligent teacher for all levels of students, from the beginner to the advanced athlete. Whether he is working in a one-on-one session or hosting a seminar for our staff and practitioners, Nate clearly presents information in an enjoyable format, so that it is easy to understand and fun to learn. — Billy P., Owner, DIAKADI Body Personal Training and Wellness Center.
Course Curriculum
When my friend and mentor Nate overhauled my training program and diet, within the year I
found myself competing on an international stage with some of the best
natural Men's Physique competitors in the world. I also scored several modeling
jobs including Cliff Bar, Indie Custom Jeans, and The Perfect Pushup.
More importantly, upon realizing the power of Nate’s simple, straight forward approach to physique training and nutrition, I began sharing my experience with all of my clients and helping them benefit from his combination of scientific knowledge and practical techniques. All of my busy clients took what I taught them and began to reap the benefits of what I had learned. No matter if the goal was weight loss, muscle gain, or improved health, I had a solution to offer that fit into their busy lifestyles and helped them to succeed. I felt a sense of empowerment as a teacher because for the first time in my 8-year career, I had a system to offer that produced real results. If you are serious about your physique goals, this course is invaluable.” — Shawn T., Natural Men’s Physique Champion, Fitness Model, Physique Coach
What Do You Get With This Course?
Dude, didn't you read the course curriculum? Just kidding. This section gives us a chance to dive into more detail about what the course contains.
1. The Foundational Physique Routine
Some people want to be told exactly what to do so they have no doubts. They don’t want to have to think about, learn about, or decide anything. They want a simple plan that they can go out, execute, and achieve immediate results. I completely understand.
That's why at the core of this course is The Foundational Physique Routine. This is an effective and efficient 3-days per week strength training program you can start following today. It includes my favorite physique-focused exercises, specific set and rep schemes, and has detailed prescriptions for every other training variable.
This is the program I've personally followed for the last few years in preparing for several professional fitness photo shoots and a physique competition WHILE growing my business and creating this course (which has been a time-consuming pain in the ass, so I do hope you purchase it).
In other words, I'm a busy dude just like you trying to stay in great shape. And if you put a gun to my head and demanded that I shared the secrets that have helped me do that...
First, I'd shit my pants.
Second, I'd set you up with this program as a suggested starting point. A PDF of the program is included, so you can print it out and take it with you to the gym, or follow along on your tablet or phone.
2. Additional Training Templates
As you gain more experience in the gym, knowledge in the field, and understanding of how your body develops and responds to various training stimuli, intermediate and advanced athletes often need a little more freedom and flexibility to customize their program, and to adjust it based on their individual situation and goals. So I’ve provided some additional program templates including:
- 2-Day Beginner & Busy Professional Full Body Template
- 3-Day Push-Pull Template
- 3-Day Push-Pull + Priority Body Part Training Template
- 4-Day Torso-Limbs Split
I’ll go through each workout template with you, help you set-up an optimized training schedule, and show you how to test out, assess, and ultimately select the specific exercises that work best for you. I’ll also explain why my clients and I use a variety of templates at different times throughout the year vs. a single, static program. And I'll show you how you can do the same.
Instead of a 90-Day cookie cutter plan, you’ll have a comprehensive physique-focused program with a variety of plans that you can use and rotate throughout the year based on fluctuating personal situations, career or school demands, and training goals.
3. Exercise Library & Video Demonstrations
It is one thing to just talk about exercises or show you static pictures. But we include video exercise demonstrations from multiple camera angles so you can see the movements in action. These are in mobile-friendly formats, so you can follow along on your tablet or smart phone.
Instead of overloading you with long-winded explanations of technique (that no one ever remembers), I’ll give you some key coaching cues in bullet point format to help ensure proper exercise form. This is exactly what I do in the gym with my private clients.
We’ll also go through the exercise list and explain why I choose certain movements in my physique-focused programs, and avoid others (biomechanics and targeted muscle activation, common muscle imbalances, risk-reward factors).
4. In-Depth Lessons on Targeted Training Strategies
We cover everything you need to get set-up with a targeted, specific, and efficient physique transformation program:
- Body Part & Total Training Frequency
- Muscular & Systemic Recovery Factors
- Exercise Selection Strategies
- Training Splits
- Sets, Reps, & Total Training Volume
- Inter-set rests
- Physique Technique & Training Tempos
- Training intensity & The Reps-to-Failure Scale
- The Multiple Physiological Pathways of Muscle Growth
- Muscle Tension & Metabolic Stress Sets
- And more…
You’ll learn the technical reasons behind why some of the popular training approaches and trends in the gyms and magazines are not necessarily ideal for physique transformation. You'll start to understand why some of your exercise attempts and fitness programs may have failed you in the past -- not necessarily from a lack of effort, but more from a lack of proper programming. And you'll see why you need to get on a more structured and detailed plan in order to finally succeed with your physique transformation dreams.
We go through each lesson together with whiteboard videos and screencasts, just as I would be teaching it at a training seminar, or in person to a private client.
5. Accompanying PDF’s of Each Lesson
This isn't some flimsy ebook full of useless fluff. With the individual lessons combined, the PDF content essentially amounts to a textbook on physique training information. Based on how much you actually want to learn about this topic, you can skim it or dive deeply into it as you see fit.
Each PDF lesson includes:
(A) The Strategy Summary
We start with the barebones details of the training plan right off the bat. This is the nuts and bolts, simple and straightforward, “what to do” of each program detail.
(B) The “Why” Behind The Strategy in Bullet Points
We cover the theory behind each strategy in bullet points for quicker reading, better information absorption, and to cut down on the unnecessary blabber.
I get that most people just want to know what to do. But here’s the thing, what I’ve found is that if you take just a little bit of time to learn “the why” behind “the what” you are doing, you are much more likely to stick to that plan and ultimately see things through to the end.
A little knowledge leads to a lot of confidence. Confidence leads to consistent action. And consistent action is the only thing that will carry you all the way through to your end goal.
The alternative in our A.D.D., scatterbrained, social media-driven world is that without a baseline level of knowledge and understanding, people are easily duped by clever marketing material, health and fitness trends, the shiny new toy syndrome, and their own irrational emotions. They are easily led astray from the most effective, efficient, and proven program parameters, and they end up hopping around from program to program with no results to show for it.
(C) Supporting Research & Resources
Someone with great genetics can train any way they want to and will look great. I have a friend who looks like a bodybuilder and all he does is yoga twice a week, and eats doughnuts twice a day.
Someone using physique-enhancing drugs can train any way they want to and look great. The drugs can make up for the shortcomings of mismatched or misinformed protocols.
Unfortunately, these are also the types of people that get paid to endorse specific products, programs, or systems. It's confusing, and often times misleading, to the consumer.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but chances are that randomness will NOT work for you.
Why? Most of us are doing it naturally. And most of us have average genetics. Hell, I have shitty, skinny-fat genetics. My mom was 95lbs and my dad looked a little like the Japanese Ron Burgundy.
And if you have average-to-poor genetics, you have to base the bulk of your program on scientific principles if you expect to achieve any results. You can't just blindly and naively follow infomercial programs, magazine articles, Instagram model profiles, or take the advice of a trainer or gym rat just because he looks good (including me, and I look phenomenal, haha just kidding).
You need to take a more unbiased, objective, informed, and analytical approach.
Listen, I understand we all have our own biases regarding the optimal way to train. Talk to ten different people and you’ll get ten different answers. Many have accumulated training information from various sources and come from a variety of different backgrounds and personal experiences. That’s cool. Everyone has his or her opinion.
But that’s also why you can’t just rely on opinions. You must also rely on the available research that’s out there as an objective and unbiased starting point.
As you'll learn in this course, there are clear distinctions on optimal training parameters based on different goals. And there is a scientific foundation behind that. There is a principle in exercise physiology called the SAID principle -- Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. When you drop the geek speak, all this really means is that your body adapts to the specific training that you do.
So there is a scientific way to train for power and strength. There is a scientific way to train for endurance. This is well understood and applied in professional athletics and performance sports.
There is also a scientific way to train for building muscle and changing the visual appearance of your body. Unfortunately, this is less understood and applied in the physique realm. It seems as if someone’s goal is to lose fat, build muscle, and look awesome, people just take a shotgun blast approach and do a bunch of random shit in the gym, with no structured plan.
That’s also why physique transformation success rates suck, and so few are walking around with a 6-pack.
But there IS a science to cosmetic-based, physique transformation training. That’s what this course will teach you. There are reasons why you should set up your training program a certain way. It is based on principles from the Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, and Biomechanics fields.
To give yourself the best shot at succeeding, I believe you should use these principles to design your initial approach, and to give yourself an informed starting point. Only after this should you layer in anecdotal evidence from practical experience. So I want you to see that these training strategies are based off of the relevant research that’s out there in the physique-focused fitness field.
And if you are a real nerd with no life like me, I include my favorite resources (links to research studies and additional articles from some of my favorite researchers, authors, and coaches) so you can dive as deep as you want into any, or every single topic.
6. Advanced Program Customization Strategies
Do you want to know a secret about myself, some of my physique friends, private clients, the testimonials above, and the rest of the people I work with?
None of us are following the exact same routine.
That's right. Although the broad parameters of our programs all fall under the research-based principles optimized for physique transformation, the exact set and rep schemes, exercise choices, training frequency, total training volume, etc. are all different based on our individual body type, exercise history, injury history, neuromuscular efficiency, body structure, alignment and muscle imbalances, psychological factors, the specific training phase that we are in, lifestyle factors outside of the gym, and just good ol’ personal preferences.
Most athletes and novice coaches just tell their clients to follow what they prefer, or what has worked for them personally. They don’t truly understand the need for, and subtleties of program customization.
Do you need to spend thousands of dollars working with a private coach or trainer to customize your program? Well, that’s what I believe is the true value of this course.
I’m not just going to leave you with a 12-Week plan that you normally see in magazine articles or flimsy e-books. This course takes a more comprehensive approach, and teaches you how you can test, assess, and adjust the different program variables based on personal progress and feedback. This will ultimately help you find what works best for you. That’s how you optimize your plan and maximize your genetic potential.
Essentially, I want to put my main business out of business, and teach you how to become your own coach. You’re going to walk away with a variety of strategies that you can use and rotate throughout the year based on your specific situation.
Bonus Section For 2020: 2-Day Advanced Physique Training Template (Natural Mr. Universe Plan)
- This is the exact training program Nate used to prepare for his 2nd place finish in the Master's Men's Physique Division at The Natural Mr. Universe Contest, as well as a professional photo shoot featuring 40+ year-old athletes
- Nate walks you through the details and reasoning behind his template set up, and exercise selection process
- The higher rep schemes and more recovery time in this program are great for older (40+), as well as hard-gainer demographics
- This program is also very time-efficient for the busy professional
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m pumped up about this program we’ve created. The project itself has taken over two years to complete, but it’s really the culmination of a lifetime of work trying to perfect a craft by testing, assessing, revising, and refining strategies within the natural physique game, both as an athlete and coach. I truly believe the end result is a comprehensive training course that will help you reach your physique goals. And there is a 30-Day money back guarantee, just in case you try it out and decide otherwise.
So I really hope to see you in the course. Just hit the Enroll button below, and get started with your new natural physique training program today.