DC:
How long have you been involved in the bodybuilding, health,
and fitness industry?
WB: For over a decade. I'm getting
old!
DC: How did
you break into this industry?
WB: People kept telling me I should
write articles for the magazines. I was a
private trainer in the Boston area and had
a good reputation for getting bodybuilders
into shape. I used to do some local seminars
and people kept telling me I should send in
some articles to the bodybuilding magazines.
They
felt I had a lot of knowledge I should share
with people, so on a whim I sent in an article.
After that, companies started contacting me
to do consulting work and so on. One thing
just seemed to build on the other. The rest
as they say, is history.
DC: How important
is the consumption and proper balance of omega
fatty acids for losing weight and general
health?
WB: In my view, extremely important,
if not essential. It's a topic I have been
writing about and talking about for a long
time. I wrote the first article on flax oil
and other lipids for fat loss in the bodybuilding
mags way back when. I don't think a person
can optimize fat loss or health without the
proper use of EFAs, in particular, Omega-3
EFAs.
"There
is a ton of information about weight loss
on the internet, and most of it is wrong."
- Will Brink
DC:
In your experience
what has been the most effective nutritional
method to losing bodyfat?
WB: Higher protein, moderate fat of
the right types in the right ratios, and moderate-low
carbs based on the amount of lean body mass
the person carries combined with smart weight
training and aerobics.
The
use of certain supplements can also greatly
enhance the fat loss process in may ways,
such as increasing metabolism or blunting
hunger, but most of the products sold for
that purpose are over hyped or just plain
worthless.
It's
about making smart choices as an educated
consumer not jumping on the bandwagon for
every new supplement that wants people to
believe it will change their life over night.
DC: You have
an e-book on the topic of fat loss supplements
and diet. What is it about and who is it for
and who is it not for?
WB: The book is designed to explain
once and for the facts (i.e., what is it,
what does it do, what does the research say,
what does the real world say, dose, warnings,
etc) about the weight loss nutrients already
available, not necessarily to uncover new
and novel compounds never seen before.
It
does not cover sub-Q yohimbine injections
of forskolin enemas for example.
My
feeling is that the vast majority of people
out there, say better than 90%, buying supplements
still don't have a clue as to what works and
what does not work regarding the diet supplements
that already exist.
If
they did, there would not be so many bottles
of junk sold now would there?
Compared
to the general public, bodybuilding types
are a particularly well informed group, but
the rest of the world is not. The news groups
and my email box, are still filled with questions
about pyruvate, chitosan, DHEA, and other
products, so I know confusion is still rampant.
I felt those people could really benefit from
an easy to read concise look at what is on
the shelves already from someone they can
trust to get the straight scoop.
There
is a ton of information about weight loss
on the internet, and most of it is wrong.
I
do feel even most well informed people will
still learn a few tricks they didn't know,
but the fact is, it's not a book written for
the "hard core" bodybuilding crowd per se.
I am not looking for people to buy it and
be unhappy, though I think most people will
be pleased with the information.
It's
also not a diet book per se but it does contain
a diet and exercise plans. It's a look at
weight loss nutrients combined with an easy
to follow "Ten Tip Guide to Fat Loss" and
people should realize that also.
So,
for well informed bodybuilder types who really
know their stuff, this may not be the book
for them. For the other 95% plus people in
the world who are constantly bombarded with
BS about these nutrients, this book will clear
it all up for them. Spam off.
"I
find it most rewarding when an average
person has turned their life around
with information I gave them via my
articles or my books."
-Will Brink
DC:
You recently updated the book. Do you cover things like andro
products and creatine?
WB: No, there would be no reason to
cover such supplements in a diet related book
as they are not diet or weight loss supplements.
If I was going to write a book on bodybuilding
supplements for gaining muscle and strength,
I would cover things like andro and creatine,
but this book is on supplements intended to
lose fat.
What
I updated the book with was new chapters,
new research on other nutrients where there
was any to be had, and new information and
charts on topics such as the GI (glycemic
index) and its role of losing weight and staying
healthy, as well as other new sections.
(Editors note: people interested in checking
out Will's book and getting a free sample
of the book should follow the link below)
DC: Some people
might say they can find the same type of information
on the internet for free. Is that true?
WB: The answer would have to be yes
and no. Let's be honest, you can find an opinion
on virtually any topic on the net. If people
are buying my book, it's because they want
to know my opinion and experience with these
supplements and diet techniques, which can't
be found any other place on the net.
The
vast, and I do mean vast, majority of information
and opinions on these things on the net is
either wrong, or directly intended to sell
you a product.
If
they want an unbiased source of easy to read
information on weight loss supplements written
by someone who knows the industry from the
inside and has a decade or so of real world
experience with these products, my book will
deliver that.
If
they just want a basic opinion from God knows
who with God knows what motive, a simple Yahoo
search will accomplish that.
DC: Are carbs
really as evil as the media makes them out
to be?
WB: The main stream media is very pro
carb really, so I don't see them making that
claim. In my personal view, in addition to
dealing with total calories, understanding
carbs is essential to losing fat and keeping
muscle, which should always be the goal of
a person trying to lose weight, whether they
be a bodybuilder or regular person trying
to get into shape.
"… unless
people become educated consumers, they
will never know the difference and will
be among the ignorant masses who get
suckered into throwing their money at
useless supplements."
- Will Brink
DC:
I know you have worked
with some of the worlds top athletes and military
groups as well as the general population.
Which do you find most satisfying?
WB: Although working with athletes
is interesting, I find it most rewarding when
an average person has turned their life around
with information I gave them via my articles
or my books.
I
find it far more personally inspirational
to get a letter or an email from some one
who has lost 100lbs or more following my diet
advice or what have you then helping an athlete
break some personal goal or record.
I
recently got an email from someone who lost
a brother in the 911 attacks as a fire fighter.
He went and became a fire fighter to follow
in his brother's foot steps, and told me the
information in the e-book really helped him
with getting in shape to be a fire fighter.
That really inspired me in a far greater way
than say some athlete breaking a record.
"… understanding
carbs is essential to losing fat and keeping
muscle, which should always be the goal
of a person trying to lose weight, whether
they be a bodybuilder or regular person…"
- Will
Brink
DC:
I loved your e-book
Diet Supplements Revealed, so don't take this
question the wrong way. A few people told
me they felt the book was on the short side.
Can you comment on that?
WB: Honestly I think a person might
feel that way as an after effect of the marketing
of the more popular diet books. My intent
was to write a concise easy to read guide
to weight loss supplements on the market,
not to do War and Piece.
The
e-book is around 200 pages. The assumption-that
volume is what dictates quality is sheer folly.
My goal with this e-book was not to pad this
product and make it as long as possible. In
fact, my goal was the reverse. I wanted to
put the maximum amount of information possible
in the least amount of words.
If
people take a good look at some of the most
popular weight loss books on the market, they
will find the vast majority of them contain
very little actual information and literally
hundreds of pages of recipes, pictures, and
other information you could figure out yourself.
I took a close look at one of the most popular
weight loss books that was all the rage a
few years ago, and by my count it had exactly
81 pages of actual text relating to its promise
of "new" information on helping people lose
weight. The rest of the book-another 168 pages-was
dedicated to recipes, worthless charts, pictures,
and trying to sell the reader on buying the
authors line of supplements.
Another issue people have to consider is that
they get the updated version of the book no
matter when they purchased it. "Free updates
for life", in other words.
Unlike
a hard copy book, every time I have updated
the e-book, everyone who purchased the earlier
version gets the new version, so they never
have to say "I wish I had waited until the
new version to buy the book" as they often
do with a hard copy book.
So
it does not matter of they purchased it last
year, last week, or buy it tomorrow, they
will have the most recent addition. In my
view, that makes the e-book a bargain.
DC: OK, last
question Will. If false or misleading advertising
is so common in the magazines, how do they
get away with it? Why do the mags print this
when they know it's nonsense?
WB: The answer that is always there,
money. Most of the information you will find
on the 'net or magazines is 'generated' by
the actual supplement companies themselves,
that is, by the people who sell the stuff.
They
then have this information issued via certain
magazines, web sites and other publications,
PR firms, etc., yet most of it is, to be blunt,
pure bullshit. False or misleading information
designed only to sell the supplements.
For
the magazines, supplement companies are a
major source of advertising revenue. How do
I know this? Because I have been both an editor
and writer for most of the top publications
in the health/fitness/bodybuilding arena,
have done consulting work for many of the
top supplement companies.
DC: Are all
supplement companies full of BS?
WB: No, but unless people become educated
consumers, they will never know the difference
and will be among the ignorant masses who
get suckered into throwing their money at
useless supplements.
I
can tell you the few supplement companies
and supplement company owners that are honest
and want to sell a good product are as frustrated
as you are over the BS that is so common.
DC: Why?
WB: Because they get lost in the shuffle
and lose out to marketing based companies
who spend all their money on ads versus science
and well thought out formulas.
DC: Wow, quite an honest answer Will! Thanks for the great interview.
Enjoy the information.
Yours
in health,
Will Brink and Internet Publications
Learn
which supplements burn fat fast and
which are no more than pure marketing hype
with Will's ebook "Diet
Supplements Revealed" - the most downloaded
ebook of it's type.
