FabFitOver40’s Interview with The Muscle Guru Jerry Brainum
Health
expert Jerry Brainum (www.jerrybrainum.com) will speak about his
findings during his 53 years of experience in the bodybuilding and
fitness world. Don't miss this opportunity to ask him…
If you’ve ever read a bodybuilding or fitness magazine in the last 40 years, you’ve read an article written by Jerry Brainum.
Jerry has been an authoritative, scientific and research based writer for decades.]
His ideas were pushing the envelope of performance improvement well before the internet, youtube and bro-science came to be.
It is with great honor, we publish this interview about his life inside the fitness industry.
Please watch Jerry with Nelson Vergel and Jay on The Real Truth Men’s Health Webcast on Monday August 31st at 4PM PST.
1. Can
you give us a brief background about yourself (where you were born, how
it was like growing up, education, where you lived, etc.)?
A:
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, I had a normal childhood with the exception
that I began lifting weights at age 12. I attended Cal State, Long
Beach, majoring in premedical studies, although I never went to medical
school, which I partially regret (less so with each passing year!). I
moved to Los Angeles on August 21, 1968 and have been here ever since.
2) 2. As a Man whose name is synonymous with Bodybuilding, Performance Enhancement, Physique Culture and Muscle Magazines, you
have had an amazing existence over the last 50+ years. How did
everything get started for you as a writer and what really prompted your
decision to follow these paths?
A:
I was always a voracious reader, and have loved reading all of my life,
starting at age 4.I wrote my first book, about the American presidents,
when I was eight. It was handwritten on art paper. Wish I had kept it. I
was reading post-grad history texts in junior high school, and wrote
several essays about novels that were posted in the school hallway. So
you can say that I’ve been writing most of my life. I wrote some courses
for a few bodybuilding champs in the 70s, then started writing for
Weider in 1982. I’ve been writing professionally ever since.To be
honest, however, while I enjoy the process of writing itself, I detest
the business end. I’ve been treated poorly in terms of payment and in
other ways from the start. This isn’t exclusive to me, most writers
experience the same lack of respect. Unless you’re someone like Stephen
King, it’s a very tough and nasty business. But it’s what I do.
3)
Can you tell us more about your current writing and business life? How
do you see it evolving over the next 5-10 years? Talk about how your
experience as a global authority on human performance improvement
impacts your daily life now?
A:
I stopped writing for all magazines about a year and half ago. The
magazine business has degenerated to the point where you cannot make
even close to a living from it. Many magazines now pay nothing to
writers. My feeling about this is that if a magazine cannot pay a writer
a reasonable, livable wage, they should not be in business. After all,
what is a magazine without writers? Yet they continue, using people who
think they are writers, but are not. No real writer would ever work for
free, since that would mean they don’t think their work is worth
anything.
These says, I write and publish my own digital newsletter, Applied Metabolics.
I call it a “newsletter,” but in reality, at an average 40 to 50 pages
per month, it’s more of a monthly e-book. I cover nutrition, exercise
science, ergogenic aids, supplements, anti-aging research, hormonal
therapy, fat-loss techniques and other topics. It’s all evidence-based
and non-commercial. I don’t push any products, and I’m not associated
with any companies, so I can tell the whole truth in all that I write.
The
main feature of Applied Metabolics is my 53 years of study and
experience, which cannot be matched by anyone I know of. I impart much
of what I’ve learned to readers of Applied Metabolics in an effort to
save them time and money. I started the newsletter because of the sorry
state of most Internet sites and magazines, which are loaded with
misinformation and lies. I hope the newsletter continues to grow. I work
hard to provide the most useful and practical material I can find. I
used to work with elite athletes as a nutrition adviser. I was boxer
Oscar de La Hoya’s adviser in this regard for 12 of his fights, and none
of the athletes I’ve worked with have ever lost a competition.
4. As
an individual who has long lived a long time healthy and fit lifestyle,
we’re curious, what does your daily diet look like now? Do you still
train?
A:
I try to limit carbohydrate intake, and follow a moderate protein and
fat diet. I do like pizza, and eat it about once a week, but only a
small amount. If I could, I would be a vegan, not for any health reason,
but for ethical reasons, as I love all animals and I am an animal
advocate. My two best friends are Bruno and Chip, both canine rescues. I
still train, 3 days on, one off, and try to do some aerobics, most
intervals, about 4 days a week. My workouts last about an hour and focus
more on intensity rather than volume. I also like to train at a fast
pace, and would never even consider bringing a cell phone into the gym. I
think that those who do are not serious, and are mostly wasting their
time.
5. What
are your mandatory supplements aging people interested in improving
their health and fitness should be taking? Feel free to elaborate and go
meta here.
A:
For those that don’t eat fish at least twice weekly, a fish oil
supplement. Vitamin-mineral, Vitamins D, C, E, multi-minerals. For those
who train, creatine and whey isolate. There are many others that I use
as “smart nutrients,” but I wouldn’t consider that mandatory for others.
Magnesium is also vital, and most people are lacking in it. I just
posted a study on Facebook that found a certain form of magnesium can
help prevent the changes that result in Alzheimer’s disease.
6) Talk about your Family? Feel free to write about current friends, past wives, children etc.
A:
Sadly, my parents are both dead, and I have no relationship with anyone
in my family other than a second cousin in New Jersey, who is like a
sister to me. The less said about my “family” the better, since they are
not good people. I’ve never been married (came close about 10 times
over the years, but bit the bullet). My biggest regret in life is that I
never had children. If I could do it over again, I would definitely
have kids, but no more than two.
7)What
advice would you give someone (at any age) who wants to transition their
life towards a more healthy and fit lifestyle, but doesn’t know where
to start?
A:
Instead of diving in head first, first do some research so you have an
idea of what to set for your goals and how to attain them. Be careful
who you trust, since the world is full of liars and deceitful people,
and this is where having prior knowledge can save you a lot of grief,
since you will be able to discern facts from bullshit. Be very wary of
anything you see or read on the Internet, most of it is absolute
nonsense.
8)What is next for you in 2015/2016? What are your future plans and goals? Any new projects you’re involved with?
A: I want to stay as healthy as I can, and start producing additional e-books. I have one now that I sell at jerrybrainum.com called
“Natural Anabolics,” which explains how to build muscle and lose excess
body fat without using any drugs. I keep open to any worthwhile new
opportunities for myself, but as I said earlier, I also am wary of those
who make false promises to the extent that I don’t believe anything
until it happens.
9)Any shout outs? Lastly, where are are the best places to find you on the internet?
A:
One of the best things that has happened lately is my newfound
friendship with Nelson Vergel. I read his book years ago, and often
check in on his web site. I think he does a wonderful job in educating
men about the nuances of testosterone replacement therapy, and offers a
ton of useful information designed to dispel all the myths and
misinformation about TRT. I have a Facebook page, and anyone can feel
free to send me a friend request. I just ask that they understand that
my purpose of being on Facebook is not to answer dozens of unsolicited
questions. I just have no time for that, and what little time I do have
to respond to questions I prefer to deal only with subscribers to my Applied Metabolics newsletter, since I appreciate their support of my efforts.
Sign up for Jerry Brainum’s newsletter Applied Metabolics:
It’s only $10/month and packed with relevant and recent data which will improve your health and fitness regardless of your age.
Be the BEST YOU EVER!
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