Today, we’re going off the grid a bit and doing an interview with strength coach and personal trainer Nia Shanks. I think it’s something you’re really going to enjoy, as Nia has (what I consider to be) a great outlook on training and fat loss for women.
Several months ago, I wrote up a blog titled My Favorite Fat Loss Products. And while I still stand 100% behind both the Fat Loss Troubleshoot and Warp Speed Fat Loss, I think Nia’s Fat Loss Detour has some definite merit as well.
Enjoy! – MR
MR: Nia, thanks a ton for taking the time out of your schedule to do this interview. Could you tell my readers a little bit about yourself?
NS: Hey, thanks for having me, Mike! I’ll keep this short – since I turned 16 and was introduced to the weight room, I became obsessed with accomplishing my goals and helping others achieve theirs as well.
So, I began reading anything I could get my hands on and started experimenting on myself, my family, and later my clients. My main clientele has always focused on fat loss, so I made it a point to get my clients the best results possible in the least amount of time – I haven’t stopped since.
Finally, I graduated from the University of Louisville with a degree in Exercise Physiology.
MR: What got you into the fitness field yourself?
NS: My Mom has been involved in the fitness industry since she was 18, so I fell into the field naturally myself. She has been a personal trainer for almost 30 years, so I was always involved and interested in the field. She let me meet her at work one day to show me a few things, and I got addicted from that first moment.
MR: What would you say separates you from other “fat loss” trainers out there?
NS: Well, my methods for helping people achieve fat loss results are tried and true. I have tried several different things on myself and my clients, and I have found what seems to work the best for the majority of my female clients – that is what led to the creation of Fat Loss Detour.
The most important part was putting in the time to train people and seeing what works and what doesn’t. I’ll admit that there have been times when I thought, “I’ve got it! This is going to work great!” Well, I would test out those theories on my clients, but they didn’t always work out the way I thought. That’s when it was time to go back to the drawing board.
My goal has always, and will always, be to get people the best results possible in the least amount of time, in the most stress-free way. I’ve found methods that work really well with a little trial and error.
MR: And what’s even cooler, you actually train hard yourself! Tell us a little bit about your training background.
NS: Well that’s a great compliment coming from you, Mike, and I appreciate it! I’ve never been one to go to the gym and just pick up a weight, do a few reps, rest, and repeat. From the first time I stepped foot in the gym I always trained with intensity, pushing myself each and every time.
I’ll admit, I did start working out with bodybuilding splits when I first started training, but that changed immediately once I started reading material from great strength and conditioning coaches.
After spending years training for fat loss, I finally decided to train for strength. This journey led me to set the Southern Powerlifting Federation push/pull world record for my division. I benched 145 pounds and deadlifted 300 pounds at a bodyweight of 122. That was a great day.
MR: Those are very impressive lifts, especially considering your body weight!
But enough with the warm fuzzy’s, let’s cut to the chase here – you have a new product called “Fat Loss Detour” that you’re releasing. What inspired you to create this product, first and foremost? And whom is this product geared towards?
NS: When I started getting the best results ever with my female clients, I knew that I had to share it with as many women as possible. I mean, they were losing fat faster than ever, they were actually enjoying training, they spent less time working out, and they followed simple nutrition principles, not strict diets or rules.
I have experienced what I call the “dark side of fat loss” and so did many of my female clients. For instance, I developed an eating disorder (and so did some of my clients), and I completely revolved my life around food and working out.
This ended up driving me crazy and I knew there had to be a better way. That is how Fat Loss Detour was developed. It was created primarily for women who are frustrated with fat loss and want the easiest most stress-free way to accomplish their goals. Men could easily use this program with great success as well.
MR: When you first told me about this product, I’ve got to admit, I was a little skeptical. It wasn’t that I didn’t like you or think you had something important to say, but because there are so many damn fat loss products on the market, and many of them are absolute garbage!
How it your product different from every other fat loss program on the market?
NS: Well that’s what I expected when I mentioned this to other people, but I know that Fat Loss Detour is a solid product because it has been tried and tested! I didn’t just scribble stuff on paper hoping it would work. I know Fat Loss Detour works.
The main difference between other fat loss programs and Fat Loss Detour is that instead of focusing on losing fat, you focus on improving your performance. Hence the word “detour” in the title. You will accomplish your fat loss goals by taking a different, and more effective, route. By taking your mind off of the negative motivation like “I need to lose weight”, “I don’t look good,” “my X is too big,” “my X is too small,” and other things, you focus on improving your performance at the gym. That is the only thing that matters and it leads to great fat loss results in a much more positive way.
Furthermore, Fat Loss Detour is different because it is the only complete fat loss training program for women. Every other fat loss program simply addresses the workouts and nutrition. That is where Fat Loss Detour is completely different.
Fat Loss Detour does consist of a 16-Week Body & Mind Transformation program, but it has other important components as well. The Fat Loss Detour Manual contains background information behind the program, simple but very effective nutrition guidelines, and other important tips.
Most fat loss programs completely neglect mobility work, and so that is why I asked you to create a warm-up with mobility and corrective exercises specifically for Fat Loss Detour. As all of your readers already know, you are the man when it comes to mobility and corrective exercises. I wouldn’t have settled for anyone less than the best, and that’s why I asked for your contribution.
Finally, Fat Loss Detour also contains a Motivation Guide. Most people who struggle with fat loss do so because of the changes that need to be made in their mind. If you don’t address the issues of the mind, fat loss is a lot more complicated to accomplish. The Motivation Guide will keep you on track and teach you how to “strength train your mind”.
MR: I’ve got to admit, the training and motivation sections sounds fantastic. Plus, you called me the man so you’re definitely on my good side!
However, we all know training is often the easier part of the equation; what are your thoughts on dieting for fat loss?
NS: Nutrition is one of the biggest differences between Fat Loss Detour and other programs. What I have found to work best for the vast majority of my female clients is to apply simple nutrition principles.
In the past I have counted calories, weighed food, eaten a certain percentage of each macronutrient ratio, eaten 5-6 small meals every day, and followed other strict rules. As a result, I usually recommended the same to my clients. I thought that it was the only way to get great results.
Well, after seeing how stressed out my clients became from following such strict guidelines, I knew it was time for change. You should revolve your eating habits and workouts around your life, not vice versa.
That phrase just stuck with me, and so I created the guidelines to allow people to do just that. What I have found to produce the best, most stress-free results is to follow some simple nutrition guidelines and plan times not to follow those guidelines. I don’t use the words “cheat” or “reward” when referring to food or meals that don’t necessary fit those guidelines. Those are also terms that contribute to obsessive compulsive eating habits, and I want people to avoid that at all costs.
Too many people make fat loss overly complicated, and therefore many people end up feeling defeated and frustrated. It truly can be simple, and it’s time to take that approach.
MR: Very interesting. I guess I really like that fact that you have such a balanced, pragmatic approach to eating which is what a lot of women need.
NS: Like I mentioned previously, because I had an eating disorder for over three years, I had the opportunity to really see the “dark side” of training for fat loss and restrictive diets/eating habits. Because of that experience I was better able to understand the frustrations of my clients. That truly allowed me to find, what I believe is the best solution, to eating for fat loss.
I truly believe that women need to keep things as simple as possible – there is more to life than working out and stressing over eating.
MR: Well I can say I’ve reviewed (and contributed to) the product myself, and I think it’s fantastic. I’m with you in the belief that if more women were focused on strength and performance versus solely fat loss, they’d be much happier with their training and their body.
Nia, thanks again for being with me here today. Where can my readers find out more about yourself, as well as The Fat Loss Detour?
NS: Fat Loss Detour is on sale for 50% off for today until this Thursday, and they can find that at www.FatLossDetour.com.
They can also check out my blog at www.TheFatSolutions.com for more no non-sense fat loss training and nutrition information.
Thanks again, Mike!