Regardless of whether or not you appreciate women's strength sports, one thing is undeniable. The level of dedication and hard work it takes to transform one's body the way Heather has requires a great deal of respect. And at 46 she doesn't show any signs of slowing down.
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Show Notes:
[2:36} “People are afraid of being more than mediocre.”
- Vocal disinhibition (grunting) makes you stronger.
- Displaying strength requires vocal disinhibition, and it makes others uncomfotable.
[4:45] Transformations take time.
- Heather talks about her early experiences in training, being influenced by Muscle Media 2000, and getting hyped about loading Phosphagen (creatine and sugar) while gaining 10 lbs.
[8:15] Before social restrictions, women were expected to be strong.
- Heather’s mother always impressed the importance of muscle upon her.
[11:00] Heather speaks on her early battles with bulimia.
[12:40] Trading bulimia for orthorexia?
[13:34] “I’m really adamant about building metabolism with nutrition and training.” Cardio is a tool to throw in later.
- Bodybuilding should be centered around training, which is a celebration, instead of suffering.
[17:40] Heather speaks on exercise execution.
- She follows Joe Bennett’s philosophy
- The connection to the muscle is more important than the weight moved.
- Heather regularly uses activation sets- not to be confused with pre-exhaustion, which will actually cause the targeted muscle to fire less during a compound set.
[21:25] Were you fit-shamed?
- No. Heather gets “looks” and stares but no major fit-shaming.
- She feels that muscle has become super cool and better received in recent times.
[28:20] How long does she intend to compete?
- She doesn’t feel like slowing down at the age of 46.
- She incorporates Neufit muscle stimulator to correct compensation patterns.
- Why would she stop when she keeps getting better?
[34:00] Heather’s clientelle.
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
[35:05] Marijuana use in athletes?
- Yes. She feels that it helps to put the athlete into a para-sympathetic dominant state.
- She feels that alcohol does not have a place in athletic training.
- If you are paranoid after smoking weed, eat a bit of sugar before hand.
[39:05] Long-term relationships?
- She couldn’t see herself with someone that would hold her back.
- She has a type A personality.
- If she were to be with someone else, that person would have to be another “go-getter”.
[41:05] Heather usually trains twice per day.
- She is not a morning person, and her first session is usually around 11 a.m. It lasts around 2 hours.
- Her second session is usually around 5or 6 p.m.
- Right now she is hitting quads three times per week.
- Her sessions are pretty intense and include a lot of time under tension and metabolic stress.
[48:08] Staple supplements?
- Apple cider vinegar
- Vitamin C
- Reverse osmosis water (that has been mineralized).
- Kratom- for focus.
- Phytoplankton
- Restore- Dr. Zach Bush.
- Boron- for testosterone and its affects on SHBG.
- NAC
- TUDCA
- Vitamin D
- Fish oil
- Magnesium foot soak.
- Melatonin- .5 mg
- -Autoimmune issues and macular degeneration could warrant higher doses (3-5 mg). Melatonin could also reverse brain damage that has been set on by cell phone use.
- DIM
- Injectable glutathione
- B12
- Niacin- pre-sauna
- Desiccated liver powder
- Essential amino acids in the A.M.
- Berberine
- Metformin- Heather subscribes to the theory that it improves mitochondrial density.
- - Carl doesn’t like metformin due to a correlation with soft tissue injuries and a lack of discrimination of sensitization in fat and muscle tissue. (It makes both fat and muscle more insulin sensitive.)
- Heather eats 6-7 times per day
{spoiler spoilerID,Click to read Show Transcript,Click me to close}
[00:00:00] Hey, hey, welcome back to a special edition of superhuman radio. This is happening at four o'clock in the afternoon. And we want them to do video. But you know videos become very complicated for me for a variety of different reasons unless there's a plenty of time to plan ahead and do some pre-testing.
[00:00:51] So we ended up abandoning the video at the last minute here. Because I wanted nothing to go wrong in this interview with Heather Grace. [00:01:00] How you doing Heather? I am great. It's such an honor to be on the show. It's sweet of you. Thank you so much. I'll never forget the first time I met you in person.
[00:01:09] I was at the Arnold and I heard somebody call my name and I turned around and you were standing there with your tan on and I think you had like a jacket on and I just I just gave you the biggest hug. I was like, oh my God, you are so cute. And I don't think that female bodybuilders like hearing that they're cute is that I was I was completely honored.
[00:01:29] I followed your the show for years. So it was it was very cool to finally have the opportunity to meet you. Yeah, very very cool. And I hope that we get to meet again in the future too. So this is a really important show. So there's a lot of girls out there are women in the audience right now that normally wouldn't listen to a discussion.
[00:01:50] From a female competitor of your stature. However, I want those women to listen to this interview because [00:02:00] and I've said this for years and I'm sure you've heard me say this before to Heather that if your goal is to change your body. Then who do you want to go and learn from someone who dramatically is able to change their body?
[00:02:16] Or to somebody who just is moderately better than you. This is really a big problem with in the fitness industry today. We might think I see a lot of fat fitness trainers trying to teach other people how to get fit and it just doesn't work that way. I really think it's kind of like I think people are just afraid to be anything more than mediocre.
[00:02:37] So it's like dared, you know the idea of Daring to dream. Thinking that you can actually accomplish something huge is a little too much. So I'd rather stay closer to home play it safe and deal with somebody that's very average. I don't I mean that's the only rationale I can come up with well instinctively you are exactly correct and I'll tell you [00:03:00] why you're correct.
[00:03:01] So I did an interview many years ago at least 10 years ago with a doctor Dennis and I can't think of his last name right now, but he did. He did a study that showed that grunting which is scientifically called vocal disinhibition. Now just keep that mind disinhibition cabbage, right? So grunting and science is called vocal disinhibition.
[00:03:26] And when you grunt when you are vocally disinhibited you are stronger and so I made the argument during that interview that. Displaying strength requires disinhibition he agreed with me, you know, and and you can see you can see this in action today with Jim's like Planet Fitness where people are so inhibited that if someone comes in and is stronger than them, they become uncomfortable that person has to leave.
[00:03:55] Yeah. Yeah, you're absolutely right. [00:04:00] Absolutely. Absolutely and where women could go to Someone Like You and go. I want to look good for my you know, 30th Highschool reunions. And like that's who's going to get you there faster than somebody who can do what you do with your body, which is no small undertaking.
[00:04:22] No, it isn't a small wonder when I started all of this. I was a tiny little point guard. I had I mean I was always a muscular kid, but I mean my body. So different now than it was, you know in my early 20s, you know when I play ball in college and I mean you can absolutely transform your body. It just takes time and and that's the other thing the time so when did you first find physical culture and how how did you find it?
[00:04:50] What was your introduction to it? So that's just kind of a funny story. I went to school at Columbia University in New York and I played [00:05:00] basketball there. After school, I played ball in Brazil a little bit and I came home on a break and I was working part-time at a gym. So I was behind the gym counter and I pull out this magazine which happened to be muscle media 2000 which of course you're familiar with and I just dove into it.
[00:05:21] Like I was just fascinated by the science and these supplements. Wow, creatine and and you know back there with oxygen HP and I was just that I remember seeing photos of Monica Brant and just thinking oh my gosh, this is amazing. I can I wonder if I can do this. How do I do this? You know and I just kind of jumped into it that day.
[00:05:44] I went to the supplement store and picked up some creatine which was phosphagen HP. Of course, right and did my we do I lose sugar. It was mostly that Jodi. That jug was mostly sure. Right. It's terrible. I know I know I know but I put [00:06:00] it on it was something crazy. Like it was like 11 pounds in a month and like my vertical went up an inch and a half, you know, because I was still on the time checkup, but I was like wow, this is amazing and my mom was like what is going on with you?
[00:06:15] And you know, how he'll find the idea of being able to completely transform my body. I just I was fascinated by it. But nothing just think about this. Just think about that moment in time and and juxtapose it with today the average woman, right? You just said my weight went up like 10 pounds in a month or a pallet would you say 8 pounds or 10?
[00:06:39] But you said in a month like man, this is awesome. Where most women would probably going what you're excited about that did everybody thought I was nuts. I mean, I've always kind of I've always had a very athletic lean look like my body is naturally more of a bikini type of a figure. It's definitely [00:07:00] not I mean, even though I am clearly I have some mesomorphic Tendencies.
[00:07:05] I'm leaving I'm wrong. I have longer limbs long legs. I mean it's difficult to build math. So I've always liked the look of Curves and muscle even back in the day when. The girls were wearing, you know, when I was in junior high girls are wearing Jordache jeans with big gaps between my legs. I was always repulsed by that.
[00:07:25] I always wanted to have a booty and be powerful and dynamic and I thought curves were sexy see so I want to dive a little deeper into something else. You just said because I love strong women. I really do. It's not like it though. I've made a decision to like them, but I've always been attracted to women who had.
[00:07:45] Some form of strength and usually it was physically, you know, and so but that's that's antithetical today and Society because went from Evolution a strong woman and a strong man, they [00:08:00] were survivors because the woman was carrying a baby while she was forging I mean women day there was none of it like back in those days before modernization.
[00:08:10] And at this whole idea that the French came up with that the feminization of women, you know women should be pampered and and Asia about bind their feet keep their feet small all these things that wanted to actually weaken women for whatever reason prior to all those social constructs women were expected to be strong lift bales of hay and do stuff right?
[00:08:33] So will you when you come from an environment? You didn't feel socially restricted to display your strength. My mom is a she's in and she's an amazing woman. We were reading I think I read Roots Alex Haley's Roots When I was like, I was like five or six. I mean, I read the whole book. I mean we were there was there was a reading list that we had every summer and I mean it was [00:09:00] extensive.
[00:09:01] We were all academically we were. Athletically and physically Superior by far right big standouts and you know my sisters and I always work and my mom impose like we were gymnast as kids and she was adamant about my mom was as always battled weight issues and she's always always impressed upon us the importance of muscle and our metabolism, basically literally.
[00:09:33] Well, I mean she didn't break it down in those terms when we were younger. No, but she made the connection that having muscle like that's such a that's that's the opposite of what women are being told by their mothers today. Right? Like well my wasn't yeah when my mom was in high school, she managed the track team and at the time he was shot-putting further than any of these guys and they didn't have women's track at the time.
[00:09:56] But you know, both of my parents are yeah, they're they're their specimens [00:10:00] for sure. That is so awesome. That is really awesome. And yeah having your mother display that having your mother display that you gave you that you would like. Oh, that's what girls do that's what we do. We act we run we compete with strong we bet we act strong.
[00:10:15] Yeah, and it was always that way she was adamant about it. And so that was all that I knew and you know, anything else just seems foreign to me. So. I had a real disconnect in junior high when you know that became you know, all the girls were starving themselves and not eating and no I'm Heather's doing Caillou taking resonate with your doing creatine with sugar, you know, and you're like I put on eight pounds this month.
[00:10:41] That's hilarious that really is funny. So you you you fell in love with the process at some point in time. You must have looked at yourself as you started to. Change your body and yeah, well, let me let me backtrack a bit because I'm not I [00:11:00] shouldn't I should ask. I also battled bulimia when I was in my 20s and I couldn't quite grasp the nutrition component.
[00:11:08] So I like the idea of transforming my body and I would add, you know, 10 12 pounds and then immediately drop it in the next three months, right? So I went through about where I couldn't really. I just didn't understand how important it was to feed my machine to basically build the muscle, right? So and I think that's super common with women as well.
[00:11:32] I shouldn't you know, I haven't always known what I was doing with nutrition for sure. You think that's because women struggle with the idea that I want to be bigger and stronger, but once they put on the weight they freak out and they go. Oh my God, I need to lose this weight. Maybe you know for me it was never it was always the scale the number itself even now like I'm bigger than I've ever been right now.
[00:11:55] And I mean I still have striated glutes off season, you know, and it [00:12:00] I love it now, but there are times that I'll look at the scale and go, you know tripod 160. Hmm. All right. Yeah, but is it a funny somebody would look at you at 150 and they would look at a hundred fifty-pound girl. Who's predominantly body fat and you will know you no one would believe you're 150 standing next to that girl, right?
[00:12:20] Exactly and not you know, a size 2 is too big on me at 160. So, you know, it's it's hard to explain to people really but you know, well, do you think so so let me ask you this question. Do you think that you traded bulimia for orthorexia where you know because this. Book bodybuilding bodybuilding is the hardest sport in the world.
[00:12:45] And here's why. There is really no offseason it you you if you want to be a professional bodybuilder. Yeah, if there's no Oxygen are right you you have to stay like you have to keep growing all [00:13:00] year long. There's no like, okay. I'm going to take off the next few months and just party and do what I want and I'll come back in know you'll start where you are.
[00:13:06] When you first got ready to step on stage the first time you like your school. You have to start all over you stay. I've noticed this about you you stay within Striking Distance of competition-ready shape all the time. There's no offseason for you. You don't put on all the weight that a lot of the girls do in the offseason.
[00:13:23] I don't do a lot of the things that the girls do in season or offseason though. I'm really really adamant about the fact that I should be able to build my metabolism through training and diet. And I don't need cardio for that cardio is a tool that I use to diet now. I don't do cardio offseason. And I think it's I think it's ridiculous for anybody to train hard.
[00:13:48] I mean the way that the volume that I'm doing and I'm I almost train twice a day you're around so that in and of itself is quite a bit of work and you know, I [00:14:00] I have to manage my. My nutrition accordingly like my calories have to be high all the time in order to train like that and to have that energy to push if I were to throw pregnant, it's just so counterintuitive to do cardio offseason for me.
[00:14:15] I just I think it's ridiculous and I actually all of my clients. I pulled him off a party of two offseason. That's a real date down just like I do that's amazing. That's amazing. And so it's really I mean it really is logical when you really think about it, I think. People assume that they have to be the hamsters on the treadmill year around like that's part of the stigma bodybuilding like it has to be this, you know, this everything has to be centered around this this modality of suffering and that's not what it is by building should be about training which is a celebration.
[00:14:50] That's that's it's an opportunity. It's incredible every time I go in the gym and I trained eye. You know, I don't want to hop on a treadmill. Yeah, [00:15:00] that's an important thing to make that connection about loving the process maybe even like I love my exes more than the results because I've been derailed so many times that have been if I was results-driven I would give up on this and go I gotta do something.
[00:15:13] Right exactly. So you really love that process. I think that's changed a lot as well with the rise of social media. I think you have a lot of folks in the sport. They're in the sport for the wrong reasons. I don't think that they really enjoy training. I think they enjoy affirmation and the likes and the look at me.
[00:15:35] This is what I've done and this is what I can do and blah blah blah, you know as opposed to actually really enjoying the training at least it makes a joke. When someone puts something average up on the internet, you know, like I did this today because all they want their credit. Everybody wants their credit to me.
[00:15:54] Like like if you didn't see me do it then it didn't count. So right it's kind of funny. What [00:16:00] about so I train out of a very well-known bodybuilding Jam our members project and it's just hilarious how you see the kids come in and they have full on like volts but bringing a camera person in order to film them and I'm and they're doing like a basic, you know, whatever they might be doing like lateral raises or something with pens or.
[00:16:22] And though it's Innovative and oh, let me check. It's just hilarious and we were talking about kids that have probably been training for four or five months which I mean day that they're not on the couch playing video games, but you know, really how many, you know, we've actually gotten worse. So when I raise my kids, you know, I raised I was part of the generation with the people got a participation trophy, right?
[00:16:49] But now it's the worst today. Everybody has their own personal reality TV show going on on some Instagram or Channel where they [00:17:00] record everything. They think everything they say everything that comes out of her mouth is just so brilliant that it's a loss moment. If they don't share it with the world.
[00:17:08] It's funny to me early do with you. Yeah. Yeah funny. It's hot in that. There's there actually is an audience for that. I mean they they're being follow. I know because there's somebody who says somebody who's just slightly more boring than they are that's willing to watch their slightly less boring life.
[00:17:27] There are so many out there. I know I know it's funny. Yeah. So you said something else that I want to pull on for a second? Okay. I watch you train from afar. I watch your Instagram videos. You are a master of kinesiology. I see how when you like like when you want to hit a certain area of your lats you'll do the movement at an angle and shortened and shorten the the the distance that you travel and I watch that part of your latch just literally blow up.
[00:17:59] I know [00:18:00] exactly what you're trying to hit you. You've become a master of kinesiology. His this has been something you girl. You're very observant. Thank you. Well, do you do you do you have you are you following someone else's lead or did you just kind of start figuring this stuff out yourself? You know, I'm a student of the game.
[00:18:16] I followed a ton of different people over the years. My current favorite right now is the hypertrophy Coach Joe Bennett. Do you follow him? I don't think so. I don't think so. He's pretty awesome. There's another guy out of Australia that I really. I can't his name is eluding me right now. And then of course, you know, I mean I've learned through trial and error.
[00:18:41] I mean, I'm trying to I'm trying to win an Olympian. So everything has to be perfect, you know, and it's I'm sculpting my own piece of art here daily. So, you know if I can impart something and teach somebody along the way I mean there were so many years. I was [00:19:00] doing the wrong things and. Just wasn't really focused on the connection, you know, and I'm constantly preaching that in the gym.
[00:19:08] Now, you know, just you know, close your eyes. What are you moving? What are you Contracting? What do you feel? How does it feel blah blah blah with my clients and it's amazing to me how many people like and I'm talking about Pro bodybuilders. I see this every day people are just moving weight and they no idea what they're actually draining and there's no there's nothing methodical about it and you know there.
[00:19:31] Can you have to waste it work out? Well, a lot of times in order to step into that world. You have to go down and wait and that's not something a lot of people want to do. Yes. Absolutely. You know sure that's something that women are willing to do because women don't women don't have the same ego that men do so, it's easier for women to go.
[00:19:51] All I really need is 30 pound dumbbells to do this right and squeeze because I watch you I watch you one day doing. I think it was [00:20:00] pull-downs and I could tell that not only were you doing the rep, you know with a steady Pace, but when you got to the bottom you flexed I can see your chest pop up. I can see your shoulders pop and then you release the game started.
[00:20:13] So, you know, you can't you can't do that when you're using you know, 90% of your one rep max. You got to back down to sometimes 50% of your one rep max to get good 10 good reps out with that degree of time on the 10. Well that and I'm also a big proponent of activation movements before you even start the workout.
[00:20:33] So let's say for instance today is back day. So I'll do some activation movements just to kind of activate my lap and my serratus before I even get going because you really really have to you have to be connected there in order to feel those movements and I think that's that's another thing. And I like to start with something voluminous that's going to get some blood into the [00:21:00] rifle right away.
[00:21:00] That way I get the pump and then I'll stretch between us that's hard. And that's another I don't see people stretching. Yeah, that's again. I mean a huge missed opportunity. So as you as your journey traveled and you started to become more and more muscular, did you start to feel fit shaming did people start?
[00:21:24] Saying things to you that they wouldn't say to the average person that they didn't know. You know, I'm a I'm a pretty outspoken gregarious. Extrovert type of person and I in general people have always kind of backed down to me. I'm also a very I'm an Aries like a hardcore. Yeah, right. I think that strong you have a strong will strong head.
[00:21:50] Right? Right, and I think I tend to intimidate people so. I mean, I've never experienced any of that to be honest with you. I do get looks of course [00:22:00] and that's changed dramatically over the years like it's I was thinking when I see two thousand nine ish. I was my first big show. I did the Arnold amateur and I did really well there and I remember like in that.
[00:22:16] Like walking around town and getting like really interesting look for people often times. I can't tell you know, if it's wow that's amazing or oh that's disgusting, you know, and people will have, you know, they'll literally like they scare, you know, and it's as though they think that you don't see them something course, I would say hello, you know, and they would either look away or you know, make a comment now that's changed dramatically.
[00:22:45] All of a sudden muscle is super cool. And I'm in in particular I get compliments all the time Whole Foods Natural Grocers. Just walking around even in sweats. It's amazing what people can see and I think it's far [00:23:00] better receipts now than it was, you know? Yeah, right I agree. But of course, I'm far more muscular now too.
[00:23:09] So, I don't know. That's a yeah, I don't know. But you're obviously not you're not feeling that because we've done a couple shows with women who have been fit shamed where people were saying things to them, but I think that I also think that you you tell I have a feeling you're very selective with the time.
[00:23:30] In your life that you spend on different things and in certain places and around certain people absolutely because you're not it's not like I'm hanging out at bars right right like that, right? You're very you're very you have a very standardized a approach that you this is what I do I do but I will stay on occasion when I do get out socially, I mean people will come up and they want to take photos and writing autographs and oh you're somebody and get it under the or somebody will recognize me and which is that's kind of interesting too.
[00:24:00] [00:24:00] Honestly, I've never really heard anybody come up to me. And you know, that's disgusting or why would you want to do that to yourself or I've never gotten any of that? Yeah, no, and I'm happy that you haven't to because there's a lot there's a lot there's a lot of stupid people in the world. Let's take a quick commercial break.
[00:24:17] I've got lots more questions. If you want to connect with Heather Grace, her Instagram is at Heather Grace ifbb Pro, correct. Is that correct? Okay, and that's the best place to. Meet her and watch her and if you are looking if you're a woman or a guy and you're looking to see somebody who really lives the life of what physical culture is.
[00:24:40] There's nobody like Heather out there man, or woman. Thanks Carl sit tight. We'll be right back with more stay tuned. Welcome back. We're talking with Heather Grace. She is an ifbb pro athlete and the physique women's physique class. [00:25:00] And so a moment ago you said hey, you know, I'm looking to win the Olympia.
[00:25:04] Is that the endgame for you? You win the Olympia and then is is it just would you just continue to compete? What do you ever see yourself not competing? You know, I feel good. I've had some knee issues over the last three to four years, which I should probably have some PRP maybe some Pro load done.
[00:25:27] After the Olympia this year, but other than that, I'm I'm in pretty good shape Carl. I mean, it's pretty crazy. I've had a very long athletic career. I mean I started gymnastics at for and I just feel like I'm getting better. So I I don't I'm 46. I guess I should be feeling I didn't even realize you were 46.
[00:25:51] Yeah. I just had a birthday. Happy birthday, you know, I mean I took third as you know, the last two until I took this last year at the Olympia. [00:26:00] I took third the two previous years last year was a there's so many mistakes. I just I'm getting better and I actually I just started working with them.
[00:26:10] Are you familiar with a new foot? Tell me more there's so many companies that thought with Nu now do they make the new bag the dumbbells that around? No, not them. No. No, it's. It's similar to a TENS unit, but it's not an opposing current. It's a direct current and they're actually sponsoring me through the Olympia which I will tell you after one workout.
[00:26:33] I see a difference in my legs. I mean it's this thing is a game changer and it's I mean if anything I'll be shocked if I'm not 20% better this year you would like so what we'll tell you more about it. So it's an AC not DC TENS unit, basically. You know, I'm not yeah, I'm not super well versed with it, but it is so what what it's doing for you what it's doing for you.
[00:26:58] Is it improving [00:27:00] an injury or is it is it just increasing it resetting? It's resetting compensatory patterns. So neurologically which is why it's something that you can actually see benefits with one treatment. I'm I'm getting treated twice a week. And we're working on Old injuries. I ruptured my achilles in 2006.
[00:27:23] So that's kind of been an issue that I've had. My entire right side is kind of just problematic but nothing that I haven't been able to manage course. I've developed all these compensation patterns so they can squat 315 even though my foot flexion on my right side is just ridiculous. And I've always Scar Tissue my right knee is kind of jacked up because of it.
[00:27:46] But this device is like it's pretty amazing. Actually. I should I should try to hook you up. I bet I bet there's somebody else where you live. I'd like to find out because I have [00:28:00] I am working hard not to have compensation occur with my left foot. Yeah. It's out of the boot grab my hips are whacked out from walking with one long leg for a long time.
[00:28:11] It's just like so I know what you're talking about. That's it. I would definitely. Oh, it's amazing. But anyway, yeah getting back to the longevity issue with regard to the sport. I mean, I know everybody keeps asking me you know, but why would I why would I stop I mean, I'm I'm getting better. So no, I think no power to you know, I you know, I own so it's almost like there's a lot of artists.
[00:28:38] Let's say let me there's musicians that you and I both know of that they came out. With all their earliest work and then once that was done, they just didn't have the drive anymore and they just disappear and I always say to myself. Well, they really didn't love making music. They just wanted to be famous and once they got famous they they hit their goal.
[00:28:58] You just love making the [00:29:00] music. It sounds like I do I do. I'm not a gym rat. I'm a unicorn. That's funny. I do. I love training. I love sculpting. I love teaching. I love inspiring the whole process. It's it's still a lot of fun for me. And to be honest with you. Even though I recognize I think last year.
[00:29:23] I was the only competitor on the Olympia stage in women's physique that had been there in 2015 and 2016. Okay. So now I'm technically the veteran but I still feel like there's so much to learn and so much to explore. You know, I mean I'm constantly looking and trying to optimize my methods and my protocols and my strategies and I mean why stop you keep Diaries I would imagine right you keep a pretty detailed Diary of everything, you know?
[00:29:58] Yeah. Yeah for sure. Yeah, you can sell those [00:30:00] something by themselves. Do you train regular clients? Do you just train, you know average people who say look Heather. I just want to lose 15 pounds and be in great shape. I have all kinds of clients. I'm actually working with an NBA player right now.
[00:30:14] We'll retired NBA player that just signed a contract for the great three. Are you familiar with that? That's really know. What is that? Yeah, Jason Richardson, he won to dunk contest and a few 2002-2003. I think so. I have like some crazy incredible athletes. I have look good naked clients. I have like a ton of women that.
[00:30:38] Are in their late 40s early 50s that just really want add some curves and muscle and want to feel good and build some strength. I have all kinds of clients. I work with a lot of guys. Do you do distance train? I do have clients that don't live in that don't live in Colorado. Oh, yeah. Yeah, but that's [00:31:00] enjoying my business is online.
[00:31:02] Now where did someone is listening to the show right now goes? Wow, I'd like to work with Heather. How would they go about doing that? Usually people contact me through Instagram, okay or Facebook, or they can email me Heather great sadness at gmail.com, but socials been such an easy platform for marketing in that regard.
[00:31:26] I enjoy it. Where do you stand obviously you live in one of the states where there's legalized? Marijuana, right? Yes. Where do you stand on on marijuana use and an athlete a serious athlete someone who's really like you dedicated work. I'm all for it. I think it's great anything that's going to drop you into that parasympathetic State when you're not training and you don't have to go after it I think is crucial but I'm you know, I'm a big proponent of all that, you know, I meditate I saw Anna Mae supplement list is [00:32:00] long and oh, I'm going to ask you I'm going to ask you about your top 10 supplements towards the end of the sale, so don't worry about that.
[00:32:06] Yeah, I know but it's so I know where you feel like we could have a place because because it's like off time it forces you into off time forces you into relaxation. Yeah. Yeah, what about alcohol? I'm only I've only thing I think I've only seen one picture of you holding a glass of wine and you had like a brown sweater on a something.
[00:32:29] I was like, that's the first time I've ever seen Heather holding a glass of wine. What about alcohol? Yeah. I was home for Christmas. I had a glass of wine with my mom. You know, I've had a again we all have a past. I used to be a big time party girl and once in a while when I decide to go big I mean.
[00:32:47] I'll drink and it's usually vodka origin but for the most part I just I don't think there's any place in my lifestyle for alcohol right now. It's just I mean, it's [00:33:00] fun, but I need my liver. Well, no see I'm exactly the same way. My attitude is that weed has no real Metabolic Effect it can it can drop blood sugar and some.
[00:33:14] Who get a dopamine rise? If you're one of those people who you smoke a little weed and you get paranoid just eat just eat a Hostess Twinkie before you smoke the weed and you won't get paranoid because you're one of the people who the increase in dopamine causes a drop in blood sugar causes a little squirt of insulin and and your blood sugar drops and then you thinking oh man, I should have smoked that.
[00:33:39] I think I'm going to get sick. Something's wrong with me. I just know. Just have something to eat before you smoke the weed that won't happen. But alcohol alcohol on the other side. That is a metabolic disruptor. That is a a neurotoxin that's going to get clients rub your thyroid. I know you're right.
[00:33:57] I know and it's you know, it's just like, you know, we have [00:34:00] these conversations with people about sugar all the time, right, you know, everybody wants to justify what they're doing. But in reality, you know that you are poisoning yourself, so. You know, it's I mean if that makes you feel better while you're doing it, I suppose I'm facing the world championship.
[00:34:17] I can't live that way, right? Yeah, so I wouldn't anyway to be honest. That's just not that wouldn't be part of my life. So yeah a quick drink alcohol is way way different than weed in my opinion. They go to legalize weed and they ought to do away with alcohol or limit alcohol great because you know, the alcohol is what's really killing people of the two of the to me.
[00:34:40] So, let's see here. I have so many questions and I want to I want to try to follow these integrals. So let's talk a little bit more about your support system. So you work very hard and I gave this has to mean that you're a very solitary person to some degree do you but you have to do [00:35:00] you have a support system you have certain people that no matter when you go to them.
[00:35:04] It's like you just haven't been away from them and you feel good about being around. Oh, yeah, I'm blessed to have a great circle of friends and family and I'd say It's relatively tight. I don't have a huge group of have a lot of friends, but I wouldn't say that. I have a ton that I would really confide in.
[00:35:24] But oh, yeah, I put my whole life. I've been very blessed in that regard. Definitely. So but you are a solitary person. I mean unless you're really good about keeping certain. People out of the Limelight. Are you are you in any long-term relationships, Ohio? Can you be when you're this dedicated to a sport like this?
[00:35:43] I'm not at the moment, but I think it's doable as long as you know, I think both parties are working towards something greater. Like I'm just I'm I couldn't imagine dating somebody that would this is going to sound really awful, but hold me back, [00:36:00] right? I just tried why does why does it sound why is it sound awful because you're a woman saying it I know because I'm always I think people think I'm.
[00:36:10] I'm very type A and so I get a lot of that arrogant type of you know, she's very confident blah blah blah kind of feedback. So I just I can't I can't do mediocre in. On any level don't you think don't you think that and in order for a serious athlete like you to be in a relationship? It's probably going to have to be with another serious athlete somebody who understands when you have to be that Island for three weeks.
[00:36:46] Not necessarily. I don't date in the industry. I never have for me. That's just too much. I but I I think it's important to be able to relate to. Another go-getter like somebody [00:37:00] that's ambitious and it may be at the top of their game. Whatever that might be. Okay, but I don't necessarily I think I definitely tend to resonate more with former athletes are folks that have some sort of an athletic background, but I don't think I'd have to get involved with an athlete per se.
[00:37:19] I see a lot of that in bodybuilding that's not something I necessarily looking for. You think it's actually the kiss of death on a relationship, but me it wouldn't work for me. It wouldn't work. Yeah, it would just be too much. So your training you train twice a day in most most people a year round.
[00:37:41] Okay. Yeah, and you okay usually but probably more than not throughout the course of a year you train 2 times in a. Yeah, probably about nine eight. Nine months out of the Year. Okay. So so you get up in the morning. Do you train yourself first before you start training clients? No, [00:38:00] I'm not a morning person.
[00:38:01] I got you a morning workout yesterday and it killed me. Really I prefer to get my first one in at 11:00 with my training partner. And then I usually hit my second one sometime later in the afternoon like my preference if I were able to train any time I could would be five ish. But that doesn't always work with clients.
[00:38:21] So sometimes it happens at for sometimes it happens. I'm kind of a night owl like I'm good with like six seven to really do you did well, I'm gonna ask you about your sleep later. So so those two times a day, how long are you actually training? Are you training for like an hour 40 minutes twice a day or your training long?
[00:38:41] My first workout is usually two hours unless it's arms. Like an hour and I'll do some ancillary work, but we usually go to hours and then occasionally like with legs it's often three two and a half three. There you go recovery time in between, right? [00:39:00] Well, it's just more volume. I don't I don't take a lot of time in between sets.
[00:39:05] I do a lot of super settings. I've just kind of my body's this adapted to it and I've had arguments and conversations with strength coaches. You name it over the last couple of years and I think part of my issues with a so, I would train legs. I've streamed legs up to three times a week and I just would not get sore last year and the year before and it wasn't until I started working with the new fit.
[00:39:32] We started resetting some compensatory patterns that now I'm getting sore with my legs. So if if I'm working with new fit, then I'll take more time. If not, yeah, I'm heading quads three times a week right now. No kidding. Yeah, that's crazy. That's really amazing. But but again, you're not crushing yourself at every workout.
[00:39:55] I would imagine right your Google since you are a [00:40:00] pretty hard. Yeah, man, that's amazing. I'm not I'm not really I mean it's not three hours of minimal weight. That's super status drop sets rest cause it's time under tension. It second-. It's a lot of metabolic stress for sure. I want to take our last commercial break and when we come back, I want to talk more about your diet.
[00:40:19] I want to know about your favorite supplements and I want to ask you about sleep because I know that you know sleep is very very important stay tuned. We'll be right back. Welcome back. If you want to connect with Heather Grace go to Instagram and look for Heather Grace ifbb Pro and there are so many great videos of her training.
[00:40:40] And you'll learn things just by watching how she trained you'll be like, wow, you know, I know what she's trying to hit with that movement now, that's what I need to so pretty cool stuff there. Okay. Let's ask the question. That's a lot on a lot of people's minds. You have any favorite supplements any absolutely I don't skip these These are important [00:41:00] Baseline supplements.
[00:41:02] Yeah, of course, so I'm going to roll through like my basic day-to-day stuff. So every morning I get up and I have apple cider vinegar vitamin C and I kind of just mix this in reverse osmosis water, which is what I drink all the time remineralized of. So glad you said that yes so good if you're going for it all I know and there's no minerals and reverse osmosis water.
[00:41:36] So it sucks the minerals out of your body, but go ahead. I'm sorry, right, so I want to be clear about that and it's so important to maintain hydration and I do electrolytes constantly. I throw sodium and everything well, so I should say. Okay. So in the morning, I do vitamin C. I'm a big proponent of Kratom.
[00:41:55] I do that no questions there. [00:42:00] Well Kratom for Focus or Kratom for the niggling aches and pains that you've developed here and they're creating for Focus interesting. Yeah, I thought so. Yeah, I'm talking I'm thinking what I've learned is using less is actually more for me if I use a gram to. I get focused but I don't feel like I took Kratom.
[00:42:23] I just feel like I'm focused right and that's exactly how I use it. Yeah, I also do my I don't really do a daily vitamin. I do something called potions alive, which is phytoplankton. Hmm and a big proponent there. I do throughout the day. I do a product made by there. Are you familiar with dr. Zach Bush Doctor Who?
[00:42:46] Zach Bush, he's my friend. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, so I do restore before every meal. I've tried it. I tried it when it first came out of it a try to bottle of it and great my [00:43:00] other daily that I do everyday or Boron Mac why Boron boron? Testosterone so explain to the audience why you take Boron and how it affects test.
[00:43:14] From to improve my free range testosterone. So it's actually the it affects shbg. Yes. Yeah interesting very interesting and I would imagine you really want Ira majan. You really watch your blood work very closely. Oh, yeah for sure. I'm actually sponsored by any turkey Clinic locally, which is awesome.
[00:43:35] It takes great care of me sculpted MD. Let's give them a shout out. Yeah. There you go. Yeah. Let's see every day. I do vitamin D fish oil. I'm a huge proponent of this magnesium soak that I just discovered a couple months ago, but man that's been a game-changer this magnesium still delivers [00:44:00] 24 grams of magnesium in 45 minutes.
[00:44:02] And so to explain how do you use it? So it's a flat so you can put it in the tub as well, right? But I do it right before bed because it just knocks me out and along with just a little bit of melatonin. I do a half a milligram of melatonin. Perfect. That's a really that's a therapy that's a clinically proven therapeutic dose.
[00:44:24] And that's why I do it. Yeah, it kills me why your people do five milligrams of melatonin or 10 milligrams and just like Jesus. The only reason the only reason to use higher doses if you're looking for if you if you have some issues. Like autoimmune type issues if you have macular degeneration, which is V is a growing problem in our population.
[00:44:47] I didn't realize that affected macular. So it actually actually so they as they sell a drug that's supposed to keep you from developing macular degeneration and they give it to elderly people today and it [00:45:00] works in some people it doesn't this three good studies that show that 5 3 5 and 10 milligrams of oral.
[00:45:07] Melatonin. Completely completely stopped the progression of macular degeneration. The higher dose actually help to reverse it. Yeah. Yeah melatonin that something that they cycle or is it something? No, you just got lucky. I mean, I've been progressively taking more and more doses a lot higher doses of melatonin as I'm age when I first started taking melatonin, I was actually taking the 600 microgram dose that is considered the one that they did the research on right and then I I was using.
[00:45:38] I was using performance-enhancing drugs and I started having real problems with sleep. I was you know, getting the night sweats and and panic attacks the middle of the night. And so I started to experiment with some really high doses. I mean I've taken and I still do this once in a blue moon there isn't there a night where I think to myself I need 50 gram milligrams of melatonin tonight and I'll wake up in the morning and [00:46:00] feel so good.
[00:46:00] Yeah kind of like because so you're going to get grossed out by this, but I got to tell. There's actually there's actually a 320 milligram melatonin suppository that is given to women who have fibromyalgia and it makes their fibromyalgia go away for like three or four days at a time. Really? Yeah because it's because melatonin is is is one of the most powerful antioxidants in our body.
[00:46:29] And in fact, I believe that it's a more powerful antioxidant than even glutathione. And it goes and it passively makes it into the blood-brain barrier. When you take an oral dose. It can actually reverse the the cell phone damage that you know cell phone cell phone slowly damage your brain. There's evidence that this now melatonin can actually stop that from happening.
[00:46:53] Wow. Yeah, so I'm up to 10 milligrams a night right now, and that's but every now and then I'll go down to three. And [00:47:00] I sometimes the 10 milligram stops working for me. So I go, you know, it's time for me to back down our use three the next night. I'll be like I slept so good that there's a written listening to it and I haven't figured out yet.
[00:47:09] But I just kind of you know, go I remember on one of your shows years ago listening to I don't remember who the death was but you guys were discussing thyroid issues and you had suggested for your guests at suggested doing melatonin at sundown to reset circadian clock, which I thought was really interesting.
[00:47:28] In fact, they reverse your menopause in women at the Madonna Del gratzi Institute for menopause and Italy. Try think what part of Italy it's in. I talked to the doctor. This is going back. This is probably 2005 or 2006. They had done a study there and they showed that women who a mentor react for up to a year started taking melatonin at sundown.
[00:47:56] At sundown and like 30% of them [00:48:00] re-establish their security and got that periods back. What what does it was that out? That was three milligrams. That was three milligrams. Okay. That was the store bought a dose available. Yeah, I bet, you know melatonin. So melatonin is one of those things that like the guy who most likely was on my show talking about melatonin.
[00:48:21] Was dr. Russell ride. From the University of Texas at Dallas and and he has authored over 800 papers on the pineal gland. He finally retired. I think I had about my show two years ago. And I think he was in his early 80s then and he was still teaching if you believe that but at the end to go back and listen to those, I think that's just amazing.
[00:48:43] Yeah, he so he so he I said to him on the air. Dr. Vetter how much Melatonin are you taking now when I met him and had him on my show in 2006 the first. And he was taking 20 milligrams of sublingual melatonin. And the last interview I did with him was probably like [00:49:00] three years ago, maybe four and he was taking 66 0 milligrams of sublingual melatonin every single night.
[00:49:08] Wow, so it's interesting stuff. Maybe I need to know know if that's work if that no no no, no. No, no if that's working for you. Just do that. Well, I ever need the Magnesium alone knocked me out. And I took type of we're also magnesium deficient. Yes. Well magnesium is just you're never going to reach the saturation ever.
[00:49:28] So this soap is just I have all of my athletes using this stuff and everybody loves it. Can you tell us the name of it? Did you say that? What is it called? Let's see. So the brand is it's called living the good life living the pan. Yeah, it's just this woman. It's a really interesting story. I heard her on another podcast learned through health and it was just it was like a two and a half hour long podcast and I've listened to it like three times.
[00:50:00] [00:50:00] Her story is just remarkable. She was having like 30 seizures a day or something. Oh my God started using magnesium and became a normal person again. I mean, it's really just such an important mineral. We overlooked completely and our nutrition is completely void of it. Of course. Yes is our soils are so depleted.
[00:50:22] Yeah. So okay after the Melatonin what else you take sides melatonin, you think anything else for sleep and I mentioned Divya I don't think no no dim for managing estrogen levels. Yes. Yeah. I think that's a really good one glutathione and glutathione. I do B12. Let's see pregnenolone.
[00:50:52] Niacin when I saw Anna and before I drink alone iesson, I don't know what I always thought. I was weird because I like niacin [00:51:00] flush. I look forward to I love it. You know what also dissipates over. Yeah when your body gets accustomed to it, but have you ever saw Anna with my no. No, but I've taken but I've been stupid enough to take beta alanine at six grams and 500 mg niacin tablet the same time when.
[00:51:18] I couldn't I couldn't get out of the car. I couldn't I couldn't get out of the car. I was in the car scratching my ass my back my legs. I was like on fire. I was all red and I thought to myself what dummy would take these two in combination. Will you and I apparently yeah. Oh God, that's terrible.
[00:51:38] Yeah, I love niacin and I think that's one of those it is completely. What would you do? What would I want to stay with nice and just for a second hold on to the liver. So with niacin what's all the craze right now for anti-aging NAD? Right, right. Nick accent nicotinamide e ribose that's a metabolite of niacin your [00:52:00] body produces.
[00:52:00] Its own nicotinic my d-ribose and in your body from taking niacin right actually also heard Mercola talk about. I have another herb downstairs that I do when I saw Anna, let me run downstairs real quick and try to find it, but it's also a precursor to NAD. An ahd right now you're talking about yes.
[00:52:29] Yes. I can't find it right now. But I do that before I saw it as well. Did you say you take desiccated liver I do. Old school you're all school. I know they deliver in niacin. I sure do just it to you do get the stuff from Argentina like the like the old day bodybuilders used forever. I do I'll be darned.
[00:52:55] How many does it take a day that's thing. I know just don't chew it is don't chew it. [00:53:00] That's all. Well I actually do it I do in powder form. So. I'll do that in the morning with my apple cider vinegar and my EAS and my vitamin C. It's pretty disgusting. I just saw it down six ounces of water and just down it that's funny.
[00:53:16] Chug it down get it over with that's so fun. I Feit and then the others are berberine and Metformin probably while you're taking metformin. I mean, do you really think it's going to is it strictly for is it for nutrient partitioning or is it for insulin? So I listened to go here we go with another podcast but this was just recently I heard that it it improves your mitochondrial efficiency, so it's cleaning up receptors which is relatively new stop and I have to go back and revisit it to actually be able to explain it but I really think the Resveratrol is better between you and me but I'm just curious why you were taking it I have that too.
[00:53:59] Yeah. [00:54:00] I think the Resveratrol is to Advocate and what I have, right? Okay. Yeah the come I can't think it's a company in Florida. Right? Uh-huh. Yeah good stuff good progress, but I think that I'm afraid of metformin. I know why a lot of people who and I don't know how long you've been taking it for now, but I know a lot of people who are using Metformin and and they're having lots of.
[00:54:28] Soft tissue injuries. Oh, really? Yeah, I and I think I've discovered ion. We did a show not too long ago, but how. how fibers in muscle kind of adhere to each other and I remember listening when we were doing that interview. This was like I want to say a couple months ago a month and a half ago. I can't think of what the interview was just a side discussion and I thought I wonder if metformin can cause that but that's not that's not the reason why I'm afraid of and I'm afraid of it because.
[00:54:57] I know a lot of people take it and they seem to have to have a harder [00:55:00] time staying lean and I think back to something that dr. Scott Connolly said on my show. He said that metformin not only sensitizes metformin sensitizers all tissues insulin sensitivity including fat and you'll he said to me and he said to me you'll never see a lean person on Metformin.
[00:55:22] Now that that will that will that that's why I'm saying so obviously he's strong there's exceptions to that and obviously it's because of your hard training in your and your diet so nutrition-wise how many meals a day are you eating right now? 67. Yeah, sometimes five I shouldn't say that five to seven just depends on what I'm doing I end up doing seven on the days when I hit new fit because it is that.
[00:55:46] It is that demanding really and I'm just starving. Yeah, it's it's pretty remarkable stuff. And then of course, I increase my carbs and sodium on the days that I have new fit as well [00:56:00] that new fit thing is really intriguing to me. Yeah, I would highly recommend you look into it. You got to send me a let you went after the show.
[00:56:08] I will okay. Even though just to get on their YouTube channel. I mean it's done some remarkable work really, it's pretty amazing David. I'm deathly going to check it out. I'm you know, I'm getting old now Heather. I need every every every advantage in leg up I could get my hands on right now. You know, what's interesting car?
[00:56:26] Like I haven't I haven't really started any of this self-care. So I think I was about 41 when I started this stuff like I wonder what it would have been like had I had the opportunity or had it started it earlier, you know. I think 41 is a good place to start to be honest with you. I think that that's like that's the that's the on-ramp.
[00:56:44] I wish I would have gotten started at 41 as well. But that's the on-ramp in my opinion. You know? Yeah, I think you did it at the right. That's the other thing that's interesting to me about you. And that is your you are up on all the anti-aging and [00:57:00] regenerative medicine stuff like that. It's you're not like a monolith.
[00:57:03] It's not just about. You know physical culture bodybuilding I could really think you know, you're really interested in the science. I know because you and I have can you ask me questions, you know, we've talked about things offline through Messenger. It's like you you get it you understand all this stuff that's going to carry you through.
[00:57:20] It's probably why you're able to be so competitive at the age of 46. Well, I'm. I've always been a very curious person and I always want to know the whys and the how's and you know the answers that are that are out there. I just enjoy it. You know, I'm just that's always what then you know, yeah, are you you have any upcoming events is anything going on at armbrust or anything like that that we need to talk about before we end this interview.
[00:57:52] I need to start to line up some seminars. I really don't have anything on the books coming up. I know you and I kind of discuss [00:58:00] something. I think there's a good I think there's a good opportunity for you to come to to Louisville Kentucky. We have a lot of girls who are in two competing in this area, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and I think we could really fill up a nice size venue with people who would want to hear about you and how you train and what you can teach them.
[00:58:24] Yeah, that would be great. I would love that opportunity. I'm supposed to be going out to India and then that couple of months again. That's an interesting market for sure ra 7 City seminar all things Fitness while I'm looking forward to that's awesome. I've made some really good contacts out there and it's just they're just so curious about Fitness.
[00:58:47] It's really interesting. And then other than that I had planned to compete in. About 12 weeks, but I think I'm in the stage right now where I really [00:59:00] added a decent amount of math. I say over the last like eight weeks and I don't really see any reason to stop that process. So you want you want you want a rotten want to ride that out?
[00:59:10] Because if you started to get leaned out to to for a competition you probably lose most of that, but if you could if you can hang on to it for a while and let it become more of your normal domain so to. All right now on it. Yeah, then you load then you'll own it exactly and then you can lean out and it'll stay there exactly brilliant.
[00:59:28] You're so smart. You really are so smart. Anyway, right a few things from you. Mr. Metabolic currency. Yeah. Yeah metabolic currency. That's funny. I started doing the show. I should start saying that again. It's really been nice to have you on the show. Thank you Carl. I appreciate it. I wanted to do this for so long and you I am so.
[00:59:49] Impressed by you. I watch you from afar, like most of your tens of thousands of viewers that watch you train and I'm thinking man. This girl is amazing. You are truly a [01:00:00] superhuman you're exactly what this audience is all about. Thank you for listening actually. Thank you. I'm honored to be a part of this audience and we'll have you back on and we'll keep people posted as you start to put these the seminars together will start to announce it on the air here.
[01:00:14] Okay, great. Thanks Heather. Thank you Carl. Hi. Bye and so you can go and learn more about Heather Grace by going to Instagram and search for Heather Grace ifbb Pro and add her to your follow list because I learn stuff from watching her and I pretty much think I know everything already. So that's a pretty big ad what sort of admission admission I will look that's it tomorrow.
[01:00:41] We have the ReNew Life RX show and then this Friday the pep talk is going to be about. Penal on and upbeat a lan supposedly. You can reverse aging in a two-week cycle of these. This is from Russian research. A lot of people in the United States a it's [01:01:00] nonsense, but the Russian scientists say, it's legit.
[01:01:03] We're going to get to the bottom of that on Friday this Friday on the pep talks are tuned in and thanks for listening and we'll see you tomorrow.
{/spoiler}
