Dr. Layne Norton is a renowned prep/physique coach, IFPA & NGA pro natural bodybuilder and a professional powerlifter with a PhD in Nutritional Sciences. Layne is arguably one of the greatest minds of the fitness industry today, he has achieved outstanding results with contest prep clients and people around the world.
Layne will be touring to Australia with the Clean Health Fitness Institute in November this year, in anticipation of this we sat him down for a Q&A on all things fitness.
1. How did your journey into the fitness industry start?
Layne: I started to train at age 15 because I was bullied and didn’t get attention from girls. Lifting didn’t fix either of those problems, but I fell in love with it. I loved to train and had a hunger for understanding the human body and why things happened the way they happened. That led me to want to understand the science behind nutrition and training. I entered the industry officially in 2005 when I began coaching people online, but I had been posting on bodybuilding forums since 2001.
2. Who are the two most influential people in your career and why?
Layne: The first would be Dr. Joe Klemczewski. Dr. Joe was my first coach for bodybuilding and encouraged me to think differently and take an evidence-based approach to bodybuilding. The second would be my PhD advisor Dr. Don Layman. Dr. Layman may have not been in the fitness industry per se but he helped shape my critical thinking skills. If it had not been for Dr. Layman I doubt I would be able to analyse, interpret, and relay information as well as I can now.
3. When did you first hear about the Clean Health Fitness Institute and how important is it to you to align yourself with others that can add value to you professionally and personally?
Layne: I first heard of Clean Health Fitness Institute in 2013 when I did my first tour of Australia where several Clean Health trainers attended my seminars. While their pre-conceived notions of nutrition and training may have not aligned with what I was speaking about, I found them to be open-minded and willing to consider different points of view which is extremely important when it comes to being a good coach. If we cannot change our viewpoints based on new data then we are nothing more than politicians.
4. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice now, what would that be?
Layne: Nothing. I don’t regret anything I’ve done because it has led me to where I am. If I had not made the mistakes I did, then I wouldn’t have been able to learn from them and grow. That growth is what enabled me to get to where I am today. I don’t regret any of the failures, no matter how painful.
5. As a coach, who are your two main niches of clientele that you can get results with time and time again?
Layne: Great question, I feel that I get my best results with people who are new to competition and don’t have a long dieting history. All too often I get long-time competitors who come to me who have been dieting for YEARS without much break and their metabolisms are so run down it’s hard to get any fat off without taking their calories super low. I have good results with newer competitors who don’t have that extensive diet history. I also get the best results with women who want to focus on strength rather than aesthetics. Ironically, as they get stronger, their aesthetics tend to improve.
6. What are two key take-aways students will learn from attending your Science of Nutrition Certification in Australia this November?
Layne: They will learn how to properly asses the metabolic condition of their clients and also determine their maintenance calorie range. As simple as it sounds, understanding a client’s maintenance calorie range is one of the most critical components to being able to set them up for success based on their goals, whether it’s building muscle or losing fat.
7. What are two key take-aways students will learn from attending your Training the Physique Athlete Certification in Australia this November?
Layne: The major thing I’d like them to learn is how to determine:
- How long the client should diet based on their goals
- How to make the appropriate adjustments when the client’s progress stalls. These form the pillars for appropriate contest preparation.
8. Tell us one thing about yourself nobody knows or would guess?
Layne: I’m not sure because I’m open about my life. Perhaps some may not know that some of my favourite hobbies are fishing, target shooting, fantasy football, and video games. My favourited video game is Mass Effect 2.
Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to be coached by Dr Layne Norton himself, in person here in Sydney & Melbourne Australia. Places are extremely limited, secure your spot now.
For more information on Layne’s seminars in Australia this November, please click the direct links below:
Sydney Seminars
The Science of Nutrition Certification: SYDNEY 7th-8th November
Training the Physique Athlete Certification: SYDNEY 9th-10th November
BOTH COURSES SYDNEY: 7th-10th November
Melbourne Seminars
The Science of Nutrition Certification: MELBOURNE 14th-15th November
Training the Physique Athlete Certification: MELBOURNE 16th-17th November
BOTH COURSES MELBOURNE: 14th-17th November
For more information on Layne Norton just visit his website BioLayne.
Yours in health,
Clean Health Fitness Institute
