Now On Stage: David Pulcinella
Diet Guru of The Week!
Name: David Pulcinella
Date of birth: November 26th
Hometown: Phladelphia, Pennsylvania
Career: owner/operator of Pulse Advanced Nutrition.
Sports background: competitive bodybuilder
What do you like best about being a diet coach? As long as I can remember , I was obsessed with how to use food, supplements and exercise to reshape and transform my own body. I spent a lifetime learning various ways to manipulate these variables to cause a specific result or results. Now that I’m doing it for others, I can honestly say that its one of the most gratifying feelings when I have someone who does exactly what I tell them to do, and ends up not only transforming their bodies, but learnng self mastery across the board! Exerting this supreme control over the body is the ultimate high.
Competition history:
1996- n.a.b.b.a. nationals (1st, medium class)
2003- delaware state championships (1st lightheavy and overall)
East coast championships ( 1st lightheavy and overall)
2004- east coast championships ( 1st lightheavy and overall)
2005- i.f.b.b. north Americans ( 1st heavyweight)
2006- i.f.b.b. north Americans ( 1st heavyweight)
2007- i.f.b.b. north Americans ( 1st heavyweight)
What Cardio Type Would You Recommend for Fat Loss and or Pre Contest, High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T) or Low Intensity Steady State (L.I.S.S.)? The best answer for this question is….both. There is no clear cut superior method of cardio..and there are no absolutes. Steady state is great and has its place and time. However, there are times when a person hits a physiological plateau from having become accustomed to steady state and oftentimes, h.i.i.t. cardio will snap them back into further progress. I have clients who respond best to doing a mixture of the 2, steady state on empty stomach on non weight training days and h.i.i.t. on the days they weight train. I approach this on an individual basis as I do all other variables of someones prep. For example, with many of my bikini and figure competitors, the issue is losing fat from the lower body. There are specific cardio and supp programs I use for that in particular.
How do you diet your clients? Using the carb cycling approach, keto?
Again this will vary based on
1) the clients genetics( how they respond to carbs)
2) where they are in their prep ( how far along)
3) their ability to remain compliant with a certain protocol
Ive had clients who go through their entire prep without having to resort to either of those approaches and, conversely , those who’s bodies don’t respond well until I put them on one of those approaches, or a combination of them.
What is your protocol for filing out days prior to stepping onstage? I like to do an extended carb deplete phase with almost an “overtraining” type workout, creating a physiological situation where the body will suck up carbs in intramuscular stores when we carb up. I will also manipulate sodium and water the last 48-72 hours leading up to the show to pull the water from sub q stores into muscle cells. Again the exact protocol varies based on what I see is happening to my clients body as we go. Any good prep coach should say the same thing. For example, with some of my female physique competitors or figure girls, I don’t do any “filling out” at all. It will depend on what they’re looking like closer to show time.
What is the most challenging aspect of dieting clients? Compliance!! I can only help someone who is doing what I tell them to do! And I ALWAYS know when they’re not! Regardless of what they say to me, their weight, bodyfat % and appearance will always tell the true story.
What supplements do you reccommend the most to your clients? I’m a big believer in the basic tools of the trade. A good multi vitamin and separate vitamin c, b-complex and calcium. Also fish oil, niacin, milk thistle, yohimbine hcl, l-carnitine among others. I usually individualize a list of supps for the clients specific needs. Like most things, the supp list will change a few times from the start of a prep to the end.
What is the oddest question you have ever been asked by a client? “Can I substitute canned tuna for canned beef stew?”
Do you also provide training programs to clients? If so, how do you determine the best program for each individual? I definitely like to have control over all the variables when I prep someone. That will include cardio, resistance training, supps, food, etc. I usually ask a client to write down what they're currently doing for their workouts. Then I try to slightly modify what they're doing to make it more effective while keeping them with workouts they still enjoy doing. I find this method works really well for most clients. Occasionally, I will have to completely redo their workouts. The bottom line is that we must do what works.
What formula do you use to determine how many macro nutrients to give each client? There is no formula, in my opinion. There are mathematical “starting points”, but even these can be flawed. Genetics, current work load, specific goal, if a client is using anabolics or not, etc etc. these all play a role in caloric prescription and macro breakdown. In addition, the macro breakdown is not something that’s carved in stone once we start the prep. It will change and evolve as the persons body does.
Do you have clients manipulate water prior to getting onstage? If so how? Water manipulation occurs the last week. It usually starts by “overwatering” the first few days of the final week. This gets the body in a mode of expelling water. The water will be cut out at a time that’s determined by how they look(ie, how much water theyre holding in sub q compartments). Then , depending on how dry theyre getting and how much time we have until stage time, I may incorporate some mild diuretics, combined with specific carbs to pull the water from subq stores into muscle cells.
What is the best way for potential clients to reach you?
The best way to reach me is through my website. www.davepulse.com. Or www.pulseadvancednutrition.com. This will take you right to my website and from there
they can email me.
My client before working with me. My client after working with me.
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