Now On Stage: Vic Tringali M.S. CSCS
Diet Guru of The Week!
Name: Victor Tringali
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ate of birth: 3-3-70
Hometown: Malvern, PA
Career: Executive Director Wellness, Drexel University
Sports background: Football, Basketball and Lacrosse
What do you like best about being a diet coach?
It’s nice to see someone achieve their goal and to be part of that process.
I also like to simplify things that seem overcomplicated so others don’t waste time and effort.
Competition history:
I started competing in 1994 then took a break until resuming in 1999. I competed from 2000-2007 at the NPC Nationals with exception of 2002 and was a finalist 5 times.
National and USA Championships finalist 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
2007 Excaliber Championships 1st
2005 Maryland State Overall Champion
2005 Body One Overall Champion
2004 Elite Muscle Classic 2nd
2003 Elite Muscle Classic 1st
1999 Delaware State Overall Champion
1999 First State Bodybuilding 2nd
1994 Levrone Classic 2nd
1994 Back to the 50’s Overall Champion
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.)?
I really don’t believe it 
makes a lot of difference provided the client is creating an energy deficit. That said, I think cardio is overused and overrated by most physique athletes as a way to lean out. So what I recommend is to use as little cardio as possible and rely on diet and resistance training to achieve contest conditioning. If you look at Bodybuilders in the 70’s and early 80’s they achieved very good condition with virtually no cardio at all. Then they realized that adding some cardio would help them get leaner. Of course, like most things bodybuilders and figure and fitness athletes tend to take things to extremes. So now what you see are athletes performing as much as 2-3 hours of cardio every day during the contest phase. I just don’t think that’s necessary and for the most part it’s counterproductive to building and maintaining lean muscle. In my opinion, cardio should simply be used as an adjunct method of fat loss.
How do you diet your clients? Using the carb cycling approach, keto?
I prefer carb cycling. I believe this is a more natural and healthier way to approach contest dieting. I don’t see anything healthy or natural about eliminating a macronutrient from the diet. Especially when performance is critical as it is with resistance training.
What is your protocol for filing out days prior to stepping onstage?
There really are no special protocols although many “guru’s” want you to think there are. If the athlete is in good enough condition- which they should be- they shouldn’t need to do much in the final days. In regards to filling out they could simply increase calories in the form of carbohydrates to add some “fullness” if they need to. Sometimes the athlete looks ready to walk on stage 3-4 days or even a week out. If that’s the case why would you want to do anything different? In my opinion there tends to be too much emphasis on fine tuning in the last week. If you’ve done what you’re supposed to throughout your prep you shouldn’t treat the last few days much different. What I do think is very important is having enough fluids in the body. If you are overly dehydrated from eliminating fluids or using diuretics, no amount of carbs is going to fill you out.
What is the most challenging aspect of dieting clients?
There are two that top my list. First is getting the client to completely buy in and forget the bullshit they’ve heard and done for years. There are so many myths surrounding contest preparation, nutrition and training that you almost need to undo the brainwashing some clients have undergone. Some of the crap I hear trainers tell their clients amazes me. Second, are clients who don’t have a true desire to be the best they can be. I just can’t seem to understand that one. I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way but I am not that interested in working with clients who are “just competing for fun”. If the thought of training and competing doesn’t send chills up your spine my advice is to find an activity that does and do that. When I lost that type of desire I knew it was time for me to focus on something else. Desire cannot be coached.
What supplements do you recommend the most to your clients?
Creatine Monohydrate and Whey protein
What is the oddest question you have ever been asked by a client?
What can I drink that doesn’t have water in it?
Do you also provide training programs to clients
? If so, how do you determine the best program for each individual?
Yes. Programs depend on a number of variables including the client’s goals, training experience, medical history, lifestyle and schedule. If the client is a beginner or has a history of injuries I may also assess their functional movement.
What formula do you use to determine how many macro nutrients to give each client?
Generally, I recommend 2-2.5g protein per kg/body weight. Fat remains around 1g/kg bodyweight. Carbohydrate is the variable that gets manipulated along with the amount of cardio exercise.
Do you have clients manipulate water prior to getting onstage? If so how?
This is where I think people really screw up. If you’re in shape water manipulation should be very simple. In general I recommend cutting fluids 12-18 hours prior to the time of pre-judging. With some figure or fitness competitors I may even have them continue to drink all the way up until pre-judging. If they have to do much more than that they probably weren’t in shape to begin with.
Overall, I’d prefer to have an athlete HOLD a little bit of water as opposed to having too little and appearing small and flat. Again, if you’re really in shape you should still look pretty damn good regardless if you err a little in one direction or the other.
What is the best way for potential clients to reach you?
[email protected] or visit my website www.teamvic.com for more information
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