Mike Bernknopf
WPM's Personal Trainer of the Month - July 2011
Interviewed by: Mike Hall
Nominated and photos by: BBPics.com
Being a natural adrenaline junkie, it is the addiction to the endorphins and the results after lifting weights in the gym that led to 24 year old Mike Bernknopf to bodybuilding. He became fascinated with the various exercises, techniques, and diets involved. What seemed on the surface to be a simple minded sport was actually very vast with something new to learn every day. Along with the complexity to bodybuilding he was fascinated with the results it generates and how it is a rewarding hobby to partake in. When he began gaining results, his friends would ask to workout with them. “I would take them on a workout and kick the crap out of them. It was then I realized the beauty of bodybuilding that all those grueling hours inside the gym were paying off tremendously”, states Mike. This kind of self reward is to this day is one of the main reasons Mike went into bodybuilding.
Not only did this lead Mike into bodybuiding…it lead him into a career as a personal trainer.
After graduating high school and attending a local community college for a year, he wanted nothing more than to become a strength and conditioning coach. Thus, he attended Arizona State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Along with his bachelors he currently now has over 4 major national certifications from NASM, NCCPT, NSCA and APEX. Continuing in his education is something he takes pride on for there is more to learn constantly. His personality is what drives him to reach further heights everyday. Being energetic and adventurous, he is always seeking out the best of everything that is put in front of him. It is this trait that helps him live in the present moment.
"...I keep my physique by constantly varying my workouts, staying on a strict diet and keeping the mental edge that I need to keep my body in the best shape it can possibly be in. Never taking my eyes off the prize. I always know in the back of my head what I am striving for and to stay in the game."
WP: Welcome Mike! Could you tell me a story of how you have gotten where you are today?
When I first started lifting weights I was as skinny as they come; at 5’6” at 147 pounds. Mid-way through high school I knew that I needed to do something to increase my athletic abilities. After giving up high school baseball, my father turned me onto weight lifting; starting out with a basic weight set in my room. I got initially hooked and began incorporating it into my life as it became a habit. Through reading further self education I started to develop a huge interest in bodybuilding and athletic performance. I continued on for various years up to the present day, trying different training styles, and doing numerous kinds of workouts and diets. To this day I learn something new every day in the field of bodybuilding and attribute how far I come to those days back when I was 16, picking up a dumbbell for the first time.
WP: Do you have any advice to people that wish to build more mass and/or more cut?
Bodybuilders and athletes alike have to understand that building mass and cutting is almost completely different roads. Breaking it down is something that can’t come from nothing thus, to build more mass you need to be in a caloric surplus while combining compound movements with a high set volume and relatively low reps. It is this combination that creates an anabolic environment by raising your natural growth hormone levels along with testosterone. When cutting, I generally lower my calories into a slight deficit and cater my workouts to supersets involving short rest periods with higher reps. I make sure to always keep an elevated heart rate to help metabolize fat and put myself into EPOC. I use HITT training as well during a cut to help burn off those extra calories and keep my metabolism sky high all day long.
WP: Give me a break down of your diet.
Nutrition, to me, is the most important part of a bodybuilding goal. The saying you are what you eat really holds true in relations to what your body consists of. Whether cutting, bulking or just general health, I tend to keep my diet clean and full of nutrients all through the year. By consuming 5 -6 meals per day I keep my metabolism elevated by putting fuel into my body and giving my muscles the nutrients to grow constantly. Normally, all I change when cutting and bulking is my macronutrient ratio, mainly varying my fats and carbohydrates. When bulking, I always keep my protein high and focus on having more whole foods like whole eggs, steak, brown rice and more complex carbohydrates. When I lean up, I thoroughly believe in carb cycling to tap into fat storages and help burn calories. I make sure to increase my fat intake always when I drop my carbs to keep my energy high.
Breakfast:
6 to 9 egg whites
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 avocado
Mid-Morning Snack
2 scoops hydrolyzed whey protein
1 grapefruit
Lunch
6 to 8 oz. of either chicken, lean turkey breast, or tuna
2 cups spinach leaves
1/2 tomato
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Post Workout
1 scoop hydrolyzed whey protein
1 packet of Waxy Maize
1 tbsp. honey
10 to12 oz. of water
Dinner
6 to 8 oz. of salmon or lean beef
2 cups of various greens
1 sweet potato
Before Bed
2 scoops Casein Protein
1 cup organic skim milk
I always drink 1 to 1-1/2 gallons of water a day to keep me hydrated and muscles full.
WP: Do you allow yourself a cheat day? If so, what is it that you usually eat when you do?
I feel that cheat days are needed based on occasion and if they are kept in moderation in relation to the current diet you are on. A good cheat day can get rid of cravings and give the body that satisfied feeling. However, if a cheat day gets carried away, you can end up wrecking weeks of progress just upon what you consume in a 24 hour period. During my cheat days, I tend to fill whatever my body is craving. Whether it’s salty, sweet or sour, I make sure I eat a variety to release any urges I might have. I use cheat days as a way to analyze my diet and see what I am lacking for cravings are usually signs of a non-balanced diet. Typically on a cheat day I will consume more fruits, yogurt, or have more fats with my meals.
WP: What supplements do you take?
Understanding that supplements are an additive to a diet, I always supplement when necessary. I use supplements base on my current goal and health status. My supplements always include a multi-vitamin pack for general health, omega 3’s for heart and brain function and ZMA’s at night to recover. When bulking, I use a well rounded weight gainer. With clean carbohydrates and fats, as well as, pharmaceutical grade proteins, I utilize it as a way to reach my caloric goal. I also take the Glutamine and BCAA mix to promote recovery and lengthen my workout time. During a cut, I will take Conjugated Linoleic Acid by to increase my body tone. I, then, supplement with extra green tea to keep my metabolism high.
WP: Do you have anyone you can thank for helping you get where you are?
I want to thank my father, Joel Bernknopf for my experience; and thank my colleague, Michael Jodscheidt, who gave me an immense education in bodybuilding. When I was 16 years old my dad introduced me into the world of weights at our local 24 hour fitness in Thousand Oaks, California. He showed me the basics of body mechanics, pairing muscle groups together and how to always keep a high intensity during a workout. By taking me to the gym everyday and lifting with him, I got a tremendous passion for bodybuilding. It was these experiences that lead me to pursue my degree in kinesiology at Arizona State University. It was not until after college that I began to get a deeper education of bodybuilding through my current mentor and close friend, Michael Jodscheidt. I met Michael through a friend and now work with him at Jacked by Jodscheidt, a personal training studio in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was Michael who really helped changed my physique by tweaking my workouts, diets, and by showing me the lifestyle of a bodybuilder.
WP: Talking about tweaking your workout, you look great! How do you keep the physique you have? What is the hardest thing for you to face when it comes to keeping your physique?
I keep my physique by constantly varying my workouts, staying on a strict diet and keeping the mental edge that I need to keep my body in the best shape it can possibly be in. Never taking my eyes off the prize, I always know in the back of my head what I am striving for and to stay in the game. The greatest difficulty I face when keeping my physique is being strict with the dieting. Being young and social while keeping a hard physique isn’t easy when your friends are ordering beer and chicken wings every weekend for football games.
WP: Tell me about your future projects. Have any in sight?
My current focus is expanding the business by educating the public on the benefits of exercise and generating healthy results for all of our clients. Besides my career, I personally want to continue modeling and keep striving to eventually compete in a local competition.
WP: Talking about modeling. I understand you worked with John at bbpics.com. What was it like working with him? Also, I hear you are excited about modeling.
It was nothing more than a phenomenal experience to work with John. John's demeanor, personality, and professionalism are a very hard thing to find in this business. Always being professional when setting up the photo shoots, John made sure everything was in order to make every shot as successful as possible. Punctuality and extreme organization are two very distinct features that I noticed about John. Despite all these features, the best quality about this one and a million photographer is that he treats you like you are apart of his family. It is this kind of environment sets him apart in this field. I have learned a tremendous amount about modeling and aesthetics through John and cant thank him enough for all he has done for me.
I began modeling this spring for the first time of my life. At first, I was skeptical jumping into a field that is very competitive and requires a certain look. After a couple photo shoots, I began to ease into it more and figure out the posing involved with the shoots. Changing my physique for the camera has been a lot of fun for me because I am a goal driven person. Knowing I have to strive for something has given me the ability to take my modeling to the next level. I will continue to model when the next opportunity comes about to me. This will once again give me another incentive to grind in the gym and push my body to a new level.
WP: How did John go over and beyond for you?
John has gone over and beyond for me by keeping me constantly accountable and pushing me to look the best I can possibly look. By being receptive, I was able to communicate what I was looking for as well. He has continuously encouraged me by motivating me with optimism and by teaching me that a commitment isn’t just a priority, but a goal as well. The experience with John is simply one of a kind and is extremely rare.
WP: Give me a sample of your workout.
I typically have an enormous base of workouts that I go through depending on my goal. Changing my split from upper body to lower body days, to specific body parts or just engaging in functional type training. I have learned to currently train in a hybrid state working on power in the beginning of the week and tapering off into more hypertrophy and strength endurance at the end of the week. Generally, I will lift 4 days a week with an extra day of cardio to keep my heart in good condition.
Here is my example split:
Monday: Power Lower Body
Tuesday: Power Upper Body
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Strength Endurance Lower Body
Friday: Strength Endurance Lower Body
Saturday: HITT Training or sprints
Sunday: Rest
Here is the general leg workouts I do through the week:
Lower Body Power Day
Squats: 3 sets of 3 -5 reps
Hack Squats: 2 sets of 6 -10 reps
Leg Extension: 2 sets of 6 -10 reps
Stiff Legged Deadlifts: 3 sets of 5 -8 reps
Lying Leg Curls: 2 sets of 6 -10 reps
Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 6 -10 reps
Seated Calf Raise 2 sets of 6 -10 reps
- Making sure to keep the rest period to about 2 minutes and going slow on the eccentric phase of each rep.
Lower Body Strength Endurance Day
Front Squats 5 sets of 3 reps with light weight for explosive power
Hack Squats: 3 sets of 8 -12 reps
Leg Presses: 2 sets of 12 -15 reps
Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 -12 reps
Lying Leg Curls: 2 sets of 12 -15 reps
Seated Leg Curls: 2 set of 15 -20 reps
Donkey Calf Raises: 4 sets of 10 -15 reps
Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15 -20 reps
- Always keeping rest to a minute or below to keep heart rate elevated and squeezing each rep to maximal potential.
WP: What are your interests outside of bodybuilding?
Outside of bodybuilding, I enjoy anything with traveling and exploring. Ever since I went on family vacations at a young age, I have enjoyed traveling and seeing the world for its symmetry. Whenever I have a free weekend you can catch me either camping, at the local beaches body boarding, mountain biking in the local mountains or just plain old sight seeing for fun. Besides outside activity, I thoroughly enjoy anything that gets my adrenaline going at a high level; whether it is paintballing, water tubing, or skydiving. I have a habit of living on the edge. This habit, believe it or not, has been creating my interests since childhood.
WP: Sounds like you need to become a stunt man. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about myself I would have to say it’s my ability to over analyze everything. I have a terrible tendency to look into things to deeply and sometimes it ends up causing me more stress than good. Any situation or topic I need to know more and more information about in order to fully feel comfortable regarding it. I need to learn to take things as they are and not dwell on them.
WP: Are you married, dating, or do you have kids?
I am not presently married.
WP: Is there anything else you would like to add? Now is the time!
Bodybuilding will always be a passion of mine for many years to come. The complexity of this sport goes beyond what is seen from the normal perspective. I am very thankful and grateful for the opportunity to shoot with John Mitchell at BBPics, be featured in the infamous World Physique Magazine and have a feature on the site. Thank you, guys, for this phenomenal opportunity.
WP: You have been a pleasure to interview! Keep on keeping on!
