10 Days Out!
First off I want to apologize to the people that actually used the shout box for the correct reasons. I have decided to take it down since some people can't respect what the shout box is there for. So if you have any questions that you would normally ask on the shout box feel free to post it on my facebook page
With just 10 more days to go this final push will not only be exciting but also very tough. Keep in mind when the going gets tough you have a choice to either give up and live with the what ifs and regret or push through the pain and be confident that all the sacrifice and hard work will be rewarded. My energy levels fluctuate day to day and even though I'm still eating quite a bit of food the no days off from cardio really starts to take a toll on your body. For the past 5 weeks I have been doing 2 cardio sessions seven days a week. Just this past Wednesday it got bumped up to two 45 minute sessions to make sure I get rid of this last bit of fat. What I wanted to touch on real quick is that I'm sure some of you have read that the only way to get shredded and dry is to restrict yourself from sodium 24/7 follow low to no carbs and you can't supplement with creatine mono because it will bloat. I'm here to tell you all of that is BULLSHIT. I eat a shit ton of sodium, lots of carbs, and take 10g of creatine mono everyday. I attest being able to do this by following a high volume weight training program and no skipping out on cardio sessions along with following a meal plan and never missing meals since the start of this past May. My training has been INTENSE through this whole process and I havn't lost any strength at all. I fly out from Nashville on November 6th and I shoot with Jason Ellis on Wednesday, Bill Comstock on Thursday, and Sonny Tong on Friday. The shoot with Jason will take place at a gym in Orange County and on Thursday I'll get to shoot on Venice beach if the weather permits and Gold's Gym Venice afterward! Friday's shoot with Sonny is for commercial/fashion style shots and that will be in OC as well. I'm extremely excited and I can't wait to get out there since I havn't been to Cali in 4 years!
After doing a lot of thinking on where I want to take my career within the fitness industry I have decided that I will be competing again in 2013. Yesterday I registered for the 2013 BODYSPACE Spokesmodel Search PRESENTED BY IRON MAN MAGAZINE. Voting starts November 1st so I'm going to need EVERYONE'S help voting daily to get me in the top 20..I REALLY WANT TO COMPETE IN THIS!! I'll be posting the links up to vote once it starts up! The online voting will be for the whole month of November. If I make it into the top 20 then a judging panel will decide who the top 5 are that will get to compete in person January 19th at the LA Fit Expo. So if that doesn't happen then my next plan of attack will be do decide which NPC Physique show I'll do and try to work my way up to get a pro card this upcoming year. All of that being said means I'm going to keep my shape I'm in now at least until I see if I make the top 20 and then by December 15 they will announce the top 5. If I don't get the opportunity to compete in the Spokesmodel search then I will have a short "offseason" like I was having before my prep for these shoots to gain some size and continue to make improvements to my weak areas and target my first physique competition.
Questions – 9/28/2012
Phill
What's your take on water retention and how can I lower it?
26 September 2012
Tyler - if your not competing or doing some sort of shoot i wouldn't worry about retaining some water. higher carb diet can cause water retention so a way to lower it would be to go low carb. as for sodium the only way sodium will make you retain water is if you restrict it and then have a bunch of it. i don't restrict sodium and your body naturally gets used to the same amounts every day and you will sweat it out
Brian
email
Tyler, do you use or recommend any particular app on the iPhone to log your workouts?
26 September 2012
Tyler - Sorry I don't use any of those. I design my workouts now the day of my workout and I'll just type it out in the note pad on iphone
Paul
Hey Tyler, would you recommend doing 30 - 45 mins LISS cardio 6 times a week?
25 September 2012
Tyler - It depends on what your goals are and what your body fat is before I could recommend any type of cardio.
jason
Tyler, 2 questions for ya. What is L-Carnitine and what does it do for you? Have you ever taken a fat burner?
25 September 2012
Tyler - carnitine will help you use body fat for energy. I use it before my cardio. Yes I have taken a fat burner..I havn't taken one in a while but will be starting one back up next week when I start the cutting process.
“Touch Up” Training
For the past 8 weeks during TMT-PHASE 2 I incorporated a training technique called touch up training. Basically you can use it to bring up weak points to your physique or do what I did and have a little touch up work for almost everything. It was the first time I'd ever tried this out and I loved the results it gave me. I think it's smart to cycle on and off with it but I feel that 8 weeks it a good enough trial period to give it a shot. That is just one of many different techniques you will find within TMT-PHASE 2. Overall Phase 2 allowed me to gain strength and the amount of volume has allowed me to maintain 5 percent body fat!
7.5 weeks out from my upcoming shoots and I'm extremely ANXIOUS! I'm just so glad that I decided to shoot in November rather than wait till the new year. This time of high calories has allowed me to train my ass off and really fill my physique out more. I'm very pleased with what my condition is doing with the only change being that I havn't had any cheats now in 3 weeks. This weekend was great! It all started with a ridiculous 30 set BACK workout on Friday. The 30th set for the workout was dead lifts. I knocked out 315lb for 22 reps. That is a PR for me..most reps I've gotten in the past was 20. I'm tempted to shoot for 30 reps next time I went for a hike on Saturday...ballooned up my Delts and went to the Titan's game today. It was my first time going to a pro football game and it was awesome despite getting burnt all to hell. Once it heels a bit I'm going to get spray tanned in a few days to balance my color back out because right now I have farmers tan
Two more training videos coming this week from TMT-PHASE 2!
8 Weeks Out!
Damn that seems like such a long time away but the weeks are actually going by pretty fast for me now. It's either the older I'm getting time is going faster or the fact that I've been very busy lately which I LOVE. This week my workouts have been INSANE! Compared to last week it's a totally different story. If your interested in following my exact workouts leading up to my shoots I've been posting them daily in the members section blog. I'm never doing the same workout twice. It will be 8 weeks worth of different workouts. I changed up my split a bit to from what it was in Phase 1 and Phase 2. I also start my "cutting" process in about 1-2 weeks and you can follow my diet on my members section as well. It's strange but I'm actually excited about getting started even though I know my cals will drop and I'll most likely be feeling like a walking zombie at times. I've been able to maintain 5% body fat this whole time so I can't wait to take myself to a whole new level of condition and look freaky! Going on my third week of no cheat meals and it feels good. No cravings whatsoever and I've never been this focused. 5 or so weeks down the road my attitude my be totally different lol...cranky, dick head, etc etc hah...I doubt it though..mentally I'm in such a different place now and I havn't felt this good about EVERYTHING in a LONG time! Everyone keep at it! HARD WORK PAYS OFF IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!
Questions – 9/18/2012
matt
ty - i know you dont like anything but fitnes questions, however, i dont know how to contact you directly. i also care about you to encourage you vs. only taking from you (e.g. asking questions). anyway, as you make the final push to the next shoot this is when it is important to buckle down. you dont have much longer...so very very few cheat meals and make them twice a week and very small (e.g. kids meal frm outback cheesburger, fries and salad). that will be better than eating for 45mins. you can do it and you will do it.
18 September 2012
Tyler - I've already cut cheat meals out completely
Mark
Tyler, anyway you can tell us your increases on your core lifts from TMT Phase 2 , I am curious because this program is also to make you stronger. Thanks
18 September 2012
Tyler - for Deadlifts throughout Phase One I was only using 405lb. Just last weekend I did 500lb for 4 reps along with other heavier sets. check out the youtube video. Squats increased by being able to do 315lb for more sets and reps, As for all of my other lifts everything has increased along with adding new muscle. When I started phase 1 I was weighing 209lb and measuring 8% body fat. Now i'm weighing 213lb measuring 4.91% body fat
Laurent
Hi Tyler, do we, members of your site, have to buy the TMT Phase 2, or is it free in the member section ? thanks a lot
17 September 2012
Tyler - Yes you still have to buy Phase 2. Phase 3 has already started and I'm posting my daily workouts leading up to my shoots for members. At the end of phase 3 I will still be putting it together as an ebook and will be available for free download to memembers.
Mike
Tyler, do you use CLA while cutting or is it just a big hype?
17 September 2012
Tyler - I do use CLA. It's nothing magical that if you start taking it you will start burning fat but it does help if everything else is 100 percent (diet,training)
Shaun
I am currently cutting and at week 10 of the TMT Phase 1 and I am looking into TMT phase 2, however I am not sure if it will help with my cutting phase?
17 September 2012
Tyler - "cutting" really depends on 2 factors..how you are eating and the amount of cardio you are doing. weight training programs really don't determine this. Phase 2 the first 4 weeks is strength building but as a whole the program is very high volume still as phase 1 was. Volume training is in my opinion the best way to build a physque
Edmond
Hey Tyler, I'm looking try bulking a cutting phases this coming year when I get Phase 2. Right now I have been using Isopure and I like the results, but since I am going to be bulking I wanted to know would something like Monster Milk be good?
16 September 2012
Tyler - the type of protein you get really is going to be a personal preference. There is a lot more factors that go into nutrition to try to add lean mass rather than just protein choice.
Congrats to my online client Norman!
SO HAPPY AND VERY PROUD OF MY CLIENT NORMAN. HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH ME FOR 8 WEEKS AND HAS LOST A TOTAL OF 25LB! THIS IS JUST ANOTHER REASON I LOVE MY JOB AND MAKES ME FEEL SO GOOD TO HELP PEOPLE REACH THEIR GOALS. NORMAN AND I STILL HAVE WORK TO DO ONCE HE GETS BACK FROM TRAVELING OVERSEAS!
"After doing Weight Watchers for a 1 year and working out with a trainer at the health club I belong to; Ifelt that I had hit a plateau and needed to do something to jump start my weight lost. Just to give you some back story in 2011 I weighed in at 343 lbs and after a year I was down to 270 lbs, but struggling to lose more. I decided to look into working with a different trainer and after speaking with trainers in my area I didn't feel inspired by any of them. One day while on YouTube I came across one of Tyler's videos and was pretty much impressed by his body, knowledge in regards to workouts and his willingness to share this information with the public. I checked out Tyler's blog and read about his own issues with food when he was younger. I was amazed that he was being so open about his struggles and the fact that he was able to overcome all that and transform his body into what it is today.
At this point I figured I would reach out to in regards to him in regards to working with me to help me achieve my weight/health goals. I was a little concerned as to how it would be possible for someone to train me when he has never met or spoken with me. After exchanging emails with Tyler I could tell that I had made the right decision to work with him. From week 1 to week 8 Tyler provided me with detail information in regards to a meal plan that would increase my metabloism and a workout plan that would help me burn fat and build muscles. I won't lie and say that it has been an easy 8 weeks; it is tough to stick to the meal plan and to get up every morning and do the required cardio, but I did it because I knew that if I wanted to achieve the goals I have for myself I had to be dedicated to the plan Tyler laid out for me. I had to put the hard work and time in. During those difficult times Tyler was very supportive and kept me motivated. I am more than grateful to Tyler for all his help over the last 8 weeks and I look forward to working with him going forward. He is the real deal! For those out there who are concerned about working with a trainer virtual let me tell you that if you work with Tyler those concerns will disappear the moment you have a conversation with him.
Also, I want to say that his ebook TMT-PHASE 1 is pretty awesome. While I can't do all of the workouts in the ebook just yet I have done a number of them and I have noticed a difference; especially with my arms. So if you aren't looking for a trainer, but looking to take your workout to the next level I recommend you get Tyler's ebook." - Norman
TMT-Phase One Intro
WITH THE RELEASE OF TMT-PHASE TWO RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER I WANTED TO POST THE PROGRAM INTRO OF THE FIRST PHASE. KEEP IN MIND THAT ALL OF MY TRAINING EBOOKS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN MY MEMBERS SECTION!
For the past 8 years I have tried several different workout programs that involved several different types of techniques. I’ve trained heavy maxing out every week on compound lifts and I’ve trained lighter for more volume. I’m not here to say one way is superior to the other because it all boils down to what you want to accomplish with your physique. Since you have purchased this ebook then your goal is to improve your physique by shaping and detailing, burning fat, gaining size and strength, all while keeping your muscles with maximum fullness. This concept of training with multiple periodization cycles has become very popular recently with other workout programs but NONE are like this one. In order to get the most out of your physique, you have to have maximum stimulation of every muscle fiber you train. The way I have designed this program is the best of all of the different styles of workouts that I have used on my body that are guaranteed to produce results. Your body will be in shock from week to week while you go through each cycle. Our bodies are a lot smarter than we think and if you go into the gym day after day doing the same workouts, just lifting the weights from point a to b with no real understanding of what you are doing then you are selling yourself short. But if you go into the gym with a clear plan of attack and concentrate and focus on every single rep of every single set with multiple styles then your physique has no other option but to respond. In my years as a novice trainee I would always train with an ego and trust me that leads to unwanted injuries that will do nothing but slow your progress and could potentially not allow you to ever train properly again. Leave your EGO at home before heading to the gym. You need to keep in mind that you are there to stimulate the muscle, not inflate your ego. It’s not how much you can lift, it is how you lift and what you are able to stimulate with the maximal amount of weight possible while still performing the exercise as it should be performed.
Questions – 8/30/2012
rudy
Hey Tyler ! sorry for your girlfriend but a new chapter is a big deal in life and i'm sure you'll manage it for the best as usual ! I'm sure at last Cal will be happy to welcome you for the best of your life ! just a little question : Would you tell what are your last complete body stats after the change i can admire on your pics ?? Thanks man and whatever you stay a light in the night for me !
30 August 2012
Tyler - I'm not sure what my full body stats are because I don't measure my whole body for assessments. The measurements I take are. Neck - 16, Waist - 32, Upper Leg - 25, Upper arm fully relaxed not flexed 15.5, hips 40.5. All of my measurements are taken first thing in the morning with no pump and not flexing.
Jon
Hey Tyler! Glad to see you had an awesome trip to Philly before you start the grind to your shoot. Say, I was wondering what you did for food on your trip? I know your gonna map out what you eat in your members section, but I'm wondering more how you packed for it? Like did you just cook up a bunch of food and then check a bag full of it? Just wondering cause traveling has always been a dilemma for me because I want to maintain my nutrition plan. Thanks Tyler! All the Best!
29 August 2012
Tyler - I prepped all of my food the night before. I weighed everything out and bagged them up individually as meals. Packed it in a cooler and used the cooler as my carry on. Trust me it's a pain in the ass but if your serious about sticking to a plan in order to maximize your true potential physique wise you will do what it takes.
Sunny
Hey Tyler, two questions: 1. Is there a difference between different BCAA's, or do they all have the same thing? Are some companies more concentrated then others or have more grams per scoop? Im trying to find a good one. 2. What, in your opinion, is the pre-workout carb food to eat? Ive been having oatmeal but ive been told that does do much for energy in the gym? Thanks in advance!
28 August 2012
Tyler - There definitely is a difference in BCAA's as far as quality goes. I suggest getting a instatized BCAA. I use Optimum Nutrition's plane instatized powder. The cheaper stuff is clumpy and doesn't mix well. As for the best pre workout carb source I would say experiment a bit. I've done a lot of different sources from sweet potato, white potato, white rice, brown rice, oatmeal, and apple sauce. Experiment a bit and see what gives you the best pump and energy in the gym.
daniel g
hey tyler u told me that Micronized Creapure Creatine Monohydrate is good but what is a good brand that makes it and also what is a good supplement for getting super vascular results like veins popping out hanks
28 August 2012
Tyler - Optimum Nutrition is the name brand. Vascularity is a result of low body fat. Genetics also play a roll in how vascular you are going to be once the fat is stripped away. There isn't any supplement that causes vascularity but there are some that can help with increased blood flow but if you still have fat covering your muscles you will never see the veins.
Jesse
Tyler, You drink milk? and if so what kind? And if not, why don't u? Thanks man.
28 August 2012
Tyler - I don't drink milk. Only things I drink are water (2 gallons a day) black coffee (2 cups a day) and my pre and intra workout shakes. Reason I don't drink milk is I don't like it...I like chocolate milk but that has too much sugar lol. I'm sure there are some benefits to having a glass of milk but I don't want the added calories and sugars and fats from milk.
John
Will your new members section include a diet plan for cutting weight? If not could you recommend one?
28 August 2012
Tyler - Yeah my members section will include all of the diets that I have followed. Cutting,Maintence,Bulking, and you will get to follow along to exactly what I'm doing all the way up to the day of my shoots! There will be a forum section where members will be able to ask questions about macros etc to fit them by emulating my nutrition.
Starting a New Chapter
I look at life as one big book with several different chapters that continuously are being written as your life story. As of Monday the decision was made to start a new chapter. I will be moving back to my hometown of Roanoke,VA mid November once I get finished up with my shoots. I need to stay here in Nashville to finish out with all of my in person clients and prepare for the biggest shoots of my life. The reason for my move is that I am now single and the only reason I was in Nashville in the first place was for my girlfriend. Nashville is a great city but it lacks what I'm really passionate about and that is the fitness industry. If my dream was to be in the music industry I would be golden by being here but it's not. Moving back to Roanoke will only be temporary but I look at it as a fresh start. One of my ultimate goals is to eventually end up in Cali. The fitness industry is booming there and I absolutely love it but financially it wouldn't be a smart move right now. I am looking forward to being around my family and friends again since I havn't lived there in about 4 years. I'm very interested in seeing what this new chapter will consist of and I'll be sharing my experiences along the way!
This week was the start of TMT-PHASE TWO CYCLE 2 and the workouts have been PHENOMENAL!! The book comes out September 14th! The concept of this book is heavy duty low rep volume training for the first 4 weeks then higher rep volume training for the last 4 weeks. The goal was to go through a mini strength builder so that you will be able to use heavier weight for the hypertrophy rep ranges (muscle growth). My chest is still sore from Monday and my legs almost gave out of my several times yesterday. At one point of the workout I had to lay on the floor because it is INTENSE! I LOVE VOLUME TRAINING!
Today I woke up at the weight of 214.5lb. After increasing my food last week since I'm still trying to fill out and get bigger I ended up losing weight damnit lol. That's down about 2lb but honestly the number doesn't bother me I go by what I see in the mirror and my progress pictures that I analyze. I'm very happy with the way things are going right now and my workouts are better than ever. I feel my biggest I've ever been and I know I've said this before but I never would have thought I'd be able to eat the amount of food that I am and be in this type of condition. I've never been this size with this body fat level! Only a few more weeks of filling out then I'll go into my cutting phase. Today was my clean cheat day so I had 4 homemade burgers and they were delicious
12 Weeks Out!
I am officially 12 weeks out as of yesterday from my upcoming shoots. I'm weighing 216lb on an empty stomach and my goal right now is to continue to fill out slowly to keep making improvements for the next 4-6 weeks. I've been able to maintain my body fat right at 5% (it's still reading 4.91% on calipers) so as long as that doesn't go anywhere this process should be easier than it ever has been to get camera ready. Once the 6 week mark hits I'll change gears to get super shredded! As I'm writing this I'm doing all my food prep for my PHILLY Trip! This is one of the downsides to this lifestyle because it would be a hell of a lot easier just to eat whatever I wanted on this short vacation. BUT, in order to keep my progress rolling in the right direction I have to make sure I still don't miss any meals and always being prepared will keep me from having to resort to other options. I can't wait to get up there tomorrow! I asked Anthony yesterday what was on the agenda for tomorrow and so far we are planning on training DELTS sometime in the afternoon then heading out for drinks later on that night. Like I said in a previous post this is my last weekend of fucking off drinking wise till I get done with my shoots so I'm going to ENJOY myself and RELAX with good company with a buzz That leads me into a random thought...if you do like to enjoy yourself and party every so often you better make sure to get your ass in the gym the next day as if it was a normal training day. Don't be lazy and use the excuse that you had too much to drink the night before.. there have been plenty of times in the past 8 years of me doing this that I've partied hard the night before and still got some kick ass workouts the next day...or at least I thought they were lol...one example is my most recent trip to Roanoke the arm video that I did with Ben on Saturday I had drank pretty heavily the night before and still worked my ass off the next day...it can be done! This will be my last blog post till Monday and I'll do a Philly Recap! Everyone have a great weekend and train hard! I'll be updating my facebook page several times through my trip!