TMT The Blueprints
Screenshot from Members Chest Video!
With only one more day left of 2012 I can't help but take some time and reflect on everything that has happened in my journey this year. What really stands out to me is the past 8 months. I feel that I have gotten back to my old ways and have fully transformed back into my fitness physique that I always wanted when I first started out at 18 years old. That being said the past 8 months has been the most dedicated to the lifestyle I've ever been with consistently doing the correct things EVERY day. My nutrition has been 100 percent along with my training. My training has been better than ever in which it has evolved into a high volume and high intensity muscle confusion approach. Since not making the top 5 of the Bodybuilding.com spokemodel search the decision has been made to compete in the NPC Men's Physique division in 2013. I took a look at the schedule yesterday and there are a couple shows that caught my attention. Competing is what got my foot in the door in 2007 so I'm going back to my roots and one of my goals is to get that pro card! One of my friends Josh M here in Nashville has competed a couple of times so he will be helping me out with the posing and stage presence etc. Right now I'm weighing 225lb on an empty stomach and this is the best condition I've ever been in at this weight. I've taken a short break from cardio (only a week and a half or so) but will be starting that up soon again. I can't wait to see what's in store for 2013 and I hope everyone stays focused on their goals and I can be an inspiration for you to make change and keep training HARD!!
Screenshot from Members Video - explaining pre workout nutrition and mind muscle connection. how to maximize your PUMP!
After releasing my first two ebooks of my own personal workouts I wanted to do this next one differently. I wanted to design something that EVERYONE can benefit from. I've learned so much knowledge over the past nine years of what works and has yielded the best results that I want you to experience my theory and approach to physique improvment. So with TMT The Blueprints I have designed three different 12 week programs. There is a beginner, intermediate, and advanced program. If you are just starting out once you make it through the beginner program you will be able to move into the intermediate. Based on your results and fitness level will depend on how long you will want to stay as an intermediate. Once you graduate from intermediate and move onto the the advanced level then you will be doing my exact workouts! TMT The Blueprints comes out in January!!
12/27/2012 - 225lb ARM DAY
Questions -9/24/2012
Jake
Tyler, what do you suggest to take to keep "regular"? I get roughly 30grams of fiber a day, but for some reason my stool (for lack of a better word) hasn't been getting along with me. Perhaps digestive enzymes or just a laxative? Thanks man
24 September 2012
Tyler - I've had the same trouble in the past when I go very low carb. Try out dieters tea that helped me out a lot. If that does't work for you try using some metamusil every day.
Mike
How long are your cardio sessions and how many times do you do it a week?
24 September 2012
Tyler - 5 days a week for 30 minutes. I either do the incline treadmill walk, stair climber, or stairs out side. Yesterday I ran outside so I might start doing that a couple times a week
Dan
Hi Tyler, when i work out my chest i find that i feel my front deltoids working more than my chest. I have tried pre-exhausting my chest with dumbbell flys and then move onto heavier pressing exercises but i still feel the same. Is this due to poor technique or is it normal as the deltoids are a smaller muscle?
23 September 2012
Tyler - It's most likely due to trying to use too much weight. Drop the weights down and really focus on just the the chest. Once you get a strong mind muscle connection you will start to be able to use heavier weight without feeling it in the majority of your delts.
Will
know you hve moved on, great progress on yoru side, been inspiration for me in getting at the work, more than exercise but really work... like life is all in the same mind set thank you man really
19 September 2012
Tyler - Your welcome! glad I can help!
Incline Barbell Press
I explain the technique that I have been using that has yielded some great overall development to my upper chest. Give this a try! Remember it's not about how much you can lift it's how you lift the weight. Make sure your feeling your chest do the work not your shoulders and triceps. There are several guys at my gym that are A LOT stronger then me on pressing movements but they have no chest development. If your goal is to develop a chest then focus on the mind muscle connection and get strong contractions and don't worry about the weight.
Questions – 7/4/2012
Mark
Tyler, i'm considering purchasing your new e-book and I wanted to know have you noticed noticable improvement in strength from this program. I realize this program will increase muscle size and fat loss but are you also getting stronger? Also will you be having your cheat meal on the 4th of July? Happy 4th of July and keep training hard.
4 July 2012
Tyler - Great question Mark! I'm going to hit this topic from a few different angles. First to answer your question I have made noticeable improvements in strength. It's nothing drastic but every little bit helps. I've been able to use heavier weights on certain exercises with a stronger mind muscle connection. I'm not training solely for strength as I don't believe that causes maximum muscle hypertrophy. So if your goal is solely just to get stronger then this program is definitely not for you and I suggest doing a program geared towards strength building. With all of my experience in the gym for the past 8 years I have learned that if you put more focus on intensity and effort placed on the muscle that is what causes growth. This means that the effort of the muscle is at its maximal capacity, leading to more recruitment of larger motor units and muscle fibers. I do believe gaining strength is beneficial and leads to increased muscle size but there is no way that you can continue to get stronger week after week IMO. Also I wanted to add that my lungs,heart, and muscular endurance have increased significantly. I've never had the muscular endurance as I do now and it will take you going through each cycle twice to really notice a huge change!
Happy July 4th to you as well! and to answer your last question it's nope I'll be having my normal meals...it's just another regular Wednesday for me and I'll still be having my normal carb up/junk food on Saturday.
Chris
Hey Tyler, How have you been cycling your carbs? low days/high day? It seems every time you have a carb up day, the food is somewhat dirty ie, not strictly cups of oatmeal , brown rice, or sweet potato. Do you feel that your body get a better metaoblic boost from the insulin release of the higher GI foods? I believe a person with avg/below avg genetics could not get away with as many dirty meals in their diet and still consistently lose fat at your rate. Fantastic determination and drive, keep the dream alive!
3 July 2012
Chris - Every day of the week is low carb except Saturday. I've carb cycles several different ways from doing 2 days low 1 day high, to 3 days low 1 day high and I've done low all the time in the past. I've found that 1 high carb day a week works best for me and I actually get all of my clients to have 1 cheat meal a week every Saturday too. So to answer your question about people with avg to below average genetics my belief is that if you train your ass off every single week and you are on a fat burning nutrition plan then the cheat meals will no only benefit your metabolism but it will also benefit you mentally. It makes sticking to a lower calorie nutrition plan easier knowing you have a nice big cheat meal to look forward to every week.
daniel g.
email
hey tyler thanks for the reply but why r they determined by genetics and what exercises would u say akiva does
3 July 2012
Tyler - Everyone's ab wall doesn't look the same
Consistent DOMS
2008 - Miami
Today I had another super intense workout and right now I'm feeling zombified sitting on the couch watching this Heat game. So far it's been a good one hope they can pull this one off. During today's workout I filmed my dead lift session and I explain proper technique and show you all of my sets. This workout today is from Cycle 1 of TMT-PHASE 1 and the video will be up by this weekend! What I've noticed throughout this program is that I'm consistently getting DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). If you don't know what that means it's just the soreness you get in the muscle you worked a day or 2 later. This is a clear sign to me that this program is WORKING! Like I've said in previous posts the programs I was following before just felt stale to me and it was rare for me to get sore. I thought I was training hard and intense until I started this. Something else that is extremely important that this program will teach you is better mind muscle connection. Especially in Cycles 2 and 3. The mind muscle connection is something that you can ALWAYS improve on and mine definitely has. By far I'm getting the best pumps and I know every one of you guys will too.
It’s The Details…
I just got home from one SICK chest smash! Today's chest routine is from Cycle 1 of TMT-PHASE 1. My strength has increased since starting my program and I'm sure all yours will to once you start it up yourself! A couple quick things I wanted to discuss on today's post is paying attention to all the details to get as much stimulation out of each and every workout. Each rep is extremely important and you need to have 100% focus on your workout. If your mind starts drifting off in other directions then I guarantee you are not going to get the most out of that workout that you could if you were totally focused. You need to be contracting the target muscle as hard as you can every rep and if that means you have to lower the weight in order to get that mind muscle connection then do it. You will get more stimulation by having a strong mind muscle connection that allows you to get strong contractions rather than trying to lift so much weight that all your focus is on just moving it. That is fine if you want to just be a weight lifter or power lifter but since you follow this site your trying to improve your physique by building and sculpting. This program is very detailed and includes lots of different techniques that will keep your muscles guessing. When your muscles are constantly guessing then they don't have time to adapt and plateau. TMT-PHASE 1 will wake up your dormant muscle fibers and your physique and mind will be pushed to a whole new level.
Tomorrow I'll be filming another snippet from my workout and I'll be putting that video out by this weekend! It will be a more descriptive video where I'll be speaking during it. Everyone stay focused and remember it's the details that matter in and out of the gym to really get the most out of your physique.
Questions – 3/25/2012
Jesse
Tyler, is natural pb and almond butter pretty much one in he same? Im assuming almond butter is a little bit better for you, to get your healthy fats are they pretty much the same? Thanks man.
25 March 2012
Tyler - They are pretty much identical. The reason why I switched was just for a change up in taste. Check out the nutrition contents
Natural Peanut Butter & Almond Butter
Keith
Hey whats your opinion on Multi Enzyme? Does supplementing with them help absorb nutrients? Or is it just b.s.? And have you ever taken them before?
24 March 2012
Tyler - I have taken digestive enzymes before and really can't say I noticed a difference. I'd save your money and spend it on something else.
Mark
It seems like you have made a lot of progress since last year. Recently you have been mentioning your weight numbers on your site. Anyway you can tell us your numbers from last year on your bigger lifts. I know you aren't as concerned about the weight but the mind muscle connection which is important. It's just always motivating to hear. Thanks, keep it up
24 March 2012
Tyler - Well I am concerned with the weights to a certain extent because I'm gauging my strength on being able to hold onto my muscle while stripping all the fat off. What I meant in previous post is that I'm not in there lifting with my ego and trying to do too much weight that my form will start going to shit that's when your risk of injury increases. I do try to use the maximum amount of weight I can handle for the certain amount of reps I'm going for with a strong mind muscle connection. To answer your question about the weight I used compared to now just check out any of those old videos on youtube.com/tylermcpeak and those were all filmed of my last (heaviest) set. For example there was one video I did and the last set which was filmed I used 80lb db's. What I used to do would be first set 60's second set 70's and last set 80's where now my last warm up set is with the 80's and I'll start my first set with 90's,100,100. Hope that makes since. In a nutshell the big change I made once I started working with Hany was trying to push failure with heavier weight each and every set instead of just the last one which is how I used to train all in my early 20's when I was gaining size.
Kyle
Do you take Glycoject after your postworkout Cardio? Shouldnt you be taking it within a 15 minute window after you lift your last weight?
23 March 2012
Tyler - If I do post weight training cardio I'll wait till after my cardio to have my cell kem and glyco. The point of doing post weight training cardio to burn fat is that you've used up all of your glycogen during weight training and once you do cardio you will use fat for energy. Glyco is to replenish glycogen levels.
Questions – 2/24/2012
James
How do you properly warm up for heavy squats? I can do 10 reps of 315lbs, but i feel like my warm up to get there isn't at its best. Should i be doing a few sets with short rest periods? or start my weight low and go up and increments of 50lbs with 10 reps of each set until i get to the 315? Im trying to warm up enough to get my joing and blood pumping in my legs but not so much that im too tired to lift the heavy weight!
24 February 2012
Tyler - That is some good weight your moving right there! keep up the hard work! I always start my leg session off with 5-10 minutes on the recumbent bike. I'll do 3-5 warm up sets before I get into my working sets keeping the reps low though so I don't fatigue resting about a minute in between warm ups. Depending how heavy i'm going that day I'll only do 5 reps or so on each warm up set. Hope this helps...all that being said I usually hit squats now at the end of my quad workout because the mechanics feel better and my knees don't ache.
Chris
Hey Tyler, i've been following Hany's "GET JACKED" program and so far my chest and back days are phenomenal, im getting great workouts from it. My Shouler day however, feels like its not being stimulated enough. It might be becasue of all the isolation exercises that im not used to, im not sure. One exercise involves doing front raises on an incline bench, face down; this is an FST-7 technique as well. I feel like i cant quote get a proper pump in my front delt from this exercise, im not sure what angle the bench should be at and if it should be bringing my arms parallel to my body or parallel to the floor. When i have workouts where my pumps are just "okay", i tend to second guess my postworkout shake consisting of 50g carbs... im on th evogen stack as well. Let me know if you can offer any advice about the Incline bench exercise and taking in postworkout carbs for moderate workout days. Thanks!
24 February 2012
Tyler - First off don't second guess yourself on the post workout drinks. We all have those days where you don't get a good full pump and it kinda just puts a damper on the rest of your day. Happened to me yesterday. As for the incline front raises put the bench on a 45 degree angle or so..most incline are numbered and i usually put it on 4 or 5. It's a great exercise maybe just drop the weight a little and really focus on the feeling going slower with your reps until you get the mind muscle connection down. If that doesn't help I would just substitute that exercise for another front raise exercise and hit the fst with a rope front raise.
andy
Do you do a protien shake after your Cell Kem? What do you put in it?
23 February 2012
Tyler - No..30 minutes after I take Cell Kem and glycoject I have a whole food meal
Yaseen
Hey Tyler can you tell me some examples of your favorite clean meals? like chicken and sweet potato, or what are your favorite sources of carbs and such?
23 February 2012
Tyler - I'll be posting my daily food logs in the members section so you will see exactly what I'm eating every day.
Sunny
Hey Ty, i feel like i cant get proper posture/footing when doing one arm rows on a flat bench, i feel like my lower back gets involved or my back doesnt get stimulated enough, im not sure if maybe my foot is to close to the bench or if i should be bending my knee. Any advice on one arm rows? I'[ve tried to lighted the weight and i make sure im always looking forward.
23 February 2012
Tyler - This will be something you will have to play around with to get the best feeling for you. Whenever I do them I have a bend in my knee is its close to the bench. Part of my members section videos I describe how to properly preform each exercise and where you should feel it.
Randall
When you say supplement hiatus, does that include whey and casein? Or is it just eliminating pre workout, creatine, etc? Great page by the way, looking forward to the members section.
23 February 2012
Tyler - It's just eliminating pre workout,creatine, and the pre and post carbohydrate drink.
Simon
How much water do you drink during your workout? If I am smaller I should drink less right?
22 February 2012
Tyler - I drink about a half gallon during my workout and a half gallon leading up to my workout. I would say a liter pre workout and a liter during workout would be sufficient.
Sam
Have you ever heard of or used "Animal" products i.e. Animal Stak, Animal Cuts, etc.? Do you know anything anout this supplement
22 February 2012
Tyler - I've used the mutli vitamin and the animal cuts before. I used the cuts when I was going through my eating disorder in nyc so i can't give a valid review on them since i wasn't on a proper exercise and nutrition plan. I will say one thing I didn't like about the product was that it had a diuretic in it. I don't think it's safe to take diuretics daily.
Daniel
...a 27 minute-long workout on video? O.K., Tyler, you got me. I going to become a member. Glad to see you decided to create a members only section of your site. You deserve it for all the inspiration and advice you give.give inspiration
22 February 2012
Tyler - Thanks You!
Ash
Hey Ty. ive got such a passion and drive for health and fitness, and really want to get into the field and study it more in depth. wanted to know how you got into personal training, and if you have any advice for the likes of myself wanting to get more involved and persue a career in fitness and nutrition? you're a huge inspiration to me, and get alot of motivation from your videos and articles. thnx.
22 February 2012
Tyler - First off thanks for the compliments...I got into personal training when I was 20 years old. I had gotten a job at a gym being the "house keeping" staff. I cleaned toilets and did laundry etc. I became friends with one of the personal trainers there and after speaking with him this seemed like something I wanted to try out. It took me about 4 months to get my first certification (ISSA) and every two years you have to get continued education courses.
Mind Muscle Connection
2/14/2012
The mind muscle connection makes all of the difference when it comes to stimulating growth and detailing quality muscle. If you are not squeezing and contracting the muscle each rep of each set then you are selling yourself short. The muscle will not respond to it's full potential. You need to be able to feel the muscle you are working do the work not all of your ancillary muscles taking on an unnecessary workload. I believe in stimulating and not annihilating the muscle. This means training hard but training smart. Don't lift with you ego. Training too heavy will only increase your risk of injury and chance of sacrificing proper form. That's just going to slow progress and that's not what we are trying to do. Mind muscle connection is not something you can easily learn overnight and it takes years to master. I've been training now for about 8 years and each year the connection is still improving.
