Tyler McPeak

Bodybuilder, Fitness Model

Tyler McPeak wasn’t always interested in weight training, in fact, he’d avoid it at all costs when he was on the basketball team, he wasn’t one for enjoying the sore feeling after a workout.

But things soon changed for Tyler, he became inspired to look and feel better and within a short space of time, he was taking part in Fitness Competitions in Miami and became hugely successful .

But things weren’t all glitters and gold for Tyler, he had his ups and downs along the way. he suffered with eating disorders and lot large amounts of weight. But Tyler bounced back and is now stronger that ever.

This is his story:

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Athlete Statistics

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Accomplishments

• 2007 Miami Fitness Mr. Universe 25th
• 2998 Miami Fitness Mr. Universe 9th

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Biography

Early Years

Growing up in Roanoke Virginia, Tyler was always active and playing sports such as baseball and basketball. Although basketball was his main sport of choice when he was in school. Tyler was opposite to most bodybuilders, he didn’t like lifting weights, he actually hated the sore feeling he’d get after training.

When he was training for basketball throughout the week, he would shy away from the weights room, purposely skipping weight sessions. But it wasn’t until Tyler was on the beach after graduation, where he saw his friend had built a solid body. This is what spurred Tyler on to get back into the gym start lifting weights seriously.

“At 18 years old, 6’3” and only weighing 175lb, my main goal was to get huge.”

With his new found motivation, Tyler started weight training in the basement of his parents home. He read numerous bodybuilding magazines and got “addicted to the feeling of the pump.”It was at this point he fell in love with bodybuilding.

He soon started to see his body change and he became obsessed for more. After a full years training, he found the courage to join the gym. He had to learn many things the hard way, including the importance of nutrition.

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Growing Into Bodybuilding

Not really knowing the right approach to take with his diet or training, Tyler had to battle through a lot of trial and error. Not being one for having a huge appetite. He would ask other gym members if there were any supplements he could take to increase his weight or appetite.

Eventually finding his feet, Tyler started to pack on the weight. When he was 21 he became a personal trainer, at this point, his weight had shot up to 255lbs. But he admits it wasn’t a good 225lbs. Here’s Tyler talking about his diet approach; “I was on a see food diet. Anything I would see that I wanted I would have. My daily food choices were pizza, burgers, and more burgers.”

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Becoming Interested With Competing

Becoming more interested in fitness and the bodybuilding scene, Tyler became interested in competitions, but he thought his 6ft 3inc frame was too tall for bodybuilding, so Tyler went in the direction of fitness competitions instead.

He went to Miami in 2007 and entered the modeling division. He went from 225lbs down to 215lbs. Still not knowing much about nutrition or how much training he needed to do to get lean, he wasn’t in the best shape he could have been. But Tyler still placed 25th out of 75 guys.

He was then approached by Adam Silver a modeling manager who set Tyler up with his very first photo shoot after the competition and asked if he would be willing to go to NY. He was extremely excited, but Tyler didn’t hear anything after the competition so he put it to the back of his mind.

It wasn’t until two months later he got a phone call from Adam, asking os he could be in Washington DC the very next day for a photo shoot. Jumping at the chance he rushed down there and went to work.

Fitness To Fashion Model

Tyler landed the job and decided he would give fitness modeling a try. He moved to NYC in 2008 and again he competed in the Universe Weekend Show in Miami, but this time, he placed 9th overall, a huge leap from his previous competition.

Things started to take a sour turn after the show in Miami. Tyler moved back to NYC and got mixed up with the wrong crowd where partying became his no1 priority. Tyler says “the fashion industry rules NYC.” After realizing there was more money to be made in the fashion world, Tyler decided to make the switch from fitness to fashion.

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Tyler then and now.

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Eating Disorder

In 2008 he switched from lifting weights to endless hours of cardio in order to get thin for photo shoots. With the endless nights partying and eating less and less while being involved in the wrong crowd, Tyler soon started to develop a serious eating disorder.

“Eventually, I developed an eating disorder. Part of my plan of attack to lose weight and get skinny was to starve myself. I would only eat a couple tiny meals a day and would smoke cigarettes to kill my appetite. After a couple of days of starving myself it would backfire on me leading to all out binges. I would eat crazy amounts of food and compensate with what felt like endless sessions of cardio. I fell into a deep depression as this eating disorder went on for several months.”

After seeing his health and his life slip away on the wrong path, Tyler picked himself up and moved to Nashville to get his life back in order. He went back to his “roots” and started weight training again.

“I can truly say that bodybuilding saved my life.”

Healthy Recovery

Tyler’s body bounced back quickly. All of the hard work he’d put in years previously meant even if he’d forgotten the right way, his body hadn’t. With muscle memory, Tyler was in shape again in no time.

For a 6ft 3 inches guy who’s been playing sports and lifting weight most of his life, it was a shock to him his weight dropped to 200lbs. He made a promise to train harder than ever and come back stronger than before.

After making a full recovery, and spending seven and a half moths re-feeding his body with the right nutrients and using the correct training plan, he was back on form. Tyler says this period was the most dedicated he’d ever been to the fitness lifestyle.

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Training

Tyler likes to keep a continuous shock happening in every workout, that’s why he’ll do something completely different each time he’ll go in the gym. If he feels like he can workout seven days a week he will, but if he needs a rest on any given day he also knows when to listen to his body.

 

Tyler’s Workout

Arms/Abs

• Standing BB curls (superset) x3 6-12 reps
• Two arm overhead seated dumbell extension x3 6-12 reps
• BB preacher curls (superset) x3 8-12 reps
• Rope press downs – x3 8-12 reps
• Hammer curls (superset) x2 10-12 reps
• Close grip bench press x2 10-12 reps
• Seated concentration curls (tri-set) x2 10-12 reps
• Reverse grip barbell curls x2 10-12 reps
• Close-grip pushups x2 10-12 reps
• Hanging Leg Raises (giant set)
• Rope crunches
• Oblique floor twists
• Weighted situps x2 to failure

Shoulders/Calves/Cardio

• Seated sideways on bench one arm dumbell lateral raises – 3x 10-12
• Upright rows 3×10-12 (2 drop sets on last set)
• Standing DB Laterals – 30lb x 10 (drop sets)
• Reverse pec dec – 3×12 (one drop set on last set)
• BB shrugs – 3×12
• Dumbell front raises – 3×12
• One arm cable shrug – 3×12
• Standing calve raises – 3×12
• Jump rope 10 minutes

Chest/Triceps/Cardio

• Pec dec – 4×12
• Incline barbell press – 3×12
• Flat hammer press – 3×6-12 one drop on last set
• Decline press – 3×12
• Flat dumbbell fly superset dumbell pullovers – 3×12
• V-Bar press down superset with overhead one arm extension – 2×10
• Run 20 minutes intervals
• Stair climber – 5 minutes level 8.0

Back/Biceps/Abs

• T-bar rows – 4×8-12 2 drop sets on the last set
• Reverse grip pulldowns – 3×12
• Standing DB rows – 3×12
• Seated cable narrow grip row (superset) – 3×12
• Behind the neck pulldowns – 3×12
• Deadlifts superset with straight bar standing pulldowns – 3×5-12
• Standing BB curl (superset) 3×10-12
• Cambered bar rollouts 3×10-12
• Standing Concentration curls (superset) – 3×10-12
• Rope crunches – 3×10-12

Legs

• 10-minute bike warmup
• Leg extensions 3×12-15
• Squats 4×8-12
• Lying leg curl 4×12-15
• Leg press 4×12-15
• Stiff leg deadlifts with dumbells x20 (superset)
• Walking lunges x20
• Seated calf raise 4×12-15

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Nutrition

With his busy schedule and constant photo shoots, there’s no time for Tyler to take and “off-season.” He doesn’t want to gain extra weight and look bloated, this will only slow his progression in his career.

He also has a theory that he feels the human body isn’t designed to go up and down in weight through extremes. He knows how important it is to keep himself in shape and feeling good. Tyler says; “If I didn’t stay lean and in shape all of the time I would be depressed and lose confidence. I’ve been there, done that and that’s not me.”

He eats mainly 5-8 meals per day depending on how he’s feeling. And he won’t deny himself a cheat meal one a week.

Tyler’s Diet

• Meal 1: 5:30am 1/2 cup oats w/one scoop whey, one scoop whey shake
• Meal 2: 8:30am 12 egg whites
• Meal 3: 10:30am 35g whey shake
• Meal 4: 12pm 6oz chicken breast 1 tbsp
• Meal 5: 3pm 8oz skinless boneless chicken thighs
• Meal 6: 4pm 1/2cup oats w/one scoop whey
• Meal 8: 7pm 54g whey shake
• Meal 9: 8:30pm 8oz chicken breast

Supplements

• Whey Protein
• Flaxseed Oil
• AAKG – Arginine Alpha-ketoglutarate
• Creatine EthylEster
• Beta Alanine
• Vitamin C

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Idols and Influences

Tyler takes his motivation from all of the ups and downs he’s had in his life and uses that as motivation to come back stronger and harder, in life and in the gym. His commitment for fitness has grown ever since his comeback and continues to break the mold.

He also finds inspiration from all of the emails he receives from countless number of fans around the world who say he’s inspired then to create a better body of their own. It’s clear to see Tylor has made a huge impact thousands of fitness fans worldwide.

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What we can learn from Tyler McPeak

With ups and downs, eating disorders and an unhealthy lifestyle, Tyler overcame all of his roadblocks and rebuilt his life to what is  now considered the best moment of his life.

What we can learn from Tyler is never to give up. He hit rock bottom at some point in his life but he never gave up his dream to be the best version of himself. Fighting hard to come back stronger than before, Tyler’s now fitter, stronger and healthier than ever.

With the same approach to life that Tyler takes to training, you too can achieve greatness, inside and outside of the gym.