Tyler Method of Outdoor Resistance Training

Day 1

2012-02-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

Day 1. Weighed 211 pounds this am. At noon I had a protein/carbohydrate drink consisting of 40 grams of whey isolate protein powder, 40 grams of soy isolate, 40 grams of maltodextrin, a long chain carbohydrate powder, and 2 grams of creatine, total calories 480. I intended to train in an hour, this is an example of meal timing to train harder and recover faster. I mix this with water and made the 16 oz of drink at the bottom right. I gulp that down. It has a mild vanilla sweetness to it. Total time, under a minute.

My plan is to work really hard at my diet and training for the next 30 days and document exactly what I did.

At 1 pm I carried the 18 pound ball shown for 51 minutes, changing the ball from hand to hand every couple of minutes as I walk along, which was 31 minutes of the walk. The other 20 minutes I carried the ball on my head with no hands. I remember when I made the 18 ball about 4 years ago it took me 6 months to balance the ball on my head for 5 minutes. The neck and the forearms can withstand and benefit from a lot of work.

At 4:30 pm I ate 500 calories of chocolate candy. A few minutes later I hung for 1 minute by the clock.

Rested 30 seconds then got in the dip position and held for exactly 1 minute.

Rested 30 seconds and got in incline pushup position and held for 1 minute, note on the dip and pushups I am using the Tyler Grips which puts the bar into a perfect ergonomic position. I have healthy, strong connective tissue, muscle mass, and great flexibility doing these kind of holds for time. I am 62 years old and have no pain, which is a gift from God, but I have trained since age 14 years. Anyone, with consistent, well directed training, diet, and rest will drastically benefit over time. I started paying taxes the same year I started training.

Rested 30 seconds and did leverage squats for 1 minute, doing 14 reps. Earlier I cleaned the 100 pound barbell equipped with Tyler Grips and held the barbell in the clean position for 1 minute, which is hard. I plan to have another protein drink before bed. In a while I will eat my main daily meal, my estimated calories will be around 3000 for the day and most of it late in the day. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com

www.TylerGrip.com

www.twitter.com/TylerGrip

ttyler@tylergrip.com

Sore All Over

2012-02-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

Weighed 213 pounds with am. Pictured is the 30 pound Milo bag; I carry the bag for exercise and I carried it 56 minutes by the clock. Pictured is showing one side and then the other. The Milo Bag forms itself on my body very ergonomically as the load is directly over the center of gravity. I carry the bag to the end of the bayou, turn off the timer and take a 10 minute break.

I stopped about 3 minutes and stretched out my hamstrings for 90 seconds, then immediately to a squat position and held that for 90 seconds and then finished my walk. I am seeing solid gains all over; I have been working hard on this exercise for 6 weeks for 2 workouts a week. I will be sore all over tomorrow. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Two Minute Set

2012-02-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

I weighed 209 pounds this morning. The above photograph is a moment before sitting down to a super set of lateral raises followed presses with 15 pound dumbbells equipped with Tyler Grips. My goal is to move it fro 2 minutes. I hope to show it is possible to get a 2 minute upper body pump.

I managed 12 perfect repetitions in 1 minute. The deltoids are designed to raise the arms as shown. I go no higher than the position shown. This took 1 minute, then immediately began the db press, with no rest.

The deltoids and triceps work together to push the dbs over my head; I was able perform 12 repetitions of the press as shown in 1 minute. The lockout at the top of the repetition is very hard. The lats are forced to strongly contract at the top position.

My entire upper body is visibly pumped at the end of the two minute set. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Timer for 2 Minutes

2012-02-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

Weighed 209 pounds this am. I did a set of Tyler Grip dumbbell curl and press. Remember to rotate the thumbs as the dbs go up and down.

I set the timer for 2 minutes and I was able to get 23 repetitions in that time. I concentrate to do each repetition in a strict form as long as possible. Very sore shoulders from yesterday's training. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Farmer's Walk with Dumbbells

2012-02-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

Weighed 209 pounds this am. I carried this 18 pound ball for 55 minutes by the clock. I walk along carrying the ball using first one hand and then the other. I did not carry the ball on my head at all which means the ball was always away from my body making the walk more difficult.

Pictured is me holding a 55 pound pair of dumbbells. Twice a week I will do farmer's walks with these dumbbells for 2 minutes. This is hard but I am on the timer and I know 2 minutes is all I need. This exercise is a tremendous strength and stamina builder.

I try to get one or two protein drinks a day. I generally train everyday for about an hour total, on Sunday I rest. I am very happy with my progress, both in terms of flexibility and strength. I am including some type of squats and lunges most days and my quads and hamstrings are filling out. I am able to continue to do this by keeping the training interesting.

Pictured is me holding the dip position, which I can do for a minute, fighting it down. This is a tremendous exercise to build overall upper body strength and gives me excellent gains especially considering how little time it takes. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

A Hard 2 Minutes

2012-01-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

Weighed 206 pounds this am. The above show the starting position of the dumbbell curl and press. Start the curl with a reverse curl grip. The idea is to rotate the hands as they move up and down.

The mid-point of the curl up to the finish of the curl. From this position start the dumbbell press.

I was able to do 20 repetitions of this exercise in 2 minutes by the clock. The Tyler Grips put the dumbbell in a ergonomic position to both curl and press. The Tyler Grips make the dumbbell a more effective tool. The grips in the photograph have been left outside for 7 years now. The grips will never wear out, even if they are left outside.

My kitchen timer is on the ground which makes a hard 2 minutes easier to take mentally. I got a tremendous pump!!!

Tim Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com www.TylerGrip.com www.twitter.com/TylerGrip ttyler@tylergrip.com

Grip Stamina

2012-01-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

The above photographs are of Joseph Tyler, who weighed about 190 pounds at 6' 4". Joseph uses the Tyler Grips on barbell power cleans and barbell dead lifts. On both exercises the goes for high reps with a heavy weight (which takes tremendous grip stamina). The muscles in the forearms are similar to the calf muscles, both require hard work and time to be their best.

Weighed 204 pounds this am. The photograph shows me in the 20 pound weighted vest and the blue 11 pound ball. As pictured I weighed 240 pounds. I walked for 62 minutes, as I walked along I would exercise with one hand and then the other. The calf and forearm muscles are both well worked. A great stamina builder.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Periodization for every athlete

2012-01-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

In high-school, at the time I remember stumbling upon the sports method of Periodization and how it relates to constantly switching up your focus on training, to avoid repetitive-stress injuries, and to constantly improve upon your weaknesses in training and as a physical athlete. The Periodization method of training was all the rage for a short-while but there are some very solid truths that can be applied to every athlete's regimen, regardless of what your goals are.

We all know that, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.", and this seriously applies to athletes physically, as well as mentally and emotionally. You could have the strongest arm in baseball or have phenomenal leaping ability in basketball but if your overall game is lagging in other areas, your talent could be surpassed by injury or an uneven performance. Both of which, are unacceptable.

Every single athlete in the world, from Weekend-Warriors to Olympic world-class athletes, all have weak areas and strong areas and so an emphasis on maintaining strong points while improving the weaker areas is basically what Periodization is all about. Anyone that has ever been seriously injured in the name of competitive sports can also gain a lot of knowledge from Periodization, and as they say, "Knowledge is power." Getting injured is the worst thing in the world because of you're prohibited movements, you're in pain and you can't lift and train like "normal".

Plus, training intensely keeps your brain full of happy brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin so that's a major bonus as well. More on that in another TylerMethod article in the near future. Let's stay focused.

The main problem I have noticed from personal experience and basic observation over the years is that some athletes will continue to only concentrate on strong points in their competition, thriving on the "fun" of being 'good at it' while shunning any notion of attentive focus on the weaker points.

This is a mistake for several reasons.

Even the strong areas of any athlete can be overused and can eventually suffer a repetitive-stress injury, which is much more prevalent than most trainers or coaches would lead you to believe. Again, we all love to partake in what we are REALLY good at, whether it be sprinting in the pool or shot-putting for an afternoon. While strong points should be built up and further progressed in, there must also be adequate rest and recuperation to increase the potential action of that part of your body or action taken. Otherwise, the increased repetitions in an exercise, because you "like" performing the movement, could eventually lead to a repetitive stress that may result in injury. Getting lots of repetitions is great, but so is getting stronger when you rest.

If there is too much emphasis on one area, more than needed, then small micro-tears in the connective tissue, which surrounds muscle as well as the "foundation", can lead to not-so-micro tears or serious injury. By constantly rotating the areas of your training with Periodization, you are ironing out imbalances and shortcomings in your game while mitigating injuries.

So, what's a red-blooded American athlete to do in order to circumvent such an issue? We must again, give proper rest, but maintain your strong areas of your game, while simultaneously focusing on the weaker areas and the supporting or stabilizing muscles and connective tissue to ward-off potential injury. My buddy Dan Blewett, whom is a brilliant trainer and professional baseball player, has got some really interesting, no-nonsense advice when we recently conversed about the importance of Periodization and injury prevention.

"Pain, soreness and injuries happen regardless of the physical condition of the athlete. What we do when they start cropping up is work around them, paying special attention the the supporting muscle groups as well as any tissues that might provide relief for the problems areas. Bicep tendinitis is a good example. If we suspect, or get a doctor's diagnosis of this ailment, we will avoid overhead movements while still encouraging blood-flow to the area and prescribing exercises that prevent losses while avoiding re-aggravation."

Dan makes a great point that just because you are injured or hurt, doesn't mean the training simply stops or is even postponed, but adapted to the needs your body is demanding. Additionally, there are certain exercises, as Dan points out above, that should be avoided, at least temporarily until the injury is healed. However, some exercises may cause nagging injuries to COME BACK, which is awful and once again, unacceptable.

Adapt your routine to accommodate the most muscle contraction in your workouts possible, while minimizing wear and tear on any sore, or overused joints in your body. Remember to talk to your trainer, coach or doctor if you have any pain or concern over your physical well-being. Health is better than wealth. Always.

Periodization has just as much to do with your strength and lean muscular gains as it pertains to keeping your joints strong and elastic for maximum kinetic energy being stored and released during competition. Neglecting the need for strong joints AND muscles will only prove short-sighted in the long-run. Dan Blewett continues further in our conversation, highlighting the need for specific exercises to combat injuries that may creep up over time while getting into the best shape of your life.

"Once we have built a sufficient base of strength, working around an injury isn't too difficult. If an athlete has knee pain, we can prescribe more posterior chain exercises (almost always knee-friendly) until the problem either works itself out, or we get more information from a doctor."

While training around injuries is very important, as Dan highlights above, the foundation of Periodization has a lot to do with preventative maintenance in young athletes and older veterans alike. While the majority of the literature on Periodization focuses on constantly improving weaker areas in your training to equate to bigger and stronger muscles in the gym, by taking a preemptive approach in your training and constantly switching up the stimuli your body receives, you can also fortify and protect your joints from most injury, keeping you on the field while simultaneously lowering your arthritis chances as you get older. Plus-plus.

Dan goes even further to expose the core reason why we train.

"My model of training first stresses making it to the field - if you can't compete, due to injury, what good is a training regimen, even one made by the world's best trainer? I make sure that we are getting healthier as we get stronger, and we always shift our training to most adequately prepare ourselves for the task at hand. If we're approaching a critical junction, say the start of a season, then we have to re-evaluate and make sure we are working our hardest to make sure the most critical areas are in peak shape. Without 6 hours a day to devote to training like a Major-League caliber athlete, we have to continually monitor our progress to make sure critical areas are covered, and then we can trickle down training to the rest of the body in the most effective and efficient way possible."

Before anything else, we have to be ready to "hit the field" or the court, rink, track or gym. And there's no real way to do this if you aren't functionally strong, flexible and complete with healthy joints that are ready to sprint at top speeds and lift the most poundage, while effectively sculpting your body anyway you want. By constantly switching up priorities in your training, again, while maintaining your strengths, you are enabling yourself to be a better athlete since you are prepared and healthy. And preparation is always the precursor for confidence.

If you are going to constantly bang away at Bench-Press or Squats or Dead-lifts, etc. then you have to know that the human body is so advanced that any "shock" to the training system will force the adaptive mechanisms to kick-in, heightening protein-synthesis, accelerating nervous system efficiencies, just to adjust to a new physical environment. Yes, your brain is wicked-smart.

At the end of the training day, you have to walk that fine-line where you are challenging yourself in order to get bigger, stronger, faster and more flexible but are intelligently using your brain to ward-off any of the negative effects of achieving faster times, higher velocities or even bigger poundage's.

Enough talking. Time to make it happen.

Until next time...train harder and smarter.

Jacob Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/Tylergrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Neck and Trap Development

2012-01-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

Weighed 206 pounds this am. Two days ago I carried these 55 pound dumbbells for 2 minutes and 20 seconds. I have used my Tyler Grips for 7 years and have developed extremely strong hands and fingers. The top photographs show the proper way to pick up a heavy load. Keep the hips down and the head flat and keep that position from the bottom to the top.

The neck is on display at all times. Anyone you see with a well developed neck is without exception extremely strong. As I walked along, gravity is pulling this 110 pounds load straight down. The traps and neck keep the weight up as I walk along. But remember, you can't carry what you can't grip. My neck and trap development demonstrate I have put the time and work in. Nothing can ever replace well directed effort and consistency.

I carried the 30 pound Milo Bag for 65 minutes by the clock earlier. I carried the bag on my head and shoulders for most of the trip. I do not touch the bag on my head as I walk along. This forces me to stand completely straight as I walk along. The head must stay fairly still to keep the bag balanced.

Be accountable to yourself for yourself; all external action must come from the mind and will. Happy New Year!! Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

14 tips to rev up your New Year's Resolution in 2012

2012-01-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

I don't believe in New Year's resolutions.

Namely, because it's more like a tradition highlighting how 95% of my fellow patrons will NOT keep their potentially life-changing goals.

Can you imagine that? If EVERYONE kept all of their "New Year's Resolutions", which largely consist of self-betterment and of course, getting in better shape. Both of which, would be hugely impactful to this great country of ours. In fact, for the last several years the U.S. has spent over $1 Trillion on obesity-related treatment healthcare costs, with no real urgency to reverse the trend with workable solutions. This is such a dangerous statistic and I'm slightly surprised sodas are not taxed, similar to alcohol and cigarettes, or some other "extreme" measure to reign-in the near-epidemic effects of high-sugar and fat diets.

But this is another article, entirely unto itself.

So, if the rest of the 95% of Americans KEEP their goals that we all stencil in our planners and notebooks, then there is a possibility that our country would be 95% better, healthier, happier, more productive, more prosperous and more bold and daring because we all individually have been able to climb obstacles that are sometimes daunting and complex. And accomplishment breeds long-standing confidence, which is the main ingredient in most successes in life. I mean, where would each one of us be if we doggedly pursued our goals and what makes us happy instead of tossing another unmet desire.

And we all deserve to be awesome. All of us. No exception. And I want you to be who you are supposed to be, as fast as possible. And it can and will be done as long as it is truly your choice to be a better you. It's that simple.

Here's how to do it, for real this time:

1) Make a time audit on your weekly routine (i.e. no more watching Dancing with the Stars) and stick to a simpler, less cluttered schedule. For some of you, that means deleting your Facebook profile or refusing to spend entire evenings in front of a television. People with epicness surging in their veins are more interested in doing versus watching other people on a screen do things. The participation in this life should be fully exercised, enthralling the senses with no regrets over wasted opportunities or mediocrity. Now is your time to be better with a logical approach for success. And consistency is the key here, as it is with all progress. The more time you have to spare, the easier it is to be consistent, no matter the goal.

2) Eat healthier. People that eat more lean cuts of meat, fruits, veggies, grains, nuts and the like are healthier and mentally sharper, even as we age. And when our brains work better, our bodies work better, which means better decision making. Even if you already have veins in your arms, tough-guy, your heart could use the usable dose of antioxidants found in that succulent apple in your vegetable crisper. We can all eat better and there's no need to accept that "normal" means being a diabetic or another cancer statistic. Swear off fast-food, and your pants will start falling off while your pockets get fatter. Sweet. But not too sweet like that Sweet potato pie at your aunt's house at Christmas. Arg.

3) Get rid of crummy people in your life. Seriously. I know this sounds a little scary, but it's for your own self-respect, cortisol levels and time-management abilities. People that are toxic, whine all the time or just inadvertently steal large swaths of time in your day should be seriously scrutinized for staying in your social lineup. Time is a precious commodity with no fixed inventory and therefore must be treated with meticulous care. You cannot get proper recuperation while staying focused when you have friends disguised as time or motivation sucking vampires bent on wasting the precious moments we individually receive. All just to whine or have a chip on their shoulder. Yes, life is unfair and we are living in a rather strange time. Get over it. And get back to either being more awesome or getting stronger, faster and healthier in 2012.

4) Set reminders in your email or calender with specific aspects of achieving your goals. Out of sight, out of mind is the main problem with NYR's and fixing this phenomena can sometimes mean multiple methods of reminders such as your atypical sticky notes, or even the tried-and-true writing on your hand. Whatever helps you remember to be consistent. After we draw up our good-intentions on paper, we simply forget about our goals and go back to eating Taco Bell and watching Dancing with the Stars. And this has to be stopped at all costs! Which reminds me...

5) Stop watching TV all the time. I know this sounds absolutely ludicrous to you considering that we finally have TV on our phones, when this was not even possible a few years ago, but it might as well be a cancer that infects your time. Media is everywhere now and that can be awesome but it can also be a distraction and a time-waster in its simplest form. It's easy to lose focus when you spend 3-4 hours a night watching TV. Slothing out on your couch is cool, occasionally, but if your main objective in life is being awesome at whatever you do, then it's much easier to accomplish said actions when you're not losing large chunks of the day to the TV. Watching a good movie or an interesting documentary totally rocks but getting into a consistent pattern of watching mindless television is not the easiest way to have enough time to concentrate and participate in achieving your life's goals. And it makes you sedentary and fat. Weaksauce.

6) Toss out the supplements that don't work. Everyone has their favorite, tried-and-true supplements that have had great results with, but we all know some of the stuff we take at times probably doesn't work as well as we had initially hoped. Toss out the unnecessary items (like stimulant fat-loss pills that inflame cardiac tissue and raise blood-pressure) and add a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement to the mix because joints have to be protected for long-term awesomeness in and out of the gym. As the foundation of being strong, muscular, fast and physically capable, your soft-tissue and joints have to work as well as possible. An easy way to do this is to start taking preventative steps with your joints in your training while ensuring that at least some of your supplement cash gets spent on nutrients and building-blocks that keep our joints strong. When your hurt, there is no way you are going to lift as much, which hampers muscle growth and can cause sleep issues. That's a trifecta of awfulness, which is the opposite of awesomeness. Adding fish-oil capsules is also a good step at keep inflammation low in your joints as well as your heart.

Plus, the amount of kinetic energy that is stored in ligaments and tendons (think the spring in a rubber-band) easily adds to higher poundages lifted and faster muscle contractions for higher jumps and faster sprints. Having rock-solid joints and flexible muscles only contributes to a more usable body, able to be faster and stronger with greater ease.

7) Cut out wasteful spending in your life. The more money you spend on things that don't REALLY matter or actually help you accomplish your goal, means less time for something that could be meaningful. Firstly, you are spending a varying amount of time on activities that no longer have much retaining value in your life and spending money on this same item or service, which translates to more hours at your occupation. This double-whammy on your time allowance garners a hard look at whether you really need that tanning membership or gaming system that only further indents that crease in your belly. Make the right call for a bolder, better you in the new year.

8) Focus on your sleep and the rest will fall into place. We don't get enough sleep in this hyper-fast society we live in, but this is largely due to many of the already mentioned distractions above, which is why this is later in the list. Once you have fewer "bags to hold", you have enough time for what's really important, like getting at least 6 hours so you don't fall asleep at the wheel in Houston traffic with a scalding hot McDonald's black coffee (zero calories-the healthiest thing there) in your lap. Not exciting and not healthy.

9) You need more repetitions bro. So, some of your goals this 2012 will involve certain tasks that seem to be eternally difficult and so therefore, should be jettisoned with all the other failed NYR's. But here's the deal, anything that doesn't spring forth as "second nature" simply needs a few more reps for your individually fine-tuned nervous system to be hard-wired and adapted to the new movement. Plus, quitting just plain sucks. Which leads me to my next point...

10) Choose your New Year's Resolutions wisely. If you don't have the resources (i.e. money) to climb Mount Everest, for example, then set a feasible goal that could ultimately help you in accomplishing your loftier goals, like saving money to eventually get the training, equipment and other expenses to climb the world's tallest peak, while rock climbing at a gym to get in shape. Don't be crazy and too hasty with your goals because when you DON'T succeed in something that was just not feasible it can affect your consistency in future years of self-improvement. Goals, or New Year's resolutions will not mean as much next time if you are overextending yourself. It's all about doing and accomplishment. That's it.

11) Learn more about your goal. People that become experts in their goals find all the small nuances and caveats of success needed in that specific objective, which is a resource for continued success in our daily trek in reaching new peaks in our life. Plus, this keeps your goals right in the forefront of your mind constantly reminding you of what you have dictated to what's really important. The more you know the more you grow in all facets of your life. This is just one of the many ancillary benefits of challenging yourself in a real, productive way.

12) Pick one vice and choose to quit it. We all have our vices, ranging from a simple guilty pleasure of eating icing in the middle of the night to full-blown self-destructive habits that are never conducive to doing anything WE REALLY WANT TO DO. And this is what life is about. Finding absolute fulfillment and joy from lifting weights or painting on canvas, or writing a blog, is at the center of who we are as humans. But since we ARE human, we have to spend just as much time scrutinizing our own areas that fall short and are indeed, a "vice". So, in order to do what makes you happy you have to take an uncomfortable look at what is junk in your life that needs to be trashed. And this is the only way to really change your habits and do what makes you happiest. It's easiest to do this when a "bad habit" is not vamping out tons of extra time and energy, and usually money. Again, I'm far from perfect, but knowing your limitations and how to avoid them is crucial to immediate and long-term success alike.

13) Listen to more podcasts. We all have nominal tasks throughout the day that take very little brain power to perform and these are the perfect times to absorb some new knowledge on some positive area in our life. Additionally, after a bit of listening to your favorite podcasts, you will find yourself with better listening skills at work or socially.

Next time your mowing the lawn or washing your car learn why the Chinese love to sell cheap solar power or how to make the healthiest veggie drinks at home. You may not learn a foreign language while jogging like Eddy Mora in Limitless but the benefits compound over time and can greatly expand your knowledge, while simultaneously riding the bus to work, for example. The sky is the limit only bound by your actions and creativity. Make it happen. And create your path.

14) Ignore the people that say you can't do it. Use this insecure response to motivate and fuel your workouts and consistency in all aspects of your life. By simply redirecting this negative energy that we all seem to be bombarded with whenever we challenge ourselves, we are converting it into something positive and useful (a mental Judo, if you will). And refer to item # 3 when dealing with such sad souls. Pray for the haters and stay focused.

Bottom line, if it's really something you truly desire, then such goals should transcend the traditional NYR and become a life-long commitment to the denial of mediocrity. After all, there is no one in the world that can really influence what YOU will do then, you. Parents, teachers, coaches can all be in your ear to "do the right thing" but as cliche as it sounds, only you can direct your journey and path. And that's what this desire for constant improvement, however small, is all about. It's about being awesome in everything you do and maxing that potential out for all that it's worth and loving every minute of it.

And in 2012, I think you can be awesome.

Do you?

Until next time...train harder and smarter.

Jacob Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Totally Pumped

2011-12-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

I weighed 206 pounds earlier today. Yesterday I carried the 30 pound Milo Bag for 62 minutes. Today I have done a lot of bodyweight training which I really enjoy doing. Jacob came by and I photographed him doing a hard set of pull-ups and a hard set of dips done back to back in 2 minutes. His upper body was totally pumped at the end of those 2 minutes.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

18 Pound Red Ball

2011-12-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

Weighed 206 pounds earlier. I carried the 18 pound red ball for a total of 60 minutes. I walked to the turn around point in 30 minutes, carrying ball on my head as I walked along. Once I was headed back I did a 10 minute set of walking lunges doing 20 repetitions with each leg. I would do one or two lunges then walk for a few steps to recover and do another 1 or 2 until I got to 20 repetitions. I then rested for 15 minutes and carried to 18 pound ball home. I carried the ball over head for 50 steps with one arm and then 50 steps with the other arm. Finally, I did a set of the good morning exercise with the ball. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Keeps Me Interested

2011-12-22T14:59:00.000-08:00

Weighed 203 pounds earlier; I am eating very clean and as little as I can. I do this so I can eat more at the Christmas meal. Home cooking and family time are to be enjoyed. Yesterday I carried the 30 pound Milo Bag for 54 minutes. Earlier today I walked 70 minutes, the walk helps me work out some of the soreness. I am sore every where including my calves, neck, shoulders, but especially the core. There is no way I could even spend 54 minutes in a gym. Carrying a load from point A to point B is exactly what we are designed by God to do. Tomorrow the plan is to carry the 18 pound ball for 60 minutes. I do this type of workout because it keeps me interested. Having trained from a youth up this is the best progress I have ever had.

The photograph is Jacob's right forearm. It takes consistent effort to make the forearms this large. Jacob is 6' 3" and weighed about 210 pounds in the photograph.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Leverage Gravity

2011-12-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

Weighed 205 pounds this am. This triangle is a useful tool for body weight training. The purpose being to put the body into the best position to leverage gravity. Celia finds this a useful tool to develop flexibility and strength. In the last photograph check out the perfectly ergonomic position the hands are in. Although this is a tremendous stretch the joints are perfectly aligned because of the Tyler Grips. A tremendous exercise!!! Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

2 Minutes

2011-12-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

Weighed 205 pounds this am. The blue unit cost $15.00 so far. I am able to get into the dip position and fight it down, the time was slightly over a minute. I was able to hang on slightly over a minute. Total workout time 2 minutes and an instant pump!!!

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Completely Necessary

2011-12-07T11:04:00.000-08:00

I weighed 203 pounds this am. The red ball weighs 18 pounds, the dumbbells weigh 55 pounds each. The yellow bag with the simple handle weighs 30 pounds. I carried the red ball for 54 minutes yesterday; I seem to be recovering from the workouts faster. Earlier today, I carried the 55 pound dumbbells for 1 minute and 50 seconds before failure. I will use the yellow bag next hard workout and will carry it 55 minutes. Today I will walk for an hour.

Keeping the training interesting and fun is completely necessary. I have learned I do better when occupied with a serious physical goal. Carrying the dumbbells, the red ball, and various Milo bags outside and year around is my idea of play.

The idea of keeping my training tools simple is due to the fact humans are designed by God to run, throw, carry, and climb. Remember, the need to do supplemental exercise is not a normal condition of our ancestors. If those living in the old times where not good at these 4 things their DNA would not have made it this far.

Tim Tyler

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Have a Gradualist Mentality

2011-12-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

The past 10 days training revolved around carrying the red 18-pound gravity ball 2 different days, each time 58 minutes, for 3 ½ miles. On the way back I practice walking lunges while carrying the ball. My goal is to keep my back straight and really get down slowly and back up slowly, first one leg then the other, I managed 7 repetitions, which took 5 minutes; I take a short rest after each leg as I walk along.

I weighed 206 pounds this am. Immediately after my quiet time I blended 10 ounces of water, 70 grams of waxy maize, 9 grams of fructose, 25 grams of soy isolate protein, 25 grams of whey isolate, and 3 grams of powdered creatine. I then add 3 raw eggs to the blender and I pulse it once to gently mix but not blend the raw eggs. I then stand over the sink, close my eyes and chug it. I have not thrown this back up but you never know. I then rinse out my blender and take a multi. Total time, 2 minutes. This is a simple little skill to actually get the drink down and into my stomach. Depending on my activity level I drink 2 of these drinks, one in the morning before I go out the door and one an hour before bed with another multi.

Yesterday, I carried the 30-pound Milo bag for 54.5 minutes and 3.5 miles. To the turn around point in 28 minutes 30 seconds, I carried the bag, first on one shoulder, then the other as I walked along.

The first 12.5 minutes and .7 miles the way back I carried the bag resting on the back of the shoulder with the elbow bent, first one side then the other as I walk along. The triceps and rear deltoids burned the hottest, followed by the lats, hands, forearms, biceps, core, hamstrings, calves, and thighs.

The above photographs show me as I carried a pair of 55 pound dumbbells from start to a moment before the drop. I walked slowly back and forth and held on for 1 minute 52 seconds.

The Greek root for the English word “burden” means to carry one’s load with patience. Each time I walk I acknowledge my burden and think back to the 100’s of generations that delivered the DNA that has made me. It is like looking at a beautiful woman in a classic movie and knowing that our day and hour is coming.

The point of the blog has been to demonstrate a gradualist mentality while recognizing we are responsible to God to feed and care for our bodies. Do the best you can each day to stay focused so as to train the mind to train the body. Forget about yesterday, live moment-by-moment knowing this day we can do a little better.

Any kind of farmer's walk is a money exercise. This set is an example of inserting a pure strength workout to challenge myself. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

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Vitamin D Deficiency Study

2011-12-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

By Kimberly Hayes Taylor

NEW YORK | Fri Nov 25, 2011 6:48pm EST

(Reuters Health) - In people with low blood levels of vitamin D, boosting them with supplements more than halved a person's risk of dying from any cause compared to someone who remained deficient, in a large new study.

Analyzing data on more than 10,000 patients, University of Kansas researchers found that 70 percent were deficient in vitamin D and they were at significantly higher risk for a variety of heart diseases.

D-deficiency also nearly doubled a person's likelihood of dying, whereas correcting the deficiency with supplements lowered their risk of death by 60 percent.

"We expected to see that there was a relationship between heart disease and vitamin D deficiency; we were surprised at how strong it was," Dr. James L. Vacek, a professor of cardiology at the University of Kansas Hospital and Medical Center, told Reuters Health.

"It was so much more profound than we expected."

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a range of illnesses, but few studies have demonstrated the reverse -- that supplements could prevent those outcomes.

Vacek and his team reviewed data from 10,899 adults whose vitamin D serum levels had been tested at the University of Kansas Hospital, and found that more than 70 percent of the patients were below 30 nanograms per milliliter, the level many experts consider sufficient for good health.

After taking into account the patients' medical history, medications and other factors, the cardiologists found that people with deficient levels of vitamin D were more than twice as likely to have diabetes, 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure and about 30 percent more likely to suffer from cardiomyopathy -- a diseased heart muscle -- as people without D deficiency.

Overall, those who were deficient in D had a three-fold higher likelihood of dying from any cause than those who weren't deficient, the researchers reported in the American Journal of Cardiology. Moreover, when the team looked at people who took vitamin D supplements, their risk of death from any cause was about 60 percent lower than the rest of the patients, although the effect was strongest among those who were vitamin D deficient at the time they were tested.

The study does not prove that vitamin D is the cause of the effects seen -- other factors, like disease, could be responsible both for the differences in health and the differences in vitamin D levels, for instance.

Previous research has indicated that many Americans don't have sufficient levels of vitamin D, however. The latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated that 25 percent to 57 percent of adults have insufficient levels of D, and other studies have suggested the number is as high as 70 percent.

Vacek said he believes so many people are deficient because we should get about 90 percent of our Vitamin D from the sun and only about 10 percent from our food. The human body makes vitamin D in response to skin exposure to sunlight.

Certain foods, like oily fish, eggs and enriched milk products are also good sources of D. A sufficient amount of Vitamin D absorption from the sun would require at least 20 minutes of full-body exposure each day in warmer seasons, and most people aren't outside enough, Vacek said.

In the northern United States and throughout Canada, experts say the sun isn't strong enough during the winter months to make sufficient vitamin D, even if the weather was warm enough to expose the skin for a long time.

It means that adults should consider getting their Vitamin D levels checked through a simple blood test, Vacek said, and take vitamin D supplements. Generally, Vacek recommends that adults take between 1,000 to 2,000 international units (IU) of Vitamin D each day.

"If you're not deficient, Vitamin D is not a magic pill that will make you live longer," Vacek said.

"Its benefit is in people who are deficient. If you're low, it makes sense to be put on replacement therapy and have a follow-up a couple months later to make sure your levels come up."

SOURCE: The American Journal of Cardiology, online November 7, 2011.

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Pull Your Own Weight

2011-11-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

Weighed 205 pounds this am. The above photographs show Jacob pulling himself up the ladder using only his upper body. In the photos Jacob is a foot off the ground and going up. Most adults cannot hold their their own body weight off the ground. A good place the start is to find something overhead to hang on, like a tree. Keep the feet on the ground and lower the knees as much as possible and just stretch. The key to training success is to train the mind to train the body.

The last photo shows Jacob at the end of the set hanging on until the last moment. Jacob can do this based on doing athletic training his entire life but it must first come from the mind and the will. The trainee must live in the present and learn to pull your own weight.

Tim Tyler
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Overweight People

2011-11-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

Overweight people eat fewer meals than others

More than 60 percent of Americans are obese or overweight, but the relationship between the number of meals people eat each day and the ability to maintain weight loss has remained unclear, she said.

Bachman and her team analyzed data collected in two large studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. One looked at the eating habits of people with a body mass index (a measure of weight relative to height) between 25 and 47, which is considered overweight to obese.

The other study looked at adult men and women who were normal weight (BMI of 19-24.9), about half of whom had lost at least 30 pounds and maintained their lower weight for more than five years.

The researchers found that, on average, the normal weight subjects ate three meals and a little over two snacks each day, whereas the overweight group averaged three meals and just over one snack a day.

Generally, though, "weight loss maintainers" consumed the fewest calories, at about 1,800 a day, compared with the normal weight and overweight subjects, who took in 1,900 and more than 2,000 calories a day, respectively.

Weight loss maintainers also were the most physically active of the three groups, Bachman said, burning off about 3,000 calories a week through exercise and other activities, compared to 2,000 calories a week among the normal weight subjects and 800 calories a week in the overweight group.

The results, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, suggest that weight loss maintainers intentionally do more to keep from regaining extra pounds, Bachman said.

"It appears that being extremely physically active and eating more often helps them keep the weight off," she said. "Most commonly, they were walking at least 60 minutes a day seven days a week."

Bachman believes her study is the first to compare eating frequencies among successful weight loss maintainers, other normal weight people and those who are overweight.

She speculates that snacking might help prevent weight gain by staving off intense hunger.

"If you eat more often, it stops you from getting too hungry," Bachman said. "If you wait 10 hours after you've last eaten, you end up eating a lot more food. If you sit down and you're really hungry, you also tend to eat more calories."

More research is needed, Bachman added, because the reasons that eating more often tends to be associated with having a lower BMI are still unclear.

"This is kind of research as a baseline, and from there we can develop some hypotheses," Bachman said. "Weight loss maintainers are a new group that really is starting to get a lot of attention. The idea is to find out what they are doing, and get other people to do the same thing."

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/rR7jcN Journal of the American Dietetic Association, November 2011.

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60 Seconds

2011-11-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Weighed 206 pounds this am. Earlier today, I held onto the top pegs of Jacob's ladder for 60 seconds by the clock and that set was to failure.

My food intake goes down: yesterday 100 grams whey isolate and soy isolate mix, with six raw eggs, and 140 grams of the wm. This was two blender's full, mixed seperately through the day. I ate one big regular food meal, spread out over the evening. I am eating less sugar. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

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Gymnastic Training

2011-11-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

Weighed 207 pounds this am. The above shows my back after this brief 3 minute workout.

Doing the hangs and the dips closely resembles doing gymnastic training because both are done off the ground using only ones body weight. Earlier today, I carried the 18 pound ball for 60 minutes. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler
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Allowing Gravity

2011-11-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

I weighed 204 pounds this morning. I was able to hang on for 2 minutes up top; it is tremendously productive hanging and allowing gravity to align the skeleton and muscles. The bottom photos show me fighting it down on the dips, it took me a minute to go from top to bottom.

Tim Tyler
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Logic Regarding Raw Eggs

2011-11-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

Weighed 205 pounds this morning. The above photograph shows how I carried the 18 pound ball yesterday; first one hand, then the other, as I walked along. This is the easiest way to carry the ball without using the body to rest the ball against. I carried the ball this way for about 30 minutes spread out over the 58 minutes. As the ball is in this position I will rotate the thumb back and forth thereby contracting and stretching the bicep, but I did that just part of the time as it really burns after 10 reps or so.

This photograph shows how I carried the 18 pound for about 6 minutes, first one hand then the other as I walked along. Note the position of the elbow away from the body and slightly up. This forces the fingers, wrists, forearms, biceps, lats, and traps to pull as a unit to keep the ball away from the body as I walk along. My biceps are hard to make sore but the right bicep is sore today. I expected to be sore all over when I awakened and I am.

Yesterday, I had one 4 raw egg meal, and a protein drink immediately before training with 50 grams of protein and 70 grams of waxy maize carbs. I had a excellent workout and had a ton of energy. In the evening I ate about 1/3 pound of barbecued pork ribs spread out over the evening.

So, in looking over the various raw egg articles, some say the egg should be heated and some say raw is the way to go. My logic regarding raw eggs is 1. I have eaten many raw eggs over the years and have not once been made ill by doing so. 2. I wash all 4 eggs off with drop of dish detergent and water, any bacteria on the outside of the shell is history. 3. The Creator obviously made chickens to lay eggs so humans could eat them raw in order to survive. Over the past 4 thousand years of human history literally trillions of raw eggs have been eaten by human beings. 4. I can wash the 4 eggs and eat the 4 eggs in less than a minute. 5. A large raw egg is 70 calories and loaded with the good and natural fat and the highest quality protein, plus natural vitamins and minerals that men and women need to be vigorous sexually. Eat a dozen raw eggs the day before and you will see this is the case.

Tim Tyler

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2 Workouts at Once

2011-11-11T14:15:00.000-08:00

Weighed 205 pounds this morning. Yesterday, I ate two raw egg meals, 4 eggs each meal. Also 2 small protein powder meals with 50 grams protein each meal. Immediately after my workout yesterday I added 105 grams of the waxy maize powder with the 50 grams of protein powder. I do not feel hungry at anytime during the day and my insatiable craving for simple sugars is way down.

The red ball on my head weighs 18 pounds. I am able to walk along with the ball on my head without touching the ball ever. I also jogged up and down the sides of the bayou without touching it. Two days ago I carried the 70 pound Milo Bag on my head, without touching it for 3 minutes. Excellent for posture, coordination, and a excellent calf builder. I carried the ball for 58 minutes today. I get 2 workouts at once.

This carry really stretches and strengthens the deltoid/lat area.

Above is the squat position. The 18 pounds on top of my head pushes me down into a low squat position thereby stretching and strengthening the legs, hips, and core.

Swinging the 18 pound ball back and forth; this makes for a natural feel and a dynamic hamstring stretch. Photos by Celia.

Tim Tyler

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Whey Isolate vs. Soy Isolate

2011-11-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

Whey vs. Soy -- You've Been Tricked

Source: Elite Fitness: Online Bodybuilding Magazine

If you remember many years ago, weight gainers were the big thing and protein powders were out! Then, in like a storm came the "low calorie" weight gainers (yeah right!) and the criticism of the high calorie diet. Right after this came the inundation of whey protein. Here's the trend: promote something, then dispel it, promote it again, then dispel it. This way, the supplement companies always have something "new" to bring to the market. I predict that soon, there will be a resurgence in the high calorie diet. I'm sure it will be slightly modified, but a high calorie diet nonetheless.

Most supplement companies do not really care what the truth about supplements really is -- they will promote what is "hot". Translation: what has the lowest production costs, and the greatest money-making potential. Back to protein powders -- is whey really the king protein? And are you getting what you pay for? The answer is that you've been misled again.

In this issue of Elite Fitness News, we'll take a close look at whey protein and how it compares to other proteins -- soy protein in particular. We'll look at how in many ways it is not the superior protein that the bodybuilding magazines would lead you to believe. We'll look at the following:

1. BV vs PDCAAS BV (Biological Value) vs PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score).

2. A brief history of Soy-Protein Isolate.

3. Soy Protein Isolate put to the Test

4. Glutamine: Which protein has the most.

5. Protein Concentrate vs. Protein Isolate

6. Soy Protein Isolate for body-builders

7. Soy Protein Isolate for Dieters

8. The Health Benefits of Soy Isolate

I guarantee that after reading this newsletter, you'll never look at proteins the same way again. I also guarantee that the information in this letter will save you money and help you get closer to finding the ultimate protein source for building a hard lean muscular physique.

If you read any of the bodybuilding magazines for the last few years now, it is hard not to notice the concerted effort that the publishers have made to push whey protein as bodybuilding's superior protein source. You've seen the claims and the hype, "biological value of 168--over 50% better that egg protein," "ion-exchanged," "richest source of glutamine," and the list goes on and on. What many bodybuilders do not realize, is that this hype is just that - hype. Much of what you have heard about whey's superiority as a protein source is just plain untrue. Let's take a closer look.

Most people do not realize whey protein's humble origins. Originally, whey was a by-product of cheese production. Cheese is mostly fat and casein. In the cheese making process, whey was a left over by-product, and it was simply poured down the drain. Now, that was some time ago - back then, the manufacturers thought, wouldn't it be nice if we could find a way to sell the waste and make some money out of it. And the stuff was cheap as could be. Maybe they thought, "we'll sell it to bodybuilders! They'll eat (believe) anything." And the rest is history.

History has repeated itself for the other sources of protein as well, when eggs were cheap, they were the preferred protein, now that they are not quite the bargain they once were, they are no longer in vogue. Later on, dairy subsidies made milk casein pricing more attractive, so it then became the star. Then along came whey, and you know the rest of the story.

1. BV (Biological Value) vs PDCAAS Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score).

Several studies have been done to assess any differences in weight gain between individuals supplementing with whey protein, soy protein, or egg protein. SURPRISE, SURPRISE! There were NO differences whatsoever (statistically speaking) between the effectiveness of the proteins. Remember, all three of these proteins are designed to stimulate growth-- albeit in chicks, calves, etc. So, is one really better than another? Not according to the weight gained in the studies. Proponents of whey say that it has an ultra high BV (biological value), exceeding by far every other protein. One manufacturer even claims that their protein has a BV of 168-- over 50% better that egg protein!

Scoring Protein by BV is the first area where the bodybuilding public is being deceived and manipulated. Elite Fitness has researched this topic rather thoroughly and has talked to experts in the field who work for the actual companies which manufacture and process the raw, bulk products. I have questioned several experts as to the quality of the various proteins and have found a few interesting facts. First and foremost, BV and PER (protein efficiency ratio) are OUTDATED. The newest and most accurate measurement of a protein's quality for a HUMAN is the PDCAAS--Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score. A mouthful I know, and yet it is the industry standard.

According to the PDCAAS scale, whey is not necessarily the best protein. In fact, soy and whey are both considered a ONE (top score) on the scale. Does this mean that both of these proteins are equal? Not at all--I will discuss the pros and cons of each protein later in the article. What it does mean is that either will supply the BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS for muscle tissue growth and recuperation as well as the next one.

2. A brief history of Soy-Protein Isolate.

The first thing that I do when a consultation client asks me about Soy Isolate Deluxe protein is to ask them to forget whatever they have heard about soy protein. Soy has received a bad reputation in recent years because it is a protein source that comes entirely from soybeans. Since soy is derived from a plant source, it has been viewed as an inferior and incomplete protein. It also doesn't help that its two greatest consumers in the U.S. today are vegetarians and people with milk allergies such as lactose intolerance; not exactly the type of people you expect to see squatting 500-lbs reps at your local gym.

Soy protein powders first came on the market as a food supplement around 20 years ago in the form of soy protein concentrate. At that time, soy protein concentrate was about 70% protein by weight. This protein was loaded with carbohydrates, sodium, and had a poor amino acid profile that made it inefficient for use as a quality muscle building supplement.

The production and development of soy protein changed dramatically over the following decade with the introduction of isolation. Isolation is a method of extracting the soy protein from the beans and concentrating it to make it far more useful to the body than the old soy concentrate. This new product is called soy protein isolate and contained over 90% protein.

3. Soy Protein Isolate put to the Test

This new soy-protein isolate looked fantastic on paper. Imagine a food supplement that contains over 90% protein by weight with near zero amounts of carbohydrates and fats. In addition, soy-protein isolate could be manufactured for a fraction of the cost of other protein sources. This is due to the U.S. producing more than $15 billion worth of soybeans each year for use as foodstuffs for animals and humans. The biggest question however was how efficiently would your body use this soy-isolate as a protein source?

In 1989, soy protein was put to the test to see how it stacked up against other proteins on a scale of protein quality. The most advanced protein-quality measurement scale is the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). The highest PDCAAS score possible is 1.0. Any protein with a score of 1.0 is considered complete for use by the human body. Soy was tested along with egg white, casein (derivative of milk protein), beef, and a variety of beans to determine their PDCAAS rating. Soy-protein isolate, along with egg white, whey, and casein proteins, came back with a perfect 1.0 score. Interestingly enough, beef scored only a .92 while kidney beans came in highest among the beans with a .68 rating.

But what about hydrolization (breaking the proteins into smaller fractions like "di and tri peptides") couldn't this make whey into the superior product that it is supposed to be? What we found was that the hydrolyzed whey promotes less nitrogen retention than a similar non-hydrolyzed whey (a bad thing for a bodybuilder because a positive nitrogen balance is a must for anabolic muscle gain.) As a note: the hydrolyzed product that we studied was the BEST in the industry with a 27% hydrolization, no bitter taste, and at a cost from the manufacturer of greater than $8.00 per pound! Rest assured, NO manufacturer is selling a whey product where the raw materials for the protein cost anywhere close to $8 per pound.

Consider the above and you will quickly realize that supplement companies (who don't actually manufacture the whey but buy the raw product from an actual manufacturer) are telling "some fibs" about whey protein. BV of 168--ABSOLUTELY LUDICROUS! Real whey manufacturers sometimes still use BV to grade protein, and they always rate whey protein as a 94 BV! When you see a 168 BV claim listed on the label of several manufacturers' whey protein, just turn your head, know you're being scammed, and absolutely don't buy!

Now let's consider the other claims and statements about the di-and tri- peptides, about glutamine, and about the BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids).

If hydrolization doesn't further increase nitrogen retention, then what is the point of breaking protein into its smaller fractions like di- and tri- peptides? There IS a good reason for hydrolyzing a protein and having short peptides but it has nothing to do with BV/nitrogen retention. Instead, it has everything to do with how FAST and EASY the product is absorbed in the gut. Regular, undigested whey will be broken down into di- and tri-peptides via enzymes in a person's gut and will be absorbed as such. The caveat is that the whole process just takes a little longer. Hydrolyzed products are basically only useful in baby food or hospital situations where a person's digestive system is not functioning optimally or when protein delivery is needed very quickly.

Is there any benefit of a hydrolyzed product for the bodybuilder? To tell you the truth, I would have to say NO -- except possibly for the benefit of having a quickly absorbed protein immediately after a workout to ensure the muscle tissue is flooded with nutrients in a timely manner albeit with a nitrogen penalty. Interestingly, this entire argument about hydrolized protein is academic as it is not currently sold on the market. Here's why. One, the cost of hydrolyzed whey is outrageous and two, its taste is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. Trust me, if you're want to induce vomiting, just take a little hydrolyzed whey protein!

4. Glutamine: Which protein has the most.

Isn't the claim true about whey having significantly higher amounts of glutamine and BCAAs? Sorry, but NO! Whey does have the highest amounts of BCAAs of any protein but NOT SIGNIFICANTLY higher amounts. When it comes to the amounts of glutamine, soy beats whey hands down. For every 100 grams of protein, whey has 20.1 grams of BCAAs and 4.9 grams of glutamine. Maybe to your surprise, soy has 18.1 grams of BCAAs and a whopping 10.5 grams of glutamine! Again, we have been lied to and deceived.

5. Protein Concentrate vs. Protein Isolate

Most companies are selling whey protein concentrate (WPC) and saying that their product is whey protein isolate. Ion exchange protein really doesn't mean anything in terms of the quality of the protein powder as a whole! Any high quality, pure protein will be labeled an ISOLATE and this is what you MUST look for. A true ion-exchange process CAN yield a good isolate but it is not the only process available for getting a superior whey protein. An isolate will have very little fat and lactose and will be about 90% protein (the protein fractions are "isolated" from the rest of the material).

On the other hand, a WPC made through protein filtration is vastly inferior to an isolate with about 7% fat and lactose and only 75% protein (The actual protein in WPC is usually pretty good, but who wants to deal with all of the fat and lactose?) Interestingly, WPC costs less than half of what an isolate costs. Unfortunately, both products look and taste about the same so it becomes very hard to know what you have--you basically have to trust the manufacturer (supplement company) of the particular product.

Here's the picture--the industry through various articles in muscle magazines touts the benefits and characteristics of a whey protein ISOLATE and turns around and uses a CONCENTRATE. Tell me, who's the wiser? The supplement companies, that's who, and they're a whole lot richer to boot! Some manufacturers will put 98% WPC in their product and then put in 1% of a hydrolyzed product (remember this tastes horrible!) and 1% of an isolate. Then, they can legally claim all types of stuff on their label-- di and tri peptides, ion-exchange, blah, blah, blah!

What about the other available proteins--egg, casein, and soy? How do these compare? First, let me state that all of the above proteins are decent if processed correctly. Each will provide the body very efficiently with the protein that it "needs". I would definitely stay away from casein and egg white. Casein has been shown to have detrimental effects on a person's cholesterol profile and egg white protein tastes poorly, is expensive, and consists of about 10% carbohydrates.

Before you say it, I know your response--"That's all wonderful, but what is the best protein for me, a bodybuilder/weightlifter?" If you were to use any ONE protein source then I would have to say that it's a toss up between a soy isolate and a whey ISOLATE (you know, the one that no one can buy.) WPC provides a good protein; however the accompanying fat and carbs is something you do not want. If I had a choice, I would pick a soy isolate. A soy isolate is inexpensive, has the highest score on the PCDAAS, is very soluble if instantized, is extremely bland (a good thing), IMPROVES kidney function (unlike any other protein), is anticarcinogenic, is anti-estrogenic, lowers LDL (bad) and raises HDL (good) cholesterol, IMPROVES THYROID FUNCTION, etc, etc--the list goes on and on. But best of all, unlike whey isolate, pure soy isolates exist.

6. Soy Protein Isolate benefits for Bodybuilders

Animal research suggests some great advantages of using soy protein isolate as a bodybuilding supplement. Research has shown that the isoflavone daidzein found in soy-protein isolate might have a gender specific normalizing effect on sex-hormone production. Lab animals experienced testosterone and growth hormone excretion as well as muscle growth in males, while the female animals experienced a decrease in these hormones and fat loss.

Daidzein is a key isoflavone found in soy that acts as a potent phyto-estrogen. It is structurally a very weak "pseudo-estrogen" (about 1000 times weaker than the body's primary estrogen estradiol). This is good news to the bodybuilder because weak estrogens like daidzein will compete with stronger estrogens like estradiol for available receptor sites to "bind" to. By binding to the receptor sites daidzein then "blocks" the stronger estrogens from binding to and activating receptor sites. With the daidzein isolflavone attached, estrogen receptor sites remain inactive. This inactivity further minimizes the negative effects of estrogen in the body. Many researchers believe this effect is the reason soy protein is linked to a reduction in the risk for many forms of breast, endometrial, and prostate cancer. This mechanism works similarly to the prescription drug Nolvadex (tamoxifen citrate)--an anti-estrogen staple in the bodybuilding community.

Research also indicates that the soy-protein isolates may reduce nitrogen loss and keep you in a positive nitrogen balance to better facilitate muscle growth. The human body can only repair and build muscles when it has a positive nitrogen balance.

Of particular interest to the bodybuilder is Soy Isolates high concentration of the amino acids glutamine and arginine. These two aminos are extremely important to a body builder for their ability to release growth hormone, aid in immune system functions, and for their ability to speed muscle cell recovery.

Glutamine (per 100g)

Soy	10.5g
Milk Protein	8.8g
Whey	4.9g

Many bodybuilders understand the importance of the essential amino acid L- glutamine to their muscle building supplementation. What many bodybuilders don't know is that soy protein isolate has the highest concentration of glutamine among protein sources-over twice that of whey protein! (7) Glutamine has been used for years in hospitals to speed muscle cell recovery and improve maintenance of muscle mass during periods of starvation, infection, and exercise trauma. (8) Glutamine supplementation has been shown to promote muscle glycogen accumulation, which has been linked to an increase in muscle protein synthesis. (10) Glutamine has also shown the ability to increase muscle cell volume through the process of cellular hydration. (11) Glutamine supplementation in as little as 2 grams per day has been shown to increase plasma growth hormone levels. This increase in growth hormone has been shown to help shift the fuel for muscle from glucose to fatty acids. (9) Research has suggested that a bodybuilder should consume between 8 - 15 grams of glutamine each day. Supplementing 3-5 grams of glutamine 3 times per day has been shown to elicit a positive response without stimulating the excretion of glutamine in the urine.

Arginine (per 100g)

Soy	7.6g
Beef	6.3g
Egg	5.8g
Cassein	3.7g
Whey	2.9g

L-Arginine is another important amino acid with respects to body building. Arginine plays several roles in the body such as fighting mental and physical fatigue, but its main job is to assist with growth. This amino acid promotes the release of two highly anabolic hormones, insulin and growth hormone. Arginine promotes gains further by assisting in recovery from post workout muscle trauma through its ability to speed tissue healing. This amino acid aids in the detoxification of the liver by removing ammonium from the body. Arginine has also shown the ability to lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Arginine is used in the medical treatment of angina, congestive heart failure, male infertility and wound healing. Soy isolate protein contains higher amounts of this important amino acid than any other protein source.

As a hard training bodybuilder, your body needs protein every 2 -2 1/2 hours even if you may not think you need it. The human body does not store protein long term as it does for fat and carbohydrates. Instead, your body holds amino acids in three pools that provide the body's necessary protein for fuel. These pools are constantly in a state of flux and are replenished either from dietary protein or the breakdown of muscle. It is extremely important to keep these amino acid pools topped off through the feeding of protein every 2 - 2 1/2 hours. When feeding stops, there is a fall in protein synthesis and a rise in protein breakdown. This translates into a loss of lean body mass after extended periods without protein.

7. Soy Protein Isolate for Dieters

For years, bodybuilding gurus have recommended the use of soy protein for pre-contest bodybuilders who need to shed body fat while keeping as much lean muscle as possible. Normally when the body is forced into a low calorie diet program, it reacts by slowing down your metabolic rate. This will make it increasingly more difficult to lose body fat. Soy-protein isolate helps lessen this effect through several different pathways. First, soy-protein isolate has been found to enhance endogenous production of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxin (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroxin is the main player in the regulation of your metabolic rate. The more thyroxin you have the faster your metabolism will be. A faster metabolism insures that more of the food you eat will be used as fuel and less will be stored as fat, an important advantage to any dieter.

Another way soy accelerates fat loss is with its unique concentration of amino acids. Soy-protein isolate has the highest concentration of amino acids in what is called the "critical cluster". This cluster of amino acids contains the three branch chain amino acids (BCAA's) and two essential aminos - glutamine and arginine. These critical amino acids help a bodybuilder spare muscle while losing body fat during a pre-contest diet. Any time you diet, your body tries to break down muscle glycogen in an effort to provide the body with more calories. In fact, your body will often try to use broken down muscle for fuel before it uses stored body fat. This is called muscle catabolism or muscle breakdown. These three branch chain amino acids are the first amino acids that are used for fuel when your body begins muscle catabolism. If you have a high amount of these branch chain amino acids in your diet, your body will first use these for fuel before it breaks down your stored muscle.

8. The Health Benefits of Soy Isolate

Now that we know that soy is a quality protein source, what health benefits can soy protein bring to its consumer? The intake of soyfoods has long been associated with a reduced risk for certain cancers. Research has suggested that phytic acid and protease inhibitors, two of the nonnutritive compounds in soybeans, contribute to the observed anticarcinogenic effects of consuming soy. (1) Residents of the United States and the United Kingdom, as a whole, consume the smallest amounts of soyfoods but have the highest instances of breast and prostate cancer. Japanese residents in comparison are the largest consumers of soyfoods and have the lowest instances of these cancers. (3) Researchers point to the isoflavones genistein and daidzein, which are found exclusively in soy and soy protein isolate, as the major components behind soy's anti-carcinogenic effects.(2)

Soy protein isolate has shown the ability to promote bone health, which in turn aids in the prevention of Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a chronic disease characterized by a decrease in bone density, which results in abnormally porous and fragile bones. It has been suggested that a high protein diet may increase the excretion of calcium in the urine, which can lead to this health condition. Studies have shown that not all proteins have the same effect on calcium excretion. Compared with animal protein, soy does not result in an increased loss of calcium in the urine thus promoting a more optimal calcium balance. (4) In addition, the isoflavones in soy protein have been shown to increase both bone mineral content and bone mineral density which will improve the health of abnormally porous bones.(5)

Soy protein isolate has shown the ability to effectively lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Experts agree that these cholesterol-lowering effects can be achieved through the consumption of as little as 25 grams of soy isolate protein each day. The experts point to the high levels of the amino acid arginine for this lipid lowering effect. (6) LDL cholesterol is one of the primary factors behind progressive atherosclerosis. This medical condition is caused by the progressive build up of plaque that clogs blood flow in the arteries.

Soy protein has also shown the ability to improve kidney function. While scientists agree that the high protein intake of bodybuilders is necessary for proper muscle building and repair, they also agree that this diet will place additional stress on the kidneys. Studies of both humans and animals have shown that soy proteins filter more easily in the kidneys thereby reducing their workload. In 1993, a study was performed on the Romanian Olympic swimming and rowing teams. In this study, the athletes were supplemented with 1.5 grams per kg of bodyweight of soy protein along with their dietary protein (2 grams per kg of bodyweight) per day. This additional protein showed no detrimental effects on kidney function and actually showed from 5 to 46 percent improvement in kidney function.

References  (1)(2) Messina M, Messina V. Increasing use of soyfoods and their potential role in cancer prevention. J Am Diet Assoc 1991;91:836-840  (3) American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures-1996.  (4)(5)(6)Ross PD. osteoporosis: Frequency, consequences and risk factors. Archives of Internal Med 1996's 156.1399-1411.  (7)(8)(9) Bulus, N., Pysysiological Importance of Glutamine. Metabolism Vol.38, No.8, August 1989.  (10)(11) Parry-Billings, M. Effects of changes in cell volume on the rates of glutamine and alanine release from rat skeletal muscle in vitro. Biomedical Journal, 276, 1991.

From Tim Tyler - Whey Isolate and Soy Isolate, when taken together or on a rotating basis, covers all the bases, and this is what I use. Whey Isolate is a fantastic product and is hands down the best tasting protein. I eat 12 raw eggs, spread throughout the day, in three small meals of 4 raw eggs each. I feel really good and am not hungry. My six day meal plan to eat whey isolate, soy isolate, creatine, raw eggs, vitamins and a waxy maize product I use immediately after training.

I believe that following this nutrition plan will give my body what it needs to recover and improve. Losing fat and getting smaller is the plan. Weighed 204 pounds this morning. Today, I walked an hour and trained with the 70 pound Milo Bag for 20 minutes. Yesterday, I carried the 18 pound ball for 64 minutes. About 15 minutes of that time I carried the ball on my head.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com

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ttyler@tylergrip.com

The Bruce Lee Diet

2011-11-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Bruce Lee Diet – Bruce Lee’s Diet and Nutrition

The original Bruce Lee Diet article, by Jon Wade

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Bruce Lee is famous for his devotion to martial arts and his great abilities in this field. He was not only an exceptional martial artist, but also a serious bodybuilder. He firmly believed that diet and nutrition played a very important role in achieving his objectives. However, he was not an expert in nutrition, he gained most of his information from bodybuilding magazines and experimented with different supplements in addition to eating a well balanced healthy diet. For Bruce Lee a good diet was one that provided him with the energy and nutrients to maximize his physical training.

The following diet rules are based on what is known about Bruce Lee’s daily eating regime. There are many references to “The Bruce Lee Diet”, but really such a diet simply attempts to replicate Bruce Lee’s dietary and eating patterns, as well as his fitness regimes, to try to attain a physique similar to that of Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee’s diet and exercise regime meant that he had close to zero percent body fat. Following this diet regime could help you to lose belly fat as well as improve muscular growth.

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Bruce Lee Diet Rule 1: Avoid Refined Flour

Generally Bruce Lee avoided refined flour. So, he did not eat many baked foods such as biscuits and cakes, which he described as being “empty calories“. It is worth mentioning that today many people attribute irritable bowel syndrome to the excess consumption of refined flours. His philosophy was not to consume calories that did not provide some benefit to the body.

This approach to eating is very similar to that of the Buddhist scriptures, which states:

“You must learn to be moderate in eating, and eat only enough to remain healthy, and fit for trance. For excessive food obstructs the flow of the breath as it goes in and out, induces lassitude (lack of vitality), sleepiness, and kills all valour. As too much food has unfortunate consequences, also starvation does not lead to efficiency. For starvation drains away the body’s volume, lustre, firmness, performance and strength. You should take food in accordance with your individual capacity, neither too much nor, from pride, too little.” From Buddhist Scriptures (amazon.com), edited by Edward Conze (1959).

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 2: Chinese Food

Bruce Lee enjoyed Chinese food, as he felt that western food was often too bland. Some of his favourite Chinese dishes were beef in oyster sauce and tofu. However, he loved to eat steak and liver too, but overall preferred the more balanced approach of Asian dishes. He felt that often Western food placed too much emphasis on protein and fat and not enough on carbohydrates from vegetables, rice, pasta etc.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 3: Avoid Dairy Food

Bruce Lee did not like dairy food, and only ate dairy as part of protein drinks, usually using powdered milk instead of fresh milk. This rule only helps to reduce total energy intake. Calcium from dairy has been found to help reduce the amount of fat that is digested (see Weight Loss Tip 7).

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 4: Smaller Portions and More Meals

For Bruce Lee concentration on the type of foods eaten were not the only important consideration, the size of portions and number of meals were just as important. Bruce Lee would usually consume four or five smaller meals a day rather than a couple of large meals, plus some healthy snacks such as fruits.

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Today bodybuilders often follow similar eating habits, eating high protein meals approximately every four hours to ensure the body has a good supply of proteins to help build and repair muscle tissue. Eating more often than every four hours can put too much pressure on the digestive system, leading to indigestion. This is another reason why constant snacking is not good for you.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 5: Drink Protein Drinks

Bruce Lee consumed one or two protein drinks every day, plus fruit smoothies too. Although his protein drinks varied, they generally consisted of:

• Non-instant powdered milk - which is reported to have a higher concentration of calcium than other forms of powdered milk

• Eggs - sometimes with the shells

• Wheat germ / wheat germ oil

• Peanut butter

• Banana

• Brewers yeast (contains concentrated B vitamins, which are essential in the release of energy from carbohydrates).

• Inositol supplement (Inositol is found in many foods, particularly in cereals with high bran content. Inositol plays an important part in the health of cell membrane, in particular the specialized cells in the brain, bone marrow, eyes and intestines. The function of the cell membrane is to regulate the contents of the cell, which makes effective functioning of the cell possible).

• Lecithin - taken in granular form. (Lecithin is a mixture of glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids. It is needed by every cell in the body and is a key building block of cell membranes; without it, they would harden. Lecithin protects cells from oxidation).

All ingredients would be mixed thoroughly in a food blender. Bruce Lee suggested that for better results (i.e. for gaining more muscle mass quicker) milk and cream can be added too.

Please bear in mind that the supplements Bruce Lee took were popular when he was researching bodybuilding during the 1960′s and early 1970′s, these supplements may now be superseded by new ones producing better results. Also bear in mind that all supplements may have side effects if taken to excess. It is best to check with your doctor/GP before starting a bodybuilding diet.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 6: Take Dietary Supplements

Bruce Lee also took many mineral and vitamin supplements. Today there is a much greater variety of supplements on offer than there were when Bruce Lee was training. Knowledge about how different supplements interact and benefit us has advanced a great deal since the 1960′s, as a result there may be better and more efficient supplements available than the ones listed below. However, here are some of the supplements Bruce Lee is known to have taken:

• Vitamin C

• Lecithing granules

• Bee Pollen

• Vitamin E

• Rose hips (liquid form)

• Wheat germ oil

• Natural protein tablets (chocolate flavour)

• Acerola – C

• B-Folia

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 7: Increase Carbohydrates by Juicing and Blending

Bruce Lee knew that carbohydrates are essential for people with very high activity levels. It was for this that he regularly consumed fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies. Fruit and vegetables provide the richest source of carbohydrates, so Bruce Lee would often make juices/smoothies comprising of carrots, celery, apples, bananas and some parsley.

Usually carrots would make up one half of the contents of the drink, the remaining being split between the other fruits and vegetables. He also sometimes used green leafy vegetables, again with a large proportion of carrot juice to help offset the bitterness of the green leafy vegetables. Bruce Lee was ahead of his time hear, as these are the basic rules applied in our article how to lose belly fat.

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Juicing fresh fruit and vegetables is a great way to consume high quality carbohydrates. Juicing allows the body to assimilate many nutrients more easily. The enzymes in the juiced vegetables are also organic catalysts that increase the rate at which food is broken down and absorbed.

Many enzymes are destroyed when vegetables are cooked, especially if boiled, therefore consuming raw fruit and vegetables is best. Some nutritionists suggest that for better health and more energy, approximately half of the carbohydrates consumed should come from raw fruit and vegetables.

Bruce Lee Diet Rule 8: Eat Honey and Ginseng

Bruce Lee often drank a Royal jelly and ginseng drink to give him a quick boost. These drinks are very small, and provide a very quick release of energy. Royal jelly contains B-complex vitamins, including a high concentration of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), acetylcholine, hormones, and eighteen amino acids. It also contains trace of many minerals, trace amounts of vitamin C, some enzymes, as well as antibacterial and antibiotic components. Contrary to claims by many of those promoting its use, vitamins A, D, and E are completely absent from royal jelly.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Ginseng promotes Yang energy, improves circulation, increases blood supply, revitalizes and aids recovery from weakness after illness, and stimulates the body.

Bruce Lee Diet: Sample Meals

Obviously Bruce Lee’s diet would have varied greatly during the 1960′s and early 1970′s as his training methods evolved, but here is what is possibly one of his typical days meals:

Breakfast

• Food: A bowl of muesli cereal, comprised of whole grains, nuts, and dried fruits, plus 2% milk (semi skimmed).

• Beverage: Orange Juice and/or tea.

Snack

• Juice or Protein Drink: Protein powder, non-instant powdered milk made with water or juice, eggs, wheat germ, bananas, peanut butter. Brewer’s yeast was frequently added.

Lunch

• Food: Meat, vegetables, and rice.

• Beverage: Tea.

Snack

• Juice or Protein Drink: see ingredients for morning-snack protein drink.

Dinner

• Food: Spaghetti and salad, or another meal of rice, vegetables, and meat, chicken, or seafood.

• Beverage: One glass of 2% milk and/or tea.

This is the original Bruce Lee Diet article, written by J.P. Wade for Motleyhealth.com

Read more: http://www.motleyhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-bruce-lee-diet#ixzz1dAOXbtEswww.TylerMethod.com www.TylerGrip.com www.twitter.com/TylerGrip ttyler@tylergrip.com

Vince Giranda & Raw Eggs

2011-11-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Eating raw eggs on the Anabolic Diet

I am a regular consumer of raw eggs. I love them. I don’t eat them plain straight out of the shell, but I absolutely love mixing them into shakes, pudding recipes, and anything else they’ll fit into. Eggs are the most anabolic food available, and eating raw eggs not only helps me fit more eggs into my diet, but I also feel provides benefits that cooked eggs do not. Raw eggs have helped me pack on more muscle than any other food, save for beef.

My love for raw eggs troubles a lot of people, but it shouldn’t. It’s almost comical to me the mass hysteria that surrounds every facet of eggs — salmonella poisoning, high cholesterol, egg whites versus whole eggs. There are legitimate concerns over eggs, but most are over-blown. This is to the detriment of those who are looking to improve their bodies, because raw eggs are, in my opinion, the greatest tool I’ve got in my arsenal for the Anabolic Diet.

WHY RAW EGGS ARE SAFE

Recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveals that roughly one in every 30,000 eggs is contaminated with salmonella, or 0.003% of all eggs. If you eat a dozen eggs a day on the Anabolic Diet, five days a week when excluding carb up days, then you have eaten 3,132 eggs in the course of one year.

Now let’s assume you’re a smart consumer and don’t waste your money on tons of unnecessary supplements. The money you save can be invested toward higher-quality eggs, which are less likely to be infected with any virus. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s numbers are highly skewed by low-quality, commercially-produced eggs, because these eggs record the highest incidence of salmonella poisoning. We can assume that, if eating high-quality, farm-fresh eggs from a source like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, far less than 0.003% of all eggs you consume will be infected.

WHY RAW EGGS ARE GOOD FOR YOU

There is controversy around whether an egg is healthier cooked or uncooked. I consume mine both ways. At least half, if not more, if my eggs eaten every day are raw, while the rest are either soft boiled (with a soft or runny yolk) or lightly scrambled.

The idea is that when you cook a yolk until it hardens, you are killing a number of nutrients and enzymes inside the yolk. This is the case any time you heavily cook fats, although saturated and monounsaturated fats hold up to heat better than their counterparts. I always eat my omega 3-enriched eggs raw because omega 3s do not hold up to heat, and cooking them negates any benefits I’ll receive from eating them. Most other eggs contain fats that stay stable at higher temperatures.

EAT BOTH THE YOLK AND THE WHITE

Raw egg whites contain high levels of avidin, which when consumed in large numbers, can cause a biotin deficiency. Biotin deficiencies can cause all kinds of nutritional problems. Consuming raw egg whites then can pose a problem.

However, the yolk of the egg contains high levels of biotin. When consuming the whole egg, a biotin deficiency is not an issue because the white and yolk counteract each other.

The take-home lesson: don’t take my advice and then consume just raw egg whites! I want you to be eating the entire egg.

THE CONVENIENCE OF RAW EGGS

You could eat all soft-boiled eggs, but when you start to eat lots of them — which, if you want great results on the Anabolic Diet, you will — it will become too difficult to fit that many in, as well as the time to prepare them will be astronomical. Raw eggs provide a convenience that no other food does. Dump a bunch of eggs into a container, put in other anabolic shake ingredients, mix it together, and you have a healthy, calorie-dense, Anabolic Diet-friendly meal!

WHAT KIND OF EGGS TO BUY

I eat a mixture of omega 3-enriched eggs and fertile eggs. Vince Gironda believed fertile eggs to be the best and most bio-available, while omega 3 eggs help me get more of the essential fatty acids in my diet. Although I mentioned that I will cook with fertile eggs, I still eat both types of eggs raw more often than not.

HOW TO PREPARE RAW EGGS

I don’t put my raw eggs into a blender anymore. I used to, but read that Vince Gironda advised against it, since it was essentially homogenizing the eggs, making them into particles too small to be digested and assimilated properly by the body. I don’t know if this is exactly the case with a consumer blender, but I follow the advice regardless.

I use my raw eggs primarily in shakes, like Vince Gironda’s Hormone Precursor Shake.

I put my eggs into a shaker bottle with the rest of my shake ingredients and just shake vigorously, which is enough to get everything to mix together. You can also use a fork to mix the eggs together. I also am a big fan of creating Anabolic Diet Pudding, by mixing one scoop of protein powder with a raw egg and some heavy cream.

ANY FAMOUS RAW EGG CONSUMERS?

Although it’s taboo these days to admit to eating raw eggs, many top bodybuilders from the 1970s swore by them. (I’m sure many of today’s top bodybuilders are big fans of raw eggs, too.) VInce Gironda was the biggest proponent of raw egg consumption, and the bodybuilders he trained would sometimes eat up to 36 raw eggs a day!

EAT UP!

The preceding hopefully will spell out why raw eggs are beneficial to someone looking to pack on more muscle. The convenience and nutrition raw eggs provide are too good to pass up. Raw eggs and the Anabolic Diet are naturally a perfect match.

Vince Giranda was a tremendous bodybuilder back in the day before anabolic steroids were available. He stayed extremely fit well into old age.

Tim Tyler

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Raw Eggs

2011-11-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Health Benefits of Raw Eggs

By John Claydon D.Hom

The process of cooking eggs destroy the very goodness that our bodies so desperately need as the nature of proteins and fats is altered when exposed to heat. When cooked, the egg protein changes its chemical shape; it is often this process that can be the cause of allergies. Generally when eating raw eggs, any incidence of egg allergy will disappear.

Surprisingly, in spite of ‘bad press’ raw eggs, organic or at least from a known source of healthy free-range chickens, are an excellent health tonic. The regular consumption of raw eggs will do wonders for your overall health. Exceptionally easy to digest, raw eggs provide a wonderful boost to the immune system, and a completely balanced nutritional package. A good immune system is one of several things the body needs to overcome cancer.

Many people’s diets are deficient in high quality proteins and fats, and eggs are one the very best sources of these. Raw eggs have many benefits, they contain essential nutrients for the brain, nerves, glands and hormones, they are nutritionally balanced, and we highly recommend the addition of raw eggs to your nutritional programme. The sulphur amino acids help to keep you young, raw eggs also contain an abundance of other vital substances including protein, essential fatty acids along with niacin, riboflavin, biotin, choline, vitamins A, D and E, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, iron, iodine, copper, zinc and sulphur. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that contain vitamin D.

Poisoning from salmonella has been exaggerated in the past. A study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2002 indicated that only 2.3 million, of the 69 billion eggs produced annually, are contaminated with salmonella. In other words 0.003% or 1 in every 30,000 eggs. The bulk of these come from battery chicken eggs and chickens kept in unhealthy conditions - only sick chickens lay salmonella contaminated eggs. If only healthy chicken eggs (organic and free range ideally) are consumed, then far less than one in 30,000 eggs are contaminated. Salmonella is a common micro-organism found almost everywhere, and is just as likely, or more likely, to proliferate on cooked food kept in the fridge. Infection is normally mild gastric symptoms, but in rare cases where the immune system is very low such in the elderly who have had much anti-biotic use, and the source is greatly contaminated, death can result. But such a person is highly lightly to contract one of many common micro-organisms and die from that. To give some perspective, in the highly unusual situation of contracting Salmonella, in a healthy person, an infection is nothing to worry about and is easily treated with high quality pro-biotics every half an hour until you feel better.

Method of Consuming Raw Eggs

From day one of starting raw eggs, your immune system becomes stronger and health will improve. We recommend Zell Oxygen as a key supplement for overall health enhancement. Three raw eggs a day (this will take the place of one meal), seems to be the preferred amount taken by people who regularly consume raw eggs. It is sensible to build up the amount of raw eggs consumed gradually. They are best taken by breaking them into a cup and swallowing whole. It can be helpful to cut through the yolk with a knife to make it easier to swallow, If you have a mental problem with swallowing raw eggs, (they are almost tasteless and easy to swallow) blend with a little goats or sheep’s milk or even avocado, but ideally raw eggs should not be blended as the molecular structure is damaged. Inspect the egg, if it has been cracked do not use it, once broken into the cup or blender smell it, if it smells off do not use it.

It is best to keep eggs un-refrigerated, but in a cool place, but it is not essential; in hot climates/conditions they should be refrigerated.

Raw Eggs and Cholesterol

There is no danger from the cholesterol build up since 2/3 of cholesterol in the body is produced by the liver. The amount of cholesterol consumed in the diet does not relate to the amount of cholesterol deposited. Many studies have shown that the cholesterol in eggs does not raise cholesterol level in the body. Furthermore, eggs contain Lecithin, a valuable nutrient that helps the body to process fats and cholesterol.

Eggs contain valuable fat needed to keep us healthy. On the other hand heated or processed fats are converted into Trans-fats - toxic chemicals that harden in the body, around every cell and clog the circulation. Margarine contains an abundance of Trans-fats and is not part of a healthy diet. Do not be afraid of that natural product that has been eaten with no adverse effects for thousands of years, butter. The initial report that cholesterol in foods leads to health problems was released to the press without scientific validation, and has since been proven by hundreds of scientists and studies around the world to be completely false. The only benefits from the initial press release were to the margarine and vegetable oil industries.

Raw Eggs and Biotin Deficiency

Nature created an egg to be a balanced live food – as long as you eat the biotin rich yolk along with the white, there is no risk of a biotin deficiency.

"Free range raw eggs (ideally from healthy chickens, including organically certified, even better are fertile eggs) are one of the best compact foods in nature. Eggs are the ultimate, complete fast food. However the protein in eggs is not utilised for cellular reproduction. They are utilised for regeneration and maintenance. The relationship between raw eggs and salmonella poisoning is a myth"

Quote from the book "The Recipe for Living Without Disease” By Aajonus Vonderplanitz

Eggs are remarkable for everyone especially the infirm. Three years ago a medical doctor called me on a Thursday evening about her 70 yr old female patient with emphysema. She explained that her patient had been mainly bed-ridden for two years, was on 100% oxygen and respiratory machines. She prognosed that her patient would die that weekend unless I could help. I told her that the only thing I thought might help at that late stage was eggs. I recommended that she get her patient 10 dozen raw eggs, and put them on her bed table. I suggested that she ask her patient to eat one as often as she could and that there was no limit. Very early Monday morning, I received a call from the patient. She told me that she was off the machines, out of bed and feeling stronger that she had in years. She had eaten 66 eggs over the weekend. If eggs are whipped, beaten or blended without raw milk, raw cream, or coconut cream, many of the enzymes are oxidised and lost.” It is best to break open the egg into a cup or glass and swallow whole. Most people are repelled by this, but with a little courage it is found to be easy. There is almost no taste and the egg, even big ones are easily swallowed. Generally, I find, 3 to 4 eggs taken in the morning are an important part of my well-being programme. The cholesterol in raw eggs is not deposited in the arteries and is an essential nutrient for aiding health and well-being. The white of the egg has been said to interfere with biotin assimilation, but nature knows best by making the egg yolk very rich in biotin. The egg in its entirety is a very balanced food and only supports health and should be taken in its entirety, yolk and white together.

Reference the great egg panic by Emily Green, LA R times Jan 2000

Disclaimer: Regenerative Nutrition advocates a holistic approach to natural health and wellbeing. The body's ability and power to heal depends upon the totality of diet, nutrition, lifestyle and environmental factors. The information provided in our article is for information purposes only, it in no way constitutes a medical consultation, or medical advice, nor is it intended to be taken as a solicitation to purchase our products.

Always consult a health care practitioner when combating disease states.

No claim for the cure of any disease is intended, or implied nor do we claim that our products will treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Weighed 203 pounds this morning. I ate 11 raw eggs yesterday and I plan to eat a dozen today. I am training an hour 6 days a week. I am training my legs more consistently; the quads, hamstrings, glutes and lower back are filling out. Supplementing my diet with waxy maize, whey protein, and soy isolate protein, creatine, and supplemental vitamins.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com

www.TylerGrip.com

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ttyler@tylergrip.com

Carrying an Unbalanced Load

2011-11-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

Weighed 207 pounds this am. This is the 3rd day since I added supplements. I feel better and I have more energy.

Pictured is me stretching out; the spherical shape of the 12 pound shot put makes it perfectly ergonomic.

This morning I carried this12 pound shot put for 62 minutes straight to the end of the bayou and back, about 2 1/2 miles.

I spent 10 minutes holding the shot directly overhead as I walked along, first one hand then the other. Pictured above is the sweet spot were it is balanced as I walk. A tremendous rotator cuff exercise; if I were a baseball player I would get very good at this exercise.

Five days ago I carried the 15 pound dumbbell equipped with a Tyler Grip the same route as today and I did it in 60 minutes. I practiced holding the db over my head for about 10 minutes as I walked along. The body is constantly being pulled from one side to the other side by carrying an unbalanced load. The core, lats, and deltoids are throughly worked. Photographs by Celia.

TimTyler

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70 Pound Milo Bag

2011-11-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

I weighed 204 pounds this morning and I carried the 70 pound Milo Bag for 20 minutes by the clock. This is the kind of stamina training that humans naturally excel at. When my 20 minutes was up I felt it all over with the deltoids exhausted, the core including the abs, lower back, the glutes, hamstrings, then the calves. The bag pictured is a hundred pound capacity sandbag. I send out 2 of these bags with each order of Tyler Grips.

Immediately I began squatting as pictured for 2 minutes, that was 20 repetitions; excellent cardio training.

Starting today I am adding 52 grams of whey concentrate in a protein drink with fruit every morning. My muscles are telling me to get more protein in my daily diet. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

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ttyler@tylergrip.com

World Class

2011-10-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Joseph Tyler, 6' 4", weight 190 pounds. Joseph's hands are very big and he has world class grip strength. Joseph's training is for martial arts. He trains mainly bodyweight type training. Tim Tyler

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Portion control, sleep and your body's battery

2011-10-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

The topic of portion control, in a country that subsists economically on consumer consumption to make up roughly 35% of America's GDP, is not a popular conversation since it clearly goes against the notion that, "More is better". The hyper-consumptive efforts of the average U.S. citizen is good for business, in virtually every industry but usually means a sacrifice in health or looking svelte the next time you attend a pool-party.

So, it goes without saying that most trainers and "health gurus" online, on TV or any other media outlet do not have a lot of incentive to really tout this really basic and simple rule: you have to eat less to get in shape or get healthy. It's a piece of advice that's not going to make anyone any money. Once you have figured some basic health truths you will not be a client anymore and you won't need to take expensive diet pills that don't work and tax your adrenal cortex as well as your cardiovascular system and even mental health. Even still, people ignore the no-brainer that everyone should start to closely examine the basic math of food consumption and the obese.

If I consume 3600 kcals BUT only "burn" 2400 kcals than that EXTRA 1200 calories will be stored chemically as adipose tissue. I don't love love-handles. Yes, as uncomfortable as it is to hear, there is absolutely no getting-around eating less in order to get healthier, leaner and looking "better" in general. Granted, if your training regimen is freakishly difficult and thorough and can challenge an Olympic or professional athlete's own workout efforts, then chances are good that your metabolism will burn up everything you throw at it. But you should still strive for excellence.

Even if you have a 6-pack and pencil-sized veins in your biceps, your food choices should still be optimized for satisfying your increased need for extra nutrients, healthy fats and protein due to the increased physical output. You see, to a large extent the human body is so much like an extremely advanced, computer-based machine. Let me digress for a second to make my point.

Our brains use electronic impulses to communicate between the two hemispheres of the brain, not to mention the entire spinal column delivers minute electric impulses to contract muscles for you to run your fastest 40-yard dash or form words for speech and the like. Machines, essentially do the same thing.

Additionally, Nicola Tesla, regarded as one of the most intelligent scientists and inventors of all time, especially in regards to electricity and energy, often discussed that there was a force of energy, sometimes called "ether" that was all around us, no matter where we were in space and the galaxy. When, and if, this hard-to-grasp form of electrical-energy could be harnessed, the world's energy requirements would render hydrocarbons as useless and unprofitable. Oil when then only used in small amounts for mostly resin production (plastic manufacturing).

I believe the advanced "machine" that is known as a human being has been designed so well that when we sleep we are actually restoring our batteries from some sort of still unknown energy. God is an amazing creator.

To the extent this is true, we all can feel our sub-par processing of thoughts and even our physical efforts at the gym when we get less than 8 hours of slumber. We need that electricity and for some reason, we were blessed with an ability to internally acquire this ubiquitous energy that our best scientists cannot readily label or quantify when we simply sleep. So much so, this correlation between sleep and electrical impulses, which run the mechanisms behind cognitive thought and physical movement (or exertion) has already been proven if "mainstream physics laws" are indeed, true. More on that later.

Let me go one step further and note that all plants have electrical properties that scientists can not successfully explain and are theorized, more and more, that this is part of the reason why people that eat a majority of their diet from plants have more energy. The plants grant small supplemental charges of usable electrical energy when digesting wholesome, plant based foods-another reason why fresher is better. This, and also the adequate and complete satisfaction of your own micro-specific nutritional needs, based upon your genetics, exercise level, and current diet are met. When all nutrient levels are "topped-off" you can feel the natural and euphoric stream of energy transform your life, your day, the relationships you have and even the ability to translate thought into productive changes every single day.

If energy cannot be created nor destroyed (Law of Conservation of Energy), then either the human brain is either able to acquire energy in the form of electricity when we sleep (somehow) or it gets all of it's electrical amperage from the charged-effects of plant-based foods. (Or, another possibility is that this Physics law is incorrect.)

I believe the answer, lies in the middle of both ends of the spectrum. Proper rest and getting the majority of your calories from plant-based foods is the reason why the best athletes in the world are often seen eating large amounts of organic natural foods grown in the sun, which is constantly bombarded with many different types of energy...and getting ample amounts of solid sleep.

Coincidentally, getting plenty of sleep and eating a largely vegetarian-based diet, also seriously positively enhances your health. For 95% of the readership, adequate sleep and portion control, mixed with some vegetarian foods will re-shape your entire body and mind. The other 5% are already successfully doing these three items.

After all, I'm always happier after 8-hours of rest and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. And I'm betting you are too. And eating every meal until you have a hard time breathing, should only be relegated to Thanksgiving day, perhaps. Stoke the "metabolic fire" with smaller meals, my friend.

While various media outlets spread fear about rising healthcare costs there are other alternatives to man-made pills and handicap parking tags. Sleep, plants and portion control are a extremely viable and cheap alternatives for what ails us as a country and as individuals.

Choose to be a part of the solution. You can do it. Change your life. Change the world.

Train harder and smarter.

Jacob Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Rock Bottom

2011-10-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Weighed 201 pounds this am. I exercised with the 60 pound Milo Bag for 19 minutes. Included was 20 dead lifts at the end of the set which took 2 minutes.

At the beginning of the 19 minutes I squatted the 60 pound Milo Bag for 20 repetitions going rock bottom every rep; this is an excellent stretch for the legs, the butt, and the lower back. The set took 4 minutes and I took my time. Between repetitions I would take several very deep breathes and blow the air out as I go the the bottom and then back up. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

7 Tips to Increase Testosterone Naturally

2011-10-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

The consequences of low testosterone, in a male or female athlete, results in diminished cognitive ability, minimal to zero muscular gains, gaining of adipose body fat, losing minerals in your bones (osteoporosis), low motivation, depression, anxiety and of course, a low sex-drive.

And that’s just unacceptable. BUT WHAT TO DO?

Steroids?

No. Dudes with breasts are unsightly. That’s not how our “primitive” ancestors did it anyways. And they broke down pillars, wrestled lions, chunked rocks through gargantuan' skulls and in general, had a lot of that “get-up-and-go” that we always secretly crave. Plus, synthetic androgens are ultimately illegal and lend to brittle joints, which is another no-no at the TylerMethod blog.

Adding speed to bent-over dumbbell rows adds lean muscular gains.

Indulge in primitive testosterone and incite your Alpha Male or Alpha Female.

Natural Testosterone tip #1

While some of us are gifted with a roaring testosterone engine that turns on car-alarms as it passes by there are some athletes that simply need to optimize their “testosterone habits”. The absolutely first priority that needs to be initiated is to start eating more greens (plant-based foods) is an easy way to have a higher, more bio-available level of testosterone. [Note: The easiest way to get enough greens is to “think” that you’re a vegetarian, where you are eating substantially more plant-based foods, but ultimately if a juicy steak presents itself, you don’t turn it away. Chow like a champion!] You will get plenty of protein by succumbing to your cravings for higher protein-based foods, while leaning out, having a higher libido, and getting enough greens to really affect your vascularity and improve high blood-pressure, among other things.

The easiest way to cure nutrient and mineral deficiencies, which completely affects the level and availability of your manly testosterone, is to eat more fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, etc. Anything that is a plant, in its natural form, is going to be better for you than some man-made protein bar. Get plenty of really clean protein from eggs, fish, bison meat, avocados, almonds, beans, coconut milk and you are tilting your hormone profile to definitely anabolic.

Fun testosterone fact: the Aztecs liked this “fertility fruit” so much that the Avocado, or “ahuacatl”, directly translates in the Aztecan language to “testicle”. In cultures since, they have all come to the conclusion that it does a body good and keeps the eaters of this fruit to be very spry and virile.

I could go on for days about all the various plants that positively enhance the anabolic hormones in the human body. The reason why?

Because plants are largely mankind’s medicine cabinet, where most, if not all, of western medicine originated from the extract of a plant. The White Willow Bark for example, which was synthesized into Aspirin, is just one of literally thousands of plants that have nutritive and medicinal compounds that surpass modern medicine and continue to serve as an ample medium for more life-saving drugs in the mega-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry. Oh, and White Willow Bark won’t give you an ulcer in your stomach with overuse, like Aspirin.

Avoid the “research and development” costs that Merck has to endure and simply eat the green plants God gave us all for superior nutrition and a healthier mind, body and soul…with even more testosterone than your green-hating friends that subsist largely on bloating protein shakes that provide major gaps in nutritional quality, comparatively.

Gratuitous Testosterone Tip: Very large athletes that are losing substantial amounts of weight should eat broccoli at least 3-4 times a week for its estrogen eliminating qualities, among other things. The reason is actually, two-fold: estrogen is found all over the place, especially in processed foods and anything plastic that touches your water or food (water bottles and plastic wrappers on that Hot Pocket you were about to warm-up, for example) AND is stored into fat-cells. Additionally, major toxins are found to be stored in the obese and are released into the blood-stream as the adipose tissue shrinks and it just so happens that broccoli ushers toxins and estrogen that can both spur cancer and tumor growth as well as swollen mammary glands. The lower your estrogen is, the higher your testosterone will surge and the easier it is to get washboard abs and to howl at the moon at the appropriate lunar cycle. And you'll be healthier, too. That's a good reason.

Bottom line, just eat your greens, like a grown-up. And go from Beta to Alpha.

Natural Testosterone Tip #2

I’ve written in other articles, discussing the varied health benefits of dropping, or at the very least, reducing the consumption of alcohol and once again, this testosterone enhancing piece of advice still needs reiteration. Drop the BOOZE hound! Seriously. Alcohol is killer on the testicles and testosterone in any gender (yes, ladies can seriously benefit from optimizing their own testosterone). Sustained consumption of alcohol can contribute to testicular atrophy (a man’s “manhood” will be a smaller pair, simply put) and an overall lowering of absorbable testosterone can be had. Oh, and your growth-hormone levels will drop too, bub.That's a double-whammy. (Yes, I watched that game show as a kid-awesome!)

Oh, and alcohol can contribute to gynocastemia, or “man boobs”, which is directly related to the fact that as your testosterone is dipping, your estrogen levels are heightening at a similar pace. That’s not a good look, bro-seph. As you age, this ratio swings even faster, and in more dramatic fashion, resulting in all those “manly” drinkers at the bar having more estrogen and even better eye brows than the girls there.

Not manly.

Adding thick grip training is as easy as slipping on a pair of TylerGrips.

The logical conclusion? Drink rarely. And not in excess. Or risk the baby-makers from not receiving ample endogenous testosterone and NOT sending a note when they go on hiatus-for good. It’s a boring rule but in all things, we must make a choice. Hmm…actually being a testosterone-laden athlete or just thinking you are after a few shots at the taqueria is what we are really talking about, gentleman.

Natural Testosterone Tip #3

For decades, there have been suspicions that dairy contains various xenoestrogens (man-made, synthetic estrogens), other various anabolic compounds, metabolites, and other chemicals that modern science simply does not know exist and how they affect the human body and mind. The bottom line, we don’t really know how the varied compounds of cow’s milk intermingle with our own hormones and metabolic processes. Actually, that’s not entirely true. It's sorta bad for you.

In fact, the PH of dairy is acidic, which needs to be converted to an alkaline PH for the nutrients to be absorbed in a Homo sapiens bloodstream. When this happens, you actually get a net-loss of calcium, which is why even though the United States has the highest consumption of milk and cheese per capita, we conversely have the highest rate of osteoporosis in the “developed world”. This is not opinion, but based on decades of conclusive studies, even when the funders of such research projects wanted ‘positive results for the dairy industry’. The results still confirmed higher rates of diabetes, heart-disease and stroke, Alzheimer’s, Osteoporosis and cancer. If you feel like milk still does a body good, then by all means, keep opting for white mustaches while I eat whatever I want and still can’t gain fat-as long as I stay away from dairy. I believe this fact also relates to the fact that I am feeding my body much fewer synthetic estrogens, which conveniently translates into higher testosterone. Sweet action.

All I can say, is I have much less body-fat, water retention and I feel like a lion when I train. And this all started to occur when I stopped spending so much money on fatty milk and cheese.

But, to each their own. Find out what works for you. But Almond and Coconut milk tastes pretty darn good.

Natural Testosterone Tip #4

Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Even though this seems to be a no-brainer, in our seemingly ultra-fast society, constantly consumed by electronics and commutes, setting aside enough deep, REM sleep is a considerable task. This tried, and true rule mandating 8 hours of sleep continues to amaze scientists when comparing athletes that get proper rest versus athletes that are chronically sleep deprived. You are simply going to have a heightened rate of protein synthesis and subsequently, higher testosterone, among other advantageous benefits of proper rest and recuperation. The more quality sleep you get, the more fat your body decides to burn as well.

But why does the body do this? Simple. Your nervous system assumes roughly 5-6 hours of sleep, and fewer, as a type of survival adaptation where it must retain all of its energy stores in the form of adipose tissue (fat). When you get enough sleep, this continuity of slumber assuages your nervous system’s fears and consequently, your body’s production of ghrelin and leptin or normalized and enhanced, leading to greater fat loss and more muscular gains. In fact, when you sleep too little, your body will start to cannibalize on the muscle due to the absurdly high cortisol levels that can also be associated with a lack of Zzzzzzz’s. High levels of the hormone cortisol correlates to a serious decline in man’s best friend, testosterone, canines withstanding. Es no bueno!

Applying this rule of getting 8 hours of sleep goes back to earlier advice on the mental state where you really just have to act like a grown-up and get in bed at a proper hour. No machine does its best until it’s fully charged-up and sleep is essentially a human’s electricity. In fact, it has been proven that a human’s nervous system contracts muscles with tiny electronic pulses powered by none other, than the body's CPU, the brain. Make sure your battery is ready to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible all while increasing your testosterone with proper slumber. Get amped up with more sleep.

If you have trouble sleeping, just turn on SimplyNoise.com at the "brown noise" setting and it will subtly sink you to sleep in no time. I love this site for hotel rooms when you are away during travel.If that doesn't work, turn on NPR on low.

Natural Testosterone Tip# 5

There is a special breed of gym aficionados that for some reason, have decided to purposefully NOT work their legs out. Their antiquated thinking is based on the fact that they can devote ALL their gym hours to building “impressive” muscles like the arms and chest they can more than overcompensate for their tiny legs. However, by leaving leg training, or even sprints and interval-training out of your athletic regimen, you are sabotaging hypertrophy ALL OVER the body.

Why?

The largest muscles in the body happen to be in the legs, which happen to be suspiciously close to the manufacturer of the holy grail of anabolic hormones, testosterone! If you decide to NOT stimulate these appendages that are just waiting to secrete serious amounts of growth hormone and testosterone, then you ALSO must not want awesomely muscular, fast and strong legs. After all, we are made to run and to run fast, you must have a strong set of legs. Ultimately, stimulating leg development and muscle-fiber recruitment initiates the release of anabolic hormones because of the hormone glands dispersed all throughout your neglected chicken legs. They don't have to stay thin and gangly, either.

There is a reason why initiating JUST ONE positive change can ultimately positively affect you in a dynamic, cascading kind of way. Adding lunges, squats and 60 yard sprints can enhance an athlete’s testosterone, cardiovascular health, fast-twitch muscle fiber recruitment, human growth hormone release and ultimately lead to an even bigger UPPER BODY and healthier, happier athlete that will likely live longer as well.

Yes, in this universe of simple truths and ironic complexities, we were made to use our whole body, in a synergistic fashion, which is why the human form is bilateral symmetry of the Vitruvian Man as illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci in 1487. To deny this rule of needing to stimulate and exercise your entire symmetry is to deny the pinnacle of your own athletic self, and a boat load of anabolic hormones, namely testosterone too, broHAM!

Lunges are tough, but it sure beats the pants off looking like a cartoon guerilla with those tiny crawlers.

Natural Testosterone tip #6

If you are trying your best to get a perfect nutrient and mineral profile into your diet, but still feel like you may be missing some gaps, which most of us, no matter how diligent in our diets, can benefit from an absorbable supplement. In the case of older men especially, a quality “ZMA” product can enhance GH release and testosterone production when taken on an empty stomach, before bed. (Note: Eating broccoli 3-4x a week will also effectively act as a ZMA supplement).

Miscellaneous growth-hormone tip: Part of the reason GH goes up though, is due to the fact that you HAVE to have an empty stomach to properly take ZMA and ultimately absorbs the zinc and the magnesium. When you go to bed on an empty stomach (or at least free of carbohydrates), it is an optimal environment for some serious deep sleep and human growth hormone release. So, by following the directions on the bottle of your desired ZMA supplement, you are killing two birds with one stone and sleeping like a baby.

Now, put that PB-and-J sandwich down and get to bed.

[Another Note: due to the extremely low levels of carbohydrates in almonds, this is a satisfactory late-night snack when trying to benefit from ZMA use and the natural growth hormone release to going to sleep with no carbs or starches in your gut. It also enhances the hormone leptin, which is also positively influenced by getting more sleep and helps you burn more fat. ]

Natural Testosterone tip#7

Join a competitive sports team. Yes, by getting your fanny onto a field of play (or basketball court) once or twice a week, you are primitively heightening your nervous system (the body’s man CPU that really controls the whole show) to adapt and produce more testosterone. Competition literally spurs higher amounts of testosterone and can even speed-up a man’s sperm cell motility according to researchers and scientists, alike.

Both the rise and fall of mankind in a societal sense is directly related to competition and the testosterone associated with such actions. Playing baseball or even racquetball (or whatever sport you prefer) can get the ol’ juices flowing and get your testosterone producers at peak efficiency. Part of this mechanism, I believe, has to do with the fact that an opponent will challenge you MORE than you think you are challenging yourself when training alone. Joining a competitive team will not only get you in better shape but will grant more youthful hormonal vigor than previously benefiting from.

Plus, winning is downright fun.

Of course, there are many other ways to produce a more beneficial hormone profile in competitive athletes, but these 7 tips on how to naturally increase your testosterone are a great foundation to begin with. Just by tweaking a few habits in your own body, you can turn back the clock on your health and benefit from the increased feel-good chemicals associated with a brisk stream of testosterone.

TylerGrip alternating bicep curls.

That is all for now my fellow athletes. Now go and conquer your day.

Until next time…train harder and smarter.

Jacob Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com

ttyler@tylergrip.com

11 Pounds

2011-10-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Weighed 200 pounds this am. This is a small vinyl ball that I pulled the stem out of and added recycled lead bird-shot mixed with sand and the ball weighs 11 pounds. I carried the ball for 59 minutes this morning and was sweating at the end of the 59 minutes. This is the 4th workout with this ball, walking an hour each time, in the past 7 days.

For the majority of the hour I would hold the ball to my side. The 1st photo shows a bent wrist carry and the 2nd photo show a straight wrist carry. I would walk along and go from one hand for a minute and switch hands for a minute, back and forth, as I walked along.

I do several sets of one arm triceps extension as I walked along. I was able to do is get a complete body workout along with my walk.

This series of photographs is of me curling the ball. Concentrate on rotating the thumb until the biceps is completely contracted and then squeeze and release.

Exercising with the ball as I walk along allows me to raise the intensity of the training time, burning more calories and building more strength. The ball is interesting to train with. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Leverage Squats

2011-10-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

Weighed 200 pounds this am. I tore down the chinning and dipping apparatus and built this to replace it.

Leverage squats, start, midway, and the finish. Celia did these yesterday and really liked them. The lower back is stretched out and it feels really good.

I made handles for every variation of grips I could think of. The variety of grips works the body from all angles and keeps my interest.

Ergonomic dips using the Tyler Grips.

Hangs/pull-ups for the back and heel raises for the calves.

Wrist roller for the forearms/wrists.

I continue the same program; eating less and moving more. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Consistent

2011-09-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

Our little angel.

Weighed 199 pounds this am. I did the clean and press with 66 pounds, using the Tyler Grips, and did 7 repetitions.

Without changing my grip I did 7 repetitions of the stiff legged dead lift, followed by shrugs at the top of the rep. These 14 repetitions took 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

I am eating very little. For the past 3 months I have been extremely consistent in my training. I walk about 8 hours a week and do different types of resistance training for 2 hours spread through the week, for a total of 10 hours spread over 6 days, the 7th day is for rest. Photographed by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Camel-Bak

2011-09-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

I weighed 204 pounds this am. The ball is one I made a couple of years ago and it weights 7 pounds. The back pack is a Camel-Bak and it weighed 4 pounds filled with sweetened ice-tea, so an extra 11 pounds. I carried this load a total of 62 minutes and it was an interesting workout.

As I walked along I did some shoulder exercises. I would do 7 repetitions with one arm and then switch sides, back and forth for about 15 minutes. The remaining time I would carry it to one side for a minute or two, then the other side, back and forth. This is Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

The whole truth and nothing but the truth

2011-09-09T00:38:00.000-07:00

As a teenager and now adult, I have ingested every piece of exercise and nutrition information, palatable or not, in order to have a "1% perspective" that few people achieve in their lifetime. The top-tier of every profession or hobby has an elite few, that regardless of education or socioeconomic positioning, are still regarded as more enlightened on the subject than the Average Bear. As any competitive red-blooded American Male, I wanted to achieve this level of saturation in all-things-athletic. Of course, I have a LONG way to go. However...

Confusion makes money
As I started to gain some sort of semblance of what some of the key pieces of information for achieving radical body transformations, I also realized there is a ton of misinformation. Understandably, there are a lot of very legitimate trainers, nutritionists, strength coaches, and athletes that don't want to spill all their best secrets in fear of losing a hard-earned base of clients if they only knew more information.

After all, it's a well documented fact that slavery in America was sustained largely by the simple fact that Plantation owners would NOT let their subjects learn how to read.

Knowledge is power
I remember being a kid and hearing older people say, "Knowledge is power" and the importance of getting a good education and all that seemingly unnecessary emphasis on regimented, rigorous mental work.

But it's absolutely 100% true. The less you know, the more you can be effectively told what to do, blind to facts withstanding. And that is what many industries have successfully accomplished in many developed countries. When your client base is clueless, they are also held captive by this barrier of entry into an informed state. When you understand the basic components of losing excess body-fat or gaining muscle without using androgens you look at your former self as sheepish, mislead and naive.

The solution is to not take my word on anything I write. Yup. I just said that. And if you follow this same train of thought, then you will question and research and try training and nutrition theory IN THE REAL WORLD where practical applications of results are actually needed, and not in some double-blind placebo test that has still ultimately been skewed in favor of more research grants.

I genuinely want you, the person reading this very sentence right now, to be in the best shape of your life, to be injury free, to be able to chunk (I'm from the South, clearly) your costly blood-pressure and diabetes medicine away (with approval from your doctor of course), to be mentally tough but confident enough in yourself to be calm, loving and happy in your own life.

I know I'm asking a lot
I realize that the above, super-long sentence is a lofty goal but I have one question to remedy the obstacles of my request: if another human can get in shape, and you are a human, then why can't you get in shape too?

Short answer: you can. I'm not asking you to fly, since you are not a bird. I'm not asking you to live your entire life under the water, because you are not a fish. You are a human.

And you are special. And you CAN get in phenomenal shape and get uber-healthy if you want to prove my point. You are special and you were fearfully and wonderfully made. All you need is the correct and appropriately applied know-how.

As poetic as that piece of feel-goodery is, it is also 100% true. Perhaps, some athletes are going to be faster, taller or stronger than you but you are no bum. You have every right and capacity to get in primitively awesome shape, regardless of "genetics" or any of that self-limiting talk I see so often in various training or nutrition websites. To achieve the results I know you want, you have to eliminate all excuses and simply prepare to overcome some obstacles. As simplistic as I've stated it is as simple as it can be if applied in your own life.

A word of caution
Yes, becoming a better athlete, regardless of any competition or not, is my goal for every single person that reads this blog. Looking great is fantastic, but what about looking phenomenal and actually being strong, flexible, injury free, lean, muscular and healthy? Looking great and feeling even more so is not unusual for an athlete, regardless of age, gender or geography. We are all athletes.

If we want to be athletes.

With this said, because there is money to be made in confusing the masses, there is a guarantee that you will read conflicting advice elsewhere in opposition of my training and nutrition truths. For example, government funded studies showed milk to lower the weight of its participants and so now, milk ads everywhere are touting the weight-loss advantages of dairy.

But again, as I have said previously, any piece of information can and will be skewed in an effort to make another buck. The studies that these dairy ads have been based on were a result of the clinical participants losing weight due to gestational discomfort and lack of appetite due to the effects on the people drinking this stuff. Most people do not handle milk very well. If milk works for you, then cool, keep drinking it. But you have to ask yourself why your doctor will tell you to NOT drink dairy or eat cheese when you have the flu or a cold?

It's due to the excessive amount of inflaming mucous that it generates throughout the body, especially the respiratory system. I have a few words throughout the Tyler Method blog on how dropping dairy and cheese, just this one step, helped me lose a lot of excess adipose tissue. There is also a reason why virtually every boxer, MMA fighter, triathlon athlete, Olympian and even PGA golf pro's DO NOT drink milk and eat cheese "in season". Because it is in fact, fattening and it draws a remarkable amount of water to be stored under the skin, contributing to further weight-gain, leaving your face chunky and your blood-pressure high (which absolutely saps your endurance and stamina).

Again, there is a reason that the professionals drop an often-touted sports enhancer (due to it's protein content-I get it) when the "normal people" that simply train at the gym or workout outdoors are told to keep forming white milk mustaches and piling on the cheese.

The definition of insanity
If you are frustrated with your physical achievements, then try something different. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. This phrase originally coined by Benjamin Franklin puts a clear perspective on all of our human efforts. We say we want better results in our own lives but are afraid to try something different. My friends, this fear is contributing to a subtle sacking of sanity which keeps you driven on a single course, mired in a lack of overall knowledge and a couch-potatoes body.

I could go on, and on, about all the mis-truths plaguing America's athletes and the masses at-large. For example, there is a huge campaign in most bodybuilding publications and online sources that are stating that athletes need to consume at least 1.5 grams of protein PER POUND of body weight every single day. A 225 lb. man would need to eat 337.5 grams of protein DAILY to gain an appreciable amount of muscle-mass based on this theory.
What these publications don't exactly declare, due to the illegal and health-harming ramifications of such a statement, is that these guidelines are really only for steroid-using athletes that have synthetically increased their protein-synthesis to a higher degree than naturally possible. Most athletes can get as big as they are naturally going to get, muscularly, on 90-150 grams of protein a day, mainly from plant-based foods, eggs and fish. But yet, this mis-information is a thinly-veiled piece of propaganda to sell more protein powders and bars, which are generally ineffective muscle and strength builders unless you are chronically under nourished.

I'll go on...
-Most supplements are so poorly absorbed, or dosed so ineffectively, simply for maximum profit, that there is zero net-gain on the purchase and administration of such new-age and expensive "snake oil". And yes, that includes multivitamins, where there are only a handful of third-party verified absorption rates worth writing home about.

-Machines at the gym are a waste of time, but you probably knew that already.

-Protein powders are pointless, unless consumed during or post-workout due to the hyper-fast absorption rate of a pre-digested whey (milk) protein. "Food" protein sources like beans, nuts, fish, eggs and meat are digested properly, over MANY hours, which forms a steady stream of amino acids, easily absorbed into the blood-stream for a prolonged anabolism.

-Hiring a trainer to get you in shape at the gym is an incredulous way to waste money and time and effort and respect for yourself. You should learn everything you can to empower yourself and finely-tune your ability to "listen to your body" so that you can properly circumnavigate any foreseeable obstacles lain on your path to a better, healthier body.

-Oh, and of course, you don't need a gym membership, which is simply another way to drain money from the constant gym-goer with the perma-gut and bandana on. Spend half of what your membership costs a month, and slowly gain a decent collection of large, but controllable, dumbbells in your garage or backyard. Literally, if all you ever used was a few pairs of challenging dumbbells, in an intelligently designed course of physical exertion, then you could achieve the body of an Adonis.

-Oh, and you don't lose weight at the gym. You lose excess fat at the dinner table. 75%-80% of ALL weight-loss is associated to eating healthier foods, which we all know are mainly plant-based along with an adequate amount of lean cuts of fish or meat and the boring, but so very necessary item of diet advice, keep your meal proportions reasonable. If you have trouble breathing after a hefty meal, then you just failed the whole portion control thing I'm touching on. If you fix your diet, then you fix your waist-line and you fix your perspective on what is possible to achieve in your own life, beyond just looking and feeling great.

Because once you start gaining results in a SANE approach, you will then ponder what other heights you might be able to achieve, now that you have finally broken the barrier of fear and doubt and lack of truthful information that is so vital to success. Knowledge IS power so there is no requirement to be powerless. Like most things, if you truly desire a result, and sacrifice whatever your specific equations requires of you, then you will achieve superior results, when tooled with the right knowledge.

So, there you have it folks. The whole truth and nothing but the truth. The more you learn, the more you actually have a say in what happens in your life. Now go out there and get after it...

Until next time...train harder AND smarter.

Jacob Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com

ttyler@tylergrip.com

A Better Tool

2011-09-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

Weighed 201 pounds this am. I did 1 set of stiff legged dead lifts with 66 pounds for 20 repetitions. The Tyler Grips give me an ergonomic grip on the bar and gives me an excellent grip workout while dead lifting! I believe the use of the Tyler Grips consistently for the last 7 years is the reason my biceps, triceps, and deltoids are shaped the way they are. The grips make the barbell or dumbbell a better tool.

I put the bar down and immediately turned the grips around and did a set of 7 repetitions of the barbell curl. Total workout time 4 minutes. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

62 Years Old

2011-09-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

Weighed 201 pounds this am. I walked 90 minutes this morning and later did a 15 minute workout with the 60 pound Milo bag. My birthday was yesterday and I am 62 years old. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

The inventor of the TylerGrip is 62 years young!

2011-09-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

My father has and will always be my hero. He is the inventor of the exercise aid for stronger forearms, the TylerGrips. Tim Tyler is 62 years old and looks absolutely phenomenal and has taught me, literally, everything I know pertaining to nutrition, supplementation and all things athletic. The best is yet to be on this epic journey of fulfilling athletic prophecy.

Jacob Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

10 Hours a Week

2011-09-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

Weighted 202 pounds this am. I have continued to train 10 hours a week. Earlier today I walked 92 minutes. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

The Hunter-Gatherer in all of us

2011-08-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

Even though today's society portrays our best professional athletes guzzling gallons of milk and eating pounds of steak daily, our more physically domineering ancestors survived on far less meat and rarely on dairy and were known to have incredible wing-spans, extremely strong bones and joints and of course, very near "animal strength" and speed. Unfortunately, the truth is humans now are far less physical, yet we eat 10x the meat and animal products that our forefathers ate only 100 years ago.

You can try every diet under the sun, but if a majority of your calories (85% or better) is derived from plants, then you are much more closely adhering to the most anabolic and lypolitic diet in history. And because of this fact, assuming you have adequate protein in your diet, you will sculpt a body nigh of love-handles and rolls, filled with muscle.

And a diet, it is not. I'll explain.

The "I absolutely HAVE to survive" diet of yesteryear probably consisted of greens, roots, various grains and nuts, fruit, berries and the occasional small, or even relatively large game, like a deer or a wild pig. Oh, and dairy of any kind would be impossible. (Note: If you are going to eat dairy, try goats milk and cheese as it's naturally homogenized and is much closer to human breast milk than cow dairy.) Any kind of meat-based meal, if you have survived in the wild without "modern tools", is extremely difficult to procure. Since most plant-based foods are very sparse in the calorie department, it makes sense that fish, squirrel, rabbit or some venison would be in very high-demand if you are surviving in the wilderness and you don't really want to see your progeny and mate wither away in starvation or lack of nutritional diversity. Making money is akin to gathering food and this is why this is on all of our minds, simply because it is the closest stimuli to having enough food for your family. We all want our families healthy and well-fed.

And yes, in reverse order, it seems like our societal tendency is to do the same thing to the family we say we love and want to protect. We are morbidly obese yet fully lacking in our nutritional and phytochemical requirements and therefore, generally suffer from a whole hosts of ailments, most notably from heart-disease, cancer and diabetes. Yet, millions of food addicts go to bed hungry, not due to lack of food, but due to the lack of nutrients they receive. We are daily adding to our distended, and aggravated guts but we are literally starving our body of the building blocks and medicinal actions found in veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, etc.

Food as a medicine
Just because a chicken burrito has a lot of calories does NOT mean it has any medicinal properties or nutritive quality that actually matters. Since most vitamins and supplements are not properly absorbed, we must eat much more plant-based foods to get the nutrients and plant chemicals that are just not found in that whey shake or sandwich with provolone and smoked turkey. Delicious as the former and latter may be, in order to have the most energy, quickest recovery and highest rate of protein synthesis while keeping little-to-no body-fat (not to mention health-killing visceral fat around the organs) it is absolutely mandatory that we employ many of the foods that vegetarians and vegans use.With a good ol' fashion adaptive "curveball" thrown every once in a while in the form of a nice steak or burger a few times a week to dramatically increase protein synthesis.

Green is good
The average "man-made" or processed food item will only repeat the vicious cycle of EATING MORE because your brain KNOWS that you haven't received adequate nutrition, calories withstanding. God intended for humans, and most animals alike, to get the majority of their food from the plentiful, nutritionally all-encompassing, plant-based foods. Plants, that happen to be extremely economical to grow and are easily maintained after planting use much less water and expensive "feed" as compared to livestock and again, provide nutrients that are not found in that Big Mac or Mexican Pizza at Taco Bell.

On a large-scale situation, producing the most food, with the most health benefits, would consist of more variable farmland with a further emphasis on sustainable wild fish harvesting. Meat is not bad, and fish is better, but there is a problem when EVERY single meal has 500+ calories of meat, when in actuality if we were all transported back to being "Hunter-Gatherers", then we would see how rare a steak truly would be. If we had to hunt or at least trap or own animals for our meat or protein requirements, it would be a rarity that would be hastily cherished.

Because plants are your REAL vitamins and not the synthetic, hard-pressed, mini-bricks that are passed off as a "supplement" we are all tricked to think that we are getting enough proper nutrition. We are not...and the most efficient way of absorbing the most nutrients, in the correct quantities is through non-animal foods.

And this is the problem. In our vain attempt at reinventing the wheel, we are literally blotting out our history (worldwide) as mostly vegans, with the occasional feast of succulent, protein-rich meat as a special treat, thus resulting in an explosion of anabolism, IGF-1 release and protein-synthesis. Sustaining on far fewer grams of protein for any moderate length of time can result in an aggressive shift in positive protein synthesis, which is an adaptive response we all share.

The anabolic secret
The secret is to mainly eat plant-based foods so when you do get that nice steak at a friends house, for example, you are literally taking advantage of a natural anabolic shift, in favor of making you stronger, for your next hypothetical bout against primitive beast, or some drunk guy at a restaurant. When you are constantly fed steak, your rate of protein-synthesis drops as a result of homeostasis, and your body and mind "knowing" that more protein is coming, so the rate of muscle-building (again, protein-synthesis) will come to grinding halt.

Plus, your body will inherently store fat once all this meat you've been eating suddenly disappears (as would happen in the wild, thousands of years ago, which is how were designed to adapt) so starving yourself is not the answer either.

Solution?

Keep your body's protein-synthesis and homeostatic mechanisms "guessing" while simultaneously improving your health, increasing longevity, lowering blood-pressure, staving off other enemies of health and just feeling all around more energetic and better. We all want to feel better and younger. Eating more vegetables and "vegan" foods is not a political statement. In fact, it is a statement of survival for most very sick people that have suffered the ill-effects of the eradication of "Physical Education" in school combined with an explosion of fast-food joints that put our healthcare costs in the trillion dollar neighborhood for preventable, obesity-related illnesses.

By eating like our ancestral relatives used to eat, we are eliminating many of the modern-day ills that fall so many of our family-members, colleagues, friends, neighbors and even ourselves, potentially.

Now, I'm not "co-signing" the Paleolithic Diet per se, or even the actual "Hunter Gatherer Diet", but I am making a logical observation, based on our adaptive tendencies. Any modern man that spent 90 days in a "wilderness" setting where they had to collect nuts, berries, roots, leaves and other edible plants, again to survive, with the occasional capturing or successfully completed hunt for wild game, would very quickly eliminate many illnesses and diseases and become very svelte, strong, nimble and efficient.

Keep it simple, silly
Complicated is so overrated. We as an out-of-shape society don't need to read niche diet books or construe a completely different lifestyle, just mainly eat vegetarian foods (as unprocessed as possible-like you are in the wild) and eat meat occasionally, usually 2-3 times a week. This way, if there's a party at a friends house and they are having fajitas or steaks, or shrimp on the barbie, then you can still partake. ROCK! The delicacy will be delicious like no other meal you have ever had and your anabolic boost will be felt and noticed in your workouts. This basic way of thinking, as long as it is applied with actions, is extremely potent in body transformation. Do not worry about losing all that "muscle" that you have. Your body is remarkably adept at preserving the "good stuff". Simply let the increased consumption of greens add life and vigor to your being, while the filet of fish on Wednesday night will push you past your plateaus in the gym with a tidal-wave or increased protein-synthesis, IGF-1 and other miscellaneous anabolic compounds endogenously produced.

The sacrifice
You will feel better. You will suffer fewer allergies. You will be leaner and more muscular. And on average, you will live longer. But only if you are willing to do what others aren't. The sacrifice. Which seems to be the requirement for anything substantial in our lives. Hmm....

Side-note
I have to admit, I have been on such a tear, discussing and dissecting the many different effects plants have on the human body and it's relation to body transformation and athletic pursuits, amateur and professional alike. I first thought that maybe I should eat much higher amounts of vegetables and fruits simply based on the training advice I would read and hear when conversing with mixed martial arts trainers and coaches. Athletes that have a higher percentage of their calories derived from plants enjoy more benefits when it comes to competing on game day. We all want that edge and so I took the plunge. I lost allergies, love-handles and a large amount of immovable, unusable, ineffective adipose tissue that was simply slowing me down and keeping me regularly, slightly sick. Since the effectiveness of your diet correlates to about 75-80% of your athletic success it is ideal for every athlete to master eating healthy before they know how to squat 500 lbs. Meaning, you can train ALL DAY LONG but you won't make any of the visible changes we all seek, not to mention the intangible health improvements by satisfying your body's need for specific nutrients, unless we start putting what we put in our face, first. Most people train just fine. It's the dinner table most of us battle with daily.

Win the battle of the bulge. Once and for all.

Until next time...train harder and smarter...and eat green.

Jacob Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Work the Deltoids

2011-07-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

The photographs demonstrate the behind the head press with 66 pounds on the barbell and using Tyler Grips. I did 11 reps.

The presses, hanging on the rope, and the photographs took 5 minutes and 45 seconds. The presses work the deltoids very hard. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler
www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Passive Resistance

2011-07-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

Weighed 208 pounds this am, these photographs show how I am dressed for my walk. I walked 75 minutes and came home. Once home I went to the new chinning bar I put up yesterday and held on for 1 minute. I like to think of any kind of hanging around as "passive resistance"; very simply, just hold on!!! Photographs by Abigail.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

Close Grip Bench Press

2011-07-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Weighed 208 pounds this am, walked 90 minutes, was outside 1 hour 50 minutes. Once home I did a set of close grip bench press using the 66 pound barbell equipped with Tyler Grips. Close grip bench press is widely known to cause more than its share of training injuries. The grips put my hands into the perfect ergonomic position so I can work the exercise better, harder, and safer. Taking my time to get a good stretch I do the exercise 1 repetition at a time. I reached my goal of 20 repetitions, which took 2 minutes.

Photographs of brand new Tyler Grips.

New Tyler Grips on a pair of dumbbells. Tyler Grips make any exercise a better exercise. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com

5 Minutes and 45 Seconds

2011-07-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

Weighed 208 pounds this am and walked 1 − 1/2 hours. Once home and after a rest, I squatted the 66 pound bar that is pictured for 20 repetitions. Note that I use the Tyler Grips as a ergonomic pad. This keeps the bar off the spine and makes this a more comfortable exercise. I took my time, got a excellent stretch and a good cardiovascular/strength workout in the core, butt, inner and outer thighs, hamstrings, lower back, and calves.

Immediately upon finishing the squats, I did 7 repetitions of the good morning exercise. I did these 7 reps slowly and gradually stretching out with each repetition. The squats and good mornings took 4 minutes.

Immediately after the good mornings, I grabbed the handles and held on for 1 1/2 minutes. Notice how thick my fingers are!!! With the photos at the end it took 5minutes and 45 seconds. Photographs by Celia.

Tim Tyler

www.TylerMethod.com
www.TylerGrip.com
www.twitter.com/TylerGrip
ttyler@tylergrip.com