Meet the man in the shorts, Tyler Sandell. Tyler is chasing his dreams, no matter what!
Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
Honestly, I never really knew anything about the sport until I met a diet coach. She showed me how to pose and gave me the knowledge I needed to be a competitor. I was powerlifting at the time and coming out of my fourth knee surgery as well as changing my career out of the military. I saw my first show in July of 2012 and was hooked from that day on. I stepped on stage for the first time in August 2012 at the Jay Cutler Classic in Maryland, placing 7th out of 22.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you most recently competed?
I recently competed in the IFBB Pro Bikini and Midwest Naturals in St. Louis, Missouri. It was a smaller show but still had a good turn out with over 100 competitors. There were a lot of big names there due to the Pros being there so I was able to meet some great people.
How did you feel after pre-judging?
I felt good, I had a great couple meals that morning and when I got on stage I felt like I had a great package compared to the other competitors. It was a good feeling being put towards the middle of the group and felt like I stood out. I felt leaner and bigger than the previous show I competed in. My wife was not able to make it to prejudging but came about an hour after. So I was able to spend time with my daughter and her. I took my family and some of our good friends to the St. Louis Zoo and had a blast.
How did you feel about the final results of the show?
I trained for first and ended up with second, but it was a great show and a great experience. It was truly a good feeling knowing that I looked good and that all of my hard work paid off. I was happy that I qualified for nationals and I am ready to step on stage again.
What are your thoughts on the Men's Physique Division and what it may be able to do for your career?
I believe that this division gives the ability for a lot more athletes to step on stage without feeling like they don’t belong. Not everyone can be a bodybuilder nor want to be. If you look at the women's divisions they have four different categories in which they can compete in. Having Men's Physique is growing the Men's Division that much more.
I have had four knee surgeries, two of which were ACL reconstruction. I have been told by many doctors that I wouldn't be able to continue my fitness career. I enjoy competing in the Men's Physique Division. There is a lot of controversy over the division, but I personally feel like this division is making the sport grow. I believe that Men's Physique is perfect for me and what I want for my career. This has given me the opportunity to grow as a person and athlete. I have met some great people so far in my career and I have only scratched the surface. I have recently attained a sponsorship with Titan Nutrition and look forward to growing in this sport!
Age: 23
Hometown: Belgrade, Montana
Current city: Republic, Missouri
Years training: 3+ years
Education: Currently attending MSU for Athletic Training
Occupation: Sponsored athlete with Titan Nutrition, full-time student at MSU, home schooled PE Teacher with the Recreation Department at the City of Willard, Fitness boot camp instructor with the Recreation Department at the City of Willard.
Favorite type of training: I like it all, actually. I prefer to do the old school approach with weights rather than cross fit but I do like a good workout of the day every now and again.
Favorite body part to train: Back
Favorite exercise: Pull-downs. I do a variation of grips, 6 grips for 6 sets of 8.
Rep range: Varies, 10-12 is always a go-to.
Number of sets: 4-6
Typical workout duration: 1.5-2 hours
Training split: 5 day split
Legs
Chest
Back
Shoulders
Core and Arms
Typical daily eating plan:
Meal 1 0630
Two scoops level-1 protein
1/2 cup of oatmeal with tablespoon of cinnamon
Four pills of Test Launch by Titan Nutrition
Multi-Vitamin
4 oz banana
B complex
1 serving Lipo-Shred (fat burner) Titan Nutrition
Lipo n-3 Titan Nutrition
Meal 2 0900
Pre workout
6 oz of chicken or 4 egg whites and 2 whole eggs
8 oz of sweet potato
Four pills of Test Launch by Titan Nutrition
One scoop of KRE-EX Titan Nutrition
Or Adrenal Prime Titan Nutrition
BCAA
Meal 3 1130
Two scoops Phormula-1
8 oz sweet potato or 1 cup of brown rice
6 oz turkey tenderloin
8 oz of fruit, bananas or strawberries or both
Meal 4 130
8 oz turkey tenderloin
6 oz sweet potato
10-15 asparagus spears
(May add salad depending if I'm still hungry.)
B complex
Activ8 Titan Nutrition (energy drink)
Meal 5 400
Shake
2 scoops level-1 protein
1 serving of cyto carb
Tablespoon of cinnamon
Meal 6 630
6 oz of steak or chicken
(Usually chicken with salad and a vinegar and oil dressing.)
1 cup of green veggies
Meal 7 900
Shake
Two scoops level-1 protein
Meal 8 right before bed
Small shake casein made with milk and soy milk 3 oz of each.
Scoop of level-1
1 serving of RestStor Titan Nutrition
Favorite supplement: Being sponsored by Titan Nutrition, I am able to have all my favorite supplements from them! I love the pre-workout Kre-Ex and for show prep the pre-workout Adrenal Prime. I also like the supplement Activ8. It’s an athlete’s energy drink. Also Lipo-Shred is one of the best fat burners I have ever used. Anything by Titan Nutrition is a great product!
What peaked your interest in training?
I have always been athletic and played sports in high school. However I was never big enough to play contact sports. It wasn’t until I joined the military that I became a gym fanatic. I love the results from the training and how I felt. The one thing that sparked my interest most would be finally being able to grow and not be the 140-pound boy I was in high school.
Who influences/influenced your training?
My wife definitely influences my training. She is my rock and always helps me through my diets and training programs. She gives me motivation I need and helps me through the hard days. Also, seeing my daughter every day is motivating. When I was younger, though, my brother definitely sparked my interest in the bodybuilding sport. He competed in 2002 where he won the Japan International.
Sports: I enjoy swimming, scuba diving, snowboarding and like to watch NFL.
Special interests: Being with my family is the one thing I love most in this world. And spending time with my little girl. Also, I love to do anything outside (hunting, fishing, hiking, etc.).
Physique, fitness, bodybuilding competition history:
August 2012, Jay Cutler Classic MD, Men's Physique 7th out of 22, B Class
July 2012, MD State Championships, 1st in Open 198 Weight class and broke state record with a 355 pound bench press @ 190 lbs.
June 22, 2012, Annual bench press 2nd Place in open 198 weight class
Awards and/or accomplishments: Sponsored athlete with Titan Nutrition, I have been in two newspapers about my time in the military and meets I have competed in. I have broken a state record in Maryland for bench press when I was competing in powerlifting. During my time in the Army, I served as an Engineer Deep Sea Diver. I have received multiple medals in the military, two of which are an ARCOM and AAM.
Next planned competition: National Championships in Ft Lauderdale, Florida.
What keeps you on track towards reaching your goals?
All my setbacks and negative people in my younger life. I think about the doctors telling me with how bad my knee is that I can’t do it. It only motivates me more. I can and will achieve all my goals and won’t let anything hold me back.
Interesting fact or something you would like our readers to know about you:
I am a proud and very lucky father to a beautiful little girl. She is amazing and brings true joy to my life. As I have previously stated, I have had two ACL surgeries, and two meniscus surgeries, all of which were within a four-year time span. I want everyone to chase their dreams no matter what.
Social Media:
www.facebook.com/tyler.sandell13
https://www.facebook.com/pages/TITAN-NUTRITION/177094969714
Contact Information: [email protected]
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