Guest Post by Natural Bodybuilding Champion, Tyler English

The “Renegade Way” as I’ve come to understand it, has given me more then ever imagined.

Since stumbling upon this blog after graduating college, it’s been a combination of the way in which I approach my life, training and business, in which one could deem, the Renegade Way.

To say this happened overnight would be a fallacy, much like my approach to training, life, bodybuilding and business, it’s been a natural progression of growth.

And it’s taken me a few years.

My progression continues today and this growth will continue until the day I reach the heavens.

The Natural Bodybuilder

As a champion natural bodybuilder I often here all the stereotypes, the society-driven beliefs associated with bodybuilding.

In a word, we might call it dogma.

Or a “one-size fits all” follow along approach to training, dieting and well, bodybuilding.

It usually fits the mold of the following.

Utilize a body-part training split, train high volume five to six days a week, eat six meals a day, spread those meals out every 3 hours and perform endless amounts of mind-numbing cardio.

Sounds like the dogmatic bodybuilding belief system that I came to know early on.

See, that’s where Renegade Nation is unique, it’s hardly “one-size fits all” and it doesn’t ask that of you.

You can train 2, 3 and even 6 days a week. Though we know that strength, conditioning, mobility and recovery will all be addressed.

Dieting isn’t about how many meals you can consume, instead the focus shifts to the quality of food, digestive health and feeding your body when it needs it most, to supplement training.

Macronutrients still play a vital role, but they don’t need to be the end-all-be-all.

Protein, carbohydrates and fats are all consumed and utilized to spare muscle, control insulin, shed body fat and provide stimulation for new muscle growth.

Meal spacing isn’t the end all be all, instead our daily consumption is focused on creating a high level of mental alertness and maximizing your training.

Back in 2005, I was a mere infant in the fitness industry. I’d recently graduated college, begun my journey into the fitness industry (splitting my time between two big box gyms) while aspiring to compete in my first natural bodybuilding competition. During this same time, I discovered Jason Ferruggia, his written word and the Renegade Nation.

I couldn’t get enough of it.

As someone who’d already begun to break the mold of your prototypical bodybuilder, Jay’s approach to training and life really hit home.

A few months later, after my first bodybuilding competition I invested in Muscle Gaining Secrets, spent the entire night reading Jay’s words and immediately began implementing a new approach to training.

I was hooked!

The approach to training was what I needed.

Over the next 8 years I continued to develop my approach to training, utilizing many of my takeaways from this very blog and others in the industry who had I felt a similar connection to, while morphing it into my own unique style of training.

The Renegade Impact

It wasn’t until recently, that I realized the type of impact my initial discovery of Renegade Nation has had on life, business, training and my approach to bodybuilding.

Over the last 7 years I’ve made significant strides as a professional natural bodybuilder.  I’m no longer the aspiring amateur or professional who missed the World Championship Finals by a point in 2008. I’ve taken home pro titles, and in both 2010 and 2012 stood side-by-side with the best natural bodybuilders in the world and each time claimed a top 3 finish in the world.

The bodybuilding diet, in my approach, has evolved.

There are periods of my life where I eat every 5 hours, days where I don’t eat breakfast, and times where I’ll go 12-16 hours without food.

The Renegade Diet allowed me a greater sense of nutritional freedom.

There are training sessions that involve nothing more than a loaded barbell, a pair of heavy ass dumbbells and my bodyweight. As there are days were recovery is the focus, and all I need is lacrosse ball, foam roll and my body.

I rarely train 6 days per week, but still consider myself a bodybuilder. Aesthetics aren’t my only concern as I train for strength, power, health and longevity.

The Renegade Strength approach allowed me to let go of dogmatic beliefs.

During the last 4 years, I’ve grown tremendously as a business owner, man, coach and fitness professional

There are times where the short-fused, ruthless business owner wants to peak back out, (and he still does) but his re-emerging episodes have lessened and carry with them a post-rage “timeout” of breathing or meditation.

Just the same, there are days where the man I’ve become, struggles to balance life.

These things won’t stop, but thanks to a new sense of self, I can now look at everything in a new light, with a better sense of direction.

The Renegade I’d become allowed me to find the power of mediation.

The Renegade approach has given me more direction, purpose and sense of being in life.

Renegade Nation has lead the way.

The Man Himself

Over the last 3 years I’ve had the distinct opportunity to get to know Jason, not only as a strength coach and writer, but as respected colleague, man and friend.

Whether it was sharing ideas, helping one another (or paying forward my Jay-Z and Eminem tickets at Yankee Stadium – yes I did that), chilling in Cali or shooting the shit via text, the man himself, stands for all that is Renegade Nation.

For that, my brother, I want to say thank you for being the Renegade and building the nation that follows you today.

I am grateful for your continued voice, knowledge and friendship.

Rise above.

Work Hard, Train Hard, Get Better,
Tyler English
www.tylerenglishblog.com

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