Tag: Tristyn Lee
Breon Ansley Annihilates Pull day Workout With Tristyn Lee
Bodybuilder Breon Ansley recently teamed up with fitness influencer Tristyn Lee for an intense back and biceps workout. Ansley is readying himself to venture into the new division in 2023 and this workout was a step in the direction to get the right body composition.
Breon Ansley is an American professional bodybuilder that has competed in the IFBB Pro League’s Classic Physique division for the majority of his career. He is a former Classic Physique Olympia champion and won the title at the 2017 and 2018 Olympia. After getting dethroned by Chris Bumstead at the 2019 Olympia, the 43-year-old continued to hover around the title picture and finished in the top five at the 2020 and 2021 Olympia. However, the 4th place finish in 2022 prompted Ansley to bury the hatchet and pass on the torch to Chris Bumstead. As decided earlier, the 2022 Olympia proved to be Ansley’s final Classic Physique appearance and he made the decision to move on from the weight class.
Although he has competed in the 212 division during the early stage of his career, Ansley is once again working hard to get the necessary body composition to make a move to 212 division in 2023. Unlike the Classic Physique division, the 43-year-old would not have to sacrifice any muscle mass to compete in the new weight class. As a result, Breon Ansley is confident that he will win the 2023 Olympia.
As a part of this effort, Ansley teamed up with fitness influencer Tristyn Lee for a back and biceps workout. Lee became notorious in the YouTube fitness community for carrying minimal body fat. He is known for his ripped physique and maintains the stance that he has been natural his whole life. In recent months, Lee has teased a venture into competitive bodybuilding.
Breon Ansley and Tristyn Lee tackled a high-intensity back and biceps workout in the Dragon’s Lair gym. The video of this session was posted on Lee’s personal YouTube channel. So without further delay, let’s see how the duo survived this intense training session.
Breon Ansley and Tristyn Lee go through a back and biceps workout
Ansley and Lee utilized the rest pause training method for all the exercises in this training session. The duo performed only one working set per exercise but focused more on adding mass, width and depth to the back and biceps muscles.
Pull-ups
Being the more experienced of the two, Breon Ansley led the workout as Tristyn Lee followed in his footsteps. They started the training session with four sets of pull-ups to warm up the back and biceps.
“Pull-ups and dips always kick that a**. But it’s always a good measuring stick too as I am going up in body weight… To keep that strength up… Keep that strength up, keep those numbers up and keep those reps up,” Breon Ansley said about pull-ups.
After finishing all the sets of pull-ups, the duo took to the first heavy compound movement of the day.
Hammer Strength Low Rows
Ansley and Lee performed hammer strength low rows next to work the back muscles. This compound movement primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, middle and upper trapezius muscles in the back. Apart from muscle building, it is an essential movement to improve the upper body posture.
“Don’t need to keep count as long as you’re confident you know you went till that very last drop. Just ensure that and you’re good,” Breon Ansley said about rep range.
The training partners cranked out solid sets of low rows next and took to another rowing movement next.
Cable High Rows
This cable machine rowing movement followed next as Ansley and Lee added more stimulus to the back muscles. Horizontal pulling movements/rows are effective in building a thick back and hence it is of utmost importance to include them in the training routine for complete back development.
In particular, cable high rows also work the latissimus dorsi, rhomboid as well as trapezius muscles in the back and they protect the shoulders while reducing the risk of injury during upper body exercises.
Ansley cranked out solid sets of cable high rows next as Lee followed the suit. The duo then took to a traps-focused exercise next.
Dumbbell Shrugs
This simple but effective exercise is an excellent mass and strength builder for the trapezius muscles. Apart from the bigger and stronger look, well-developed traps aid in scapular functions and help protect against neck injuries.
Ansley and Lee pushed through heavy sets of dumbbell shrugs next and shifted their focus to working the biceps.
EZ Bar Curls
EZ bar curl offers distinct advantages over standard barbell due to its curved shape as it enables a more natural and neutral wrist position. This exercise primarily targets the biceps brachii muscles and helps build strength and muscle mass. But it also activates the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles as well.
Ansley and Lee performed a few sets of EZ bar curls next and took to the final exercise of the day.
Dumbbell Preacher Curls
Dumbbell preacher curls are arguably the most effective exercise for biceps isolation. The triceps are firmly pressed against the pad during this exercise and the shoulder is neatly tucked against the edge of the pad. As a result, biceps are forced to lift the weight unassisted, increasing strength and muscle gain. The duo performed some solid sets of dumbbell preacher curls next and wrapped up the training session.
Overall, the workout included:
Breon Ansley will face a fresh set of challenges when he transitions to the 212 division this year. Reigning champion Shaun Clarida will be the main hurdle standing in Ansley’s way of winning the second division title. But if he can make the necessary adjustments, the former Classic Physique champion can definitely make history.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Tristyn Lee’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 19 July, 2023 | 1:18 PM EDT
Nick Walker Teams Up With Tristyn Lee And Jared Feather To Build A Thick Back
Bodybuilder Nick Walker is all set to start his competition prep for 2023 Olympia and get ready take on the top contenders. He revealed the update during a back training session with Tristyn Lee and Jared Feather.
New Jersey native Nick Walker is one of the most talented bodybuilders in the IFBB Pro League’s Men’s Open division. After earning the IFBB pro card by winning the 2020 North American Championships, achieving the Olympia goal has been the singular focus of Walker’s professional life. He made the pro debut with a fourth place finish at the 2020 Chicago Pro. However, 2021 saw him elevate his career to a whole new year. The Mutant earned a direct qualification with a win at the 2021 New York Pro and also won the 2021 Arnold Classic shortly after. Interestingly, both wins came within a year of him earning the Pro card.
Walker surged past many top contenders en route to a fifth place finish at the 2021 Olympia. However, top five was not good enough for him and he took an extended break from competition to improve his physique further. The results showed when Walker dominated the stage alongside Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan to secure a third-place finish at the 2022 Olympia. He made a quick turnaround and competed at the 2023 Arnold Classic, finishing second. He is now all set to start the 2023 Olympia prep and go after Hadi Choopan for the most prestigious professional bodybuilding title.
For his recent back training session, Walker Partnered with fitness influencer Tristyn Lee. The 20-year-old shot to fame as a teenager. The shredded physique and immersive social media content have made Lee a popular figure in the YouTube fitness community. In recent weeks, Lee shared an insane 17000-calorie Carnivore Big Mac recipe and also appeared on Seth Feroce’s podcast where he teased bodybuilding ventures in 2024 and also reiterated the claim that he has been natty all his life.
Tristyn Lee and Nick Walker went through the back workout under coach and IFBB Pro Jared Feather’s guidance. So let’s see how this passionate trio of bodybuilders tackled the workout.
Nick Walker goes through a back workout with Tristyn Lee
Walker gave a glimpse of his training routine and spoke about the plan of action before starting with the workout. He said:
“This is almost the start of my Olympia prep. Travelling is now done, to my knowledge at least…”
“I was at the Canada tour, I took about four days off, did like two deload days before so now the body’s nice and fresh. So now we’re just gonna ease our way up in training, progress each week as we do it.”
With that, the team jumped right into the workout and performed every exercise with perfect technique and range of motion.
Cable Pullover
Walker and Lee started the training session with a cable lat pullover to get a ‘good nice stretch, nice warm-up’ for the back muscles before delving into the heavier and complex movements. Jared Feather also performed the workout but he watched others carefully to ensure the duo performed each rep with correct technique.
Feather prefers to be in the most disadvantageous position for the lats at the top of the movement. Therefore he bends down more than usual and lets the arms go high above at the beginning of the rep. He does not allow the elbows to sink down to compensate for the lats either.
“Take a bicep curl for example. People will say you should curl here (slightly closer to the body than perpendicular) because you are in the most advantageous position to produce force because the joints are stacked. But you actually get more out of it (the exercise) when you’re in a disadvantageous position. So it’s very similar to this,” He added.
After demolishing some solid sets of the exercise, the trio moved on to the next exercise.
Smith Machine Rows
The trio next took to the Smith machine variation of bent over barbell rows. Considered as the king of back building exercises, bent over rows primarily target the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, spinal erectors and trapezius muscles. However, they also engage the entire posterior chain of muscles and help with strength and muscle gain. Using the Smith machine eliminates the need to control the weight as the barbell moves along the fixed trajectory. Walker, Lee and Feather performed the exercise with slow and controlled motion. Walker started out light and worked his way up to 275 lbs weight for the top set. Following this, the training partners took to another rowing movement next.
Machine Seated Rows
Walker and team jumped into seated rows on the M-Torture plate-loaded machine next. Seated rows target all the back muscles like latissimus dorsi, spinal erectors, rhomboids and traps. They are an essential exercise to build a thick back. Additionally, seated rows are beneficial in improving the upper body posture. The training partners performed the movement unilaterally to focus on the movement. Feather instructed Walker to move slowly through the eccentric phase of the movement to keep the muscles under tension for a longer duration. After pushing through a few heavy sets of rows, Walker and company wrapped up the training session.
Overall, the workout consisted of following exercises:
The back workout with Tristyn Lee and Jared Feather had relatively fewer exercises than we are used to watching him perform traditionally. However, Walker shed light on Feather’s contribution to his training and spoke about his learnings about training volume.
“Jared helped me a lot with technique again today. Helped me more, you know, in getting the stretch, making sure I’m feeling it in the areas which is, cool. It’s like you realize you don’t need a ton of volume to wreck the muscle. If you directly hit the muscle the way you should be, one or two sets really, you’re good to go,” Walker said after the workout.
Nick Walker has a proven track record of advancing his physique every time he steps on the stage. As he gets ready to start the competition prep for the 2023 Olympia, one can’t help but wonder if this is the year when The Mutant wears the Olympia crown.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Nick Walker’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 23 June, 2023 | 12:26 AM EDT
Tristyn Lee Teases Bodybuilding Venture in 2024, Says He’s a Lifetime Natural Athlete
Fitness celebrity Tristyn Lee is eying a bodybuilding stage next year. In a recent Straight Outta the Lair Podcast with Flex Lewis, Lee teased a show in 2024, defended his status as a lifetime natural athlete, and underlined the benefits of his carnivore diet.
Lee is a 20-year-old fitness sensation who boasts an incredibly lean physique. His ability to stay shredded with minimal body fat year-round has made him one of the most talked about influencers over the past few years.
While building his name with social media platforms, Tristyn’s fame spread like wildfire. In addition to showcasing his statue-esque build, Lee offers fans engaging content, like his 17,000-calorie ‘carnivore Big Mac’ recipe. He also collaborates with other popular names in the community such as Bradley Martyn and Larry Wheels.
Lee maintains that he’s never used performance-enhancing drugs. As with any ‘natty or not’ topic, fans continue to debate whether he’s ever used steroids. However, Tristyn worries that even discussing the topic publicly could cause harm to his younger audiences.
Tristyn Lee Talks Competing in Bodybuilding, Mental Clarity from Carnivore Diet & Being Natural
Looking ahead, Tristyn Lee hopes to step on a bodybuilding stage in 2024.
“I want to just experiment on myself and see how far I can take things. In the coming year, I want to step on a stage, hopefully early next year. Depending or not on my coach Jared allows me to. Yes. This is the first time I’ve even talked about this.”
“We’ll see how it goes. This next year, I’m going into a massing phase with Jared. That’s definitely something that I need to check off my bucket list and just see how far I can push my body in that sense. It’s cool to have a date in mind.”
Lee says ‘commentary culture’ has taken over social media which influences young children to take measures they shouldn’t.
“On social media, there’s this commentary culture I like to call it where everybody is talking about another person. And there’s benefits to this obviously, you’re spreading the news, and you’re creating this dialogue that may be necessary to bring up certain topics. But there’s also this hyper-focus on what everyone else is doing and it propels young kids to do things that they shouldn’t be doing.
I’ve seen 15, 16, 17-year-old kids going into stuff that they shouldn’t even be going into just because they’re seeing it so frequently on social media and it’s like, ‘Oh well, everybody is doing it so I might as well.’ It’s just crazy to me that you haven’t even gone through any level of experience for yourself before jumping into something you don’t know anything about,” said Tristyn Lee.
You’re talking about PEDs I’m guessing right?” said Flex Lewis.
“Yeah,” replied Lee.
Before moving on, Flex Lewis outright asked Lee if he has ever used steroids.
“As you are a lifetime natural right? And that’s something you’re very proud of,” said Lewis.
“Right,” said Lee.
“I want to point out to the viewers. As you are truly an anomaly right now in a sport where if someone joins a gym for a week they’re already looking at doing PEDs. You don’t want to talk about this because there’s somewhat of a backlash that you feel will come from this. But what I said to you is I think it’s a very important conversation to have,” shared Lewis. “You’re still on that natural path of growth and what you’ve achieved is tremendous.”
Lee credits genetics and personal experiences to his physique.
“I haven’t put any of this stuff on social media the reason being this: my first and primary belief is that you will never look like anyone else. It doesn’t matter what you take, it doesn’t matter how you train. The science doesn’t matter with any of that, you have your own individual genetics. You will look how you look.”
“Even if it’s for better or for worse, you have to go through your own personal experiences, you have to put the work in, you have to train hard, you have to find out what your true potential is regardless of the route or the path that you go down.”
“It’s not about what the other person is doing, it’s about what you can do,” added Lee.
According to Tristyn, the mental clarity he’s received from his carnivore diet has been substantial.
“I started looking a little stringy and flat. As I started working with a coach, I’ve reimplemented some carbs and I feel great. The mental clarity on carnivore is like literally nothing I’ve ever experienced. I’m dialed 24/7. Whether or not that’s for better or for worse, a lot of people say, ‘Oh you’re in a survival state.’ Well, I’m thinking I’m surviving pretty well then. I feel pretty good.”
“So it worked for me. A lot of people low-carb diets are good for losing weight because you drop a lot of water weight because a lot of people can’t handle having carbohydrates because they’re so addictive but that’s not for everyone.”
The last time fans heard from Lee he revealed a go-to five-minute back workout. During the training session, Lee decided to perform his heaviest movement first. Given the detail of his back, Tristyn’s methods have a proven track record.
Tristyn Lee aspires to be more than a fitness influencer, but a mentor and an inspiration for emerging young athletes who seek his advice and follow in his footsteps.
You can watch the full video from the Straight Outta the Lair podcast below:
Published: 17 June, 2023 | 12:04 PM EDT
Frank McGrath Shares How to be a Bodybuilder on Dialysis
Canadian bodybuilder Frank McGrath has an inspirational story, unlike any other competitor in the sport. Although he stepped away from professional competition years ago, he maintains a high level of personal fitness and stays engaged with the community online. In a recent episode of IFBB AMA, McGrath shared tips on how to be a bodybuilder on dialysis.
Frank McGrath found his passion for fitness after coming across legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger in his teenage years. He was a relatively smaller kid and started weight training to pack on the pounds. While studying at university, McGrath won his debut contest in 2000. He participated in other regional shows before securing his Pro card by handily dispatching the competition at the CBBF Canadian Championships in 2003.
During his days of competing on stage, McGrath gained attention for his unreal arm/forearm muscle development with insane vascularity, muscle detail, and proportions. Besides his competitive career, McGrath made a name for himself as a fitness model gracing several magazine covers, including Muscle and Fitness, Flex magazine, and Sports Illustrated. His celebrity skyrocketed after he signed a deal with Universal Nutrition for the Animal Training Series brand. His work with the company helped him break into the mainstream beyond bodybuilding.
Frank McGrath / Instagram
McGrath showed a lot of potential from the start. He turned in a strong performance at the 2011 Tampa Bay Pro where he took bronze and followed up with a fourth-place finish at the 2011 Toronto Pro Invitational. He earned an invite to the Mr. Olympia competition and finished on the periphery of the top 15 in his maiden showing.
The 44-year-old was forced to the sidelines due to multiple injuries and a car crash. He managed to make a comeback but eventually moved on from competition after a final outing at the 2015 IFBB Ferrigno Legacy.
In Aug. 2018, Frank McGrath collaborated with iconic bodybuilder Flex Lewis for an intense lower-body workout. The seven-time Men’s 212 Olympia champion blasted his legs with McGrath in preparation for his final win at the 2018 Mr. Olympia show. The duo appeared to get along well and regrouped for another brutal arms workout in honor of the late Dallas McCarver.
McGrath teamed up with fitness sensation Tristyn Lee for a sleeve-busting arms training session in Dec. 2021. He guided the youngster through the challenging workout targeting the biceps, triceps, and forearms. Lee lauded McGrath’s stellar arms and revealed he got to cross one item off his bucket list.
Frank McGrath shares how to be a bodybuilder on dialysis
In a recent YouTube video, Frank McGrath shared some of his best tips on how to be a bodybuilder on dialysis.
He recommended focusing on recovering properly and not overdoing things in the gym.
“I was born with one kidney, never really had any problems my entire life. I still continue to do bodybuilding even though I knew the risks and I was very lucky that I didn’t have any serious problems until I got a little bit older,” said McGrath. “You can still be a bodybuilder, still do all that stuff but you have to take time off and that’s hard for a lot of people to do. Come off gear, you’re going to get smaller, weaker, not as strong, not going to feel as good but that’s part of the game. You’ve got to give your body a break, time to recover, and not overdo it. That’s one of my biggest tips.”
McGrath cautioned against eating too much junk food.
“Also, your diet. I’m known for eating a lot of junk food and junk food isn’t always the best for your organs. Don’t go crazy with that stuff and you still enjoy your food.”
He stressed the importance of not overexerting your body and suggested training three to four times a week with adequate rest.
“Understanding that to continue doing what you love to do you need to adapt to new situations. You can’t stay the same person forever so I’ve learned to train less and save my energy for the days that I can’t train. There’s times when I train seven days a week. Now, I probably train three to four times a week and I’ve still been able to maintain 245 pounds. Dorian Yates used only trained three to four times a week and Mike Mentzer. You can do the same workouts just more condensed and more time to rest. I realize too there’s times that I can train and the best thing for me to do is just to back off let my body rest, get the energy back, and hit the gym when you feel good again.
“It’s definitely been a struggle more mentally than anything knowing that you’ve got a machine that keeps you alive. It was a lot to do at first and didn’t talk about it to anybody for over a year. I don’t know if I felt embarrassed or ashamed or whatever but I was definitely afraid of how people would judge me. It was difficult.”
Frank McGrath’s latest offering will certainly provide a lot of value for those in a similar spot. He’s living proof that any hurdle can be overcome no matter what and his guidelines on how to train will likely inspire the next generation.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 7 June, 2023 | 12:13 PM EDT
Tristyn Lee Joined Frank McGrath For A Massive Arm Workout
Frank McGrath led Tristyn Lee in a huge arm day workout.
It is not easy to develop an incredible physique at a young age but for some, this is exactly what happens. Tristyn Lee is a bodybuilder who has built an impressive physique at just 18 years old. He has become known for his build and has gained plenty of attention on social media because of it. Recently, Lee joined Frank McGrath for an arm-day workout.
This was a special workout for Lee, who grew up watching McGrath. The 43-year-old bodybuilder was one of the biggest names in the sport in the 2000’s but was forced to cut his career short due to injuries. McGrath was known for his massive size and vascular look on stage. Since retiring from competitive bodybuilding, McGrath has continued to inspire and encourage young athletes to take on their fitness goals.
This video was shared to Tristyn Lee’s YouTube page for his 1.35 million subscribers to see.
It is no surprise that Frank McGrath led an arm workout for Tristyn Lee. McGrath was known for his arms and huge forearms during his time on stage. This is a workout that consisted of bicep/tricep supersets.
McGrath began the workout with triceps pushdowns and preacher curls. Lee admitted that arms are the weakest part of his workout but this is something that McGrath wanted to change. He led the intense workout from the beginning. This superset was to get warmed up a bit and the two quickly moved onto another.
For their second superset, McGrath and Lee took on biceps cable curls and skull crushers with an EZ bar. The two discussed their differences in reps. Lee usually does fewer reps per set while McGrath always tried to reach a certain number. Up next, preacher curls and triceps workout on preacher curl machine. McGrath always uses preacher curls as a go-to exercise for him and he learned the tricep exercise from Dexter Jackson.
After three supersets for arms, Frank McGrath showed Tristyn Lee one for forearms. This consisted of wrist curls and wrist rolls. This was the final workout of the day for the two and it featured an area where McGrath shined during his competition days.
This is an arm workout that anyone can try and take on at any point. McGrath has always been interested in sharing workouts for others to try and challenge themselves. This has been a goal of his since retiring from competition and it shows in this particular workout with an up-and-coming star like Lee.
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