Tyler Workman has worked his butt off…literally! He has put in some incredibly hard work over the past 3 years to take his life back and get healthy. His determination and work ethic are unmatched. And his patience and persistence in achieving his goals is commendable. Tyler is such a positive face in the crowd and a pleasure to have in class. He is an absolute inspiration to our Blackbird community!
In Tyler’s own words, “Since joining BBCF and focusing on nutrition I have lost and kept off 50lbs. I started at 26% body fat and I am at 9.7% body fat! My muscle mass is on the upward trend! I can run 8-12 miles no problem and my 5k mile pace went from 10:11 to a best of 7:17. The weights on my lifts are consistently going up and I can now do pull-ups! CrossFit and proper nutrition are super powerful together and I can’t ever see myself going any other way than forward in my health journey!”
Since achieving his weight loss goals, Tyler has recently shifted his focus to putting on muscle mass. three months ago he started working with Head Blackbird Nutrition Coach, Steve Weatherholt. “Tyler is working on using nutrition to fuel his body and gain some muscle to help move heavier barbells, dumbbells, and perform better at gymnastics movements. He is hitting all the milestones we’re setting, gaining mass and continuing to lose body fat. He can already move the RX weights much easier in workouts. We are excited to see his continued progress,” explains Coach Steve.
Check out his story…
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.
My name is Tyler Workman and I am 29 years old knocking on the door of 30! I live in Westminster with my wife Sara and our son Milo who just turned 1. I have my Bachelor of Science in Music Education. While this was my first year of teaching at Francis Scott Key High School, this was my 7th year of teaching.
WHAT MADE YOU START CROSSFIT? WHAT HAS KEPT YOU DOING IT? HAS YOUR MOTIVATION CHANGED SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED?
The main person that planted the idea of me joining CrossFit was Stan. In 2016 I hit my low, or should I say high? I weighed a touch over 280lbs and just felt terrible every day. I was not comfortable in my body and had no self-control when it came to my nutrition. I tried Keto (before it was popular) and was able to lose 40lbs. Then I got stuck and didn’t know what else to do. I had been running, but no planned-out fitness routine. Then one day at marching band Stan said something to me that I cannot quote here. For some reason it finally clicked in my brain that I needed something more to help me reach my goals. I signed up for my free trial and haven’t looked back since!
The biggest things that have kept me doing CrossFit are the results and the community. It was rewarding to see the weight come off and see my lifts and workout times get better and better. Having a time or weight to beat also gives me motivation to work as hard as I can for every WOD and lift. The community at Blackbird is amazing as well. I was quickly welcomed to the family even despite how uncomfortably awkward I can be especially when I meet new people. I look forward to coming to class not just for the fun workouts, but for the supportive people that help me push through things I never thought I’d be able to do.
My motivation has definitely changed from when I first started. My main goal when I started was to lose weight. Since starting CrossFit I have lost 60lbs (100lbs in totally from my heaviest). Now I am at the point where I’m trying to build more muscle so that I can improve my performance during WODs and increase the number of WODs that I
can RX.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT CROSSFIT?
The community and the coaches! I look forward to coming to the gym every day and get bummed out when I have to miss a class. Everyone is so nice and supportive. I have definitely gotten several PRs because of the support of those around me!
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SINCE JOINING BLACKBIRD CROSSFIT IN 2014?
I have learned that it is ok to take risks. I had always been afraid to take risks, I was very comfortable with how things were. CrossFit has pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I have grown so much because of this. I have taken this mentality outside of the gym with me and it has translated well into both my personal life and my teaching. I often find myself telling my students (and myself) that every risk you take is an opportunity to learn whether you succeed or fail. The worst thing you can do is to take no risks at all, what a boring life that would be!
WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST CROSSFIT MOMENT?
I have a few proud moments in CrossFit but the biggest one was very recent. Since last year’s Murph my goal was to do Murphette RXed with no weight vest. Push-ups are not my best movement and I was just starting to get pull-ups down. When I got to Murph this year I was ready to go, ready to do Murphette. THEN Coach Rebekah comes in and says, “You’re doing full Murph, right?” I laughed it off… Then I thought, “Well… Maybe? What’s the worst that could happen?” Next thing I know I’m hauling it out of the gym to finish my second mile after finishing all 20 rounds of Cindy. I really didn’t think I could do it and I took a risk (with a little prodding, I’ll admit). I am really proud of doing the full thing. Next year vested? We’ll see!
WHAT IMPACT HAS CROSSFIT HAD ON YOUR LIFE IN AND OUT OF THE GYM?
I already talked about this earlier, but it has helped me take risks. Additionally, it has helped me become more confident in myself.
WHAT CROSSFIT GOALS ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS?
My biggest goals right now are to put on muscle and RX 80% of workouts. I know this is going to be a process, so I am just trying to put in the work to make it happen. When it happens it happens. I have been having lots of milestones lately like pull-ups and moving up to the 40lb dumbbell. These remind me that what I am doing is working and to keep pushing for my goals.
FAVORITE LIFT, MOVEMENT, OR WOD? LEAST FAVORITE?
My favorite movement is 100% Assault Bike. Just kidding… I’ve got five favorite movements! Running, Wall Balls, Rowing, Box Jumps, and Burpees. My favorite lift is the Overhead Squat. I don’t know what it is about it, but I’ve always enjoyed the OHS. That being said, my favorite WOD is Nancy. My favorite WOD would probably be Kelly, but we’ve never done it and probably never will =(
I really don’t like to talk negatively, but the assault bike is the absolute worst. I’m positive that when you pedal the assault bike the fan pulls in all joy and happiness. Just saying…
WHEN YOU’RE NOT CROSSFITTING WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO?
When not CrossFitting I enjoy checking out breweries, playing video games (COD Zombies), cooking, and hanging out with my wife and son.
WHAT IS ONE FUN THING ABOUT YOU THAT WE MAY NOT KNOW YET?
One thing not many people know is that I am actually a singer. For some reason everyone thinks I am a band teacher, but I’m actually a choir teacher. I am classically trained and can sing classical music (like Opera and other stuff) even though I’d rather just conduct a choir!
WHAT IS ONE TIP YOU WOULD GIVE SOMEONE CONSIDERING CROSSFIT OR NEW TO CROSSFIT?
I have a few:
- Ask questions! You don’t know what you don’t know. The coaches want you to grow and they can better do that when you ask questions if you are unsure or having trouble with something.
- Listen to your body! Rests days are not just ok, they are absolutely necessary! Additionally, if something is in pain (pain not sore… sore just happens) then don’t push it! There is nothing worse then taking 10 steps back when you could have just dropped the weight or scaled something until you felt better.
- Being competitive is fun and all… but the only person you should REALLY be competitive with is yourself. My goal is always to be better than the day before. I often reflect on my journey and say, “There is no way I could have done this a year ago.” That is so rewarding and keeps me going every WOD.
WHAT IS YOUR DIET LIKE? HAS IT CHANGED SINCE STARTING CROSSFIT?
Currently I am doing nutrition coaching with Steve. I have a set caloric goal and macro goals to help me gain muscle. Aside from that I eat clean, and I eat mostly unrefined foods and organic. There are very few things that I buy from the center aisles of the grocery store. My diet (or as I like to say nutritional lifestyle) has changed greatly since starting CrossFit. Before I really has no regard for what or how much I ate. Now, I am pretty locked in and don’t beat myself up about a bad meal or day, it happens!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORKOUT FUEL? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INDULGENCE?
It depends when I work out! In the morning I have some kind of fruit and maybe some almond butter. In afternoon usually an RX bar or yogurt with some almonds. My favorite indulgence is definitely pumpkin pie or red velvet cake (Ermine icing! Not that cream cheese stuff).
WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE THING THAT YOU TOOK AWAY FROM 2020?
I think the biggest thing I took away was to be present. Be in the moment and enjoy the time you are given with the people around you.
RESULTS? TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESULTS!
Since joining and focusing on nutrition I have lost and kept off 50lbs. I started at 26% body fat and am now sitting at 9.7% body fat! Currently my muscle mass is on the upward trend, and I am looking forward to seeing more improvement! As far as my fitness is concerned, I can run several miles (8-12) no problem, my 5k mile pace went from 10:11 to a best of 7:17, my weights on my lifts are consistently going up, and I can do pull-ups and I am soooo close to toes-to-bar. CrossFit and proper nutrition are super powerful together and I can’t ever see myself going any other way than forward in my health journey!
FREEWRITE:
I want to thank the whole Blackbird community for always being there to support me during my health and fitness journey, especially the 6:30 am and 4pm classes! All the coaches are amazing and they each bring something unique when they coach a class. CrossFit has been a positive influence on my life and I know it is something that I will always be a part of.