Kyler Jackson, the cover model for our latest issue of TRAIN magazine (T56) and BodyBuilding.com’s 2018 spokesmodel winner details how he took bullying and turned it into a passion for fitness that changed his life. If you have ambitions of one day becoming a cover model, strap yourself in, and prepare yourself for the Kyler Jackson workout.
Kyler Jackson’s vital stats
Age: 24
Weight: 205lb
Body Fat: <10%
Height: 6’0″
Bullied into the gym
I was bullied in high school and began dealing with severe depression at a young age.
This was when I decided that getting bigger and stronger through weight lifting would be the best way to protect myself.
I become obsessed with the sports of bodybuilding and powerlifting very quickly as it was an outlet for me.
The gym became my safe place, where I could just put my headphones in and just shut out from the rest of the world to focus on becoming the best version of myself.
Fitness was my cure. It taught me how to take control over my mental health through exercise and eating.
Over time, I did as much research as I possibly could, got multiple certifications in training and nutrition and it began playing a role in every aspect of my life.
Now, it’s simply a part of me – prioritizing physical health in order to maintain mental health.
The Kyler Jackson workout
Day 1 – Legs
Leg extensions – warmup set of single-leg – 3 working sets of 12 to 15 reps
Lying hamstring curls – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Superset w/ standing calf raises (bodyweight) – 3 sets of 20
Barbell back squats – warmup with quick sets of 5 to determine working weight – 3 working sets of 5 to 10
Leg press – warmup set of 8 reps – 3 working sets of 12 to 15 reps
Walking lunges – 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Day 2 – Chest/triceps
Incline barbell bench – 3 sets of 8 to 12
Incline dumbbell bench – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Dumbbell fly – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Pec dec machine – 3 sets of 15 to 20
Cable fly – 3 sets of 15 to
Superset w/ cable press – 3 sets of 8 to 10
Tricep rope pushdowns – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Dumbbell tricep kickbacks – 3 sets of 8 to 12
Day 3 – Back/biceps
Pull-ups to warmup – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Seated cable row – 3 sets of 12
Wide-grip lat pulldown – 3 sets of 12
Single-arm plate-loaded row – 3 sets of 12 to 15 per side
Dumbbell one-arm rows – 3 sets of 8 to 10
Straight-arm pulldowns – 4 sets of 12 to 15
Preacher curl machine – 3 sets of 20
Incline dumbbell curls – 3 sets of 12
Day 4 – Shoulders
Dumbbell shoulder press – 4 sets of 8 to 12
Smith-machine military press – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Dumbbell side-laterals – 3 sets of 20
Superset w/ dumbbell front raises – 3 sets of 20
Plate front raises – 3 sets of 15 to 20
Superset w/ bent-over side laterals – 3 sets of 20
Day 5 – Arms
Alternating dumbbell bicep curls – 3 sets of 10 per arm
EZ-bar incline skull crusher – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Hammer curls – 3 sets of 12
Single-arm overhead tricep extensions – 3 sets of 12 per arm
Single-arm dumbbell preacher curls – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Machine tricep dips – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Day 6 – Accessories (traps, abs, calves, and forearms)
Standing barbell calf raises – 4 sets of 12 to 15
Seated calf raises – 3 sets of 12
Standing bodyweight calf raises – 3 sets of 20
Dumbbell shrugs – 3 sets of 12
Behind-the-back Smith machine shrugs – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Wrist curls – 3 sets of 20
Reverse curls – 3 sets of 12 to 15
Hanging leg raises – 3 sets to failure
Cable rope crunches – 3 sets of 15 to 20
Kyler Jackson’s cover model diet
I am a huge proponent of clean flexible dieting and macro tracking.
During prep, I utilize carb cycling (low carb, mid, and high carb, then repeat) with a re-feed on Sundays to maintain my metabolic rate.
Currently prepping, I average 260g protein, 75g fat and 200g carbs.
When heading into an offseason, I’ll reverse diet to maximize my metabolic rate and carb absorption to allow my contest prep to allow more food on a daily basis.
What’s in Kyler’s supplement cupboard?
Multi-vitamin
Fish oil
CLA
Amino acids
L-Carnitine
Green tea extract
Before bed: melatonin, GABA, and ZMA’s
Your strongest physique isn’t your most aesthetic physique
It’s vital to have improvement seasons, off-seasons, a bulk, whatever you want to call it in order to allow yourself to love and accept yourself in all physical states.
At our physically strongest and most powerful points in time, our bodies don’t look like that shredded cover model, or the competitor who you admired on YouTube.
Our physique softens in appearance, but becomes stronger in function.
Words of wisdom
Prioritize self-care and mental health. If you find your passion, then do it, be relentless and stick with it. Something will break through.
But make sure you don’t let your mind suffer or decline along the way.
If you get burnt out before the right opportunity even presents itself, you’ll miss your shot. I founded DedFit Apparel in my college dorm room and have run multiple businesses over the years.
Some have worked well, others didn’t but DedFit has remained my priority and continues to thrive and grow with every year.
For more content like the Kyler Jackson workout, nutrition tips, and training advice, get TRAIN magazine direct into your inbox every month for free by signing up to our newsletter
