Did You Give Up On Your Exercise Routine? Tyson Beckford Explains How To Keep Going Year-Round
For over 20 years, Tyson Beckford has been known as one of the fittest and best-looking men on the planet. An actor, model and television host, he’s been included on numerous “best-looking” lists, including being named one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by Peoplemagazine.
I’ve never had a fitness plan made out for a whole year. I know this sounds cliché but getting in shape is about a lifestyle, so my goal is to be healthy in whatever moment I’m experiencing. I call my approach full-time fitness: it’s a strategy that keeps you healthy and in shape all year, and gets rid of the up -and-down cycles of binge and diet. When someone tells themselves that they’re going to go on a diet for 30 days, they usually just go right back to their old habits.
Full-time fitness means I always am keeping in shape, no matter the circumstances. My workouts vary depending on where in the world I am, or what project that I’m on. In addition to acting in movies and modeling, I spend my time racing motorcycles, snowboarding, cycling, skateboarding, and sometimes surfing. In order stay at a high level I have to keep a strong core, or else my buddies will get better than me.
So here’s the breakdown:300
Normally it’s a mix of weights and cardio. Some days are light, starting with an ab routine I call “300,” which includes 300 sit-ups, 300 leg lifts or 300 crunches. That’s done first thing in the morning, five days a week. Then I rack out three sets of 100 push-ups on my Beckford Bar, and end the whole routine with six sets of 30-second planks on the Beckford Bar. I’m huge proponent of body exercises. They put less stress on your joints and they give you more functional strength. Being fit full-time means you have to take care of your body so that you don’t get injured or burn out.
Cardio
On cardio days I run a few miles at the local track, park, or treadmill. I really like running outdoors more; I feel more of a pump from running outdoors than in a gym, when weather permits. If I’m in a tropical environment I run on a beach for the extra leg work and glute work. Jumping rope is my favorite form of cardio, I can really get in the zone. Cycling is my second favorite cardio workout; again it’s only good if the weather permits me. If not I have a cycle trainer where I can clip my bike in and ride. I cycle for 30 minutes in the trainer or if I can I cycle 100-150 miles a week during the spring/summers. Almost wherever you are in the world, you can do cardio.
No Heavy Lifting
Weights are tricky for me because I’m in a business where I can’t get too big. Naturally I can get big really quickly so when I weight train I lift low weights at high reps to maintain a lean muscle mass. This has a lot of advantages. Carrying extra muscle mass long term can put an extra toll on your body. Like anyone, I sometimes feel the urge to do large gains and see how big I can get. Then I just think about how it’s wiser to stay lean, so I’ll leave that to the professional bodybuilders.
Two Muscle Groups A Day
Like most people I train two muscle groups per day: chest/back one day, then hamstrings/quads/calves the next day. After that I’ll go for biceps and triceps, followed by deltoids and traps. I do abs every day: it’s all about the core.
Diet
The most important part about training is eating healthily and getting rest. Often times, folks get so carried away with lifting and supplements that they forget about good natural vitamins and sleep. I’m not a red meat eater, so no beef, lamb, or pork. I eat chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish, and lots of veggies and nuts. I consume more than my share of H2O;hydration is so important to your health. I don’t usually drink alcohol but I do like an occasional beer. I have a rule that if I consume beer that the next day includes lots of H2O and cardio. When it comes to rest I try to sleep at least seven hours or more. In my line of work it’s less than I’d like but it’s the life I live.
Discipline
Everyone has to juggle health and work. For me it’s traveling that adds obstacles. For others it’s usually family. Whatever your reason is make sure you figure out a way around it. If your life is different then make your workout different. And never let yourself eat fast food just because you don’t have time. If it matters you’ll make the time. Buying greens and veggies is not expensive. If you have to eat somewhere with no quality choices then just get a small amount of food to hold you over until you get properly nourished.
Doing workouts that keep your core strong without burning you out, taking care of what goes into your body, and showing the discipline and commitment to do it all year round: that’s full-time fitness.
Beckford Bar 