Testimonials

The competition was amazing, couldn't have gone better, even though some lifts were missed and still have a lot to learn, all the hard work has definitely paid off.

So I won the overall squat record for the ABPU (WPC/AWPC feeder) drug tested federation for full power raw (no wraps/sleeves) at 56kg body weight. I got the bench record and also took home deadlift record, as well and organization national total record (4 National records). The Last competition total was 290kg (GPC) so made 27.5kg increase plus personal competition best on all lifts and a personal best on deadlift (as I have never done 145kg in the gym).

I won 1st in the 56kg class and won this amazing trophy for overall best lifter in the full power raw!!!!!

Massive thank you to my coach Russell Taylor couldn't do it without you!!!

I am a true believer that everyone needs a coach no matter their level, and I am nowhere near the level of a Tiger Woods in his prime.
I have been lifting weights in some way, shape or form since I was 12 yrs old. My trade by school is Strength & Conditioning. I hold my Masters in Exercise Physiology. I also have acquired certifications from NASA to NASM to NSCA CSCS. I have a high standard for my clients but lacked it in myself. I still have a few clients I train but left the career behind to work in medical. I competed in my first NPC show last year taking 6th out of 18 competitors in the NQ Wings of Strength. I was very disappointed with the package I put forth and was mainly due to an unrealistic prep that was accompanied by a severe form of IBS. Gut issues arose at a time I ate the cleanest ever. I had a personal friend, and great trainer coach me through that prep. He had a good approach to the prep but we couldn’t figure out the stomach issues. As I competed my half assed offseason, I was in search of a new coach. I was referred to Russell as he was a well-known IIFYM coach. I took a leap of faith and went with him, and very happy with that decision.

When I showed up in his inbox I had just come off of the heaviest I had ever been. My offseason goal was to reach 210, and I did that. I had a NQ NPC show in sight and gave him my desires. As we proceeded throughout the prep he kept me at an aggressive rate as my biggest goal was to come in at the leanest I had ever been. Along with that and my persistent stomach issues he had a tough realistic target to hit. But he did. It was hard to put in the trust and I pushed back here and there, yet he steered me right and we finished with my goals for the show, become nationally qualified and be in the leanest shape without losing too much LBM.  I am a “natural” competitor and beat out a ton of great competition. That’s huge to me as I compete with one hand behind my back against these guys. I took second by 2 points in the overall…..

….Now to grow and get that natty PRO CARD in 2018

I took my time selecting a coach I could trust and I had my eye on Russell for two years before I connected with him. Russell posted fantastic content, genuinely wanted to help people, and I admired his scientific approach to fitness and nutrition. After discovering I had some hormonal issues that caused me to feel very lethargic, I turned to Russell to help me work around these issues and become more seriously involved in powerlifting. In a few short months I felt better than I had in years and I increased my total by almost 60 lbs. I took gold in my weight class at my first powerlifting meet, a feat that would have been far more difficult if it wasn’t for Russell.

Not only is he at the root of my success in powerlifting, but Russell helped me balance my graduate school life with my passion for fitness. He understood when I needed to make school or recovery the priority, but took a no-BS approach to coaching and pushed me when I needed it. Russell is incredibly knowledgeable and is the perfect coach for balancing  performance and mental health while working around other life goals and challenges. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a coach like Russell and I look forward to what I will achieve as I continue to work with him.

Being a coach while looking for a coach is a whole different ball game. Not only do you want someone you can trust, but someone you can learn from to better your own craft. After meticulous searching, I settled on Russell. From day one, my eyes were opened to a whole new style of programming. I learned what my body could handle, and still can handle, as we progress further towards my potential. Not only did I find a coach to prep me for a show, I found a coach I could stick with through my journey to a pro card and further.

After a 2nd place showing at one of the largest national qualifiers in the nation, the Emerald Cup, we decided to push forward to get a first place outing under my belt before going to nationals. And we did just that at the Washington State open. As we move towards a potential pro card, not only do I have my training style dialed in with Russell, I have also found new ways to dial my own clients' training styles in.

From one coach to another, Russell is an easy first choice for training.

As I stepped off stage in December 2015, after winning my first Men’s Physique Overall trophy, I remember two things; seeing my fiance running towards me for a hug & beyond excited to message the coach who made it all happen, Russ Taylor (@tayloredphysiques).

In the months leading up to my show I began working with Russ and immediately took interest to his style of programming. You see, I’m a numbers guy and I like to be indepth, this is why when I received my first program from Russ outlining his unique DUP style, I was on board 100%. I was excited to transition from my typical hypertrophy ‘brosplit’ to incorporating more fundamental lifts with power/strength movements with some flexibility for the isolation exercises I liked to add myself for a pump it was a perfect blend. Over the course of my contest prep’ I experienced PR’s on my full squat, bench press & overhead press, all while on a cutting diet.

In terms of his diet, he is strict but I needed this. It’s not that I’m incapable of dieting or consistency, it’s simply I often procrastinate early in my prep’ leaving myself to overcardio later in prep’, that wasn’t the case with Russ’s guidance. He kept me accountable the full prep’ changing macros as we needed and factoring in refeeds when my body needed them to advance in progress vs. simply mentally craving them. Leading into Peak Week I was stress free, deloaded on cardio and feeling my alltime best on the Monday before my show, we had given the prep’ all we could, and it paid off.

The entire prep’ Russ was a message away, almost 24/7 (and I mean 24/7, it was as if he didn’t sleep sometimes…) and on the day of the how he was guiding me hour by hour. We ended up junk loading on Friday, a combined idea we had after learning that my body was experiencing some digestive issues in the last few weeks, and it worked perfectly I competed at 188lbs and about 7.5.8% bodyfat, I’d estimate.

What you’ll experience by hiring Russ is much bigger than the outcome of your competition. He helps you improve yourself in many more areas than a trophy; he transfers proprietary knowledge, pushes you to dig deep towards your goal, designs programming to help you improve on strength AND size & the lastly the most important factor, which is why I endorse him the most, is trust. Russ is someone you just trust, and that is a rare quality in this industry.

If you are considering hiring Russ and would like me to discuss more of my experience with him, feel free to email me at mattfox@leanaesthetics.com, I’d be more than happy to answer any questions that may help you make a decision on choosing tayloredphysiques as your coach.

"Thanks a lot, with this prep for my debut show I've learned so much on how to do things, especially adjusting calories so I could lose fat and build muscle. I learned about sodium, water manipulation and periodization .

To be honest I would have won both classes, but posing was off for light heavy, but next time we'll I will try to implement some more posing practice during my bulk season and see how things go."

Paul

 

 

 

 

" I came to Russell a little less than a year ago. I was pretty broken down emotionally and physically, and nearly ready to throw in the towel on competing.

I had come from a typical "bro" style training and cookie cutter diet plan, and didn't really know any better, but knew, that I needed to take a step back and weigh up my options. What started out as a post on Social Media about my frustrations, led to the meeting of Russell Taylor. He came to my rescue and took me under his wing. He knew I was still with my old coach, and he respected that every step of the way. I had wanted to be respectful to my old coach and end terms the right way, and Russell respected that.

From the moment I made the decision to go with Russell for my coaching needs, I knew it was the best decision for me, and for my future as a Figure Competitor. He immediately started correcting my diet and put me on his own programming. I felt better within the first week and began to have a renewed outlook going forward.

Russell has been with me every step of the way, has offered me personalized attention and a plan that was for ME. He was not only my coach, but my mentor as well. In April, I made my Figure Debut in the ANBF, and not only did I win Overall, but, I won my Pro Card as well.

I'm currently in the off season and look forward to bringing and even better package next year with Russell's guidance and support."

Denise

"When I decided it was time to get a coach I had a hard time deciding, I had a few in mind but did not have everything I was looking for in a coach. I was introduced to Russell through a friend. And honestly I had never heard of him so like anything else I did my research on him and found nothing but positive things and that he was up and coming in the fitness and coaching world. So Russell and I talked back and forth for a week with him answering all my questions thoroughly and I could tell he was very passionate.

The qualities I was looking for in a coach was someone that was personal, scientific based, IIFYM, made personal workout plans, and up-to-date with all the newest and latest information. And he met all of that; So I decided to hire Russell around February 2015 as he said I would need around a 26 week prep as I planned on competing in my first show that August.

The way Russell approached things was totally different than my previous coach but I had to just trust the process and trust in him as my coach. If I had questions regarding his methods of coaching and reasoning behind it, he would answer them and sometimes even add an article he had written or someone else so I could read and understand. My lifts from his programming had gotten stronger than ever before, even while on competition prep because I was still Hitting PRs.

Russell, without a doubt, got me ready for my NPC Men’s Physique debut! I stepped on stage with the confidence that no one had a chance with me next to them! I ended up taking 2nd in Novice and open in my first show and I could not have done it without Russell’s guidance and unmatchable attention to detail.  

If you are looking for a coach that will be by your side 110% no matter what country, time zone, or any other barrier you could think of, Russell Taylor is hands down THE BEST! He will get you ready for whatever your goal is and will teach you and educate you along the way. Team TayloredPhysiques!!! 

Marcus Stokely
The DicedChef
NPC Men’s Physique

"In 2014, Russell Taylor prepped me for an OCB Figure Division competition. I was nervous to go through another prep, as I had prepped the year before with a different coach, and it wasn't an enjoyable experience. Rigidity in meal plans and timing, led to a disordered relationship with food. I knew Russell was progressive, evidence based, and aware of my issues concerning my last prep, so I decided to try another competition with a new plan of attack.

Not only did I place 1st in my novice class, I also placed 3rd in the open figure class as well. The largest reward was being able to heal my relationship with food through flexible dieting and evidence based methods. Russell was honest, concise, always available and prompt with communication, and more than willing to explain things to me. I also maintained, and even gained strength during my dieting. I attribute this to well thought out programming and macronutrients partitioning.

Not only did I meet my goal- I also attained a valuable wealth of knowledge concerning programming and nutrition that I can implement in my daily life. I wouldn't hesitate to use Russell's services again, or refer a friend to him.

He's everything a coach should be, and more."

Kira Martin

"In the fitness industry there are extremely few coaches who are knowledgeable, take an evidence-based scientific approach, and are genuinely caring and down to earth. Russell was one of them. Russell knew I had struggled a lot with weight loss due to water retention and other medical issues, but managed to successfully prep me for my first powerlifting meet where I took first place overall.

Under his well-programmed training routine, my strength did not suffer even on cutting calories. I am probably his most difficult client because my body responds in unexpected ways. Russell went above and beyond his duty as a coach and would seek out information or advice from other elite coaches about my case. That's how I know he really cares about his clients.

A lot of people compete once or twice and suddenly declare themselves coach as a means of making extra money whilst working a full-time job. Russell has dedicated years doing his research and this wasn't just a side job, I knew he was passionate about helping people. He was always there for me, he would never take over an hour to reply. He was so patient to answer all my questions and I have learnt a lot through working with him. Russell was not only my coach, I’m glad to say I’ve become good friends with someone like him."

Hannah Chan

Having Russell as a coach is literally such a time saver. Knowing you're working with someone who is genuinely interested in the evidence base approach to fitness is definitely a comforting feeling. There is an obvious stress involved in prep, but having someone to critique your progress, fix your macros and training is a god send. It should be mentioned that he doesn't just try to get you stage ready but also tries to educate you through the process. If you're following blindly some random instructions you probably will have less of a commitment to follow them and only come out with a pretty physique and that's it. The knowledge that I've developed working with him is something that I utilise pretty much every day, and no doubt has lead to a successful offseason as well, and for that I can't thank him enough.

Although I'm looking at different approaches during the offseason and not working with him currently, Russell's style of coaching allows free access to his private training group for ongoing suport and tips, this makes counting on him as a friend very easy. He keeps in touch to see how I'm getting on, follows up on topics we have touched during prep and regularly has chats, despite not being directly coached by him.

Advice I give to anyone is to look at getting a second pair of eyes during prep, and Russell's are like 20/10.

Chuk Uzowuru