1) Who is Kayla Tegeler? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I am from upstate New York, I went to undergrad in Massachusetts (UMass Amherst), and went to pharmacy school in Maryland (University of Maryland Baltimore). I graduated a few months ago and I am now a registered pharmacist and still live in Baltimore. I own a supplement company called Muscularity Rx, which is awesome because it allows me to combine my passion for medicine/pharmacy with my passion for fitness.
In terms of non-fitness related interests, I’ve always been an advocate for racial and social equality. It truly breaks my heart that not everyone is treated equally or given the same opportunities as others. One quote that really resonates with me is “speak up, even if your voice shakes”. I’ve always been one to stand up for what I believe in and many times that requires speaking up while others turn a blind eye.
2) How many years have you been training?
I was a competitive swimmer from age 7 to 20, so I had a decent base to start from. I lifted a bit in high school and more so in undergrad as part of my team’s “dry-land” training. I took a few years off from exercising consistently after I finished my swimming career. I started this new chapter about two years ago and I have been focused on powerlifting for about half of that.
3) Whats been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
The hardest part of my journey as an athlete was back in undergrad. I swam for UMass on a scholarship, yet I hadn’t had any personal best times since I was 15 years old and had very few races that even came close. I would have mind-blowing practices, but then completely bomb at meets. I went to a chiropractor, a masseuse, a physical therapist, a sports psychologist, and the athletic department’s counselor. I tried warming up on a spin bike right before my races. My coach rested me for our conference championship meet one way this year and another the next. It didn’t matter what I or my coaches did, I was never able to perform well in meets. I ended up calling it quits after my junior year. The lack of closure taught me the importance of finishing what I start. In addition, I learned how much your mind influences your body and am constantly working to improve my mindset and practice positive thinking.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
My workouts are focused around the three compound lifts of powerlifting (squat, bench, deadlift). I don’t do cardio simply because I don’t enjoy it.
In terms of diet, I was gluten free for a few years, on a ketogenic diet for a few months, paleo for a few weeks, and the list goes on. I had always relied on guidelines and rules to negate my temptation to consume more calories than I “should” be consuming. It wasn’t until the past few months that I’ve really seemed to stabilize my diet without being “on a diet”. I’ve learned that what works best for me is the practice of mindful eating.
I could go on and on about my past and current diets and about everything else diet-related, but that’s my short answer since I’ve already blabbers on in my first few answers. :-)
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
I think the most important thing that I have learned over the past year is what I mentioned above about my diet. It’s an amazing feeling to no longer have food on my mind 24/7.
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
Anything cheesy usually hits the spot for me!
7) One supplement that you could not live without?
As the owner of Muscularity Rx, Nuts & Bolts 200 is my pre-workout of choice. I created the formula long before I created the company. I used to make it myself with bulk pure powders since there weren’t any pre-workouts on the market with optimal doses and ingredients.
8) If you had to start out from scratch with your physique what would you do differently and why?
In terms of athletics, the biggest thing I regret about my diet is not eating enough protein until I retired from swimming. I feel like I would have been able to build more muscle and swim faster if I had eaten more protein and possibly more calories.
9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?
I really look up to Meg Gallagher, most commonly known as “Meg Squats”. As far as I know, she’s the first true powerlifter to win the bodybuilding.com spokes model search. She has huge plans for the female powerlifting community and I hope to one day make as much positive impact on the fitness community as she has. In addition, I really look up to my parents’ dedication to fitness and sports. They are both in their 60s and are in amazing shape. From a young age they taught me how to eat and appreciate healthy foods, they pushed me to be the best swimmer I could be, and they are both very active. My mom lifts weights and runs (she even did a two-a-day earlier this week), while my dad plays soccer and tennis on a regular basis.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
Figure out what motivates you and what type of physical activity you enjoy the most. For those interested in powerlifting, it’s important to focus on form first and then strength. Watch technique videos on YouTube or Bodybuilding.com prior to attempting a new lift. It’s also very helpful to record your lifts so that you can have immediate feedback and fix your form from one set to another.
11) What new goals are on the horizon?
I have my first powerlifting meet in March, so I would love to get some serious PRs there. I hope to continue to inspire others and to provide the highest quality supplements via Muscularity Rx.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
Personal IG: @kayla_tegeler
Business IG: @muscularityrx
Business website: www.muscularityrx.com
