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Nick Tylutki - 242 lbs.
Ht:5'8"
Hometown:Melrose, MN
Family: Blake 2, Grant - 5 months
Best Lifts:
SQ: 810 BP: 501 ; DL: 760 ; Total: 2032
All of my life I've lived for competition. As long as I can remember, I've been involved in some sort of sport and have had the desire to win. When I stumbled onto powerlifting in 1998, I found it to be the ultimate challenge against oneself.
In this sport, success isn't measured by winning, in my opinion. It's measured in self-improvement through goal setting, hard work toward that end, and breaking through that goal. I've trained and competed with that mindset for the past 8 years and I've happened to have some success in the process. I've been fortunate enough to lift on 2 Junior World Teams, 3 Open World Teams, and in the 2005 World Games. I look forward to returning the the International platform for many years to come.
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Years competing:
A: 8 Years
Gym you train at:
A: Detached 2 stall garage at my home.
Q: Powerlifting Team
A: Titan Support Systems
Prior sports background:
A: I played football, basketball, baseball, and track in high school. I played 2 years of college football before getting serious about training. I'm still involved in softball and volleyball city leagues and I love to play golf.
Q: What made you decide to compete in powerlifting?
A: In 1999, I was lifting in a very small meet in the gym where I trained at which was actually a poll shed owned by the former Road Warriors manager, Paul Ellering. It was near my hometown of Melrose. Brad Gillingham has in-laws that live in the neighboring town and he happened to be in the area that weekend and had heard of the meet. Gary Grahn was also competing that day. By chance, Gary, Brad, and I started talking a little bit, traded contact info and stayed in touch the rest of the year. Brad talked me into doing the MN State meet in January of 2000. I placed 2nd and was hooked. Brad, Gary, and I have remained good friends and training partners ever since.
Q: Tell us about your profession: what do you do for a living?
A: I've been working as a software engineer for the past 5 years. I'm also a Reserve Police Officer part-time and am currently attending school to become Police Officer.
Q: Give us some idea of the types of struggles or hardships you've had to endure in your training…or life.
A: I've been pretty fortunate to be relatively healthy throughout my career. I would say the most difficult time I had training was when I was coming back from a bout with mono before the 2006 World Championships.
Q: What are the most extreme conditions you've had to go through in training?
A: In my first house I was training alone in my un-insulated garage during the winter when we had a 10-12 day long run of temps just above 0 for a high. The temperature in the garage was as low as 15 degrees so I sectioned off an 8x8 area where I squatted, benched, and deadlifted in the comfort of my space heater where I managed to get the temp up to about 30 degrees.
Q: Tell the readers what your daily meals consist of as the contest gets closer.
A: I like to eat as healthy as I can so I'm not big on fast food or other greasy stuff. I'm a meat and potatoes type of guy. I eat lots of chicken and beef along with potatoes, lots of pastas, tons of milk, yogurts, bread, peanut butter, cottage cheese, etc...
Q: Now tell us all of the foods you'll eat in the weeks after the Mens Nationals
A: My diet is fairly consistent year round so it's not much different than listed above.
Q: The all-time best meal you've ever had: where was it and what was it?
A: Prime rib and a baked potato at the Wooden Nickle Bar/Grill in Marshall, MN after a 5x5 squat workout at Jackal's Gym. Of course, any meal after a 5x5 is the all time best.
Q: You are stranded on an island: What CD, book, food and drink would you have with you
A: ACDC - Live CD, Webster's Dictionary so I can learn big words and sound smart when I get off of the island, BBQ'd chicken and baked potatoes, milk.
Q: When not lifting, what are your hobbies?
A: I love playing any type of sport, playing video games, wrestling with my boys, and watching movies
Q: People would never guess this about you:
A: I wish I was a professional golfer.
Q: You are not too ashamed to admit in high school you used to:
A: I thought I knew it all:)
Q: What type of intensity can we expect to see from you once the bell rings and the fight to keep your title has begun?
A: Once the meet starts and I get that first squat in the fun is going to start. I've been around long enough now and know what it feels like to get beat on a final deadlift...to be so close, but not quite there hurts like nothing I've known especially knowing that I may have not performed at my best. I don't intend to be in that position again and I'm going to give it everything I've got. There's more exciting than attempting a PR deadlift for the gold!
Q: People you would like to thank who have had a hand in your success:
A: Gary Grahn, Brad and Wade Gillingham, John and Jordan Krogman, Darwin Patzlaff and all the other Jackal's Gym clowns.
Q: Single most life changing experience:
A: The birth of my two sons.
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