Tyler Rau! Tyler came to P360 with plenty of experience and knowledge. As a previous Crossfit and Powerlifting coach, he had a fantastic background walking in, and has only continued to build upon every aspect of his strength, and more noticeably his conditioning. Tyler’s free trial class had “King of the Hill” as a finisher, and he signed up on the spot. Ever since that moment, we knew had an athlete with the ability to commit, get uncomfortable, and push through. In his time at P360, he’s found some big lifts (topping the leaderboards for Deadlift, Back and Front Squat) and spent a ton of time sharing his knowledge and encouragement with anyone lucky enough to share a rack or bar with him. Recently we’ve seen two big lifetime PRs, and an incredible push in all things conditioning. Tyler’s been testing his rows, hitting timed challenges, continuously pushing outside his comfort zone, only to expand it further every time. For many many reasons we are stoked to see his recognition for the month of May, and on the edge of our seats for what’s still to come.

How old are you, and where are you from?
I’ll be turning 34 in June, and I’m from mid-Michigan originally, having spent a lot of years living in Detroit before moving to San Diego almost 5 years ago.

What do you do for work?
I am the front page designer for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

What do you do for fun outside of P360?
We are a huge camping and Jeeping family. Emily and our dog, Oscar and I try to get out into the wild as often as possible, whether it’s the desert or the mountains. If we’re not camping, chances are we’re in PB, body surfing, eating tacos and getting weird.

How has P360 affected your life?
Oddly enough, it’s made life easier in a strange way. Before coming to P360 I spent a few years coaching part-time at a crossfit gym then running a powerlifting team. I got pretty burned out balancing that with my full-time job, as well as programming workouts for myself and others. Emily decided to join P360 so I started reading the programming blog and I was like, yup, I can let these guys drive. So I signed up, relaxed, and started getting my butt kicked on somebody else’s terms for a change!

What are your favorite, and least favorite exercises?
Squatting is sort of my thing… I love how the world sort of stops during a heavy squat. Least favorite? Single-leg balance stuff. Kettlebell RDLs, windmills, Bulgarian split squats etc. My lack of balance is horribly exposed when one foot leaves the ground. I love it.

What is the hardest thing you have done, physically, in the gym?
Probably taking on the timed challenges when they come up. I’m built for lifting heavy right now, so high-intensity conditioning workouts really blow me up. There is no comfortable way to position my body when I finish something like that. It all hurts, and all I can do is wait it out. Again, I love it.

What is your most proud achievement at P360?
Increasing my big lift numbers while also trying to take on more cardio. I’m actually stronger now than I’ve ever been, and all I used to do was powerlift. Kind of a big deal.

What is a hidden talent of yours?
I was a band nerd in high school, though I haven’t played an instrument in a while. The instructor used to just move me into the open seats because I could figure out almost any instrument. I’ve played piano, trombone, clarinet, bass clarinet, contra alto clarinet, and tuba/sousaphone.

What is an embarrassing fact most people don’t know about?
See above?

If money was no concern, what would be your dream job?
I’ve dreamed of owning a gym for a long time, but I don’t really want to RUN one… I’ve seen how hard it is. But if I had the money to bankroll my dream gym and some good people to run it, well that would rock. Outside of the wilderness, the gym is my next favorite place to be.

What is the biggest overall improvement you’ve made, since joining P360?
Outside of increasing my PRs, the biggest improvement I’ve made is in lifestyle. I’m having fun, I’m making friends and I’m getting results. My sleep is better, I’m feeling mentally sharper and more consistently energized.

What is the most valuable piece of coaching you’ve received?
Don’t miss lifts, don’t get greedy. I used to lift until failure all the time. Mentally and physically ending with a success every session has done a lot for my long-term gainz.

Which public figure or celebrity would you put in the dunk tank?
I stay out of politics since I work for “The Media” … so barring all politicians I’d have to say Kanye West. That is, until he’s our next president, then I’ll shut up about him.

What’s your favorite place to eat in San Diego?
Oscar’s Mexican Seafood. Hands down. We named our dog after that place. The surf and turf taco is heaven on a tortilla.

What famous person (alive or not) would you most like to have a drink with and what would you buy them?
Whiskey with Willie Nelson.

If you had one movie on a deserted island what would it be?
Back To The Future (Can I take the whole trilogy?)

What’s a funny story from your childhood?
I went to a summer journalism workshop in 9th grade (that’s not the punchline) and won a karaoke contest with a bunch of guys in my class when we dressed up as the Spice Girls and sang “Wannabe.” To this day I still know all Scary Spice’s lines by heart. Try me.

What’s your favorite naughty food?
Easter candy. Jelly beans, Cadbury eggs, peeps, chocolate bunnies… I make myself sick on that stuff every year for about a week straight.

If you could travel to any point in the past, where would you go?
I would go to when and where the first taco was created and plant a big old smooch on that mouth.

What’s your favorite thing about training at P360?
Doing the things I suck at. The board almost always has something that I know is going to crush my soul, and that warms my heart.

What is your biggest goal moving into 2017?
I’d like to get my name on the records board for something other than a 1-rep max.

Lucie Owens! Lucie came to us just about a year ago, newer to our style of working out. From the very beginning of her Foundations classes it was obvious Lucie was someone to watch. We have all witnessed her gain impressive strength (most recently with a 280# Deadlift and a 210# Back Squat), watched her excel in learning new things, working hard in the conditioning realm, and start to snag spots on the leaderboards in time challenges. Being such a consistently hard worker, incredibly friendly bar partner, and coachable athlete in any setting, Lucie deserves this honor and we are happy to see her growth after one year paying off in big ways!

How old are you, and where are you from? 
30, originally from Dallas, Tx

What do you do for work?
I’m a clinical pharmacist at Scripps Chula Vista Hospital

What do you do for fun outside of P360?
Anything outdoors, like hiking or kayaking. I love living in Ocean Beach and being able to walk to the beach whenever I want. I also love traveling and spending time with my two crazy cats.

How has P360 affected your life?
I used to go to the gym with vague goals that mostly involved looking good, now I go to get stronger! Building confidence and meeting goals in the gym has translated to having confidence in my professional and personal life too. I always feel better mentally when I get a good workout in.

What are your favorite, and least favorite exercises?
Favorite: Squats. I started off with awful mobility in squats so it has been a lot of fun to improve on those! Least favorite: 1000m row. I always dread seeing that one on the board.

What is the hardest thing you have done, physically, in the gym?
A few months ago we had a tabata workout, and every time the timer beeped I thought no way can I do this for another 20 seconds! But I made it through!

What is your most proud achievement at P360?
Level 2 barbell club for sure. At the beginning of this year one of my goals was a 200 lb deadlift. No way did I ever think I would hit more than that! I just kept adding 5-10 pounds to the bar week after week and over time it added up to big numbers.

What is a hidden talent of yours? 
I’m a pretty good cook. I like to try recipes from different countries, most recently I made Xiao Long Bao!

What is an embarrassing fact most people don’t know about?
When I was a kid I twirled baton for SIX YEARS. There was a lot of hairspray and sparkly spandex involved… I was super into it. Nobody could doubt my commitment to Sparkle Motion.

If money was no concern, what would be your dream job?
Travel journalist. The kind that is famous enough that other people do all the work, and they just get to do the fun stuff and eat all the things.

What is the biggest overall improvement you’ve made, since joining P360?
I think more than anything physical, what has improved the most is my mental capacity to push hard and work through difficult movements.

What is the most valuable piece of coaching you’ve received? 
It’s hard to pick just one! Mobility advice from Julianne has been a game changer. Seriously, duck walks changed my life. Who knew that ankles aren’t supposed to hurt all the time? And Brenna has helped me a ton on the big lifts with things like bracing and keeping your upper back strong.

Which public figure or celebrity would you put in the dunk tank?
Trump is a big contender, but if I can only choose one I would have to go with Mike Pence.

What’s your favorite place to eat in San Diego?
Tacos El Gordo! I drive past it every day. It takes a lot of willpower not to eat tacos for every meal.

What famous person (alive or not) would you  most like to have a drink with and what would you buy them?
Dorothy Parker, who among her many witticisms once wrote “But now I know the things I know, And do the things I do, And if you do not like me so, To hell, my love, with you.” and I’d buy her a gin martini with a twist.

If you had one movie on a deserted island what would it be?
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb – because what more could you want on a deserted island than satire, dark comedy, and a healthy dose of nihilism?

What’s a funny story from your childhood?
I once managed to trip over a dog and break my elbow… even back then I was clumsy!

What’s your favorite naughty food?
Tacos… and beer.

If you could travel to any point in the past, where would you go?
I’d go back to my wedding day with Ben! We were very young and a bit fluffier back then!

What’s your favorite thing about training at P360?
We have a really awesome and supportive community. Everyone is always cheering each other on and there are so many inspiring people doing amazing things! The coaches are really great too. I am always impressed with how they remember my specific strengths and weaknesses despite having hundreds of members to coach.

What is your biggest goal moving into 2017?
My husband and I are having a race to level 1 prison yard club. Pull ups are my nemesis!