Discipline Means Freedom | John Brace

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Are you ready to live an active lifestyle?
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Welcome to Behind the Bluff, where we believe every moment of your life is an opportunity to pursue wellness on your terms.
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I'm your host, Jeffrey Ford, and today I'm joined by none other than John Brace, a certified fitness trainer with 37 years of experience, who is a new teammate with us.
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He leads classes and more than 20 private training sessions per week here at Palmetto Bluff.
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After selling his gym up north, John quickly realized retirement just wasn't for him.
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He had to get back to training.
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Known for his meticulous approach and focus on technique, John helps our members move with strength and confidence.
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John, I'm so glad we could get together.
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Welcome to the show.
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Thanks, Jeff.
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I'm a little nervous.
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You know what I mean?
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Like this is it's super professional.
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Yeah.
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It's the most professional closet on Paul Metal Bluff's property.
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Dude, this is if there's a hierarchy of closets, this one's it's right there.
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No, you know what I mean, though?
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It's really you got this is a cool, yeah, cool thing.
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I appreciate that.
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It's a lot of fun conducting these interviews each week.
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John, take us back to the beginning of your career.
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What first drew you to fitness?
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Well, I have three older brothers, and they were all in sports.
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And I I don't know if anybody remembers, but when we were young, we got sand weights.
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Uh when we had a basement, we had we got a whole set of sand weights, and they were like the worst weights.
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They would, you know, leak all over the place quickly.
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But my brothers got seriously into it, and of course, they I wanted to be like them, right?
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So I got dragged into it too.
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And so I started lifting at an early age, uh, probably like eighth grade, ninth grade.
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And then my brothers also were big into sports, and so I became into sports.
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So, you know, you started lifting early, and then you were with coaches and you were lifting on teams and all that sort of stuff.
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So I started fitness early uh and often.
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Um and then I I went to college and I got a white clock collar job, and I didn't really like it that much.
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And then I had a buddy who was working at a gym, like kind of a uh sports and racket club.
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This was back in the late 80s, and he was like, dude, why don't you just come over and you know, we need other trainers.
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So that's how I started, and that was in um 89, 80, 88, 89.
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Tell us more about your early days when you were training with your brothers.
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They were very strict on how I was supposed to be training.
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Like my older brother would constantly be trying to find more stuff out, like he had uh back then there was all the bodybuilding books, you know, like magazines and Arnold was huge then and and uh and so yeah, he he would be really meticulous for his own training, but then uh also ours too.
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And he kind of got into my oldest brother, was that like a traditional older brother where he would was always kind of trying to take care of everybody and he really kind of got us into stuff and he would he would be on us if we weren't, you know, and basic movements like squats, deadlifts, bench press, bench press, row, yeah, just the basic stuff.
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So yeah, it was pretty cool.
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Yeah, it's it's great to have brothers pushing you to to go further with fitness and and anything in life, that that level of mentorship.
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Well, and super competitive, like all of us were a little bit maybe, you know, like uh maybe a little bit too competitive.
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Let's let's let's dial it back a little bit.
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Yeah, it was crazy.
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So white collar job was not working for you.
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You started being a trainer at your friends, racket and fitness club.
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Yeah, in Stanford, Connecticut, for you Connecticut people out there.
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It's called Sportsplex.
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It was a big, like kind of a box gym, but like racquetball was huge back then.
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So it was squash and racquetball, and then so it was kind of a little bit upscale, you know what I mean?
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Yeah.
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How did your training evolve?
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Like, what did you start to do to to acclimate yourself to the industry?
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I obviously I wanted to take things seriously.
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I got certified back then Ace.
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I don't know if you remember, American Council of Exercise.
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Yeah, rolling deep still.
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Yeah, that was a big one.
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And and so that was like the creme de la creme of like what you could get certified in, though.
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John, is there a client story from those early days that still sticks with you?
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One that makes you laugh, means a lot, or reminds you of why you love to do this work?
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Well, so I I was in that box gym, and then I got an opportunity to go to Westport, Connecticut, which is like uh, you know, uh more money, like you know, people that's a pretty higher class part of Connecticut.
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Yeah.
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And it was uh it's my first like studio gym where they were just dedicated on training and it was just training.
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No classes, just training.
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No people just coming in randomly.
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It was all by appointment only.
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And one of the first guys I got was a guy who'd been training there for a little bit, and he was like this guy from the Bronx, right?
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Very tough.
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He had just sold his like pharmaceutical business and retired at like 44 or something like that.
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And so I started training him, you know, and I was pushing him.
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And so he starts swearing at me like during the workout.
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And I'm like this 25, 26 year old kid.
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Is this like first session?
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Yeah, first session.
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I was with this dude.
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Yeah.
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And he and I'm like, you know, I'm like, what the heck am I supposed to do?
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And so I went back at him, not swearing or anything, but I'm like, you know, I didn't, I wasn't letting up.
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And he, I think, respected it.
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And dude, I trained this guy for 30 years.
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Wow, 30 years, JT.
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He appreciated you pushing him back, pushing him back.
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Yeah.
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And so, you know, in that world, like, if you don't get rolled over, you know, what in his world, you know, then you get some respect.
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And during our whole time training for all that time, and I went to like his kids' wedding, like it was great.
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And but he the whole time we were like fighting, basically, the whole time we would make fun of us with like an old married couple, like, you know, it would be this uh negotiation where he would be trying to push at me and I would be trying to make him do stuff.
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Yeah, and I just I love him, and and we had a great relationship, and I still talk to him now, even though I'm down here and we we text occasionally and stuff, and it's and actually he got remarried, and his his son was uh the other son from this lady was autistic, and then he worked at the gym for a long time while we had it.
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You know, he'd help out cleaning and all that sort of stuff.
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And uh yeah, we're we're he's very dear to me, and he's just a just a good guy.
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Your roots were deep with JT through all those years of training.
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And you know, he's one of those guys who's you know, rough on the outside, but then he just hard of gold on the inside and just you know, really will do anything for you.
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After all these years of working with people with different goals, what have you discovered people need most from fitness sessions, even if it's not what they originally walk through the fitness center doors looking for?
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Honestly, I think it kind of changes for most for all different people.
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Like some people want motivation, right?
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Some people need motivation, some people need you to be on them all the time and then kind of push them past where they you know, a lot of people don't really understand how much they can lift or how far they can go or anything like that, obviously always being safe.
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But and then other people need to be reined in.
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Other people are like, go, go, go, go, go.
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And you have to kind of, you know, it's like get them a little balance in their life.
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And other people a lot of people want to talk.
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They just want to, they either have troubles in their life or whatever's going on.
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And and even though I like to talk and have good conversations and we get very deep with some people, I want to still make sure that they get what they came for with working out.
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So I really think it's it's different for different people.
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And a lot of people scheduling because their schedule is so busy, they need to have somebody there because they're never do it themselves if they weren't, if they didn't have somebody have the appointment.
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Yeah.
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I find for so many people doing one-on-one training that appointment is their motivation.
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And then having a trainer by their side does allow them to get more out of that time than they would get alone.
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Yeah, it's really expedient, right?
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Like for that 45 minutes or that hour, you're fitting in if you're a good trainer, of course, all the trainers here are very good.
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You know, you're getting in everything you need and and quickly and hard, and you're going at a good pace.
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There's a lot of people who said say, like, man, I got so much in in that time.
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And it's so different than kind of meandering around a gym.
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And some people like that too.
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But for that's why training, I feel like, is so beneficial because it's really, you know, expedient, getting everything in very calculated.
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And of course, me and all the other trainers, we have a plan, right?
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We have a plan going forward.
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It's good, and it's not going forward for a week, it's going forward for a month or two months or three months, you know, and we tr you know, we have all those things already kind of written up or in our mind of what we want to do.
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When you think about clients who are still showing up years later, JT sounds like someone who spent three decades with you.
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What do you think those individuals have figured out that others tend to miss?
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One of them is time, you know.
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And I've had people leave and kind of come back after a little bit and been like I just I just it wasn't the same.
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Like I didn't get everything in that I needed to get in, and I and I wasn't motivated to do it as much as I was doing it here.
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It's like I tell people, look, look, after work, come here first.
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Because if you go home first, it's just too easy to be like, uh, you know, screw it.
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I'm just not gonna go.
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I'm not gonna do it.
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And that's the same with me.
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Like I like to, if I'm on my way home from this job, I want to go right to the gym.
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Because if I go home, it's too easy to get into a thousand different things that I have going on at home and then kind of you know, throw that workout to the wayside and then I'm a God tomorrow.
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Making it easy for you to say yes is the most important thing when it comes to fitness training.
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So on your way home or first thing in the morning, it's why we start to see most people become very successful when it's built into their schedules in that way.
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Yeah.
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John, you were a trainer at first and then you opened your own gym.
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And I know what led you down here was selling your gym.
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Tell us about being a leader of a facility and your experience with the amount of training that you were pumping through that facility.
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Put my money up to open a gym, right?
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It was one of the things that scared me the most.
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I've always been kind of we didn't grow up with much money, and I was always kind of um scared to make a big commitment with money, right?
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And and uh in the situation we did it, it ended up being a phenomenal experience.
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But like there was a couple of recessions, there was the COVID situation, and all that stuff was stressful, you know what I mean?
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And then so uh as I talk to my kids about this all the time, there's so much value in difficulty, right?
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There's so much learning on uh I do about myself, uh, so much closer I got to other people because we went through this, like I was uh the half owner, and other three people were the other half.
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And so we got much closer through all these things.
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Um and then we also had like probably 40 trainers going through at any point.
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Wow, you had that many.
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It was 8,500 square feet.
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And we had like probably 20 full-time and then like 20 part-time.
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Yeah.
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But yeah, it was packed, and um it was I don't know, it was and there's a lot of different personalities, as you know, and it's a little bit like uh, you know, a little bit soap operating at times where people who melting pot.
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Yeah, and it was just crazy.
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How many years uh were you operating that facility?
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So like 20.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And it was yeah, it was pretty crazy.
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And then I was and then in between there, sometime I opened another gym, just a kids' training gym in a in a huge uh field house in a different part of Connecticut.
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One one was in Norwalk, the other one was in Trumbull, and and that was just that was a little bit too much.
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That was a little out of balance, should we say?
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I mean, being a business owner and balancing doing in-person training, it's a lot to juggle those different hats.
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Yeah.
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How do you feel being on the other side now?
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You move down here, you pr pretty quickly realize that you wanted to get back into training.
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Walk us through the realization and walk us through why you like one-on-one so much.
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Well, first of all, the thing I found out during owning the gym was how much I liked one-on-one training.
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Really, the one-on-one training really sustained me during the much more difficult things that we went through as a as a as an owner, and you can attest to this too, because there's a lot of things you have to deal with that are very difficult.
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Uh, hard conversations, financials, you know, COVID is is a great example of just, man, I don't know if we keep our doors open.
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Well, and confronting the right way is a very hard thing to learn.
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You know, back in the day, Mike would could just confront by, you know, screaming in someone's face.
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And this is when I was in my early 20s.
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That was your method?
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Yeah, just a moron.
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You know what I mean?
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Like uh, you know, uh, you know, just a crayon eater.
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And and then as you grow and try and mature, and especially in a situation where you run a gym, you can't confront that way.
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You have to do you, you know, like the I statements, you had to if somebody wasn't working for the team, you had to get rid of that person.
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It was a very hard conversation.
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Like we were talking about, it made me realize how much I really liked I got my energy from the one-on-one sessions.
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Yeah, you alluded to that keeping you going.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And then so then when I got down here, the other thing was the group of people we had in Connecticut, I just loved those people.
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And you got to grow and love those people.
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And and we had this great working relationship and a lot with a lot of the trainers and a lot of and the owners.
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And we just and then when I moved down here and I didn't really know anybody, I really missed that connection.
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And there was people like JT, who I knew for years and years and years and years, and who were very close to me.
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Um, and then my wife was working still, and so that was just very, very hard.
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And I was talking, we were talking to Maria today about it, and she kind of went through a similar thing.
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And I literally was standing on my front porch.
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We talk about this with my coffee, watching people go to work and being like, I gotta get a job.
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Like, you know what I mean?
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Like, I I you know, like I've like, yeah, I'm wicking out, like I have to do so.
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How many times can you clean the fridge?
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You know what I mean?
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Like, you know, and so um so I started looking for places, and the first couple places I worked at here as a trainer just didn't have that same, it's not just the training, it didn't have that same connection with the people I was training with, right?
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And that's where coming here was such a blessing because dude, the people here, I mean we don't have to say, you know, just to go members, team.
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Team, we we've got it good.
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Like every time I walk into the big facility, uh like you know, Marg or Molly or somebody is behind the desk and just a big smile.
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They're like, hey, and we're like, hey, you know what I mean?
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We see everybody, and it's just like you know, it's just a great, I don't know, it's just it's a great, it's a great thing.
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And the people here, I mean, I was talking to some people after some of the classes, how they're cleaning up everything, like they're on there.
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These are the clients, man.
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They are like I find two minutes and I turn my back and everything's clean.
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Incredibly helpful.
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Yeah.
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It's like, yeah.
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I'm like, you guys are like, you know, can I invite you over to the house?
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We could just have everything really it's like I've kind of found that home kind of that I was missing and that connection, which is so important for me, and I think so important for people.
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And and in today's society is something people are really missing.
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Like there's an epidemic of loneliness and all that sort of stuff.
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And that connection, I really I don't know, man.
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It's great stuff.
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Yeah, it's really special.
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And we don't always think about human connection and how that impacts us from a wellness perspective.
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You give a great example of transitioning in life and finding kind of your new normal down here.
00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:12.880
A lot of our members go through that.
00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:13.279
Yeah.
00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:20.960
And it's it's an important takeaway to constantly keep ourselves in the right environments that allow us to grow.
00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:29.599
Has this new chapter at Palmetto Bluff taught you different things about work and the impact that you want to have?
00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.200
Well, first of all, I think I've talked to you about this.
00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:37.519
Like, I'm like 62, you know, and I'm thinking like, you know what, I'll go to a place.
00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:40.880
This and Kirsting and Maria both kind of got me into this place.
00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:46.480
I'm like, I'll kind of just do some training and, you know, kind of coast out.
00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:47.920
Go off into the sunset.
00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:48.720
Sunset.
00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:53.599
Yeah, they'll be, you know, like I'm visualized, sunset behind me, you know, I'm like a horse or something.
00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:57.920
You know, I'm galloping out of that, even though I've tried tried to ride a horse before.
00:17:58.079 --> 00:17:59.200
My brother was in the rodeo.
00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:00.720
And you're not a horse rider.
00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:05.119
Stick to the the riding the sleds that your clients are pushing you on.
00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:07.759
It's like, bro, stay on your feet, get off the horse.
00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:18.960
Anyway, and and uh and then this place is such a high level, like, and it's you know, uh uh like a congratulations to you and Kendra, but you it's so well run.
00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:24.079
But you have to like, and I was talking, I think it was Leslie B about standards.
00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:27.839
And she was like, Yeah, it's I'm really happy there's standards.
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:29.759
So I'm like, I'm happy there's standards here too.
00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:36.079
Like that's very important to stay at that level, and it sets the bar kind of for everybody.
00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:36.960
You know what I mean?
00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:41.359
And the people, even the young people come in here are just like monsters, man.
00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:42.400
They are just killing it.
00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:43.759
Yeah, you know, every day.
00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:45.839
And it's like, okay, what am I gonna do?
00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:48.160
Like, just kind of you guys carry the load.
00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:50.559
I'll just sit, you know, you can't you can't do that.
00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:50.799
Yeah.
00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:52.480
So you flipped your script on that.
00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:52.799
Yeah.
00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:58.559
The standards have almost taken you into a different direction and not off into the sunset.
00:18:58.799 --> 00:18:59.279
No, not all.
00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:02.079
To to up your game and it's almost pushed you professionally.
00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:03.359
Absolutely it has.
00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:04.319
Absolutely it has.
00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:16.400
And you know, I've always been and and uh we talked to people about this, like as you get older, longevity becomes a very it's an it's obviously a huge topic right now in the fitness industry.
00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:23.279
And and for me, it was I was just chasing everything that I could on longevity and what's the best thing.
00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.960
And we were just talking about cold plunging, all that sort of stuff.
00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.839
Like I'm trying to keep no stone unturned.
00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:35.279
And the other thing that we know, if you've been in the fitness industry for a long time, like we were talking about before, it changes, changes all the time.
00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:46.400
And I want to kind of stay abreast of what really is uh the epitome of the best way to train, best way to, you know, best way to eat, best all those sort of things.
00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:47.759
So that's good.
00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:53.039
John, this is the time where I want to get practical and leverage your expertise.
00:19:53.279 --> 00:20:00.319
One thing that stands out to me from your coaching is how closely you pay attention to technique.
00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:02.000
Where did that come from?
00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:13.200
I think if you set a standard like we were talking about with my brothers, like my oldest brother was not skimping ever on technique or anything.
00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:16.000
And he was like, This is This is how you do it.
00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:17.119
This is how you do it.
00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:25.440
And there's no and of course I still have a great relationship with my brothers and and uh are they still as dialed in with their fitness like you are?
00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:27.119
No, no one is it's changed.
00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:28.640
It's changed, yeah.
00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:32.000
Um they do stuff, you know what I mean?
00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:35.599
But um yeah, it's just for whatever reason.
00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:39.519
Um You were called to take this path and they were called differently.
00:20:39.839 --> 00:21:17.759
Well and I and and I and and I don't don't have to really get into it, but you know, I went down a very, very dark path for a long period of time and and got totally away from anything healthy and my life was was uh going down quickly, and it was only by help from other people that I that I kind of got out of it, and of course we talked about my relationship with God and and all those things kind of brought me back up and all the things that I did at that time I wanted to do differently because one I associated with pain and the other one I associated not only joy but becoming a better person.
00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:22.880
My son has this always loves a saying, discipline means freedom.
00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:33.200
And you know, like all the things I do from trying to follow my spiritual journey and then also with my physical journey.
00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:36.720
It's trying to like if I eat McDonald's, I just don't feel good.
00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:39.359
Like, you know, if I eat well, I feel good.
00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:42.000
It's a very simple feedback loop.
00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:42.960
Feedback loop.
00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:46.319
It's just this feel makes me feel good, this makes me feel bad.
00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:47.599
I want to feel good.
00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:51.920
I felt bad for too long of a period of time, and I just don't want to go back there.
00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:59.359
So I want to stay kind of in this land that I'm in now, which includes all those kind of things we talked about, training well.
00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:08.240
And and the other thing is I practice on myself with technique, like and I try and nuance everything.
00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:08.720
Right.
00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:12.799
Well, what if I, you know, even turning my wrist up a little bit in this exercise?
00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:22.079
What about, you know, turning my body a time, you know, all those sort of things where I'm kind of self-practicing to make the best technique possible on anything.
00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:31.039
And I feel like that's what a lot of my clients have kind of latched onto and responded to, just the little change of a wrist or a knee position.
00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:31.440
Yeah.
00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:34.960
And they say they've said that's the feedback I get from them.
00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:37.599
And so that's what I really want to, that's where I want to live.
00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:45.039
And you can only become that way if you are self-testing, you are practicing different ways of doing things.
00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:48.319
And I I really appreciate you sharing that.
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:56.640
You had a low period of your in your life, a season that challenged you personally and and your faith.
00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:05.119
And now it is a guide for you to live life with a disciplined approach so that you can feel good.
00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:05.920
Yeah.
00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:06.720
Yeah.
00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:07.839
It really is.
00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:11.200
And that and like and discipline equals freedom.
00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:19.039
So freedom is it your life can become kind of limitless and open as whereas before my life was extremely closed.
00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:24.079
The all of my uh the things I had gotten into are the things that I was doing.
00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:35.359
I ended up, you know, being in a room by myself with the blinds closed, a very dark world, afraid to go out and go to a restaurant because there was too many people there and it freaked.
00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:47.359
From there, as opposed to having this kind of I can kind of do anything and go anywhere as long as I have my faith with me, which is with me all the time.
00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:53.440
And without a doubt, a strong faith account helps people stay on track.
00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:55.359
Tell us about your fitness routines.
00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:58.160
How do your routines keep you on track?
00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:01.920
I've been injured a couple of times and it does kind of freak me out a little bit.
00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:05.279
When you can't do what you're typically used to doing on a weekly basis.
00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:06.000
Yeah.
00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:10.720
Um and it's just like I said, it's that that that feel-good loop.
00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:11.519
You know what I mean?
00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:13.839
And I and and we've kind of talked about this.
00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:16.480
There's a bet there has to be a balance also in my life.
00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:20.319
I don't want to get so obsessive that I have to do all these things.
00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:25.599
Like a lot of times on vacation, I'll just work out like once or twice, you know, during a week.
00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:29.599
And just a little touch-up as a trainer in the in Connecticut used to say all the time.
00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:30.480
I just need a little touch-up.
00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:31.200
A little touch-up.
00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:32.480
I haven't heard that before.
00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:36.640
Um and that, you know, and that's all.
00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:44.000
And then and also, you know, if I have a pizza or if I have a bowl of ice cream or if I have whatever sometimes, you know, kill yourself.
00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:44.880
It's not a big deal.
00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:45.680
You know what I mean?
00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:48.799
Like I I want to enjoy that sort of stuff too.
00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:53.680
But if it goes too far in one direction, my body will respond negatively.
00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:54.640
You know what I mean?
00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:57.279
It pushes you back on track pretty, pretty quickly.
00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:59.279
It's like, bro, stop with this.
00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:00.240
You know what I mean?
00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:02.319
It's like, uh, I don't, I'm not liking this.
00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:05.920
Yeah, this this isn't what I need to be doing day after day.
00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:06.400
Yeah.
00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:09.680
John, I say this with loads of affection.
00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:15.519
I am a self-diagnosed movement snob as well.
00:25:15.839 --> 00:25:22.799
What movements earn your stamp of approval, and what movements do you shake your head at?
00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:30.240
Like the BOSU ball when it first came out was like this big, you know, it's like a huge thing.
00:25:30.400 --> 00:25:34.160
It's like every gym, every gym had like five of these things.
00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:35.839
We've got four.
00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:36.319
Yes.
00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:48.559
And there's uh there's definitely movements that are beneficial on the bosu thing, but the proprioception, when you're standing on a bosu ball, they found out relatively early, doesn't really transfer into real life.
00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:51.440
Unless you're surfing every day or whatever.
00:25:51.680 --> 00:26:03.519
Like you it just doesn't that's why like one leg exercise have been so beneficial, because you're on one leg a lot of times and you're gonna transfer your weight from one to another.
00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:17.200
Um but the bosu ball just doesn't and so some like we had a trainer who would always be teaching people how to do bosu balls with squats, and they would have weight with the bosu ball and squat, and so you're neither doing either exercise well.
00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:22.240
If you want to gain muscle mass, doing it on a bosu ball is not, you know, the best.
00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:25.599
Yeah, is the focus balance or am I trying to build strength?
00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:29.359
Yeah, and if you're trying to balance, it doesn't transfer on to real life anyway.
00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:33.359
So how would you describe your overall fitness philosophy?
00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:38.000
Well, obviously there's a bunch of things you want to do in fitness.
00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:40.240
Like in this, we go back to the longevity thing.
00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:50.000
Like if I'm talking about longevity, we gotta get muscle mass, we have to get protein as much as we can, we want to get mobility training, we want to do cardio.
00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:53.200
And by the way, I didn't start really doing cardio until I was like 50.
00:26:54.160 --> 00:26:56.480
So you're an anti-cardio type trainer.
00:26:56.960 --> 00:27:02.240
Like I was like, cardio to me was like a 15 reps, and that was that was the most.
00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:03.200
That was your endurance.
00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:05.839
You know, I gotta take a rest.
00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:07.119
No, you know what I mean?
00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:18.960
And then, you know, you just you get inundated with if you're paying attention, you get inundated with so much information about you know VO2 Max and how important cardio is and and the best way to go about it.
00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:30.240
Um and that's another thing where a bunch of information came out kind of at at the HIG classes as opposed to doing cardio separately and then doing lifting separately and then sprint training and all that stuff.
00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:42.079
And I just started getting into it, and there was a buddy of mine in Connecticut who was also the same kind of trainer, not doing any cardio, whatever, and we both kind of were like, hey, let's do this together, kind of and start doing this stuff.
00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:46.720
And so we would kind of report to each other where we were, you know, and everything was about watts, right?
00:27:47.119 --> 00:27:55.680
We'd start with like, you know, the the Norwegian four by four, and we've talked about this before, and and we'd get to a certain amount of watts on the f through the four minutes, you know what I mean?
00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:59.200
And then the three minutes we'd kind of dial it back down, and then four minutes we'd go hard again.
00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:03.759
And then we just tried to up it in every, you know, say a couple weeks, maybe a month.
00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:07.359
Make sure your watts were progressing just like you would weights.
00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:22.000
So then and then after the we kind of kind of proficient in the Norwegian four by four, um then I started getting into like sprint training, where you were doing 30 seconds as hard as you possibly can.
00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:24.960
Like, and I was doing on the assault trainer, which is just brutal.
00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:25.839
No joke.
00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:27.279
30 seconds can be brutal.
00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:27.839
Brutal.
00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:32.799
If you're going all out, like I'd be up on my toes and just jacking that thing back and forth.
00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:37.759
And man, I started doing it once every other day, and everybody's like, What are you doing, bro?
00:28:37.839 --> 00:28:40.640
Like you can't do sprint training because I ended up getting sick.
00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:43.200
And they're like, once a week, like do it once a week.
00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:43.440
Yeah.
00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:46.880
It's usually plenty on the on the system.
00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:47.920
Yes, plenty on the system.
00:28:48.160 --> 00:29:02.799
Yeah, I mean, you basically described having an endurance cardio day with Norwegian four by four, and then having a sprint type day where you're getting that intensity and short bouts similar to PB cardio that we offer here.
00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:06.160
Yeah, and they really and that's where that like we talked about this.
00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:11.119
Like, it is really the game has been upped here at uh, especially once a new gym opened.
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:14.160
It was just the so many more opportunities.
00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:23.359
Yeah, and I could just see you behind, you know, with your cauldron and you're shaking your yes, I could do some real It's fun making different potions.
00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:24.319
Yeah, it really is.
00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:25.759
It's just a cool, cool thing.
00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:27.680
And and it's just super beneficial.
00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:29.920
Definitely on the right track for all that stuff.
00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:33.039
So I tell you, that stuff was is great.
00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:34.160
And the cardio stuff.
00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:35.519
And you feel so much better.
00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:42.240
Like I I remember my mom living in this around this really steep hill in Pennsylvania where she lived.
00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:46.000
And by before I started doing this training, like me and my wife would walk up this hill.
00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:49.759
And by the time I was at the end, I was like, and I was like, I gotta get in shape.
00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:50.559
Like, this is ridiculous.
00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:53.759
Because you're with your mom and your wife, and they're making you look bad, huh?
00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:58.319
You know, so anyway, so then I was like, dude, I gotta do cardio.
00:29:58.400 --> 00:29:58.880
This is bad.
00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:01.359
So your philosophy very much evolved.
00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:09.519
You were hardcore strength training, have integrated the different evidence-based intervals to improve cardio.
00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:14.400
So pretty much when you meet with someone, you're trying to hit all the systems in that 45 minutes.
00:30:14.720 --> 00:30:15.039
Yeah.
00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:15.519
Cool.
00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:17.440
And so yeah, it's good.
00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:29.680
If you could encourage our members to take one healthy habit that becomes a non-negotiable even on their busiest days, what would be that one healthy habit?
00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:33.519
I mean, I honestly I might go super simple and just say walk.
00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:43.200
Like walk at like a fast pace, like not walking the dog, but like a dedicated half hour to an hour speed walk as much as you can.
00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:46.400
Obviously, you don't want to get, you know, uh out of control.
00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:49.599
But yeah, go at a good pace and try and do that every day.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:50.799
Half hour every day.
00:30:50.960 --> 00:30:51.599
Yeah, at least.
00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:51.920
Yeah.
00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:53.599
Go half hour, go hard.
00:30:53.759 --> 00:30:55.680
Yeah, go de be dedicated.
00:30:55.920 --> 00:31:10.720
You know, and I'm trying to, especially and this is another walking is another one where more and more information has come up that say it's and you know, for digestion, if you're doing it in the early in the morning, your circadian cook uh rhythm is getting match it with getting sunlight.
00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:13.680
And then they say after eating, the digestion, all this stuff.
00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:14.720
Blood sugars drop.
00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:17.759
Yeah, but it's really it's just yeah.
00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:34.880
So that's what me and my wife started doing, and they kind of talked about uh 80-20, where you you know, 80% of the time you really want to be doing that kind of zone two cardio, and then the other 20% you want to, you know, crush it with kind of that other stuff because they're get on an echo bike, yeah, get on an echo bike ski erg, versa climber.
00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:36.079
Yeah, crush yourself a little bit.
00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:36.960
Yeah, just a little bit.
00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:37.359
Yeah.
00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:48.240
And well for and with new people, I'm like, look, if you're just like riding a bike or whatever and you're going at like a zone two pace, like for 15 seconds, just haul.
00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:56.720
Like, you know, and pa Palmetto Bluff's a perfect area because it's flat, you know, there's there's not as much traffic and just tons of places to go.
00:31:56.880 --> 00:32:08.000
And just hit it hard for that till you're heaving, and then you have time to just go back to biking normally, you know, recover a little bit, and then just haul again and just go, you know what I mean?
00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:09.039
Just that simple.
00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:12.799
You know, get yourself breathing, make sure you check with your doctor first.
00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:14.960
I don't want to always check with your doctor first.
00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:16.240
I don't want to go.
00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:17.440
What do they call it back in the day?
00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:19.759
Make sure you do your par queue assessment.
00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:21.119
You gotta check the boxes.
00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:22.079
Yeah, the questionnaire.
00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:22.880
It's important.
00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:23.599
Yeah.
00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:25.759
John, favorite exercise.
00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:27.519
You can only choose one exercise.
00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:28.480
What would that be?
00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:30.160
God, I love deadlifting.
00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:31.680
Deadlifting, hinging, huh?
00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:34.720
I think Maria shared the same response.
00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:36.400
Oh, it is my favorite.
00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:38.000
And for myself too.
00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:44.160
I I mean, if I could do a couple, it would be deadlift and pull-ups.
00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:48.960
I guess push-ups too, but I definitely deadlifts and we said one, John.
00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:49.279
I know.
00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:50.640
So deadlifts your answer.
00:32:50.960 --> 00:32:51.759
Follow-up question.
00:32:51.920 --> 00:32:52.720
It's definitely deadlifts.
00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:55.359
RDL or trap bar deadlifts.
00:32:56.000 --> 00:33:06.160
Trap bar for me, because I've had a lot of hamstring stuff, and the trap bar is a little bit safer for the and so I for the general population, I would go with trap bar.
00:33:06.640 --> 00:33:08.160
Least favorite exercise.
00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:10.480
Doesn't mean it's a bad exercise.
00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:15.279
It's just one you don't like doing or don't put into your own program.
00:33:16.799 --> 00:33:19.920
I do put it into my program, but balance is so hard for me.
00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:20.880
Balance is rough.
00:33:21.359 --> 00:33:22.079
You don't love it either.
00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:22.480
I don't.
00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:23.359
But it's in your program.
00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:24.240
It's in my program.
00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:31.279
Well, first of all, and I I tell people this all the time, but every time I put on my socks and shoes and take off my socks and shoes, I do it on one foot.
00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:37.680
And the most important thing for me in that is just to slow it down because I want to go fast so that I don't have to balance.
00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:42.720
But just slowing it down, staying on one foot for a while, and then start to take my shoe off.
00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:44.960
And then just you do that every day over and over again.
00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:46.079
And that's what I needed.
00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:49.680
And it's really transferred into my one-leg RDLs.
00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:50.640
You know what I mean?
00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:55.039
Which is really I was like amazed because I was struggling with those.
00:33:55.920 --> 00:33:59.839
You're seeing the benefit just by that small change in how you put your socks on.
00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:00.319
Yeah.
00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:01.599
Yeah, it's crazy.
00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:04.000
Go to breakfast.
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:14.880
I think we went four eggs, uh sauerkraut, yeah, avocado, and then I have a Greek yogurt.
00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:17.039
How often a week do you get that breakfast in?
00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:17.519
Every day.
00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:18.800
Every single day.
00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:19.360
Every single day.
00:34:19.519 --> 00:34:20.639
You don't don't get bored of that.
00:34:20.800 --> 00:34:21.119
Nope.
00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:21.519
No.
00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:26.960
And I'm like that's a little habit I got, you know, that sort of stuff.
00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:29.360
Or I want to I do a lot of the same stuff.
00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:38.239
So one down regulation habit, mindfulness-based, gratitude.
00:34:39.280 --> 00:34:41.840
What is that habit for you?
00:34:43.920 --> 00:34:45.599
Um meditation.
00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:49.039
Yeah, meditation is another thing.
00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:58.880
When we went through the COVID, there's been a couple things, but when we went through really hard times, meditation really pulled me through.
00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:01.280
And obviously there's a bunch of studies on this too.
00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:07.280
How how it you d they do see uh brain changes in your brain after meditation.
00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:13.599
And just sitting quietly, I it's just it's I like magical.
00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:19.760
It's another thing that really like after I do my uh sprint training, I do meditation.
00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:26.400
Because my uh it's like the deep breathing, like the box breathing, and that's usually it almost in every meditation that I do.
00:35:26.639 --> 00:35:32.880
It really your central nervous system, man, it really just calms down and it just sets me right.
00:35:33.199 --> 00:35:43.440
Um and almost in any situation where I feel anxious and things like that, like coming on this podcast, I'll do Did some square breaths before you entered the studio.
00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:45.280
Did a little prayer.
00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:47.599
We're getting towards the end of our time.
00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:55.760
What's one thing you'd tell members to do more of and one thing to stop worrying so much about?
00:35:56.800 --> 00:36:01.280
Well, one that definitely comes up almost all the time is protein.
00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:08.400
Like I even checked my own protein, you know, the gram per pound of weight, and I was short.
00:36:08.639 --> 00:36:14.480
So obviously, and and if you read anything, as we get older, man, it gets more and more and more important.
00:36:14.719 --> 00:36:17.920
And I just find that it's just lacking.
00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:24.159
So that's something I really have to stress because it's so important.
00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:27.920
And you can read it anywhere that just protein intake.
00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:28.960
And it's hard.
00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:30.480
It's really hard to do.
00:36:30.719 --> 00:36:34.800
And then the other thing I would say to kind of counter that is to not get obsessed.
00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:37.920
I know we just talk about protein, protein, protein, protein.
00:36:38.320 --> 00:36:39.119
But don't get obsessed.
00:36:39.280 --> 00:36:43.920
Just with it's like with training in general and with eating, like I never weighed anything.
00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:44.719
I never did that.
00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:47.840
Everybody knows what's bad and what's good, right?
00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:57.679
Everybody knows that a bag of chips is not gonna be, you know, you're not doing yourself any favors or soda or any of those things.
00:36:57.920 --> 00:37:09.199
It's really just, you know, it's they talk about age 20 with cardio, but like 80-20 eating also, or 90-10, you know, like eating good most of the time.
00:37:09.440 --> 00:37:17.599
Like I my wife and I cook our own food and all that sort of stuff and and uh try and hit the farmer's market and get as kind of clean, cleanest food as we can.
00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:24.719
Um but we're not uh we're not like I said, we have the pizza every once in a while, we have the ice cream, we have all that stuff.
00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:27.440
Um and it's okay.
00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:28.960
I'm not obsessed about it.
00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:31.599
And then balance in life is really important.
00:37:31.840 --> 00:37:36.719
Like it's easy to get kind of crazy about the the fitness stuff.
00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:40.639
But I really, in my workouts, it's really 45 minutes a day.
00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:42.559
John, I've enjoyed this, man.
00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:56.559
Love getting your perspective on how you go about life, the the years up north, building the gym, going through COVID, and coming to this realization of of how special one-on-one training is to you.
00:37:57.039 --> 00:38:01.679
Final question: what does wellness mean to you?
00:38:02.960 --> 00:38:06.159
And that's kind of going to be a culmination of this whole conversation, really.
00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:11.920
It's really the mental and this and the physical kind of combined.
00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:36.320
Um, and the other thing I'll say is kindness is just kindness, forgiveness, love, all those things have really been such an important part of my life to really kind of go out of my way and try and be like a good person toward other people because I was the exact opposite for years, very self-absorbed, you know, through my 20s, which can happen.
00:38:36.400 --> 00:38:38.320
And and that's part of my wellness too.
00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:41.519
Just that is a big part of my journey, you know.
00:38:41.599 --> 00:38:43.679
And of course, I belong to church.
00:38:43.760 --> 00:38:48.800
I belong to other charity things, and and uh you know, it's so, so, so important.
00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:53.679
So the physical kind of married with with uh that mental stuff.
00:38:53.920 --> 00:38:54.239
Yeah.
00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:58.320
Feeding your soul spiritually, mentally, just as important as the physical.
00:38:58.480 --> 00:38:59.760
Yeah, maybe more.
00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:01.199
So yeah, yeah.
00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:03.280
Foundational stuff, man.
00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:03.760
Yeah.
00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:05.679
Well, I appreciate your time.
00:39:05.920 --> 00:39:07.519
Yeah, I really, really like being here.
00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:09.199
And I was like nervous, bro.
00:39:09.519 --> 00:39:11.440
I was like, you just come into this room.
00:39:11.519 --> 00:39:12.400
I'm like, cool, man.
00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:13.199
Yeah, yeah.
00:39:13.360 --> 00:39:17.119
Yeah, no, I'm I'm glad you got to experience the the bigger closet.
00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:17.599
Yeah.
00:39:17.840 --> 00:39:21.199
And uh yeah, just couldn't be more grateful to have you on the team.
00:39:21.280 --> 00:39:26.880
You you bring loving kindness to our members, our teammates every day.
00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:31.280
And uh there's there's a reason so many people gravitate towards working with you.
00:39:31.519 --> 00:39:32.480
Thanks, Jeff.
00:39:32.639 --> 00:39:33.920
I love being here.
00:39:34.480 --> 00:39:41.440
Listeners, feel free to hang out with me for a few more minutes and get some healthy momentum for the rest of the week.
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:03.440
Challenges can reveal what matters most to us.
00:40:03.760 --> 00:40:06.159
They can show us where we need to grow.
00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:17.039
And if you're anything like me, difficulties have brought me closer to the people who walk through them with me.
00:40:17.599 --> 00:40:22.079
As I listened to John, I kept coming back to this concept.
00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:31.599
Whether he was talking about training, returning to work after retirement, or helping someone move with greater ease and confidence.
00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:48.400
I heard a common thread, and it was this we all have opportunities throughout our lives to grow, find purpose, and care for other people.
00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:54.639
And then he gave us this phrase, well, his son's phrase.
00:40:55.679 --> 00:40:59.039
Discipline meets freedom.
00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:04.320
If you're anything like me, that one will stick with you.
00:41:04.719 --> 00:41:13.679
We often think of discipline as something that asks more of us get up, show up, more reps, work harder.
00:41:14.320 --> 00:41:18.320
Make the choice you said you were going to make, even when you don't feel like it.
00:41:18.719 --> 00:41:21.599
And some days that takes real effort.
00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:28.400
Over time, though, our choices give us more freedom.
00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:34.400
The freedom to do the things we enjoy, play pickleball, golf, go boating.
00:41:35.760 --> 00:41:42.559
More freedom to participate fully on our own terms.
00:41:43.360 --> 00:41:56.960
And I think the great the greatest thing when it comes to making consistent positive choices in the right direction is that we begin to trust ourselves.
00:41:58.320 --> 00:42:03.519
Something else John mentioned truly resonated with me.
00:42:04.079 --> 00:42:19.280
When you felt bad for a long time and you finally start feeling good, keeping that feeling becomes a powerful reason to keep going, to keep being consistent.
00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:42.880
The stars aligned for me on that one, because when you notice how your daily choices affect your energy, your confidence, and how you show up for the people around you, maybe with more kindness, maybe with more grace, the effort begins to have a meaningful impact.
00:42:44.079 --> 00:42:47.599
So here's your healthy momentum challenge for this week.
00:42:48.239 --> 00:42:51.920
Choose one small action that helps you feel better.
00:42:52.079 --> 00:42:59.280
Maybe one of those actions that you formerly were very consistent with but haven't done in a long time.
00:43:00.239 --> 00:43:09.360
Give yourself a specific opportunity to grow and feel better.
00:43:10.480 --> 00:43:24.880
Maybe it's like when John and his wife take a walk after dinner, putting a fitness class on your calendar, or setting aside enough time to prepare a healthy meal.
00:43:25.519 --> 00:43:29.440
What I want you to do is choose something that fits your life.
00:43:29.840 --> 00:43:34.159
Then pay attention to what it gives back to you.
00:43:35.039 --> 00:43:37.119
And if you miss a day, come back to it.
00:43:37.280 --> 00:43:41.360
Returning is part of building discipline.
00:43:42.239 --> 00:43:46.320
You don't have to change everything at once to expand what feels possible.
00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:56.320
Start with one choice you can make today and let that be the beginning of your momentum.
00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:02.400
Discipline meets freedom.
00:44:02.800 --> 00:44:05.760
That's a wrap on this week's conversation.
00:44:05.920 --> 00:44:10.400
I want to thank you so much for taking the time to join.
00:44:10.639 --> 00:44:17.119
And don't forget to actively participate in life on your terms.
00:44:17.360 --> 00:44:19.199
We'll see you next week.