What's going on? Ladies and gents Roberts?
Thanks. Kiddo.
Savage.com today. I've got special guest, Chris
Crowley on the line. He and I have been in contact
via Instagram for like three years.
Now. I've kind of seen his
competitive bodybuilding Journey unfold from as he says, from
fatty to Nanny bodybuilder. He's lost a ton of weight.
He's done a, you know, ketogenic diet, throughout his whole
competition career and he's honestly just totally turned his
health and his life around 180 degrees.
So he's got a very inspiring story.
I learned a ton from him. I really appreciate the A person
that he is, I'm excited for what his future holds and how it
continues to impact and inspire people in a positive way.
So I have no doubt that you'll take something from this
conversation. Without further Ado, sit back,
relax. Enjoy the podcast with Chris.
We are live. Chris.
How are you man? I'm doing great.
How are you Robert? I'm doing wonderfully well
myself. So I'm excited to get you on the
podcast because As you and I have been in touch on social
media. Instagram predominantly for how
many years now, probably like three.
Maybe I would say three. Sure.
And you reached out about three years ago.
And you had you, I was just kind of watching your journey unfold.
You were pretty heavy set to begin with.
You did a show lost a lot of weight for that show.
And then you just enter a show. Was it last year with your last
show? Last year was about correct?
I did two shows left. Last year and you looked
phenomenal. I mean like the the
transformation from your before before to your most, you know,
recent to competition. Appearance is just super
impressive, man. You've got a.
You just started out doing a new YouTube channel, your Instagrams
fatty tuna fatty body butter, which is just, I like the play
on words there. So I want to see just wanted to
get you on the podcast kind of Dive In Your Story man, because
I've seen your journey on the fold, you know, firsthand, and I
just wanted to dive deeper into a brother.
Thank you. It is an honor to do this.
Yes, probably back in 2018, is when I discussed, when I started
endeavoring into natural bodybuilding.
I'm I'm 47 now. And from the time I was probably
thirty eight until maybe until I started endeavoring it to the
Natural bodybuilding. I was very heavy.
Set, probably the high, the heaviest I got during that
timeframe was probably close to run 270 pounds.
I and then I went to, I was in Detroit for a business trip and
I ran into while I was at the holiday and they have not
Holiday Inn on my little, my saying, the Embassy Suites
completely different Hotel chain.
They're not was at the little happy hour thing and there was
this guy across The restaurant his name's Dave Bowers.
He's a promoter with the NPC out in Indianapolis.
He's a big bodybuilder. I mean, this guy's polo shirt
had muscles popping out of it and we were talking and that's
when I decided. So that would have been in 2018.
I would have been, I mean wanted I don't even 44, 43 44, I
decided at that point out. You know, what?
I'm going Endeavor to do this bodybuilding thing, because I
just it's one of those things where Time is of the essence and
sooner or later all the things you wanted to do.
You won't have time to do any more.
So, so I'm going to do this. I had to be natural because for
the health reasons and also my wife was very adamant that she
didn't want me doing that stuff. And as far as you're using a
performance-enhancing drugs, so my doctor at the time.
It already prescribed me to be on a low carb diet.
So in order to do that I said, okay.
Well ketogenic bodybuilding it. Is I didn't even know that that
the two terms don't normally go together.
But when I looked up YouTube for ketogenic bodybuilding, yours
was the first channel I Came Upon and that's kind of, I
guess. You can say that you helped
create this monster. Well, no, I mean, you've been
the one, put in the work, man. So, I mean, I can't take any
credit there. I mean, you're the one that's
put in the work at the one that's hit the macros.
You must put in the training and made the transformation happen.
So kudos to you for making that a reality.
But I mean Bonnie bully man like to say hey, this is what I'm
going to do. That was it like an aha moment
for you, when you realize, hey, look, I'm just I'm too heavy
this isn't healthy. My health is compromised.
Was there like a catalyst for you to really be motivated to go
make 180 degree shift like them? Yes.
Thank you for asking that.
I was on. I'm sorry.
I'm getting a little emotional. I was on two different blood
pressure medicines at the time and one of the medicines, I was
taken double the dose double the recommended dose as prescribed
by my doctor. My doctor said, I need you to
take two of these pills, when the normal dosage is just one.
And so I was dealing with that. And even with that, my blood
pressure was still on the higher end.
My father, he had his first stroke at 48 years old and he
recovered, okay? From that.
And then he had his second stroke somewhere in his early
50s, and he never really fully recovered.
I mean, he's still alive and with us today, but he never,
really fully recovered from it. And so, like, his left hand is
Just for all intents and purposes unusable and he doesn't
get around that much that well anymore and I saw that.
And I've been married now to the same beautiful woman, since
1995. So I was looking at if I didn't
start changing my life right now.
I was going to have those same problems and my quality of life
and then the quality of life for my my wife, and my two children.
Aaron and now third child as my, my son's married to a beautiful
woman named Haley. I just didn't want to put that
burden on them. So I knew I had to change
something in my life. I thought was gonna if I was
going to make those things happen and you would have
thought, just wanted to be healthy was going to be enough,
but I have a competitive Spirit to me.
I used to dabble in boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
In my early 30s, but the idea of either getting punched in the
face or getting my arm Twisted, all out of shape, just to stay
competitive, isn't my idea of a good time now that I'm closer to
50 and 40, but I've always enjoyed bodybuilding.
I've always enjoyed watching back in the day when it was like
Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dorian Yates.
Ronnie Coleman. Lila brought is definitely one
of my favorites as well. You know, this is something I
really enjoy. Enjoy and I already know how to
lift weights and I do lift weights.
Why don't I just try to put everything all together and make
this the thing that I use as the Catalyst to get healthy and now
I'm in the best shape of my life.
In fact, just last year. I was switching over my light
and my not my yeah. My life insurance policy because
the life insurance policy. I had with work, just wasn't
great. So I went to the private sector
Are they had quoted me at One Premium because of my age.
And then when they came to my house and took my physical, they
actually dropped my premiums, it at much lower because I was
basically, in the shape of a man in his late 20s, as opposed to
someone, who's as old as I am. So there's just been the journey
is just been so beautiful, and I guess the best way to say it is
just like things that you didn't think could happen and then
along the way, I've inspired a lot of my friends and family
from back in high school or just hanging around me now that they
haven't earned changed their life for the better and it's
just been such a great. Great journey was there like
like before you took up bodybuilding?
So this is pre 37. 38 years old. Were you living like a
relatively normal life, or was it?
Was it more unhealthy than most? I mean, you said, you have to
about 250 pounds, but you just eating a bunch of processed
foods, just over caloric consumption and not really
active, or what kind of guy he to that band point to begin
with. So I would say that I would
often on active. I was doing the Jiu-Jitsu and
the thing is what you just, you don't necessarily have to be
light. You can use your weight against
your opponent and I definitely did that but I would I would
eat. Eat, I guess.
Yeah, I wasn't eating perfectly. I was definitely enjoying a lot
more beer than I should have. And just because it was
Michelob, Ultra, as opposed to, you know, full bodied beer,
calories, are still going to matter.
And yeah, might be only two carbs per beer.
But when you have 20 of them that still 40 carbs and I was
working out, I was doing like your CrossFit style workouts or
I was doing a lot of Of kettlebell workouts.
I really enjoyed kettlebells and, you know, a lot of the
different marketing of some of these programs, especially when
it came to the Kettlebell broke programming at least back.
Then you know, you're getting these people telling you oh, you
know, you can lose weight without the dishonor of diet and
aerobics was actually one of the quotes I had heard and one of
these programs, you know, basically telling you, well, if
you're doing these kettle bell swings and everything else, you
know, your burner enough calories that you're not To get
that way. And I was believing the hype.
Even though the mirror was telling me a much different
story. I was believing.
Well, I'm doing these workouts so I can eat whatever I want and
I did, I mean Pizza is much as I truly love pizza boy, rivers in
from Chicago. I love my pizza it got, but that
was you know, instead of just having one or two slices.
I was basically even a an entire large pizza, all do myself, and
then washing it down with a Diet Pepsi.
So yeah, feel like, you know, a lot of people, I don't know what
the Tipping Point is. It's probably been highly
individualized but you know, for whatever reason, it seems like
once people are in their 30s, that's kind of like where they
wind up settling that becomes the, the trajectory of their
life. Not, you know, I don't want to I
don't want to paint too broad a brush.
Stroke are missing. I mean, like, said howling to
visualize, but I feel like, you know, you've got a lot of your
habits in place, by the time, you know, you're in your 30s, by
that point. You you pretty much know where
you're at from a career standpoint.
You've got, you know, kids that kind of has an impact on life
and your daily schedule. So like the habits that have
brought you to the point where you're at in your 30s.
Typically, don't deviate too too much from that by and large for
most people. I feel so like when you are 37,
so kind of latter, latter part of your 30s, and you've got a
totally shift your nutrition to a ketogenic diet and then
totally switch your, your lifestyle factors into more of a
Any building roll like that's got to be a pretty hard
transition. Like, was that did that come
easy for you over there times a few months in where you were?
Like, this is not who I am. This is not what I want to do.
This is not the direction. I want to take things over.
You pretty much hooked from the get-go.
Okay. I was hooked from the get-go as
far as enjoying the training and enjoying the diet.
However, the first competition I did was in 2019, I did.
Natural muscle Association. I did their show called The Rain
of fire, and I was not in the condition to get up on stage
yet, and that wasn't because it was because I wasn't training,
but it wasn't. I didn't have all the factors in
play yet. I was still even though I listen
to you. I'd also listen to some other
ketogenic people out there and I was picking and choosing, not
what I needed to hear. But what I wanted to hear.
So, I wanted to hear that. I could still have the keto fat
bombs at, but still put me at a caloric Surplus and still lose
weight because I'm ketogenic, right?
So I was doing that and maybe I lost a little bit of weight
mainly because of the exercise routine and the cardio and
everything else. But when I got up on stage, I
was still that guy, we've all seen it.
Somebody who paid an entry fee. Maybe did the work, but didn't
really We put in enough work to be a competitive bodybuilder.
And that was my first show and it was very humiliating at that
point. Is, when I found you another
guy, Robert Goodwin the you to put out the best information
when it comes to the ketogenic bodybuilding world as far as
look, you know, macronutrients matter as do calories, and when
I finally got that combination in place, there was no stopping
me. And I can't picture my life now.
Without natural bodybuilding. End this way of this diet and
his way of life, the ketogenic way.
Yeah. No, I think I mean, I'm probably
a little biased but I feel like he didn't diet and and Bonnie,
but especially natural bodybuilding.
Kind of go hand-in-hand. It just works really well for
me. It's obviously, it worked very
well for you. Rob.
Goodwin's killed as well. He and I have very different
protocols. But I mean, I feel like there's
a lot of common ground. We both share.
R. And there's definitely a lot of
misinformation and confusion out there around the ketogenic diet
and body composition changes. I mean, the notion that you can
simply be in ketosis and everything will just
miraculously happen and you'll be good to go is is what a lot
of people believe and it's unfortunate because they're
doing so many things, right. But the things that really
matter to elicit the response was looking for they're doing
totally wrong. So kind of differentiate between
Fact from fiction there and really dialing in what needs to
happen is key. But like said, man, you
obviously got it down and figured it out because your last
show me you looked incredible. Thank you.
That's what the last shows I
did. So going back, when I met that
gentlemen, Dave Bowers. I wanted to kind of Go full
circle. If you will.
I did the, I did two shows. I did an NPC show, which was his
show called The, there was Indian Indiana, Indiana state
championships for the people that are from that state.
And thankfully, I'm from I live in Ohio, as opposed to Indiana.
So I had to do the battle of the state's.
That's it. Up to Indiana guys.
I'm just kidding. I love you.
And so I did that show it Battle of the states that particular
NPC show was not a tested show. So the athletes could be on
performance-enhancing drugs if they so desired.
I knew going into that show because I am natural that I
would be at somewhat of a disadvantage.
And I was, but it was honestly, one of the more exciting moments
of my life. I got to meet some great people,
one person in particular. The bread Killian, who won the
classic physique, show that day. He ran into me and was talking
to me about how David shared my story with him, and he was
really excited to meet me. So that was a very humbling
experience. Like he saw my transformation
and then real full circle. As I did.
I was coming back home from Indianapolis.
I had placed dead last and all the categories and it really
broke my heart, but I knew that because I wasn't an enhanced
athlete. That I wasn't at a disadvantage.
It just happened to be more of a disadvantage and I was willing
to realize this on the driest shoe or the the most recent
ones. No, not that the NPC show.
I placed dead last and then this next show the show that I did
last. I actually won first place and
three out of the four divisions and got my Pro card twice.
I got to Pro cards out of that show one.
Our masters open bodybuilding and then 14 just open
bodybuilding regardless of the age and that was to the
encouragement of my wife because we were driving home from
Indianapolis to Cleveland. She just said you absolutely not
giving up. You've worked way too hard.
You look way too good, you're going to do another show, but
you're going to do a test it show.
So you're at a Level Playing Field with the other athletes.
I was ready to just hang it up for that year and you know, get
into the offseason. Or the bulking phase, but to her
encouragement, and thank God for for this beautiful woman.
I competed again and really one of the culminating moments of my
bodybuilding career. So far, is going from a person
with that, you know, 44-inch waist down to a guy that was
28-inch waist for the first time since I was a teenager and
winning. Not just one but two pro cards
in one show. It was just euphoric.
Yeah. No, I mean you look you look
amazing, man. And I feel like, you know,
competing a bunt against a bunch of untested athletes, when you
are a natural athlete, is is no joke.
I mean, it's I've competed in tested shows of competing on
test. It shows, there's like a totally
different vibe, totally different camaraderie.
It's like totally different sport, honestly.
Yes, but, you know, hats off to you for for doing both, if you
are. Natural.
And I always recommend people that are listening, like, if you
are natural, you know, give yourself the benefit out to
compete against other people that are natural as well.
I just prefer the vibe. Honestly.
I feel like I don't want to be too cliché here.
But I feel like there's a lot of that is a clicks and stuff that
happened when you when you start going to a bunch of the the
untested shows. And they're not all like this.
There's like a there's like a, an unhealthy level of
competitiveness. Whereas it seems as though
amongst most of the Natural. So that competed in there seems
to be a lot more camaraderie. And just, you know,
good-natured, you know, friendly competition backstage, amongst
all the natural competitors. I noticed that too when I was
doing the different shows and I get it.
I mean, in the untested shows, especially in the bigger
leagues. These folks are looking at.
This is probably going to be the way to make a career out of body
building whereas and the natural.
So And if you win the mr. Natural Olympia with the eye and
be a, you're probably not going to make enough money to pay the
bills. So this turns into a wouldn't
say an expensive hobby. But this does turn into more of
a lifestyle as opposed to a career.
So I understand the level of competition with the untested
athletes as opposed to the tested athletes.
And yeah, the camaraderie I've made some of them some of my
greatest friends doing Doing this with this lifestyle and
yeah, I wouldn't trade it for the world kind of percent ma'am.
Let me ask you this. So a lot of people and this is
true even in like the the ketogenic biohacking space.
Like when people I brought on several guests, the podcast that
are hormone specialists and they often times point two, you know,
once you reach a certain age, it's going to be advantageous
to, you know, take some eggs on just hormones for both males and
females simply doesn't perform at an elite level, not
necessarily. It from a body breaks down but
they're not. They're not making these
recommendations from a professional bodybuilding
standpoint. They're just simply talking
about improving overall vitality and Health and Longevity.
So, when you hear that, you think of that, you hear all
these recommendations for going, Exotics hormone round.
Is that something that sways you at all?
Or it kind of gets in the back of your mind, not even from a
competitive bodybuilding standpoint, but just from a,
from a overall health and well-being standpoint.
It did in the beginning. I was when I you know, you see
it and you know it as well as I do that, you know, just even in
the regular gym settings, you've got folks that have no desire to
compete. There three or four times bigger
than you and it's because they're, you know, they're using
gear and so you're looking at your progress going, dang, I
would do so much better if I just did this.
And so, you know, but I'd like I said, I made that vow to my wife
and then I promised God, I wasn't going to do it and then
as far as like, using it for Vitality purposes, if I had to,
I might consider it, but I haven't had knock on wood.
I haven't had any issues with, you know, things like
performance, male performance. If you will, I'm trying to keep
this PG, but I haven't had any issues with that, except for
maybe about four weeks out from a, you know, a contest where
you're really Dialing in your Macros and you just barely have
enough energy to hit the gym. So I thought you know, since I
haven't had any of those problems that way, I haven't I
just haven't felt the need. I mean, I believe that for the
most part there's enough things that are natural that you can
use like going. Well, for example, just the kind
of diet that you and I use. We're having enough healthy fats
that were put in enough about as much testosterone.
Can through our bodies. Plus, I'll I use tongkat Ali
fiducia degress this and Boron to just help kind of absorb some
of the free testosterone that's in my body.
And so far mrs. From fatty daddy, bodybuilders
been. Okay, so I don't feel the need
to unknown a defy myself to go any further.
And I think that that makes sense, man.
I feel like a lot of people that just seems to be in the in the
Public's eye a lot right now. People are I mean like male
hormone clinics are popping up at every street corner testing
that's super easy to get a script for anything.
I mean you can walk in, you could have a bad night's sleep.
Have your testosterone tank because that bad night's sleep.
Go to a doctor, have them run your lab, see that it's low
because of that acute reason and they'll write your script unless
a lot of cases. I mean, it's kind of crazy how
easy it is to get some of these prescriptions for Exotics
hormones and some people know what they're doing in some
people haven't a clue what they're doing and I feel like
it's often times more. So Ladder people not having a
clue what they're doing. Not understanding the long-term
repercussions. If they don't do it correctly,
but I think you know, if your diet style then if your
lifestyle thought and if your sleep styled and everything is
optimized to the best of your ability in a sustainable way.
I mean, you should be able to pretty well rock and roll with
what you've got naturally. And I feel like that's been my
messaging from day one and also, as a natural body butter, I
mean, you and I both know, the, the banned substance list is no
joke, depending on what federation you're not.
They won't allow anything. And, I mean, even things that
aren't performance-enhancing at all.
They still won't allow they. Just they, if there's even a
question to it. They just won't allow it.
So anything that's questionable like, on a back of a pill
bottle. I don't even, I don't even take
it because I don't want to risk the, you know, not being allowed
to compete in these Federation. So, I feel like if you're doing
well, thus far naturally man, no sense to deviate from that, keep
rocking and rolling. Exactly, and I also think if I
could kind of add to that, we live in a society is great as
our country is, and how many opportunities are are, we live
in a society where so many folks, want things now, and
they're going to try to reason with themselves and their only
fooling themselves by doing this, by the way, by saying,
well, you know, it's trt, and it's by a doctor.
So it's okay. No, it's still steroids, and I'm
not trying. Say that steroids in and of
themselves up for bad because there are good medical uses for
it. But it's so easy to just get a
prescription for the stuff and tell yourself.
This is what you're doing it for just because you want to fill
out your T-shirt a little bit tighter than you would have if
you were just doing the work without the extra staring
without the extra performance enhancing use and we both know
that whether you're taking gear or not.
It doesn't take away from the fact that you're working hard.
There is no drug for hard to replace hard work.
But if you telling yourself that your natural, then you need to
be natural all the way. Don't just don't BS about it.
Either be real about it or say no, I'm I'm gear.
Yeah. 100% minute. I have no qualms whatsoever with
people that take stuff, like, I don't care to each their own.
What I do care is if you are going to be misleading and say,
hey, look, I'm natural, but you're taking a bunch of stuff.
That's clearly. Not and especially if you're
trying to compete against people that are natural like that.
That's where I draw the line there.
I mean, to each their own, do whatever you want to do, would
be honest about those decisions and at the end the day, like, if
you are taking stuff and you were, you were taking, what
would bring you up to a quote-unquote natural level,
like a lot of people make that argument they say, hey, look,
I'm on trt. I had low levels.
I'm only taking enough to bring me up to what is naturally, you
know, relevant for my age and Status Etc.
Cetera, but the caveat is when you do a prep as you and I both
know your natural levels, declined quite a bit and I think
doing a ketogenic diet minimizes that decline but it still
declines, then the less. So if you are continuing to take
anxiety hormones to a point that you're at quote-unquote natural
levels in the context of a prep, your by definition going to have
much higher levels than all the competitors that are truly
natural and not taking it in exoticness lie, which is not
fair. Right.
Exactly finish, you know, that's you just something.
Sometimes you just got to deal with the the hand, you're dealt.
And again, there's so many ways. I mean lifting heavy things and
eating proper food is going to do so many great things for you
that you just don't necessarily need those injections and your
book. You said it perfectly.
It's like the ketogenic diet and resistance training is probably
one of the closest things if not, Seeing out there.
That's a fountain of youth. I'm 47 years old.
I get mistaken for somebody in this in his 30s pretty much all
the time. And I certainly don't mind it.
Yeah, I mean you certainly don't look like you're 47 years old,
you're doing something right? For sure.
Thank you. Do you test your levels
naturally? Just had a curious.
Like, do you do it a baseline test before prep after prep?
Just kind of see where you're at.
No, I just really let the mirror, tell me what I need to
do. And you know, I'm the only Only
Breadwinner in the house. So trying to justify the expense
to find out where I'm at. And when I'm already spending
enough money to get a spray tan and a speedo and everything
else. I figured okay, I'll just kind
of if something happens where I'm feeling like I might get law
then I'll go hit the doctors. But otherwise, I just kind of
the scale the mirror and the judges I let that kind of decide
what happens makes sense to me ma'am.
Let's switch gears a little bit and talk nutrition.
There's a lot of different ways. Skin a cat when it comes to
getting dialed in. I mean, you can obviously get
shoulder lean with a bunch of carbohydrates.
You can get shoaling with the ketogenic diet.
You can get shoaling with super high protein.
What have you done? That's worked really well for
you. Okay.
Well, of course, the definitely making sure my calories are in a
deficit when I'm needing to lose the weight and making sure that
they're a little bit higher. I do tend to win.
I'm on offseason. If you will, although I hate
that term, what I'm doing. My bulking season.
I have tended to overdo it on the calorie sometimes, and that
hate myself when I'm about getting back into prep mode, but
during prep. Well, during the whole time.
I keep my cat, my protein at a higher level than the standard
ketogenic diet. And I did learn this from, I
know you said you and Rob good would have different protocols.
I did learn this more. So out of from him.
I keep my carbs relatively low, I would say at the highest 50
grams a day. I keep my fat where my fat in my
protein calories are just about the same.
I know that fat has nine calories per gram.
Protein has four. So what kind of keeping that in
the same? The G might not be similar but
the calories will be similar like kind of do that.
I have used intermittent fasting in the past.
I like it. It.
But the problem is, is that I'm getting closer and closer to the
prep and my calories are lower and lower.
I am just too hungry to intermittent fast during that
time frame. So, but I also can't do that
spacing of just three hours per meal because I'm just hungry all
day. I gone day.
So I've kind of done the for our thing because then I'm only
feeling a little bit hungry for about an hour between meals as
opposed to feeling hungry throughout the whole day.
When I'm more in when my calories aren't really too, too
low, I can enter minute fast and it doesn't bother me and I kind
of go with the flow on a mat. It's like if I'm having a really
busy day, and I know I'm not going to get a chance to eat.
It's not the end of the world. But thankfully, I've been
working from home for a little bit now.
So being able to, you know, I don't have to worry too much
about meal prep as much as I can.
Just go upstairs, throw my eggs and my egg whites in the pan to
cook them. Up and maybe enjoy a couple
slices of bacon and some Tim Hortons coffee and go to town.
There you go. There you go.
What's the the lowest your calories?
Get going into the print o are going.
I asked let the very end of the proprietor.
Yeah, right around the end of the prep last year.
I was down to like 13:15 and it was miserable.
But thankfully, it was just for about four weeks.
But right now, yeah, right now I am a So I'm just shy of 11
weeks. I'm almost ten weeks out and I'm
at just around 1840 calories right now.
It's the pretty low you hungry right now know, and what I've
kind of learned is I eat. Foods that will be bet.
I can eat more of and volume, but yet the calories aren't too
bad like, say, for example, chicken like chicken chicken
breasts and then some egg whites and protein powders.
Things that still give me a good bang for my buck protein wise,
but caloric wise aren't too too high and maybe one day out of
that week. Most likely on Sunday after
church, my wife and I go to lunch somewhere.
I'm going to get that steak and eggs, and I'm going to enjoy it.
And even though I might get a little bit over my caloric
stealing that one day. I already know that come Monday.
When I'm destroying myself in the gym.
I'm going to make up for those calories.
I took in. Yeah.
No, that makes sense. I always recommend having like a
ketogenic caloric refeed there towards the end, make it
sustainable, but also kind of give it a little boost.
Yes, how low does your friend get?
Like those last four weeks, when you're, like, the 1300 calories?
How low is your fat on that intake?
Gosh, I'd have to go. Look what I want to say.
It was probably around 50 grams last time right now.
I'm at about 90 and then my protein is 220 and my carbs are
50 or less. And I don't really care about
the. I mean, I don't really worry
about hitting my carbohydrates. I mean, it's like if I say like
today, I think I might have already only had about 15 grams
of carbs. I don't intend on even hitting,
higher than that. I'm going to go over to my son's
house later today, any of the filet mignon.
So if my protein goes up a little bit higher or my fat goes
a little bit higher but my carb stay low like, you know, under
that ceiling that's fine by me. The carbs are for me.
The carbs are more of this is as high as I'm going to allow
myself to get to today. But if I go lower than more
power to me, yeah, totally. What about carbs during like
peak week that you increase your carbs drove in or no, so, I only
really started doing this, like, peak week was foreign to me in
the twenty20 competitions because I just didn't know
enough, and I wasn't about to risk anything by, you know,
manipulating anything else. I figured I'm this is the packs.
I'm going to bring so I did. Carb up on both shows, in fact,
so, but I start introducing cards and not even go into high
like 100 grams tops sale. Say the show is on Saturday.
I'll bring in the carbs on Wednesday on that Friday before
a show. I might might have a potato on
that evening for for dinner and that's it.
On the day of the competition. Pretty much all caution to the
wind. I have enjoyed the rice and that
was a called The Rice Krispie treats.
I had a couple of little bottles of red wine to make the veins
pop out. I saw the guys in the backstage
just pounding down, honey. Like it was going out of style
owes the weirdest thing I've ever seen.
But yeah, I was doing that. I the first show with the rice
krispie treats. I think I overdid it.
The second one. I just I kept on have like maybe
two or three. The I did do that and I don't
honestly as even though I have my Pro card, I don't know enough
to know if that was necessarily the greatest thing or not.
I got I won so maybe it works. But this next show when people
eat comes up. I might change it up a little
bit just to see where I'm at and go from there.
Yeah, I'm a big, I mean, it's totally standard practice for
most competitors to have like some type of carb up strategy
during Peak Week in the day before do a depletion phase and
then a, you know, super compensation phase.
And I'm kind of like an outlier that I don't do that.
I don't recommend that I don't introduce more carbs.
I definitely introduce more fats and proteins and more calories
and tweak my electrolytes, but I don't ever really do any kind of
crazy car UPS because I feel like you're kind of flirting
with fire if you don't time it right?
If you don't have the It amount your exponentially more likely
to retain unnecessary fluid in the subcutaneous layer of skin
and kind of wash out some of that definition.
That doesn't mean it's guaranteed going to happen.
But you, you run that risk for sure, but honestly a lot of
people that do that, what I find like to be the biggest downside
is that it makes kind of raining in that intake post, show that
much more challenging. I mean, did you find it was
easier or hard to kind of return back to you know, healthy
eating? The show is over and you kind of
go off the rails and a little bit of everything inside or a
lot of bit off the rails off the rails to the point where
Depression started setting in so September, what was the show for
rain of fire with natural muscle Association?
And after I won, I got home. I so I ate this.
The listeners are going to get shocked and throw something at
me if ever meet. And I ate I think a dozen
king-size peanut butter cups right after the show got home.
Then we went out somewhere to eat.
I think we had Mexican food. And normally when I've gone to
Mexican food, which I love, I'll get the order the fajitas
without the tortillas without the refried beans without the
rice. Basically.
The ketogenic part of it, right? But that day, I ate everything
under the sun. Drink everything under the sun
and I thought, okay. It's just going to be that one
day. The next day.
I woke up feeling like complete garbage.
And then when we went to, it was a Sunday.
We went to church and then we were going out somewhere for
wherever we were going to eat. I'm the only person in the house
that is on a by wife maintain, you know, she keeps her car is
relatively low, but I'm the only person in the house that keeps
them as low as I do, and but I decided that day.
We At this one restaurant that we frequent a lot.
I decided I was going to enjoy their pizza and I enjoyed 10,
and then I know, I sure I had a couple beers and the next thing,
you know, it was like at least one day a week.
I was saying, oh, I'm just going to have a little bit of a
refeed. Well, those refeeds turned into
just eating, whatever the hell I wanted.
And then next thing, you know, I was down, I was at like 162 on
the day of the show, and then I think I almost got up to 200
pounds before the new year and so that was the only in about a
three month time frame as hard to believe that that would have
been almost 30 pounds of fat because, you know, Grant a pound
of fat is 3500 extra calories. I can't imagine.
It was all of that, but I don't think it was all water retention
either. So, I started getting depressed
because I wasn't seeing the muscular definition, and I was
worried that I was going to go back to being that guy.
With the 40-some odd inch waist with the high blood pressure and
everything else. And so I just I had to I
recently flip the switch and okay.
Get back in gear because you you have you know, you you only got
this one life. You're enjoying this sport.
You still have plenty of gas in the tank.
Get back into the swing of things because, you know, it's
only it's only Me who can do this.
I have to be the person to get up and do what's right for my
health and for the sport and to just enjoy the quality of life
that I've been blessed to renew since finding the sport.
Yeah, I think that's that's super important man.
Like I'm I did the exact same thing after my first several
shows when I was falling like a car based protocol and like I
got depressed. I developed a bunch of
disordered eating Tendencies. I could just screwed my life up
for years, honestly. And I don't like I don't want to
group. Everybody doesn't inject that
into one basket by any means, but I feel like a pretty good
percentage of the people that follow a ketogenic diet do so
because they don't do well with carbs.
Maybe from a digestive standpoint.
I don't do well with cars but I think a lot of them don't do
well with carbs from a psychological standpoint.
They can't moderate it. They have an addictive tendency
towards them. So for me, when I set out to do
ketogenic by, Anybody. It was like look, I want to
optimize, you know, my prep, my protocol, my reverse that
everything in its totality from following a strict ketogenic
approach. And if it hadn't contributed to
my success in the first place, I don't want to bring it in
post-show. So for me like doing the whole
car Buffs, I don't fight they make that big of a difference in
the peeking. Anyways, so bad a table by being
able to just totally negate them.
It made it much easier. You for me to not be tempted by
them. Post-show.
And I feel like having the control over them from a
psychological standpoint. There has just made the whole
process much more sustainable for me personally.
Yeah, I have to agree with you there because I do have an
extremely addictive personality of former smoker easily smoke
two packs a day and then, you know, like the junk food, forget
about it. I used my wall even though this
isn't a junk-food. It was definitely, not something
that you should eat in large quantities.
If you had a jar of chunky peanut butter in front of me,
I'm talking one of the big family size jars and bottles.
Another bottle of gallon of milk next to me.
I was set for a good two hours and I would eat that whole down
part. I'm sorry.
I shouldn't because I would eat that whole jar within a day.
And you know, those are the kind of things that I had to restrain
had to take those things completely out of my life
because it was one of those things where I just I knew I
couldn't control those. I couldn't control that stuff in
moderation, which of course, that's the phrase in America,
everything in moderation, everything amount.
Duration, that's like saying you can do heroin in moderation.
If it's something that's gonna make you do, you know just go
off the rails. Why even bother moderating it,
just don't do it. And I'd much rather, I'd much
rather overeat on steak and eggs, then overeat on birthday
cake. Because I know that the steak
and eggs is going to, at least provide me nutrients.
I need, whereas birthday cake is going to provide me with
processed sugar, and I might as well just top that off with some
cocaine. Yeah.
A sentiment. I feel like.
I feel like what is often the main contributing factor for
these binging purging Tendencies and just this depression and
self. Guilt is the notion that you've
done something wrong and should be punished for it.
I guess is a bad word, but you know what I'm saying?
So like when people go off the rails and they eat stuff that
they know like you can't you can't in your right mind say but
you're doing your body good by eating a bunch of, you know,
birthday. Okay, but you can feel good
about eating steak and eggs, you know, so like if you don't have
that guilt associated with eating steak and eggs, but you
do with birthday cake, then that guilt is what becomes the
Catalyst for making things even worse and having kind of like
this downward spiral effect. So if you just totally negate
that guilt aspect and only eat foods that you don't have to
feel guilty for that helps the whole thing through and through.
And, I mean, yeah, you can definitely over eat steak and
eggs depending on the goals and what not If you're trying to,
you can over, eat anything, like caloric, Surplus is going to be
a closer place, no matter where it comes from, but you're not
going to be near as guilty from eating, you know, equal
calories, and steak and eggs. You would be probably from
eating whole bunch of birthday cake, right?
And quite honestly, steak and eggs, just tastes so darn good,
no matter what. Anyway, so, I just, I could eat
that every meal and not care. I love it.
Yeah, totally man. Totally.
Well, what, what's in the pipeline for?
You mean like you get that show? You said your 10 weeks out
current. So I guess they need to get
their show in the pipeline. Right?
Yes. So the United States
bodybuilding Federation has the kings and queens show in Akron,
Ohio. So I'm going to do that with the
natural muscle Association. I have to defend my Pro card and
actually try to make some money to recoup some of the money.
I've spent over the years, they have the mr.
Cleveland, which will be in October, so Going to do that.
I since have recently my passion for fitness and something I want
to iterate. If I make a lot of folks when
they start to Endeavor and becoming a physical
transformation, they really shy away from the idea of body
building. When in actuality bodybuilding
is exactly the thing one needs. It doesn't matter if you plan on
getting up on stage with you. No, a bikini or Speedo and a
spray tan or if you just want to look a lot better by definition.
You're a bodybuilder. If you're eating better to
change your physical composition and you're lifting weights and
doing any other form of like cardio or something like that.
That's what a bodybuilder is. And so I've really made this a
passion to help others because I have inspired others with my
journey. I became certified as a
bodybuilding specialist with is essay.
And so I've become a trainer where I provide nutrition plans
and workout plans, a combination of the both at desire for
iron.com. I also have my YouTube channel.
I already had the channel before the website.
So that's at from fatty to Natty bodybuilder on YouTube.
And of course, Instagram from fatty to Natty bodybuilder.
Is there. I've been I'm really enjoying
this journey and helping other people and I'm going to keep
doing this. I mean, I'm going to be that 80
year old guy getting up on stage, hitting the most muscular
pose and destroying the 20 year, olds, right next to me.
No, man. That's, that's the goal.
For sure. I mean, I've I'm more excited
about how I look at 73 years old than how I look at 35 years old
because you know, that's that's kind of like that.
Anomaly that people like man and you can't look good at 73 years
old. You can't look like you're
worthy of stepping on stage, but I feel like if you And the right
habits in place in the front end and you just keep doing that and
that compounds over time you get your nutrition down.
Then you got your train down then there's literally no limit
to what you can achieve. So you being 47 years old
looking like you do, man. I mean, you're a perfect
Testament to that. Thank you.
I like to throw a shout out. Since you said something about
someone in their 70s, a person who I've become great friends
with, he's like a father, a brother and a great friend of
me, Don Mannarino. We compete together, Batman.
I want you 71 years. Sold and there's I think there's
some pictures of them of him and I competing together on my
Instagram page. The guy is in phenomenal shape.
And if you ever met him, you would think he might be in his
50s, but he certainly does not look like he's in a 70s.
He's a grandfather, best shape of, you know, most men that and
30s. We wish they could be as a good
a shape as this guy. So I'm telling you folks.
If you haven't already figured it out, natural bodybuilding is
the Fountain of Youth 100% match.
Just posted a picture of Robby Robinson on my newsletter this
past week, and I think he's like 75 76 now or something like
that. And I mean, you know what?
He looks like. He looks phenomenal, right?
And it's like I mean like that's and that's and that's another
div. I don't know what his I'm sure
he's probably not natural. I probably didn't do near as
much drugs as everybody else in that era did right?
Because he looks as good as he does.
Now as old as he is, but I feel that there's a totally different
look that comes with natural athletes versus those that Get
massive, you know, in their earlier years, but did so with a
bunch of gear like, it seems as though you're able to maintain
that type of muscle density, as long as you're continually
stimulate that muscle, as you age and stay on top of your
nutrition. Like the look that you bring the
table over the years seems to be a much better longer-lasting.
Look. Yes, for sure.
And I mean, I don't know, there's, I just can't think of,
I mean, I play music in a cover band.
Here in the Cleveland, Ohio area.
I, you know, I work, I do some of these other things and being
a husband and a father is, of course, the most rewarding thing
out there. But on an individual selfish
level, I want to say selfish does like the mean way but Jill
self just something for yourself.
I just can't think of too many things, more exhilarating than
going into the gym, having a beautiful work out, putting that
music on in your headphones and then going home, eating the
proper things that are Going to get you to your goals.
And then one of these days you're going to look in the
mirror. You're not even going to
recognize yourself because you're not that person that you
were two years ago. And you're no longer living with
regret of wondering what you might have been able to do,
you're doing it. Amen, to that, man.
And you mentioned, you play in the band before we started
recording. You brought the fact that that
you just recently lost your bass players that, right.
Yes. Correct, really good friend.
Marc Brown. He passed away two weekends to
go and he had a massive heart attack.
I'm not exactly sure what contributed to it.
It could have just been an act of God, but one thing I learned
from him and from his beautiful wife, Lynn is those to live
their lives with Vigor every single day and I think that's
something that the world needs. You live your life with a big
bigger every single day and that's regardless of what your
goals are. As much as I know, most of the
people is into this podcast. Their goals are probably going
to be more along the lines of body building and of the day,
you know, God doesn't give you a refund.
If your life sucks. And if you live in America, you
owe it to yourself because you have all the tools available to
make the most out of your life. And so pursue those goals.
Well, I don't care what they are.
Bodybuilding, of course, is one of my goals, but I learned that
from Marc. That I'd only had him in my life
for a very short time, but he touched it very deeply and that
was one of the greatest lessons I learned from him.
That really pushed me to go. Keep pursuing all the different
goals. I have in my life before the
wheels fall off. And I'm no longer here, just
live every day with Vigor and loved life.
You're given a menu that man. A hundred percent agree.
I mean, there's days that we wake up and we have bad days.
Like that's just part of it happens to all of us and you
can't change. JH that necessary because it's
bound to happen. But if you start waking up and
more often than not, you're having a bad day, you got to
change something. You got to be the Catalyst for
growth there. You got to be the one that makes
makes a move because nobody's going to care about your life,
as much as you do. No One's Gonna care about your
health as much as you do. So the ball is always in your
court. No one is going to give you
anything. The world isn't fair.
You got to be the one to make make the change happen.
So if you're not happy, if you're not waking up with a Zeal
for life than And something wrong, right?
Right. Exactly.
And I mean, there's people you know, I don't want to sound
like, you know, it's America are nothing but we know that there's
so many people that come to this country because of the
opportunities that you can get here that you can't get anywhere
else. And then you and I were lucky
enough to from day one. Be a part of this nation and
it's like, well, you know, and you're a testament to that.
I, you know, I watched your story.
I mean, you used to work at a railroad and Here you are.
Now, something that most people don't even have thought of a,
basically, a brick made out of these different, you know, food
items to become a, you know, food prep for a snack /, really
tasty, dag on meal. And here, you are living a very
full life. You have a beautiful wife.
You got a child on the way, you're the American dream and
that's it's just one of those things that, you know, and
American Dream, doesn't necessarily have to have a
dollar sign to it. And in fact, it shouldn't at
all, but it definitely should have a happiness signed to it.
And that's no, no something I learned from Mark and that's
something that I do now with the music with the bodybuilding
spending beautiful time with my wife.
It could be anything. We could be playing card games
together. We can be hiking together.
We could just be watching a silly show on TV, but you know,
I don't want to waste a single moment that I'll never get back
if I'm not. Not chasing something that is
fulfilling my life, either. By trying to do bring men and
women closer to God or pursuing, some goals that I know are going
to bring good about this world. It's not worth my time.
I can't agree more men. I mean that is you said it
perfectly. I can't top then some not even
going to try. You are you are doing.
You're making waves man. You're inspiring people in ways.
You don't even know. You inspire me kind of senior
Journey unfold through Instagram over the past three years since
I've known you. So, keep doing what you doing,
brother. I appreciate you more than, you
know, I appreciate the message. You're putting out there and I'm
excited for what the future holds for you, man.
Thank you, and I thought, if I may say, so, your friendship has
even though I know it's only been through virtual signal
because Arkansas, and Cleveland Ohio, or Ted that far away for
us to go out for a steak dinner, your friendship, and your
advice, and everything that you've given me over the years,
has definitely been one of the main contributing factors to
meet. Changing my life around.
And folks, if you're not given Rob some love and some support,
you're doing it wrong. He's a wealth of knowledge.
He's a great man. And I really owe a lot of my
physical well-being to you and my success in this career and my
happiness through this endeavor, because of you and a few other
folks out there, man. I certainly do appreciate that.
But like I said, the beginning, you're the one is put into work,
not me. So, hats off to you, brother.
Keep doing what you're doing, and I Will I will spread the
word about you as best? I can, man.
Thank you so much. Thank you Chris.
There's everything you do for you.
Just let me know. Brother.
You got my, you got my contact info and keep in touch, man.
Well, likewise, and if you're ever up in Cleveland, and you
feel like working out with the Cleveland Oak, let me know.
And definitely steak. Dinners on me, 100%, man.
Likewise, if you're ever in, Arkansas.
All right. See you bud.
See you.