Hello, ladies and gentlemen, we get episode for the keto Savage
podcast with Micah masse as a special guest, he is a lifetime
natural competitive body butter. We're going to talk about the
health clinic. He works at the ketogenic diet
flexible dieting. We're going to talk about some
of the nuances to go along with that type of Lifestyle.
So it's going to be very entertaining episode.
I want you to sit back. Relax, enjoy yourselves.
What's up babe? By this is Robert Sykes with the
keto Savage podcasting at special guest.
Michael on the line here is a competitive bodybuilder,
powerlifter and online coach. So how you doing there Mica?
Well, yeah, absolutely man, thanks for thanks for being
here. So give anybody that doesn't
know you, a quick intro as to what you're doing now, and If so
I might get messy, I've you know, I've been in bodybuilding
since 2009 and have competed in seven shows, all natural natural
shows so Nan BF W MB, F shows. And recently I did my first
powerlifting meet for the u.s. PA back in August, but I've been
in the health industry. About 10 years.
I started my career as a diet Tech in a hospital.
That's what really got me interested in diet after getting
my degree in Health Science. And then I work for companies
like for WebMD as a health educator and had the opportunity
to work for a company called healthways.
I did corporate Wellness type approaches for preventive health
and then currently working in a weight-loss clinic supervised by
a DOT adopter. Down in to University Place,
Washington, very nice. Very nice.
What, what exactly has your day-to-day look like at the
location there? So currently what I do is I do
exercise prescription so I meet with patients that are any
weight loss program to advised by the provider of the doctor.
And basically, you have to train differently when you are Are in
an extreme caloric deficit. So these diets are under 1000
calories and it's actually in ketosis, so huge enik guy.
It really. Yes.
And so you have to train differently, especially with
this population because they have a lot of health risk of
identifiers, like metabolic disease.
So, we'll just have, you know, a lot of problems with diabetes
control, diabetes management. So, And they have, like it's
usually the population are like 40 to 60 years old, that were
working with. So, these people, some of these
people have never strength training before they've never
done aerobic exercise. So, and a lot of them have like
prior injuries like hip surgeries knee, surgery,
shoulder issues. So a lot of them are hesitant
actually do strength training during a caloric deficit.
That like that but we always stress the point of, you know,
if you want to retain your muscle as you're losing losing
weight then you definitely have to put forth that effort.
So we work through that. Some of our visits are about an
hour long where we actually use trade, use different exercises,
show them how to work their full body, even the comfort of their
own home. So are these, are these patients
that they come to the doctor? Or they admitted to this Clinic.
Yeah, so they get referred or by their doctors.
So it's do, like multi care that Network, the doctor that I work
for, she's the work in primary care and she has a really good
reputation. So a lot of doctors recommend
their patients, when they're seeking help for weight loss
because they battled with obesity for no, for a majority
of their lives. So they come to this clinic or
they just walk in. In and we do info sessions so we
did we get a variety of. So what's the name of the?
The full Clinic? It's Rainier medical right near
medical place. Medical, it's Rainier medical
weight loss and monix. Yeah, I didn't realize that I
needed in some homeless because you just recently started doing
that, right? Yeah, yeah.
Like two months ago, two months ago and you like it.
Yeah, I see. Like the idea around whole
health approach. So we have a nutritionist.
Got exercise specialist. We've got behaviors and habits,
we have the provider, we have a medical assistant, we have nurse
practitioners, so when they come in, they actually get to see.
A variety of different Specialists to help them because
it's not just about exercise, not just about nutrition.
It's not even both those. It's just about behaviors as
well, so they get to be able to go through a program that allows
them to work through their different challenges.
So not just about weight loss. So like when these doctors when
they, when you work with clients, you said that they got
my less than 1000 calories. Is that like a A jewel thing are
they pretty much just trying to shock and all the body and just
jumped right into that. Yeah.
So there's actually three options that that patient can go
through on. The first one is a very low
calorie diet where they are being under 1000 calories.
So they're basically all on our medical Foods.
So these foods are FDA approved. So what you see is what you
actually get everything that's in there is actually covering
their daily values for vitamins and minerals they also gets
supplements Or like, multivitamins, we talk about
probiotics, talk about magnesium, at just the
importance of different supplements while you're under
1000 calories. And then we have some people
that are on, like, e modified, low calorie diet.
So they are eating a above 1000 calories, roughly about 1200
because some people just don't find that realistic to eat.
Just our food. And so we teach them how to eat
and they use some of our foods and then they'll go teach them
how to implement and incorporate their own by going shopping and
nutrition. And what to cook what you
prepare and they're still in actually ketosis.
I'm if they follow that and then there's the healthy eating plan,
where we actually figure out their maintenance calories, and
then we go from there by reducing by 500.
Our he's roughly and it's so they're eating in a deficit, but
it's at a slower rate of progress, of course, but some
people find out a lot more realistic where they're
tracking, the macros protein, carbs and fats their fiber
intake, even their sugar intake. So they're not necessarily in
ketosis, but if they're losing one to two pounds per week, we
find that they're able to sustain that and be able to
still retain a lot of muscle mass.
It's also a minute, like, goes hand in glove with what you're
trying to do with the bodybuilding.
I mean it's perfect. I didn't I didn't realize that
your, you know, working with clients that were, you know, put
on the ketogenic. That how are they responding to
that? So, it's very interesting when
people come in and they've tried other approaches, like they've
tried low carb and it just wasn't sustainable for them is
very interesting. But when they come into this
setting, I feel like they're coming in from medically
supervised program. So they're almost at their like,
this has to work mentality, right?
And so their mindsets a little different.
So when they go in and when I explained, what ketosis is, and
what they're going to experience as they transition into ketosis,
and but after that first week, a lot of them say like wow, you
know, I'm not as hungry. Ari.
I'm not actually a craving as many carbs as I thought I was
going to, I'd say like the biggest thing for them is just a
social thing because that's just totally new for them or like,
know what, like it's not that I crave those.
Those carbohydrates, it's just more.
So it's all around me with other people.
That was my lifestyle. So it's not like you can't
change the environment. So I'd say that's more the
challenge form versus anything else.
Are they losing weight? Pretty quickly?
Yeah. So I would say it's a lot of
them do have a bit more to lose than just an average person,
like, that's just looking for like 10 to 15 pounds.
Some of these people are losing upwards to like 70, 80 pounds,
even over 100 pounds. And they are losing at a pretty
good rate, like 325 pounds per week and then we test the body
compositions to embody monthly Okay.
Do y'all offer like training at the clinic?
Or is it just you know prescribed for them elsewhere?
Yeah, it's prescribed for them elsewhere.
Like we do have that dumbbells. Kettlebells you have TRX, we
have just basic things because a lot of people just don't have
experience, you know? It's just depends on their
environment. Like, if they have access to a
gym or they just have only have Things at home, I'll be kind of
work around those and just show them.
One of the many things I do is I look at Mobility for most
individuals and then I look at their form for certain exercises
like squats lunges because these movements are usually the harder
ones for people to get the right form and technique.
Right so. So a lot of times they're just,
they're just trying to work. Whole body twice a week at
least. And then of course, there's
benefits to doing more. So we just kind of work that
they're at their, right. It's very very interesting.
I didn't realize the scope of what was y'all were doing there
but it's much healthier to do it.
Like you're saying as opposed to I guess it's kind of like their
last-ditch effort before, don't like a bypass surgery or
something, right? Exactly.
Yeah. A lot of people come in there
and they tried like multiple choice, Multiple approaches.
And by the time they get to us, a lot of them were just like, I
need to get this weight off and it's not even because of vanity,
it's not because they want to look good like a, of course that
some of it, but a lot of when you ask them, they're like I
really want to be around for my family.
Like I'm too young to be able to have all these health issues or
they're like all these health issues run into my family.
You know, so it's really a different type of group like a
different type of population and that you work with when they're
at that point where there are almost at their wit's end, you
know this. I bet they're all pretty highly
motivated though so it's kind of refreshing to work with someone.
That's, you know, that motivated.
Yeah, definitely. You know what?
It comes down to the general population, obviously, when you
work with bodybuilders or Fitness competitors, you know
they Are you know that class where you tell them what to do
and they'll adjust you tell them to eat dirt.
He'll probably dirt you know exactly but you know when you
have general population and to find people that are just
generally motivated to make progress and really not change
their stair, their weight but to do it actually change their
habits because they understand That their lifestyle has to
change and I think rightly like that, you know, it's very
refreshing. So, absolutely.
Yeah. It's all about lifestyle man.
Like the general public, they think of Fitness and Nutrition
as like a sub entity of their day to day.
Where is the mentality? In my opinion?
Should be all towards, you know, inclusive.
It's all symbiotic. Yeah, that's awesome.
And I didn't even realize this What you're doing, so that's
very interesting for sure. So you probably know more about
the ketogenic diet. The me.
No that's awesome though, man. I guess it's cool to be able to
impact somebody's life. I mean, because like, we're all
doing shows, you know, it's and that's been a really big
influence on my life and it's cool to react to it, you know,
and relate with the competitors. But for those kind of people
like, you see the Hope in their eyes light up because they get
like, spend another 10 years with her family and loved ones
like that's awesome. You know, that's life changing.
So very cool real quick. What's a?
I didn't realize you've done seven shows in the past already.
Yeah. 7 man. Let's just dive into that, man.
Like what got you into it in the first place?
So what, you know what, like growing up?
I never will really wasn't the sports.
Ever was somebody that like was very, very active.
I was into like martial arts, it did cut out there.
The Judo but that injured in Judo.
I just had to get knee surgery for it and I was in ROTC in high
school. So I was more in that type of
physical fitness, type of Road. Where's more calisthenics but
even then I wasn't really into fitness very much so or like
really into team type approaches like And so when I was in, when
I was when I graduated high school that's when you know, I
got my first like a Bowflex got a Bowflex for graduation and I
just really wanted to work out like for some reason like I
gravitated towards that. So I would go to like GNC and I
read like muscle and fitness and like Flex magazines, you know
that was just basically all the information they had back then.
Yeah. Vacuum like 99 and, you know,
just so intrigued and interested in what people were doing and of
course, like these people are monsters in the magazines.
Oh yeah. I never thought like, you know,
like I'm going to get that huge but my goal was a, let's see
what I can do. I mean, I weighed 130 36 pounds
but I graduated high school and I was just like, you know, I
could eat whatever I wanted my metallic.
Ilysm was really high and I lived in Hawaii.
So of course that really helps when you eat a lot, never gained
a lot. Never gained a lot of weight but
I made it a made, it an effort like made of really a huge
effort to eat as much as possible.
You know, all sort of clean foods like ate a lot of you
know, whole grain pasta has a lot of carbs because I could
simulate a lot. Them.
So I didn't know anything about nutrition.
I basically tried to follow a diet that were on these
magazines and then I gained, I went up to like 150 pounds my
first year of like lifting on the Bowflex, you know, just as
awesome and just like really consistent and I'll still
relatively lean like I was still in like under 10 percent body
fat and you know that just like drove me like I was just so
interested and then you eventually After I graduated,
well, after I graduated, I graduated college.
I really got into like, bodybuilding.com and that's
where, like, a lot of information were just readily
available at my fingertips and I think that's what got me into
bodybuilding because I ran into, like, laying Norton, followed
all his, like, his, his videos on all on lifestyle, but natural
body builder, right? No concept.
Natural bodybuilding before that.
I was just thinking, like, ifbb and PC.
And that was it. There was no such thing as
natural shows and so once I found out that there is like,
wow, there's really like natural competitors and these people
look like it's realistic, what you can achieve.
You know, I did my first show in 2012 with nabf with Washington.
State natural up in. Where's that place that up?
North this before? They went to the Tulalip Casino.
It was the same show though. Yeah Edmonds.
Yeah, it was that it was an end bins and I do my first show and
I had no idea what I was doing. I think I did it in like less
than 12 weeks. I just was like so motivated
just to do it right? I contacted the promoters.
They were like and you need to start from In like YouTube / but
they hooked me up with my Posey with opposing coach and she was
amazing. And I still, I still work with
her and, you know, you're going through that process, you know,
is very, very fun for me. I loved it.
It just made sense for me. I think I finally, Fill my place
with doing it. Yes, I did.
I did my first one in 2012 and then you get that bug, you know,
you're like, oh, I got to compete again.
So yeah, I fall of 2012 and then I fell through that cycle of,
you know, what I'm going to compete every year so I competed
every year 2015. And so that's, that's how I was
able to get seven shows /. Yeah.
That's that's quick, man. Have you you see much like Many
gains year to year competing ever.
You like that? No, man course not.
Yeah, I would have, you know, or six six months and you know like
when you get off a contest prep diet you kind of have you go
through that process of getting out of your diet and yet from
always stable feeling good again and I felt like I was running my
body into the ground basically and I was like man.
I two months, I feel great. And then another two months, I
got to start contest prep again and it just sends to me.
I'm like man they keep telling me I need to get bigger but I
can't do that in four months and six months it just doesn't, you
know, that's not how my body operates, you know.
And in the natural game you have to be patient in the process, I
figured that out finally. Yeah at that time away.
Before starting this one. So when was your your last one,
the same one that I did write to the 15th they want to see you.
So so we both had about a year and a half off, I guess.
Yep. So yeah, that'll be good, it'll
be interesting to see what we, what we have gained in the
offseason man, but it is crazy. How like new first-time
competitors, like just where their heads at in the whole
process. Like, there's just so many
things that I thought I knew and hadn't a clue.
When I first started, I guess it goes like that for everybody -
she had like a mentor going into but I everybody, you know, when
they're like a month out from the first show that I am never
doing another. So, again, it's not happening
during this. I'm gonna I'm gonna be done with
it and then as soon as they step off stage like man, I gotta do
another show. And then getting the cycle doing
every year like you're saying. And then before, you know, it
it's like their hooks, but they're not really seen any
games because they're not giving their body time to recover.
Exactly, man. And so now that I've coached In
other people, I highly stressed that so much to them that I tell
them when you're first competing, you step off that
stage, you're going to know whether you want to do it again
or you're not I mean it's it's 99% assure you that when some
one of my competitors steps out this age that I you know what I
absolutely loved it. So I want to do it again or
they'll get off the stage and be like you know what?
That was great process. I think I think I'm done for a
while. Yeah.
So I tell them that, you know, that as long as you're learning
throughout the process as you know, and I stress the
importance of now like a building face and I want to hand
making making proper improvements, that it takes time
and I try to, I don't try to drive burst their bubble for
competing like oh, you know, compete in the next few months
or anything like that, I give Them.
A lot of information that I didn't have like I didn't know,
I'm like your hormones. You know, you want to feel
healthier. You want to have somewhat of a
normal life. Yeah, absolutely.
It's balanced want to make progress and other goals.
You know, and bodybuilding is and fitness competitions are
just one piece of the puzzle, you know?
And and so it's I think it's a lot better, calm.
Able to get some perspective, because you've come off on such
a high from. Oh yeah.
Yeah, it's it's crazy man. It's a drug.
Like after I came off my first show, I was like, in a state of
Euphoria, for three months. And then like, after that was
over, like, I just didn't know how to come back to the general
public. It's like, I've been in prison
for 20 years and didn't know how to come back.
You know, it was, it was surreal, but it's crazy though,
but it means people gained such a greater perspective of Of what
their capabilities are after having gone through contest prep
that they, I just don't know any other way.
They could experience those things, you know.
Yeah, that's for sure, man. Most people that come, you know,
as audience and family and friends, they only see a
snippet, they see the finished product and or when they get
posted, posted photos on social media, they only see the
finished product. Everybody's a little different
and Journey to get that stage. So some people may not look you
know, the way that somebody thinks they should be looking
when they step on that stage but they don't know what they had to
go through the even get there. Absolutely, I've got, I've got
respect for anybody steps foot on a stage now, where they look
better than the next guy or not, you know, just being there is
something to be proud of so hats off to any competitors for sure.
Definitely. So how's your prep going thus
far? You've been prepping now.
For what is it like 20 weeks or something?
Seems like 20 25 years. No no it's 14 weeks.
So I started thirty two weeks out for a pro show and I'm going
to 14 weeks in and actually it's going really well.
Quite surprised how quickly time flies when you're in.
That's crap. Like so but I'm down, you know,
17.1 pounds. I started at 193 point for 5
pounds down to 175 .8. That's all you.
Five, six, five, six. Yeah.
So I did get, you know, pretty fluffy in the offseason, but I
will say that now that I can see, physique changes, we A
two-week. Its it just makes sense on why I
had to take away, take 18 months away from the stage.
Yeah, I'm probably in a better spot now than when I was last in
2014 when I was prepping for 2015.
Absolutely man. What have you always kind of
gone the route but there's some different ways to skin a cat.
Have you always kind of gone the route where you get a lot
heavier in the offseason and then cut down.
Over a longer period of time or that something new.
No, I'd say. Like this is the heaviest that
I've ever been. Since I got married in 2070 oh,
20 2007. And and I got married, I was
like DEFCON 5 fluffy. Like I was like I was the power
of I lifted while helping, you know?
And so I was like 100. I was close to 200 pounds but I
did not. Not look the way that I looked
like 193, you know? I, I figured that I was going to
gain weight a lot more than when I did my four to six months for
six months and I expected that my happy.
Wait, I guess my my happy weight in my previous building, phase
is more like 165. Like I could literally eat
whatever I wanted and stayed at 165.
And when I most of my, before I started my other contests crap,
I started in like one 70s and I whittled down to, like, 150 like
a lower on 50s, Higher 140s by contest.
How did you compete at your last show?
One? Forty.
Seven. Point.
Eight pounds, man. Yeah, news in, I could just want
his in the 14 is I didn't know what what exactly that that's
pretty loud, man. Yeah it was pretty, it was
pretty crazy man. I was like getting worried He's
like, man, my contest prep blow was like 144, and you would
nice, man. You look good.
Yeah, thanks man. But, yeah, my Kochi, he would
give me like, refeed days and I'd lose weight the next day.
Like that's how the private, I think, my body was.
Yeah, and, by peak week, that lasts for 2015, I, he kept
giving me like 300 car, you know, 400 car and When it was
being anyway and know he was just like, man, like you can
take on a lot of carbohydrates than, you know, a lot of other
people and slow pretty quickly. So I was eating tons of cards
just to fill out that show. So but yeah, there's no test
prep way different. Even my trainings different than
previous contest. Preps, how so So I'm doing dup,
daily undulating organization, working with Roger and Ali
Baker, rad Fitness and Tri-Cities been working with
them since last December. And I just figured like, you
know what, if I'm going to work with a coach in contest prep,
how I deal, would it be if the art of knew what my body did and
I liked. So I work with them and they
came up with their I mean tours like you no more volume because
volume and playing around with frequency.
So I'm doing like more bench. I'm doing deadlifts over at
pressing like all these big movements and I have never
really done a lot of those big movements like, you know,
frequently throughout the week. And even when I was doing
contests, perhaps, you know, I would be like no I can't do that
because Cuz that's like, that's at risk for injury.
Like, there's just no way. Or when I did it, I didn't do as
much volume that I could probably done, right?
And I feel like with this, now, I'm being able to retain a lot
of my strength, which is really surprising to me, like my
strength is still really good 17 pounds lighter.
And, you know, when I was in the 1880s, like the lower one 80s, I
think I was Stronger, when you know strong. 180 that a deficit
when I was at 193. You know, it's crazy.
Yeah, it's awesome. When your strength starts going
up after you've been tripping. Yeah.
So I think that's made a huge impact on even how I trade my
clients. Now, I'm like, whatever got you
to gain muscle in the, in the building phase?
You don't want to take that out during contest prep.
Yeah, I want to use the same type of approach.
Of course, you're going to have to Lower some of the loads and
some of the intensity so that your body can recover as that
deficit gets even further down the road, but it just makes
sense. You know, I look at cone wolf,
you know, is he's lift and all sorts of heavyweight still and
you know, I'm the muscle that you can retain by doing that,
it's just makes sense. Yeah, I mean, I think it's key.
A lot of people, there's so many misconceptions when it comes to
like, building versus cutting, and it's been just like drilled
into the general Public's mind that you lift, heavy weight,
Bill, and then you live lighter weight with more reps to cut,
right? That's what everybody says.
It's like well, not really, it's all about nutrition.
I mean I try and live just as heavy.
Like I write down all my right before I started prep Road and
all my PR's for a working set and I'm going to try and
maintain that. That same number throughout the
whole process. I mean realistically I probably
will go down some but I mean the closer I can maintain those
numbers a better because then that's just what like if your
body starts lifting much less weight, it realizes that it
doesn't need that muscle to lift that way.
So you lose the muscle. I mean pretty simple process.
Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
So it's made its made a huge impact as far as you know my
perspective on contest preps and No, as far as training and diet
and know how even you know I share that with.
Not even just my clients but even like all my social media
know, the things I learned I feel like it's it's easy like
easily, you can look at look it up on Google you can look up so
much information as it's not that I should I don't feel a
need to be able to hold all the information for my clients,
right? You know, it's good to have a
reputable Source. Those such as yourself, putting
out, they get information because I mean, people can have,
you know, analysis paralysis. But I just getting this overload
of information, they don't know. They're like frozen, they don't
know what to do. And and there comes a point with
the best thing to do is just do something, you know, like you'll
figure out your body you'll learn as you go you can't like
wait for the stars to align to start Russell.
Never start. Yeah, exactly.
Exactly. And that's the thing too.
Is that, you know, know when you when you work with people that
they've obviously tried other approaches and just the fact
that they're willing to try another approach or add to their
Foundation of what's working because at the end of the day,
like, you know, I still take, you know, I did the Bro dieting,
you know, approach and for the first couple of years of contest
prepping and I still take some of those those learning points
in You flexible dieting because you have to know.
Yeah, that will Foundation of food.
And if you only look at the future approach and never find
out like what was working in the past like we never moved
forward. You know you're just gravitating
to the next new new shiny toy. I agree completely I do, I'm
kind of going off on a tangent with the keto contest prep.
Right now I your guess is as good as mine on how that's going
to turn out. I'm kind of a human guinea pig
right now but I figured I'd best way to learn is to do it, you
know. Yeah, that's right man.
But I mean honestly like the things that you've been able to
do in Kyoto gives me a whole different perspective on
training like I see you training and I'm like dang and he's in
Quito well and it would have made you know, a lot of
difference, I think you're breaking down, you know, Out of
myths out there when it comes down to properly building and
keto you know, and and what it's going to look like when you
prep, I mean, you already like you're you look really good man.
Appreciate it, man, I really do. I don't the whole goal of this
is to like break down some of the myths and find a healthier
alternative to just doing different.
There's no One right way to do contest prep.
So if I can bring a healthier alternative to the mix, then
other people might respond well to that's the goal with this and
I'm added the whole two years and keytar I guess you year and
a half in the offseason and I saw a good results I felt
better. So I'm like well just rather
than trying to you know change it again.
I'll just try and continue the process to prep and see how it
goes. But I mean once you actually
switch over and you're in ketosis, those first that first
month's pretty hard as first two weeks, it really rough.
Yeah, once you switch over, I mean your body adapts and like
I've gotten stronger, I've gotten, I mean, I'm able to
maintain a lean body weight. I don't hold water weight
because I don't have the glycogen and I just feel
mentally better and I feel like it's healthy healthy
alternative, you know, so we'll see my only concern is how I'm
going to be able to fill out onstage.
Like, I don't doubt that I'll be able to get lean enough.
Yeah, I just want to make sure that I'm able to fill out and
able to get it. Pump.
I was able to get really good pumps in the off season so
hopefully I'll be able to maintain that as I'm leaner with
a deficit. But it's interesting man, I'm
excited to be backstage with all of y'all and I'll be like, yeah
man, I'm at 30, 40 grams of fat, I'm like yeah, I'm at 200, I
really like but yeah, I mean, it definitely brings in a different
different scope of how you can approach prep because You know,
there's some people, I mean, I say a lot of people that
struggle with the carbohydrate intake alone when you have to
drop carbs. I mean and, you know, for some
it's just like, not a big deal like they expect it.
They just endure it and then there's some people, especially
like new time competitors. People that have tried it, even
flexible dieting and they manipulate their carbs and
proteins and fats. And at the end of it, they're
still eating low, you know, low carb, low fat.
And And to sustain their progress.
And if you can find a way that hey, you know what, like, you
know, the is tracking my macros. I know it works but when my car
is get really low, my my mental fatigue, you know I can
definitely see myself binging a lot more and you know I fell in
that trap you know I think we all do absolutely fall in that
trap after contest prep Oh my gosh.
Like, yeah, I'm supposed to reverse out of my diet a little
bit, but that ain't happening. Like you.
Did you rebound after your first show?
I rebound. After like the first couple
shows, man. Like, I know my first attempt
words, like, trying to keep my, my physical appearance, what
that can 2009-2010 and it's like a local gym type contest and I
run my body into the ground at 12 weeks.
Is that like no idea how to do anything and I just dropped my
carbs out of every meal, basically, by the end of it,
even two hours of cardio at the end of it.
I was just like, you know what? I don't even care and I like a
large pizza by myself, by Pizza Hut.
I went and ate all. You can eat sushi.
I, you know, I just ran my body into the ground and within like
a week I gained like, I don't know, of the We found.
I think. Yeah.
It's a real man. What your body does like that
week after show? Yeah.
And I was just like, what the heck?
I digestion issues. I just can't assimilate
anything, you know and but of course I never learned.
So the next two times that I contest prepped in 2012 and 2013
like I just had this unhealthy relationship with food like, you
know, I was just like, man, it just didn't make sense for me to
To be so restricted in a contest prep, which made sense, and they
had to eat less but restrictive as far as like foods and food
choices. And so, by the time I was done
with conscience by the false, so deprived I'll be able to eat
time food. I mean, even all sorts of foods
and gaining tons of weight gain so much body fat in a short
period of time and don't even run me up again body fat.
But in a short period of time, it's such a stressor on the
body. Yes, terrible.
Your body image. Just goes out the window
depressed man, like it's such a, such a mental aspect to it.
It's like you're your mind, everybody's is a little bit
different but like for me after my first show because I went
from 2:30 to 150 and three months.
And like, I just basically starved myself to get there and
then afterwards it was like my brain didn't send the chemical
leptin through my body, whatever?
And I had like me, No sense of fullness.
I didn't even know what being full felt like.
Yeah, like it didn't register. So I could eat.
I could eat man. I would sit down and eat 20,000
calories in a meal and then I had like, realize that I just
ate 20,000 cars in the mail and then I'd be like, depressed and
then I'm like there's a couple times.
I can force myself to puke, you know, and that's like when
you're doing that. It's like, this is not a healthy
lifestyle, exactly. So I mean everybody, you know,
struggles and I People like contest prep is hard but host
contest as when, you know, the mental game really hits you
because you come off such that high and then you have nothing,
you have like, no showing you have no show coming up so you
almost left out of sorts, you know.
You coming off that highest don't know that.
You're so tunnel vision at that point by the end of it.
So, you know, it's it's definitely a A different type of
challenge when the after you're done.
Yeah, absolutely, it's awesome. It's awesome.
Beautiful 80. People like this domain, like
the camaraderie at the show that we're doing Kevin James, put on
an awesome show, but like, it was sit down backstage and
relate with the other competitors.
I mean, I don't know what the class is weight are forget, but
is it 165, cut off, 165, cut off.
So you and I are probably in the same class is a class, man.
That's, that's awesome, man. Yeah, we're competitors.
And we're just talking on podcast, you know, it's awesome.
Yeah man. I got to be honest with you,
like I've never competed in the MVC or other organizations and I
ever since I'm just glad that I did my first show and like a
natural organization because that's what, you know, the
people that you meet and even backstage Like, yeah, we're
competitive, but we're all friends.
Like, that's when we can all relate nobody's out to get
anybody else, you know? And I just heard horror stories
and other other organizations, but it's just that's one of the
components that keeps me going to these shows.
Like, even when I'm not competing and I got attend these
shows, it's just exciting because you see the people that
you follow their Journeys, you saw them backstage.
When you were competing and you would people in the audience,
you know, it's just, it's an amazing environment.
It's almost like family, Thanksgiving, you know,
everybody gets together. You know, about, anybody see him
on social media, you kind of, you know, corresponding with
him. And this day comes, you're all
together in the same room again. Yeah.
Offseason or whether you're competing.
You know? It's just, it's just good.
Yeah, when you finally get to meet people from social media
though, like, you know, I had, you know, I saw you Do you pee
like I saw your progress in your working with con Amy Roush, like
I saw her Instagram and then we finally met up at, you know, the
WWF show, any competing with each other.
Like, you know, that's just exciting to be able to finally
meet people that you've been like, seeing their Journeys.
And you've never met them before.
And then boom, you see him on, you know, showed a yeah, it's
awesome. And he definitely likes a fire
in your belly to like be the best you could be and then also
push all your friends and competitors be the best they can
be. It's just nothing else like it
and I've done to NPC shows before and you don't get that
with those, you know, at least in my experience maybe it's the
location. Maybe it's the show.
But comradery with the wnba's shows are phenomenal.
Yeah, for sure. And we got, we got quite the
crew coming to this. When we got Lionel, constantini
And even myself is Lionel doing a show before.
Do you know, I don't think, yes. But yeah, it's going to be a
great show man as far as who's showing up, and that's always
like a competitive stage, which is awesome, you know.
Yeah. So, am I going to be up against
Lionel again? I don't know, man.
You know, he had a late start, but you know what?
He's like, He liked this diode and he is, it's crazy man.
But, but I expect like an epic battle, man.
Yeah. Like the Ronnie Coleman.
Jay Cutler. No.
Trilogy going on here. Yeah, it's been very interesting
because I think his last show was the one that we all did, you
know? Yeah.
And then Aaron Orton did his
earlier this year, get his Pro card, right?
Yeah. You look great too.
To he did man. I was there when I saw him when
his Pro card and I was like, man you are.
This is what happens when you are mentally driven to M.
Sure. Body to a whole new level like
it's possible. Absolutely ma'am.
Is, I'm trying to get caught up on the rules and regulations
here. They recently changed the show
to it's now like, a super pro qualifiers.
That's broke off our says long as you win your class, you
actually become a pro. They do have an overripe, the
end, there's still an overall. Yeah, still an overall, at the
end, I believe. It's just that, you know, it's
all the all the class Learners. So interesting, very cool.
Yeah, I'm excited, it'll be good.
Kevin Linda, put on a good job. Good show.
How much more time you get? Man.
That's much time as you need man.
Alrighty well let's let's tell me about your coaching manual
online. Coach each other that four
months ago. How's that going for you?
It's going, it's going well, man.
I, you know, I made the decision, you know, I did.
I did some coaching last year people will reach out to you,
because I mean, I post all sorts of stuff like, you know, maybe
too much sometimes. But I post a lot of information
and, you know, I post, you know, photos and people just come out
and do ask me like questions, they'll message me.
No. And I got to the point where I
was like, man, you know what, I really love helping people, you
know. Yeah, I coach people in like a
clinical setting or like corporate Wellness, my other
jobs, but I really do like, helping people and I just really
got into like, hey, you know what, maybe I can make this an
actual like side business, and it makes me, you know, cultivate
it and So, four months ago I was like I made the decision.
Like let's go ahead and you know, register for business
license and do it the right way. And, you know, I think that's
been very fun to, you know, promote something that's yours
and they would have helped help people.
So right now, been working with I work with like five day
individuals. You know, that out of time.
May I think that's the most I've worked with so far.
But it's you know people that are impressed by people that are
just trying to build and even have people that are just trying
to be healthy and so I work with a variety of different people
and I feel like that's you know it's just a passion of mine so
that's that's been very very grateful for that.
Absolutely man. Are you doing?
What what what's the official name of the business now is just
all your name. Hey, You know, I couldn't do
that because it's copyrighted of course.
And so I did my cos T motivation nutrition and training all
spelled out. So that way I'm not going to
kiss if you don't want you only get sued.
So yeah that's why I did it. I was like man I'm really into
the Ninja Turtles. You know, like people that know
me. I'm always like wearing Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtle stuff and my routine with 2015.
I did I did one course the theme song but, you know, I, but when
I was coming up with the name, I was like, you know, I really I
really wanted something that was going to be, you know, such a
and so that's why I came up with that name and of course, team
and motivation had to be first, you know, because Cuz we all
need support. And all my competitors, they do
know each other's have my own Facebook closed group, with all
the people that I work with, even the ones that have kind of
moved on, they're still in that group.
So they could still feel that sense of camaraderie, you know,
Emily and we just motivate each other.
You know, through that that was so social media Outlet.
Also man, like, one of the reasons, Wanted to interview for
podcasts because like you put so much attention energy and
thought into like all of your posts on Facebook.
Like there's a lot of social media content there nowadays and
a lot of it is often made you just to get another like a
thumbs up. But like, you post religiously
and it's always something you can tell that you put some
thought into. So I appreciate that, man.
It's good quality content. Well, I appreciate you saying
that. That man.
You know, I it's interesting because I will post all times
during the day. You know, I if I thought comes
into my mind and I'm like, man, yeah, let that sounds sounds
like, it sounds like a good, a good thought.
I'll put it in there rather than doing it later.
And so I try to, especially during contest prep, you know.
Being able to coach people while your contest prep totally
different. But, you know, the, you know,
the things that my clients go through and potential clients
and even patients that I work with and my job as they, as they
tell me about their experiences or the challenges, that's why
posts, you know? Because it's not specifically
for them but I'm like, this is going to help other people,
maybe With the same type of experience.
Hopefully that'll that'll help. Yeah, that's the right way to do
it. Man starts with the right
motivation man that you know. Yeah very good.
Well no your get it, you're gonna kick.
You keep the content coming man. Like it's it's it's like a
full-time job to create content. One of the things.
Yeah. So one of the things that I got
into wanting to make a business for coaching is I had And a
mentor reach out to me a coach that I like, you know, I really
looked up to, I didn't ask him, you know, to help me, he reached
out to me and he would meet with, like, he would contact me
every Sunday for for like, a couple months and he would
discuss like, oh, you know what, this is your goal, you know,
this is what we're going to plan around for this is your homework
for the upcoming weekend. A lot of the information he gave
me. He was like, you know, the way
that you post, the way that you connect with people, you know,
you have to be really continue no consistent with your posts
and that's what's going to allow people to get to know, you know,
the type of coaching that you do, just do the way that you're
posting things and that like, give me hard.
I'm like, yeah, that's true though.
Everybody sees what you post. No matter if they like it or
not, you know. And the way that you portray
yourself, living is easy to find a trap of like, you know, you
only give Sims and pieces of what you want people to see,
right? Really real with them.
Like, hey, I should probably let this contest prep isn't easy.
Like this is the real ins and outs of what you should be doing
or some ideas around it. People are going to gravitate to
review. You because they're going to see
like you know that your personality through it.
Absolutely. What's been like your your what
media Outlets or social media channel have?
You seen the most feedback on I would say that it's Facebook
Facebook and I do Instagram quite a bit like I'm always
posting their and The cool thing is, I've had like a few people
reach out to me on Instagram of had somebody from.
I'm working with somebody and Slovakia coaching her for the
past. So I'm going to be like, six
months soon in the next couple weeks I've been working with
her. She wants to do our first bikini
prep. She reached out to me back in,
like, June. And I thought it was almost
like, I'm always so hesitant when it's on like Instagram
because you never know where these people are coming from.
And when they tell me like, Oh, I mean, I'm in Slovakia I'm like
okay number one. Seller really know where that is
and I hope this is a real person.
Yeah, you just never know. And that's the scary thing for
me personally is just knowing how genuine a person is if they
really are trying to trap you. Or I don't know if I'm just
trying to be like being overcautious but in Facebook, if
it was a little more safe for me.
A bit more control but you know I met with her and been doing
Skype and FaceTime all that good stuff and it's big one really
well and then I've had another person from the Dominican
Republic, contact. Me and she keeps all my post and
just follow me for a while and you know, she would needed help
with macronutrients and understanding it.
And I even I even like, charger. I was just more like, I mean,
you don't need Coaching you just need more education, you know,
and another person in Cali and she's done a couple figure
competitions and the NPC done really well but she wanted a
flexible approach. So we work with her or 12 weeks.
So I have little Snippets here and there that will happen from
Instagram but for the most part screwed Facebook but you're
gonna get into YouTube scene and They try and get into that
market. I've been doing I do YouTube but
not like consistent as consistent as I should be.
I've been trying to document my contest prep a little bit more
with updates with my YouTube. So you need to be a little bit
more religious. I mean, I do have a YouTube
channel, it's just like I need to do a little bit more
marketing and I think that's one thing too is when I was Talking
with my mentor. He's like, you know, what's your
social media? You know, how do you, how do you
get information out there and it's like YouTube, man.
You know, he kept saying like YouTube, the big one because you
gotta think about it, like, you got the mat.
Oh, gus' you've got Chris Elkins.
You got these people that are really consistent with their
content, and, you know, the type of content that people gravitate
to. And so you just have to do you
When not spread the word across how you promote it, absolutely.
I'm just so, it's a lot of work. It takes a lot of discipline,
dedication. I mean, like, it's just like the
vlogging Style videos, you know, to like peaceful that together
and edit it out. I mean, I've been trying to
dabble in that and it's, it's hard, man.
It's all right. And like your first videos, your
first podcast, your first, anything it's like, this is
terrible. And you can do stuff on your
phone and you can add your own music and all this stuff.
And I was like man the door is so there's so many different
doors and how you can do it. Oh yeah for sure you know so I
think yeah it's just it's something that I definitely have
to dive into a little bit more so I goes for both of us man is
always something new to learn some new Type of marketing
strategy to get the content out there for other people to
absorb. Sure, sure, I'm excited to see
where you take. Take your business, man.
What's the what's the end? Goal long-term big picture?
Yeah, and go would be man. Like I honestly want to be my
own boss. I want to be able to coach
people and not have to be strapped to a regular job, you
know? And And to be honest with you,
like I thrive on seeing other people's progress.
Like I do everything on Google Sheets for my clients and I can
see everything in life time. So I always like look at their
stuff and you know, comment on things I just absolutely love
it. Like I think that being able to
do that for you know as a career and something that's realistic
something that I'd love to know. They can't.
So it's definitely doable, man. I mean, it can be done, it.
Just one of the main things I've learned about business because
I've had like other things going before.
Keto Savage kids. Having just kind of like the in
part that what I've learned over the years, but it does not
happen quickly, it doesn't happen overnight.
Like, everything I've learned in bodybuilding can be directly
applied to business. Like it takes consistent
discipline, dedication, hard work.
Over time, you know and I'm like not a patient person so it's not
easy for me, right? Yeah, it does take time man.
And for me, you know, although I'm working with like 58
individuals at a time, it allows me to have the time that's
necessary to develop my skill set and although it's not
growing like exponential Ali, the people that come to me now
or more referrals, which is really nice.
You know, it shows that even though people have made moved on
to like another approach for something new is the experience
that they had with you. Like, hey, you know what, I had
a really good experience with with Michael working with him.
I think that you're do great and I even work with general
population. So it's not like you have to be
wanting to do. Show, right?
And I think the more you have a little bit more open towards
helping you know, general population versus just keep
unconscious because we're a small breed, you know, a small
population but if you really want to help people opening that
door with, I can help anybody, you know, all sorts of
populations, doesn't matter. You know, you open the door of
how You can Market yourself and gently.
I was looking into being like a diet Doc and you're working with
dr. Joe and, you know, having that
type of licensee licensure and that was like at the beginning
of the year, I was like really like debating to do that and go
through that process. So that might still happen.
But one of the things that dr. Joe told me, I talked to him was
like, how willing are you work? How willing are you to work with
the general population? And I was like I have no problem
working at the general population.
Actually love people that are driven without having a contest
ended and he's like that's really good because general
population. There's a lot more of them.
Yeah. When contest prep and you
actually get to get a This of different mindsets different
types of challenges and you can grow a lot further than some of
just helping somebody in the contest crowd.
Absolutely. So yeah I'm kind of I'm kind of
going super Niche with the keto in hopes that it does take off
and becomes more mainstream but yeah, you definitely don't want.
There's a fine there's a balance for sure you don't want to find
you don't want to limit your Market.
Any means. But yeah, I'm trying to become
more specialized towards the key though because, you know,
hopefully, you know, in go of that that becomes more
mainstream than I can kind of be seen as you know, an expert in
that field. But that no.
I mean do you know of any other body butter doing keto?
So I don't even know. So there's one guy like he.
Yeah my friends Josh he's competed couple times and he
came from like Like you know, being really overweight and he
competed and he is s is s show. He went he do really and you
know he he was really into you know he's like yeah my body just
responds a lot better to hire fat like for some reason, like I
have no desire for carbohydrates, you know, give me
the fact and you know, I think he came in better than what he
looked like you know as first Around his first year competing,
but yeah, I know, he does he do even for powerlifting and he
still killing the game, like it's insane.
Like this guy is gonna probably go to Nationals or powerlifting.
And what's his name again? Josh Bravo.
Let's look him up. Yeah, he's a he's a really nice
guy, man. He but he's the first person
that I've really known that stun Heat.
No, through his building doctors contest prep.
But I mean, he's not, he wasn't like, you know, he has his own
journey of like coming down from such a high weight.
And, you know, you look, you know, look better than what he
did his first year competing, which is always the goal.
Yeah, but yeah, he's killing the game in powerlifting man.
Like he is super strong and he's in Quito.
All right, so I can look them up.
Man, get him on the podcast. Maybe.
Yeah, he's really cool that. I think he's a what was his
buddy? Do fellas, anything.
So he's a coach is a high school coach.
Alright. For.
And so he's a be something that you should talk to connect with.
And if amazed I will reach out to him for sure in powerlifting
but it was interesting because you brought up the point of you
don't know how you're going to fill out and is interesting
because his coach is My coach and they did different scenarios
they're like let's try just overload you with even more fat
and see if you fell out and then they did like a carbohydrate
approach to see what happened for him and he totally looked
way better with super high fat. Really?
Yeah to fill out. Yeah.
That's that's interesting because like like when I was in
the offseason although When we can have in the crevice like
there's that much difference. Like when I'm on an extreme
caloric excess. Yeah and I fill out and have a
really good pump and at this look that good pump.
Now, it's not the same thing. Maybe it's because my belly's
not fun. I feel like I got a full bar,
just feel bigger, but my Approach, I think in the past
where I would eat, you know, 400 grams of carbs, having a grams
of carbs. And I before I think I'm just
going to eat like, like two big old ribeye steaks.
Man, just the full fat, put some butter on there and then see how
that works, you know. Yeah.
Well, he, so, I was there at the show where he competed and I was
like, dude. So, how, how did you so, that's
when he told me it's like, yeah, we tried an approach where I
like cut the carbs and I went down and did some posing with my
with coach. And, you know, I didn't look
good man. Like, I, you know, I look really
soft. This is that was his first
carbon reduction. He was getting and they just
overloaded my carbs, right? Then.
Yeah. Just to see like if that was
going to do anything. And yeah, he's like I can't just
I can't assimilate any cars man. And then they did a super high
fat approach and then, boom. That's when he started with
Carter and, you know, he filled out.
And so that's what they want. And so, when I went to the show
is that the hotel is like, do what are you eating?
He's like, well, I gotta, you know, I got all these cool off a
car. Toes.
I've got like all these own, like you just going off on all
these different facets like bam. I could never do that look, but
it was just insane on how much she was eating fat content wise.
And it's just a different approach, man, like it was
enlightening. It's I mean fats, like that's an
essential nutrient, man. You gotta have fat, you like, I
talked to, like, I think Aaron was saying on his last prep,
like he was cutting out fish oil pills because he had it like
limit that much fat. And I'm like, man, it's crazy.
I've been just dying, right? Yeah, I definitely do not want
to go low. I don't want to feel like I'm
starving at all, you know. I don't ever want to feel like
my body is malnourished. Yeah, so I would say that right
now. This is the highest that I've
ever had and yeah, I'm not hungry like that.
I started my contest prep at 120 grams of fat and, you know, for
somebody that's You know, not anything I'm doing.
Ketogenic and 120 grams is, what's it like?
And it's like and I was like, man, this is the most fat over
have never hungry and then like, and even now I'm at 90 grams and
usually at this point in prep, I'm down to like 50, you know,
55 and that's where the hunger gets in.
And my protein is that it was a All those to loan, you know are
definitely making me satiated. Yes, it's for sure, man.
It you just stay full of much longer like I'll eat, I won't
even eat my first million till like noon today and probably and
then I'll eat every, you know, or four or five hours even.
Yeah. Which is nice because it's so
much more practical for me than to.
Like have I got one of those you know, six-pack Fitness lunch
boxes. It's just like a suitcase.
Practically. And I used to carry that around
everywhere and now it's like I can just eat, you know, three
meals a day and be good. Yeah, so yeah.
That's I mean that's definitely you have to think about like
what's realistic, you know what can you stay consistent with you
know, and telling somebody that you have to eat you know, every
few hours or like all that stuff and if it's not realistic or
somewhere just becomes more of a burden.
Yeah, I don't know what to do for a long haul butt.
I mean, that shortens the window of time that you get to eat too,
so that's even more better because now you get to eat more
during those. There are those videos.
Yeah. That's, that's nice man.
I used to like 87 meals and I'd be like, just tiny little bit of
pepper. Now, let's savor every look.
Like, I'd lick the bottom of the Tupperware, you know, and now,
it's not quite as bad. I can have some sanity while I
prep, which is nice. Yeah, because I thought about
getting like, Boys about getting rid of fasting so that you
shorten that window of time to eat.
I've introduced that to some of my competitors as their food
gets less and, you know, and and they're like, you know, how do I
ensure that I am not eating all my food in these little
tupperware's or they're not, you know, not feeling as hungry and
you just need to talk about volume and you talk about
intermittent fasting definitely plays a huge role.
I think, for some people, if you can In that window of time that
you're eating and you get to you get to have a little bit more in
your plate. Yeah.
Visually and mentally. If you see that, that bigger
plate of food, you love more happier.
You know, do they respond pretty well to the intermittent
fasting? Yeah, I would say.
So it's just about like, it's a different mindset that you have
to understand that. Hey, if you're going to be
eating, you know, in the shorter window time is that really real?
Listed for you with your family. You know, the way that that your
kids are you willing to do it that way?
And a lot of people are like, yeah man.
Like I don't want to be hungry as much, so it's going to help
that, I'm totally going to be doing that and so some people
aren't eating until like later on after they get up they have
like a cup of coffee and then there's good, you know, and
after the body gets into a rhythm a routine, our bodies
love to adapt to things man and doing You know, if he gives you
a good routine it will stick with it.
So you just got to kind of break that homeostasis point and let
it let it break that routine, right?
Yeah. You definitely have to do that
man. And you know what, any change to
the body you, no matter, no matter how small or how extreme
it is, we always think that we're going to outsmart the
Bartok Body by doing. All I'm going to do this during
peak week. I'm going to do this and I
manipulate the body but the body is just responding the way that
it's supposed to be. It's not Were outsmarting it.
Yeah and sometimes it doesn't go right because your body your
body responds differently. Yep.
Big week man. I've heard way too many people
ages Astor's to try and change things too much.
Like I don't know I mean if you I would be scared to manipulate
something that I've never done before on Peak Week.
Like if I've done it is tried and true then I would have an
extreme change if I'd done it if you know for past competitions
but it blows my mind how somebody who's never done
something before. We'll put like three, four,
five, six months of work into a prep and then just totally alter
that and something that they've never tried experimenting with.
And then everybody just freaks out on them and they act
surprised, you know, are you doing always?
The complaint is like, always look better the day after.
Yeah. And, you know, I'm like.
Why why is that? Yeah, so yeah, it's interesting.
When people come to you, I always ask people what they've
done in their This approach has what they've done during peak
week and you just, you just have no idea like how many people
come to me and say, you know, I was, I was dying my last week,
man, you know, peak week. And I was like really, you
should start feeling good during your last week, you know.
Yeah. As you're filling out, Tony back
on the volume that you're doing the cardio and they're like,
really. And I was like, yeah.
And you know I'm how you do things are taking out water
Water, they're taking out sodium.
They're manipulating these things and they just don't feel
great and then that their performance on that stage after
so many months of working it's very heartbreaking.
And you know because especially if it's their first time second
time and it's always like at least refreshing that they're
willing to try it again because that's one of my biggest things
is that if you have a coach, if you put your trust in, Somebody.
And they do you wrong and you know that could turn you off
from even doing anything. Fitness related.
Yep, absolutely. No.
Like, my body just doesn't respond well.
My coach told me like you meant to do this and it didn't work
and now that I can't. I don't, you know, I'm just
lost. And so I've seen people come
back from eating, you know, binging and Having all these
issues with food and just their bodies.
You know are just wrecked after prep and now so trying to pick
up the pieces and give them something that's more
sustainable. I think I vote for like a couple
people. Were they perhaps weren't even
on their minds anymore are just more.
I need to be healthy. Yeah.
And being stuck in a, you know, beating really a lot less from
what they're And seeing them be like, after working with them, a
couple months or like, hey, let's put your calories backed
up and having them realize that they can eat more and not put on
weight actually lose weight. No, it's yeah.
It's just, it's just very disheartening.
Yeah, it is a man. It is people.
They put so much emphasis on the show and on show day, they lose
sight of why they ever got into the sport in the first place.
Which is to be healthy, you know?
And that's the point that I mean we all want to just drive home
with ourselves and with their clients.
Like it shows a great, you know, but the show's don't mean
anything if we gave ourselves a heart attack in five years, you
know. Yeah, exactly.
So exactly now man. I mean you gotta you gotta look
at the the long, the lung vision of what you want to do, you
know, I think when it comes out of the competing, it shouldn't
be like Only a bodybuilder. I'm only a fitness competitor
and only, you know, that's what makes me me, you know, there has
to be other components in your life.
Yeah, absolutely. You know, sell losing, you know?
And if you're always tell people, you know, if you're
healthy, when it comes down to your, you know, if you're
healthy and great, you're in a good position to contest prep,
take, you know, take it to another level.
Ville. If you're coming in already with
body image issues already with nutrition or food over issues,
and the psychological issues contest prep is probably not the
best bet for you. Yeah.
Oh, you got to be, you got to be open-minded, but solid in
yourself as an individual and accepts where you're at, as just
where you're at and make the most of it.
Yeah, I completely agree with that and people, I don't know,
like if they go in to contest prep, trying to fix something
that's already broken, you know, then it's only going to make it
worse. So, I agree completely on that
one. And you can't nothing about, you
know, body issues in our image issues.
Rather is prep by things like an individual sport.
He put on. I mean, you step onstage for 2
minutes, 5 minutes, or in your case, 30 minutes with other
competitors. There's, you know, one day out
of the year. But I mean, bodybuilding is a
lifetime. There's a lifestyle and it's you
against you and you cannot focus on who else is going on stage
because then you want to have fun and then you'll be yourself
up and then you just like, yeah, you gotta just do you and bring
your best physique and if you came in better than you did last
time that you've already won. Yeah, exactly.
You know, I just, I just talked to one of our clients yesterday,
and she brought up like, man, like seeing people on social
media, like, You know they're staged a unlike I'm not far away
from that, you know, like what I should be looking at and I was
like, put things into perspective like they are
already tanned up there already done with their process or on
stage already, you know you're taking photos in your bathroom,
you know your kitchen you know Chris takes like of course it's
not going to look the same. Yeah.
And you know it's very interesting you know your
mentality definitely goes up to window and And frappe?
Yeah, it is like man. My psyche is just done man.
And I think that's one of the cool things.
As a coach is that you are like you're not just that person that
gives him a plan for the week and you're like, won't see you
later. Talk to you in about a week
hopefully or give your check-in. I mean, it's a 24/7 thing and
you know, I think being able to be that Lifeline for people, you
know, it's definitely need to You know, realize that yeah,
you're that person that they're going to rely on because when
their psyche goes a little little nuts, those gonna bring
it back down to ground, you know, bring back to the ground
and see, make them make them realize that this The Big
Picture, This is where you're at and you can, you can calm down a
lot of things you can relax and I think that's not had every
competitor. Go see that though.
Yeah. And it's that's what kind of you
draw a line between it being healthy activity and not in the
more you can make it healthy and sustainable and enjoyable.
Yeah, I mean bodybuilding contest or euphoric.
I mean, after you step off the stage of nothing else like it.
But if you're miserable the entire time, it's just, I'd be
nice. If you could enjoy the entire
process am still feel that way at the end and it's possible.
You know, you just have to With the right mindset.
Yeah, but I think as long as you're open to do different
approaches, you know, I think we don't both did like the Bro,
dieting thing, and then we found like always working.
You do flexible dieting and do flexible dieting.
And then you've been to Quito like, you know, you finding that
approach that's going to help you make progress.
And at the end of the day, if you can enjoy, if you can be
consistent with it and find results that you're seeking
after and me, that's the approach you stick with me and
like absolutely So yes, indeed you gotta find out what you
perform best with and makes it better for you, you know,
everybody's individual. There's no, there's no mold for
us all. Yeah, exactly.
Mike. We've been on the call for one
hour and 19 minutes and 42 seconds so I can talk we all day
long, man. You're super knowledgeable and
good guys, don't run. Good guy.
Got the around to or something the future, appreciate that man.
So what's real quick? What's a good Way for people to
get in touch with you. So, I have my Ig which is I'm
like, highly active on like I'm post multiple times throughout
the day, but it's crazy Korean underscore to mint tea.
So it's krz under underscore, don't krz, Korean underscore
TMNT. And then I have a YouTube that
I'm going to be definitely a little bit more active on.
It's just TMNT Fitness. All right.
You get your Facebook. What's that?
My Facebook is just like a messy.
Yeah, nothing special. All right, man, I'll put links
on the show notes for all those to make it easy people get hold
of you. All right man.
What's been a pleasure? Micah I certainly appreciate the
time good sir and I will be eagerly awaiting our next
encounter on the stage. Yeah I'm excited man I
appreciate you reaching out. And in wanted to have me on your
podcast, I appreciate what you do to a man.
Like as far as your, how you go about your post and how you're
trying to do something different and break down walls of what
people's misconceptions are when it comes on the keto.
Because for a while, I was one of those people, you know, and
but after understanding what it does and what it can do for
people You know, it's whatever approach is going to help you
make progress, man. Absolutely.
I appreciate that a lot, man. I mean, life's a journey.
You know, you just get experimenting.
I put yourself out there. You can't be afraid to step
outside of the box and that's what we're all doing right now.
Yeah. For sure, my brother.
Well, I'll be in touch with you soon, man.
Okay. Right on.
Take care, buddy.