The Good, The Bad & The Gray
Welcome to The Good The Bad and The Gray Podcast, a compass in life's labyrinth, shining a light on relationships, wellness, and personal growth. Join me as I share insights and interview diverse guests. Together, we'll discuss highs, lows, and the in-between, offering perspectives on health, career, and more. Tune in for candid conversations that peel back life's layers, revealing the good, the bad, and the gray with hues from light to dark.
The Good, The Bad & The Gray
Ch 2: Ep 5| Fit but Flawed Ft A Renee
The perfectly sculpted physique hiding an inner storm. We've all seen it—that friend who never misses a gym session but can't seem to find peace of mind. In this thoughtful exploration of the "fit but flawed" phenomenon, we unpack the complex relationship between physical fitness and mental wellbeing.
Have you ever considered what happens when you channel negative emotions into your workout? Contrary to popular belief, hitting the gym when you're angry or depressed might actually expand your capacity to hold these emotions rather than release them. We share personal experiences and scientific insights that challenge the common notion of "gym therapy" as a mental health solution.
The statistics are sobering. Studies show that about one in five gym-goers don't experience improved mental health from exercise alone. Even more telling, people who exercise more than three hours daily reported worse mental health than moderate exercisers. Meanwhile, body image issues run rampant in fitness culture—approximately 22% of male and 59% of female fitness instructors struggle with disordered eating habits.
Social media complicates our relationship with fitness further by promoting constantly shifting body ideals. One minute the "hourglass figure" is in, the next everyone's striving to be lean. We discuss how these trends impact self-perception and what it means to develop a healthier approach to physical training.
True wellness comes from balance. Instead of using exercise as an escape from emotional discomfort, consider approaching physical activity as one component of comprehensive self-care. This might mean training at moderate intensity, incorporating adequate rest, and focusing on joy during workouts rather than dwelling on negative emotions.
Ready to build strength that goes beyond your muscles? Follow us on TikTok and YouTube @goodbadgray or find our podcast on all platforms as "The Good, The Bad and The Gray." Your body deserves care—but your mind needs attention too.
Welcome to the good, the bad and the great podcast, where we shine a light on wellness, personal growth and relationships. Together, we'll discuss highs and lows and the in-betweens, offering different perspectives on health and wellness. Tune in as we peel back the layers of life, revealing the good, the bad and the gray. Yo yo yo yo. Welcome back to the good, the bad and the gray podcast. This podcast, this episode. Welcome back to the Good, the Bad and the Gray podcast. I'm your host, Dr Gray. Why are you laughing like that, yo?
Speaker 2:Dr Gray.
Speaker 1:I'm your host, dr Gray, and we have our current guest.
Speaker 2:I'm the resident podcaster. She's the resident podcaster.
Speaker 1:So you guys will hear her voice. What is it? 6 am 6.30. Yeah, early morning I got up at like 3.45 today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you was in the gym behind me. I was like, oh, I know I'm late.
Speaker 1:Yo, when I have those moments like I told you, like I think I said this last part like literally, like those are my moments, like I'm like really practicing joy, I'm like in there I'm walking, you might think, oh, he's just walking around, like I'm literally just moving, you know, and I think for me it kind of helps me with my energy and kind of projection and strengthening that part.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, you were late though, bro, I wasn't that late, you were late, I got there at like 4.10. 4.10?. You were so lit that I took a video of you?
Speaker 1:Yes, sir, I was like. Look, I was. So the first part I listened to my little R&B, my little slow songs. You get in there, get in there singing, you know, and then the end of it I go to the trap rap, like I go from like James Bay to Moneybag real quick, real quick, like don't worry about it. So yeah, I have a question.
Speaker 2:Yes, what's your favorite day of the week at the gym Even, and I know you real random.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm random.
Speaker 2:Because you do full body a lot.
Speaker 1:I do full body a lot.
Speaker 2:Or you do a lot of like what they call it calisthenics.
Speaker 1:I don't put it in the category. I'm just different, you know, but no favorite day is monday, which is oh what. What favorite workout, oh yeah, so my favorite, my favorite gym, I like back, you know legs, I like back, I like back. I think back is like a common favorite day, uh, but honestly they're all the same I used to like legs a lot.
Speaker 1:I used to like chest a lot. I think they're just kind of all the same. I used to like legs a lot. I used to like chest a lot. I think they're just Kind of all the same, because I pretty much Put myself through the same amount Of torture or training that I would do For any body part, just because I enjoy Training.
Speaker 2:So yeah, what about yours? I love legs, legs, I love legs. What girl doesn't love legs, legs, legs, legs. I like back too. I'm trying to work on my back, get my back together again, I think social media kind of dictates the trend of what particular body part people like.
Speaker 1:Oh, because everybody has a trendy workout.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they have a trendy exercise. I like back, I love legs, so let's get that.
Speaker 1:Okay, differentiate that. Amen, amen, all right, all right.
Speaker 2:So what's up with you? You good, I'm great we did a life update on me.
Speaker 1:The last time we talked.
Speaker 2:How is everything with you? How is everything?
Speaker 1:You are a man with a lot of hats, a lot of hats and man. To be honest, I've been searching for and I think I said this kind of briefly last podcast I've been searching for the word to describe like this state. I can't describe where I'm at, like because it's new, it feels good, but I'm also in a place where, like I said, if an obstacle or a test comes, like, okay, let's do it. Like I'm ready, like I can say, a couple years, couple years ago, a year ago, I've been through, like I went through, uh, the gauntlet, bro the gauntlet, but I'm good.
Speaker 1:Um majestic, under his grace if you want to, if you want to if you want to.
Speaker 1:If you want a phrase, I would say that I think I'm grateful for a lot of things. I mean, I mean graduation, I mean, honestly, man, like you know how, like I told you a while back, like I had to work on being humble last year. I was always humble, but I think the lesson or you know, the lesson of being humble last year Hit me a lot more Because I don't know why. But this year is like, a lot of things are like Really hitting, like credential, wise, like everything is hidden and it's like whoa, you get easy to get the big head here.
Speaker 1:I would not want a son, because he would. He would lose his mind right now. But not in terms of like you know just everything, like spiritual, like more connected than ever Mental, more connected than ever mental, more stable than ever physical. I've always been like stable that way and I think this is going to segue to our podcast today is like just because a person looks fit doesn't make them super healthy or mentally healthy, but on every front, emotionally, oh my god. Stable, like, like.
Speaker 1:How can I get to this point? And that's why I say I can't describe what it is. I can only describe like certain parts of it, but I can't, I don't have a name for it and I'm just sitting back taking it all in being grateful, being present, which is super important, like when I'm present, every opportunity presents itself and I'm capitalizing on every single opportunity, every door that's opening, that feels right running. I'm running fast through it and, more than anything, I think you know I don't know, you know if people focus on calling or their purpose, but I can feel the build-up of what I need to do and this is the first time in my life that I feel like I know exactly what to do.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, that is what, and it's like I'm gonna go back to God, like literally he's said, hey, now I'm gonna do this brief description now.
Speaker 1:I hope it doesn't scare you, but this year I can honestly say that I'm a child in his eyes again.
Speaker 1:Like, I literally feel like a kid and I think that comes from me experiencing a lot of the pain and things we have to endure in life, but also keeping a soft heart Not, you know, growing in resentment or anger, and heart and heart in my heart to kind of like, of like, you know, make people feel a certain type of way because I'm bitter, because things didn't go my way or I've been hurt, but it's like now I feel like that kid that is holding his parents hand and just squeezing as hard as you can and you're trusting every single thing that you like, every single place that he's taking you. I'm like, okay, like that's why I say, if any obstacle or test comes, okay, my hand is gripping you, like I'm literally holding tight, but in my eyes I feel like a kid again and a child and I feel like. You know that. You know I'm ready for the task, I'm ready for the this next chapter of my journey. So, yeah, that was a long-winded but you're.
Speaker 2:You're very long-winded, but it's okay, I was trying to express. It's always insightful, yes, it's always, uh, but that you know um.
Speaker 1:A part of that is going to go into our topic today.
Speaker 2:You want to bring us in with the topic yeah, so today we'll be talking about being fit but flawed, so like when the gym doesn't really fix your mind because a lot of people work out most people work out for the physical, but you can also do it for the other things that it does for you, which is the mental yeah the emotional. Like you know, the first episode. I was hitting it hard because I was trying to you want me to divert my energy into you. Know my breakup energy, the breakup energy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, never heard it that way.
Speaker 2:Crazy way I had to try to move it and put it into something else. So I tried to work out a lot, but that's a big one that you know. Like I said, a lot of people would work out so they can look good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it's more to it, so go ahead yeah, well, I was going to say that, um, you know, I know you said like you had your breakup energy and all these different type of things when you we talked about first podcast. To be quite honest with you, and this is just my observation, like what's your observation? Not of you, just a general observation.
Speaker 1:Um, so I think what people don't realize is, when they're in a gym working out, that you know how you feel like, oh man, with the gym I feel so much better. It's because you're literally whatever you're, you know you're dealing with that day, or you know in life you go in the gym and work out and if you have that same thing on your mind, you increase your capacity for it. So listen, if you're depressed and you go in the gym and work out, you're increasing your capacity for depression, so you have more room for it now, but that's not a good thing oh wow, think about it if, if you're angry, you say I'm gonna take my stress out in the gym, you're increasing your capacity for more, your your ability to, to, to hold more anger.
Speaker 1:Think about it and what I the reason I'm. I'm this. I say this is my perspective because I did an experiment, a little experiment myself, and that's why I said like, um, what I did was like I know for myself from the past, I used to work out a lot of anger. You couldn't approach me in a gym because it was so much anger and each individual, each, every time I worked out, I would increase my capacity for it. But what I realized is when I started to work on joy, I started to increase my capacity for joy. When I was feeling joy as I was working out, I was like, oh wow, like you're literally focused on whatever you're focused on in any meditative moment because you can technically call the gym like a movement meditation you increase your capacity for something. And I was like, wow, we are literally in the gym making it worse if we're dealing with something, because we think this is the place we go to have more room for whatever we're dealing with.
Speaker 1:I don't think it's a great thing to do. More room for whatever we're dealing with. I don't think it's a great thing to do. I think you know you can either have a lot of capacity for anger or just have more capacity for joy. You just choose. Most of us choose what? The ability to deal with more BS every single day. But we're not thinking about it like that. We're just saying, oh, it feels better because you have more room for it. So I think when it comes to fitness, you have a lot of people that are super fit but mentally they're like really going through. I've seen something like the fittest people. I've seen people so fit and their mental is like way left. You would never even know because they're dealing with so much stuff and they think like, oh well, my release or my you know outlet is the gym. No, you're in the gym increasing your capacity for whatever you're, you know upset about.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I want to debunk that. Okay For me personally about so, yeah, I want to debunk that, okay for me personally, because I've as much as I, as often as I've been hitting the gym which is this is the most I've been in the gym in a couple years just because of my previous work schedule.
Speaker 2:I don't feel that way, like I feel so peaceful feel peaceful like once I, once I walk in the door and wake up, do some cardio, to wake up real quick, I'm locked in and I leave the gym and I don't Whatever was going on two months ago. I don't think about that, that's good, but that's me, and I know that. What's your observation? It's more of a generalization. For a lot of other people, but I'm like the 3% of people that don't allow what you're saying to happen.
Speaker 1:So you're not focusing on that.
Speaker 2:Nah, when I lift the weights, I'm going to be like so you're thinking about joy.
Speaker 1:You're thinking about I don't know if you're thinking about joy, but you're thinking about peace and all these other different things. You're not increasing your capacity for the other stuff, so that's good. So that's good okay okay, that's a very interesting I'm telling you if you really think all right, if you want to rent it, if you want to run an experiment. This is dr gray talking if you, if you want to experiment.
Speaker 1:Um, it could be just a basic thought experiment, but you can use your mind. Obviously. You can say, okay, cool, today I'm just going to think about the thing that made me the angriest. I guarantee you you'll see the difference between your thought process and how you feel throughout the day.
Speaker 1:Or you go into today. I'm just like it's kind of like manifestation which is the super trend now. It's like what you think about is what you typically put out as your thoughts become actions, yeah, etc. So I think we and this is, like I said, my opinion I think a lot of times we increase our capacity for whatever we're dealing with, uh, when we're working out in jail which is you know, why do you think that someone can be fit but still struggle with their mental or um?
Speaker 1:so I think it's because you know a lot of us, we. So if we're going back to like, uh, addiction, right, we typically use something for an outlet. So it could be like you know picking up, picking up weights, you know strengthening ourselves. So we're trying to find something that makes us feel better or something that gives us that dopamine spike that gives us like, ok, cool, things are better.
Speaker 1:So I think a lot of times, individuals go into the gym and they get super, super, super fit for a lot of different reasons. Like, for example, I knew this girl in the gym and she would. She was small, she was like super, I thought she was fit. I'm pretty sure she. Well, I don't know what she thought, but but I kept saying like man, you're doing a lot of cardio. Like man, like you're getting getting lean. She's like, yeah, getting lean. Months later still doing the same amount, a lot of cardio. Like I know what a lot of cardio is. I've been a coach for years. I know what a lot of cardio is.
Speaker 1:And I sat down and asked her. I was like man, you do a lot of cardio. She was like, yeah, and she kind of broke it down. She was like when I was in high school, the guys teased me, like all the guys in high school teased me about being overweight. I was like, oh. So in her mind she's never forgotten that and that is that is like at the top of her list every single day how she felt in that moment, that they made her feel like she was, you know, overweight. So she, all, she did, all she's doing to this day, still to this day, is and you know, I think that's something individuals have to deal with themselves but she's increasing her capacity for, you know, fighting that, that, that feeling of never going back there, and it can be unhealthy Because that means that she's going to do cardio every single day to make her feel, to have that feeling right.
Speaker 1:Because she never wants to go back there. So that can be unhealthy too. So too much of anything can be unhealthy.
Speaker 2:That's true. I think that when we go to the gym or just working out, trying to beat with it, even if it's with your diet because sometimes you'll just change what you eat to improve your life I think that we shouldn't count out therapy because physically we're working out like our muscles in our body, that our body is a muscle but our brain is also a muscle and so I don't think that and people like therapy gets such a bad stigma.
Speaker 2:But it's nothing wrong with therapy or or just having a. You have a coach for your body. You can have like a what they call a life coach. Like it doesn't have to be a therapist if you don't want to take it so far as to therapy.
Speaker 2:Like you can get a life coach or and I know it's that it's gonna cost money and all that but the the trend that I've been seeing on tiktok, which is so funny, people are using like chat gpt as their therapist, like that's crazy, insane it. It's insane Really. Yes, like they'll say their problems to chat GPT and then you know they generate something for them and I guess that works for them. Wow man that just shows, how different things are these days.
Speaker 1:You know what People are more and this kind of is to relate to that. People are more inclined to express their feelings to something that doesn't respond to them or something that doesn't, you know have feelings, so they'll. They will go in the app and say I'm feeling this way today, but they'll see you and tell you, tell your whole bold lie, oh I'm feeling good yeah but they'll tell the app like I'm feeling sad today. What do I need to do? Why is that?
Speaker 2:I don't know. It might be like a, a judgment thing. I don't. You know, like you don't want to be judged, or a lot of people that and I'm I don't fall in this category, but a lot of people that are, you know, depressed. They don't want you to know that yeah, yeah and it could be them just not wanting it to follow. You like to put you in a funk, or make you question second guess how you feel about yourself or be, influential or whatever.
Speaker 2:They'd rather just put on a facade and make you think that they're good. Some people like to suffer in silence or suffer by themselves. They don't want to drag you into it. Go ahead. No, you got it.
Speaker 1:I don't want to drag you into it. Yeah, yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 2:No you got it, you got it and I don't. I don't see anything wrong with that, but I hate that because that's where the, when people, you know, start to unalign themselves. And I don't want to take the, the episode there, but I'm just saying it all goes together. Like I said, the brain is also a muscle, just like our, our biceps, triceps, quite all that it all goes together. And if we're working on our physical, we have to also work on our mental too.
Speaker 1:I agree, I agree. So there's a study out in the UK and this is kind of related to our topic. The study is where is this All right? It says about 78% of gym goers said working out positively impacted their mental health, which is great. But that means like about one in five did not feel better from the gym alone. So that means there's a percentage of people know that working out is not fixing their problems and also, inside that, 70 percent of gym goers. They probably just don't really understand themselves and mentally aren't like aware. So I want to ask you this question why do you think people burn more over the physical aspect instead of the mental aspect? So, if you think about it, people are more prone to follow and like people that look great, but they're not more prone to follow and like people that have, like you know, a great mindset or they're speaking like something of substance or something like that. Why do you think that is?
Speaker 2:Maybe because the person that they're drawn to on the physical, that's what they want to look like, and you have to realize that everything doesn't like my workout may not work for you, and you're a coach, so you have to tailor what you do for other people. You know you can't do the same thing because it might not work for everyone. You got to do a little something different and so maybe it's because what they see from that person is what they want to see for themselves, whereas with their mental they're gonna have to figure out how they can get to that happy place and you don't really want to do that.
Speaker 2:sometimes you don't want to open that door because you gotta figure out what happened. You gotta go to the past to figure out. Why are you? Yes, you gotta go find them, demons.
Speaker 1:Open that door because you got to figure out what happened. You got to go to the past to figure out, go and revisit some demons.
Speaker 2:Why are you? Yes, you got to go find them demons and cast them out.
Speaker 1:So it sounds like you're saying it's easier to become more physically fit than mentally fit.
Speaker 2:Yes, I think it really is, and I guess I've been there.
Speaker 1:That's why physical fitness is way more relatable.
Speaker 2:Yes, and then mental fitness wow, and it's easier to get to interesting that, that mental, I think you you gotta put you. You can skip the gym physically for a physical outlook. You don't have to work out every day yeah but that mental.
Speaker 2:You gotta work on your mind every single day. The one day that you skip it and fall back into these negative thoughts or these bad whatever that could be something that changes your life, whereas, like I say, I don't want to take it too dark, but you know what I'm saying. Like you might make a decision that you'll regret. Like you, you literally have to focus on your mental every single day yeah, in a positive way.
Speaker 2:Improve it, try to improve it every single day, whereas with your body, your body has to rest. Have I been resting my body? Not really, but you're supposed to that brain, that mental, you gotta work on it Wow.
Speaker 1:So there's another study I want to mention.
Speaker 2:It's such a doctor, phd of you, but go ahead.
Speaker 1:Well, it mentioned. This is super interesting. It says People that exercise More than three hours a day had worse mental Mental health Than others, than those who did not.
Speaker 2:Because you gotta be insane To be working out For more than I used to be that person. So I do wanna.
Speaker 1:I used to be that person.
Speaker 2:That's when I I was I think I was like Just out of school. I used to be in the gym For like four hours, can't lie. Get there at six, leave at ten. Get there at five, leave at nine.
Speaker 1:Bro, get there at five. Yeah, that's a lot, that's too much.
Speaker 2:That's a lot. I was a little bitty, that's how you know you feel I was a little bitty.
Speaker 1:But, that is, that's a lot.
Speaker 2:I can agree with that.
Speaker 1:I'm going to say something on that, then I'll go to the next stats and then we can go on some questions. But interesting enough. So during my journey last year I was doing two a days. Now I have a couple of different reasons I was doing two a days. One reason is because I, as a man, I went celibate. I didn't. I had no interactions intimately, physically, physically intimate. Well, I was not physically intimate with a woman.
Speaker 1:So I had a lot of mental power, obviously, yeah. So my body kept, my mind kept saying you need to train twice a day. So I was literally in the jail twice a day and it was. I think it was partly because I had a lot of physical energy, but also it was because and I realized, and I was trying to figure this out it was because my I was, I felt like my mom, my mind was gearing up to try to when I was trying to align with my body. So I think, yes, if you're doing three hours, that means you're dealing with something mentally for sure. If you're doing that much cardio, that much working out, you're dealing with something mentally.
Speaker 2:So I've definitely can relate to that for sure I want to jump in real quick I have done two a days before too, and it was back in the day, but I would do like. I would do it like where I do weight training in the morning and then, come back and do cardio. So every day doing two days? No yeah occasionally. So yeah, it was what I'm wrong with you.
Speaker 1:It's sad in the brain. Yo, it's okay, I was, I was. I think it helped me out a lot.
Speaker 2:You can talk about the fact that, like when you can talk about stuff, that's how you know you are, even if you're not 100% here. Like you get in there, but we know you here. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Well, no, usually when I'm like dealing with something I think I've heard a lot of people say this, a lot of you know big speakers when you're dealing with something either when you're super happy, super sad or whatever you need to take a step back to figure out what's making you that way. That way you understand and you can heal a lot better because you're no longer you're in it, but you still can understand it, so you know how to adjust yourself or adjust the situation. So that's what I was doing. I was like huh, why am I doing this? And I kept realizing, ah, and I was getting great sleep at night. Oh, I was sleeping really good, like that's. That's how my um, I was able to kind of get start back getting up super early because of that.
Speaker 1:All right, the next one this is a very interesting study here uh, last study, before we go into some more questions, is this is about eating disorder. It says a study in 2015 showed that 22 percent of males and about 59 percent of female fitness instructors had eating disorders or had eating disorder habits, which I 100 have seen. I like when I was a personal training director and I was hiring on trainers, I could see like the train most of the some of the trainers had eating disorder habits and you still hired them yeah, so um, I don't think you should discriminate based off somebody's like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no discrimination Right right, right, I think it was for them what I saw. It was more do what I say, not what I do for their clients.
Speaker 1:Okay okay okay, it wasn't. Like oh yeah, you know I don't eat, but once, like blah, blah, blah, I'll do this. Like yeah, no, it was not. I've seen, though, like a lot of instructors and coaches that I've hired, even, honestly, even some of your famous influencers are exactly like that. They have eating disorders or eating disorder habits, and I think you have to be very careful when you're seeing these individuals with these great bodies, because sometimes it's genetic, sometimes it's enhancements, other times it's like. Sometimes it's enhancements, other times it's like Poor Healthy habits, physical healthy habits, and If you have a poor Physical healthy habit, you probably have a poor Mental health habit.
Speaker 2:So I think that that's a very interesting stat you want to take that one out and the food, the food part, goes into it as well. It's very important If you're really being sincere about Wanting to work on your physical and your mental, because food, especially the food we eat now that can affect your mind too, so you have to be Cognizant of what You're eating and consuming too. Yeah, I think it goes hand in hand. It all ties together.
Speaker 1:I agree. There's another study that I was reading and it says um experts estimate about one in ten male gym goers may suffer from muscle dysmorphia, basically a fixation where, no matter how jacked they get, they feel small or never good enough. It's not funny, but I've seen like guys, like man. One of the things I really don't care for in the gym is when we're talking about the size of our muscles. I just never been interested in like, but some guys do it and I get it. But I'm like bro, like I don't want to talk about like your back. I don't want to talk about like how your pecs, your chest have gotten. I don't want to hear that Like, what are we talking about? But that's just me. Obviously, some of them like to do that.
Speaker 2:You know what would like kill a man's ego.
Speaker 1:What is that? Tell him, he got small legs. Yeah, tell him he's small.
Speaker 2:I done, did that before man to man almost cussed me out. He was like ooh, I am not small, what you talking?
Speaker 1:about yeah, don't do that, man, man, don't do that man, that right there.
Speaker 2:It's actually funny if you want to talk about that.
Speaker 1:Yo, how much, how much'm not owning it a lot but from what I've I've seen and uh, and the people I've talked to, I think it's a lot it, it affects, it affects what body part is important at the moment. Very interesting, it's very interesting. Like, at one point, if you think about, at one point at the beginning, most girls they were, oh, glutes, glutes, glutes, glutes, glutes. Right then they went to back, back, back back, like they're setting the tone of what's important and what people want to see. And I think a lot of times that is definitely unhealthy for some people, right Mentally, because they're focused on, they're focusing on looking a certain way, because the trend is a certain thing, and I don't really agree with that at all.
Speaker 2:I, I have a love hate for social media because you have to kind of try to wean out the ones that got the enhancements and they just doing something for content. Gotta wean those out. But I, I love it because I can see the ones that literally they, they record their entire workout and you know it's genuine. I, I also love so my phone. I, I have probably like 600 different workouts in my phone. Wow Like there's a folder in my phone that says gym From TikTok. It started off with Instagram first.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow.
Speaker 2:And then I went to TikTok and so people used to be like how do you make your workouts? I literally, before TikTok was what it was, because I think it was Musically or something before it was TikTok, because I think it was Musically or something before it was TikTok, I would go to Instagram and type in arm workout and just get a whole bunch of see the different exercises and be like, okay, I think I can do this. This was like earlier in my workout life.
Speaker 2:So that was like seven years ago and I would just make my workout based off of what I saw, and so I think that that part of it is helpful. Now, were they doing the form right? I wasn't looking at all that, I was just looking at the exercise. If I didn't really know what the name of it was, I'll like type out the, the movements that I saw or whatever, but I think that's the positive side of it. And then, like now with TikTok, you videos Somebody. What I don't like is those little workouts, the beginner workouts. They be like 15 minutes. Why y'all steering these folks? They can't do nothing for themselves for 15 minutes.
Speaker 1:Hold on, hold on For me that's me.
Speaker 2:I can't 15 minute workouts. Hey, Renee Trash.
Speaker 1:So I agree with your initial statement, I think and I don't take anything for social media because I try not to be on there but there is a good and bad and obviously I think the good is it provides individuals with some information that have that has no that they the ones that don't have any knowledge about, uh fitness.
Speaker 1:it kind of helps them get a start right yeah but it also can be toxic in a manner of you idolizing or you, you know, wanting, you know having a favorite person that you want the body like or whatever it kind of you know, increases the body dysmorphia you may have for yourself if you're not like that particular person. Now I think that you know the fit. Like just a statement you made about a 15 minute workouts, I think that's actually not a bad thing because it's working with clients. In the past I've seen that a lot of the clients don't have a lot of time and honestly, I would prefer, if you can get five or 15 minutes in per day to work out, I'm OK with that. Five or 15 minutes, I was in five. So my belief is you know, it takes about 21 days to build and break a habit.
Speaker 1:I think if someone can go in and build a habit of at least five minutes a day of some physical movement, it will increase over time. It will increase and that increase could lead up to 30 minutes full. And I think that's what people are missing. They're missing the fact that you have to start somewhere. You can slowly increase it. That's what the body missing. They're missing the fact that you have to start somewhere, you can slowly increase it. That's what the body is actually made for. You can't just go into the strongest man couldn't just go into and start lifting a thousand pounds. No, he had to work his way up. That's a whole part of training, right? People look at it in that particular way. So I think a lot of times people they frown upon a small or the short amount of time they should be working out well.
Speaker 2:I understand your perspective, but for me, in my opinion, I feel like once you got out, got out the bed, you woke up, got out the bed, got dressed, got in your car, drove to the gym, got out the car, scan in, you hear let's work like it don't work.
Speaker 1:You know for a fact.
Speaker 2:It doesn't work that way this is why I'm not a coach, because they'll be like we're here, yeah, let's go everybody's not a morning person, everybody's not like once I get to the get off work. Yeah, I'm not an afternoon workout person. I hate it it's a.
Speaker 1:I think it's a lot of like distractions before you can actually really jump into it, and a lot of people are lazy. Let's be honest. Some people just don't want to do it because it's work right.
Speaker 2:It's a difficult thing, but it all depends on the situation of the person. I feel like it's perspective, though, because this is some of the things I've seen on social media that they try to use as influence, because they'll say what is one hour out of your day Working out? You ain't work for eight hours, so that's perspective. Or even 45 minutes.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like that's nothing and we get 24 hours in a day, 24.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:What is one to work out? That's true.
Speaker 1:You know what it is Is a lot of people's mindset is exaggerated on what they have to do in that hour.
Speaker 2:Not like well, listen, If I can't get, if I can't wake up, it's going to be a bad workout. I got to get moving first, Get that heart rate up. So yes, but sometimes I'm that person and I jump girly up and down. But, I literally have to walk in that door and wake up a little bit before I get hype Like today. I just had to do like a couple minutes on the treadmill to wake up.
Speaker 1:So you know, I do the exact same thing. Like maybe the first 10,15 minutes I try to like I'm like walk, I'm like, you know, like, say, pacing around, but I'm doing like random things and then, and then I hit this like this high, I'm in it, let's go, don't talk to him, then y'all, I don't have any conversation because he wasn't smiling this morning I ain't even talking I was, I didn't talk to you today. I was like, yeah, I was in it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if I, I ain't even talking to you today.
Speaker 1:I was like yeah, I was in it. Yeah, if I don't lock eyes with you and make eye contact, probably not going to have a conversation, but I'm not going to be mean. If you come up I'm going to like okay.
Speaker 2:Uh-uh, because I don't like people interrupting me.
Speaker 1:So if I'm in the zone, do not interrupt. I repeat do not interrupt, not a repeat.
Speaker 2:Yes, he was locked in, jay.
Speaker 1:Stone is stretching his legs.
Speaker 2:Why have we brought him in here?
Speaker 1:Because he's the guy that's don't talk to him type guy Like he's living.
Speaker 2:Now used to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know reform.
Speaker 2:Yes, come on, healed, I'm a reformed individual now. I'm healed. But yeah, I guess it's just because you are a coach, because you have to look at things in a different way, I have to yeah, and that's fair, that's good.
Speaker 1:If I don't then I'll. And I think a lot of coaches or trainers kind of feel this. They won't. They're so biased in what they think and how they went about their journey that they don't understand their client's journey. And their clients end up quitting easy. So, yeah, yeah, journey that they don't understand, their clients journey and their clients end up quitting easy. So, yeah, yeah, yeah, all right. So this next piece. I did want to ask all right.
Speaker 2:So just in, in terms of what?
Speaker 1:we're talking about.
Speaker 2:What's the difference between?
Speaker 1:gym therapy, or the myth is oh so um. One of the the main things you hear people say is that the gym is cheaper than therapy. The gym is my therapy okay, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, those are, that's true, but why does it what? It is not true. That's true that it is that the gym is cheaper than therapy, that's true, but it's just a placeholder, like you. Like I said, we can't count out the, the mental part. You, you, if, if you're my coach yeah, I need to have a life coach or I need to have a therapist too. Agreed, like you, can't count that out and I just feel like the gym is only going to do so much for you and, like you said, it's just going to create space for you to be able to increase that capacity increase the depression, increase the anger, increase the peace.
Speaker 2:For me, you know what I'm saying and I I've. I just beat the statistics because I've just literally, I think being around you more because it's the most we've conversed in a very long time. Think being around you more because it's the most we've conversed in a very long time.
Speaker 1:Like being around you more.
Speaker 2:I'm like, bro, what I'm being upset for Right.
Speaker 1:You know, when we talk about soft life, I've been having a soft mindset for a while now. I love a soft mindset. Why am I like I'm not chipping over that small stuff?
Speaker 2:Like, why am I this video on TikTok a couple days ago the lady was like take three days, don't complain about anything, don't get upset about it, just don't complain. And I'm trying to think have I complained? If I gotta think about it, maybe I haven't.
Speaker 1:I don't think I've complained about anything in a long time, like even if it didn't go my way nah, cause I was late and you wasn't in that's crazy. I'm just. You just blew my mind like whoa. What if the last time I complained about something and really if I wasn't joking like I really wasn't complaining, but you like, I like how you broke that down in terms of, like you know, it could be in a sense what you're saying, it could be a momentary relief the gym um, but at the end of the day, the root cause of your issue you're not dealing with.
Speaker 2:No, and you can't compartmentalize. As important as it is to not be out of shape, to eat healthy or eat fairly healthy or eat clean. Your mental is it? It all goes together. Your brain controls everything and you have to make sure that you work that most. Hell go talk to a cat go talk to a dog. Cats out here in these streets I'm not, I'm just saying talk you.
Speaker 1:You gotta, you gotta find a way to release yeah I agree, um, what do you so, based off of that, do you have a story that you can relate to that, like I? I think, but I'll just say mine quickly. Personally, when I was dealing with something I used to gym I used to use the gym a lot but and I started to realize like it wasn't helping the issue, but it was making me feel better because I said it.
Speaker 1:It kind of gives you that momentary release and I realized that you have to do the mental work yourself, and I think that's what you're alluding to. Like you really have to sit down and focus on your mental like whether that's not working out, but what it is. A lot of people don't know how to sit. Still, a lot of people like to be like bored by themselves or they call it boring Like sometimes it's just you Having some time with yourself to understand you, to figure out, like I said in the beginning, what, in a particular situation, is making you feel a certain way, what's making you feel happy, what's making you feel sad, what's making you feel angry. Once you identify those things and you remove it, then you understand the circumstance and then you understand your feelings and emotions In those situations. I think we miss out on that a lot.
Speaker 2:I don't see anything wrong with spending time by yourself, and a lot of people don't like to be alone.
Speaker 1:Man.
Speaker 2:And it's not even like a single it's a single. No, like I'm saying, it doesn't even have anything. Even in a relationship you need to, or marry, you need to have that time of when you to yourself.
Speaker 1:A break. You need a break that?
Speaker 2:could that helps to you. You can't cling into somebody and I'm clingy. I love if I'm in a relationship.
Speaker 1:I love being around my person but I gotta have my space too you be in the right pocket no, no, not that much. But you got to have your space too.
Speaker 2:That's healthy it is Health.
Speaker 1:Yeah, space is 100% healthy. Yes, do you have anything else on that topic?
Speaker 2:What specifically?
Speaker 1:The gym. Well the fit, but flawed topic.
Speaker 2:Oh, fit but flawed. I mean I think that even you, being a coach, you, as healed as you are, you have your flaws, absolutely. And we're going to because we're human. We're not perfect. So I mean I don't think that anyone is unflout, but I do think that people really have to realize that that just get on board with the fact that that brain, that mind. If your mind not right, nothing is going to be right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think kind of like what you're saying is it's important to have a strong inside just as well as a strong outside.
Speaker 2:It all ties together.
Speaker 1:So if you're working on your physical, working on feeling, you know those feelings of peace, joy or whatever you or whatever you want to call it, then that's good. So don't run away from that and don't use the gym as your therapy outlet.
Speaker 2:I said that in the first episode.
Speaker 1:So we got a little time left. How much, how much do you risk.
Speaker 1:Me yeah, at least I try to rest. I try to rest at least a day or two, depending on. So here's the thing I don't like my workouts are not like they look intense but they're not that intense. It's because I'm just moving. Now, so what I mean by intensity. If we're putting intensity on a scale or a percentage, I'm just moving now. So what I mean by intensity.
Speaker 1:If we're putting intensity on a scale or a percentage, I'm probably going like 70 percent every single time and that's it and that's sustainable for me. I'm not going 90 percent, I'm not trying to push myself to the limit, because I have no reason to do that. So I can go about 70 percent of the time. If I can go 60 to 70 percent of the time, I can technically work out every single day without being burnt out, without being exhausted. So I think for me it's all about staying in that realm of 60 to 70% and I and I essentially just intuitively know how to train.
Speaker 1:So I don't like go in the gym. I gotta hit chest today. I gotta exhaust. No, bro, like no, nobody got time for that. That's why you're injured now, bro, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Like for me, 60 to 70 percent in the gym movements, and I always focus on functional movement, because who wants to be freaking? You know 80 plus or 60 plus and can't move right. So I think functionality is important, um, because you never know. Um, I think it's always important to kind of like, make sure that you're engaging yourself, unless if you're in some form of a competition, do what you got to do, if not 60-70%, every single day. I guarantee you that you won't feel burned out and you won't either despise or you won't feel addicted to the gym because you feel like it's not the place you're going for therapy. It's more of like a routine for you and it's a healthy routine if you don't rely on it as much. I think a lot of people rely on it because they go super hard and they're trying to, you know, be here, be there and be this and be that, and they kind of, like you know, make it a toxic thing.
Speaker 2:I think rest is important, but I know me so I try to just do active recovery. So if I'm even if I'm tired. Like matter of fact, it threw my whole week off because monday I was sleepy, so I just did 40 minutes of cardio okay and I try to usually do may wednesday, my active recovery day, but I was like I'm here, let me just hit this cardio and then I'm going to go back home and go to sleep. I saw you Monday and I was like a little grumpy.
Speaker 2:But I was sleepy, you were grumpy. I was like, look if I sleep, step back for a little minute.
Speaker 1:Let me wake up, get out of her way, bro, we're not. We're not Tired, no.
Speaker 2:Cause I love my wrist. But yeah, so I. I know that I should like Literally have those days when I don't do anything but NTP trying to like Close her rings. Yeah, every day, oh, you wanna.
Speaker 1:You wanna talk about that?
Speaker 2:I Listen.
Speaker 1:How Apple has made it Addicting to Close your rings and to work out. Try to make sure I close and then it bugs you when you don't hit. Oh hey, did you know you're not?
Speaker 2:you didn't meet your you just gotta walk in place for 30 seconds that's unhealthy but hold on, I get it so like it's.
Speaker 1:I think when it comes to fitness, there's some good and there's some bad, and there's some great and some great for sure some great great yeah, pun intended. Good, bad, great, yes, uh, but I think, um, especially with the apple watch and I we didn't even get into this, but a lot of times it can. It could promote healthy habits, but also promote unhealthy habits, depending on how much you rely on it. Do you know like? I feel like I can't work out if I don't have my apple watch?
Speaker 2:Yes, I know, but you don't have it on now, so you only wear Apple Watch when you work out.
Speaker 1:I've started to well, because now I'm into watches, because I got to be on my grown man In corporate America, in corporate America every minute?
Speaker 1:absolutely not, girl I'm not going to be in a meeting. We're in a professional meeting and no bro Like nah bro, hey look, your watch says a lot about you. Anyways, this is not a commercial for watches, by the way, but yes, I think it's important and I think the Apple Watch for me is kind of like OK, I'm taking a break from fitness. When I take my Apple Watch off, I'm not thinking about working out, I'm not thinking about closing rings, because I think it's a healthy balance. But when I have it on, I'm always looking at it and you get updates from everybody like oh man, first, such such close their ring, then it gets competitive. Competition is good. However, I think when it gets to the point to where it's unhealthy, you have to take a break. So, to keep things balanced, I wear my Apple Watch when I'm in the gym. When I'm not in the gym, I take it off.
Speaker 2:Wow yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm talking about like.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to close my ring. So that's why, even on the days where I probably should sleep in, because I've been saying, man, I just need a day where I just don't move, where I just don't do it, because I crank my car up every single day and I say I need a day where I don't do anything but I still end up doing something, I just feel like it's I don't see anything wrong with it. We got to walk, got to move anyway, yeah, so if I take a break from lifting weights, then I think that's that's good enough, is it? I know, I know I eventually I'm gonna take me a little day where I literally don't do anything and I'll get to that point where I, you know, take my upper watch off, but not right now yeah well, I mean, you know it's, it's a, it's a, it's a process getting there.
Speaker 2:I have a question why do you think? Why do you think? I guess it just has to do with society, but like a lot of it started out like everybody wanted this hourglass, like want to be thick, but now everybody want to be skinny. Like where that come from.
Speaker 1:It's a trend. It depends on what society is deeming acceptable at the moment, like, even with it's just like clothes and I hate to say it, like you know, one minute, like the camel craze, one minute, camel was in. The next minute camel wasn't in. Like, what are we doing Like? What are we doing Like? So I think it's all about the trend. So I think it's all about the trend and the trend. Unfortunately, social media controls society and because the youth are completely immersed in it and adults can't help but just be affected by it, I think that sucks.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I agree. Who wants to be skinny? I want muscles. Do you have anything else? That's it.
Speaker 1:That's all I had. Yeah, thank you guys for For listening in. You got anything you want to say to the listeners.
Speaker 2:No, just Hit the gym, but make sure you Work on your, your mental too, and don't let People that you see Don't Don't be so influenced by what you see On social media. Or even at the gym. I will say when I work out, if I see somebody doing something, sometimes I'll be like okay, okay, and I'll write it down and.
Speaker 2:I'll do it and see what it does for me, or because of the culture that we have at our gym, and going to the gym is like going to school you see the same people. Depending on what time you go school, you see the same people depending on what time you go. You see the same people every day. So I'll be like, hey, can I, can? I try that yeah and I'll do it, and if I like it, I'll incorporate it. So don't, but don't, don't be so influenced by what you see that you like.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm gonna do everything that they're doing so I can look like don't, don't be like that yeah, um, I think I'll say just you know, focus on your mental a little bit more and prioritize it more than you're prioritizing your physical. I think wherever your mind go, your body will follow. So if you are going to get, be a more peaceful and joyful person, you know, I think your body will follow that as well. So just just focus on that and whatever that is for you mentally, do it and trust that your body would, would you know, conform to that I like that way of my.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's the phd coming out out PhD coming out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah, that is it for our episode. Guys, if you are following us on TikTok, definitely message us If you got questions. If you have a question you want us to answer on the pod as well as YouTube. Youtube, we're dropping our full episodes. We're going to be dropping some clips as well. So, like share, subscribe. What is the TikTok? I hate when you do this, episodes we're gonna be dropping uh, some clips as well.
Speaker 2:So like share and subscribe. And what is the tiktok I hate when you do this I forget.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tiktok is at good, bad gray yes, good bad gray, if you're just listening to us on all platforms, obviously it's the good, the bad and the gray on all platforms. There you go, good job yeah, but on tiktok and on youtube, good, bad gray, so easy, uh easy to remember. So just find us like, share, subscribe, follow and we are out bye.
