Transcript
What's up, my bloggy friends? Famous Ashley Grant
here, and today I have a little bit of a different
episode for you. We're talking about fitness.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Ashley, this
is a blogging podcast. What are we doing? But
hear me out. Fitness has become a passion project
of mine. And for the last four months, I've been
busting my ash, trying to work out as much as
possible and move my body as much as possible.
And here's why this matters to you. Whether you're
a blogger who's working from home or you're stuck
at a desk job all day, we are sitting way too
much. And as my fitness instructor Rhonda Good
says in this episode, sitting equals dying. And
that hit me hard. Several of the things that
she said has hit me hard. But today I am sharing
a full interview with Rhonda. She's the incredible
woman who at 35 looked at our family's health
struggles and she decided to completely write
her own health story. She lost 120 pounds and
five dress sizes. And now she coaches others
through their own transformations. This conversation
is raw, it's real, and it's exactly what every
single person who works at a computer needs to
hear. If you're sitting at a desk job all the
time, or if you're sitting at home all the time,
I want you to grab your water bottle, maybe go
for a walk while you listen to this, do something
to get moving while you listen, because I think
by the end of this, you're going to be asking
yourself, can I have more movement, please? Let's
dive in. I'm just excited that you're here, and
welcome to the show. So we're just going to kind
of dive right in. You posted March 30th, 2018
about your gym anniversary. You had joined on
March 31st, 2011. And I'm curious as to what
was happening in your life at that time at 35
years old that made you join the gym. I was still
at a desk job and I felt horrible. I had come
out of working probably 70 hours a week and was
slowing down. And so I had more time. available
and thought, I really need to do something about
this before it gets out of control. Because I
watched my family and my mother and I thought,
and of course a coworker is who talked me into
joining the gym. And she lasted about four weeks
before she left me. And I looked around and thought,
you know, I don't notice anything physically
different yet, but mentally I feel better. I
feel better if I'm here. And so I just kept going.
And then when I wasn't sleeping in the middle
of the night, I was at a 24 -hour gym at that
point. So at 2 a .m., I'd still go back and I'd
walk on the treadmill. And I just kept going.
And I thought, I'm going to do this. I'm going
to change the trajectory of my life. I'm going
to do this for nobody but me. Whether there's
anyone next to me or not, I'm going to do this.
So a co -worker talked you into it, but then...
you kind of just fell in love with it? Well,
I was really determined not to be my mother.
Okay. And I tell everyone that there has to be
a driving force and it's usually not going to
be necessarily your partner or your best friend.
It's usually within you. And there has to be
something that says that whether you feel like
self -esteem and worth is worth it or not, that
I'm going to probably be here. And if I'm going
to be here, What condition am I going to be in?
Yeah. And another thing that you said led you
to it was the genetics factor. In multiple posts,
you talked about having really bad genes on both
sides, being headed in the same direction as
your family. Can you paint a picture for the
listeners as to what you were seeing in your
family's health that scared you? And how did
you break that generational curse? All of my
mom's generation, not her parents. But her generation
and all of her cousins were diabetic and high
blood pressure. They were diagnosed in probably
their 30s, 40s with high blood pressure first.
Then came diabetes. And diabetes, of course,
is very common. And when people are diagnosed
with it, it's often looked as if it's not a big
deal because you're given plenty of medication
to manage it. It's rare that people have doctors
that talk to them about how to address it without
medication because everything is handed to you
in pill form first. And as long as it's managed
that way and you're supposed to kind of watch
your diet a little, it's good. And then starts
the insulin slide where all of the oral meds
aren't going to control it because you also aren't
addressing your diet or your weight or anything
else. So now you're moving to needles. And then
you're moving to needles multiple times per day
and then you're increasing your dosage. And I
mean, this was early on, you know, for her in
her 50s, but watching all of them. And then I,
too, was guilty because I would go to family
reunions and there were no family reunions on
my mother's side until after my grandmother died,
which I thought was kind of interesting. It was
almost like they looked and thought, oh, people
just die because it was sudden. And I thought,
we should probably get together. And so you would
watch them, all of them, just pile a plate as
high as they could pile it. And it was almost
like a competition between the men, especially
sons and their fathers. And I would watch them
just go back and go back. And you would be guilty
of it too. Not that you were competing, but it
was just the environment you were in. And so
the photo that I post kind of here and there
on social media of me is not just a picture of
me like when I was bigger, but is a picture at
the reunion with my mother. And we both look
like we are just in a food coma because we are.
I mean, our eyes are like we look like we're
on drugs. And, you know, and when I look back
at that picture, I mean, it was like, wow. I
mean, that's, that's something. I mean, I looked
like I was drugged out and I'm sure that I had
just consumed all that food and it was an after
photo and I was huge, you know, and I was not
that old, probably, let's see, probably 23 at
that point. And so, um, I mean, I started gaining
weight as soon as I got married, which is very
typical because of lifestyle changes and lots
of females go on birth control and that doesn't
help. And I did all of that too. So it wasn't
just that I also had a desk job, but just looking
at that. And then my father's side, same thing,
all high blood pressure, all diabetic. His mom
lost half of a leg to diabetes before her ultimate
death from cancer. My father died from cancer,
but had diabetes the entire time. And so dying
doesn't scare me, as I tell everyone. Living
like that does, where you just are not in control
of your life because everything is built around
all of the medicines you take. You feel like
garbage all the time. You're not physically active
and you have no energy. And it just. compounds
because i don't feel well so i don't feel like
moving well i'm not going to move because i don't
feel well and i haven't moved in oh 10 years
and it's just you know and you just get used
to it you get comfortable in it but watching
all of them was i'm an only child with no children
by choice and so for me i was like there's no
one to take care of me yeah and so i really need
to do something about this before it's too late
because it can get too late yeah Yeah. It is
interesting that you said that you look like
you were drugged out because, you know, they've
done studies and they've shown that sugar is
has the same things, some of the same effects
as cocaine. And yeah, that's it is a drug. It
is a drug. Yeah. Well, back in 2020, you said
that you were down 120 pounds and five dress
sizes. And you shared a photo from when you were
25, gaining weight every year with that best
job, working 10 hours a day. Walk us through
the transformation of what it was like to start
making those physical changes, not just physical
ones, but who you became as a person through
the process. You know, at first when you start,
well, I think for most people, I mean, and everyone
will tell you that physical activity is the easy
thing to start and do. And it is. I mean. You
have to start, though. But once you make it a
habit, that's easy. Addressing your diet and
other things, it's not easy. I mean, most of
us want things that are quick and simple. And
I always cooked, but I cooked simple meals and
still do. So it wasn't that I was necessarily
eating out a lot, but I ate out more. I mean,
when I would go to McDonald's at my biggest.
And I was with my mother who would encourage
me to get more food because, honey, you're going
to be hungry if you don't. So I would get two
double cheeseburgers and a large fry and a soda
and consume all of it. And my mother would sit
there and look at me after she'd also eaten an
enormous amount of food and say, do we need to
go back through the drive -thru and get more?
I mean, it was just constant encouragement of.
You know, and I don't know if because my my parents
didn't live through the depression. So it wasn't
that it was just this mindset that they had.
So you kind of have to unlearn that, that, OK,
I may still eat some bad things, but I also know
that I should probably stop at a certain point
instead of just not stopping as I'm eating, you
know, because people don't really understand
for the most part when they're actually hungry.
Because it's, well, I eat at this time of day
every day or I eat this much every time I eat
or I always I don't like leftovers or I don't
want to throw food out or whatever it is. And
so they just keep going back. So you kind of
have to unlearn that, too. And I think that's
the first step from normal people that aren't
going to get on these fad trains of doing all
kinds of crazy things is that when am I actually
hungry? So am I going to slow down and eating?
Because that's the other thing, too. People eating
while they're driving, people eating while they're
working at the desk, people eating all the time
because they don't realize it. Or while they're
watching TV. Or watching TV or whatever. Everything's
mindless, you know. So it's stopping and saying,
oh, I'm full. Yeah. I don't need any more, whether
that's potato chips or whatever. I mean, I'm
full. And then as you change your diet, I mean,
I stopped eating fast food completely. I didn't
give up soda for. probably the first year, just
because it was like, well, I'm definitely not
seeing the results I would like to see. And I
was a Mountain Dew drinker, which is common in
this state anyway. And, you know, I mean, as
far as like how many I consume today, I don't
know, but probably three, four. I've never been
someone who has to have liquid with me all the
time. So it's not as if I just drink, drink,
drink, because I didn't do that. I've never done
that. I don't do it with water. I just, I don't.
And there's a lot of times I don't drink with
a meal. Because I don't necessarily feel compelled
to drink. I drink when I'm thirsty. I drink when
I'm working out. But it was the small steps like
that. Because I've never taken any gigantic,
crazy steps with food. I mean, I still eat, you
know, carbs and chocolate, as I tell you, every
day. Now, yesterday, at the end of the day, I
was like, did I eat chocolate today? And sometimes
I have to think about it. And it's like, oh yes,
I did. Okay. Well, you've consumed your amount
that you should have today. So you've had to
think about it. You must feel like you need some
more, but you're not going to do that. But now
we all have bad days, whether that's emotional
or whatever. And there are some days when I go,
oh, I'm going to eat it again. Yeah. I don't
care. I'm going to eat it again. Yeah. You know,
or I'm going to go to Cold Stone and get the
biggest thing of ice cream in the chocolate dip
cone with chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Because
I know I work out every day and I'm going to
eat it, you know, but I don't do that weekly
even. Yeah. So it's just a it's just a change
of I'm still going to have treats. I'm still
going to eat what I want, but I'm probably going
to manage it better and eat less of it and maybe
less often. Yeah. But, you know, so it's all
that that you have to. And then as your mindset
changes and you physically start seeing changes,
of course, you became more confident. I mean,
of course you do. Yeah. That's part of it. And
then as you become more confident, many times
the people around you get really threatened.
And it's very common. And I tell people a lot
that, you know, do not be surprised when your
family who isn't willing to do the work. Because
my mother, up until she died, you're doing too
much. You're going to burn your body out. You're
working too hard. You're doing too much. You
know, and I always used to tell her, well. It's
going to wear out. So I can either wear it out,
working it out, or I can wear it out sitting
like you're sitting 25 hours a day. Like I'll
take this. It is better. It feels better. So,
you know, so, but it's just, and it's very interesting
because most people deal with body dysmorphia
when you start and you are always going to see
yourself as the big person. And even now in the
mirror, when I look at myself, when I see my
shadow, Like in the sun. I mean, I'll never forget
the first time I really noticed my shadow in
the sun. I was like, who is that? Because you
just don't believe that you're that size. So
when you go clothes shopping, you go a size or
two too big. And some people are just more comfortable
in bigger clothes. I mean, you know, I don't
necessarily want a tight shirt for a lot of things,
but there's also just going in a dressing room
and going, oh, I can wear a medium. Or, oh, a
small fit. Wow. You know, wow. Because, you know,
you never really think that you'll get back to
that. But that's also part of the realization,
too, is that if you're starting in your 30s or
your 40s or your 50s, that you're not going to
have the body you had when you were 18 and 19.
It's not going to happen. And that's OK, because
you really don't want to have anything back from
18 or 19 because you were usually really young
and stupid. You know, so it's just what can how
can I be the best version of this age? And what
does this age look like for me when you look
around you and see other people that are your
age and younger and how horribly they live? Yeah,
they're all like in pain. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So
you've been adamantly consistent about one thing
across everything that you've ever posted. No
pills, no patches, no shakes, no surgery. Yeah.
And you even mentioned that watching your mother,
your outlook became eat less, move more, stay
away from pharma. So since you're so opposed
to quick fixes, what do you say to people that
want the easy way? There's always a side effect.
Always. May not be soon. You may not notice it
immediately. But ultimately, there are always
going to be downfalls from taking the quick route.
It's going to affect you physically in some way.
I mean, I have not known one person before Ozempic
and all the shots. I've not known one person
that had any kind of weight loss surgery that
didn't have lifelong side effects from it. Not
one. And some are severe where they've got to
go back and have more surgeries. Some is just
constant stomach problems, constant. You know,
but I've never known one. And so, you know, all
the quick fixes and all the, I mean, you remember
back in the day when it was legal speed, like,
I forget, it started with a D, but there was
a diet pill that was on the market for years.
And then there was FinFin. But all these things
were pulled after they realized that, oh, this
is really causing heart attacks in people, you
know, because it's legal speed. And so, again,
I mean, if we're trying to get healthy. And then,
I mean, if you're if you're going to just let
your heart explode, then just let it explode
from being fat and eating whatever you want.
I mean, so, you know, I just I don't believe
in farm at all. So, you know, so I would I'm
like, stay far, far away from it. And there are
always going to be people who say, well, I've
had no side of it. They're always and I'm sure
there probably are. Yeah, there's always a small.
percentage of you know and lucky them yeah lucky
them yeah i mean i don't know if you know this
or not i think i did tell you but i'm not sure
12 years ago i did try the shots and pills i
was uh you know doing those phenamine pills and
and all the crap and i lost 80 pounds And then
I gained it right back the second I stopped.
Oh, yeah. And I remember getting an EKG and the
doctor literally saying to me, your heart seems
like it's going to stop. Like, what is happening?
What are you doing? And they were like, you should
not be doing what you're doing. Yeah. But yeah,
I gained it all back. And it sucked. Yeah. I
mean, that's the thing with almost all quick
fixes and all fad dieting, which is why I don't
prescribe any of it, including keto. I know sugar
is bad for you. I mean, I know that. I'm not
stupid. But I also think it's. unrealistic for
the majority of the population to say, I'm not
going to eat sugar. And I understand too, that
it's a withdrawal thing. Yeah. I mean, if you
really stuck to it and took it out of your diet
for at least a month, I'm sure you'd feel much
better. I'm sure I'd feel much better, but it's
just not a bridge I'm willing to cross. Not right
now. Maybe I will someday, but you know, right
now it's not going to happen. You gotta have
a chocolate, gotta have happy foods. Yeah. Well,
let's talk about consistency over motivation.
You posted motivation subsides over time. Discipline
is required to keep going, keep showing up and
working out even when you don't feel like it.
Those who quit lack discipline. That was pretty
direct of you. So talk to me about the difference
between motivation and discipline. Well, everyone
is motivated when you start because you're motivated
when anything is new, whether that's a new job,
exercise, a new relationship. Everything's fun
when it's new. And then everything loses its
luster. Over time. So then you have to make a
choice. And all of my folks will tell you what
they drag themselves into the gym. They don't
feel well. They always feel better when they
leave. They may not feel great. I mean, they
may be getting sick. They may have had a bad
day. They may be exhausted, but they still feel
better when they walk out the door than when
they walked in the door. Period. And that's just
the way it works. Yes. Yeah. But I mean, that's
the way it works. Well, how do you show up on
the days you don't feel like it? Well, that just
probably comes from work ethic more than anything
else. I mean, I never called into work on my
desk job until the very end in the last few years
when I really, really, really hated it. And then
I started using up some time because I was like,
oh boy, because I never took vacations or anything
else. And so I started taking some time off then.
I'm a hard worker and I always have been since
I was 17. I mean, I started working full time
at 17. So it's just what's in me. And I know
that regardless of how I feel, I show up because
they show up and they always show up. Period.
At least a few do. Yeah. Yeah. Get a get a rotating
revolving door of people. Yeah. Yeah. So, you
know, and if you don't show consistency, I mean,
most people. are looking for consistency period
in all aspects of their life and so they know
they're going to get it with me they know that
I'm never going to cancel a class or call a sub
and so I'm there they don't want to come see
me that's fine but they always know I'm going
to be there and so I wouldn't I don't even consider
no matter how bad I feel no matter how tired
I am I still drive myself in Yeah, I remember
even the day after your mom passed you, you were
there, and I was shocked that you showed up.
Yeah, yeah. Well, switching gears, you say the
scale is a liar. You said you always tell people
to measure when you start, and the scale moves
very slowly and will disappoint you every time.
So if not the scale, what should people be tracking?
Definitely measurements and then how their clothes
fit, obviously. Everyone has their favorite pants
or... their favorite shirts or whatever the case
may be. So as you start working out and your
body changes, you'll notice that not only do
you lose inches, but your body just shifts. Things
just shift. That's just how it goes. And then
for a very long time, like every six months,
I would notice shifting because it was like,
hmm, I can't point it out, but. This shirt fits
different than it did, you know, and so it's
definitely not. And people talk about non -scale
victories all the time. And those are definitely
something to take note of. I mean, if you can't
climb a flight of stairs without losing your
breath and then you can, clearly that's a victory.
But when it comes to you and looking at your
body every day, because none of us are happy
with what we see. I mean, that's just human nature.
um, you know, you have to, you have to really
track like measurements and how things fit that
you have been wearing for the last two years.
You know, every time you grab that pair of pants
and then they start getting too loose or the
butt sagging or they're falling off. And then
it's like, Oh, so something really is happening.
Yeah. Well, it's like, even today I'm wearing
a shirt that I haven't been able to wear in 10
years. Yeah. There you go. Um, and I remember
one of the posts that you did, there was a picture
that you had posted and you said that, uh, When
you were filling out your retirement paperwork,
you were wearing an extra large and the shirt
you were wearing that day was like a small, I
think it was. And I was just like, yeah, that's
what I want. Yeah. Yeah. So you've repeatedly
said that eat chocolate and carbs every day that
you do that. But you also said I do not endorse
no carbs and no happy foods. But how do you balance
what you're eating and enjoy it while you're
still seeing results? Like what's your approach
to food that doesn't feel like deprivation? Um,
I try to manage things. So, um, I mean, I still
am. Pasta is my favorite thing in the world.
I could live on pasta. Uh, and so I used to,
what I used to do is, um, and I would always
justify it is I would get those nor, uh, little
bags of pasta. Yeah. 600 calories. Okay. So I
would eat that for lunch and be like, this is
600 calories. Everybody eats 600 calories at
lunch. I mean, 600 calories. So, you know, I
would have that for lunch and then I would fix
dinner and fix meat and vegetable and then more
rice -a -roni or whatever, you know. And it was
like, yeah, well, you know, whatever. So now
if I'm going to have pasta for dinner, which
I do, not daily, but I mean, I do, you know,
as my main course kind of thing. I mean, I'll
throw in some meat and veggies on it with it,
whatever. But at lunch, I'll have a salad, which
I have every single day. And yes, I'd never get
tired of my salads. And I know people think,
how can you eat the same thing every day? And
I think that a lot of people say that it's like,
well, when you're going to fast food restaurants,
you don't think about the fact that you're eating
the same crap like a burger from here or a burger
from there or, you know, or fried chicken. I
mean, it's really like all the it's all the same.
Like, you know, so I mean, people don't really
think about that. So. I stick with my salad every
single day. It's the same. I may vary what I
put on it slightly. And no protein. I do not.
And I don't eat heavy during the day because
I work out again at night. So my heaviest is
at night. And I usually don't eat until 8 o 'clock.
And no, I don't go to bed at 9 or 10. So, I mean,
I have that conversation with people all the
time, too. You shouldn't eat that late. And I'm
like, well, what time do you eat dinner and what
time do you go to bed? Yeah. So to me, it's just
like I don't get home until after seven. So I
eat at eight, but I also don't go to bed until
twelve or one. Yeah. So it's about the same,
you know. So I don't really think it's detrimental
because to me, it's apples and apples. Like you're
up four hours, you're up four hours after you
eat dinner, whatever the case is. So I just try
to manage like if I'm going to eat pasta, you
know, at night, then maybe I'm definitely not
going to have a baked potato with the salad.
that day maybe i'll have soup a lot of times
these days i'm just eating the salad that's all
i'm eating in the middle of the day and having
a protein drink like a muscle milk in the morning
if i'm really really hungry i'll throw a bagel
or something into the mornings but i'm back on
the muscle milk train right now so yeah so i've
been doing that most mornings and salad and then
i eat dinner at night and then usually i have
the chocolate after the salad Usually. I always
have a salad first and it's like, oh, it's time
for chocolate. Yeah. So what's your go -to fixings
for the salad? What do you put on it? Has to
be a spring mix. I prefer a 50 -50 blend. I don't
mind spinach, but I have to have some colorful
lettuce. So here I am at the grocery store every
week and I vary between two stores that I shop
at all the time, but I get the big plastic bin
of salad. So here I am looking at it. To see
if it's colorful enough for me and if it's also
not wet. Because in the plastic bins, they last
all week if it's not wet. So this week I couldn't
find any that was sufficient that I liked. So
I went with my spring mix, but it was too much
greens. So then I went and bought some artisan
lettuce and some purples to add to it. So that's
first. It's got to be colorful. I do not want
any iceberg lettuce in my salad. I think that's
just a cardinal sin. There's no nutrients in
that anyway. So it was, it just tastes like water,
you know, and it's usually wet and I, I like
a dry salad. So, um, uh, cherry tomatoes, they
gotta be cherub or sweet tomatoes. I don't like
just any tomato. The Ruby Reds private selection
are the best. Cherub tomatoes, um, cucumbers,
sugar snap peas, feta, always feta. throw on
some croutons they got to be the fat ones though
like puffy fat they can't be those cheap looking
square ones that are hard they got to be like
the Texas Roadhouse crunchy spongy ones so I
get those and garlic butter throw a few of those
on and some ranch but I don't drown my salad
in dressing like some people like I put a good
amount but not you know how some people are just
so anyway So, yeah, that's it. That's the go
-to every time. Now, this one's kind of a vulnerable
one, and if you don't want to answer it, if it's
too personal, just tell me again. I don't want
to answer it. But in February 2025, this year,
just weeks after your mother had passed, you
wrote, her retirement years were plagued with
nothing but sickness and disease. It didn't have
to be this way. My biggest fear is her last year,
and I'll do everything I can to avoid it the
right way. How did watching your mother's health
journey shape not just your fitness goals, but
your entire philosophy about aging and what you
want your future to look like? Watching my mother,
because my father passed, he was 69 when he passed.
So it's been seven years. And then my mom's brother
passed at 65. Wow. And so she lived longer than
her family. including almost all of her cousins,
which was astonishing to me because although
they were all in equally bad health, she was,
I would have considered her the weakest of all
of them. And she lived the longest. So I didn't
really realize how just how stubborn she was
until probably the last year. And I mean, I guess
that's what kept her here. I mean, she was Really,
really stubborn. And I know people, when they
age, there's a lot of personality changes and
things like that. But she was extremely stubborn
and could not leave the house at all the last
almost two years of her life. I mean, it was
definitely a solid 18 months. It was really close
to two years. So could no longer get up from
a chair and walk to the car. And the car was
parked, not in the garage, but right at the bottom
of the steps. So she was in a small house, had
to walk through one small room and get down three
or four steps, no matter which door she chose
to get to the car and could not do that. And
could not go down the steps to get in my car
and couldn't do it. So housebound, literally
housebound. And then also got to the point where
she could barely. make it to the bathroom. So
I had to start using a porta potty inside the
house and, you know, and someone having to constantly
clean that and clean her. And it was just in,
and at the end, I mean, bed sores, all the things
that come with it from setting all the time.
And so she had a lift chair that she ordered
in the last year of her life because she could
no longer physically get up. and she dislocated
her shoulder trying to clean herself after going
to the bathroom. Oh, my God. And it was really
downhill from there, really downhill. But, man,
was it a long hill slide. It was long. I mean,
and I kept thinking, how much physically worse
can someone get? So when my mother would sit
in her recliner, her stomach was so big that
it would literally almost touch the floor. And
because she'd been big for years and then had
no stomach muscles at all. I mean, that's what
happens because when you have no muscle tone,
that's what happens. And so just sitting her
slumped over again, drugs out of her mind between
all of the meds she was on for all of the ailments
she had. And then sometimes I would come in and
bring her food. And of course, I gave her whatever
she wanted, whatever she asked for. That's what
I got. Because at this point. There was, who
cares? I mean, and so whatever she wanted. And
there was more than once that she was, her sugar
was so low. I couldn't even get her awake enough
to eat. I mean, she was completely, but yet not
in any, I did, I did call one time. I did call
EMS one time because I couldn't even get her
to come to herself enough to even acknowledge
me there. Wow. And her sugar when they got there
was like 54. But other times it was just a typical
like she was just out of it. We just sitting
prison in your own body. Wow. And you can't do
anything. I mean, her mind was I mean, her her
mind was definitely affected at the end. Don't
get me wrong. But, you know, prior to the last
little bit, I'd say the last six months, you
really declined mentally, too. But prior to that,
I mean, it's just, you know, mentally, you're
OK. to be in that age range. I mean, you're okay,
but yeah, just a prisoner in your body and a
prisoner in your home where you can't do anything.
You can't leave. You can't do anything. I mean,
we all have days where we don't want to leave
our house or we don't want to do whatever, but
to not have the choice. Oh no, I'm out. And so
it kind of made you double down on fitness. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. I can't even imagine. Yeah. I can't
even. Like, cause I'm, I'm watching things with
my own mom right now and it's just, it's hard.
It's really hard. Yeah. It's really hard. Yeah.
Cause there's nothing that you can do. And like
with her, I mean the time, I mean, I remember
when she was in the hospital for some ailment,
probably three years before she died, maybe four,
you know, she comes home and it's like, I want
to try to do better, you know? So I'm showing
her some exercises she can do in the chair. You
know, if you'll just start trying to do this,
lift your knee off the ground, lift your leg
off the ground, lift your arms above your head.
Try to walk from here to there. Get the walker
and try to just walk from here to there. We're
talking five steps and back. You know, OK, OK,
I'll try. I'll try. You know, and it would last
for not even a week, you know, and then at a
certain point, there's nothing you can do. Except
watch it. There's nothing you can do. And so,
yeah, I mean, whatever she wanted. I mean, her
order of food of Christmas last year. Because
I told her when I left Christmas Eve, I said,
OK, so Sonic opens at five on Christmas Day.
So because, you know, most places are closed.
So send me what you want. It was. five or six
menu items and at the end of the text it said
I know this is a lot but it's what I want and
she didn't want more than a bite or two of all
of it you know each thing but it was you know
queso and chips and tater tots and a burger and
a milkshake and I mean whatever I mean it was
just I mean, the order was like $37. And when
I went through the drive -thru, I thought, you
know, you just get whatever she wants. Because
there was no arguing with her either. I mean,
you just could not, you couldn't reason with
her. And so, you know, and there was nothing,
there's nothing you can do. You just have to
go along. And, you know, I used to think, I have
no idea what will ever take her. Because I could
not believe the condition that her physical body
was in and that she was still breathing. Just
could not believe it. And it's always some random,
weird, most of the time thing, you know. And
what finally got her was a final UTI and an antibiotic
that absolutely sent her out of her mind. Wow.
That had to be so hard to watch. It was a rough
week. Yeah. It was a rough week. Do you feel
like it's changed you? Or that it's just made
you, like I said, just double down on fitness?
No, it's changed me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you
want to talk any more on that or do you want
to move on? Move on. Okay, let's move on. Well,
it sounds like a good time to talk about mental
health. So mental health and movement. You had
mentioned in 2020, in January 2020, that the
endorphins from exercise have a larger effect
on your mind than your body at first. You said
feel better mentally, watch depression, anxiety,
and lethargy. I can't even say that word. Minimize
and then watch your body transform slowly. Let's
talk about the mental health benefits you've
experienced. How has moving been medicine for
your mind? I think for a lot of people, you know,
I mean, especially now in today's world, I mean,
everybody's diagnosed with something, which,
and I'm not trying to minimize it, but it's literally
everywhere. And I think most people know, especially
if you're older than, say, 20, that smartphones
and social media are where we're at mentally,
period. Because no one interacts anymore with
people. People don't know how to interact with
people. They're not comfortable with it. They're
kind of lost. And so most people are just lost.
And they're in these mental jails because they
don't know how to do anything outside of the
box that's in their hand. And they don't know
how to communicate with people. They don't know
how to relate to people. And they don't get out
and do things for the most part. And if they
do, they're still on their phone the whole time.
And so at the gym, you don't, for the most part,
see people on their phones. They're there to
work out. It's a forced phone break. Now, I've
met a couple that do, especially in spin class.
I still think it's weird because to me, it's
like it's 30 minutes. Can you not give your mind
a break for 30 minutes and just work out? I mean,
whether you're thinking about nothing or bubbles
in the air or whatever. I mean, even if your
mind is blank, but just let it be blank. Yeah.
So we're afraid of that. You know, but I think
that just working out in an environment with
people that you can choose to interact with as
much as you want or not. And then moving has
such a huge effect. And it's the whole groupthink
mentality that is both a positive and a negative
can be a very negative thing. But at the gym,
groupthink is the best thing you can have because
it'll be those people that. encourage you or
ask you where you've been or all the things.
And, you know, and there's some that are annoying
about it. The attendance monitors. Yeah. I mean,
there are, but, and, but those are the people
that, you know, will make you accountable. And
so there's just something about being somewhere,
working out everything that is happening in your
life. And a lot of people, I mean, I tell people
like, that's why med ball slams are so fun, but.
It's like for most people, it's working out whatever
you're feeling, whether that's anger, sadness,
whatever it is. You typically can let go of it
for that amount of time during a class, usually.
I mean, and I have I mean, I've had days, especially
during sicknesses of my mother. I mean, I've
had days where I break down in class. It happens.
But, you know, I just keep going. But. I've had
people break down in class. I mean, it happens.
But most of the time, people can just focus on
the current present where they're at. And that's
a huge mental release for everyone. And then
when people choose to not go to the gym and something,
I mean, things happen. Life happens. Work happens.
All that. It tends to be that when people stop
going because of X, Y, Z, and then they don't
go back or they take an extended break, you can
watch their mental health and they will tell
you that their mental health will suffer significantly.
Because at first it was, well, no, I couldn't
go. And then I, oh, well, I'm not going. And
then, oh. And so they'll find themselves back
in the serious black hole that they started in.
So, yeah, I can definitely relate to that. And
part of the reason I chose group fitness is because
I knew that I needed other people around me and
I knew I needed other people to kick my ass if
I didn't show up. Yeah. So, yeah, it's good stuff.
It's good for the mental health. It's good therapy.
Yeah. Especially whenever you're really angry.
No, it is. It is. Yeah. Yeah. And because murder
is wrong. That's right. And those are the days
you pick up heavier weights and stuff. So, yeah.
And try not to get hurt. Yeah. Well, one thing
that appears in a lot of the posts that were
like earlier on, I haven't seen you post this
much recently, but you said in 2018, God gives
me the passion and energy to do what I do. He
protects my body every day. Does faith still
interact in your fitness journey? It does. I
mean, I think that, you know, most people call
me things like the legend and all this sort of
thing because I've been working out at the pace
I have for so many years. But, you know, everyone
has. times in their life when it's just a job.
And that's for everyone, no matter what your
job is. And this for me is definitely my passion
because of my background. And I do believe that
it's amazing that I haven't been injured, like
seriously injured because of the pace that I
go all the time. And it's as I tell people and
you, you know, that it's not as if I'm just working
out at the gym. I mean, I also walk the dog tour
three times a day and then do all the other things.
So, you know, in that regard, I mean, I did hurt
my knee one time and it was in 2018. And it,
you know, I don't know exactly what I did. I
mean, both of my knees hurt now, but that's beside
the point. But I was in a break. I had to wear
a knee brace and I probably wore it for maybe
like a week at the gym. I still, of course, did
all my classes and was like, yeah, you know,
suffer through. And I went to church Sunday and
I never asked for anyone to pray for me ever.
And I was like, I need y 'all to pray for this
knee because it really hurts. And I don't know
what's happened. And it's my job. And I was also
like, it's my job. And if I don't go to work,
I don't get paid. It's my job. So I was like,
and so, and then at the same time, because this
is just how life works. My father ended up in
hospice that week. And so I was lying on the
floor in his room with a heating pad wrapped
around my knee with a brace on it and lying on
the floor spending the night there, you know,
and then getting up and going to teach class
the next morning. You know, I was like, well,
you just got to get through it. But I do believe
that there is definitely. some protection and
that like, he knows this is my purpose and he,
he keeps me as safe as possible. And he also
tells me when I'm doing stupid things and to
back off a little bit. And I mean, I do, and
you know, and I have to, I have to nurse things
now. And, um, you know, things that used to hurt,
not very often hurt way more now, way more often.
I mean, they do. And part of it is age and part
of it is, well, teaching 25 hours of class for
the last 15 years. um, and doing them, you know,
as we say, I do the classes, I don't just stand
there. So, um, but yeah, I think there's definitely
a little bit of a divine protection. I mean,
I'm not stupid. I mean, I don't think that I
have some magical power or anything like that,
but, and, and I'm very cognizant of the fact
that I just turned 50 and, um, that, you know,
I don't know how much longer I can keep up the
pace I go. Yeah. I mean, physically, I don't
know. Cause some days I'm like, yeah, cause there
are some things that, I mean, I expect my shoulders
to hurt and I expect my arms to hurt and I expect
my hips to hurt. And I mean, you know, and I
expect my knees to hurt. But then there are some
days where that knee is like, oh, and then there
are some days my lower back is like, oof, and
back scares me. I tell everybody, backs scare
me. So it's the one thing that, you know, and
it's why I try to preach to people about how
they're doing squats and how they're doing things.
Because most of my folks are not young. So that's
why you'll do the modifications. Yeah. But yeah,
so. Well, do you think, do you see taking care
of your body as a spiritual practice? Well, the
Bible does tell you that the body is your temple,
is the temple of God. So, you know, and there's
a whole thing in the Bible about gluttony too.
People get real mad about that. But, you know,
if it is God's temple and it's, you've been given
it to take care of. I mean, we're supposed to
take care of ourselves spiritually, mentally,
and physically is definitely a part of that.
So I think that that's what we're supposed to
do. I mean, we're supposed to labor to eat. We're
supposed to work and to do the things that we
need to do to survive and thrive in this life.
You're going to have to be physically fit to
do it. This is true. And I have read that I pray
more in your classes than anywhere else. God,
don't let me die. God, don't let me cast out.
God, don't let me throw up. Well, one thing that
you've said a lot is I'm not for everyone. You've
acknowledged this a lot. Finger style isn't for
everyone. So you've even mentioned that some
people are scared of you and that you chase people
down after class. If you were to put it all in
a bow, what would you say is your teaching style?
Like who thrives with you? Oh, definitely people
that want to work hard and push their own limits.
You know, because I tell people all the time,
you can always do more than you think you can.
And that's just for everyone. And, but when people
are brand new, I also, you know, if I see them
pick up 10 pound weights as they're, even they're
bigs, I'm like, probably shouldn't do that. You
know, I mean, if you want to argue and you want,
okay, okay. But I'm going to tell you, you probably
shouldn't do that when you're just starting out.
So, you know, but I mean, I had two brand new
people in class last night. They seemed real
happy. I mean, they're young, you know, and I'm
like, that's why they're happy. You can't kill
them. They're young. But I think people that
want to work hard and, again, people that want
consistency are the ones that stay with me because
they know I'm always going to be there and I'm
going to do my best to make them work hard. So,
yeah, those are definitely my people. Lazy people
are not my people. And people that just want
to check a box are not my people. Well, that's
why you said the first year and a half I was
working out with you, I wasn't actually working.
It didn't count. At least I got serious. Yeah.
Yeah. So and who knew that when I finally started
listening to you, the changes actually started?
Who knew that was going to happen? Well, let's
talk about success metrics. You said it's not
class numbers anymore, but rather it's people
getting stronger, getting off their meds, improving
mental health and being able to do everything
they need to do. Tell me about some of the success
stories that have meant the most to you. Well,
I mean, some of my folks like other people weren't
there when they started, so they didn't see them.
So, you know, I've watched people take off 30,
40 pounds. And if you look at them right now,
you would think. Well, gosh, they look kind of
skinny or whatever in today's society. But for
them, 30 or 40 pounds was big for their frame,
for their body and for their knees. As you know,
every pound of weight is three pounds pressure
on your knees. So in watching them get stronger
and start with small weights and grow into big
weights for them, you know, go from fives to
15 pounds. And maybe we'll push that over their
head. I mean. That's what is great because it's
not about the fact that you can do that, but
it's about the fact that when your body can do
that and you're building muscle and you're stronger,
you're just going to have a better future because
you've got muscle tone. And watching my people
that are definitely in their senior years and
they're still doing yard work and all their grocery
shopping, they're not grocery delivering. Most
of them. I mean, they're still doing the things
that you have to do to live, you know. And when
you're 80 years old or 70 years old and you can
still do everything that needs to be done around
your house, whether that's cleaning or the yard
work or going to get your own groceries. I mean,
getting up out of the chair. No problem. Those
are the things that are important. And so. And
then I've got several people that have, you know,
gotten off blood pressure meds and off diabetic
meds. And I mean, you can't ask for any better
than that. That's, you know, I mean, yeah. Being
able to tell a farmer to suck it. I mean, that's
the best thing ever. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you've
said also that your tribe or fitness army shows
up consistently. You've mentioned that you've
got people that are doing two to three hours
with you in a row, even after a 12 -hour shift,
and that they choose you over the new pretty
gym. What creates that level of loyalty and community?
And what role does accountability play in sustainable
fitness? Well, again, definitely because they
know I'm going to be there. And for some of the
folks that are working split shifts and switching
shifts and all that sort of thing. They just
know that I'm going to be there and they're going
to feel better if they show up. And so they do
show up no matter how tired they are, because
again, they'll still usually feel better. And
even if they're going home to sleep for the next
shift, they'll come work out because they know
that I'm going to be there. And, you know, I'll
take requests. Sometimes I'll say, what do you
want to work on or what do you want to do? And,
you know, and somebody will say something. A
lot of times nobody says anything, but I try
to build things. and workouts really to hit everything.
So I try to always incorporate things that are
going to hit the entire body. So if you're there,
you're going to get everything you can possibly
get in that time frame without having to be there
for six hours or whatever the case may be, or
use 20 different machines. Because a lot of people
are just intimidated by equipment and machines
and things like that. So I try to keep things
simple. And also when my folks can't come, I
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