Breaking Out of Workout Ruts, Aging Well, & Overcoming Gymtimidation with Michael Soares

On this episode of Transformation Talks, we're joined by Michael Soares, who is the founder of New Human: a fitness company that has helped over 40,000 people around the world become healthier both physically and mentally.

He firmly believes that by taking care of one’s body and mind, people can lead happier and better lives—and that everyone can find their inner athlete through fitness!

We talked about how to break out of workout ruts, the secrets to staying consistent and aging well, overcoming gymtimidation, and more.

Connect with Michael here: https://www.instagram.com/coachmichael/

Learn more about New Human: https://www.joinnewhuman.com/

Let me know any thoughts or questions you have on the episode here: mail@samforget.com

For more support and accountability, apply for coaching here: https://samforget.com/coaching/

Or get started for FREE with my one-stop nutrition guide: https://freenutritionguide.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Welcome back to another episode of Transformation Talks. I'm your host, Sam Forger, and today we'll be joined by Michael Soros, who is the founder of New Human, a fitness company that has helped over 40,000 people around the world become healthier both physically and mentally. He firmly believes that by taking care of one's body and mind, people can lead happier and better lives, and that everyone can find their inner athlete through fitness. Michael, I appreciate you being here today, brother. I appreciate you, man. I'm excited. This is a highlight of my day. Dude, to think over 40,000 people now, and I still remember an exchange we had, I guess it would have been, I don't know, 10-ish years ago now, where it was kind of like, what's this whole online coaching training thing? How does that work? And fast forward to now, over 40,000 people helped. So I guess I guess you can say it's worked, it worked quite well.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

I'd say so. And before we start, I just want to say to the audience, when I debated on being a trainer, the first person I messaged on Facebook was Sam. And when I debated on doing online coaching, the first person I also hit up was Sam. So shout out to you, bro, for setting the standard.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

I'm honored. I'm honored to be a part of your journey anyway. And of course, we help each other all the time. You know, I'm tapping into you now for uh the content that of yours that is absolutely crushing, seeing how I can reach more people. So to me, that's how the industry should be, right? Like we're all lifting each other up as much as possible. Yeah, a hundred percent. There's so much room for everybody to grow. And even before that, I'm gonna pull us back even further. And I wish we had some sort of photo or video of our men's league and then probably high school summer league, basketball showdowns, probably just both going for a double double, 10 points and 10 boards. But I wish we had that. For me, it was probably like two points, 14 boards. Fair. And all and all the points off of offensive rebounds are just slashing at single. Um all right. So something I want to uh start with, Michael. Speaking of your content, do I hear Bear in the background by any chance?

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Yeah. Uh sorry, the there's somebody who is the mailman. I'm gonna tell Bear come down.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

I'm actually I'm happy that you're so safe right now with Bear nearby because I you're in good hands.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

Bobby, come here. Look at your Uncle Sam, come here.

unknown 2:37

Come in.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

Also, Sam does it like, are you able to cut stuff like in the video or is it like running?

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Uh I am able to cut stuff, but I like a free-flowing thing. So don't worry if he barks. I like the the rah just this is this is how the conversation went. So if he makes a special appearance, great, and he'll be in the YouTube version. But speaking of your content, something that you posted about recently that I'm confident surprised a lot of people is where you, I guess for lack of a better word, admitted that there was a season for you while building your business that you got a you personally, as a fitness professional, lifelong athlete, you got away from working out altogether. And again, I'm sure a lot of people, I mean, we see this with nutrition, right? If we're out and we have a beer, people, it's always like you have that. Like people kind of assume that either fitness professionals, people into health and fitness, like that's not a thing. Like, so the idea that you would go whatever, you know, how many weeks it was without training. Can you can you tell us more about that? Kind of how you got into that training rut. And then uh, I think very important for people to hear is how'd you break out of it? Like, how'd you get back into things?

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Yeah, man. Um, when I first started working at Equinox, you know, I was working in a gym. I'm like, I'm gonna be so fit, I'm gonna work out seven days a week because I'm in a gym 24-7, which wasn't the case at all. And then as soon, like I had a really slow start, like I didn't have any clients for like two months, and then when it started hitting about like, you know, six, eight months in, I was really busy. I was building my business. And at the time, too, I was also a club promoter. So like my sleep schedule was trash, and I was all over the place, you know, and there would go weeks where I wouldn't work out, and like I would just be like, I'm busy. Like every excuse in the book would be like, I'm busy, I'm building business, I'm you know, I need to sleep, whatever. And obviously, those things are very important, but you don't have any of those things if you don't have yourself, if you don't have your body, right? And you have to take care of your body. And you know, I actually had like a mental rut occur in like December. Uh, I had a little family situation that also led to like a mini, you know, I'd probably go like no more than a week, but like for me, like I've gone a year straight working out. Like for me to go a week right now is kind of like unheard of based off of like the the structure I've built into my lifestyle. But like those things occur. And I got so many DMs from people being like, oh, you're a trainer and you go like a few days without working out. Like, bro, I I couldn't do that. And then I start talking to them, and they're people who are very on or off, right? And like the goal with the purpose of like the purpose of that whole post is to say, like, things happen. It's okay to not be perfect, you know what I'm saying? Like, life's gonna happen. Sometimes something is better than nothing. Like yesterday I went to the gym for 15 minutes. I left the happiest person, happiest version of myself. Whereas somebody, maybe like if I don't have an hour and a half, I'm not even gonna go, right? But consistency is king, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 5:27

Yeah, 100%. You know what's so funny is uh again, thinking back to earlier days, some of the first content that we ever filmed together, maybe this was 2019, 2020, was actually on, I'd say, a very related topic, which is minimum effective dose for exercise. And how, yeah, a lot of people, whether we're talking an individual session where a lot of people do think it's an hour or bust, or even 30 minutes or bust when it doesn't have to be, or a bit more macro on a weekly basis, where when you hear about different workout splits, it's always four-day, five-day splits. And then if you factor in cardio classes, a lot of people are trying to organize five, six, seven sessions a week. And in that video, you and I were saying, you know, maybe two days per week, full body strength workouts, depending on where your baseline is, you know, maybe that's a a couple exercises. And even that can be effective. And I do think that surprises a lot of people, how little you can do to still elicit benefits from training.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

100%. I couldn't agree more. And you said something very key where it's like where your baseline is. Like a lot of people aren't doing anything. Their baseline is nothing, technically, right? So, like just doing 30 to 45 minutes of you know, full body twice a week, and then also dedicating time to their nutrition, depending on their goal or whatever, can do a lot for you, especially if that is a structure that you can follow consistently week over week over week. You know what I mean? So many people do not understand or don't realize that like a little can can be a lot if you're consistent. You know what I mean? Because anything moving the needle forward is better than not moving the needle at all, you know?

SPEAKER_01 7:08

For sure. And I also think we have to factor in, you know, not everybody's gonna want to hear this, but how often people think they train based on what the on-paper plan technically is versus what their net monthly or weekly average is. So you may kind of have it in your head that, okay, well, typically I try to get to the gym four, well, try to is very different than what you're actually averaging. So you may be, you know, you may have a four-day per week program on paper, but if we look at travel, lulls in motivation, days that you skipped or negotiated, you might have trained, you know, 10 times that month. So you are maybe averaging to maybe three days per week. So I'd almost rather say, hey, let's proactively build a plan for the frequency that you're netting at anyway. That way that same frequency could be more productive because it could be better structured. And then I think mentally too, you had mentioned a big part of like, hey, it's normal to have ebbs and flows. You're not always going to be doing high frequency, high volume, high intensity. And I think just having that as cliche as it can sound, that permission that, hey, I'm on a two-day split right now, and that's okay, um, can totally change like the enjoyment factor, your relationship with self and exercise.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

I couldn't agree more. And similar to what you're saying, changing your mindset around whatever is occurring is so beneficial because imagine if someone you know starts a six-day program, they only do two days a week. They're gonna think, I'm a failure, I'm not good, all these thoughts. But if the mindset is, hey, go get three workouts and if you get a fourth, great job. People are like, yo, I'm awesome, right? So it's like you have to set the baseline, maybe even very low, quote unquote, for what you think, and then build from there. Like my principles with everybody I coach is do something, prove to me that you can do it consistently, and then we add, not the other way around. Because so many people will be like, yo, I'm doing a six-day split, push-pull legs. And then I ask them, like, can you tell me how many you've trained, how many you know, days you've trained the past two weeks? They'll be like, Well, I did upper body Monday, I skipped Tuesday, I skipped legs on Wednesday, I did like another arm day on Thursday, and that was it. I partied hard. So it's like similar to what you're saying, might as well program to be as efficient as possible for those two to three days. Once you get really good at that and make that a real habit, then turn up, you know.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

I like that a lot. The prove you can nail this first and earn the right to more. I mean, to use a basketball analogy, you know, prove that you can hit some uncontested jumpers before you're doing Kobe fadeaways on the baseline. Like you gotta you gotta earn the light, uh, the the right to have a bit more of a green light to have a longer leash. Um okay, so if we're looking at somebody who has struggled with like a very on-again, off again relationship with exercise, and you know, maybe they they have a rut right now where it's weeks or even months with minimal training, they're trying to shake that. We've established one strategy, which is like don't come out of the gate too hot. You know, plan for what an unmotivated version of you could follow. So say two, three days per week. Are there any other tips that you would give somebody, whether it's more practical, logistical, whether it's more just a mental piece, somebody who is trying to get back into exercise and actually make it stick? What other things would you tell somebody?

SPEAKER_00 10:31

You know, it'll always it'll obviously vary person to person, but you know, we need to figure out a route to success that has the least amount of road bumps, like speed bumps, road bumps, whatever, whatever the term is. And sometimes I'll talk to people and they'll be like, I want to go to the gym, but it's a 30-minute drive. I'm like, okay, so week one, let's just do some stuff at home. Like it, the it the principle of just make it as simple as possible. Like, say somebody wants to lose a little bit of weight. We're not following some crazy meal plan or anything week one. It's just like, okay, let's try to get, let's try to add nutrients into your day. So, an example of a person, it could be, hey, this is your this is your checklist, your goal list for week one. Let's try our best to have three portions of protein. Let's try to have fruit twice a day, let's try to have vegetables twice a day with no metrics around it. I don't care what that portion looks like, but we're just trying to instill these healthy habits and add healthy habits into the routine. And generally speaking, when people do those things, those quote unquote bad habits slowly start to decrease in frequency. So I always like to tell people when you're creating habits or goals for yourself, make sure it's a measurable or a tangible goal. So I'm gonna try to eat healthier this week, isn't necessarily a goal. What does that look like? You know what I mean? Or I'm gonna work out more. What is more? I could do 10 push-ups right now and that's more than last week, but always have a measurable number when it comes to setting goals. I think that works for, I don't think. I know it works for people when it comes to being more consistent and more compliant and more successful.

SPEAKER_01 12:09

Sure. I know I like that a lot because if we have specificity with the desired outcome, we can then work backwards with yeah, just okay, so how are you gonna do that? When? How are you gonna measure success? Because I know you and I can both vouch for the fact that the vast majority of client check-ins start with just like vague good intentions. And I'm not shitting on anybody for that. It's just, uh, last week wasn't so great. This week I'm gonna get back on track, or like I'm gonna get my shit together, you know, this week's gonna be different. I'm like, I love the general direction we're going in, but I want to know exactly what you have in mind. And then I know we both do the same thing where it's all right, well, I'm gonna hit the grocery store to make sure that I'm well prepped for the week. When? When are you going?

SPEAKER_00 12:53

When?

SPEAKER_01 12:53

Tell me the moment, tell me the hour, tell me the day. But I mean, from uh from a planning perspective, from an accountability perspective, I like I'm gonna try to get to the grocery store after work. Nope, tell me exactly when it's happening. If you need help, of course, we can suggest um, you know, sample meals, piece together meal ideas, things like that. Make sure that you already know when you're going to prep those things. I mean, I'll speak for myself here when I say there have been plenty of times in my life I did most of the things I needed to do. So I made the plan. I went to the grocery store, I got home, and because I didn't prep stuff right away, that pack of mixed greens in the fridge stayed in the back of the fridge. You know, certain things didn't get prepped, and then I'm on my heels throughout the week. So I like that a lot, the idea of being very, very specific, you know, whether it's with you're working with a coach or just even your own planning for yourself. All right, I I know the direction I want to go in this week, but yeah, what are the exes knows? Like when and how is that stuff going to happen?

SPEAKER_00 13:52

A great analogy that, you know, is a big eye-opener for a lot of people I train. I work with a lot of parents, right? I work with former athletes looking to lose weight, most of them in their 30s. Some people have kids. And when we start talking about their goals and they give me vague answers, I'm like, all right, if you had a child and they had to go like figure out food for the day or what they were gonna do, would you go and give them a like, would you just let them free reign and not have a plan? They'd be like, no, they're not gonna figure it out. I'm like, you have to think of yourself like a five-year-old child. You have to explain things as if you're a five-year-old child, such as, I'm gonna have breakfast at this time, this is gonna be my breakfast. I'm gonna go to the grocery store at this time and I'm gonna complete it by this time. I'm gonna cook on this day and I will have all my food prepped by this time, right? Like having the time, day, when you're gonna do it, like makes it so much more simple. And if you can think of it in a way where you're explaining it as if you're talking to a five-year-old, you're gonna simplify everything. And it works. I have this, even at the pro-athlete level, this is how I make them structure out their week. So it works. So, like, what makes you think it's not gonna work for you? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 14:55

No, no, no, for sure. And backtracking to something else you said as a suggestion, identifying friction points. For example, if somebody says, well, you know, at the hour that I typically go to the gym, maybe it's 30 minutes. So we could, you know, look at things, all right, that's a friction point. So how can we reduce or ideally eliminate it? So whether it's going at a different time, whether it's reducing the amount of days per week that you're going, so there's less time in traffic, or obviously eliminate it entirely with at-home workout. So I think that's another really good thing for people to hone in on. Like, let me actually get equally specific with all of the things that tend to stand in my way between where I'm at now and the thing that I'm trying to accomplish. That way I'm not entering yet another week with just, you know, good intentions or okay, I know that if when I get home from work and I pull up Google Maps, I see a lot of red on that drive, I'm not fucking going. Like I'm I'm kicking out. I'm not going somewhere. So again, identifying, all right, well, that's consistently a friction point for me. What are what are my options here? And I think people can do that with, you know, whether it's the exercise side of things, whether it's the nutritional hurdles, even stress management, sleep stuff. We just look across the board, what is standing in my way? Even if I can't eliminate that friction point, probably almost always something I can do to reduce it to some degree.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Yes. And just to anybody, both Sam and I work with a lot of people in regards to body like recomp and transformations. And like a great tip I give people, and they start to feel a little guilty about not going to the gym as frequently as possible, is there's so many other things you can do to lose weight. And like think of working out as a bonus or part of the journey. It's a great habit anchor, but at the end of the day, a lot of the changes are going to be occurring with your nutritional habits, with your rest and recovery habits, your stress management. So I always tell people, like, I want to, they're like, I want to go to the gym five days a week. I'm like, hold on. You're going four days, you're not losing weight, and you're not doing anything nutritionally. Let's tone it back. Let's do two or three times a week. Awesome. Maybe even two of those workouts are at home with dumbbells. Like, just to start, just prove to me that you can build that consistency. And something I create as like a session for people is also cook time. Because if you're not prepping your food, it's gonna be very difficult for you. Prepping can be anything. It doesn't mean you're cooking for seven days. It could be just cooking dinner, whatever it is. But dedicating structured time towards nutrition success is gonna move the needle on the weight loss journey a lot more than hitting one more, you know, arm workout or whatever. Obviously, it depends on different goals. You have to strengthen train, it's very important to do so. But you don't have to go to the gym five days a week. If you can and you've built that habit, good for you. That's amazing. Do your thing. Most people aren't there yet, and it's okay to not be there yet because there's so many other things you can do for yourself to help you hit your goals.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

Oh, it's so funny. This video content shoot that I just referred to from six, seven years ago. One of the other things we mentioned then that we're saying yet again now is that often your time is not best spent doing additional workouts, you know, as you're so one, that's a valuable takeaway for people to hear again. But two, and I think that also reinforces that a lot of the shit that works now is gonna be the shit that works, you know, another three to six months from now, another three. If you ask us the best sources of protein right now, the best ways to stay consistent with your nutrition, we're gonna talk about the same five to eight sources of protein, the same planning and prepping strategies. Ask us again in 2036. We'll probably have, I mean, who knows at that point with you know technological advances we're all be at? Probably we're gonna be saying the same stuff. Um, but yes, from a a uh time almost like a time management perspective, we do have to question is your time best spent going to an additional class, going on an additional run, trying to get an extra day at the gym when your nutrition maybe is really inconsistent. Maybe your stress is just really poorly managed. Maybe you're somebody who feels great going to a yoga class, something that isn't, I mean, I'm not saying it's not a workout, but from a strength training perspective, right? I'll put it in a different category. And maybe going from three days per week of training, strength training specifically, to two days per week and reallocating that hour to yoga or a trail walk with a friend, or maybe just hanging out with your dog, just absolutely chilling, is the thing that's higher yield. Now, I would say in most cases, nutrition is probably something nutrition related is like the best reallocation of time. But yeah, I'd look at, you know, what are your goals? Where's your time best spent?

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Yeah, and so many people think that all of health and wellness is movement. And it's a big part of it. And it's not that these things are equally broken into 25% each, but health and wellness can be broken into like four major parts, right? We have movement, we have nutrition, we have recovery, and then we have like mental health. You're you know what I mean? Like all those factors are equally important. Obviously, nutrition is a lot more of a you know needle mover for weight loss or body recon. But people just get so fixated on one of the main pillars when there's these three other pillars that should be getting just as much attention. You know, so if you're somebody who is working out five, six days and nothing's changing, it's probably because, you know, maybe your sleep health isn't that good, or your stress health maybe not good, or your nutrition is trash. You know what I mean? So take a look at all those other factors, and I guarantee whatever your goal is, you'll you'll get to that goal a lot faster.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

Oh, for sure. Now, speaking of the movement piece, something I've seen you do extremely well, and I know you advocate for your clients to do this as well as, excuse me, is uh let me rephrase that. Something that I've seen you do extremely well is get in movement in a variety of ways. And then also reassuring your clients that movement does not have to look any one way. Like if somebody follows you on Instagram, they see you're playing basketball, they see that you're going to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, how to do pronouncing that? They see that is probably that's where my list comes out. Jiu Jitsu. Um, that's where you know they see you doing strength training, that's where they see you doing plyos, all types of movement. And you know, here we are with the permission piece again. I think giving yourself permission to pursue movement in a variety of ways. Because I know you and I have both been there where at certain periods of our life it's been sport-specific basketball training, you know, say for myself, at times it's been, you know, physique or um uh you know, strongman powerlifting, you know, and we both work with people who identify as runners, and often we get really stuck in what kind of you mentioned, okay, we have these four different categories we could be focusing on. If we keep smacking my mic, talking with my hands too much, just beating the shit out of my mic. But then if we look at movement, if we hone in on that, there are all these subcategories there. And I do find it quite common that people just kind of stick with the one thing they're comfortable with or good at when I think they would benefit immensely from. Branching out the way I've seen you do.

SPEAKER_00 22:02

Yeah. And, you know, let's not get it twisted. Strength training is like the most important form of movement that one can do if you want to age well, if you want to have, you know, strong armor around your body and your joints, right? Developing muscles. Like that, that's going to be magnificent. But at the same time, many people that I'm working with, at least, you know, may have gym anxiety or are not really experienced in the gym. So it you need to have uh you need to meet them where they're at and build from there, right? I've had people hate, like literally hate get get like cold sweats walking into a gym to now going six days a week for, you know, over a year. Like that transformation can happen, but it doesn't happen overnight. And you need to learn how to meet people where they're at and then build from there. And going back to where I was talking about consistency, maybe their movement is, you know, one or two days in the gym, but then you know, they miss playing, pick up with their buddies. So Friday nights, they all get together and hoop. I'd rather him do that because there's other currencies in life, such as like the happiness currency, the social currency, like whatever. Like they're gonna fill their, you know, pot of happiness, whatever it is, a lot more by doing that than say going to the gym at six in the morning for like a 30-minute lower body lift, which is totally okay, but there's other things that people can do. And for me, I feel my most athletic playing sports. I I feel very athletic in the gym as well. Like I do, I love doing plymetrics. And, you know, a lot of people say, Well, are you afraid to do like I'm afraid to do them? You need to know where you're at and build from there as well. Because I've had people be like, I haven't jumped in years. I don't know what the stat is, but like people after like 35, they like barely jump for the rest of their life. I think it's very important for your body and your joints to jump so you can, you know, teach your joints and your muscles how to absorb that contact, but you know, make it fun. Make it enjoyable. It's not like I'm doing weighted jumps all, like I do my very basic compounds and stuff like that, but like at the same time, like figure out what works for you and build from there. Because we want this to be an enjoyable process. You're obviously going to go on some days where you're like exhausted or lazy or unmotivated. Like there's gonna be those days, but the more we can make it fun or enjoyable of a process, the more likely you're gonna do it.

SPEAKER_01 24:09

No, no, no, for sure. Mike, you mentioned aging well. And I know something, actually to bring it back to basketball for a moment, something that we would have heard say, even by our early 20s in men's leagues and stuff, would be the kind of wait till you get to my age factor where people have it in their head. Yeah. People have it in their head that after 25, I mean, especially 30, and certainly beyond that, that things have to go downhill. And I know that you've bucked that every day of your life, just not accept certainly some things change as we get older. But I do think, and I'd love for you to expand on this, that a lot of the things that people chalk up to age, and a lot of the things that people understandably almost feel like are inevitable are just a byproduct of lifestyle times time and there's a compound effect. And you're thinking it's age, but there's a lot within your control. So can you, you know, share your thoughts on that and then some of the things that you'd recommend in general, and you can take it in whatever direction you want that allows people to age better and have a higher quality of life.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Yeah, of course. You know, there are some things that will still occur, regardless of working out, such as white hair. As you could tell, since I've been married, my white hair count has gone up tremendously. No, I'm kidding. Shout out, Annalise. But um, no, okay. Um, there are so many things in your control. And, you know, if we look at it in like a society standpoint, most people graduate college and like they played sports in high school, and in college they had like unlimited time to go lift. But as soon as like the quote unquote real world comes in, they're stressed, time management's bad, they're trying to catch up with their friends, so then the health takes like a back seat. But the thing is, is like, think about pro athletes. Are they in their prime when they're 20 or like when they're in their late 20s, early 30s? And the answer is the second. And it's because they continue to take their bot take care of their body. Just the way our lifestyle, at least here in the United States, majority of people are sitting down all day. Like their lifestyle is what's causing the decrease in health and wellness, not their age. I have so many people in our program who are in the best shape of their lives and they're like 36. You know what I mean? But it's because they've learned that having structured programming, having guidance, having accountability, but most port most importantly, being consistent with their goals has led to them not reversing the clock, but feeling and looking younger because they're taking care of themselves, not because they're just aging. You know what I mean? So so many people have so many excuses, such as like, nah, I'm getting old. But like, what about you know, little Joey up the street with three kids? He still finds time to figure it out because he understands he has a goal and he's very disciplined. Many people rely on motivation, but motivation comes and goes. So you need a system that allows for discipline. There's nothing better than when you are disciplined and have motivation. But a common thing I hear, I heard it earlier today. Someone's like, I don't work out because I uh, you know, I just don't have motivation. It's like, well, then don't depend on motivation or else you're never gonna work out, you know? So take care of your body, do the things you need to do. Do your like something I love telling people is it's not just about lifting weights, you have to be able to move properly. So take care of your mobility, do your endurance or cardio training, weightlift, which is very important, and also do your explosive work, whatever that looks like. I have 60-year-olds doing box jumps. Doesn't mean they're gonna go play in a dunk, but at least she's teaching her joints how to absorb, you know, pressure and impact, which is gonna lead to healthier and stronger bones as she ages. You know what I mean? So having a fine balance between those four mobility, explosive work, you know, cardio or endurance and strength training is very important. So that way you feel like an athlete for as long as possible.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

I think you bring up a really important thing. I'm gonna call it a fact. I know we're both ballparking it where we say that most people don't jump after the age of 35. I've seen I've seen boy, I've seen similar stuff where it's most people hit the age of 30 and never sprint purposefully again. Maybe if they're in a crosswalk and need to haul ass, but they're never actually and that even that's the fake speedwalk, right?

SPEAKER_00 28:17

They do like that slow-mo run.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

Yeah, so yeah, most people hit, call it 30, 35, and just don't do those activities again. So I think you make a great point where we have to look at can I ignore age for a second, just look at over the last six months, just as an arbitrary example, how many times have you practiced jumping in any capacity? How consistently have you prioritized your mobility? You know, obviously the strength training that we talked about earlier. What about your cardiovascular system? Any sort of conditioning in there? And if we're running through this audit and your answers are not great, I'm not asking these questions to make you feel bad. I want you to feel empowered that, oh, what I do think is age-related is actually, and certainly some things change with age, but there's an enormous amount within my control. And actually two personal examples. One, I have frequently been indirectly reminded by and inspired by videos I've seen of you jumping out of the building at 31 years old and gone, oh shit, I've been skipping my kind of primer work before my lifts. Let me make sure that two weeks doesn't turn into two months without me jumping. So so I've had to remind myself of that as well. And I know he won't mind me mentioning that I frequently give my dad a hard time, who's he's a lifelong meathead, but I'll give him a hard time and say, when was the last time you like he's still big and strong as shit, but when was the last he's gonna be smiling, listening to this. But when was the last time that you sprinted, dad? When was the last time that you jumped it? It's great that or jumped it, jumped it. Are you kidding me? What meat meathead, um okay, try that again. What was the last time I'm gonna start saying that? When was the last time you jumped it? When was the last time you jumped it? Yeah. Um was the last time you jumped? There we go. One for two. You know, even just you know, the heavier strength training, you know, we don't want 220 in his case again. He's a meathead, meathead. So when was the last time you pressed 225 just to make sure it never gets too heavy? So running these audits of okay, I feel like maybe it's an age thing and certain things are starting to catch up to me. Maybe, but there's also probably a lot within your control that you can do to slow things down quite a bit and age more gracefully.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Yes. And, you know, it's almost it is a very positive enlightenment. Because I've had conversations with people where they're like, I'm gonna I've given up my body, like it's something's wrong with my body, my metabolism, whatever. And then we start going over the most basic, like, are you doing these six things on a weekly basis? And then they get like half of one. You know what I mean? It's like, well, luckily for you, there are so many things that you can be doing that are low-hanging fruit that are gonna help you in your fitness journey. You know what I mean? And and sometimes it's our job to call people out politely, obviously. But like, I'm not gonna bullshit you. My job is to tell you the truth, the truth and teach you how to get from point A to point B in the most sustainable route as possible, you know?

SPEAKER_01 31:26

Yeah. I like how you said, luckily. Again, we're not here to give anybody a hard time just for the hell of it or like call you on your bullshit with nothing helpful after the fact. It's like, hey, this is you know what you currently believe. Honestly, a lot of times just societal conditioning that it's all downhill after a certain age. So I don't actually blame people for, you know, thinking this, I guess this is just what is supposed to happen. Actually, I remember um during an improv class that I was taking years ago. I was 23. I had a classmate who was 30, and I think I've told the story on a podcast before, but he said, Sam, a 30-year-old body is like a broken down house. And looking back, I'm like, dude, like why are you throwing in the towel? But I don't doubt he had he had personally heard that kind of messaging throughout his entire life. So again, I don't blame people for thinking this is just the way things are, but we always have to do this, this habit, this lifestyle audit and see if there are things that you can be doing a little bit differently. And almost always there are. And just to give one more example, I remember seeing a piece of content, you know, whatever many months ago, however many months ago, and it kind of, I don't say broke the internet, but there was a feisty comment section because the guy, he was probably in his late 20s and he was making fun of the people that say, Oh, when I hit 25, my knees just gave out on me. I think that was it. And he said, Oh, it was your knees that gave out on you. It wasn't the fact that you haven't done a squat in seven years. It wasn't the fact that you walk 3,000 steps a day, it wasn't the fact that you jump annually, and he, you know, he listed all the things. And of course, comment section was a little fiery, but I thought that was uh a funny little nudge of hey, things aren't as um hopeless as you may feel. There's a lot within your control, which is the main point that I want to drive home.

SPEAKER_00 33:18

You know, so many people have so many excuses. It's so funny not trying to call people out. Also, I I wish I could show you. My dog is on top of the couch balancing like a little kid. Someone's knocking on my door, and I have no idea who it is.

SPEAKER_01 33:35

I figured there was something going on because I saw both the combination of mute and your eyes darting to the side. I'm like, Bear, shut up. I was trying to buy you a little time with a little bit of extra babbling because I figured there was some came. That's funny, dude. I went on a I went on a podcast once where with no explanation, I was the guest. The host got up and walked away. So he asked me a question, he got up and walked away. And I'm sitting there like, all right, well, I I guess the the mo the best thing to do in this situation is just keep going. Um I can't remember if you're an office fan. Of course I am. Okay. Okay. So do you know the the bit where my or the joke where Michael Scott says, sometimes I begin a sentence and I don't even know where I'm going. It's like a, I think he calls it like it's a combination of improvisation and a sentence. Like, do you remember that joke at all? He just he just goes and hopes, oh, it says, I hope I find it by the end of the sentence. I basically did that for two and a half minutes on this guy's podcast until he came back. Um, in any case, Mike, one last thing I wanted to ask you about before we wrap up today's podcast. You know, here we are talking about friction points, things that might prevent people from being consistent with these habits. And you had mentioned gym timidation, like feeling anxious, not feeling super comfortable at the gym. You do seem frozen on mine. Can you still hear me okay? All right, unexpected internet outage, but we're back. And again, the last thing I wanted to ask you about today is you know, here we are talking all these friction points and ways that people can cultivate better habits, especially with the workout stuff. You had brought up how for a lot of people, gym timidation is the issue. You know, they're hearing this. It's like, all right, that makes sense. I know what I'm theoretically supposed to do, but I am just not somebody who feels comfortable going to the gym. And then when I get there, maybe I don't feel comfortable walking into the free weight section or I feel a little anxious when it's busy. What advice would you have for that person so they could overcome that friction point and start to apply the other things that we've talked about?

SPEAKER_00 35:42

Great question. So, depending on their level of intimidation, I have like a few different steps. I'll see where they're at and I'll adjust accordingly. But if they're really nervous, I'll have them spend one day where they just walk into the gym. Like, say this is a person who hasn't been the year for like, I mean, to the gym for like a year or two. I'm like, just walk in, walk to a back treadmill, walk for like 15 minutes, walk out. Prove to yourself that you're okay going into this environment. Say that person's like, no, I'm totally good. I can do that. Their intimidation isn't as much. What I'll do is I'll have them set up in a specific location, have like a very simple, maybe dumbbell workout that requires one to two dumbbells. And I'll be like, don't worry, you don't have to bounce around different places. Just grab these two-weighted dumbbells, let's do this workout, 30 minutes. Great. Prove to yourself you can be in this environment. Great. Because so many people are afraid of judgment. But believe it or not, most people are just thinking about themselves at the gym. They're not really judging you. But if that person can do that, then we will then advance the workout into some capacity, whether it's dumbbells primarily with like maybe a machine or two, um, up until the point where this person is running the gym. Like they know everybody in the gym, they know that Sally's there on Tuesday afternoons, and old man Joe is gonna ask them how their shoulder is. You know what I'm saying? Like, but we need to find a sticking point. And people don't realize that sometimes that baseline needs to just be way lower than where they're setting it currently. And that's helped a lot of people, um, especially the people who haven't stepped foot in. Because to us, to you and I, like walking in the gym is nothing. But to some people, they're thinking about are people looking at me? Uh is somebody gonna approach me? Am I safe? Am I gonna get hurt? Like they have a hundred different ideas or or thoughts running through their head, and it's just not a fun thing. So they have to conquer each, you know, fear factor one step at a time.

SPEAKER_01 37:32

Sure. That's great advice. I especially like the idea of thinking of it as levels because obviously most gym timidation advice tends to be well, actually, it usually doesn't go much deeper than nobody cares what you're doing, which is true. People need generally need something more practical than that. So I like the idea of let's get very clear on exactly where you're at, gym timidation-wise, and then push you just a little beyond that, and then a little beyond that until the point where you do feel comfortable walking in. One other thing that I'll throw in there, you had said step one, just find a treadmill in the back of the gym and just kind of breathe. Just like get more comfortable in that environment. I think that's also a great opportunity to scan the gym, get a better lay of the land, because obviously for a lot of people, the issue is I don't want to look like I have no clue what I'm doing. And I don't know where this, like, okay, I have this new human program, but I'm not quite sure where all this stuff is or even how it works. So you could actually just kind of um hang out in the back and say, oh, okay, it looks like that's over there, that's over there. That way you have a bit more certainty, and you don't feel like, depending on the size and layout of your gym, you don't feel like you're on a scavenger hunt that's making you look dumb. Now, to be clear and to reiterate, nobody actually cares what you're doing. Yes, it's a cliche thing to say, but oh my God, it is it's so true. Because you have 90% of the gym that is insecure. I mean, I mean, I'm just throwing out a random number, 90% that is insecure and thinking, I hope nobody looks at me. That's nine out of 10. And then the 10% that is supremely confident, they're just concerned about their own biceps or you know, shoulder strike. Like that, that's it. There's this there are very few people outside of those two groups. So I that is important to reiterate. But yeah, I think the let me just get in there and get a better lay of the land is a great starting point. I always tell my clients consistency and comfort come before training, intensity, and optimization. You know, we might sit here and talk about here are the things to do to increase your vertical, get you jumping, like you know, your former athlete self. Here are the things that you can do to get stronger again. Neither of us are gonna lead with that if you're currently somebody whose main friction point is like, I don't want to do that in front of people. That's fine. We're gonna identify, we're gonna identify where you're at, push you a little beyond that, and then you can kind of keep ramping up from there. And if and if that takes you six weeks, fine. Time's gonna pass either way. So six weeks from now, you have a lot more comfort. You've developed the consistency of going, and then another six weeks from now, which isn't like three months is nothing, now you're consistently going to the gym, getting stronger, getting fitter. It's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 40:04

Yeah. I I don't know if you've seen this trending post where it's like insert something super difficult that you can accomplish in three months. And it's like you can either accomplish it or time's gonna go by anyways, so might as well accomplish it. You know what I mean? Might as well figure it out because you're most likely, hopefully, going to need to be relatively healthy later in life. And I always tell people like your life quality in your you know, 50s, 60s, 70s will be dictated on how you're treating your body now in your late 20s, 30s, 40s. You know, and it's gonna be a lot harder. You can still build the habits, but it's gonna be a lot harder to build those habits, you know, maybe in the future where said person has another kid, or you know, life is hitting a lot harder versus now when life is quote unquote more calm. Sure.

SPEAKER_01 40:58

It's like the idea that it'll never be easier than it is right now in this moment. And certainly there are exceptions to that, people who are in uniquely shitty situations right now. But as a whole, when looking at age, physical capabilities, stressors, life responsibilities, things may feel very difficult now, but there's a version of you five to ten years from now that is going to be very appreciative that you did what you could, even if it wasn't optimal, to put yourself in a better position down the line.

SPEAKER_00 41:25

Yeah. And if you're watching this on YouTube right now and you see me sneaking cheese into my mouth, it's because I'm throwing cheese on the ground so my dog doesn't bark at the electricity guy outside. But I was really hungry, so that's what I'm I'm currently eating.

SPEAKER_01 41:40

Uh please tell me you've seen the cheese tax video on um so I mean Instagram, TikTok, whatever for dogs. Cheese tax, yes. Cheese tax, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah. Okay. That's Bear commands a hefty tax. Yes, he has a very hefty tax. It's like a 50% tax rate on any open cheese in the house. Um all right. Last thing, and you're out of here for today. Um, fast four, you may remember from the first time you went on the show, although it might have been the quick six or fast five at that point. I have whittled it down because this is a fun part of the show, and we end up just, you know, going on tangents. But to get you out of here, fast four, whatever comes to mind, starting with if you could teleport anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

SPEAKER_00 42:28

Who the first word that came to mind or location was Bora Bora, like just some somewhere very tiki hot on the very clear water looking area. Because I was just in very warm weather. Now I'm back in Massachusetts, so I kind of want to go somewhere warm. Where would you go? Uh Cornwall.

SPEAKER_01 42:50

Where's that? Uh the western coast of England. When I lived in London, I went out there periodically, and for some reason it's been very top of mind the last few months. It's um, I'm sure there are British people who'd be offended by this and Irish people as well. But as an American, I would compare it visually, at least many parts of it, to do you know the cliffs of Moyer in Ireland that you always so and I'm sure I mispronounced that as well. So forgive me British people, forgive me Irish people. But uh to me as an American, a very uh tranquil, scenic, breathtaking kind of vibe. And you have a few main touristy spots along the coast, St. Agnes, St. Ives, and I've just had some very, very nice times out there. And it's also top of mind because in September I should be going back to the UK. And I think I'll actually be spending more time in Scotland and maybe Ireland for the first time. But if I am in England for an extended period of time, we'll see. But in any case, you can see how this very quickly turned into not the fast forward, but the other all right. Question number two. Ooh, I'm very curious to hear your answer personally on this.

unknown 43:59

Have you

SPEAKER_01 44:00

You can only listen to one genre of music forever. What would you pick?

SPEAKER_00 44:04

Oh man. Okay. I don't even know the name of the genre, but you know, like the tranquil, beachy Brazilian music with like instruments and like, you know, very like stuff you'd listen to while like drinking like a Heineken with a little show steak by the beach, dudes hitting, you know, going back and forth, you know, playing some sport. You know what I mean? That type of music would be my forever. But if I were to choose right now, probably like a little Spanish higher, you know what I mean? A little bad bunny. That's been the vibe.

SPEAKER_01 44:34

I like that answer. Hold on. I was just talking about this genre of Brazilian music a week ago. Is it uh I'm gonna say it in without attempting any Portuguese, uh Bossa Nova? Yeah, like Bossa Nova music, yeah. Is that right? Okay, yeah, because I was just I was just talking to a guy who's currently living in Rio and he was also talking. So I just looked this up. Wow. Number three. Ooh, another one that I again I want to hear your answer. What's a hobby you've always wanted to pick up but haven't yet? As the side quest master, what is something you have not yet not yet done that you're interested in picking up?

SPEAKER_00 45:11

Uh, you know, I'd say I picked up the the the the side quest of being good at piano, but like I'm not I don't consider good until like I can see a piano and confidently play a piece. Um, so definitely like being my the habit or the side quest would be good enough at piano where I can play randomly. That's my side quest. And I have a keyboard at home and I haven't pulled it out in months. So that is my you know, my to-do. What about you?

SPEAKER_01 45:41

I think the last time I answered this, I said drawing, which was something that like I used to be heavy into it. I would go take art classes at the museum. I would, you know, fill up these sketch pads. I would draw all over my own hands and arms, shockingly. Um but I guess just with um iPhones, laptops, etc., that is often the lowest friction use of time. Picture this if we both did not have internet access for a month, I bet you would play piano far more often and I would draw more often. So I would say drawing. Okay, cool. Good to know. Last question what are you most grateful for right now?

SPEAKER_00 46:21

The first word that came to mind is life. Um I think there's a beauty in romanticizing everything you do. Not romanticizing as in like partner romance, just me enjoying everything that you do and finding little enjoyment, such as like one may think it's like, damn, I gotta go walk my dog, it's raining. But meanwhile, I'm like, this is the best part of his day. Like, I'm getting some steps in. This is great for me, right? Like rechanging or changing my mindset with literally everything has allowed me to be a lot more grateful and you know, aware that life could be a lot worse, you know, and like not to diminish anybody's problems, but like shit could be worse. So like be grateful.

SPEAKER_01 47:03

For sure. Now it's funny, you know, with you giving that answer is anytime I mention you to anybody else, one of the first words that comes to mind to describe you is enthusiastic. Like, and and I I truly believe that's one of the reasons that people are so drawn to you, why you're so great at uh cultivating community and making people feel great, is I could leave you alone with a friend of mine who is obsessed with pebbles, and you would be fucking stoked on the pebbles and and truly like fired up. Like, okay, this is something I'm I'm not super familiar with pebbles, but today is the day I'm gonna get super into pebbles, and and it's so genuine from you. You're just one of the most enthusiastic people that I know. So, you know, the the more people like you we can get around, the better. And I think that's a great nudge for for everybody else as well. Okay, you you think you're just on a walk with a duck, best part of his day. Maybe the only time you've gotten outside today, or maybe it's the only time you've gotten a break from your phone. It's a lot of good shit if you're looking for it. Thank you very much, man. Much love, and I totally agree. Good stuff, brother. Uh, where are we sending people if they want to find out more about you? New human, where can we uh where can we send them?

SPEAKER_00 48:17

Send them to my Instagram, Coach Michael. And if you want to see some client results out of the thousands of people I've worked with, you can go to new underscore human on Instagram as well.

SPEAKER_01 48:29

Stuff. I will include both things in the show notes and I will let you get out of here today. My man, I appreciate it. As always, you're actually the only you're the I've had 70, 80 episodes. You're only the third person who's been on repeat time. So I appreciate you. I can't wait.

SPEAKER_00 48:45

I can't wait to see this episode. Thank you so much, dude.

SPEAKER_01 48:48

Thank you, man. We'll talk soon.