Beginner’s Guide to Fitness & Nutrition in 2025 - Herman Smalls

Ever wondered how to start a fitness journey that actually sticks? Fitness veteran Herman Smalls brings nearly four decades of professional experience to this conversation about building a sustainable foundation for physical wellness. 

The episode opens with an exploration of Herman's background as both a pan-Africanist and longtime fitness professional who's trained everyone from NBA players to Broadway actors. What makes his approach unique is his emphasis on foundational movements that require little to no equipment. "Calisthenics is the poor man's gym," Herman explains, "because you can do a push-up anywhere if you're on planet Earth."

We dive deep into essential bodyweight exercises that beginners should master first—various push-up styles, horse stance (sumo) squats for lower body strength, and the often-overlooked importance of proper posture. For those ready to incorporate weights, Herman offers practical guidance on deadlifts using simple kettlebells and safe bench pressing techniques when working out alone.

The conversation addresses common misconceptions about fat burning, explaining how to calculate your optimal heart rate zone (220 minus your age) and why consistency matters more than intensity when starting out. Women concerned about "bulking up" from strength training will find reassurance in Herman's explanation of how targeted resistance work produces functional strength without unwanted mass.

What separates this episode from typical fitness advice is the emphasis on safety and sustainability. Rather than promising quick transformations, Herman stresses the importance of proper form, appropriate progression, and patience: "I don't want to set people up for something that might not be accurate. It's not going to be quick, but it will come if you're consistent."

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

what's going on. Everybody is ron brown lmt, the people's fitness professional, aka soul brother number one, reporting for duty. I got the brother herman smalls with us this evening on the check-in.

Speaker 2: 0:24

Peace and pan-africanism. Peace and Pan-Africanism, peace and Pan-Africanism.

Speaker 1: 0:32

Peace and Pan-Africanism. So now, before we go into the beginner's guide to fitness and nutrition, I want to talk about. When you say peace and Pan-Africanism, let's talk about that. Are you a pan-Africanist? And if you are, what does that mean to you?

Speaker 2: 0:50

Yes, I am not just a pan-Africanist, I'm a second generation pan-Africanist. I've been a pan-Africanist since conception. I say that because my father was a pan-Africanist and a member of the pan-Africanist movement was a pan-Africanist and a member of the pan-Africanist movement. That's in the most simplest definition. It's an individual who understands their origin and is seeking to unite globally from a perspective of pan-African Africa. African is the base terms of Africanism, that landmass and how we were dispersed in different places, literally all over the world. We're original to every part of the world, but Pan-Africanism centers that as the base, and present day is seeking to us to become a global power again, to connect with other brothers that understand and identify with that same root, the same root from the ground to the tree and the branches may have spread, but we still come from the same place. So, yes, that's kind of like a basic definition for pan-African, one that I flow from.

Speaker 1: 2:00

OK, so give give us a little bit about your background. I know the first podcast you were on with us. You did that already, but I want to kind of reintroduce you to the audience to let them know you know, you know who you are and you know the information you're going to be given.

Speaker 2: 2:18

Sure, just to keep it within the realm that I wear a few hats, but the one I think most pertinent to what my time this evening will be related to is fitness. So I have a pretty extensive background in that I'm coming up to my 40th year in fitness business, in designing exercise programs, nutritional plans, conditioning. I've trained people for the New York Marathon, worked with NBA players, nfl players, train people for the New York Marathon, work with NBA players, nfl players, a-list Broadway actors so just folks with a limited amount of time that they need maximum results and they don't have time to take a detour. And I do all my stuff healthily. So there's no gimmicks, but it is hardcore sensible training and nutritional modifications. That is what I built my success around Helping people get to their goals. But it is hardcore sensible training and nutritional modifications.

Speaker 1: 3:11

That is what I built my success around helping people get to their goals in a timely and safe fashion. Indeed, indeed, ok, so how, how did you, how did you get into fitness, the fitness industry? Right, because from what I know, you've been jacked, since I've been watching you on public access. So that was like what, like 30 years ago. That was 30 years ago. So how did you get your physique that way back then, like that was a long time ago?

Speaker 2: 3:39

Like a lot of young men, athletics, physical competition. Whether you're playing kick the can ring, olivia Bulldog, you know you run and you jump it. So you're engaging in athletics and we're racing each other, so as you, you win more of these races. King of the Hill was a popular game where one of the devices in the park one person would stand on and each young person came up and had their chance at trying to displace them. So it was almost like we were constantly fine tuning our basic physical skills. And then, you know, we got, fortunately, local community centers and gyms.

Speaker 2: 4:19

I was blessed to have a master trainer, a grandmaster trainer, in the community center near me. That brother, just his ability to teach, his ability also to demonstrate, he lived what he was teaching us. So I got right from the jump that connection, because right now a lot of folks, there's nothing wrong with getting the knowledge, but if you're not living what you're trying to teach someone, or you're not taking someone to a place that you've never been, for me there's a little bit of a disconnect there. Oh, I know I'm more passionately motivated by someone who's teaching me from a perspective of something that they not only have lived but their life demonstrates the fruit of that path that they're guiding me on. So so that's the same place that I've tried to come from.

Speaker 1: 5:07

So who was the grandmaster that taught you?

Speaker 2: 5:11

Oh, grandmaster Sands, Former Marine, former community backbone, I only know I can put a community on my back and carry it because I saw him do it. I mean an amazing brother Patient. He just had the ability to capture young minds and I know there's about a decade, decade and a half, between us, so that was a rough time in the South Bronx. It was Mitchell's gym. So this is we talk in early 80s man, so so, so you know the different things that these intelligence agencies were flooding our communities with and the substances and the distractions there to give us instructions and an example to uh emulate was was a very, very motivating factor for me and seeing this as one, an activity I wanted to do, but very quickly I was like, okay, I'm really mastering this to the point where I can begin to teach it. So it started to take shape there okay.

Speaker 1: 6:22

So now you got your physique like you. You're like a bodybuilder pretty much really early on early, as early as I can remember right and uh so what kind of program did you follow? Did you follow arnold's uh um encyclopedia, the encyclopedia of bodybuilding?

Speaker 2: 6:42

I saw that. You know, I don't know if this name would be familiar. You heard of Bill Pearl? Yeah, yeah, he's one of the old school guys. He had some things out there. Arnold Schwarzenegger was putting out some good things. Now, remember the route. I kind of came in right with the teaching kind of early. So one of the icons that wasn't necessarily a body builder but definitely a fitness enthusiast, and that was Jack LaLanne.

Speaker 2: 7:11

And as a matter of fact, it's so interesting because there was a little portion of my of my time. You know, you know black folks we go out, we go to flip a name. So you know, I was kind of getting that black LaLane hook for a minute. It was just a connection because he was on TV doing it. He wasn't this massive dude, but he had balance, he had flexibility, the exercises you could do with the back of a chair, you could get up against a wall, no equipment. Then what was he Engaging? He kept up tempo, he encouraged. There was a lot of okay, not a lot, but the ones that were there was that same model. They demonstrated. They showed that they were a living example of what they was trying to get you to learn or put you on a path. So yeah, so those are some of the names that kind of shaped and guided my, my interests along the way.

Speaker 1: 8:06

OK, so what would, what would the routines like? Like, let's say, you just started out, you just started out First off. You started out. How, how much? How heavy were you? Were you like a lightweight? Were you really thin? Were you like a slim build, are you?

Speaker 2: 8:23

like a slim build. It's so interesting because weight training or calisthenic physical conditioning was right at, because I got into the Golden Gloves early. I was in the Golden Gloves from like 16 on, so and that was I got started learning about weight training getting at 13. But you know, for most weight training and boxing, if you are not cross training correctly they can inhibit each other. And I didn't know that and you know that kind of sports training knowledge wasn't available, so I was having my limitations. You know, the weights give you all the power you want but you can't deliver it. So in my and I was still when I started 16, I was light, heavy, I was already past middleweight. So the thing is my trainer was throwing me in there with lightweights and welterweights and it was working on me like a ping pong ball Bing, bing, bing, bing, boom, bop Cause you got the power. But if you can't deliver it? So then I had to again using myself experiment, I had to modify Okay, strength is great, but I can't interfuse it with these kinds of repetitions, with that kind of intensity level. So then, and I saw my results improve so well to say, the routine before coming up with that calisthenics and calisthenics, that's always going to be the poor man's gym, because you can do a push-up anywhere If you're on planet Earth. Now, if you ain't got gravity you might have some problems, but you can do a push-up, you can do a proper squat. You can remember when the brothers and brother right here from Harlem are grandmasters of bartenders, giant giant. You couldn't go down the street and not see a brother you know, hitting his, hitting his work, so so so you make a gym and activity out of things around you.

Speaker 2: 10:15

Now of course we had a model back there, so you put a few dollars again there. You can go in there, maybe get some sand weights or get some items, and now you can start in the structure. But even before that I kind or get some items and now you can start in the structure. But even before that I kind of jumped over a category of household items. You can fill a gallon of wall, wrap a towel. There's things you can do to add resistance for certain activities If, again, equipment is not immediately available. But so that was kind of the route I took. And then the community center being right there, mitchell Gym, with the Grandmaster trainer, mr Sands, that opened the gateway. Calisthenics, household items, free weights, then, if you are in the gym, learn how to use that equipment properly. That should be, I think, a natural progressive. Also, all of this is relative as to what that person's goal is. Your goal will dictate the route and the combination of things you'll have to do to arrive at it.

Speaker 1: 11:16

Right when I was young I think I told you this before when I was younger, when I was younger, a young little kid, I would watch public access and I said, you know what I want to get my muscles like this. I went to you, I went to Modell's and I got me some dumbbells and I was, I was trying, man, I was trying. I didn't really understand how to lift weights until I, until I went to the bath house, you know, with uh, granddad and mcgee before I went to karate.

Speaker 1: 11:51

I would go on the weight floor and look around and I would watch people and then some guys would go. You know, let me help you out.

Speaker 2: 11:58

And and then I learned how to lift weights in a bathhouse interesting, interesting, yeah, good setting early on in my get my company started I was. That was one of the drop spots. They had a nice little free weights and it was a camaraderie. Obviously you had the more advanced you know the gym rats that's in there all the time. Then you had folks that was coming through to get back to a place they might have running behind jobs, starting a family, all the different things that happen in life that separate you from your, your physical regimen, and those extra pounds start coming off. So there's people at different places. Different paths led them to there. But that was one of the one of the great environments right At the bath house in Harlem for folks who are listening outside of of new york right 135th street between fifth and lennox yes right, right in front of, uh, lincoln terrace.

Speaker 1: 12:54

I think it's right, lincoln terrace. That's the name of the lennox terrace. Lennox terrace, lennox I'm thinking about len lincoln lincoln projects.

Speaker 2: 13:02

That's what I'm thinking about and the community refers to Lennox as Malcolm X Boulevard. Malcolm X Boulevard, but also known as Lennox Avenue, Right, so now let's talk about the beginning stages.

Speaker 1: 13:18

So you said calisthenics, you started there with calisthenics. So what was your main go-to, was it?

Speaker 2: 14:07

round robins, push-ups, pull-ups and dips. I would say sticking with push-ups first, because now that's a world in itself. Now, remember, I'm introducing boxing, but I'm fortunate that I've always had martial artists around me. So I was doing a non, I was doing a mixed martial arts before it was popular just by having so many different arts and sciences and because in in personal security, the majority of brothers have different backgrounds in the art. So so much downtime. So you're constantly working and learning different things, unofficially, you know, not for belts, but to keep your game tight.

Speaker 2: 14:44

So when you say the basics, a lot of my push-ups, there were knuckle push-ups, there were push-ups on the fingers, because you're still building your joints, Wide diamond decline. So a lot of it was from the chest, building that deltoid, because, remember, off-st strike, and then for defense, so that that was almost half of the workout. And then you know your drills. So that's the cardio, but again, it's tied to combat or it's tied to also being able to perform a strike, if it comes down to that.

Speaker 2: 15:22

So calisthenics, basically, and then squats and a lot of emphasis. Now you're familiar with a horse stance, I'm sure through Uri Arch, but there's an inner thigh squat that you can do with your legs in a horse stand position. You do that between 20 and 40 pounds and it just builds your core and it builds that inner thigh in in, in a way four kicks if you need it. But even if you're not kicking, remember your punches come from your legs anyway. So so that that was the other thing squats, but not just a traditional shoulder with definitely horse stand inner inner thigh squats right, so you're talking about with the feet externally rotated more in a wider stance, like a sumo squat.

Speaker 1: 16:06

It's a sumo squat and the width is important.

Speaker 2: 16:09

So the heels of the shoulder I'm sorry, the heels of the feet on either side are about anywhere from three to six inches outside of your shoulder. So that right foot is about three to six inches turned out and outside of that shoulder on that side. That generally gives you a good distance. Then your both legs should achieve about a 90 degree angle before you start to pivot. It's a short pivot as opposed to a long range squat. That again it gets that quick trick. Muscles working in the quadriceps, again for kicks if you need it, but if not for kick, it still gives your foundation a lot of strength.

Speaker 1: 16:51

Right, and also that sumo squat that he's mentioning. It's also great for deep pelvic floor muscles, for women who gave birth and things like that. Like deep pelvic floor muscles for women you know who, you know gave birth and things like that, you know, you know to strengthen the deep pelvic floor muscles. And also women who like to, you know shape and shaping up the, the, the caboose, the backside. That's also a great exercise. You know what I'm saying? Yep, yep. So now we went to the calisthenics. So you said push-ups, you push-ups, incline decline. What else are you doing for calisthenics?

Speaker 2: 17:35

Well, incline the diamonds. I want to get that in there. And you said knuckle push-ups, right.

Speaker 1: 17:40

I think I don't remember I think, just to go over them again knuckle.

Speaker 2: 17:45

There's a shoulder width with the palms flat. There is the wide, there is the diamond. Then there's a decline to decline. You achieve that with the feet up on a higher platform in your chest down flat. So those are those calisthenics. The inner thigh squat we just mentioned. You know what? I would suggest this, but it depends. But lunges, but 10, 20 years ago they were much more popular in exercise. I interest this person, the stress it puts on the knee, sometimes over long periods. But lunges for a person who's not having any kind of issue with that part of the body, done correctly, a lunge is an excellent exercise. And then your core. There's a series of abdominal stuff. You can incorporate the legs for the lower abs, there are side crunches for the external oblique. There are a number of rotations that you can do to get your core firing and that's one of the main calisthenics.

Speaker 1: 18:44

Right. Well, I want to make mention of this. So you spoke on lunges, right. So you said you didn't really want to suggest lunges, really right, because you know it could cause patella problems and things like that. So I'm going to say that you can. When people with knee issues, they can do reverse lunges Excellent, true, depending on how bad the knee issue is now. So don't go out there with terrible knees and then go to a reverse lunge and mess your knee up and say ron brown, lmt told you to do it, right, you, depending on the severity of the knee issue, right? So if you have like a little aggravation every now and again, you know, on the knees, you can do a um, you can do a reverse, a reverse lunge, all right. And and um, um, we're going to call it a stationary reverse lunge. A stationary reverse lunge because there are walking lunges with body displacement, and then you have stationary lunges where you stay right in place and you take a step back for reverse and then do a reverse lunge and then come back up again.

Speaker 2: 20:06

So and if I can just jump in with that just briefly, that even can be done near a wall. So if you're having a balance issue, you can still work with a surface that you can extend your arm to stabilize. Not quite naturally, you want to move to the place where you can recruit your stabilizing muscles and do that on your own, but it depends. Again, we said beginner when we promoted this. So if someone is just hey, just getting into it, I want to know, set up a few. If there's not a wall nearby, put a chair nearby. It's okay to have something as you're developing your balance and coordination.

Speaker 1: 20:41

For sure. And another thing you can do to develop your lunging coordination and strength. You can do step ups Just in case. Just in case your knees or you have knee issues, ok, do step ups. It works. Pretty much the same muscles.

Speaker 2: 21:05

Now, okay, again, each situation can be so individual because now I've experienced with some clients that that elevation going from a flat surface, even six inches higher, sometimes that stress on the patella can be challenging. The good is that you recruit more of the base of the thigh.

Speaker 1: 21:39

The good is that you recruit more the base of the thigh so you got more muscle to move the rest of the body up to that elevated point. But it's still the knee, it still becomes a digital point. But I guess if it's a lower step it can be used. It's also therapeutic for the knee if it's a lower step and you focus on the vastus medialis, that muscle. Well, you know what I'm saying. But the vastus medialis is the muscle right in the middle, I would say the midline next to the knee, the patella Next to the patella. Okay, yeah, so more medial, more medial, okay, away from the patella, more inside, closer to your inner thigh, that muscle on the quad, that's the vastus medialis, vastus medialis. Training that medialis on the step up is imperative for knee strength and knee health On the step up.

Speaker 2: 22:36

I totally agree. Now, we had neither of us to send this yet. I'm assuming folks know all of this is suggestions and advice, but you definitely want to get a checkup before taking this or any advice. You want to get a clearance from your health professional that you're in good enough condition at this time Because, yeah, you could be motivated and ready. Just get that last green light, especially if you know you've been inactive for a substantial length of a year or longer of inactivity.

Speaker 2: 23:07

But with that said, yeah, I mean, and even with time to jump in, walking might even be, if you really walk for a distance, get a pedometer. So, even before the lunge, the squat, the iron horse, the no, no, sorry, sorry. You know parking is rough here and I'm sitting in the car so many people ask me am I moving? I might have to cut these lights out, but, yeah, walking and then working on your posture, working on your breath. So, again, not even a squat slung. Yeah, the most natural activity for the legs is walking. So it depends on where this person is, what their age is is walking. So it depends on where this person is, what their age is, and you live near a park. You got a comfortable pair of sneakers that might hold you for two weeks, just walking every other day, picking up the pace. Okay, I got that under.

Speaker 2: 23:55

Okay, now let me listen to these brothers on the lunges, on the squats, on the reverse lunge, on the slight step-ups. So even now, all of this is we a slight step up. So even that, all of this is we are setting out a menu for you. Only, you know what your current condition is. Either you've had it checked or you're about to get it checked. But use this right now to pick from, say okay, I know this much about my body. This sounds like something I can safely experiment with, but by no means go forward without you need to get some kind of approval that you have agreed like to take. Take on these challenges indeed.

Speaker 1: 24:27

Let's talk a little bit about walking. Walking is great. Um, some some people do like, uh, uh, just leisure, right or brisk walking, or they call it power walking. Some people do power walking. You could also walk, uh, on a treadmill if you want to do that Up, you know, on an incline, right On an incline, you could walk on an incline. The thing about walking that's great, from what I've learned, is that walking builds the feet. It builds the, you know, the feet, the calves, all the way through, all the way up. It's a total body exercise. Actually, you know, and as they say, you know you got to crawl before you walk, right, so you want to walk, you know, walk before you run. Walking actually helps you build your running mechanics, the proper running mechanics. So that's great to start out for beginners, for running and things of that nature. So walking is great. Another thing is Walking is great. Another thing is the great thing about walking is that you burn a lot of fat right at a lower heart rate.

Speaker 2: 25:54

You burn a lot of fat. Yeah, I don't know, a lot is relative. Now you can burn fat. I don't know if a lot, because remember the threshold to get into an anaerobic capacity, because remember the threshold to get into an anaerobic capacity, where the body most efficiently burns fat, tends to be a little higher than what walking would achieve. But you will burn. But it's over. The has already the glycogen that's been burnt and now you're digging into a fuel source that you're trying to burn anyway.

Speaker 1: 26:38

Right. So you're basically saying taking the body into an anaerobic state, Anaerobic right.

Speaker 2: 26:45

Well, no, remember, the anaerobic is the short term, that's when you dispense of the glycogen in your. That's like they say in football the front line boom, boom, boom. That's anaerobic. I'm talking about going into an aerobic capacity.

Speaker 1: 27:00

That's what I'm saying. With aerobic you can burn a lot of body fat at that low heart rate over time, over time. So I'm not saying, you know, walking on a treadmill only for 20 minutes, depending on it. Remember it also depends on the person's fitness level.

Speaker 2: 27:20

Now the threshold for aerobic. When the body is shift gears from anaerobic to aerobic, what are the threshold markers you would use to say okay, hey, you're working on your aerobic system right now.

Speaker 1: 27:33

I would use their heart rate. Okay, I would use their heart rate. So I would use their resting heart rate and I would. I forgot how that goes. Let me, let me look at, let me look at how I calculated that, because I forgot how you calculate that. Uh, off the top of my head I think it's um, I mean, here we go, here we go, I got it. I got it, here we go. I just remembered.

Speaker 1: 28:01

So you subtract 220, 220. You subtract your age, you subtract your age from 220. And that would be your max heart rate. Right, that would be your maximum heart rate. So then I would go in between the range of your max heart rate and down, right, so you know, usually people use, like, the Bruce time test protocol to find that out, to find out exactly what their threshold is, the Bruce time test protocol, to fight, figure that out, and there's a few calculations that they would have to go through.

Speaker 1: 28:43

But the the, the basic for beginners, right I would say, is use, take the number 220, subtract your age, and then you'll find your maximum heart rate. And of course, you don't want to take yourself into your maximum heart rate because now you're anaerobic, so you want to keep it in between the maximum heart rate and whatever sweet spot there is. So like, let's say, if your maximum heart rate is 180, my maximum heart rate according to this calculation is 180,. Right, maybe like a 140 range to 180, depending on you know my actual performance during this walk test, so you look at your maximum heart rate and you just pretty much test it out from there.

Speaker 2: 29:43

Okay, so then you would agree, there's a level of intensity you have to get to before you can get to the level. So now walking, especially if it depends on his leisure you may not get anywhere near that intensity level.

Speaker 2: 29:58

So that's what I'm saying I wouldn't even know if you even get into an aerobic range where you'll be losing lots of weight now you'll trigger the system, but lots of. Because that you will trigger the system, but lots of, because that's the other thing. I really try to give a realistic perspective to folks once they get going. Everybody's looking for results on and on scales in the front of the mirror every three days. I don't want to set them up for something that might not be as accurate. It's not going to be quick, but it will come down if you're consistent. I think maybe leaning more towards that direction.

Speaker 1: 30:35

Right, consistency is. Consistency is key. So, but just like you said, like leisure walking, like I'm just walking, I'm just walking to go to the store I'm walking to. I'm just walking to go to the store, I'm walking to a friend's house, that's not going to cut it, even though the amount of steps. They do matter, though, the amount of steps, right, because there's something called non-activity exercise threshold as well. So it's like your non-activity also counts, like the walking over here and walking over there. But as the brother herman small said, you know you have to take your heart rate to a certain threshold for you to burn fat. So but yeah, so I I totally agree with that, I totally agree with that.

Speaker 2: 31:22

Yeah, I would say that threshold over a length of time. It's just like get to the threshold, okay, I'm done, get to that threshold, maintain it over a period, a period of time, and then you can leave it and come back. But in that period of time your body would have most efficiently started to utilize your fat storages. And that's what most people unless it's a weight gain program but most folks that that's weird. That's that sweet spot that they're trying to to get you where the body is like okay, now I'm tapping into fuel. I never wanted to be storing in the first place exactly, exactly.

Speaker 1: 31:57

So now we spoke about walking, we spoke about the push-ups, we spoke about the sumo squat. Now, one thing about the sumo squat, you know, you know it works, it works, you know. Or squatting in general Right, it's going to work, the glue is going to work, that squatting movement pattern. But what about the woman who has a child, who's always, you know, dead lifting that child from the, from from a chair or the bed or from off the floor? They have to have some kind of dead lifting strength, would you agree?

Speaker 2: 32:35

Yes, especially as their child progresses in weight and in age. Let's hope they got good biomechanics. They're lifting from the legs, engaging all of their core muscles to do it properly. But yes, women naturally have to maintain that. I mean mothers. Mothers have to.

Speaker 1: 32:55

Mothers, I would say men should improve their deadlifting abilities as well, because they have to pick up things for the family, they have to pick up the groceries and things like that, and also, naturally, men are the protectors of the home. You know what I mean. So that deadlift gives you enough power through the back of the body to ward off opposition.

Speaker 2: 33:24

Yeah, definitely. That's your root, that's your base, and in an emergency, you know, God forbid you ever have to drag someone out of a fire.

Speaker 1: 33:36

Right, your audio is off. Your audio, somebody must have called you. I hear you. I hear you, but the audio is a little off okay, I didn't do anything on this end.

Speaker 2: 33:54

What is it you're breaking?

Speaker 1: 33:55

up. Oh, now you're good okay, okay.

Speaker 2: 33:59

I'm just saying in cases of an emergency where you have to transport someone vis-a-vis, dragging them or maybe even sometimes hoisting someone over your shoulder, that's 160, 180, 200 pounds. So, yeah, for self-defense, core uh training, but also to be able to have the strength to move and transport even sometimes you can, 10, 15 feet is enough to save someone's life or move them out of harm's way in an emergency. So yeah, yeah for men, definitely, but women should have a certain amount of base strength that they can develop, and women can develop that strength as well without taking all the negative attributes. Like a lot of women try to stay clear of becoming overly bulky, and the targeted training that a woman would do would give a great benefit in the core without adding uh, any kind of mass. That seems to be a concern for a lot of women. That has caused them to avoid weights for most of their lives right now.

Speaker 1: 35:00

You know, one thing I want to mention for women, um and this for men too, but mainly for women doing a deadlift right, If you can't make it to a gym, you can also buy a simple kettlebell from Walmart or from some other place Dick's Sporting Goods and you can buy a kettlebell and do deadlifts with a kettlebell. Deadlifts are a very important exercise you should incorporate, so a simple kettlebell could get the job done. You don't have to go to a gym and get the big old weights, or even if you you know you could also do a, you could do a deadlift using dumbbells. You know there's a there'ss, you know they have the RDLs, the Romanian deadlifts you can do with the dumbbells, so yeah, and even I always like to give a non-equipment, I'm going to say equivalent.

Speaker 2: 36:03

Definitely not an equivalent in this situation, but something that you would want to do to build your core, to build your torso region. It's posture related. Now you can do this, walking or sitting, and go back to old school. What grandma said no, sit up in that chair, boy, sit up right.

Speaker 2: 36:25

Posture when the body is in its proper posture, whether seating or standing, that automatically gives you more breathing capacity, anywhere from five to 10% more the average person will get just by improving on their posture shoulders back, with their head up, so that the esophagus can get the air more freely. So posture no weight, no equipment, not a kettlebell, not a dumbbell, not a deadlift. But you've already begun to initiate an alignment that will build with time. Now you add deadlifts on top of that. So again, the first thing get your posture, get your form, get your breathing, so when you go to that exercise you can build up right there, because their foundation is already set, because a lot of times you get to the exercise without locking in the little stuff.

Speaker 2: 37:16

Your strength could be improving, but there's like an Achilles heel and then we wonder sometimes where these spontaneous injuries come from after an exercise you've been doing for two years, three years. So that's a big stickle on form right from the outset. You get a solid foundation. You could build 100 floors on top of it. A weak foundation. You get to 8, 9, 10, you're progressing. All that stuff is going to tilt and come crashing down at some point.

Speaker 1: 37:43

Yes, yes, sir, yes, sir. So now you know. We spoke about the calisthenics. We went a little bit into weightlifting. Can you give the people some recommendations for weightlifting, basic exercises? So we spoke about squats, deadlifts. We spoke about what do you? What's your take on bench pressing?

Speaker 2: 38:06

Bench pressing. It's more or less standard. And if you can get a bench, the safety factor, because it's not ideal unless it's dumbbell bench presses. But if it's barbell bench presses, I think if there's one exercise that's the cause of more accidental death it is the barbell bench press, done alone, with an individual that misjudged that way, or fatigue came on a lot more rapidly than they anticipated. So again, so what do you have? You got a bar, you got a guillotine effect and many of us had that experience. Even I learned a technique from an old head because you know, you learn how to train. You put those clamps on both sides. Why? So the weight don't tip off while you lift it. But an old head told me yeah, in the case of an emergency you want that weight to be able to tip off.

Speaker 2: 39:05

Exactly he said he never wants to clamp. Yeah, yeah, and he saved himself several times he got messy.

Speaker 1: 39:12

Do not put those clamps on if you're by yourself.

Speaker 2: 39:14

Yeah, yeah. But I mean if you would think a simple thing, but hey, boom, boom, you're hit, we get into routine. And he said he bagged up his whole fish tank tank one time but yeah, you got to get that stuff off. So yeah, a bench press is good. If you're challenging yourself with it, always do it with a partner. If you're going to do bench pressing on alone, I would stick with the dumbbells. But yeah, it's excellent. One of the best exercises for, for building the chest. Well, you know, a lot of us are not going to have a bench, but if you if do have one bench, start lighter. Focus on range of motion, focus on isolation. That's a big thing. That's not even emphasized enough in training. Target the muscle while being able to relax the other muscles sufficiently where they're not taking away the work from what you're targeting. Indeed, all these are the techniques. Indeed, I want to go back to you're targeting Indeed.

Speaker 1: 40:08

So all these are the techniques Indeed. So I want to go back to bench pressing. Again, warning, if you're by yourself. I'm going to give you maybe a couple of tips. If you're bench pressing by yourself, go a little lighter than you usually would. Don't put any clips on them Right, and even though full range of motion, you know, basically incorporates the greatest length, tension is the best thing for the pecs. I wouldn't go all the way down. If you're worried, if you're concerned, go at a comfortable range of motion and then push it right back up.

Speaker 2: 40:54

Yes, and this I would say, and only in an emergency, because this is poor technique Actually, but in an emergency. And again, the first thing, get it off tilting boom, boom. If not, if you misjudge, but if you think you might have one more rep and you can get it up, that springboard effect off the chest has helped a lot. And then it's that last time Down, get that bounce and everything you got to drive it. Now you missed that one. Bring it down controlled and then you have to tilt off Because you know most of us are working out in small spaces. So if you got a bar flinging because it has weight on one side and not on the other, you're already fatigued. So in most cases you're not going to have a lot of control over it. So you're looking at breaking up something. It's just not pretty. Or your neighbors are going to be coming up like what the blank man? Your ceiling got my ceiling falling down.

Speaker 1: 41:49

So yeah, yeah, you want to you want to work carefully and intelligently while challenging yourself and getting the benefits from exercise Right. Shout out. Shout out to the new member, joey. You just became a new member to the NYP talk show. I really appreciate it. This show brought you to become a member.

Speaker 1: 42:13

So you know, we got to keep this show going on. You know, I always wanted to do a fitness show. We tried in the beginning and I don't know, you know, some things happen with that, but now we're here, so we're going to keep this fitness show going. Of course, this is like my main thing. This is what I do for a living, it's fitness, it's massage therapy, group fitness. So that's what I do. Peace, joey, peace, joey. I really appreciate you. We're going to do this show every other Monday. Every other Monday, joey, the fitness show every other Monday.

Speaker 1: 42:48

And, depending on how this, depending on the response, you know I want to do more fitness shows because, like I said, this is what I do for a living. So the bench press we went into the bench press what are you? So I was watching a show no, a YouTube a couple weeks ago and it was about lifters lifters who are not on the juice and all that stuff. And they had a young guy on there who was doing a lot of incline. He said he never does flat. So what do you think about that? Just doing mainly inc inclined and not even flat yeah, that's so interesting.

Speaker 2: 43:31

I kind of I stumbled upon that maybe, maybe about 10 years ago, and and now, now, this is if there's only one option, if I have an option for flat or inclined, I would only do inclined, you do both, you intersperse them. If I have an option for flat or inclined, I would only do incline, you do both, you intersperse. If I have an option of doing only one, a barbell or a dumbbell, it will always be a dumbbell because that will give me more angles that I can. You have more control with the dumbbells, where the bar just keeps you in a more or less a straight track of motion. Everything your wrists, your elbows, shoulders, everything is more or less aligned, where that little play of adjustment is oftentimes more comfortable, especially if you have an old injury. You're trying to work around and I'm sorry the question again.

Speaker 1: 44:21

So I was talking about the incline.

Speaker 2: 44:25

This bodybuilder.

Speaker 1: 44:26

he just does mainly incline, he doesn't do incline.

Speaker 2: 44:29

Again, I stumbled on that and guess what the logic is. The logic I mean from a practicality, and especially if this person is either competing or because if you're working out of all the pectoral divisions inner pec, outer pec, upper pec the one that would enhance them all, or the one that definitely cosmetically benefits them all, is the upper pec. Because what do you have pulling on you night and day, day and night. You know it is gravity. So anything you pull from the top, even when gravity is working so I'm saying against you or when it's pulling, you still have that development that you said.

Speaker 1: 45:11

And fill out everything under it Right, probably your sound, your audio again went out.

Speaker 2: 45:18

Oh wow, I don't know about now. I'm saying testing is being still out, still out.

Speaker 1: 45:24

Yeah, now we on, we're on.

Speaker 2: 45:27

We have to figure out why, that's why this happened, but at least it goes away, yeah when you back up like this don't, oh, okay, okay but yeah, the upper pec still enhances deep development. So it's kind of like a cheat technique. You really should work a more upper, mid outer, I mean to get that full development of the pectoral. But if you like more like a time restraint and it's one that I had to do it would be the incline only.

Speaker 1: 45:59

Now, the thing about the incline that I don't like is that it's tough on the shoulders.

Speaker 2: 46:07

Yes.

Speaker 1: 46:08

It's tough on the shoulders. Yes, it's tough on the shoulders. So if you're going to do incline, I'm going to suggest you start lighter than you would if you did a flat bench.

Speaker 2: 46:16

Without question. Yes, at least I would say about 30% lighter man. Yeah, so if you're flat you're doing 150, you're dropping that to 100 for incline. Right, sure for sure and focused on form, range of motion, and if you haven't done it in a while, it's a balance adjustment, it's a whole equilibrium thing.

Speaker 1: 46:37

So you might even want to work with the bar alone just to get comfortable again with that range of motion right, right, so yeah, so, um, my, my main focus, like for clients and for myself, right is like that that first set. Even though I tell my clients the first set doesn't count, it actually does. I just tell them that because it's like they're counting the sets to try to get it over with right, right, right. So I say this first set doesn't count. You you know what I mean. Actually, the first set really matters. Actually, the first set is extremely important because it's the warm up, the first set is the warm up.

Speaker 1: 47:16

So I would go. My main focus is body mechanics and getting the neuromuscular system used to that actual movement. Okay, we start adding load to it.

Speaker 2: 47:31

Exactly Now. You said something that I don't want it to be misleading. And now you said the first rep is the warm-up.

Speaker 1: 47:40

No, I said, the first set is the warm-up.

Speaker 2: 47:44

So it's a warm-up set? Then, yes, okay, cool, cool. So now is there any stretching or warm-up? So it's a warm-up set? Then, yes, okay, cool, cool. So now is there any stretching or warm-up things done before that set? Or is that literally you're laying down cold and that's the first thing you do?

Speaker 1: 47:56

Before I got a little older I used to just go down there cold, but I don't think that's the best.

Speaker 2: 48:04

No, yeah, that's why, when you said warm-up set, I wanted to tease that out for people. No, there are basic range of movement stuff related to warming up even before you get to that. That could be helpful. Now, also, I forgot the other reason I was trying to work from inside is my phone wasn't fully charged and I know I'm in, I'm in the red now, so I think I got probably. Sorry. Sorry, I, I got about, I think, about another four or five minutes in in my. My apologies, but I, I was trying to stay plugged in for those few minutes, that that's. I was trying to keep the uh, the camera off until I got up. So, all right, so we got time, but if it abruptly stops, I just want to give you a warning on it.

Speaker 1: 48:51

Okay, it's all good. This was our first one, you know, and I loved it. You know what I mean. It was thorough, even though you know we got to do Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Nutrition, part 2. We got to do a Part 2 to this Part two. We got to do a part two to this. So now, now, the, the warm up that I like right is the dislocations, because you're moving, you know it's more dynamic as opposed to doing a static stretch.

Speaker 2: 49:23

Interesting, yeah, OK, so now over over those. Yeah, Dynamic, definitely over over over static.

Speaker 1: 49:33

Yeah for sure. So I don't know what kind of dynamic stretching you do, but I'd use a. Um, sometimes you can use a stick and just go over your head and back down in the front, over your head and back down. Or you can use a long rope, go over the head and back down and over the head back down and loosen up the shoulder joint, getting the synovial fluid excreted inside the joint, getting yourself ready for that chest press.

Speaker 2: 49:57

Now I tell you, the over the back concerns me a little and maybe again, and maybe you know, I'm at a place where I'm working with a lot of older clients, so I would say that one would be a little more complex movement, that I would want them to start off as a warm-up. But one of the ones I do almost universal, depending on, is this one the scissor across the front where you're almost like alternating one arm, yes, but all the way across the front it's like you're giving a hug opposite with the other arm each time, but moving it You're not stopping Up and over, up and over, up and over. So you're raising the heart rate because that's right in the thoracic, and then I definitely go up and down because you're working that deltoid. So going behind, believe me, that's a pretty complex movement and, depending upon what flexibility is in the neck, is in the rhomboids, depending upon what flexibility is in the neck, is in the rhombus, in the deltoid in general, a lot of times it can spark something more than it will help.

Speaker 1: 51:01

And an older client again. You may not have seen a lot of this. Well, you know, I've trained people who the oldest person I've trained was 80. And I've trained him for years. I'm pretty sure he's passed on at this point. Rick. Rick shouts out to Rick if you're still around. Okay, okay, yeah, I used to train Rick. You know anyone who works with me at Equinox 63rd Street they know I trained Rick for so many years. It's crazy, but he from, I guess, his 60s, all the way up. So you know, yeah, and I had him bench pressing and I had him. I had him doing some good stuff. So he was able to do that, you know, because he didn't have any shoulder issues.

Speaker 1: 51:48

Plus, oh, who's that? Divine, uh, god of law, peace, peace, peace, peace, divine, peace, divine god of law. So, um, uh, that stretch, right it. So what? It's really simple, though, like I wish I could, I had a, a string or something, but you just, you're just going above your head like this, you're just doing this. It's nothing really hard at all, but I like your, I like your eye, your warm-up as well. That one is good too. That one, please you there. Okay, his phone, his phone, uh, died on us. His phone died on us. He said that was gonna happen, but yeah, so we just went through. Hold on.

Speaker 1: 52:30

If y'all want to see that stretch, hold on. Y'all got to wait one second. Where the hell, where was that? All right, so real quick. So you could take any kind of rope or, um, uh, you know, belt or whatever, as long as it's long enough. Now, if it's really short, it's going to be hard for you to do this. All you're doing is this You're just taking anything and bringing it above your head, down behind your back and bringing it back down here, above your head, around and down. That's all you're doing to warm up your shoulder before you go into a chest press, um, and shouts out to nomad khali, nomad khali, hey, nomad, that's my school, right there. I go. Go to Kali, kali, ptk, martial arts, anyway, filipino stick fighting, knife fighting, etc. Anyway. So you can do that. Take anything a bit of a head around and there you have it, the warm-up for the shoulder, chest press and we're out of here. The brother Herman Smalls basically phone died. So we're on alternate weeks, eight o'clock Mondays for the Fitness Podcast, beginner's Guide to Fitness and Nutrition in 2025. I am going to also put out another clip of Wise Asia tomorrow and you guys will see that.

Speaker 1: 54:11

Peace to all the 5%. Peace to all people from the 5% Pardon me, y'all, I'm tired. Peace to all and everybody in the 5% nation, the gods and the earth. Peace to the Moors, islam to the Moors. Peace to everybody, the human families on the planet Earth. I am out of here, I am gone. See y'all tomorrow. Peace.