Gains Beyond Gains: The Connection Between Fitness and Mental Health

In this episode we discuss the relationship between fitness and mental health with my friend Joey Szatmary.

Joey is a multi-sport strength athlete who’s a HUGE advocate for mental health; he’s a strength and conditioning coach, pro-strongman (2019 strongman national champion, by the way), a high school lacrosse coach, gym owner for 7+ years, YouTuber, former football and lacrosse team captain, and last, but certainly not least, has a strong passion for playing DJ at any social gathering.

You can visit Joey's website here:

• SZAT STRENGTH - szatstrength.net

Links to Joey's socials are below:

• INSTAGRAM - @Szatstrength
•  YouTube - Szatstrength
• Twitter (X) - Szatstrength

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• The importance of breaking societal stigmas of mental health, especially for men
• Fitness's positive impact on mental well-being
• Conquering self-doubt and imposter syndrome in relation to adding fitness into your day-to-day
• Strategies for making fitness enjoyable and sustainable for anyone
• The GAINS beyond the physical gains of fitness, like self-efficacy, discipline, confidence, and community

In this episode, we talk about how fitness isn't just about physical strength—it's a powerful tool for mental well-being and personal growth. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just trying to get started, there's something here for everyone, we promise.

After listening, let us know how integrating fitness has empowered you to conquer self-doubt and thrive in all areas of your own life.  We'd love to hear your stories and might even feature it on one of our future episodes!
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Fitness And Mental Health, Breaking Stigmas, Strength And Conditioning, Pro Strongman, National Champion, Gym Community, Self-Efficacy, Discipline And Confidence, Imposter Syndrome, Sus

• ALL LINKS HERE
• Instagram: @TheUnderwireOfficial
• Now on TikTok!: @TheUnderwireOfficial
• 1:1 Coaching: START HERE to Learn More!

Transcript

1:57

[Jess .] Hello,[Jess .] everyone,[Jess .] and welcome to the Underwire podcast,[Jess .] supporting you when life needs a lift.[Jess .] I'm your host,[Jess .] Jess.[Jess .] Join with my co-host,[Jess .] Ryan.[Jess .] And today,[Jess .] we are talking about the relationship between fitness and mental[Jess .] health with my friend,[Jess .] Joey Zatmeri.[Jess .] So first off,[Jess .] Joey is a multi-sport strength athlete who's a huge advocate for mental health.[Jess .] He's a strength and conditioning coach,[Jess .] pro strongman,[Jess .] not to mention 2019 strongman national champion,[Jess .] no big deal,[Jess .] a high school lacrosse coach,[Jess .] gym owner for seven plus years,[Jess .] YouTuber.[Jess .] Former football and lacrosse team captain,[Jess .] and last but certainly not least,[Jess .] has a strong passion for playing DJ at any social gathering.[Ryan Rainbro] And how do you know Joey?[Ryan Rainbro] How are you friends?[Jess .] Joey,[Jess .] I know Joey from the gym he previously owned called the Lion's Den,[Jess .] literally the best gym in the entire world.[Jess .] R.[Jess .] I.[Jess .] P.[Jess .] But yeah,[Jess .] he was a coach there.[Jess .] He owned the gym and that's how we became friends.[Ryan Rainbro] What's our subject today,[Ryan Rainbro] Jess?[Jess .] Today,[Jess .] we are talking about the correlation and relationship between mental health and fitness.[Jess .] So we're gonna be discussing the importance of breaking societal[Jess .] stigmas of mental health.[Jess .] Especially for men.[Jess .] Fitness's positive impact on mental well-being,[Jess .] how we can conquer self-doubt and imposter syndrome in relation to[Jess .] adding fitness into your day-to-day.[Jess .] We're going to be talking about some strategies for making fitness[Jess .] enjoyable and sustainable for anyone,[Jess .] just the regular average person.[Jess .] And we're going to be also talking about the gains beyond the[Jess .] physical gains of fitness.[Jess .] Things like self-efficacy,[Jess .] discipline,[Jess .] confidence,[Jess .] building a community,[Jess .] and all of that sort of stuff.[Ryan Rainbro] Awesome.[Ryan Rainbro] Well,[Ryan Rainbro] Joey,[Ryan Rainbro] thank you for joining us.[Ryan Rainbro] So you own the gym,[Ryan Rainbro] so obviously you're intimately integrated into the fitness world,[Ryan Rainbro] but can you tell us a little bit about your relationship with fitness,[Ryan Rainbro] how you got into it so much so that you wanted to make it your career?[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] yeah.[Joey Szatmary] Well,[Joey Szatmary] first off,[Joey Szatmary] thanks for having me,[Joey Szatmary] guys.[Joey Szatmary] Really appreciate it.[Joey Szatmary] A lot we can go into,[Joey Szatmary] I guess.[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] just crushed it with all the things we cover.[Joey Szatmary] So hopefully I can do my best to tackle maybe a little bit of each of those.[Joey Szatmary] But yeah,[Joey Szatmary] been involved,[Joey Szatmary] I would say,[Joey Szatmary] with fitness since I was probably 12 or 13.[Joey Szatmary] And I'm also a big advocate when it comes to mental health and[Joey Szatmary] really using fitness as my vehicle to navigate through mental health continually.[Joey Szatmary] Because for me,[Joey Szatmary] it's like an ever,[Joey Szatmary] ever long process,[Joey Szatmary] right,[Joey Szatmary] of ups and downs.[Joey Szatmary] Using the tools and tactics over the years to be able to face those situations,[Joey Szatmary] kind of have that background knowledge of,[Joey Szatmary] oh,[Joey Szatmary] I've been here before and now I can overcome.[Joey Szatmary] And I try to just spread that with everybody,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] that I meet or that's open to kind of using that vehicle to help go[Joey Szatmary] through life or cope with things that they're going through when it[Joey Szatmary] comes to mental health.[Joey Szatmary] But yeah,[Joey Szatmary] so fitness and me started,[Joey Szatmary] like I said,[Joey Szatmary] probably around 12 or 13.[Joey Szatmary] I kind of have that classic story of having self-confidence issues as a kid.[Joey Szatmary] I was always a very,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] kind,[Joey Szatmary] nice kid.[Joey Szatmary] But I was also at the same time,[Joey Szatmary] like pick last for sports.[Joey Szatmary] I was quote unquote,[Joey Szatmary] like the gay best friend,[Joey Szatmary] all the girls,[Joey Szatmary] like where I would try to be like picking up a girl and then realize[Joey Szatmary] that they're telling me about the guy that.[Joey Szatmary] They have a huge crush on.[Joey Szatmary] Meanwhile,[Joey Szatmary] like I wanted to be that guy and I wasn't.[Joey Szatmary] So I was like, 'Oh,[Joey Szatmary] this is not where I want to go with these types of things.' So kind[Joey Szatmary] of going through that and then adolescence with puberty and.[Joey Szatmary] socializing with kids in school and dealing with bullies or just[Joey Szatmary] stuff going on at home.[Joey Szatmary] I started to use fitness or just exercise at that point to kind of[Joey Szatmary] help mold myself and almost create like that character in a video[Joey Szatmary] game or a movie that I wanted to be or aspired to be.[Joey Szatmary] And then,[Joey Szatmary] just over time,[Joey Szatmary] it became such a big part of my life.[Joey Szatmary] And as things got more challenging in my own story,[Joey Szatmary] I always just fell back on getting into the gym or exercising and[Joey Szatmary] just trying to build my confidence or build my mental and physical resilience in life.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] that fast forward led to just being a passion of mine where I wanted[Joey Szatmary] to help other people do it.[Joey Szatmary] So eventually,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] this is probably like high school.[Joey Szatmary] I started getting more of like that stigma or not stigma,[Joey Szatmary] just reputation of the guy who was.[Joey Szatmary] The person to go to to talk about fitness stuff,[Joey Szatmary] because that kind of was more of my lifestyle,[Joey Szatmary] and be somebody who could offer them resources or guidance on how[Joey Szatmary] they could do it too.[Joey Szatmary] And that eventually became more of my career,[Joey Szatmary] which was a different career path than originally what I thought.[Joey Szatmary] But kind of just took that route of turning my passion into my[Joey Szatmary] profession and then eventually opened up a gym in 2016.[Joey Szatmary] And then that gym had been closed June of 2023.[Joey Szatmary] Several years running that business,[Joey Szatmary] met a lot of amazing people.[Joey Szatmary] And the people that were there could probably tell you that we did[Joey Szatmary] have a really great culture and atmosphere,[Joey Szatmary] a very welcoming vibe,[Joey Szatmary] where it was way more than just the lifting weights,[Joey Szatmary] although we did have that.[Joey Szatmary] But I think the community was a big aspect and always something that[Joey Szatmary] I took a lot of pride in with that business.[Joey Szatmary] And all throughout those years have just been trying to share.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] my story relates to people and hopefully people can see the things I[Joey Szatmary] do or talk about and implement it into their lives with just[Joey Szatmary] bringing positivity and awareness as well.[Joey Szatmary] Like I know we talk about,[Joey Szatmary] we'll probably get into just being a male.[Joey Szatmary] and kind of what goes through,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] my head of what a male should be like or act like or think like,[Joey Szatmary] but also,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] living that and trying to kind of just share the message that it's[Joey Szatmary] okay to not be okay at certain times.[Joey Szatmary] And then here's kind of...[Joey Szatmary] some different routes we can take about when we go through those[Joey Szatmary] times or when there is that fork in the road of how to come out on[Joey Szatmary] the other side in a positive and better way of growth.[Joey Szatmary] So yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] outside of that,[Joey Szatmary] I got a three-legged pit bull,[Joey Szatmary] who's my main man.[Joey Szatmary] I got my fiancé.[Joey Szatmary] We got a lot of good life stuff happening right now.[Joey Szatmary] Obviously,[Joey Szatmary] my life's been a roller coaster.[Joey Szatmary] especially in the last year,[Joey Szatmary] but I'm in such a great place right now.[Joey Szatmary] And I'm just so grateful and happy that,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] just to be here and to be where I'm at.[Joey Szatmary] So it just goes to show you that things are always going to be changing.[Joey Szatmary] There's always going to be ups and downs,[Joey Szatmary] but it's kind of what we do in those moments and how we can utilize[Joey Szatmary] these tools and tactics or things that we'll talk about on this podcast too.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] really just become that better version of yourself and overcome and[Joey Szatmary] triumph and stay resilient.[Ryan Rainbro] That's awesome.[Ryan Rainbro] I don't think we could be talking to anyone better about this subject.[Ryan Rainbro] So great job,[Ryan Rainbro] Jess.[Ryan Rainbro] And my dad will be happy to hear that I'm going to hear about being a man.[Ryan Rainbro] So this is also good for me.[Ryan Rainbro] Jess,[Ryan Rainbro] I know ever since I've known you,[Ryan Rainbro] you were,[Ryan Rainbro] um,[Ryan Rainbro] you've been into fitness as well and going to the gym and stuff like that.[Ryan Rainbro] So do you have a similar story that it helped you with,[Ryan Rainbro] uh,[Ryan Rainbro] with confidence or was it just kind of a social thing for you?[Ryan Rainbro] How did that affect your life?[Jess .] You know,[Jess .] I like Joey.[Jess .] I was not always into fitness.[Jess .] And as a child,[Jess .] I feel like I was very active,[Jess .] but not really into fitness or anything like that,[Jess .] at least not to the extent I am now and had zero clue about anything nutrition wise.[Jess .] You know,[Jess .] I played ice hockey when I was in middle school and in high school.[Jess .] And I would go to hockey camp all day during the summer and just eat[Jess .] like the worst bullshit in the cafeteria,[Jess .] which makes sense as a middle schooler.[Jess .] But like,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] he didn't know any better.[Jess .] I played hockey because,[Jess .] well,[Jess .] I liked it,[Jess .] but probably more because of the,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] your kid,[Jess .] you play sports,[Jess .] your parents push you into doing stuff.[Jess .] But I had a lot of friends because of hockey,[Jess .] and I really liked that.[Jess .] I didn't really think too much about it,[Jess .] I guess,[Jess .] until I was a little bit older.[Jess .] When it became more meaningful to me and I started realizing all of[Jess .] the things that I've learned because of my relation to,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] playing hockey or sports or doing things with,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] any sort of physical attributes to them.[Jess .] I don't think that I actually got into like actual lifting weights[Jess .] until I was much older,[Jess .] like 21,[Jess .] 22.[Jess .] I started like going to the gym regularly.[Jess .] And the reason for that,[Jess .] if I'm being completely transparent,[Jess .] is because my one ex-boyfriend,[Jess .] who was a firefighter.[Jess .] Always talked about how he would get up at the fucking ass crack at dawn and,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] drink a gallon of water.[Jess .] No,[Jess .] I'm just being exaggerative,[Jess .] but drink water to get hydrated because then he had to do this crazy[Jess .] kettlebell workout and whatever.[Jess .] And just like hearing the way that he talked about.[Jess .] His workouts and like his fitness made me super just intrigued and very curious.[Jess .] And I'm like,[Jess .] you know what?[Jess .] Like he's super gung ho about it.[Jess .] And he actually inspired me to like get my ass to the gym and like go to the gym.[Jess .] Gym and I fell in love with it.[Jess .] Years later,[Jess .] I started training Muay Thai and fell in love with that so much.[Jess .] Then I started coaching Muay Thai.[Jess .] And then I stumbled across through a mutual friend found Joey and the lion's den.[Jess .] And after like,[Jess .] Like,[Jess .] Joey,[Jess .] I swear I followed the Lions Den Instagram page for like a year and[Jess .] a half before I actually went.[Jess .] And I was scared out of my fucking mind to go.[Jess .] And I never really lifted weight seriously ever in my life.[Jess .] Like I would go to L.[Jess .] A.[Jess .] Fitness and,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] just be like,[Jess .] oh,[Jess .] I don't really know what I'm doing.[Jess .] But it wasn't until I went to the Lions Den that I started lifting like for real,[Jess .] for real and fucking loved it.[Jess .] And as intimidated as I felt,[Jess .] I've never felt more welcomed than when I went there for the first time.[Jess .] That place will have a lasting impact on me and my life.[Jess .] And like,[Jess .] I'm just so grateful for that.[Jess .] So thanks,[Jess .] Joey.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] absolutely.[Joey Szatmary] It's funny because,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] I always talk about this actually when I do podcasts— is from the outside,[Joey Szatmary] I think a lot of people were intimidated and afraid of the gym and[Joey Szatmary] it totally like was not my intention.[Joey Szatmary] Because my intention was not that I wanted to have like bad ass.[Joey Szatmary] How do I say this?[Joey Szatmary] Like intimidating,[Joey Szatmary] bad ass people there.[Joey Szatmary] I just wanted like—badass people,[Joey Szatmary] like in like a totally different context of just like people who[Joey Szatmary] wanted to come into a community,[Joey Szatmary] people who wanted to kind of take that leap.[Joey Szatmary] It probably was too much of like a barrier.[Joey Szatmary] If I could go back,[Joey Szatmary] I probably wouldn't have made it as intimidating.[Joey Szatmary] But I wanted people that were,[Joey Szatmary] when they were in there,[Joey Szatmary] like, 'Oh,[Joey Szatmary] wow,[Joey Szatmary] like this place is awesome.[Joey Szatmary] It's sick.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] I'm so glad that I came here.' And it kind of just showed me,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] if you stepped in there,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] you had the guts to really want to make a change.[Joey Szatmary] And then once you were in there,[Joey Szatmary] you realize that it probably wasn't anything in the sense that,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] you had put in your preconceived notion of.[Joey Szatmary] But no,[Joey Szatmary] it's super cool.[Joey Szatmary] And I think,[Joey Szatmary] just my number one priority,[Joey Szatmary] was always making people feel comfortable.[Joey Szatmary] And I always made a joke that I would say,[Joey Szatmary] and it's like,[Joey Szatmary] well,[Joey Szatmary] at the lion's den,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] you have an atheist,[Joey Szatmary] you have a gay guy,[Joey Szatmary] you got a Jew,[Joey Szatmary] you got a Christian,[Joey Szatmary] you got a black,[Joey Szatmary] like anybody can imagine.[Joey Szatmary] And we all get along.[Joey Szatmary] You know what I mean?[Joey Szatmary] Like there was no,[Joey Szatmary] no,[Joey Szatmary] like any sort of segregation or viewpoints that like,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] made anybody feel uncomfortable.[Joey Szatmary] Like all the beef was squashed.[Joey Szatmary] And when you were in there,[Joey Szatmary] like you just felt like a family.[Joey Szatmary] And that was always kind of my main premise of wanting people to have that vibe,[Joey Szatmary] because like we'll talk about probably in the podcast,[Joey Szatmary] there's way more than just lifting weights.[Joey Szatmary] And there's so many other benefits that you would get from coming there.[Joey Szatmary] Hence why it was more of,[Joey Szatmary] I want to say,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] it was probably more of like a club than an actual public gym.[Joey Szatmary] And I always liked that.[Joey Szatmary] I always try to have quality over quantity as a business model for[Joey Szatmary] the people that were inside of that.[Joey Szatmary] So yeah,[Joey Szatmary] very cool that you came there and you were able to experience it.[Joey Szatmary] And the nice part is,[Joey Szatmary] is.[Joey Szatmary] Even though the physical location is not there,[Joey Szatmary] I think all of those relationships that people wanted to keep are[Joey Szatmary] still stronger than ever,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] so,[Joey Szatmary] so it's great for people to not only get their workouts in,[Joey Szatmary] but have now a new network of friends or family that they've made[Joey Szatmary] inside of those walls.[Jess .] Yeah,[Jess .] that's so important.[Jess .] And it's funny that you say that about like the lasting relationships,[Jess .] because Sean Downing and I have been in the same room.[Jess .] We've told you this story,[Jess .] right?[Jess .] We've been in the same room.[Jess .] Our bands have played together multiple times.[Jess .] We've seen multiple shows together in the same room.[Jess .] We have so many mutual friends. 'Legit' never really met each other until the den,[Jess .] and now we're like bffs.[Jess .] That's just so funny— it's so funny,[Jess .] but if it wasn't for the lion's den,[Jess .] who knows?[Jess .] You know.[Joey Szatmary] So yeah,[Joey Szatmary] no—I'm very very happy to hear that such a cool story.[Jess .] Yeah.[Jess .] But that's that's one of the best things about finding a gym like that or just,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] like having any sort of what would you call it?[Jess .] Like not a club,[Jess .] but just like any sort of immunity.[Jess .] Yeah,[Jess .] I guess so.[Jess .] Finding that small knit commute.[Jess .] Well,[Jess .] I mean,[Jess .] I feel like it's different if you go to Planet Fitness or like LA Fitness.[Jess .] It's not like,[Jess .] I don't know,[Jess .] you don't really make friends there.[Jess .] Do you make friends there?[Jess .] I don't know.[Jess .] Or like it was different.[Joey Szatmary] You can make friends anywhere.[Joey Szatmary] I think it was just a lot easier at the den.[Jess .] Yeah,[Jess .] well,[Jess .] because,[Jess .] yeah,[Jess .] because everybody just,[Jess .] I don't know,[Jess .] just everybody was so friendly.[Jess .] Everybody knew each other.[Jess .] It really was just like a rare,[Jess .] awesome thing.[Ryan Rainbro] Oh,[Ryan Rainbro] a cult.[Ryan Rainbro] That's what you're thinking of?[Jess .] Yes,[Jess .] a cult.[Jess .] That is the word I was looking for.[Joey Szatmary] I joke around too.[Joey Szatmary] And I'm always like,[Joey Szatmary] I'm like,[Joey Szatmary] it's a cult.[Joey Szatmary] It's not a cult.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] like I'll joke around people that show up,[Joey Szatmary] but I don't know if you were there.[Joey Szatmary] So when I originally opened it,[Joey Szatmary] I had this like anti-headphones rule.[Joey Szatmary] And I did on purpose because I wanted to force everybody to socialize.[Joey Szatmary] So like,[Joey Szatmary] I just remember like people would come in and.[Joey Szatmary] I always would.[Joey Szatmary] The running joke would be like,[Joey Szatmary] if you're the person in the den wearing earphones,[Joey Szatmary] you're probably not going to last.[Joey Szatmary] And then it got to a point where like everybody was so tight that it[Joey Szatmary] didn't matter if you had earphones in or out because everybody knew[Joey Szatmary] like they were cool with everyone.[Joey Szatmary] But I mean,[Joey Szatmary] we all go to gyms.[Joey Szatmary] Where everyone's got their headphones on,[Joey Szatmary] or like you almost start beef with someone you've never even talked to,[Joey Szatmary] because you never say a word to them and they like look at you in[Joey Szatmary] one way and you just create this,[Joey Szatmary] this narrative in your head about this person and,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] how they interact with people,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] the car they drive,[Joey Szatmary] the life they live,[Joey Szatmary] and the job they have.[Joey Szatmary] And you probably could be so far off from the truth,[Joey Szatmary] but I never wanted that to be the case of the den.[Joey Szatmary] So when people would come in,[Joey Szatmary] I'd always be like a stickler about it until I got to a point where it was just known,[Joey Szatmary] like.[Joey Szatmary] You know how everybody is now.[Joey Szatmary] So it doesn't matter if they have their earphones on or off,[Joey Szatmary] like you can go up and approach them there.[Joey Szatmary] Everybody was approachable.[Joey Szatmary] But that,[Joey Szatmary] that is,[Joey Szatmary] that's kind of funny.[Jess .] Yeah.[Jess .] That is,[Jess .] that's a good rule.[Ryan Rainbro] Well,[Ryan Rainbro] Joey,[Ryan Rainbro] you mentioned kind of maybe stereotypes of men,[Ryan Rainbro] and I'm assuming that you're referring to the stereotypes and[Ryan Rainbro] stigmas of mental illness and difficulties with that in relation to men.[Ryan Rainbro] And also,[Ryan Rainbro] you know.[Ryan Rainbro] weightlifting,[Ryan Rainbro] bodybuilding,[Ryan Rainbro] gym culture is so egregiously masculine,[Ryan Rainbro] I feel like.[Ryan Rainbro] So can you tell me kind of how those two worlds meet for you and how[Ryan Rainbro] maybe one evens out the other?[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] So,[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] I think that,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] the lifting for me is like the yin and the yang in a sense,[Joey Szatmary] if we want to talk about like the dichotomy of them.[Joey Szatmary] Where,[Joey Szatmary] for me,[Joey Szatmary] it's like I going to the gym and people can argue this point about[Joey Szatmary] like the gym being or not being therapy.[Joey Szatmary] And the gym,[Joey Szatmary] for me,[Joey Szatmary] especially my adolescence,[Joey Szatmary] was my therapy where.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] I had a lot of stuff going on at home or in my relationships with[Joey Szatmary] friends or whatever at that time,[Joey Szatmary] whatever my peers were.[Joey Szatmary] And when I went to the gym,[Joey Szatmary] it was just like I could just go in and do my thing.[Joey Szatmary] Like I could work out those problems.[Joey Szatmary] I could work out the stress.[Joey Szatmary] I've learned so many lessons from just lifting weights or the barbell,[Joey Szatmary] which is just an inanimate object.[Joey Szatmary] But yet,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] it's just been such a powerful tool in my life.[Joey Szatmary] And kind of going back to when you talk about the stigma,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] for me.[Joey Szatmary] Like lifting is,[Joey Szatmary] it's almost an art,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] it's a way to express yourself.[Joey Szatmary] So it doesn't necessarily have to be like,[Joey Szatmary] you gotta be a bodybuilder.[Joey Szatmary] You gotta be a weightlifter.[Joey Szatmary] It's just no,[Joey Szatmary] like go in there and do whatever you want.[Joey Szatmary] And I think.[Joey Szatmary] Kind of like Jess had talked about in the beginning of the podcast[Joey Szatmary] is I'm always just happy for people to do whatever sort of exercise[Joey Szatmary] or training that they enjoy.[Joey Szatmary] You can go to the den when we had it,[Joey Szatmary] and you can have somebody who's a CrossFitter,[Joey Szatmary] or you can have somebody who's a strongman or a powerlifter,[Joey Szatmary] or you can be next to my 70-some-year-old grandma,[Joey Szatmary] who now is in South Carolina,[Joey Szatmary] just working on doing exercises.[Joey Szatmary] For her to live her life as healthy as possible.[Joey Szatmary] So I think that stigma needs to be broken in the fact of,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] if you're a male or even a female,[Joey Szatmary] we can play that role because one of my biggest,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] prideful things that I started was getting women involved with Strongman.[Joey Szatmary] Where we have,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] you think a strong man,[Joey Szatmary] you think of these massive men,[Joey Szatmary] like the mountain from Game of Thrones,[Joey Szatmary] lifting heavy boulders and stones,[Joey Szatmary] and women may be kind of afraid to do that type of thing.[Joey Szatmary] And when we went to the den,[Joey Szatmary] the majority of the strongman classes were women.[Joey Szatmary] And to see,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] women picking up boulders or flipping tires or using sledgehammers and like.[Joey Szatmary] they're feeling so empowered and happy.[Joey Szatmary] It was like the coolest thing for me,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] and then vice versa,[Joey Szatmary] like having men tried things that maybe wouldn't fit the[Joey Szatmary] stereotypical man lifting.[Joey Szatmary] but having a great time doing that as well,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] it just created a community.[Joey Szatmary] And it also,[Joey Szatmary] I think,[Joey Szatmary] just helped everybody in a sense with whatever they were going[Joey Szatmary] through as individuals,[Joey Szatmary] just realize that I'm doing something that's making my life better,[Joey Szatmary] you know?[Joey Szatmary] And I think that's kind of what— like evens— that playing field is[Joey Szatmary] at the end of the day.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] it doesn't matter what your goals are,[Joey Szatmary] as long as you're in there doing something,[Joey Szatmary] whatever style you like,[Joey Szatmary] whatever's making you feel better,[Joey Szatmary] whatever's helping you kind of,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] just de-stress or release some good chemicals in your brain to kind[Joey Szatmary] of pick you up and put you in the right mindset to reflect on things[Joey Szatmary] going on in your life.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] that's kind of what I took away from it and why I was so passionate[Joey Szatmary] about sharing that with so many people.[Joey Szatmary] And I always tell people,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] you really never,[Joey Szatmary] I've never regretted a workout I've ever done in my life.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] like maybe I've gotten sore and the next day I'm kind of like, 'Oh,[Joey Szatmary] that was tough or challenging.' But I'm always happy that I did it.[Joey Szatmary] That's why it has such an impact on me and it's just like all you[Joey Szatmary] gotta do is just keep showing up.[Joey Szatmary] The hardest part is getting through that door once you're in.[Joey Szatmary] That door,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] the rest is for everybody else to take care of.[Joey Szatmary] We have coaches there or you have your program to follow.[Joey Szatmary] And it just kind of has that snowball effect.[Joey Szatmary] But I always reflect on,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] if I didn't incorporate fitness into my life,[Joey Szatmary] I would probably be in a really bad mental place.[Joey Szatmary] And there's other things you can attribute to that.[Joey Szatmary] But when I think about it right now,[Joey Szatmary] if I didn't have some sort of exercise,[Joey Szatmary] and that could be my walks.[Joey Szatmary] I love walking.[Joey Szatmary] People are like,[Joey Szatmary] what,[Joey Szatmary] a walk?[Joey Szatmary] I start.[Joey Szatmary] Basically,[Joey Szatmary] anybody who's not involved in some sort of exercise,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] take a five-minute walk,[Joey Szatmary] you know.[Joey Szatmary] And to someone to tell me,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] well,[Joey Szatmary] that's not exercise.[Joey Szatmary] I would probably slap you across the face.[Jess .] Dude,[Jess .] walking is the walking.[Jess .] It's the fucking yeah,[Jess .] it's the yeah.[Joey Szatmary] 100,[Joey Szatmary] 100.[Joey Szatmary] Um,[Joey Szatmary] but yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I think like,[Joey Szatmary] from like,[Joey Szatmary] I said,

[Joey Szatmary] both ends kind of just to recap: 21:29

is for females not to look at a[Joey Szatmary] type of exercise and think,[Joey Szatmary] oh,[Joey Szatmary] I can't do that.[Joey Szatmary] Or,[Joey Szatmary] oh,[Joey Szatmary] that's not for me.[Joey Szatmary] Or I would never like that.[Joey Szatmary] And then for men to do the same thing,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] vice versa,[Joey Szatmary] and kind of go in with that open mind and just explore and,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] see what you can discover from that exploration.[Joey Szatmary] And that's going to just kind of take you to a whole new level of growth.[Jess .] So while you were talking about that,[Jess .] I was also thinking about,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] you're talking about breaking the stigma for men and for women regarding fitness.[Jess .] But can you discuss the importance of also breaking the stigma for[Jess .] mental health regarding like sharing,[Jess .] like especially for men being open with.[Jess .] talking about feelings and emotions and being okay with feeling how you're feeling.[Jess .] And like you said earlier,[Jess .] being okay with not being okay.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] no,[Joey Szatmary] for sure.[Joey Szatmary] And I'm actually,[Joey Szatmary] I talked to a lot of high schools actually across there.[Joey Szatmary] I'll be at one tomorrow morning talking about this.[Joey Szatmary] So it's something I am very passionate about.[Joey Szatmary] And I know it's cliche,[Joey Szatmary] like.[Joey Szatmary] The whole it's you know it's okay to not be okay and but I do[Joey Szatmary] totally believe that and I think especially as men I think the[Joey Szatmary] culture is shifting which is good and there are a lot of these[Joey Szatmary] programs hence why like I'm being brought in to talk to you know[Joey Szatmary] teenagers in high school because When I was going through my[Joey Szatmary] adolescence in high school,[Joey Szatmary] you did not talk about this stuff,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] And kind of just a quick recap is I was the captain of the football and lacrosse team.[Joey Szatmary] I was the guy who looked like he had it all from the outside.[Joey Szatmary] And inside,[Joey Szatmary] I was struggling beyond belief.[Joey Szatmary] And kind of like the pinnacle of that was my senior year,[Joey Szatmary] I tried to commit suicide.[Joey Szatmary] And to any of my friends that had,[Joey Szatmary] when they had heard that,[Joey Szatmary] they were in shock.[Joey Szatmary] Like this guy from the outside has everything put together.[Joey Szatmary] And that was the image that I portrayed.[Joey Szatmary] And that was the image my family portrayed.[Joey Szatmary] And the truth is.[Joey Szatmary] I would come home to a broken home every day and,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] having sports was like a way for me to be out of the house or going[Joey Szatmary] to the gym was a way for me to kind of,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] run away from those problems.[Joey Szatmary] Cause that's really what I was doing.[Joey Szatmary] We talked about reflection,[Joey Szatmary] like.[Joey Szatmary] All those hours I spent playing sports or going to the gym was to[Joey Szatmary] not have to deal with all the other stuff.[Joey Szatmary] But at some point you do have to face it,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Like as much as we want to hide the monsters in the closet,[Joey Szatmary] eventually they're going to get out.[Joey Szatmary] And I think that's what gets back to the point of you need to have either.[Joey Szatmary] A place or a person or a community that you can be able to share those openly,[Joey Szatmary] unbiased,[Joey Szatmary] and be able to work through that stuff.[Joey Szatmary] So,[Joey Szatmary] and like I said,[Joey Szatmary] I think it is changing.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] I think gyms have done a really good job of having awesome communities now.[Joey Szatmary] And people can say whatever they want about CrossFit.[Joey Szatmary] When the first CrossFit box that I went to.[Joey Szatmary] Right away,[Joey Szatmary] what drew me to it was the community of people like these,[Joey Szatmary] like a group of people that hung out together,[Joey Szatmary] talked about things,[Joey Szatmary] or it wasn't just lifting.[Joey Szatmary] They had like a social event,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] And then you could see how it became their family.[Joey Szatmary] And that's kind of what I wanted to mimic because I thought that was super important.[Joey Szatmary] I think,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] in the era that we probably grew up in,[Joey Szatmary] that was such a strong stigma.[Joey Szatmary] And as men.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] we just wanted to hold it in.[Joey Szatmary] And then we end up trying to,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] solve those problems through other things.[Joey Szatmary] Maybe it's addiction or maybe it's getting in fights or taking it[Joey Szatmary] out on people who don't deserve it to be taken out of.[Joey Szatmary] And we start self-sabotaging.[Joey Szatmary] So for me,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] obviously there was.[Joey Szatmary] I've been through therapy,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] which is some have not worked.[Joey Szatmary] Some have worked really well.[Joey Szatmary] And it was kind of just finding the right therapist.[Joey Szatmary] Exercise was another one,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Like being able to get out that energy,[Joey Szatmary] that pen up.[Joey Szatmary] Either anger or sadness,[Joey Szatmary] and get a clear mind.[Joey Szatmary] Maybe it's meditation,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] There's different outlets of it.[Joey Szatmary] And I don't think it's— you need to specifically have one,[Joey Szatmary] but the more tools you can put into your toolbox,[Joey Szatmary] the better,[Joey Szatmary] the easier it'll be for you to have those resources.[Joey Szatmary] That you can pull from at different times and having more than one[Joey Szatmary] is great because sometimes that one isn't what you need and you need the other thing.[Joey Szatmary] And if you don't have those tools.[Joey Szatmary] Then we go back into holding our feelings in,[Joey Szatmary] not wanting to open up,[Joey Szatmary] not wanting to try to solve those problems.[Joey Szatmary] Like I said,[Joey Szatmary] I think it is getting better.[Joey Szatmary] Like we're doing this podcast,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] there's other groups,[Joey Szatmary] there's a ton of gyms now that have different programs like this,[Joey Szatmary] which I think is fantastic.[Joey Szatmary] But yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I mean.[Joey Szatmary] I try to be as open and transparent with people as possible because[Joey Szatmary] I don't want people to think that I have it all figured out.[Joey Szatmary] I know I don't have it all figured out and I know I'm going to face more challenges,[Joey Szatmary] but I've gotten a lot better.[Joey Szatmary] At expressing those feelings,[Joey Szatmary] those emotions,[Joey Szatmary] and have more tactics.[Joey Szatmary] Almost just like you built that resilience.[Joey Szatmary] Over time.[Joey Szatmary] And that helps getting you through those situations.[Joey Szatmary] Absolutely.[Jess .] Yeah.[Jess .] No,[Jess .] I was,[Jess .] no,[Jess .] I was just going to say that all of that was really,[Jess .] really important.[Jess .] And I think that it's really important for men to do exactly what you're doing,[Jess .] Joey,[Jess .] and talk about all of these things because.[Jess .] It's not at the end of the day,[Jess .] it's not going to be the women that encourage the men to go get the help that they need.[Jess .] It's it's the men encouraging the men.[Jess .] And so you being that person that helps to speak out about it and[Jess .] its importance is is really important.[Jess .] Thank you for doing that.[Jess .] And thank you for sharing all of that and,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] being vulnerable.[Jess .] And,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] I know that you said before that you find strength in vulnerability.[Jess .] And I think that that is also really great.[Jess .] I did want to ask,[Jess .] you mentioned.[Jess .] Something that is also really important about when you notice using[Jess .] fitness or something else as like a Band-Aid,[Jess .] as like temporary relief.[Jess .] Would you be able to tell us about a time,[Jess .] if you feel comfortable,[Jess .] where you could maybe sense that you were doing that and what you might have?[Jess .] Done to kind of take action with that and kind of pivot and do[Jess .] something else in conjunction with fitness to make sure that your[Jess .] mental health wasn't suffering.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] So as I'm thinking,[Joey Szatmary] I would say when I owned the gym,[Joey Szatmary] it was an interesting time because I had this thing that I love so much,[Joey Szatmary] which was training and helping others.[Joey Szatmary] Once I made it my profession,[Joey Szatmary] like my every day,[Joey Szatmary] I ended up actually starting to hate it.[Joey Szatmary] And a lot of people will say, 'Oh,[Joey Szatmary] you should do what you love.' And I agree with that to an extent.[Joey Szatmary] But you also have to realize,[Joey Szatmary] I guess the perspective changes a bit too now that it is a business.[Joey Szatmary] It's no longer what you do is your hobby.[Joey Szatmary] And that starts bringing in a ton of different elements.[Joey Szatmary] And I'd always joke,[Joey Szatmary] I guess people would joke with me a lot more of, 'Oh,[Joey Szatmary] well,[Joey Szatmary] all you do is work out all day.' Like that's the dream.[Joey Szatmary] And I really remember being like, 'That's actually not all I do.' Like,[Joey Szatmary] there's way more things that go into it than just working out.[Joey Szatmary] I wish it was like that,[Joey Szatmary] but it's not.[Joey Szatmary] So when that happened,[Joey Szatmary] it put me in a really weird space because now I had this thing that[Joey Szatmary] was my stress reducer,[Joey Szatmary] is now my stress inducer.[Joey Szatmary] So I sit there and be trying to train and work out.[Joey Szatmary] And I would just not be getting the same effect that I did before.[Joey Szatmary] So when that had happened,[Joey Szatmary] I tried different tactics,[Joey Szatmary] which I would say was changing up my training.[Joey Szatmary] Or at one point,[Joey Szatmary] I was actually going to another gym,[Joey Szatmary] which I didn't really want to tell the members about because I[Joey Szatmary] didn't want them to view me as like.[Joey Szatmary] He has this,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] beautiful facility.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] why wouldn't he want to be here?[Joey Szatmary] He's not like us because I have nothing to do with the people in[Joey Szatmary] there or the facility itself.[Joey Szatmary] It was just that I need to have that time for me and kind of[Joey Szatmary] separate myself from the business,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] and be in a different environment where nobody knows me.[Joey Szatmary] And I can just kind of go in and do my thing.[Joey Szatmary] So that was like one strategy that I used.[Joey Szatmary] Another one was getting out outside more.[Joey Szatmary] Like I started going on hikes or rocks or being out in nature because.[Joey Szatmary] One,[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] there's tons of evidence that just talk about the benefits of just[Joey Szatmary] being outside in nature.[Joey Szatmary] And my whole life growing up,[Joey Szatmary] I was outdoors a lot.[Joey Szatmary] And once I started running the business,[Joey Szatmary] that outdoor time went down a lot.[Joey Szatmary] So I was kind of just going back to my roots,[Joey Szatmary] just getting outside.[Joey Szatmary] getting in the sunshine as much as I could,[Joey Szatmary] breathing in fresh air,[Joey Szatmary] getting walks,[Joey Szatmary] that type of thing.[Joey Szatmary] So that helped.[Joey Szatmary] And then I would say the other thing was just kind of going back to[Joey Szatmary] being vulnerable where,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] I have this gym,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] I have a YouTube channel.[Joey Szatmary] I'm with these famous people in the industry.[Joey Szatmary] Man,[Joey Szatmary] Joey's crushing it.[Joey Szatmary] When really I wasn't.[Joey Szatmary] So it kind of was,[Joey Szatmary] I need to find who are my close support people and being able to go,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] like so-and-so,[Joey Szatmary] can we just meet up,[Joey Szatmary] go for a walk?[Joey Szatmary] Like I just got to get some stuff off my chest.[Joey Szatmary] So that was kind of the more of the vulnerable part kicking back in,[Joey Szatmary] of understanding,[Joey Szatmary] like if I don't get this or verbalize this out in my head,[Joey Szatmary] I'm probably gonna start going insane.[Joey Szatmary] And that puts me in a downward spiral.[Joey Szatmary] But it took the reflection and the ability to reflect for me to know that that was there,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Because I've been here before.[Joey Szatmary] So you know,[Joey Szatmary] what do they say?[Joey Szatmary] The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again,[Joey Szatmary] expecting a different result,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] So when I start to feel like I'm going insane,[Joey Szatmary] I'm doing the same thing here.[Joey Szatmary] We got to change up the program or something like that.[Joey Szatmary] So I would say that was a big one for me is when,[Joey Szatmary] because I started to question myself.[Joey Szatmary] I'm like,[Joey Szatmary] am I nuts?[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] dude,[Joey Szatmary] you have a gym,[Joey Szatmary] you have this.[Joey Szatmary] You should be grateful.[Joey Szatmary] And then I would sit there,[Joey Szatmary] no matter how much gratitude I would try to make myself believe,[Joey Szatmary] there was still a void there.[Joey Szatmary] So just kind of getting out in that environment,[Joey Szatmary] figuring out who am I.[Joey Szatmary] My close support people that I could talk to and,[Joey Szatmary] and they wouldn't be biased and they would just let me talk.[Joey Szatmary] Usually,[Joey Szatmary] sometimes they didn't have to say anything,[Joey Szatmary] but it was just me being able to get stuff out there into the world.[Joey Szatmary] I started solving my own problems or,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] they would chime in.[Joey Szatmary] And since it was somebody that I did feel safe expressing these things to,[Joey Szatmary] they were able to word things properly,[Joey Szatmary] coming at it from a different perspective.[Joey Szatmary] Maybe I wasn't seeing or offering me suggestions of,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] maybe you should try to go to this or,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] based on what you're saying.[Joey Szatmary] This may be the route that I would take.[Joey Szatmary] And since I did respect those people and feel like I could trust them,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] they did offer me a lot of great advice or tactics that I could use.[Joey Szatmary] And eventually I,[Joey Szatmary] it was kind of funny.[Joey Szatmary] I did start,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] enjoying training at the gym again.[Joey Szatmary] I had a different perspective of it,[Joey Szatmary] but I also was able to throw in new things that I have learned to help me.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] grow through it instead of just going through it.[Jess .] I think that it's really important what you just mentioned about[Jess .] having a person to just listen.[Jess .] Sometimes you don't— you're not looking for advice.[Jess .] You're not looking for somebody's two cents.[Jess .] You're just looking for somebody to just sit there and listen,[Jess .] not even necessarily absorb and take that on,[Jess .] but to just be there to validate you and just be like, 'Yeah,[Jess .] man,[Jess .] what you're going through.' That sounds really frustrating.[Jess .] That sounds really difficult.[Jess .] And just just validate you.[Jess .] And sometimes that's all you need.[Jess .] And people think that being there to support somebody else is this[Jess .] like big thing where you need to take on somebody's shit and you you[Jess .] don't to be there for somebody.[Jess .] You just need to physically be there and just be like, 'Yeah,[Jess .] what you're going through is tough.' And sometimes,[Jess .] like a good friend or somebody that wants to support somebody else,[Jess .] like I think that it's so important to just even ask like.[Jess .] You're going through a hard time.[Jess .] What can I do to support you?[Jess .] Do you want my advice?[Jess .] Do you want me to just shut up and just listen to you?[Jess .] Like,[Jess .] what do you want for me?[Jess .] What can help you in this time?[Jess .] And I think that that's so important to have people like that for[Jess .] everybody to be able to get through whatever you're going through.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I definitely think you brought up a good point— is like being on the[Joey Szatmary] other side of it and me being like a high school coach and a friend[Joey Szatmary] to a lot of people is you have to know the different dynamics that[Joey Szatmary] go with each individual you're working with.[Joey Szatmary] Like I know,[Joey Szatmary] as a coach,[Joey Szatmary] there's some people I can yell at and get them to.[Joey Szatmary] They don't do what I want,[Joey Szatmary] but I can get the directed outcome of maybe what they want.[Joey Szatmary] Then I have other people that I can't yell at,[Joey Szatmary] but I need to have,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] what's going on?[Joey Szatmary] Or,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] do you want me to say anything?[Joey Szatmary] Do you want me to say anything?[Joey Szatmary] Do you want me to just sit here?[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] and you just talk like,[Joey Szatmary] because I think there's still some people and no one in particular,[Joey Szatmary] but.[Joey Szatmary] That maybe just want to yell at you or maybe just want to tell you their opinion.[Joey Szatmary] And you have to realize whether that's going to be a positive or[Joey Szatmary] negative for that person.[Joey Szatmary] So there's,[Joey Szatmary] there's,[Joey Szatmary] it's very dynamic,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Like it's not just like cut and dry,[Joey Szatmary] like X equals Y— it's.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] okay,[Joey Szatmary] we have step one,[Joey Szatmary] two,[Joey Szatmary] three,[Joey Szatmary] and then it's like all torn down of different responses,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] So I really liked that you had brought that up because,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] if we can be more open-minded and maybe do a little bit more listening,[Joey Szatmary] I think it can go a long way for anybody who maybe just needs that moment.[Jess .] Yeah,[Jess .] I completely agree with that.[Jess .] And the whole thing about listening,[Jess .] too,[Jess .] is that people don't realize how hard listening is because we're so concerned,[Jess .] myself included.[Jess .] We're so concerned with what am I going to say in reply to that?[Jess .] Like,[Jess .] oh,[Jess .] I have to remember that I want to talk about this or like,[Jess .] oh,[Jess .] this person is talking about this,[Jess .] this problem.[Jess .] And I have a good thing that they can solve their their thing if I tell them this.[Jess .] And it's just like you stop listening.[Jess .] It's even harder when you got like shit like ADHD in the ways to,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] you're just like,[Jess .] oh,[Jess .] my God,[Jess .] my brain won't stop.[Jess .] But active listening is such an important,[Jess .] crucial skill to learn.[Jess .] And it is so fucking hard.[Jess .] It's so hard to do.[Joey Szatmary] And I think the funny part about listening,[Joey Szatmary] too,[Joey Szatmary] is I think this is more as I've grown,[Joey Szatmary] I try to become a better listener.[Joey Szatmary] And usually if you're the listener,[Joey Szatmary] at some point somebody does ask you,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] what do you think?[Joey Szatmary] Because you're the one who's not saying much at all.[Joey Szatmary] So I try to like almost be a fly in the wall at all times.[Joey Szatmary] And I feel like it brings up curiosity out of people where then they're like,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] you haven't said much.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] what do you what do you think about this?[Joey Szatmary] And then they're inviting you versus you just kind of bashing[Joey Szatmary] through the door and potentially could be turning people off.[Joey Szatmary] But kind of piggybacking on one other thing,[Joey Szatmary] and it's just a funny little thing that's worked for me,[Joey Szatmary] is I have one friend in particular who's just really funny.[Joey Szatmary] And I've hit up this person multiple times.[Joey Szatmary] Without them knowing that I need like something's going on with me[Joey Szatmary] or maybe I just need like to vent,[Joey Szatmary] but I just want to be around that person because they make me laugh.[Joey Szatmary] My philosophy is if I'm laughing,[Joey Szatmary] I can't be upset.[Joey Szatmary] So it's just like it just totally like changes and flips the switch[Joey Szatmary] in me where I'm like, 'If I'm sitting here like laughing and smiling the whole time,[Joey Szatmary] that's so therapeutic in itself,[Joey Szatmary] which is just like another strategy.' So,[Joey Szatmary] if anyone's listening to this or you know that person who just makes[Joey Szatmary] you laugh no matter what,[Joey Szatmary] or there's a movie or whatever it is that kind of can snap you out[Joey Szatmary] of that in whatever state you're in,[Joey Szatmary] I always tell people to lean into that.[Joey Szatmary] Or call that person or find that person because it can really be[Joey Szatmary] healing to be around that sort of energy that they bring or whatever[Joey Szatmary] it does brings for you.[Jess .] Yeah,[Jess .] I think that's really important,[Jess .] too.[Jess .] Like,[Jess .] laughing is is the best,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] and even if you are in a lot of pain emotionally,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] it doesn't mean like emotions are super complex and being happy[Jess .] isn't something that happens all of the time.[Jess .] Time you're not always happy,[Jess .] I feel like happy is something that like is just like a state of being,[Jess .] but you know,[Jess .] you experience emotions within that,[Jess .] like I can still still be upset about something,[Jess .] but overall,[Jess .] I'm I'm happy.[Jess .] Right?[Jess .] But I feel like the more little bits and bobs of joy that you[Jess .] incorporate into your life,[Jess .] like laughing and stuff,[Jess .] it helps you to feel more overall happy.[Jess .] And even when you're going through a really rough time,[Jess .] you still have all of those like little moments of joy that you can always have around,[Jess .] if you're open to it,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] like if you are open-minded and you're like, 'man,[Jess .] all of this shit really sucks,' but you're also like, 'well,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] I can still sit here and laugh.[Jess .] And in this moment,[Jess .] I can be content with this at this moment.' You know,[Jess .] somebody is making me laugh like that's really awesome.[Jess .] Things suck overall,[Jess .] but right now I can enjoy this little glimpse of joy or whatever.[Jess .] And I think that— that is really,[Jess .] really good to point out as well.[Joey Szatmary] No,[Joey Szatmary] 100%.[Ryan Rainbro] You mentioned different strategies of being able to get into just being active,[Ryan Rainbro] right?[Ryan Rainbro] You mentioned going for a walk and I know me and Jess are big[Ryan Rainbro] proponents of the walk.[Ryan Rainbro] In fact,[Ryan Rainbro] on days where it's like raining outside and I don't get to walk,[Ryan Rainbro] I always say that I'm off the meds.[Ryan Rainbro] That's what I tell people.[Ryan Rainbro] But can you tell us some strategies on getting people into the gym?[Ryan Rainbro] You know,[Ryan Rainbro] as far as I know,[Ryan Rainbro] typically they're going to want to want to do it.[Ryan Rainbro] But I know that you probably deal with way more people than I do.[Ryan Rainbro] They will tell you that they want to get into fitness.[Ryan Rainbro] They just don't really know how.[Ryan Rainbro] It's kind of an intimidating thing because they don't know if they[Ryan Rainbro] need to go full throttle.[Ryan Rainbro] Like,[Ryan Rainbro] what are some good strategies you've had of easing people into a fitness routine?[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] it's definitely nuance,[Joey Szatmary] depending on the person,[Joey Szatmary] but I think one of the easiest ways is finding a buddy,[Joey Szatmary] like a gym buddy.[Joey Szatmary] Because,[Joey Szatmary] typically,[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] I would say,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] 80% of the people that came to the gym came because they knew[Joey Szatmary] somebody and it was someone that they knew,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] and trusted.[Joey Szatmary] Right.[Joey Szatmary] So I was usually,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] a movie analogy,[Joey Szatmary] where,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] if you tell me,[Joey Szatmary] Ryan,[Joey Szatmary] about some movie and we're super tight and you're like ecstatic about it,[Joey Szatmary] I'm way more likely to watch that movie because of your[Joey Szatmary] recommendation than I would probably just doing it on my own.[Joey Szatmary] So we always liked when people would bring up,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] I got this friend or I know somebody like this.[Joey Szatmary] We're like,[Joey Szatmary] hey,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] bring them,[Joey Szatmary] come have them in.[Joey Szatmary] Just try,[Joey Szatmary] try a class.[Joey Szatmary] And typically,[Joey Szatmary] with most gyms,[Joey Szatmary] they have like a free month or a free week or whatever.[Joey Szatmary] And I think you have to find the right place for you.[Joey Szatmary] So definitely explore your options.[Joey Szatmary] Right.[Joey Szatmary] Like there's jujitsu,[Joey Szatmary] there's Muay Thai,[Joey Szatmary] there's CrossFit,[Joey Szatmary] there's Orange Theory,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] there's just strength training gyms,[Joey Szatmary] commercial gyms.[Joey Szatmary] And that's great.[Joey Szatmary] So,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] you got to just kind of explore.[Joey Szatmary] But if you have friends that you know,[Joey Szatmary] like and trust that are already at a gym.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] just reach out to them and say, 'Hey,[Joey Szatmary] do you think it'd be cool if maybe sometime I came with you?' And I[Joey Szatmary] think that that does a double serve purpose.[Joey Szatmary] And the fact that now you also have an accountability buddy,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Where,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] I was pretty good at— if I didn't see someone coming in for a period of time,[Joey Szatmary] I just shoot him an email.[Joey Szatmary] And just say, 'Hey,[Joey Szatmary] just checking in.[Joey Szatmary] Haven't seen you.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] hope everything's OK.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] just wondering what's going on.' And I always joke,[Joey Szatmary] but it's true.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] I'm not a salesperson whatsoever.[Joey Szatmary] And I would tell people,[Joey Szatmary] like.[Joey Szatmary] Here's what we have to offer.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] if you want to be here,[Joey Szatmary] we'd love to have you.[Joey Szatmary] If it's not your thing,[Joey Szatmary] totally fine too.[Joey Szatmary] Let me know because I know a lot of other gyms in the area and I[Joey Szatmary] typically know the owners.[Joey Szatmary] I would love to connect you with them because that's truly trying to[Joey Szatmary] help that individual,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Like it's not about the money.[Joey Szatmary] It's like,[Joey Szatmary] if you want to explore this.[Joey Szatmary] I want to figure out what's the best fit for you in hopes that it'll[Joey Szatmary] increase your chances of sticking with it and being consistent.[Joey Szatmary] So I'm always a big fan of definitely finding somebody,[Joey Szatmary] going with them,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] or recommending a friend type of deal.[Joey Szatmary] The other thing,[Joey Szatmary] and you know,[Joey Szatmary] I don't want to get extreme with it,[Joey Szatmary] but you know,[Joey Szatmary] goals are great to have.[Joey Szatmary] Like some of the people.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] say,[Joey Szatmary] there are people,[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] I guess we're talking about someone who's not going into the gym,[Joey Szatmary] trying to figure out what their goals are and kind of taking that smart goal approach.[Joey Szatmary] We're giving them something specific,[Joey Szatmary] measurable,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] having a timeline or something like that,[Joey Szatmary] because that's going to be a little bit more motivating.[Joey Szatmary] Then,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] they don't really know why they're there,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Like they have to have a good understanding of,[Joey Szatmary] what do they want to get out of this?[Joey Szatmary] And maybe what are some goals?[Joey Szatmary] They don't have to be like insanely specific if they're just getting into it,[Joey Szatmary] but maybe it is just to boost their confidence.[Joey Szatmary] Maybe it is to lose a couple pounds,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] and that's kind of the gateway to get them in there.[Joey Szatmary] But being able to have those conversations with people.[Joey Szatmary] Definitely,[Joey Szatmary] I think gets them more motivated and now they have more meaning to[Joey Szatmary] what they're doing and a stronger 'why.' And kind of getting even deeper is like,[Joey Szatmary] we need to have that strong 'why' because that's what's going to[Joey Szatmary] keep us showing up on top of the accountability of a buddy there.[Joey Szatmary] On top of a solid coaching crew that makes us feel comfortable and[Joey Szatmary] welcome to keep showing up.[Joey Szatmary] So that would kind of be like my first basic steps.[Joey Szatmary] But I think kind of the first one I said is the biggest one of just finding someone,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] like and trust who's kind of doing what you want to do.[Joey Szatmary] And then just being vulnerable and asking that question of,[Joey Szatmary] can I be a part of this?[Joey Szatmary] Because like,[Joey Szatmary] yeah,[Joey Szatmary] of course,[Joey Szatmary] like they're going to want you there.[Joey Szatmary] Like they want to share their journey and be a part of yours as well,[Joey Szatmary] just as much as you are with them.[Jess .] So all of that is really good.[Jess .] In addition to that,[Jess .] I was curious what you would say.[Jess .] Like,[Jess .] what advice would you give somebody that doesn't feel like that is like that is them?[Jess .] Like they they feel intimidated,[Jess .] like they feel this great sense of imposter syndrome,[Jess .] like like I'm not.[Jess .] That person I don't go to the gym.[Jess .] I've never set foot in a gym.[Jess .] Like I barely move.[Jess .] What advice would you have for that person so that they can maybe[Jess .] overcome that and get started?[Joey Szatmary] Always,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] how do we eat an elephant one bite at a time,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] whenever I work with clients,[Joey Szatmary] I have the one-to-10 rule.

[Joey Szatmary] And that basically is: 42:42

if I told you to sign up for a gym membership[Joey Szatmary] on a scale of one to 10,[Joey Szatmary] one being easiest,[Joey Szatmary] 10 being the hardest,[Joey Szatmary] what did you rate it?[Joey Szatmary] And they're like, 'An eight.' Okay,[Joey Szatmary] cool.[Joey Szatmary] My goal is to get them to do something that's a one.[Joey Szatmary] So I say one out of 10.[Joey Szatmary] Ray,[Joey Szatmary] how hard is it for you to try a workout YouTube video?[Joey Szatmary] And they're like, 'Hey,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] I'm in my house.[Joey Szatmary] I could probably do it.[Joey Szatmary] Probably like a five,[Joey Szatmary] still not there.' And I'd say, 'Okay,[Joey Szatmary] well,[Joey Szatmary] how about a five-minute walk.' Oh,[Joey Szatmary] easy.[Joey Szatmary] I can do a five-minute walk,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] And I just say, 'Okay,[Joey Szatmary] all I want you to do today,[Joey Szatmary] right?' Set your timer on your iPhone or your watch.[Joey Szatmary] Five minutes.[Joey Szatmary] And they're like, 'Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] dude,[Joey Szatmary] like whatever,[Joey Szatmary] you know?' And I'm like, 'Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] this is exactly what I want.' You know,[Joey Szatmary] like I want you to kind of be like, 'That is so easy.' Anybody could do it.[Joey Szatmary] So I would say,[Joey Szatmary] whatever is the easiest thing to build momentum is where I would start.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] and that's different for everybody.[Joey Szatmary] Right.[Joey Szatmary] It could be signing up for that gym membership.[Joey Szatmary] It could be doing your work on your house.[Joey Szatmary] But once again,[Joey Szatmary] I know we keep talking about walks,[Joey Szatmary] but we all love walks.[Joey Szatmary] It seems like it's going for that five-minute walk.[Joey Szatmary] Chances are it turns into a six-minute walk,[Joey Szatmary] maybe a 10-minute walk.[Joey Szatmary] Right.[Joey Szatmary] And then that's where we got this snowball start churning.[Joey Szatmary] Then maybe they want to pick up the dumbbells in their house.[Joey Szatmary] Maybe they want to go to that gym.[Joey Szatmary] So you never know,[Joey Szatmary] but I always just try to make it so easy that anybody could do it.[Joey Szatmary] And the offer is like such a no-brainer where the request is such a[Joey Szatmary] no-brainer that that's what they bite on.[Joey Szatmary] And,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] from there,[Joey Szatmary] if we can kind of just keep stacking those wins,[Joey Szatmary] because it's going to take time.[Joey Szatmary] Right.[Joey Szatmary] And the worst thing you can do is bring somebody in and crush their confidence.[Joey Szatmary] Or you know,[Joey Szatmary] they get that imposter they flare right up,[Joey Szatmary] and they're like, 'I should not be here whatsoever.' And then they[Joey Szatmary] have that that negativity associated with it,[Joey Szatmary] and it turns them off completely.[Joey Szatmary] Right?[Joey Szatmary] And I've made that mistake when I first started coaching.[Joey Szatmary] I was like, 'I'm gonna kick everybody's ass because they have to be hardcore.' Like,[Joey Szatmary] I look back and I'm like, 'Dude,[Joey Szatmary] you were an idiot.' Like,[Joey Szatmary] you're the dumbest guy ever.[Joey Szatmary] And I think most good coaches go through that period because we're[Joey Szatmary] just so passionate and we like want to get those people involved where,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] now I look back and.[Joey Szatmary] All I want people to do is,[Joey Szatmary] is make it so easy and slowly stack those wins,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] and because it's,[Joey Szatmary] for me,[Joey Szatmary] it's a lifelong process and I try to get everybody at some point to[Joey Szatmary] ingrain it into their lifestyle.[Joey Szatmary] And that's the true success.[Joey Szatmary] And one of those things where kind of like you said,[Joey Szatmary] Ryan,[Joey Szatmary] like if you don't go for the walk,[Joey Szatmary] like you almost feel weird now.[Joey Szatmary] You're like,[Joey Szatmary] dude,[Joey Szatmary] like I was so like used to that.[Joey Szatmary] Like that's where you want to get them is when they don't work out or.[Joey Szatmary] They take too much time off.[Joey Szatmary] They're starting to itch to get back in the gym or follow the nutrition protocol,[Joey Szatmary] et cetera.[Joey Szatmary] So for me,

[Joey Szatmary] it's just that rule of 10: 45:45

get them to a one,[Joey Szatmary] keep stacking those wins,[Joey Szatmary] and then propose a new one where,[Joey Szatmary] now maybe,[Joey Szatmary] we've been doing our 30-minute walks.[Joey Szatmary] Well,[Joey Szatmary] how's you doing?[Joey Szatmary] A five-minute dumbbell workout?[Joey Szatmary] One.[Joey Szatmary] Okay,[Joey Szatmary] cool.[Joey Szatmary] Now we're here.[Joey Szatmary] And then build from there,[Joey Szatmary] just like a,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] video game,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] We got our levels.[Joey Szatmary] So we just keep,[Joey Szatmary] keep working our way to the boss.[Jess .] I love that.[Jess .] That's a great analogy.[Jess .] So going along with that,[Jess .] I kind of have a unique question that I thought of.[Jess .] So as a coach,[Jess .] how would you best support somebody that you're coaching that could be?[Jess .] You know,[Jess .] following a program or doing whatever pretty consistently.[Jess .] And then something comes up in their life because we all know life happens.[Jess .] And they're now going through a lot mentally,[Jess .] emotionally,[Jess .] like something like a loved one dying.[Jess .] How would you best support that person in their training?[Jess .] What would you do differently for them?[Jess .] Would you adapt something in their program?[Jess .] Can you tell me what that looks like for you?[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] for sure.[Joey Szatmary] I'm always a fan of doing whatever we can with the circumstances we're under.[Joey Szatmary] So clients that I deal with,[Joey Szatmary] they can be crushing it and something like that could happen or they[Joey Szatmary] could have a trip that they have to travel for.[Joey Szatmary] And the way we're wired,[Joey Szatmary] I think.[Joey Szatmary] Most people tend to be like all or nothing,[Joey Szatmary] where if we get that one or two days where we can't get our ideal training in,[Joey Szatmary] then we just like restart from scratch.[Joey Szatmary] So for me,[Joey Szatmary] it's just talking to them about where they're at with everything and[Joey Szatmary] kind of going back like.[Joey Szatmary] OK,[Joey Szatmary] well,[Joey Szatmary] we're on vacation.[Joey Szatmary] Well,[Joey Szatmary] we don't need to work out every day or every other day.[Joey Szatmary] Why don't we just focus on trying to get one to two,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] 20 to 30 minute workouts in and almost give them the freedom of like[Joey Szatmary] whatever you want to do.[Joey Szatmary] Right.[Joey Szatmary] Like I talk to people all the time and when they're between.[Joey Szatmary] Just bagging a session or maybe that they're just frustrated with[Joey Szatmary] how training is going and they're not motivated into the gym.[Joey Szatmary] I just tell them, 'Go in and do what you want to do.[Joey Szatmary] Like it doesn't have to.[Joey Szatmary] Don't follow the program.[Joey Szatmary] Hey,[Joey Szatmary] if you're just feeling like you want to play with kettlebells or you[Joey Szatmary] want to go and throw some sandbags around,[Joey Szatmary] and they never do that stuff,[Joey Szatmary] like go for it.' Because at the end of the day,[Joey Szatmary] it's more just about keeping it ingrained somehow in their,[Joey Szatmary] like I said,[Joey Szatmary] their lifestyle in any regard.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] and I'm looking down the road,[Joey Szatmary] what's a couple of days or what's a week in the grand scheme of things?[Joey Szatmary] It's not going to make the biggest difference.[Joey Szatmary] And the worst thing I can do is try to force them to do something[Joey Szatmary] they don't want to do.[Joey Szatmary] And then now it creates that negative mindset with the exercise and me as a coach.[Joey Szatmary] Kind of like I'm that parent,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Like they didn't come to me to be a parent,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] They came for me to be a coach.[Joey Szatmary] And a coach,[Joey Szatmary] we have to be able to adapt and we have to be able to change things.[Joey Szatmary] So,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] in a nutshell,[Joey Szatmary] it's not the end of the world.[Joey Szatmary] And I explain that to them,[Joey Szatmary] too.[Joey Szatmary] It's not the end of the world.[Joey Szatmary] I don't want you to feel guilty for missing a workout.[Joey Szatmary] I don't want to shame you.[Joey Szatmary] Right?[Joey Szatmary] Because life happened.[Joey Szatmary] Life happens to everybody.[Joey Szatmary] I don't want to be that guy.[Joey Szatmary] Instead,[Joey Szatmary] sometimes I just ask them, 'What do you want to do?[Joey Szatmary] What are you feeling right now?[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] what are the options we have?' And that's where coaching becomes a[Joey Szatmary] dynamic relationship where,[Joey Szatmary] to be a good coach,[Joey Szatmary] you have to be able to give and take on both sides.[Joey Szatmary] And typically that ends up working well for me when I work with athletes.[Jess .] That's really good.[Jess .] Has there ever been a time or multiple times where the people that[Jess .] you coach inspire you in any way?[Jess .] Been a motivator for you in your own goals?[Joey Szatmary] All the time.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] When actually I started coaching high schoolers in a really low[Joey Szatmary] point where I was mentally,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] from the outside,[Joey Szatmary] right.[Joey Szatmary] Thinking if you saw me,[Joey Szatmary] there's crushing it,[Joey Szatmary] but being around the kids,[Joey Szatmary] they've taught me so much,[Joey Szatmary] right.[Joey Szatmary] They made me laugh a lot.[Joey Szatmary] They made me find joy in things that I wouldn't have found joy in before.[Joey Szatmary] So that's a big one.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] training my grandma who's in her seventies,[Joey Szatmary] like she's just crushing it.[Joey Szatmary] And that inspires me,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] to be like my grandma,[Joey Szatmary] like when I'm 70,[Joey Szatmary] like still doing fitness.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] She trains.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] one to three times a week.[Joey Szatmary] But like,[Joey Szatmary] that's awesome.[Joey Szatmary] That's so kick-ass.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] I want to be just like her.[Joey Szatmary] So yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] there's so many.[Joey Szatmary] I've had clients that are amputees,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] like.[Joey Szatmary] Sometimes I'm like, 'Oh man,[Joey Szatmary] like this hurts.' And I'm like, 'Well,[Joey Szatmary] I got so-and-so over there without a leg and they're getting after it.' You know,[Joey Szatmary] like there's that cliche,[Joey Szatmary] right? 'Comparison is the thief of joy.' But I think you can use[Joey Szatmary] comparison to realize sometimes,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] how good things are when you don't see the good.[Joey Szatmary] So it goes both ways.[Joey Szatmary] But yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] my clients,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] when they're getting after it,[Joey Szatmary] it makes me want to get after it.[Joey Szatmary] Like I see them and they're, 'Listen,[Joey Szatmary] there's days when the last thing I want to do is go and lift weights[Joey Szatmary] .' Like I know I should,[Joey Szatmary] but then maybe I see one of my clients who just put something on[Joey Szatmary] social media and just like.[Joey Szatmary] They're out there having a ball,[Joey Szatmary] and I'm like,[Joey Szatmary] you know what?[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] hell yeah,[Joey Szatmary] let's go.[Joey Szatmary] So all the time.[Ryan Rainbro] You did mention amputees,[Ryan Rainbro] but more importantly than that,[Ryan Rainbro] you mentioned that you have a three-legged pit bull.[Ryan Rainbro] Can you tell me more about that guy?[Ryan Rainbro] Or is it a guy?[Ryan Rainbro] I might be assuming.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] it's a guy.[Joey Szatmary] His name's Zeke.[Joey Szatmary] uh zeke's my main man he's my homie uh he was a rescue and the funny[Joey Szatmary] thing is is i kind of got tricked because i knew the guy that was[Joey Szatmary] trying to to have me adopt him but he never mentioned that he didn't[Joey Szatmary] have a leg so when i first meet him i'm just like dude He's a three-legged dog.[Joey Szatmary] I was like,[Joey Szatmary] all right.[Joey Szatmary] I was actually looking for a really big dog because I had a dream dog that I wanted.[Joey Szatmary] He was like,[Joey Szatmary] I just want you to meet this dog and check him out and see what you think.[Joey Szatmary] I'm also a sucker when it comes to animals.[Joey Szatmary] Of course,[Joey Szatmary] I meet him and I fall in love.[Joey Szatmary] But the thing that's cool about Zeke,[Joey Szatmary] and we can get deeper about it,[Joey Szatmary] is he is a three-legged dog.[Joey Szatmary] He got hit by a car originally.[Joey Szatmary] He's got scars all over him.[Joey Szatmary] And he then got put into a home that was abusive to him and neglected him.[Joey Szatmary] But when I first got him,[Joey Szatmary] he didn't want anything to do with me.[Joey Szatmary] He was like afraid of me.[Joey Szatmary] He's still afraid of people because he doesn't trust people.[Joey Szatmary] But when he does trust you,[Joey Szatmary] he loves you more than anything in the world.[Joey Szatmary] And a lot of times people don't give him a chance to trust him[Joey Szatmary] because of the trauma that he was dealt with.[Joey Szatmary] And the soft spot in me just kind of,[Joey Szatmary] for my own reasons,[Joey Szatmary] could understand this dog,[Joey Szatmary] right?[Joey Szatmary] Where he wants your trust.[Joey Szatmary] Once he gets your trust,[Joey Szatmary] he'll do anything for you.[Joey Szatmary] And I'm very similar.[Joey Szatmary] Like I'm a very,[Joey Szatmary] usually when people meet me,[Joey Szatmary] I have like the resting bitch face,[Joey Szatmary] which totally is just not like how I truly am.[Joey Szatmary] And then,[Joey Szatmary] once you talk to me,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] you kind of were like, 'Oh,[Joey Szatmary] wow,' I wasn't expecting that guy to be like that or whatever.[Joey Szatmary] But at the same time,[Joey Szatmary] the people I trust,[Joey Szatmary] I would do literally anything for the people.[Joey Szatmary] That I can help.[Joey Szatmary] I always try to help.[Joey Szatmary] So yeah,[Joey Szatmary] he's my main man.[Joey Szatmary] He sleeps all day,[Joey Szatmary] but he's just like, 'I always look forward to when I walk in the[Joey Szatmary] door and he's wagging his tail and he's the best thing ever.'.[Ryan Rainbro] Oh,[Ryan Rainbro] yeah.[Ryan Rainbro] Well,[Ryan Rainbro] Zeke is inspiring me already,[Ryan Rainbro] then.[Ryan Rainbro] If he can,[Ryan Rainbro] you know,[Ryan Rainbro] run around with three legs,[Ryan Rainbro] I got two.[Joey Szatmary] Oh,[Joey Szatmary] he's so fast,[Joey Szatmary] too.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] it's insane.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] when he runs,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] I didn't even notice he never,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] how fast he was sprinting around.[Joey Szatmary] His only issue is,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] wide turns.[Joey Szatmary] Like he literally has to like take like the nice rounded turns,[Joey Szatmary] um,[Joey Szatmary] but other than that,[Joey Szatmary] I mean he is fully functional.[Joey Szatmary] He gets after it and uh,[Joey Szatmary] yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I mean yeah,[Joey Szatmary] just what's your excuse?[Joey Szatmary] Right,[Joey Szatmary] you're like, 'Dude,[Joey Szatmary] my dog is out here.[Joey Szatmary] Like he's an animal.[Ryan Rainbro] I gotta,[Ryan Rainbro] I gotta man up and do it Yeah,[Ryan Rainbro] speaking of legs,[Ryan Rainbro] I was actually at the gym the other day deadlifting,[Ryan Rainbro] and I just started deadlifting,[Ryan Rainbro] and I thought I was doing pretty good.[Ryan Rainbro] And then this guy who has the body of Michael Cera in the movie[Ryan Rainbro] Superbad came in and deadlifted like twice as much as me.[Ryan Rainbro] And I think I need to break his legs.[Ryan Rainbro] Do you have any recommendations for that?[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I mean.[Joey Szatmary] While he's lifting,[Joey Szatmary] just go up there and just drop,[Joey Szatmary] kick one of them and he'll never deadlift again.[Ryan Rainbro] All right,[Ryan Rainbro] perfect.[Ryan Rainbro] Because I don't appreciate that.[Ryan Rainbro] What is your least favorite exercise to do?[Joey Szatmary] Least favorite exercise.[Joey Szatmary] That's a tough one.[Joey Szatmary] Usually just cardio.[Ryan Rainbro] After all that talk we did about walking,[Ryan Rainbro] he hates cardio.[Ryan Rainbro] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] Well,[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] cardio,[Joey Szatmary] like I've learned to appreciate everything for their own reasons.[Joey Szatmary] But I was never a fan of running.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] I just try to say I'm just running away from all my problems.[Joey Szatmary] And that just keeps me going.[Joey Szatmary] But.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I like to trick myself into like conditioning by doing things that I[Joey Szatmary] wouldn't normally associate with conditioning.[Joey Szatmary] But by the time I'm done,[Joey Szatmary] I realize my heart rate's at like 180 and I'm just like dripping sweat.[Joey Szatmary] But yeah,[Joey Szatmary] typically I like short,[Joey Szatmary] intense stuff,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] like bursts.[Joey Szatmary] Or obviously strength training and things like that.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] I do do a lot of jujitsu,[Joey Szatmary] which is cool,[Joey Szatmary] but the least appetizing would be if you hit me up and said,[Joey Szatmary] let's go for a five mile or three or five mile jog,[Joey Szatmary] like.[Joey Szatmary] I'd be like, 'Oh man,[Joey Szatmary] I really got to contemplate this one.'.[Jess .] Well,[Jess .] what's the one exercise you're most likely to skip a set of?[Joey Szatmary] Skip a set.[Joey Szatmary] Well,[Joey Szatmary] like two weeks ago,[Joey Szatmary] Jordan and I were doing Bulgarian split squats and I was probably the most dramatic.[Joey Szatmary] Like I,[Joey Szatmary] cause I do YouTube videos and I was like, 'We should have just filmed.[Joey Szatmary] How long it took me and all the things I was saying to just do three[Joey Szatmary] sets of Bulgarian split squats.[Joey Szatmary] That would have been a great video.' I think a lot of people can relate to it.[Joey Szatmary] Everybody can relate to that.[Joey Szatmary] It's a necessary evil because if they weren't so good,[Joey Szatmary] nobody would do them.[Jess .] They're the best worst.[Joey Szatmary] There's other things that are just like...[Joey Szatmary] Everyone's like, 'No,[Joey Szatmary] there's no reason to really do them.' So we're not going to do it.[Joey Szatmary] But Bulgarians are like, 'There's a benefit.' We just got to endure how much they suck.[Joey Szatmary] And it's almost like you get,[Joey Szatmary] you get like a fake trophy every time you do them.[Joey Szatmary] You just start like, 'I'm going to keep coming back.' But yeah.[Joey Szatmary] I would be fine doing one set to failure and not doing three sets sub-failure.[Ryan Rainbro] Is there a song that you always make sure you put on a gym playlist?[Ryan Rainbro] I know you said that there's no headphones,[Ryan Rainbro] but I assume there's some sort of sound that you're doing.[Joey Szatmary] Oh,[Joey Szatmary] yeah,[Joey Szatmary] yeah,[Joey Szatmary] yeah.[Joey Szatmary] We always have music.[Ryan Rainbro] All right.[Ryan Rainbro] Is there a song that always makes it onto the workout playlist?[Joey Szatmary] So side note,[Joey Szatmary] I'm huge with music.[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] Jess can probably tell you,[Joey Szatmary] I like everything and all different things.[Jess .] He's quite the DJ.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] if I could have like a fun side gig,[Joey Szatmary] it would just be.[Joey Szatmary] dance parties for people.[Joey Szatmary] Okay,[Joey Szatmary] so I,[Joey Szatmary] I don't know.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] it all depends on the mood.[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] one that like always gets me going is just maniac like from Flash[Joey Szatmary] Dance like I love that one.[Joey Szatmary] That one.[Joey Szatmary] That one.[Joey Szatmary] That one's a good one.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] it really depends on the genre,[Joey Szatmary] to be honest with you.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] we were listening to the other day.[Joey Szatmary] We've had,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] oldies.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] I'll just play 50s,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] for a whole workout.[Joey Szatmary] And I could be lifting a lot of weight.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] it's not like – like,[Joey Szatmary] I really like it.[Joey Szatmary] You know,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] I can find— find motivation in anything,[Joey Szatmary] like classical music,[Joey Szatmary] epic music,[Joey Szatmary] techno,[Joey Szatmary] I don't know,[Joey Szatmary] metal,[Joey Szatmary] whatever.[Jess .] What are you currently listening to?[Jess .] Like,[Jess .] what's on repeat?[Joey Szatmary] A lot of Beastie Boys.[Jess .] Hell yeah.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] Good answer.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I've been crushing the Beastie Boys like every day on my drives lately.[Jess .] Any specific record or just Beastie Boys in general?[Joey Szatmary] What is it,[Joey Szatmary] License to Ill?[Joey Szatmary] Just that whole album.[Joey Szatmary] It's pretty solid.[Joey Szatmary] I've been,[Joey Szatmary] yeah,[Joey Szatmary] in like a weird like hip-hoppy rock,[Joey Szatmary] like a lot of Rage Against the Machine lately.[Joey Szatmary] Beastie Boys.[Joey Szatmary] Tool,[Joey Szatmary] Deftones.[Joey Szatmary] That's been kind of like the vibe lately.[Joey Szatmary] I had the high schoolers,[Joey Szatmary] before they came out to their game,[Joey Szatmary] we were just blasting like late 90s,[Joey Szatmary] early 2000s new metal.[Joey Szatmary] Like we had like Limp Bizkit on,[Joey Szatmary] System of a Down.[Joey Szatmary] Love that.[Joey Szatmary] It's just fun stuff.[Joey Szatmary] Like everybody knows it,[Joey Szatmary] but not.[Joey Szatmary] Not what most high schoolers are listening to today.[Joey Szatmary] So,[Joey Szatmary] which I,[Joey Szatmary] I like,[Joey Szatmary] can't get down to a lot of that stuff.[Joey Szatmary] So I was just pumped.[Jess .] What did I listen to?[Jess .] Like little dark.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] or like Pop Smoke,[Joey Szatmary] Lil Baby.[Jess .] All the Lils.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] any Lil and all the Lils.[Jess .] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] I try.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] I try.[Joey Szatmary] But at the same time,[Joey Szatmary] too,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] even in the weight room,[Joey Szatmary] I'm just like,[Joey Szatmary] this is not,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] lifting.[Joey Szatmary] I don't know,[Joey Szatmary] but I guess they can say the same thing about mine,[Joey Szatmary] but I just find it really difficult to like.[Joey Szatmary] Feel the vibe that they're feeling.[Jess .] I try though.[Jess .] With that,[Jess .] with that,[Jess .] you just have to— you just have to like accept it for what it is.[Jess .] It's not good.[Jess .] But once you like accept it,[Jess .] you're like, 'Okay.[Jess .] Like it's just fun.'.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] I have fun with them.[Jess .] This is fucking awful,[Jess .] but I get it.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] I tell them,[Joey Szatmary] I'm like.[Joey Szatmary] As long as you can play Master of the Puppets one time throughout the workout,[Joey Szatmary] like you can listen to whatever you want and only get down with them.[Joey Szatmary] Like I'll just try to like pick up a few of the words and like I'll[Joey Szatmary] just use that same phrase the entire lift until they just look at me like, 'dude,[Joey Szatmary] you're an idiot.' It's like whatever.[Jess .] Are they like,[Jess .] is that the song from Stranger Things?[Joey Szatmary] That's how they know it.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Jess .] That's funny.[Jess .] Hey,[Jess .] man,[Jess .] that works.[Jess .] I know a lot of,[Jess .] we know a lot of bands from video games and stuff.[Jess .] So,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] it's the same thing.[Jess .] Whatever gets you into cool music.[Joey Szatmary] Tony Hawk soundtracks were dope.[Joey Szatmary] One night we were working out and it was like Tony Hawk soundtracks.[Jess .] Dude,[Jess .] so good.[Ryan Rainbro] I have one more question.[Ryan Rainbro] So I always tell people that the sooner they realize that what they[Ryan Rainbro] wear to the gym is more important than what they do at the gym is[Ryan Rainbro] when they're going to start making some real progress.[Ryan Rainbro] Do you have a gym apparel item that you think is like the must-have[Ryan Rainbro] to get motivated to get in the gym?[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] Jess may know what I'm going with here,[Joey Szatmary] but I work out in jeans like every day now.[Joey Szatmary] So I'm bringing back jeans as the gym wear.[Ryan Rainbro] And are they like jeggings or are they just straight up rustlers?[Joey Szatmary] I literally just tore my jeans.[Joey Szatmary] They were actually,[Joey Szatmary] they were denim.[Joey Szatmary] So I bought a new pair that I think has a little bit of,[Joey Szatmary] I think it's like two or three percent spandex in there.[Joey Szatmary] So it has a little bit of stretch to it.[Joey Szatmary] But.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah.[Joey Szatmary] My philosophy,[Joey Szatmary] a hundred percent.[Joey Szatmary] Like when people ask me,[Joey Szatmary] like on Instagram,[Joey Szatmary] I'd be like, 'Explain the jeans thing.' And I'm like,[Joey Szatmary] listen,[Joey Szatmary] I think I look cool.[Joey Szatmary] No one else thinks I look cool,[Joey Szatmary] but I don't care because I think I look cool.[Joey Szatmary] And if I think I look cool,[Joey Szatmary] I'm going to do things that.[Joey Szatmary] I think I look cool doing,[Joey Szatmary] which is lifting weights.[Joey Szatmary] And it makes it easier for me to go and lift weights when I feel like I look cool.[Joey Szatmary] So,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] it's just like my own philosophy.[Joey Szatmary] Look good,[Joey Szatmary] feel good,[Joey Szatmary] play good,[Joey Szatmary] you know?[Jess .] Wait,[Jess .] sorry.[Jess .] Hold on.[Jess .] You said that your jeans,[Jess .] though,[Jess .] were not made of span.[Jess .] They were not stretchy.[Jess .] You were— you're squatting in denim.[Jess .] You are.[Jess .] You really are.[Joey Szatmary] Well,[Joey Szatmary] it kind of made me— I actually got really upset because I really like these jeans.[Joey Szatmary] And it was weird.[Joey Szatmary] I got them at Marshalls.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] I'm not trying to – like,[Joey Szatmary] I'll get stuff at thrift stores,[Joey Szatmary] Marshalls,[Joey Szatmary] whatever.[Joey Szatmary] And it was funny because they were Hollister jeans.[Joey Szatmary] And I was like,[Joey Szatmary] I never would have thought that I would have picked a pair of Hollister jeans.[Joey Szatmary] And I loved them.[Joey Szatmary] And so I'd wear them.[Joey Szatmary] And the cool thing about wearing jeans is like,[Joey Szatmary] I can be outside doing stuff or I can be working and it cuts my[Joey Szatmary] excuse to have to change.[Joey Szatmary] Because if I have that,[Joey Szatmary] like.[Joey Szatmary] little time frame of,[Joey Szatmary] oh,[Joey Szatmary] I have to change or I have to do this,[Joey Szatmary] then it makes it way easier for me to talk myself out of the workout.[Joey Szatmary] So now I'm just like, 'Nope,' I just took out the trash and I picked[Joey Szatmary] up some poop in the yard.[Joey Szatmary] I'm going to go right in and just start squatting.[Joey Szatmary] You know what I mean?[Joey Szatmary] Or just start lifting.[Joey Szatmary] So I don't even have to change my outfit.[Joey Szatmary] But I wore those jeans like way more than I'm good to admit.[Joey Szatmary] Eventually,[Joey Szatmary] they just tore pretty bad.[Joey Szatmary] So this is what it is,[Joey Szatmary] but I'm sorry for your loss.[Joey Szatmary] Fitness and style go hand in hand now,[Joey Szatmary] man.[Ryan Rainbro] We got to get you some pajama jeans.[Ryan Rainbro] You remember those from about 10 years ago?[Joey Szatmary] I have a lot of pairs of those.[Ryan Rainbro] Perfect.[Ryan Rainbro] All right.[Ryan Rainbro] Well,[Ryan Rainbro] then he's already,[Ryan Rainbro] he's already good to go.[Jess .] All right.[Jess .] So Joseph,[Jess .] we got some questions— this or that— for you.[Jess .] Okay.[Jess .] It's full name.[Jess .] So,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] it's serious.[Ryan Rainbro] That's what I,[Ryan Rainbro] that's the message that I got.[Ryan Rainbro] Absolutely.[Jess .] All right,[Jess .] who you pick in,[Jess .] Mario or Yoshi,[Jess .] just in general?[Jess .] Like,[Jess .] if you had to pick one to,[Jess .] like,[Jess .] hang out with,[Jess .] who would you pick?[Joey Szatmary] Yoshi.[Jess .] That's who I would pick,[Jess .] too.[Jess .] Good answer.[Jess .] Who would you rather be best friends with,[Jess .] Harry Potter or Hagrid?[Joey Szatmary] Hagrid,[Joey Szatmary] 100%.[Jess .] Slytherin or Gryffindor?[Joey Szatmary] I've thought this question.[Joey Szatmary] Gryffindor.[Jess .] Would you rather have the Marauder's Map or the Invisibility Cloak?[Joey Szatmary] That's a good one.[Joey Szatmary] Marauder's Map.[Jess .] Why Marauder's Map?[Joey Szatmary] I don't know.[Joey Szatmary] I like being invisible.[Joey Szatmary] Like people think they want that.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] I wouldn't want that.[Joey Szatmary] Like,[Joey Szatmary] I don't,[Joey Szatmary] I don't know.[Joey Szatmary] I don't want to hear things or see things that,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] I would have actually to see or hear those things,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] as me and not have to be invisible to hear them.[Jess .] That's fair.[Jess .] Good point.[Jess .] I like your answer.[Jess .] Okay.[Ryan Rainbro] And where's the Marauder's Map ticket of where the master killer is?[Ryan Rainbro] What is this?[Joey Szatmary] My gut said that one,[Joey Szatmary] so I went with that one.[Jess .] To just see what's going on,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] who's out and about.[Jess .] He might want to avoid people.[Jess .] It'd be great if you could have Marauder's Map for life and just[Jess .] avoid every single person you never want to bump into.[Joey Szatmary] I have no problems because I avoid them all.[Ryan Rainbro] This is a Harry Potter thing?[Jess .] Yeah.[Jess .] Oh,[Jess .] sorry.[Jess .] Do not watch,[Jess .] do not like Harry Potter.[Jess .] You should,[Jess .] you should watch the movies.[Ryan Rainbro] I think I saw him.[Ryan Rainbro] I think I have some glasses they gave me,[Ryan Rainbro] some 3D glasses that are in the shape of Harry Potter.[Ryan Rainbro] That's not the dogs in Dracula's.[Ryan Rainbro] That's the wizard.[Jess .] Yeah,[Jess .] that's the wizard.[Jess .] Okay,[Jess .] continuing on.[Jess .] Majora's Mask or Ocarina of Time?[Joey Szatmary] Ocarina of Time.[Joey Szatmary] I mean,[Joey Szatmary] classic.[Joey Szatmary] A classic.[Jess .] Obvious answer.[Jess .] I actually do not like Majora's Mask at all whatsoever,[Jess .] but some people really,[Jess .] really favor that one.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] they both have a cult following,[Joey Szatmary] but Ocarina of Time,[Joey Szatmary] my gosh,[Joey Szatmary] took me back.[Jess .] Obvious answer.[Jess .] Mario Kart or Mario Party?[Joey Szatmary] It's weird because growing up I wasn't a big Mario Party fan and[Joey Szatmary] I've grown to like it more as I got older,[Joey Szatmary] so the young version of me would have said 'Mario Kart' hands down.[Joey Szatmary] But now,[Joey Szatmary] like,[Joey Szatmary] I like Mario Party.[Joey Szatmary] I think there's more to it.[Joey Szatmary] There's different games and stuff like that.[Joey Szatmary] And it's not just like 'super' like one track of just a race.[Jess .] I would pick Mario Kart,[Jess .] but I appreciate Mario Party as the answer because everybody can be involved.[Jess .] Yeah,[Jess .] everybody,[Jess .] yeah.[Jess .] Like,[Jess .] you know,[Jess .] my boomer dad can play,[Jess .] and he's not going to be like,[Jess .] you know, 'I can't steer this cart.' Anyway,[Jess .] good answer.[Jess .] A bow or hook shot?[Joey Szatmary] I don't know.[Joey Szatmary] I always...[Joey Szatmary] Really like screwing around with a hookshot and just flying face[Joey Szatmary] first into walls for no reason.[Joey Szatmary] Hookshot.[Jess .] Sword or battle axe?[Joey Szatmary] Sword.[Jess .] Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Fruity Pebbles?[Joey Szatmary] Cinnamon Toast Crunch.[Jess .] That's the only answer,[Jess .] honestly.[Ryan Rainbro] Now,[Ryan Rainbro] Joey,[Ryan Rainbro] the name of your gym was the Lion's Den,[Ryan Rainbro] and there's only two Lion's Dens that I'm familiar with.[Ryan Rainbro] All right,[Ryan Rainbro] there's our boy Daniel.[Ryan Rainbro] You remember him,[Ryan Rainbro] where he was.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] what's the other one?[Joey Szatmary] Let's hear it.[Ryan Rainbro] The other one is Ken Shamrock had his training camp.[Ryan Rainbro] It's called the Lion's Den.[Joey Szatmary] Oh,[Joey Szatmary] okay.[Ryan Rainbro] So I didn't know if you were a big MMA slash WWF fan or you just[Ryan Rainbro] love Danny and his cat friends.[Joey Szatmary] Well,[Joey Szatmary] the reason I said that is because there's a third one that it gets confused with a lot.[Joey Szatmary] And it's actually a sex tour in the Ohio area.[Joey Szatmary] So a lot of people were like, 'Hey,[Joey Szatmary] do you like?' know that when you picked that name it was the huge[Joey Szatmary] franchise of a sex toy store I was like, 'No,[Joey Szatmary] No,[Joey Szatmary] I'm sorry.' But yeah,[Joey Szatmary] I heard about Ken Shamrock's Jim.[Joey Szatmary] I actually didn't really know much about him.[Joey Szatmary] The whole premise of The Lion's Den is because my favorite movie was[Joey Szatmary] The Lion King from Disney.[Joey Szatmary] And I liked the idea.[Joey Szatmary] Of the community aspect,[Joey Szatmary] like a pride of people when I kept it kind of more,[Joey Szatmary] more private.[Joey Szatmary] And that was kind of the symbolism there.[Joey Szatmary] And the other part of it was,[Joey Szatmary] I think it was a grandma's boy,[Joey Szatmary] where they have the lion in the basement.[Joey Szatmary] And he's like, 'Dude,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] why do you have a lion?' He's like, 'Nobody fucks with a lion.' And[Joey Szatmary] I just remember it was like that.[Joey Szatmary] dichotomy of like this majestic,[Joey Szatmary] beautiful creature that like you can appreciate and respect from a distance,[Joey Szatmary] but like if you screw with that thing,[Joey Szatmary] it'll mess you up.[Joey Szatmary] I just remember,[Joey Szatmary] collectively,[Joey Szatmary] all those ideas coming together— it was like that's the name of the[Joey Szatmary] gym because I want to have kick-ass people.[Joey Szatmary] I want to have that community,[Joey Szatmary] that bond of just like,[Joey Szatmary] we,[Joey Szatmary] we love,[Joey Szatmary] care about each other,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] but like,[Joey Szatmary] don't mess with us.[Joey Szatmary] And the fact of,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] like that we are so tight and we'll get after it.[Ryan Rainbro] That's interesting.[Ryan Rainbro] There's a lion's den off exit 159 on I-26 down here in South Carolina.[Ryan Rainbro] So now I'll think of you every time.[Joey Szatmary] It's not a gym.[Ryan Rainbro] Don't stop for a workout.[Joey Szatmary] You get a different kind of workout there,[Joey Szatmary] but hey,[Joey Szatmary] I'm not judging.[Ryan Rainbro] All right,[Ryan Rainbro] Joey.[Ryan Rainbro] Well,[Ryan Rainbro] finally,[Ryan Rainbro] we would like to know one person that you are grateful for.[Joey Szatmary] One person,[Joey Szatmary] dude.[Joey Szatmary] And why?[Ryan Rainbro] And it can't be Jess.[Joey Szatmary] All right.[Joey Szatmary] Well,[Joey Szatmary] she's upstairs.[Joey Szatmary] So I have to say my fiancé,[Joey Szatmary] because my fiancé has been with me through a lot.[Joey Szatmary] We'll put it that way.[Joey Szatmary] And I'm very grateful for her to stick with me through a lot of very turbulent,[Joey Szatmary] troubling times at my worst.[Joey Szatmary] And that is just a gratitude and a value that I can't put a number[Joey Szatmary] on of just having somebody who sees the worst of you,[Joey Szatmary] still decides to be with you.[Joey Szatmary] And,[Joey Szatmary] you know,[Joey Szatmary] we'll have your back through anything.[Joey Szatmary] So I'm super grateful for my fiancé.[Ryan Rainbro] Awesome,[Ryan Rainbro] Joey.[Ryan Rainbro] Well,[Ryan Rainbro] this was great,[Ryan Rainbro] man.[Ryan Rainbro] You over-delivered.[Ryan Rainbro] So thank you so much for all the great words.[Ryan Rainbro] And I mean,[Ryan Rainbro] yeah,[Ryan Rainbro] you just nailed everything we wanted to ask you about even without us asking you.[Ryan Rainbro] So you must,[Ryan Rainbro] we're dealing with a pro here.[Joey Szatmary] Yeah,[Joey Szatmary] well,[Joey Szatmary] hopefully it helped.[Joey Szatmary] I'm super grateful to be on here.[Joey Szatmary] You guys are great.[Joey Szatmary] I know that this podcast will take off and the people that listen to[Joey Szatmary] it are listening to it because they want to.[Joey Szatmary] And whether they think it or not,[Joey Szatmary] there's something that they'll connect with from any of the podcasts[Joey Szatmary] and all the different people you have on here.[Joey Szatmary] Always down for the good cause,[Joey Szatmary] everybody winning and just getting better.[Joey Szatmary] Uh,[Joey Szatmary] so thank you guys.[Joey Szatmary] I really appreciate it.[Jess .] Thank you,[Jess .] Joey.[Jess .] Where can uh,[Jess .] where can people find you on the internet?[Joey Szatmary] It's pretty much just going to be Zat Strength on any platform.[Joey Szatmary] So S-Z-A-T and then the word strength.[Joey Szatmary] That'll take you to all the different ways you can find me or the[Joey Szatmary] content I put out and get in touch with me.[Joey Szatmary] So yeah,[Joey Szatmary] any time.[Jess .] All right,[Jess .] folks.[Jess .] Well,[Jess .] that just about wraps it up for this episode of The Underwire.[Jess .] We want to thank Joey for being our special guest today.[Jess .] And we hope that you now can better understand the importance of[Jess .] breaking the societal stigmas around mental health,[Jess .] especially for men.[Jess .] So to all of you men listening out there.[Jess .] Please continue to encourage your other man friends to lean into[Jess .] taking care of their mental health,[Jess .] however that works best for them.[Jess .] We also hope that we were able to bring to light how much of an[Jess .] impact fitness or movement in general can have on not just your physical,[Jess .] but your mental well-being.[Jess .] As always,[Jess .] we welcome any and all feedback or ideas that you may have so that[Jess .] we can take that into consideration for future episodes.[Jess .] Give us a follow and send us a DM on Instagram at theunderwirepod,[Jess .] all one word,[Jess .] no underscores or weird spellings.[Jess .] Also,[Jess .] especially since this is a brand new podcast,[Jess .] if you liked this episode,[Jess .] please share it and give us a five star thumbs up rating because[Jess .] that will really help us reach more listeners.[Jess .] Thank you so much for taking the time to listen today.[Jess .] I can't tell you how much we appreciate it and we look forward to[Jess .] catching you on the next episode.[Jess .] See ya!