Manhood Matters Podcast
Conversations around challenges dominating a man's journey through life. These topics are explored by real, everyday friends, with a lot of experience... And we have the occasional expert guest.
Manhood Matters Podcast
Empowered By Wellness (Part 2)
…Continuing the conversation on transforming your health journey with us as we sit down with fitness expert Chester Lacey, who shares his no-nonsense approach to conquering hereditary health challenges like diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Chester emphasizes the power of discipline over cheat meals and the transformative impact of forming new habits in just 21 days. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned fitness enthusiast, Chester's insights on starting with walking and the crucial role of strength training for those over 60 will inspire you to take charge of your health. The episode is a powerful call to action to embrace personal responsibility and harness a determined mindset to achieve significant transformation.
In the second part of our conversation, we delve into the compelling connection between discipline, physical appearance, and professional respect. Chester and I explore how maintaining a fit and committed look can influence perceptions in the workplace. Our discussion transitions to the transformative benefits of fasting, with Chester sharing personal fasting practices that combine short-term fasting with hydration to boost metabolism. We acknowledge the diverse motivations and approaches to fasting, from religious to health-related, and highlight the individualized nature of fasting experiences. Join us as we uncover how these disciplined practices can enhance both health and personal discipline.
FOLLOW CHESTER LACEY
IG: @musclebuythepound & @bmg_chester
FB: Chester The Trainer
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
www.agelessmenshealth.com
www.bodysymmetrymd.com
This podcast is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness. Consult a physician before starting any diet or exercise regimen.
The expert guest’s opinions and recommendations do not necessarily reflect those of the show.
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And I hate to say this, and I hate to even see it. But how can you watch your mom die from sugar diabetes, your dad die from high blood pressure, your uncle die from being obese? You're watching these things and do nothing about it. You're watching these things and still have the same approach to food. You're still eating the same thing that big mama ate like year after year, weekend after weekend, day after day after day. And how can you expect nothing to happen to you?
Speaker 3:thanks again for joining us this week. We are continuing the conversation about health, fitness, nutrition and overall wellness. I'm joined today by my resident co-host, jabari Pride, by comedian extraordinaire and co-host of the Steve Harvey Morning Show, mr Kia Juniors Bates, and our expert this week is Chester Lacey, a man who has committed himself to combating laziness, disease and just overall complacency in not just himself but everyone around him. He has been a competitor, a bodybuilder, an inspiration and, quite frankly, a leader in his space. Speaking of overall wellness.
Speaker 3:Not sure if you knew this, but you can get your dna tested for weight loss, so you can have the best path forward, or even skin care. So, whether you're seeking a paternity test or just DNA confirmation for immigration, legal or other family reasons, visit onsitelabsnet that's O-N-S-I-T-E labsnet for all your genetics and DNA testing. They got you covered. Please remember that this is a continuing conversation, so be sure to go back and listen to last week's episode, part one, for this to make sense. Welcome to Manhood Matters, where we have real conversations regarding real issues with real people with real experience. Let's get to it so I can't have a cheat day.
Speaker 1:The reason being you gotta think about this. You've been cheating your whole life Before you got to me. You've been cheating, damn yeah, but you Asking me for a cheat meal Already. How old are you, man? You're 46 years old. You've been cheating For 46 years. Now. You wanna get serious? You gonna chill. So when I'm gonna get A cheat day, huh yeah. Show me you can lose 40 pounds, and then I'd give you one Gotcha. Show me you could lose 30 pounds, and I'd give you one. Show me you could drop 15 pounds, and I'd give you one. Show me something first, don't ask me for nothing.
Speaker 3:I love that, so give me something. So. I can give you back something, because let me tell you something.
Speaker 1:In that discipline, in you going that way, you know what's going to happen, you don't want it. You, what's going to happen? You don't want it. You're going to say, fuck that cheap meal. Yeah, because you're going to say to yourself I'm looking this good by doing this.
Speaker 2:Hell, no, I ain't going to eat that bullshit? I can see my ass.
Speaker 4:I can't get fine. Right now I'm talking about fat folk all day. Fat ass out my way.
Speaker 1:You're going to be on there with your shirt on.
Speaker 2:I ain't even buying shirts. You gonna be out there With Steve off Getting blood and then getting Wired and open. Everything I wear Is a vest. Everything, taylor Well.
Speaker 4:I'm telling you Right now Chiz, this kid just done, chiz.
Speaker 1:And I promise you, man, it's gonna happen for you, brother, I promise.
Speaker 3:But yeah, man, I say that to say Because you gotta Think about this If, mentally, I'm already thinking about achievement, I'm not thinking about the goal well, it's, it's what's been fed to us for a long time, because here's the thing right, we hear how do you do this and you can remain disciplined in a way where you don't have that craving, so all right so do I give in to that craving, but I limit it to one day, or whatever it may be so once you do something for 21 days, it becomes a habit, right?
Speaker 1:so after that 21 days of you doing that, you have done a phenomenal job. If you did what you're supposed to do, you're gonna be down 10, 15, 20, it just depends on gaining, if that's your yeah it just depends on your level of seriousness.
Speaker 1:I tell people this all the time. I'm going to give you everything to set you up for success, to the point where, if it don't work, I'll give you your money back. I'm going to give you your meal plan, your water regimen and a cardio regimen, everything designed to get you towards the goal right. And if you do everything I'm requesting of you to do and you do not change, here go your money. That's how sure I am of what I do, right but they have to do their part.
Speaker 4:You're saying they got to do their yeah.
Speaker 1:That's all. All you got to do is do the homework.
Speaker 3:Let me ask you this Is there what's an easy way for men to start men in particular without feeling overwhelmed? There's someone who hasn't done shit in a super long time, whether they're obese, or whether they're just like too small, whatever, you know. Wherever they fall on the spectrum, what can they? What can they do? Yeah?
Speaker 2:What's the small steps? Can they?
Speaker 3:do to start somewhere. Let's say you don't have a trainer. Let's say you can't. Not everybody could get to Ch against Chester, right? What can they do to move and not feel overwhelmed? Walking, Walking.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I need that.
Speaker 1:But see, at a certain point see like after the age of 60, the only thing that's going to be important is strength training. So you're going to have to find your way to the gym. If you're a silver sneaker and you're 60 years old, find your way to the gym. If you're a silver sneaker and you're 60 years old, find your way to the gym. Because everyone, after the age of 60 or higher, you're going to start running into spells of syncope. Those are dizzy spells and those are spells where you end up falling and fracturing your face, hip, thigh, knee or whatever.
Speaker 1:The only way to slow that process down is by strength training. Because what will happen is, if you do not do any strength training leading up to that age, when you fall you ain't gonna even be able to pick yourself up. You hit that flow. You're gonna be sliding into the front door because you can't even pick yourself up off the ground is there a point of no return for some people in your, in your, opinion?
Speaker 1:no, I feel like long as you're living and breathing, there's always an opportunity. That's because I solely believe in mankind. I've seen so many stories. I've seen so many testimonies. I've seen a lady get started at 70 years old and was a big, obese lady.
Speaker 1:And four years down the line, she was slim and in shape and living more than some young people. So at the end of the day, no, you cannot make excuses for life. You just have to find a way to get it done. Me, that's my motto. Don't give me no excuse. Find a way to get that shit done. I don't care if you got to go at fucking 11 o'clock at night. I don't care if you got to go at 12 o'clock in the morning. I don't care if you got to go at 12 o'clock in the morning. I don't care if you got to go at I wake up at 3 am Me.
Speaker 3:You sound like ET right now, bro.
Speaker 1:I wake up at 3 am Me Going in my garage to do cardio and doing fasted abs in the morning. Me Because I want to look like something. It ain't for nobody in my house, it ain't for nobody on this podcast, it ain't for nobody in this, it's for me. This is how Chess want to look.
Speaker 3:Well, how you show up is so critical? Because I will tell you, man, even what we do, jabari, we show up and we meet people. Whether it's a business meeting, whether it's a sales presentation, I am treated different based on the way I look. I'm in shape. When I go shake someone's hand, everything matters right. And you show up and you look disciplined. That's all they see about you. They're like this person is committed to something right. Someone shows up in a business meeting and they're like ripped. The first thing you think about is well, that's not something you're born with, this is something you work towards. So this person is committed to excellence.
Speaker 1:Your respect level for somebody who looks the part is going to be totally different. And watch this. They may not even have the knowledge. Wow, yeah, they're just doing the work. They're just grinding, they may not even have the knowledge, but based off their appearance alone, you're going to give them the attention.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:So I asked you this question earlier. You never got a chance to answer it because I cut you off my bad. Talk to me about fasting. We talked about nutrition. Talk to me about fasting, because that has to be there.
Speaker 1:So I you know me personally I believe in fasting to a certain point, but I don't believe in fasting like six to nine hours or not like that. Me personally, when I first wake up, if I'm waking up at three o'clock, I will fast about four. I mean, you know, about five o'clock or maybe six, but in that time I'm fasting, I'm drinking a copious amounts of water, so I'm trying to flush, I'm trying to push out everything from the night before if it didn't come out, and everything in that morning. So when I start eating my food because I know if I drink 16 ounces of water, it's going to automatically speed up the metabolism so I'm already putting fire on the wood immediately once I start drinking that water. So then once I eat my first meal, it's going to absorb all the nutrients and it's going to go to all the right places. So fasting is good but it's based off how you come off the fast. You can't fast six to nine hours and then go right to mcdonald's. It's not smart and it's not gonna help you what about?
Speaker 3:fasting. People who fast a couple of days like my wife's done it, you know, um she does a lot of research on that stuff. Santana's done it. Um hell, they try to kill me, trying to get me to do it, for one day I almost died 36 hours fasting this stuff that they do routinely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is studies that prove it does work. Yeah, you know, and I just don't have as much information in relation to that.
Speaker 1:But also, at the same time, I would say this Sometimes people fast for religious purposes, and I respect that, you know. Sometimes people fast for religious purposes, and I respect that. You know I will never go against anybody fasting for religious purposes or religious reasons or anything like that. So whatever they're doing, uh, to make them feel better spiritually, and if it's making them feel more whole, then I'm all for that. So it it me.
Speaker 1:With the health you could disregard that. When it comes to the spirit and the word of God, I'm all for. Whatever you feel like you need to do to get closer to the spirit and to the word, or to whatever your belief system is, I'm all for that. Uh, but in reference to the fasting, like, like I said, it's good to a certain extent, but for me, I just feel like I don't have as much information on that side. But also, at the same time, I just feel like how am I going to be able to get the proper nutrition for my body if I'm fasting six to nine hours a day, and then when is my last meal going to be? Yeah, I'm not the Lord, you know.
Speaker 3:Now we're talking days Like people will take it seriously. Even again, talking to Santana, he's like even every 30 days or so it'll be either a 24-hour fast, sometimes a 36-hour fast.
Speaker 4:Fastness is some crazy thing I'm doing, just if it's not for religious purposes. Why would I give up food, me too.
Speaker 2:A chicken sandwich.
Speaker 4:Because I believe that?
Speaker 3:Well, it's not. What is it? It's not religious, I love what you're saying they're doing it because of health reasons.
Speaker 1:I'm going to do some research on that and the next time I come on this podcast, I have more information for you about it. But I need to understand what's the purpose behind it, because, I agree with you, it's like if the body is without nutrition, where is the nutrition coming from? If I've been fasting for 24, 36, or 72 hours, am I putting my body in such a deficit to the point where I cannot move? Am I weak? Am I lethargic? What am I?
Speaker 2:I mean, at the end of the day, Are they just trying to like jumpstart ketosis, you think?
Speaker 1:I think that too, Like because I think sometimes you can fast to reset your system. You know, I know that, you know, but I also know that you could do three, three days no carbs and that resets the digestive system.
Speaker 2:So can you explain ketosis, just in case people are listening. They're like I don't. I have no idea what ketosis means. I'm sitting here and didn't know what it is so my understanding of ketosis is, when you start to starve, your body it starts to burn instead of burning what it normally burns, let's say the, I guess, the simple carbohydrates it starts burning like the more complex stuff, so like the fat that you're storing.
Speaker 2:You burn off all the silly stuff, so now your body's like we don't have anything, so now I gotta go into the deep freezer, yeah, and I gotta start pulling the meat out of the deep freeze and start burning that up.
Speaker 1:In my opinion, the ketosis thing is just like doing fasted cardio. Fasted cardio and nighttime cardio will be almost like doing the same thing.
Speaker 2:So you said fasted, fasted cardio. What is that?
Speaker 1:The only way for the body to truly be fasted. You have to be done eating. For what is it like? Eight to nine hours. So, whatever your last meal is, you need to be done eating. For what is it like? Eight to nine hours. So, like whatever your last meal is, you need to be eight to nine hours before you wake up and do whatever. So it's like, say I stop eating at 12, wake up at eight o'clock I'm fasted.
Speaker 1:That means there's nothing in my system because my body is ridding and burning everything off Before I wake up. So that's why, immediately when you wake up, sometimes you might do one, two, sometimes three To the bathroom After you finish completely using the bathroom. I don't know, for some reason I could use the bathroom two times and as soon as I get in the shower I gotta use it again. I don't know what the hell that's about, but so after my third time I'll tell you what's about?
Speaker 4:It's about washing your ass. Forget the fitness part. This is about bathing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but up to say after I get out of the shower, after that third time, that's when you want to weigh yourself, because that's when you're at your true weight. The moment you finish using the bathroom completely, that's when you're at your true weight. That's just something to remember. Yeah, but then my body is completely rid of everything and now I'm ready to go do faster cardio. So the faster cardio is gonna burn directly on body fat, because it ain't nothing else in here. That's why doing faster cardio is so good and doing faster abs is so good, because it's nothing in the system to impede you from developing these muscles right here, because there's no carbohydrates in there. There's really nothing in there. And then I'm just focused on centrally burning body fat.
Speaker 1:To burn body fat is slow resistance, long duration. Slow resistance meaning like I could just be walking. But it has to be a long duration and that's the. I would say that the terrain cannot change, so it needs to be on the three incline. 30 minutes, speed two I'm going to hit after 12 to 20 minutes of exercise. You burn through all your carbohydrates, your sugar, and the only energy source to be used after that 12 to 20 minutes is fat. So that's when, after that 12 to 20 minutes. I'm in a fat burner zone. So that's why most of the time when you're doing a cardio, you won't notice you start burning or sweating until after 12, 15 to 20 minutes. Sometimes For me it's like 13 or 12. For me, as soon as I hit 12, I start sweating, but that's because everything is burned off. Now I'm in that fat burning, I'm in that fat burning zone. But you know, it's just so many factors when it comes to all of that and so Do you have to have your heart rate at a certain zone as well?
Speaker 2:It does.
Speaker 1:And that's what I was just gonna say because it's got like be over like 100 for a certain age, like 109 to 110 is like 40s or something like that, and uh, 50s is just a little bit higher.
Speaker 1:But they have the sensors on here so but the most majority of the time, the higher you take the incline, the more the heart rate gonna go up. Yeah, it makes sense. You don't necessarily have to put the speed up so high. But what I try and challenge people to do is try not to use the handrails. So put it at a speed where you could not have to use the handrails and just do it like that. But back to your question.
Speaker 1:Yes, I do believe that, like you said, the fasting is the purpose that I'm doing, that is to get some of that fat that they uh, it's hard to target, to concentrate on that, and I think that's the purpose of doing that. For sure got it now that you. You say that I know for a fact.
Speaker 2:That's the reason why people are doing it, because if it's not for a religious purpose, it's solely to reset the system and to centralize uh fat burn in those stubborn areas but then when you, when you come off that fast, you can't just go right back to McDonald's right, hell, no.
Speaker 4:So like what's the first thing you should do, why not? Who said, is it a rule?
Speaker 1:Yeah, It'll mess your stomach up for one. You'll start throwing up.
Speaker 2:So what's the first thing? You should probably like Water, water and something simple, like Like fruits, vegetables.
Speaker 1:Yes, like, uh like fruits vegetables, water fruits vegetables, mild fruit vegetables, and then just start slowly implementing to your sister don't try and have a full meal, just kind of like got it, you know slowly introduce it and then, once the metabolism cranks up, you'll you'll know when it's time to eat, for sure just the our community is is struggling with diabetes and all kinds of things you know.
Speaker 3:You mentioned some to me that I haven't heard you mention here in the podcast.
Speaker 3:I'll say it because that line stuck with me. You said that for us and a lot of people in our community, health, fitness, wellness is an option, oh yes, whereas with other communities it is a responsibility. It's a requirement. It's a must. Yeah, not an option, it's just responsibility, it's a requirement. It's a must. Yeah, not an option. It's just something to do. So what is there? Have you found that there are cultural, societal challenges that make us think that way? And how do we kind of like help people get on the right path?
Speaker 1:I think, to be honest with you, due to history and due to what has happened to our people over the years, it has created a mindset in which we feel like um, for one we're invincible and for two, uh, that um and nothing happened to me, yeah and for two, that things are optional.
Speaker 1:Uh, and I and I hate to say this, and I and I hate to even see it. But how can you watch a mom die from Sugar diabetes, your dad die from high blood pressure, your uncle die from being obese? You watching these things and do nothing about it. You watching these things and still have the same Approach to food, you still eating the same Thing that big mama ate Like year after year, weekend after weekend, day after day after day. And how can you expect nothing to happen to you? And that's that's the problem in our community, because we feel invincible. It ain't gonna happen to me.
Speaker 1:I watched the podcast I mean not a podcast, but I watched the, the uh, uh, the netflix documentary of jamie foxx. And that was his first thing. He said man, this me, man, this jamie foxx, man, how this gonna happen to me, right, right, that's because we believe that we could just go about life and doing whatever we want to do and ain't nothing gonna happen. You cannot sit here and tell me you're gonna eat the same thing that you've ate since, and and I'll say this because you don't really remember what you've been eating at one years old but I'm gonna say since the age of 10 years old, all the way up to 40 years old, and you feel like that is not going to affect you at all. You've been having the same health habits and you, you take the same approach for food since from 10 to 40 and you feel like you're not going to have no health conditions. You ain't going to have no sugar diabetes, you ain't going to have no high blood pressure. You only drink a cup of water a day. You love sweets. You got a desk job where you sitting there and you getting big back, big back I'm talking about Cadillac back, because they bringing in desserts and they having potlucks and they bringing in pies and the vendors bringing in stuff. You just eating, eating and sitting, and eating and sitting and you expect nothing to happen. And see, the danger in it all is this we put more value on the job than we do our body. I got to get to work, but you got. I mean, man, it'd be so sad. Your shirt's getting bigger and the pants getting bigger too. I mean, it's so crazy.
Speaker 1:I lived in Ohio for four years. I was topping the region out there as a personal trainer. I trained so many people Open heart surgeons, doctors, lawyers. I was training some of the Most influential people In the community and they valued me Because they knew I knew what I was doing for one and then for two, they knew I was passionate About it. But when I came back here To visit from time to time and I go to see people At my old church and stuff like that, and I'm sitting here like Every year these folks Getting bigger and bigger.
Speaker 4:We need some more room. Yeah, I mean, you know, they said the shoulder, the shoulder.
Speaker 1:Boy, that job right there, it blow my mind. Yeah, I say you just don't notice that neck getting thicker and thicker, do you? But Some people just don't take it serious. They don't take it serious until the doctor tell them. And I'm going to be honest with you by the time the doctor tell you that you have a condition, you still ain't going to change Because your body and your mind you're so used to being a certain way. If the doctor tell you you got to lose 30 pounds in 30 days, you're just going to go on and die Because you're so used to having that happen.
Speaker 4:That's where we at yeah.
Speaker 1:And I hate to say that, but it's like us as a community, we got to make it more important Because, like I said, everybody holds a very important part in each family that you're in and if something was to happen to any person in that family who is a very valuable person, it's going to shake up the whole family and, like I said, and like you've heard on this podcast you've heard it's only an emergency to us, it's not an emergency to them people coming to your house, it's not an emergency to that doctor or that nurse. It's just another job. You got to take care of you. You have to be serious about you Because they not going to be. That's powerful, bro.
Speaker 4:Yeah, man, I have some questions, man, like about some of the things that we're stroking out.
Speaker 1:Man, what you know stress and you know, you know that's what we work out it's like to to relieve the stress because you, a lot of times, when you do not have an outlet, your body is like a tea kettle filling up with pressure. If it don't come out, it's gonna come out on somebody, and the majority of the time they come out on somebody that we truly love. So we burning bridges because we have no outlet. We burning bridges with our daughters, our sons, our wives, our brothers because we so frustrated with all this pent up frustration because we have no outlet. We getting bigger and bigger, my foot starting to hurt and I don't want to go to the doctor. It's sad, but that's what I'm saying. It's not an option. It should be a mandatory thing in our community, especially how things have, how we have been brought into this society. We need to be more serious about what we're doing so we can stay in the society. Ultimately, man, you got to understand.
Speaker 1:Since the beginning of time, they've been talking about population control. This is all a game that we're in. It's population control. If we make the food where it's so addictive to the point where you can't have just one cookie, I can't, you gonna have three, four, five. Yes, we did that on purpose. Wow, we're doing this stuff on purpose. Covid was on purpose. Yeah, it was an emergency to you, but it's not an emergency to them. They just throwing your body in the back of the damn building. And the reason why America got rocked by it so much is because our level of immunity is down. Most people, if 90 percent of America, are obese. Any virus that comes through the United States is going to rock a whole bunch of people, and what that's going to do in return? Minimize the population, because they already feel like it's not enough food to feed the people. So we have to find ways to minimize the population. Viruses, disease, illnesses, food.
Speaker 3:There's something you just said a little while ago I don't think that we as black men ever really take seriously. We don't really think about it. It's how the people will be impacted People, countless Wives, our kids, hell, mom, you know Other people who are looking to you in a certain way and we're not taking care of this one human that we're in charge of taking care of now. What do you think that is? What do you think we resist that so much as men? Is it what you talked about? Is it just this feeling of being invincible?
Speaker 1:I truly believe. It's a feeling of being invincible, or this can't happen to me but see um, or do we just worry about ourselves? Last no, Because I find that sometimes I just feel like that for me?
Speaker 3:I don't even think about me, bro. Sometimes I find that it's a challenge. I'm thinking about everybody else, I'm thinking about what I got to do and, like I told you earlier in the show, like I was just saying, like you know, like where I've been mentally, mentally it's go go, go trying to figure some shit out, trying to solve some other issue. But I'm not thinking about me at all. I got shit that hurts. You know it's funny, you know you look at me. You'd be like you know you're a trainer, you could probably pick it out. But a lot of people would look at me and go, oh, he's in shape. And just the other day, just I was like that tea kettle. You know, I just felt like this urge.
Speaker 3:I'm not a runner, I hate running, right, I right, I play sports to not not to run, if that makes sense. Like I'll play soccer, cause there's a goal. I run for 90 minutes. But me just running, I don't like doing it. And I had the urge. It was like some spiritual calling to me saying you need to go run to let the shit out. And you know I ran. I got to my front gate and I was winded. Now, normally, if you don't, if I didn't test this. I go play soccer tomorrow. Be like oh, there's a game, pickup game. Yeah, let's go, I'm gonna kill these dudes. That's the way I'd be thinking about it. But I actually ran to my gate and I was. My goal was to go, you know, up the street.
Speaker 3:I got to my gate, I was like shit this is the first time, and so it was reality setting in for me, saying you know, you've neglected yourself, you've neglected your body, you've not taken care of yourself, you haven't done anything. How dare you think you can just get up, pick it up? I thought, I thought I could just pick it up where I left it off, you know I left it.
Speaker 2:I was like I can just go run a few miles right now, not a problem.
Speaker 3:And then I got to my gate and I was like I'm tired. I ran up the street. I had I had an excuse right because I turned right. I started going and you see how it's like a dead end, it's all like forest and shit. I ran up here and I heard a dog barking. I was like, ah, I'm going to get bit by a dog. I ran back home.
Speaker 4:Safety. I was like, yeah, I was like that's my excuse.
Speaker 3:I need an excuse.
Speaker 4:I was like I'm going to run back home, man. I think it is a lot to do with us black men always having to be take care of everybody, like you know, like my father you know of. Back in 2017 he had a heart attack, right, father? You know? He worked for southwestern bell or at&t. Actually, you know, 45 years retired, he actually do, like you know, and my father got different type of strength, like he ain't working out type of strip.
Speaker 2:But my dad, goddamn strong, like if he want to hold your ass you're not finna, resist, I'm telling you.
Speaker 4:And I'm telling you like it's like even for him, man, like he had a heart attack, man, and it really hit me really hard because I'm like, wait a minute, he's solid. No, not him, that's solid. No, not him, that's Superman, that's right. So when you said that, like this is not going to happen to me, that's a real mentality, that's some wrong. Like I got to think about that. I don't know what you, Stephon, I'm just saying the other day, man, I was with him the other day when I was talking about it. This was wrong with you, Wallace wrong with you.
Speaker 3:While I was just I, I filled up, I was, I was full too.
Speaker 4:Part of the reason we do this podcast, too, is we connect people, and ain't crazy yeah, because I can't tell you.
Speaker 3:It's like so far it's only been a few episodes and we just have people meeting each other and connecting. So you know, I'm blessed to have people in my life, like I have jabari in my life. Who can I mean to you? Right and then santana connect me to the connected me to you, and Right and then Santana connected me to you, and now you guys are connected. Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:And the reason why me and Santana I've been knowing Santana over 10 years. We served as armor bearers for our bishop, we did security for the bishop at the time and me and Santana we've always had a great relationship For years, to the point where, like he said, the garage gym I was up at his garage gym Training him In his garage gym, him and his neighbor. You know Because, like Santana, he followed my story. He's watched me Morph into a bodybuilder. He knows what you know.
Speaker 1:He knows me very well when it comes to this, so he know that I went and got the information. He know I studied to show that self-approval. He know I know what I'm doing, correct. So for him to recommend me to you. And it's so crazy because me and Santana hadn't talked because of his illness or whatever, and I was trying to give my brother his space, because a lot of times with men you don't want to be over a man when he's dealing. You know I could check on you, but just to be all the time on you it's like, bro, I'm trying to figure this shit out.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. Yeah, it's funny you should say that, because I actually worked out a formula for this. You know, because you're actually right, I deal with the shit I deal with every day or whoever you know. Whatever you got to deal with every day. I don't want, I don't want to hear from people. I don't. You're not calling me with a solution, you know. All I know is that you know you call me, whatever it is. So what I've done because what I found is that I still want you, as my brother, to be there for me.
Speaker 3:I don't know how to ask. So if I know that a brother needs me and and I've got someone that's going through this now, he's done with some things right now, and what I told him is this I said look, I'm going to call you Friday at this time. I'm going to call you Friday at six o'clock. If you don't want to talk, don't answer, but I'm going to call you, no matter what. If you don't answer, I'll know it's because you don't want to talk. Or two days ago I called him. We were on the phone for an hour and a half. Right, that was his choice to answer, but my job was hey, I'm going to show up for the next three months. You answer, you answer, you know, you answer, you answer. But just so you know, I'm here if you feel like having this conversation and if you don't, I get it, because I'm in a place where I don't know if I can talk to you right now, you know so when I'm going through my shit Like my best friend man.
Speaker 4:You know he's going through a lot right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And you know, like you know, they call me because they know I got broad shoulders right and to hear your best friend man say man, I need to lay this on you. I don't feel like I look, you know what I'm saying, like I don't. I'm, I'm having trouble with this man, I'm, I'm masking something here. You know, my kids have hurt my feelings. I said this about them and this I provide everything. I gotta be the husband. I'm the only check in here, like, like he's really going through something man yeah I'm mercy, you know what I'm saying and you have to learn how to.
Speaker 4:You know what I'm saying. Be a friend. It ain't always about Trying to solve the problem. Sometimes you just need To let him get it out. Yes, sir, I sat there and didn't say nothing, man, and watched my best friend Of 25 years Just break down. Yeah, and I didn't say a word. I just sat there for over an hour, man, I'm talking about bawling, grown man bawling. Yeah, that's how much pressure they be putting. That's what's leading us to these strokes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and to go back to circle, right back to what we're saying we have I love this analogy the the whole tea kettle thing. Yeah, the outlet needs to be doing well, it's not the only thing, but it physical fitness, wellness, taking care of ourselves, self-care, self-care it's it's so so important because again, especially for us men.
Speaker 1:Man, like mental health is so important for us men, just like you said, because we deal with a lot on a daily basis. If you have kids, you deal with one a lot, or if you have a lot of family members who just depend on you, it's a lot. You hear a lot, you deal with a lot and trying to find ways To provide for all of these people, because you hear the stuff but you still got to find a way to provide. You still got to. Even sometime when you ain't even got a way, even when you don't even know what to do, you still in your mind feel like because I know this has been me, I've been on a faith walk for a long time and sometime when it ain't been there, I'll say Lord, I know you're going to do it, and no later than the day in he done, did it every single time. So that's strong.
Speaker 3:Yeah, talk to us about some of the resources you talked about earlier, because I'm really interested in and I want to make sure everybody has info. Again, this will be in the show notes so people can go and check it out, click the links etc. But, um, you mentioned the clinic is, uh, as far as making sure we go and get tested, understanding what the blood panel, what that looks like, so we could know what the right path is and how to get started checking out testosterone levels etc. Where is that? I mean that's for people here in georgia obviously so for the people here in georgia.
Speaker 1:They have a couple of places that I recommend. Uh would be ageless Men and Body Symmetry. Those are two places that I recommend. They do really good work. They'll do a blood panel on you, they'll test your blood and everything, and then they'll go over all the information with you. Now you're dealing with doctors, like you're not dealing with no people off the street. You're dealing with certified personnel. These people know what they're doing. They people off the street. You're dealing with certified personnel. These people know what they're doing.
Speaker 1:They're not going to give you what you don't need. No, they're not giving you anything that you don't need. You're not going to get performance dosages. You're only going to get what is recommended to bring your body to homeostasis, and that's it. You are going to sign a contract, too, because it's going to state that you can only work with them. You can only use their stuff, because their stuff is pharmaceutical based. It's all been tested and approved, so they don't want any liability with you trying to do something else or use something else, and then they end up being sued, and what you're referring to is people who get on TRT and they start to feel really good, or anything.
Speaker 1:Because they may not recommend TRT, they may recommend another supplement or whatever, but whatever it is, it's all pharmaceutical-based, it's all FDA-approved and all this other stuff. So it's like you don't have to worry about any issues and they're the ones doing the monitoring, they're the ones doing the blood work. They'll be calling you, going over your panel and everything, so you can get a good understanding of what's really going on. That's one place I mean really going on. Um, uh, that's one place. I mean the two places I recommend. Also, you can definitely go to your primary care physician and ask for them to do just a basic blood panel on you, where it's just going to test your blood on different foods and stuff like that, and it'll be able to show you what you're allergic to, what you're not allergic to and what your body can handle and what it cannot handle. Um, so those are the two things that I definitely recommend that we do.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know, get your testosterone levels checked, get a blood panel done and so that you kind of know what you're allergic to and what you're not allergic to. And, uh, you know, get with someone who is well-versed when it comes to personal training, fitness and nutrition. Don't just randomly pick somebody. Ask these people where have have you been certified, how long have you been certified, and have you ever dealt with someone like myself? Me personally, I'm here for anybody who needs the help. You can find me on Instagram. I have a muscle by the pound page. It's muscle B-U-Y the pound, because I believe you're buying muscle.
Speaker 1:When you connect with me. I also have a personal page, which will be BMG underscore Chester. That's my more personal page family, bodybuilding and stuff like that but you can definitely find me there as well. I do have online programs, so you'll see a lot of the links and stuff in my bio and whatnot. But, yeah, a lot of people connect with me basically through word of mouth. I feel like word of mouth is the ultimate networking tool, because the reason why word of mouth is more beneficial than an IG page or an IG post or a Facebook page or post is because this person has an experience. It's just like a person going to a restaurant and they can already vouch that the food is good because they've been going there for three to four weeks and they know for a fact the food is really good, versus somebody saying let's go check this new restaurant out. You go there and the food is terrible. So a lot of people connect with me through word of mouth. But you have all my social handles if need be.
Speaker 3:I'll make sure that's posted in the show notes as well. So make sure you give me that so I can make sure it's up there, because you will work with people, even if they are not. You know. You can work with them online as well, you can design a program for people so they can go ahead.
Speaker 3:How difficult is that for someone to actually? You know, you got someone in Dallas, Texas, saying hey, I want to work with you, I love what you do. Now you're really relying on them to do what they're supposed to do because you're not there to watch it.
Speaker 1:Well, most of the time, people like that, who are out of town, they're going to be more serious than somebody who's in town because they spending the money. They spending the money blindly. That's what I would say, yeah, that's what I would say yeah. So they got to be able to trust and believe in your process and believe. Trust and believe in who you are for them in order for them to invest into you. So, most of the time, those people are going to do well, because they're going to do everything that you told them to do, because they want to end with. But I tell people this all the time how do you truly know if what I'm doing works if you never do it? The only way to value a teacher is by paying attention in class and doing the homework. Yeah, because if I value the teacher in class and I do the homework when it's exam time, I'll be ready. Yeah, but if I don't value the teacher and do the homework, when it's exam time, I'll be ready.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but if I don't value this teacher and do the homework when it's exam time, I will not be ready and I will be nervous and I'll be shaken and I'll be uneasy about taking this test when everybody else like man, I'm ready. Man, I'm feeling wrong. Man, come on, hurry up, go with c yeah it's always c so, yeah, man, man, um jabari, my brother.
Speaker 3:Thank you, junior, thank you, man and chester, this episode would not have been possible if you weren't here. To you know, share and impart your wisdom on us. This is critical, so it's so extremely critical, like I said, for me personally and I know a lot of people whether you're just coming up, you know, like my son, who's 19 years old, who needs to start to get in shape you know he's really slim or whether it's someone that I, like I mentioned earlier, might feel like dude, it's too late for me, man. I've gone past this point. You know I might as well give up. It is what it is, or someone who's battling something you know, an illness or whatever it is like.
Speaker 3:These moments are super critical and I hope if people are listening to you and listening to your voice and what you're bringing and again going to these, to your social media pages, and finding you or someone like you to work with so that we can stay healthy. Man, we are here dropping like flies, not even taking care of ourselves. As you can tell, there is so much more we can discuss and talk about. We'll definitely have to revisit this conversation and figure out what's really going on with us, with our health, our fitness and especially our mental health. Join us next week as we will answer questions from young women who wrote into the show so we can give them a true perspective, a male perspective, one that is without an agenda except to see you succeed. Take care of your mind, body and soul. I love you and I'll talk to you next week.
Speaker 2:I love you and I'll talk to you next week.
