How To Achieve Fitness Success...Effort Times Consistency = Results

You can tell a lot about someone’s philosophy on fitness by what they think “success” looks like. For Philip Jordan, success is not a perfect body or a viral workout clip. It is the moment someone realizes they can move again, feel better again, and finally trust themselves to keep showing up. Philip is the fitness and wellness director at the YMCA in Waycross, Georgia, and our conversation moves from his homeschooling and farm-work upbringing to the coaching floor where he helps people chase milestones they once thought were out of reach.  We get practical about why people hire a personal trainer and why “accountability” is often more powerful than the program itself. We talk about motivation on hard days, the mental health benefits of exercise, and how a good coach sometimes needs to be part trainer and part therapist. Then we zoom out into training styles: resistance training, free weights, machines, TRX, bodyweight work, and what changes when your goal is fat loss, overall health, or simply getting stronger. In our discussion with Phillip, we tackle the social media comparison trap, reminding us that every body responds differently to training, calories, genetics, and recovery.  CrossFit takes center stage too, including the bad rap it gets for intensity and injury risk. Philip explains CrossFit as functional fitness and cross-training, where ego and competition can either sharpen you or break you if you refuse to scale. We also talk Murph, why it matters, and how consistent training prepares you for real life, not just the gym. We talk about the basic formula for success that lands hard: effort times consistency equals results.  If you’ve been curious about CrossFit, intimidated by the gym, or tired of starting over, hit play and come train your mindset with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a push, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hey everybody, welcome back to the Jackson Howl Podcast. Thank you for tuning in. On this episode, we sit down with Philip Jordan. He is the fitness and wellness director at the YMCA here in Way Cross, Georgia, and we talk a little bit about Phillips background, what grabbed his interest in fitness and the joy that he finds in helping people achieve goals and achieve milestones that they might not have achieved beforehand. We talk about the different styles of fitness, the benefits of it. We talk about CrossFit and free weights and ultimately what it is that makes someone successful in the fitness world, specifically in their personal journey and lifestyle as we talk about it. But if you are listening on YouTube, be sure and hit that like and subscribe button. Leave any comments and thoughts that you have. If you are listening on Spotify or Apple, be sure and leave us a review and rating. Would greatly appreciate it. Helps us out in the algorith in the algorithms and as far as putting it out in front of everybody. Leave us some comments there, and we hope you enjoyed the episode. And we'll see you on the other side.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Philip Jordan, good to have you, man. Good to be here. I didn't even know you had a setup like this. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Yeah, I've I've actually been working on this setup for a while. It's been a been a work in progress. I've had different setups with chairs and everything, but I always wanted kind of a long table like this, and uh feel a little more comfortable, can set books on there, laptops and so forth. So I'm excited about it.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

I dig it.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Yep, good stuff. Well, how you doing?

SPEAKER_00 1:56

We're good, wide open. Yeah, working hard. I play all day.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Okay. Well, we'll uh we'll we'll get into that uh a little bit. Um, you're about your career path and uh choice of a career in the in the fitness world and everything. But uh going to start out a little bit, just talk uh maybe a little bit about your upbringing, you know, what were your hobbies? Did you play sports? Where you went to school, kind of things like that.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

You want to start at like kindergarten? Sure. Yeah, where wherever you want to start, but you ain't gonna you don't have to hit each grade. Kindergarten, wake on a first grade, wake on it. But I was homeschooled, and I think that's what I'm already a standout, okay? I did not know you were homeschooled. So homeschooled second to sixth grade. We're counting middle seventh, and then I finished out in public school. Um, dude, I walked in the doors after homeschooling, you know, because we would finish our school work around lunch. Right. And then I would go back feed for the rest of the day, you know, feed the cows, feed the hogs, and everything. Um I walk in to open house. I'm like, where in the world did these kids come from? You know, where where have y'all been my whole life? Right. Um, nope, that's that actually is the gist of my childhood.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

I did I did my uh school work and then mama took me to the farm. I would work with Papa until 5, 5 30. Nice.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

Um so when you say farm, uh, what kind of farm are we talking about?

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Um Jordan Feeds out in Dix Union on North River Road past Fat Daddy's like on the on the way to Alma.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

That's the first road to the left. Um around two, the first curve, and the second curve, you know where it is. Um it's right there off to the right. But um had maybe 40, 50 cows, one horse, and then grandmother got into miniature pony, had nine little demons of ponies. Um plenty of stories there. Um hundred hogs, 20 goats, wow, two emus, um, any kind of chicken you can name.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

And that was second grade to second to sixth, yeah. To sixth grade. Okay. So um what was uh so that's a little bit uh ahead of its time, but we have more and more nowadays that that are homeschooling. Yeah, and uh matter of fact, are y'all gonna homeschool? No, no, okay. It's a lot of work, no plans right now. Okay. Uh but what what kind of effect do you think that had on you personally with your work ethic and so forth?

SPEAKER_00 4:37

I'm already having talks with my nine-year-old that I have to like kind of pause and think about before I jump to an answer, you know. Um I I don't want to say it sheltered me more.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

Kept me from things that they already know now that I didn't until like later on. Yeah. Um I don't know, because Papa he didn't like keep a whip on me, but you know, you didn't cycle around Papa. Um maybe like kept me younger longer. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

I guess maybe made me a little more innocent, so to speak, uh longer. Um there's some, I mean there's some pros and cons to to to homeschooling. Um and I know some by we we toyed with the idea. We never got serious about it. And so uh, and our kids talk about it now, but they're ones in the last one's in high school or just about in high school, uh the last one just about is in high school and second last is in high school and kind of more starting homeschooling. So um, well, what about uh what about this idea of uh fitness and sports? Did you were you able to participate in sports at all?

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Through the why, actually, yes. Um started soccer pretty early on. Uh everybody noticed I was just shy of being fast as a flash. So I took off with that. Uh uh so I grew up playing soccer. Okay. Loved it. Um got into middle school, didn't do anything seventh grade. Uh, eighth grade started uh uh basketball and soccer. Uh where I side note I was going to be a world-class striker or forward.

SPEAKER_03 6:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Hashtag goal scorer. But the soccer coach heard that I played basketball and he said, Hey, I bet your hand eye coordination is pretty good. I'm like, no, don't put me in the goal. But took me to my first year of college, the Bruton Parker. Okay. And I was like a golden retriever.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 6:43

See my get ball. Snatching it, huh? Yep.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

That's good. I didn't I didn't know you played uh played soccer and and say you went to Bruton Parker. Good stuff. Um how how how long did that did that last for you?

SPEAKER_00 7:00

A long time, actually, about a year, and then I came right back off. Right. Uh no, I just had uh I learned quickly. Um I just needed to grow up some.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

Okay, yeah.

unknown 7:14

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

You want me to go into detail or no? I mean that's uh that's up to you. That's up to you. Well, for those, if anybody's out there like me, which I'm sure there's a lot, uh I saw very quickly not being home, I didn't have to go to class.

SPEAKER_02 7:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

Um, and at the end of that semester, you know, it it's not gonna look good.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

Right.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Uh try to come home after that. My parents being who they are, they're like, no, you're gonna stick it out, you know. Right. Finish the year, not knowing that I'm not doing. Okay. But uh I said, oh my gosh. So I didn't do for another year anyway. So it's just a lot of growing up to work.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Right, yeah. Hey, listen, I I don't think you're the uh the first to experience that, and you're and you're not gonna be the uh the you weren't the last to experience that. Um so the I the idea of uh of going off to going off to college um and and having those kind of adult moments. You don't have somebody looking over you uh the the whole time and and and and make having to make those choices, those those life choices, uh, I think those really start developing you know who who we are, who who we become. Um did uh so was there I I've got some siblings that kind of experience the same thing. Uh was there was there much disciplining uh from that experience? Did they Yeah, my record my report card, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

Okay I mean, yeah, I I didn't want to obviously tell anybody, you know. Um I'm okay with it now. Yeah I've talked to a lot of kids that actually staff that come through the Y, you know, they they don't know what they want to do. I still don't. I mean now I do, but uh up until 30s, you know, I I exactly yeah. I still wanted to be this guy when I grow up, or you know, that's right and stuff like that. But um it's actually been a very good experience on on having a just being able to talk them through that. Yeah, don't don't wait, get do do something.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

Right. Yeah, and and I I experienced the same thing as far as trying to figure out what it exactly I want to do for career for life. And to be honest, I didn't I still haven't reached that. Yeah, I'm uh I I'm in insurance claims is that's not a career uh or not a a dream a dream job. I just kind of fell into it and it was supposed to be a temporary thing uh and it ended up turning into a career. Now a lot of blessings have come from that, and I feel like the Lord has blessed me with that. Um, as a matter of fact, I uh I was the uh fitness director for a a personal training school. It's a six-month school. Uh I don't I don't know if you I did not know this. Yep, I did that, did that for nine months. Uh it was a new program, it was a six-month school uh up in Atlanta. And uh the company was based out of Philadelphia. And so for six months, it was right after I graduated from UGA.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

You were bougie for six months, dude. Or nine months.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

Yeah, now yeah, I I was a director for for nine months and uh bringing students through and and teaching and then they let you go. Well, I chose to let I chose to let to let them go. It was just it was just a weird, weird schedule, and I loved fitness, um, but I didn't necessarily love that aspect of it. And so uh that's when I come across the the insurance job and again was just taking it just a temporary thing and it turned it turned into a career. So um so when did when did you decide that you wanted to really settle in in the in the fitness world?

SPEAKER_00 10:59

I still have buddies that I haven't seen since high school, and they say, um they say, how you don't look like you've changed, you know, and here they are, they put on 20, 30 pounds, you know, looking normal. I say, dude, I just haven't stopped. Um kind of looked up. A friend of my sister was the associate director at the Y at the time, um got it together for a Georgia game. She said, Hey, which I see all the backstory on that now. She's you're constantly looking for like staff, you know.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Right.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

Um not just a warm body. But uh she asked me if I would want to do that, and I was at Lee Hardware at the time. Uh I said, Okay, making the same when it's cold. And I and I was outside loading trucks. Right. But uh when it's hot, it's hot. When it's cold, it's cold. Um I said, okay, making the same. But I'm gonna be inside in a gym. Right. Uh so anyways, I I took it.

SPEAKER_03 11:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Uh I did not realize then I thought I hated people. So I started at the Y, the end of 09. Um caught on very quickly. That just sitting here with you makes me feel good.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

So just people in general.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

I do well with people.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

So what was it? Uh what what what what made you think that you didn't like being around people or maybe socializing any?

SPEAKER_00 12:29

That was more of a joke. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Uh I was like, because I've never known you that way.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

So you so you're you're naturally uh a a people person, then, obviously.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

I guess you could say, yeah. Um started behind the desk as a Jim Roach, is what I call us. Um this is your house. When Jackson Howell comes to our house, we want it to smell good, look good, you know. Right. Um wouldn't want to be eating our fried chicken lunch, and then you come in and smell that because you could be that smells have a lot to do with everything. But um, as far as you feel. But um and you and you're talking about the YMCA. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:13

Talking about the Y, I'm sorry. Um and then, but that same friend saw that I had some sort of a of a personality, I guess. And I have through sports weight training the whole entire time. So I understand I had the gist of how the body works and everything. Uh what exercise hits what muscle group. So we went way back when when TRX was the big the big thing had just come out. Um there's four or five of us went one weekend and got certified to teach TRX. I think 2010, maybe 11. So it started out just that one class and it just blossomed from there. I I got into personal training, right? And that took off.

SPEAKER_01 14:01

But um so yeah, so on the uh on the personal training side, working working one-on-one with with individuals, do you like that setting better or do you like working with a class or a group better?

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SPEAKER_00 14:15

That's actually a

(Cont.) How To Achieve Fitness Success...Effort Times Consistency = Results

SPEAKER_00 14:16

good question. Um I've been through a lot. You can probably testify to this too. It's not just a workout, you know, some days you could be like a therapist or something. Right, right, yeah. Or some days with any given one, you know, it could be like pulling teeth. But that's when I try to harp on that one. The hard part's done. Get your butt up here. I'll do the rest. You know, I I will do my absolute best, and usually I I can I can squeeze it out of you too, just for you to do something, you know. Uh, and you'll feel better after it. But answer that question, I I like both. I don't there's no favorite.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

No, no preference, so to speak. Okay. Um so talking about um the the motivation factor that individuals have uh from kind of knowing well that let me back up a little bit. Why do people get personal trainers?

SPEAKER_00 15:24

I think the first thought that comes to mind is I need to lose weight.

SPEAKER_02 15:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

And that's been, I say 90% of everybody. Five percent of those just want to be fit. They when they go to the doctor's office and the doctor comes in, hey, Mr. Howell, and he's flipping through your notepad, your charts. Yep. Um, instead of saying, oh, cholesterol, you know, or red light, red light, red light, just going down a list.

SPEAKER_02 15:54

Right.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

I just want to see green light, green light, green light, check mark, you know. Um and then that other small little five percent just wants to get strong as an ox. That's fine.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Yeah. Um do you is there any part of maybe self-discipline and motivation? Do you like it? Do you think some people need that that that some that accountability a little bit, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Accountability is huge.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Having somebody to show up to. I, you know, you know, coach Coach Jordan, Coach Phil, he's he's sitting there waiting on me.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

Yes. Um actually probably more of a factor than people think it is. Yeah. Um, not not that I call and right call them dogs, but I I'm probably gonna call you out. Right. Um you're better than this. You you don't uh okay, you've had the worst day ever. Get to the gym, let's play.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:51

The day's over, you know. Or lunch break, you know, um, or lunch crew. They are solid. That is their kind of like they don't think about anything, they just do, and then everybody feels better when they leave naturally.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

It's amazing how much of a mental aspect and health that physical fitness has on the brain. I know that I mean my wife will personally tell me, she'd say, Okay, go get you a workout.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

Yeah, I believe that.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

Go go out there and get a workout in, you know, get some stress gone. Uh but you're exactly right. It it takes, you're able to forget about life a little bit. Um, I call I've got a container out here, a 40-foot container. I call it. I saw that walking up.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

I was gonna ask you about it.

SPEAKER_01 17:37

Yeah, I'd have to take you out there, but uh I call it the dungeon. It's my little it's my little sanctuary here on the property. Get on and sling some weights around and everything. So um let's talk about uh different types of fitness from the from the crossfit to the free weights to the machines to the TRX, the body weight, and things like that. Uh maybe do you do you have a a personal preference for for you? And then, you know, how do you think it fits into everybody else uh in general?

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Everybody has their niche. Right. Uh I would say mine is lifting first, not necessarily a weightlifter. They don't care what they look like, they want to move heavy weight right from point A to point B. That's it. That's not what I want to do. Yeah. Um, I want to so I'm I'm personally more into like shaping, you know. Uh, and then what was the end of your question?

SPEAKER_01 18:45

Just the uh the the general at the maybe the general overview of maybe where people gravitate to and maybe what what different people need. I mean, it really depends on what your goals are.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

You are tapping into a whole new world. Everybody literally, and it and I I say this weekly, it blows my mind at what you need and what I need.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Right.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

We're gonna have a lot of similarities, but there's gonna be something else that you need or that I need that you don't need. Um, every literal body is different. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Um yeah, just the the the genetics plays an absolute huge role in it. Um and then how your body reacts to to the fuel that you give it. Yes. Because everybody's body reacts differently to the same amount of calories. That's it. And uh and and figuring that out. And I the the tough part in this in the whole fitness world, and especially with social media, you know, and you you have people that that do want to be in shape and and uh look good, you know, so to speak, and then they see what's on social media, and that it's probably easy to get depressed or say, I can I'll never be able to achieve that, or I try those exercises and it doesn't work for me. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

How do you how how do you how do you talk to those people? A lot of I'm gonna defer back to let's just say a beginner.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

A lot of this, it is a journey. And if I hear that again, I'm gonna throw up. But it is it's a hundred percent true. It is a journey. It's not about the destination because ultimately you're all naturally you're gonna want more.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

Uh you're you're always gonna want to be better, look better, uh, feel better. Um, but a lot of it in that journey is trial and error a lot. Um if you want to run, odds are you're brand new, you don't know where where to start, you're you're gonna overdo it. You're gonna feel a knee, okay? And you you don't really realize yet to back off. Okay, we need to recover. So you don't necessarily have to be sore, you know. Right. Yeah. We need we just need to give the body time to build up.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Right. Yeah, they uh so a couple things on that. Um, if people will come in there and just want to go all out, and then they wake up the next day and can't move, and they're like, okay, that that was dumb, that was stupid, you know.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

Or they say, Man, I'm very out of shape. Or they say, Yeah, yeah, I hate this. I I can't do this every day, but it's not gonna be like that every day. And and going back to the social media, seeing it seeing everything, if you think about what it is, now there are some, and more and more starting to do it now. I just bumped the mic. You good? More and more starting to put real life on display. Which is good. But like, yes. Um, to let these people know that, hey, I'm not in Bali Bali every weekend, you know. Um, I don't always have my tan.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

Um I'm not always beach ready, you know. Um so that is a That was a very good point.

SPEAKER_01 22:01

Yeah. Yeah, I think it I mean, I think there's a lot lots of good things about social media. Um, but there's there's those those negative side uh effects um as well. Um kind of the the tricks that it can play on on our minds, and we start thinking, you know, woe is me. Everybody else is living the you know the perfect life and have the perfect workouts of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 22:22

Yeah. Everybody else has got it so easy. That's right. So hard for me. No, if if they got it, odds are they worked for it. You can't you can't take that away from them. That's true. Yep. Um Rome wasn't built in the day. I know that's cheesy, but that's exactly what it is.

SPEAKER_01 22:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

And the secret to all that is starts with a C. I tell everybody this consistency. Consistency, yep. With anything. If you want to run a marathon, you have to run consistently to be able to hang, you know, and build up to that.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

So I've got a I've got a little uh a little uh formula that I like to write out sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 22:59

Do tell E.

SPEAKER_01 23:01

Because you uh you know what the uh formula for work is, right? Force times distance equals work. Yep. So I kind of played off of that. So E uh times C equals R. Effort times consistency equals results. Oh, I like it.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

I like it.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Yeah. I always uh I I've done, I haven't done it in a long time, but I was once certified as as a personal trainer. Um I always found it difficult to gauge where the person was in the very beginning, and I would tend to push them a little harder in the beginning, and then they wouldn't they would pass out or they would pass out on me. Real quick, she's uh I was a female, she's um you know, I put her through a workout, she's like, Hey, can I get some water? I'm like, Yeah, go get some water. So I'm sitting up here. No, but I had somebody come up to me. She's like, hey, the the lady that you're training, she's laying down out there in the hallway.

SPEAKER_00 24:03

Uh no, uh uh I had one male. Uh I still kind of keep tabs on me from here uh from time to time, but um day one throws his guts up. Like we're not even halfway through. Day two throws his guts up, day three, and this is where the trial and error comes from because you don't know what they've done or what they've eaten. Right, yeah. You know, you don't know anything. You get what you see, you know. Um day three throws guts up. Day four throws. I said, listen, do you need to go get Jason at the doctor because this isn't normal and we're we're like holding back pretty good. Uh he said, Well, no, I probably should have told you this before we got started. I went and had uh got uh gastric bypass. And I said, that would have helped. So he he couldn't hold a lot, you know, uh fuel. Uh so we were probably depleting that. And it it was like maybe eight months out, you know.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Right.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

So uh just little things like that do matter.

SPEAKER_01 25:17

Um you updated your questionnaire there for him that people fill out before they start.

SPEAKER_00 25:24

Do you have anything underlining that we need to know about? Um needless to say, he was hating life though. Yeah, like dude, this is not what it's about. No, no. But we got figured all that out.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

Yeah. So let's talk about uh uh CrossFit uh a little bit and uh maybe the the controversy that that can be sometimes. Who who is CrossFit for? Um and what's the difference between professional CrossFitters and then your everyday CrossFitters?

SPEAKER_00 25:58

Okay, well, I would be professional, you would be everyday. Okay. Appreciate you pointing that out. Far from that. Um so there's a huge gray area. Um CrossFit is CrossFit, it's cross-training. You wanna, there's no specialty, you don't specialize in anything, okay? So does that mean, okay, so I'm I'm never gonna be really good at snatches? That's not what that means, you know. We just try, we practice uh being good at running a mile in six minutes and squatting, you know, 350 pounds at the same time for every day or uh cross-training. We just want to be fit at all of it. You're not just picking one thing. Um but the gray area is, and this is what separates it, in my brain, it's crossfit's world. Okay, the gray area is how we're trained to coach in the CrossFit box is different than we're trained to train or teach in the fitness center. Um like the shoulder has a green, yellow, red zone. Okay, well that yellow zone in CrossFit could be a green zone.

SPEAKER_02 27:23

Right.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

CrossFit is for functionality. If I drop my oh no, I drop my pen on the floor, you know, I'm not gonna make sure that I'm right. Okay, chest out. My back's flat, you know, and now okay, knees stay behind toes, you know, and then I'm just gonna do this ugly, sloppy twist, you know, of the trunk and then flex, you know, to the side, just an ugly, just bulging disc everyone. Right, yeah, yeah. So that that was the point of CrossFit, literally to make everyday life easier.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Um I so I haven't been a member of a of a CrossFit box for several years now. Uh but I still do I still do a lot of uh uh CrossFit type workouts. Um I can tell. And and I more uh more of the of the kind of the cross-training and everything. But the reason that I really, really like CrossFit is getting to your point. And it's as a as a as a father, as a husband, as a man, I feel a responsibility to be fully capable of first protecting my family, right? And and then for for example, and and just being being prepared for any and everyday situations, uh, I don't want my my physicality to be a limiting factor if I've got to get up and go. Yep, right, or carry. We're we're on the way back from vacation uh a few weeks, a few weeks ago, we're pulling a trailer. Well, something ends up falling off the trailer on the highway, and there's not a convenient place to go down and turn around and come back and take forever. And it's it's probably maybe 200 yards, okay? And versus going out and down, taking 20 minutes to go down, turn around. I just hop out the vehicle and I can get myself a trot. And I I run down the side of the highway, go grab that item, run back, put it in the trailer, jump in, and and there we're going. It's just a very small example of being physically able to do something.

SPEAKER_00 29:43

Principal buddy. Uh no names, unless you want me to name him.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

That's up to you.

SPEAKER_00 29:49

No. So calls me randomly, like mid-morning, 9 30. School, like, how much trouble can you get in at 9 30 a.m.? Right. He calls me randomly out of the blue. I said, Why is this Joker calling me? I pick up, he says, Philip, uh, I just want to let you know that we just had a runner. Okay. Kid, you know, bolts out the door. Okay. He said, uh, this is after being across about maybe eight months being involved in like a regular CrossFit Crossfitter. Um, he said, I probably caught him after 200 meters, you know. And I was ready to go again when I got to him. The same thing happened around us around about the same time last year, uh-huh, and I was ready to throw up. And he said, So I just thought you would like to hear that and be proud of that. I said that it's amazing. Yeah, that's what it's about. That's exactly what it's about.

SPEAKER_01 30:46

Uh being ready, being prepared um to to go and do. I think all of your uh emergency response personnel, your firefighters, police officers, EMS, you know, do I think I think CrossFit would would be a great thing to do.

SPEAKER_00 31:05

Okay. With them, um, they get a discount, first responders get a discount uh there at the Y. But um Yeah. But you mentioned, or maybe maybe you didn't, there is there's a bad rap. Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 31:23

So talk talk talk about that a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 31:24

So the bad rap is it there is a lot of competition in it.

SPEAKER_01 31:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:31

Because if me and you line up, we're in the same class, we're not lined up going head to head or side to side, you know, we're not racing, but I am right. Oh, yeah, right. Yeah, you're in your own world. I'm side-eyeing you the whole time. I know exactly where you are, you know.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Um and I'm doing the same thing, especially a few years ago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

If I if I'm in there with you. Uh, but being 37 now, I've learned, I've had to learn. Uh I'm not 22 anymore. I am, but I'm not. Um too fast, trying to go too hard too often. Uh, there's some days now, and I can feel it. I'm still gonna move, but it might be at 80%, you know, um compared to going all out on something I can mow a workout I can mow down. Um but the bad rap is that leave your pride at the door, you know. Uh you're sore, but after you get warmed up, you start feeling good, you know. And when you push to try to hit that percentage of a back squat or a deadlift or something, and the body's not ready, you know, that's when we which I beat that dead horse with them with our people uh a lot, is like we had a uh complex of a power clean, every minute only minute, one power clean, push jerk next minute, full clean, split jerk. I say if that squat's not because murf is coming up, uh we've been squatting and squatting and squatting. Thank God it's the last week of Murph Prep. But uh if that squat doesn't work today, power clean it, you know. Yeah, just get around it. Um so I think that's where the bad rap comes from.

SPEAKER_01 33:22

Um yeah, there's the uh they just putting the the the competition in it and can it can drive you drive you to injury, uh, which is what you're referring to. Uh but ultimately check your ego at the door. Um I like the camaraderie.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

Everybody's especially if I'm dying, I want you dying right there beside me.

SPEAKER_01 33:44

That's right, yeah. You know, and and and I really like that, you know, once you finish the the the workout of the day, whatever the wad is, you know, the last person is getting cheered on the most. Yeah and uh just pushing you through. But ultimately you're you're competing with yourself uh in there. And you know, like for example, one of the biggest criticisms I've always heard is about uh you know pull-ups, you know, kip and pull-ups. I'm like, well, they're again, they're competing, they're they're they're going for a time, right? So you're gonna do kibbing pull-ups, you know, you're doing something uh you know as fast as you can.

SPEAKER_00 34:16

And there again, it's CrossFit's world.

SPEAKER_01 34:19

That's right, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 34:20

Do we do strict pull-ups, yes? Right, exactly. But the kip, a kipping pull-up, the kip is a gymnastics movement. Yeah, movement, yeah. Um yeah, which just so happens to enable you to work more, not effectively, efficiently, do more and a bit uh do a bigger set. Right. Um in a lesser amount of time. It's CrossFit swirled. Yeah. It is what it is.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

Uh for the last thing on CrossFit, the for anybody that wants to try CrossFit, but is scared to walk in there, because first of all, people are scared to walk into a gym, right? Just intimidated by all the equipment, right?

SPEAKER_00 35:03

And then Oh, I have a thought on that.

SPEAKER_01 35:04

Once once they work up that, now they see everybody doing this thing over here in this open space, slinging weights and everything. Yeah, a bunch of gorillas in there, and they they want to try it, but are scared to, so yeah, yeah, speak on those things.

SPEAKER_00 35:18

I hear that it at least every other week. Um I get asked about it from somebody random. You know, I would never pick that person out of wanting to try CrossFit, but that's how people get in CrossFit, you know. And then they do see change or or something. I had some GATX buddy, sorry, thought. Going back to the doctor checking the charts, two stayed in for eight months before they started. The reason they walked in is because they had red light, red light, red light. Doctor walked in. Eight months down the road, I think they did a like a bi-annual checkup. After their the next, after being in six months, you know, um, they had green light, green light, green light. I said, that is that that is what it's about, you know. Um and I need to do a better job of getting those stories out because I get a lot of those. Right. Yeah, yeah. And that's exactly what we're here for.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

That's right. Yep. Yeah, I think there's a I mean there's a lot of uh success stories out there. I think, but I think also you've got a lot of people that end up, they go for how do you how do you how do you reach that that peak, that that kind of getting over that that hump a little bit to where okay, I'm committed now and and and now it's got me. I'm hooked, and and I'm not gonna miss a day, right? Or I'm I'm not gonna miss my five days or what you know, whatever it is. Because so many people will get started and then they end up just falling off. You know, they getting back to what you had said about um journey, it it's it's a lifestyle. It's a lifestyle.

SPEAKER_00 37:08

And uh, yes, it is a lifestyle, but that word is messes with people's heads. Okay, yes. All right, uh. But it is. Um but as far as CrossFit goes, normal gym goers, okay, period. Throw crossfit in that normal gym goers. Um I would say I I just tell them to new people that come in, make it past thir week three. Okay, yeah. Um 21 days ish, yeah, is but uh make it past that and you will start feeling different. You odd odds are you're not gonna see anything yet. You're gonna feel it. You're gonna feel a little bit more energetic, you're gonna feel uh just better getting up in the morning, you know. Um just it's just the little things. Um probably three weeks. Um but CrossFit is quote unquote a lot, you know, quote unquote, it's too much for me. But it is it is loud and intense. Uh but in a it's supposed to be in a fun way, right? Yeah. Uh and that's not a lot of people's niche, you know.

SPEAKER_01 38:30

Right.

SPEAKER_00 38:30

It's not their thing. Um, but that's why we got options, baby. Yeah, yeah. I'll see you on that side. That's right. Um, and guess what? You're still gonna be doing, you're still gonna be lifting weights, and hopefully your tongue's gonna be dragging the dirt, you know. Um either way.

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Um so how many how many years in a row now have you done, Murph? With what what will this be for you? Do you know?

SPEAKER_00 38:59

Start of the end of 2015. Um I've missed one year, two years. So this will be my 10th, ninth, tenth.

SPEAKER_02 39:11

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

I've done it vested, done it unvested. Right. And I thought this was gonna be the year that I go unpartitioned. I've I think self-diagnosis, a little Achilles tendonitis. So I'm maybe not. I'm holding back. I'm gonna run at 80% this year. Okay. I'll be there at 5 a.m. Monday morning.

SPEAKER_01 39:34

I think I think uh Murph is one of the best workouts of all time.

SPEAKER_00 39:38

It is. I I I really like it's a it's a staple piece, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:43

Yeah. Um and you can put it up under the CrossFit or not. It's a it's just a it's just a great workout. You know, you've got the cardio uh from from the running as well as the constant push-ups, pull-ups, air squats. Um, but I I love the I love the body weight exercises and everything. So it's a good one. Um any uh any other thoughts on fitness, YMCA? We didn't mention you you are the you are the what is your title? Director? Wellness director. Wellness director.

SPEAKER_00 40:18

Fitness director.

SPEAKER_01 40:19

Okay. Um and how long have you uh been been the director?

SPEAKER_00 40:23

Going on I think November makes six years. Nice, nice.

SPEAKER_01 40:29

So at what point, what was it that kind of said, okay, this is this is my path, this is my career path.

SPEAKER_00 40:36

So um I love the why. I love being with people, okay. How rewarding it has been is ridiculous.

SPEAKER_03 40:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

Now, am I gonna buy a mansion in Georgia? No. Not yet.

SPEAKER_01 40:58

But um That's when you own the wife.

SPEAKER_00 41:00

Yeah, yeah, true. Uh it's very f fulfilling, and I think that's what drives me the most. Um people say I just talked to somebody at in the lunch class actually today, uh, about sidetica type stuff.

SPEAKER_03 41:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

I said four people that I work with, I've taken them through with two stretches. Strengthening, yes, but stretching. I said, You're young enough. I'm not a doctor, nowhere close to it. Uh in my mind, I am. Um but there's two two stretches that we focus on, and to this day, they all four say, Oh my gosh, you healed me. Well, all I did was I put you in this position. You did it, you know. Right. You do all the work. Um, but it's pigeon push a position and you bring that one leg up.

SPEAKER_02 42:01

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 42:02

Let's just say you bring your right leg up and then you're so you're kind of on your knee, and then you pull your right foot, kind of drawing a janky L. Yeah, you know? Yep. Or a seven, a seven. Upside down L. Um are you picturing that? I know. Uh-huh. Um so, anyways, you and you just sit there and hold that, and and that's going all through their the glute down the hamstring.

SPEAKER_02 42:30

Yeah, I can feel it right now.

SPEAKER_00 42:31

What we do, what we do to one side, we must do to the other. Whether it's top, bottom, front, back, left, right. It's called symmetry, which I call symmetricalism. Symmetricalism. Yeah. That was supposed to be funny. Oh.

SPEAKER_01 42:52

Is that is that a created word?

SPEAKER_00 42:55

So yes. Okay. Uh so, anyways, with with the pigeon, you're you're hitting the backside. And then simple, take a knee, like in a lunge position, and you stretch your hip flexor. Which is in the gym world, it's kind of like basic stuff, but we tend you do grow. It's only a matter of time. If you stay, if you put the E times C in.

SPEAKER_02 43:19

That's right. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 43:20

If you put the effort and you stay consistent with it, you're going to grow. Yeah, some way, somehow. Um which means stuff's going to start getting tight if we don't be, if we aren't being proactive and stretching them back out.

SPEAKER_01 43:40

Um that's good. So the uh just just the amount of re of personal reward, the and the inner reward, the fulfillment of really blessing, being a blessing in people's lives and and helping them have a healthier, stronger life.

SPEAKER_00 43:58

Actually, in turn, helps me.

SPEAKER_01 44:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:01

They say, oh my gosh, look at what I've done, Philip, you know, and I know I'm the one watching you, you know. Or in a class setting, um, they say, Oh my gosh, Philip, I did it. I'm like, Yeah, I know, I just saw it. But but then later on, I think about that. I'm like, man, that those are milestones, yes, for those individuals. That's big, and I got to be a part of it. Um and I'm supposed to be superman, you know, but all all I'm doing is running my mouth. Realistically, um just very fulfilling. And the why in general, Rusty Hall is our CEO. Um, when he first got here, he's always behind the scenes guy. Okay, big numbers guy. He loves playing the okay, if we stay on this, we'll be here, you know.

SPEAKER_01 44:53

So he's he's analytical, he likes he likes it.

SPEAKER_00 44:55

Very, very um, I didn't think he was as smart as he is, but I have learned over time he knows what he's doing. But uh but just just him being as gracious as he is with with all of us, not not just with me. But um if um at the girls last year I took Solar to uh get a cavity fix, you know. Um he just shot me back a thumbs up and I said I'm flying back. It's it's it's all a one big blessing. Nice.

SPEAKER_01 45:36

Um so last question about the YMCA. I'm gonna put you on the spot here, okay? Oh Lord, you ready? So my sister, uh my sister Mary Ann, she made me promise to uh oh to ask you about this. You know what I'm gonna ask?

SPEAKER_00 45:51

No, no, just be scary.

SPEAKER_01 45:55

Uh and and actually, and my wife kind of wants to know about it too. So I brag all the time about how I'm able to go in there and and use that that sauna uh in the men's bathroom, right? Men's uh locker. They're like, I wish I could go and use a sauna. Uh so any any update on the uh on the sauna that we're gonna well the the thing is these men, we are we're pretty simple. Right.

SPEAKER_00 46:22

Okay, we have the same routine, even if we don't even set foot in the fitness center. Guess what, guess what's on all day, every day?

SPEAKER_01 46:30

Guess what I did two days ago? I went in there, I went to sauna, and I left. I didn't go do a workout.

SPEAKER_00 46:34

I went to sauna. You're very simple, Jackson. Uh that was another joke. Laugh. Uh but not as many women use it, yeah. Use it. Um so and when that happens, it's not gonna say as hot. So, Mary Ann, um I I'm racking my brain with Frankie, who is our maintenance director and Rusty, um, how to keep it hot 24-7 when you only show up to work out once a week. Right. Uh you'll be commenting on that.

SPEAKER_01 47:16

Uh very good, very good. Um so I'm gonna show you uh we we can go start winding it down here a little bit. Um, I'm gonna show you a couple pictures. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 47:27

I love the train up here on this, which is I beat this one probably daily because at least one one person in a class or one-on-one, they're like, oh Philip, I'm just not feeling it. That's normal, it's part of life. Push the train. Your train's not rolling, push the train.

SPEAKER_01 47:43

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 47:43

It's a good looking train.

SPEAKER_01 47:44

Yeah. It's good old good old AI right there, man. That's good.

SPEAKER_00 47:49

Learn to use it or it will use you.

SPEAKER_01 47:51

That's right. Uh, so yeah, so I'm gonna show you two different pictures here, and uh just just give me give me what kind of what comes to your your heart and mind and everything when I when I show you.

SPEAKER_02 48:09

Yep, that's it.

SPEAKER_00 48:11

The flag.

SPEAKER_02 48:11

The flag.

SPEAKER_00 48:12

What uh a lot of pride.

SPEAKER_02 48:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:15

The American flag. Um we got 250th birthday year. I'm trying to get emotional. Uh yeah, no, yeah, you don't you don't advocate emotional. Well, I'm just you did it. There's a simple picture of the American flag up there. Um it speaks volumes on its own. Um, we're about to go through Murph and Lieutenant Murph. Um, you've heard that story. Um, just and I I tear up when I read it off. I read it twice and I tear up both times, one at 5 a.m. and one at 7 a.m. on Memorial Day.

SPEAKER_02 48:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 48:49

Um it's that's that's just a powerful flag. Unity. Yeah. Um, which we all could do better, of course.

SPEAKER_01 48:59

But um yeah, I uh love love America, love for what it stands for, and uh it's it's uh it's uh we when talking about Murph, um you know it's very little that that we can do in just remembering and honoring those those that that have gone before us. But uh I think it's a really cool way to do yeah, to to to honor and and put everything out there on the line. You know, they they've obviously laid their lives down for for us and so that we have the opportunity to live in a free country and work out, you know, when we want to and stuff or so all right, I got one more for you.

SPEAKER_00 49:44

Oh, that's strong right there.

SPEAKER_01 49:46

Have you seen that one before? Yes, yeah, it's one of my favorites too.

SPEAKER_00 49:51

Um that that sums everything up right there.

SPEAKER_02 49:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:59

Constantly being attacked.

SPEAKER_02 50:01

Right.

SPEAKER_00 50:02

Um sometimes it feels like that God's not right there. And I myself, I have gotten wrapped up in I'm on my own, you know.

SPEAKER_01 50:16

Right.

SPEAKER_00 50:17

Um it's little stuff like this, or something that could happen that I say, man, that that is that can only be a God thing.

SPEAKER_01 50:27

Right.

SPEAKER_00 50:28

Um that's very good stuff right there.

SPEAKER_01 50:31

Yeah. Um I think uh I just thinking about, I mean, uh service and serving others. I think you know, what what you do again, kind of going back to the to the fitness and everything. So many people have so many questions, they they don't know what they need to do, how to help themselves, uh, and everything. Essentially it's very basic um move, you know, be willing to get up and move and everything. But from the the stretching and things like that, taking taking your knowledge and being able to use the fitness industry to to serve people and uh and help people out and help them feel better about themselves, so which is which is awesome and everything. And um, I always love that. Uh go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 51:15

I just just had a thought looking at that. Um that is literally how close the world could be on you if if you're but uh yeah, yeah. Um that's exactly what I see right there.

SPEAKER_01 51:31

Yeah, I yeah, I I like that uh thing if if we let it the world would the world will get us. Yeah. Um but if if we've got Christ with us, then the world, he's already overcome the world.

SPEAKER_00 51:47

See, take Jesus out of that picture.

SPEAKER_01 51:50

Yeah, and yeah, that's what I see. Yeah, that's right. That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_00 51:57

Um Well, uh I was gonna say the lamb's a goner. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:07

Without ending.

SPEAKER_00 52:08

And that's what I without. Yeah, absolutely. Um I recently heard a joke in here real quick. Yeah. Um man. We got time. Yeah, well, 4.06. Um I forgot how it starts. So, anyways, so this pastor says, My grandmama, and I'm sure I would put money on, you've already heard this. Um, my grandmama always says, You got two things in life to worry about. Okay. Being healthy or being sick. If you're healthy, you ain't got nothing to worry about. If you're sick, you got two things to worry about. If you're gonna get better, or if you're gonna get worse. If you get better, you ain't got anything to worry about. If you get worse, you got two things to worry about. If you're gonna live or if you're gonna die. If you live, you ain't got anything to worry about. If you die, you got two things to worry about. Going to heaven or going to hell. If you go to heaven, you ain't got anything to worry about. If you go to hell, you got two things to worry about. What is it? Original or extra critical kiss, dude. That's a good one. Charlie. Yeah. Charlie hit me up with that with that one. Did he? My uh It took me 25 times to nail that one down.

SPEAKER_01 53:32

That's yeah, yeah. That's a good one. I'm trying to remember the first time, the first time I heard that one. Uh that's uh that's a funny one though. Uh well, any any any closing thoughts, any closing remarks? Anything you got?

SPEAKER_00 53:47

I don't have anything. Nothing. Unless you do.

SPEAKER_01 53:50

No, man, I just uh I appreciate you again. Appreciate you coming in. Uh do you do any any social media where where you're promoting fitness or anything like that?

SPEAKER_00 53:59

I need to for the business aspect, I need to get better at that. Right. Um, I just don't really have anything in me to see what you ate for lunch, you know. Right, right. Pick eats first. Right. Oh, very good, very good. I need to get better at that. Uh I love the new you said that that the little picture right there is your new logo. Keep striving.

SPEAKER_01 54:27

No, no, no. So that that was the that was the uh the original okay back back in 2020 with Saints in the South.

SPEAKER_00 54:32

Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 54:33

And then we transitioned to the Jackson Howe uh podcast and everything. It should be. It's good.

SPEAKER_00 54:40

It's just so and the when I hear Jackson Howell, I hear Saint. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 54:45

The well, the you know, the Saints in the South, it was kind of a strictly a faith-based podcast. Um, but I wanted to talk to people about fitness, about business, about the personal stories and so forth. And uh that the Saints in the South for me kind of just ran its ran its course, learned a lot, uh, grew a lot, um, and had had a great time doing it. Uh, but I was ready to just ready for a transition. And uh I wanted to keep the podcast going and uh and I wanted to do more here in the community. Uh I think we can have some of our greatest impacts in the community versus trying to definitely reach the people that live across the you know the United States or across the world, and which we can, and obviously we do impact people uh with the internet, and the internet is a blessing, but just getting back to having sitting across the table with somebody and having conversations. And so I hope to have many, many conversations with many different people from different types from different backgrounds. Very good. Uh hopefully, hopefully we'll be able to make it make it last. This is just a hobby, it's not a full-time job. I got my full-time job at everything. So it's uh sometimes it gets rough, but we we do our best.

SPEAKER_00 56:05

Well good. The consistency. Yep. Starts with a C consistency.

SPEAKER_01 56:10

That's it. Well, very good, man. Appreciate it. And uh This was good. Yep. Same time, same place, same place.

SPEAKER_00 56:19

Next week, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 56:20

That's right, yep, exactly. I will have somebody so so next week I've got uh uh my nephew, Mary Ann's boy. He just got home from today. You may have seen him at the Y. Uh, did you see Spencer today at the Y? No. They were there with chasing them. Uh I must have missed them. Yeah. Um anyway, so he he he uh he got back this morning. So he was gone for two years on his mission and everything. So uh I'm gonna have him in here next week talking about his missionary service.

SPEAKER_00 56:49

Love it and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 56:50

So very good. Well, time for you to get out of here so you can get uh get to a class.

SPEAKER_00 56:55

So 4 30 class. I'll have to tune into that one. Yeah, I'd like to hear how it went.

SPEAKER_01 57:02

Yep, yep, yeah. I'm gonna uh and and we'll share this, we'll share this on on Facebook and tag you and all that good stuff.

SPEAKER_00 57:09

So boy.

SPEAKER_01 57:10

All right, appreciate it, man.

SPEAKER_00 57:11

Heard it. Thank you, Jackson.

SPEAKER_01 57:12

Yep, have a good one. All right, everybody. Hope you enjoyed the episode. If you are into fitness and have always been curious, maybe about CrossFit or what it what it would be like, I'd encourage you go try it out. It's a it's a great program, especially if you like the the camaraderie and the team aspect of it. Uh something good to try. Uh if you are hoping to join a gym but are feeling intimidated about joining, not knowing about the weights, the free weights, the machines, uh, don't let that stop you. Uh, there are plenty of people there at the YMCA and any other gyms for that matter that would be welcoming and help you find your way around. But I encourage you to uh do resistance training, make it part of your regular routine. Uh studies have shown that uh resistance training is one of the greatest uh health benefits that people can participate in. So until next time, y'all keep on striving.