July 28, 2025 • 54 mins
Ever wondered how to start a fitness journey that actually sticks? Fitness veteran Herman Smalls brings nearly four decades of professional experience to this conversation about building a sustainable foundation for physical wellness.
The episode opens with an exploration of Herman's background as both a pan-Africanist and longtime fitness professional who's trained everyone from NBA players to Broadway actors. What makes his approach unique is his emphasis on foundational movements that require little to no equipment. "Calisthenics is the poor man's gym," Herman explains, "because you can do a push-up anywhere if you're on planet Earth."
We dive deep into essential bodyweight exercises that beginners should master first—various push-up styles, horse stance (sumo) squats for lower body strength, and the often-overlooked importance of proper posture. For those ready to incorporate weights, Herman offers practical guidance on deadlifts using simple kettlebells and safe bench pressing techniques when working out alone.
The conversation addresses common misconceptions about fat burning, explaining how to calculate your optimal heart rate zone (220 minus your age) and why consistency matters more than intensity when starting out. Women concerned about "bulking up" from strength training will find reassurance in Herman's explanation of how targeted resistance work produces functional strength without unwanted mass.
What separates this episode from typical fitness advice is the emphasis on safety and sustainability. Rather than promising quick transformations, Herman stresses the importance of proper form, appropriate progression, and patience: "I don't want to set people up for something that might not be accurate. It's not going to be quick, but it will come if you're consistent."
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
what's going on.
Everybody is ron brown lmt, thepeople's fitness professional,
aka soul brother number one,reporting for duty.
I got the brother herman smallswith us this evening on the
check-in.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Peace and pan-africanism.
Peace and Pan-Africanism, peaceand Pan-Africanism.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Peace and Pan-Africanism.
So now, before we go into thebeginner's guide to fitness and
nutrition, I want to talk about.
When you say peace andPan-Africanism, let's talk about
that.
Are you a pan-Africanist?
And if you are, what does thatmean to you?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yes, I am not just a pan-Africanist, I'm a second
generation pan-Africanist.
I've been a pan-Africanistsince conception.
I say that because my fatherwas a pan-Africanist and a
member of the pan-Africanistmovement was a pan-Africanist
and a member of thepan-Africanist movement.
That's in the most simplestdefinition.
(01:10):
It's an individual whounderstands their origin and is
seeking to unite globally from aperspective of pan-African
Africa.
African is the base terms ofAfricanism, that landmass and
how we were dispersed indifferent places, literally all
over the world.
We're original to every part ofthe world, but Pan-Africanism
(01:34):
centers that as the base, andpresent day is seeking to us to
become a global power again, toconnect with other brothers that
understand and identify withthat same root, the same root
from the ground to the tree andthe branches may have spread,
but we still come from the sameplace.
So, yes, that's kind of like abasic definition for pan-African
(01:58):
, one that I flow from.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
OK, so give give us a little bit about your
background.
I know the first podcast youwere on with us.
You did that already, but Iwant to kind of reintroduce you
to the audience to let them knowyou know, you know who you are
and you know the informationyou're going to be given.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Sure, just to keep it within the realm that I wear a
few hats, but the one I thinkmost pertinent to what my time
this evening will be related tois fitness.
So I have a pretty extensivebackground in that I'm coming up
to my 40th year in fitnessbusiness, in designing exercise
programs, nutritional plans,conditioning.
(02:39):
I've trained people for the NewYork Marathon, worked with NBA
players, nfl players, trainpeople for the New York Marathon
, work with NBA players, nflplayers, a-list Broadway actors
so just folks with a limitedamount of time that they need
maximum results and they don'thave time to take a detour.
And I do all my stuff healthily.
So there's no gimmicks, but itis hardcore sensible training
(03:03):
and nutritional modifications.
That is what I built my successaround Helping people get to
their goals.
But it is hardcore sensibletraining and nutritional
modifications.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
That is what I built my success around helping people
get to their goals in a timelyand safe fashion.
Indeed, indeed, ok, so how, howdid you, how did you get into
fitness, the fitness industry?
Right, because from what I know, you've been jacked, since I've
been watching you on publicaccess.
So that was like what, like 30years ago.
That was 30 years ago.
So how did you get yourphysique that way back then,
(03:37):
like that was a long time ago?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Like a lot of young men, athletics, physical
competition.
Whether you're playing kick thecan ring, olivia Bulldog, you
know you run and you jump it.
So you're engaging in athleticsand we're racing each other, so
as you, you win more of theseraces.
King of the Hill was a populargame where one of the devices in
(04:02):
the park one person would standon and each young person came
up and had their chance attrying to displace them.
So it was almost like we wereconstantly fine tuning our basic
physical skills.
And then, you know, we got,fortunately, local community
centers and gyms.
I was blessed to have a mastertrainer, a grandmaster trainer,
(04:23):
in the community center near me.
That brother, just his abilityto teach, his ability also to
demonstrate, he lived what hewas teaching us.
So I got right from the jumpthat connection, because right
now a lot of folks, there'snothing wrong with getting the
knowledge, but if you're notliving what you're trying to
(04:44):
teach someone, or you're nottaking someone to a place that
you've never been, for methere's a little bit of a
disconnect there.
Oh, I know I'm morepassionately motivated by
someone who's teaching me from aperspective of something that
they not only have lived buttheir life demonstrates the
fruit of that path that they'reguiding me on.
So so that's the same placethat I've tried to come from.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
So who was the grandmaster that taught you?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Oh, grandmaster Sands , Former Marine, former
community backbone, I only knowI can put a community on my back
and carry it because I saw himdo it.
I mean an amazing brotherPatient.
He just had the ability tocapture young minds and I know
(05:34):
there's about a decade, decadeand a half, between us, so that
was a rough time in the SouthBronx.
It was Mitchell's gym.
So this is we talk in early 80sman, so so, so you know the
different things that theseintelligence agencies were
flooding our communities withand the substances and the
(05:54):
distractions there to give usinstructions and an example to
uh emulate was was a very, verymotivating factor for me and
seeing this as one, an activityI wanted to do, but very quickly
I was like, okay, I'm reallymastering this to the point
(06:16):
where I can begin to teach it.
So it started to take shapethere okay.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
So now you got your physique like you.
You're like a bodybuilderpretty much really early on
early, as early as I canremember right and uh so what
kind of program did you follow?
Did you follow arnold's uh umencyclopedia, the encyclopedia
of bodybuilding?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I saw that.
You know, I don't know if thisname would be familiar.
You heard of Bill Pearl?
Yeah, yeah, he's one of the oldschool guys.
He had some things out there.
Arnold Schwarzenegger wasputting out some good things.
Now, remember the route.
I kind of came in right withthe teaching kind of early.
So one of the icons that wasn'tnecessarily a body builder but
(07:06):
definitely a fitness enthusiast,and that was Jack LaLanne.
And as a matter of fact, it's sointeresting because there was a
little portion of my of my time.
You know, you know black folkswe go out, we go to flip a name.
So you know, I was kind ofgetting that black LaLane hook
for a minute.
It was just a connectionbecause he was on TV doing it.
(07:27):
He wasn't this massive dude,but he had balance, he had
flexibility, the exercises youcould do with the back of a
chair, you could get up againsta wall, no equipment.
Then what was he Engaging?
He kept up tempo, he encouraged.
There was a lot of okay, not alot, but the ones that were
(07:51):
there was that same model.
They demonstrated.
They showed that they were aliving example of what they was
trying to get you to learn orput you on a path.
So yeah, so those are some ofthe names that kind of shaped
and guided my, my interestsalong the way.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
OK, so what would, what would the routines like?
Like, let's say, you juststarted out, you just started
out First off.
You started out.
How, how much?
How heavy were you?
Were you like a lightweight?
Were you really thin?
Were you like a slim build, areyou?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
like a slim build.
It's so interesting becauseweight training or calisthenic
physical conditioning was rightat, because I got into the
Golden Gloves early.
I was in the Golden Gloves fromlike 16 on, so and that was I
got started learning aboutweight training getting at 13.
But you know, for most weighttraining and boxing, if you are
(08:50):
not cross training correctlythey can inhibit each other.
And I didn't know that and youknow that kind of sports
training knowledge wasn'tavailable, so I was having my
limitations.
You know, the weights give youall the power you want but you
can't deliver it.
So in my and I was still when Istarted 16, I was light, heavy,
I was already past middleweight.
So the thing is my trainer wasthrowing me in there with
(09:11):
lightweights and welterweightsand it was working on me like a
ping pong ball Bing, bing, bing,bing, boom, bop Cause you got
the power.
But if you can't deliver it?
So then I had to again usingmyself experiment, I had to
modify Okay, strength is great,but I can't interfuse it with
these kinds of repetitions, withthat kind of intensity level.
(09:32):
So then, and I saw my resultsimprove so well to say, the
routine before coming up withthat calisthenics and
calisthenics, that's alwaysgoing to be the poor man's gym,
because you can do a push-upanywhere If you're on planet
Earth.
Now, if you ain't got gravityyou might have some problems,
(09:52):
but you can do a push-up, youcan do a proper squat.
You can remember when thebrothers and brother right here
from Harlem are grandmasters ofbartenders, giant giant.
You couldn't go down the streetand not see a brother you know,
hitting his, hitting his work,so so so you make a gym and
(10:13):
activity out of things aroundyou.
Now of course we had a modelback there, so you put a few
dollars again there.
You can go in there, maybe getsome sand weights or get some
items, and now you can start inthe structure.
But even before that I kind orget some items and now you can
start in the structure.
But even before that I kind ofjumped over a category of
household items.
You can fill a gallon of wall,wrap a towel.
There's things you can do toadd resistance for certain
(10:35):
activities If, again, equipmentis not immediately available.
But so that was kind of theroute I took.
And then the community centerbeing right there, mitchell Gym,
with the Grandmaster trainer,mr Sands, that opened the
gateway.
Calisthenics, household items,free weights, then, if you are
(10:57):
in the gym, learn how to usethat equipment properly.
That should be, I think, anatural progressive.
Also, all of this is relativeas to what that person's goal is
.
Your goal will dictate theroute and the combination of
things you'll have to do toarrive at it.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Right when I was young I think I told you this
before when I was younger, whenI was younger, a young little
kid, I would watch public accessand I said, you know what I
want to get my muscles like this.
I went to you, I went toModell's and I got me some
(11:37):
dumbbells and I was, I wastrying, man, I was trying.
I didn't really understand howto lift weights until I, until I
went to the bath house, youknow, with uh, granddad and
mcgee before I went to karate.
I would go on the weight floorand look around and I would
watch people and then some guyswould go.
You know, let me help you out.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
And and then I learned how to lift weights in a
bathhouse interesting,interesting, yeah, good setting
early on in my get my companystarted I was.
That was one of the drop spots.
They had a nice little freeweights and it was a camaraderie
.
Obviously you had the moreadvanced you know the gym rats
(12:18):
that's in there all the time.
Then you had folks that wascoming through to get back to a
place they might have runningbehind jobs, starting a family,
all the different things thathappen in life that separate you
from your, your physicalregimen, and those extra pounds
start coming off.
So there's people at differentplaces.
Different paths led them tothere.
(12:38):
But that was one of the one ofthe great environments right At
the bath house in Harlem forfolks who are listening outside
of of new york right 135thstreet between fifth and lennox
yes right, right in front of, uh, lincoln terrace.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
I think it's right, lincoln terrace.
That's the name of the lennoxterrace.
Lennox terrace, lennox I'mthinking about len lincoln
lincoln projects.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
That's what I'm thinking about and the community
refers to Lennox as Malcolm XBoulevard.
Malcolm X Boulevard, but alsoknown as Lennox Avenue, Right,
so now let's talk about thebeginning stages.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
So you said calisthenics, you started there
with calisthenics.
So what was your main go-to,was it?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
round robins, push-ups, pull-ups and dips.
I would say sticking withpush-ups first, because now
that's a world in itself.
Now, remember, I'm introducingboxing, but I'm fortunate that
I've always had martial artistsaround me.
So I was doing a non, I wasdoing a mixed martial arts
before it was popular just byhaving so many different arts
(13:51):
and sciences and because in inpersonal security, the majority
of brothers have differentbackgrounds in the art.
So so much downtime.
So you're constantly workingand learning different things,
unofficially, you know, not forbelts, but to keep your game
tight.
So when you say the basics, alot of my push-ups, there were
knuckle push-ups, there werepush-ups on the fingers, because
(14:13):
you're still building yourjoints, Wide diamond decline.
So a lot of it was from thechest, building that deltoid,
because, remember, off-st strike, and then for defense, so that
that was almost half of theworkout.
And then you know your drills.
So that's the cardio, but again, it's tied to combat or it's
(14:38):
tied to also being able toperform a strike, if it comes
down to that.
So calisthenics, basically, andthen squats and a lot of
emphasis.
Now you're familiar with ahorse stance, I'm sure through
Uri Arch, but there's an innerthigh squat that you can do with
your legs in a horse standposition.
(15:00):
You do that between 20 and 40pounds and it just builds your
core and it builds that innerthigh in in, in a way four kicks
if you need it.
But even if you're not kicking,remember your punches come from
your legs anyway.
So so that that was the otherthing squats, but not just a
traditional shoulder withdefinitely horse stand inner
(15:22):
inner thigh squats right, soyou're talking about with the
feet externally rotated more ina wider stance, like a sumo
squat.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It's a sumo squat and the width is important.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So the heels of the shoulder I'm sorry, the heels of
the feet on either side areabout anywhere from three to six
inches outside of your shoulder.
So that right foot is aboutthree to six inches turned out
and outside of that shoulder onthat side.
That generally gives you a gooddistance.
Then your both legs shouldachieve about a 90 degree angle
(15:56):
before you start to pivot.
It's a short pivot as opposedto a long range squat.
That again it gets that quicktrick.
Muscles working in thequadriceps, again for kicks if
you need it, but if not for kick, it still gives your foundation
a lot of strength.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Right, and also that sumo squat that he's mentioning.
It's also great for deep pelvicfloor muscles, for women who
gave birth and things like that.
Like deep pelvic floor musclesfor women you know who, you know
gave birth and things like that, you know, you know to
strengthen the deep pelvic floormuscles.
And also women who like to, youknow shape and shaping up the,
(16:36):
the, the caboose, the backside.
That's also a great exercise.
You know what I'm saying?
Yep, yep.
So now we went to thecalisthenics.
So you said push-ups, youpush-ups, incline decline.
What else are you doing forcalisthenics?
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Well, incline the diamonds.
I want to get that in there.
And you said knuckle push-ups,right.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I think I don't remember I think, just to go
over them again knuckle.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
There's a shoulder width with the palms flat.
There is the wide, there is thediamond.
Then there's a decline todecline.
You achieve that with the feetup on a higher platform in your
chest down flat.
So those are those calisthenics.
The inner thigh squat we justmentioned.
You know what?
I would suggest this, but itdepends.
(17:28):
But lunges, but 10, 20 yearsago they were much more popular
in exercise.
I interest this person, thestress it puts on the knee,
sometimes over long periods.
But lunges for a person who'snot having any kind of issue
with that part of the body, donecorrectly, a lunge is an
excellent exercise.
(17:48):
And then your core.
There's a series of abdominalstuff.
You can incorporate the legsfor the lower abs, there are
side crunches for the externaloblique.
There are a number of rotationsthat you can do to get your
core firing and that's one ofthe main calisthenics.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Right.
Well, I want to make mention ofthis.
So you spoke on lunges, right.
So you said you didn't reallywant to suggest lunges, really
right, because you know it couldcause patella problems and
things like that.
So I'm going to say that youcan.
(18:27):
When people with knee issues,they can do reverse lunges
Excellent, true, depending onhow bad the knee issue is now.
So don't go out there withterrible knees and then go to a
reverse lunge and mess your kneeup and say ron brown, lmt told
(18:49):
you to do it, right, you,depending on the severity of the
knee issue, right?
So if you have like a littleaggravation every now and again,
you know, on the knees, you cando a um, you can do a reverse,
a reverse lunge, all right.
And and um, um, we're going tocall it a stationary reverse
(19:11):
lunge.
A stationary reverse lungebecause there are walking lunges
with body displacement, andthen you have stationary lunges
where you stay right in placeand you take a step back for
reverse and then do a reverselunge and then come back up
again.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
So and if I can just jump in with that just briefly,
that even can be done near awall.
So if you're having a balanceissue, you can still work with a
surface that you can extendyour arm to stabilize.
Not quite naturally, you wantto move to the place where you
can recruit your stabilizingmuscles and do that on your own,
but it depends.
(19:49):
Again, we said beginner when wepromoted this.
So if someone is just hey, justgetting into it, I want to know
, set up a few.
If there's not a wall nearby,put a chair nearby.
It's okay to have something asyou're developing your balance
and coordination.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
For sure.
And another thing you can do todevelop your lunging
coordination and strength.
You can do step ups Just incase.
Just in case your knees or youhave knee issues, ok, do step
ups.
It works.
(20:24):
Pretty much the same muscles.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Now, okay, again, each situation can be so
individual because now I'veexperienced with some clients
that that elevation going from aflat surface, even six inches
higher, sometimes that stress onthe patella can be challenging.
The good is that you recruitmore of the base of the thigh.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
The good is that you recruit more the base of the
thigh so you got more muscle tomove the rest of the body up to
that elevated point.
But it's still the knee, itstill becomes a digital point.
But I guess if it's a lowerstep it can be used.
It's also therapeutic for theknee if it's a lower step and
you focus on the vastus medialis, that muscle.
Well, you know what I'm saying.
But the vastus medialis is themuscle right in the middle, I
(21:25):
would say the midline next tothe knee, the patella Next to
the patella.
Okay, yeah, so more medial,more medial, okay, away from the
patella, more inside, closer toyour inner thigh, that muscle
on the quad, that's the vastusmedialis, vastus medialis.
(21:46):
Training that medialis on thestep up is imperative for knee
strength and knee health On thestep up.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
I totally agree.
Now, we had neither of us tosend this yet.
I'm assuming folks know all ofthis is suggestions and advice,
but you definitely want to get acheckup before taking this or
any advice.
You want to get a clearancefrom your health professional
that you're in good enoughcondition at this time Because,
(22:19):
yeah, you could be motivated andready.
Just get that last green light,especially if you know you've
been inactive for a substantiallength of a year or longer of
inactivity.
But with that said, yeah, I mean, and even with time to jump in,
walking might even be, if youreally walk for a distance, get
(22:39):
a pedometer.
So, even before the lunge, thesquat, the iron horse, the no,
no, sorry, sorry.
You know parking is rough hereand I'm sitting in the car so
many people ask me am I moving?
I might have to cut theselights out, but, yeah, walking
and then working on your posture, working on your breath.
So, again, not even a squatslung.
(23:00):
Yeah, the most natural activityfor the legs is walking.
So it depends on where thisperson is, what their age is is
walking.
So it depends on where thisperson is, what their age is,
and you live near a park.
You got a comfortable pair ofsneakers that might hold you for
two weeks, just walking everyother day, picking up the pace.
Okay, I got that under.
Okay, now let me listen to thesebrothers on the lunges, on the
(23:21):
squats, on the reverse lunge, onthe slight step-ups.
So even now, all of this is wea slight step up.
So even that, all of this is weare setting out a menu for you.
Only, you know what yourcurrent condition is.
Either you've had it checked oryou're about to get it checked.
But use this right now to pickfrom, say okay, I know this much
about my body.
This sounds like something Ican safely experiment with, but
(23:42):
by no means go forward withoutyou need to get some kind of
approval that you have agreedlike to take.
Take on these challenges indeed.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Let's talk a little bit about walking.
Walking is great.
Um, some some people do like,uh, uh, just leisure, right or
brisk walking, or they call itpower walking.
Some people do power walking.
You could also walk, uh, on atreadmill if you want to do that
Up, you know, on an incline,right On an incline, you could
(24:15):
walk on an incline.
The thing about walking that'sgreat, from what I've learned,
is that walking builds the feet.
It builds the, you know, thefeet, the calves, all the way
through, all the way up.
It's a total body exercise.
(24:35):
Actually, you know, and as theysay, you know you got to crawl
before you walk, right, so youwant to walk, you know, walk
before you run.
Walking actually helps youbuild your running mechanics,
the proper running mechanics.
So that's great to start outfor beginners, for running and
(25:00):
things of that nature.
So walking is great.
Another thing is Walking isgreat.
Another thing is the greatthing about walking is that you
burn a lot of fat right at alower heart rate.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
You burn a lot of fat .
Yeah, I don't know, a lot isrelative.
Now you can burn fat.
(25:38):
I don't know if a lot, becauseremember the threshold to get
into an anaerobic capacity,because remember the threshold
to get into an anaerobiccapacity, where the body most
efficiently burns fat, tends tobe a little higher than what
walking would achieve.
But you will burn.
But it's over.
The has already the glycogenthat's been burnt and now you're
digging into a fuel source thatyou're trying to burn anyway.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Right.
So you're basically sayingtaking the body into an
anaerobic state, Anaerobic right.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Well, no, remember, the anaerobic is the short term,
that's when you dispense of theglycogen in your.
That's like they say infootball the front line boom,
boom, boom.
That's anaerobic.
I'm talking about going into anaerobic capacity.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
That's what I'm saying.
With aerobic you can burn a lotof body fat at that low heart
rate over time, over time.
So I'm not saying, you know,walking on a treadmill only for
20 minutes, depending on it.
Remember it also depends on theperson's fitness level.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Now the threshold for aerobic.
When the body is shift gearsfrom anaerobic to aerobic, what
are the threshold markers youwould use to say okay, hey,
you're working on your aerobicsystem right now.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
I would use their heart rate.
Okay, I would use their heartrate.
So I would use their restingheart rate and I would.
I forgot how that goes.
Let me, let me look at, let melook at how I calculated that,
because I forgot how youcalculate that.
Uh, off the top of my head Ithink it's um, I mean, here we
(27:20):
go, here we go, I got it.
I got it, here we go.
I just remembered.
So you subtract 220, 220.
You subtract your age, yousubtract your age from 220.
And that would be your maxheart rate.
Right, that would be yourmaximum heart rate.
So then I would go in betweenthe range of your max heart rate
(27:45):
and down, right, so you know,usually people use, like, the
Bruce time test protocol to findthat out, to find out exactly
what their threshold is, theBruce time test protocol, to
fight, figure that out, andthere's a few calculations that
they would have to go through.
(28:06):
But the the, the basic forbeginners, right I would say, is
use, take the number 220,subtract your age, and then
you'll find your maximum heartrate.
And of course, you don't wantto take yourself into your
maximum heart rate because nowyou're anaerobic, so you want to
keep it in between the maximumheart rate and whatever sweet
(28:30):
spot there is.
So like, let's say, if yourmaximum heart rate is 180, my
maximum heart rate according tothis calculation is 180,.
Right, maybe like a 140 rangeto 180, depending on you know my
(28:51):
actual performance during thiswalk test, so you look at your
maximum heart rate and you justpretty much test it out from
there.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Okay, so then you would agree, there's a level of
intensity you have to get tobefore you can get to the level.
So now walking, especially ifit depends on his leisure you
may not get anywhere near thatintensity level.
So that's what I'm saying Iwouldn't even know if you even
get into an aerobic range whereyou'll be losing lots of weight
(29:27):
now you'll trigger the system,but lots of.
Because that you will triggerthe system, but lots of, because
that's the other thing.
I really try to give arealistic perspective to folks
once they get going.
Everybody's looking for resultson and on scales in the front
of the mirror every three days.
I don't want to set them up forsomething that might not be as
(29:50):
accurate.
It's not going to be quick, butit will come down if you're
consistent.
I think maybe leaning moretowards that direction.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Right, consistency is .
Consistency is key.
So, but just like you said,like leisure walking, like I'm
just walking, I'm just walkingto go to the store I'm walking
to.
I'm just walking to go to thestore, I'm walking to a friend's
house, that's not going to cutit, even though the amount of
steps.
They do matter, though, theamount of steps, right, because
(30:19):
there's something callednon-activity exercise threshold
as well.
So it's like your non-activityalso counts, like the walking
over here and walking over there.
But as the brother herman smallsaid, you know you have to take
your heart rate to a certainthreshold for you to burn fat.
(30:40):
So but yeah, so I I totallyagree with that, I totally agree
with that.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Yeah, I would say that threshold over a length of
time.
It's just like get to thethreshold, okay, I'm done, get
to that threshold, maintain itover a period, a period of time,
and then you can leave it andcome back.
But in that period of time yourbody would have most
efficiently started to utilizeyour fat storages.
And that's what most peopleunless it's a weight gain
(31:06):
program but most folks thatthat's weird.
That's that sweet spot thatthey're trying to to get you
where the body is like okay, nowI'm tapping into fuel.
I never wanted to be storing inthe first place exactly,
exactly.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
So now we spoke about walking, we spoke about the
push-ups, we spoke about thesumo squat.
Now, one thing about the sumosquat, you know, you know it
works, it works, you know.
Or squatting in general Right,it's going to work, the glue is
going to work, that squattingmovement pattern.
But what about the woman whohas a child, who's always, you
(31:43):
know, dead lifting that childfrom the, from from a chair or
the bed or from off the floor?
They have to have some kind ofdead lifting strength, would you
agree?
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Yes, especially as their child progresses in weight
and in age.
Let's hope they got goodbiomechanics.
They're lifting from the legs,engaging all of their core
muscles to do it properly.
But yes, women naturally haveto maintain that.
I mean mothers.
Mothers have to.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Mothers, I would say men should improve their
deadlifting abilities as well,because they have to pick up
things for the family, they haveto pick up the groceries and
things like that, and also,naturally, men are the
protectors of the home.
You know what I mean.
So that deadlift gives youenough power through the back of
(32:41):
the body to ward off opposition.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Yeah, definitely.
That's your root, that's yourbase, and in an emergency, you
know, God forbid you ever haveto drag someone out of a fire.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Right, your audio is off.
Your audio, somebody must havecalled you.
I hear you.
I hear you, but the audio is alittle off okay, I didn't do
anything on this end.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
What is it you're breaking?
Speaker 1 (33:17):
up.
Oh, now you're good okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
I'm just saying in cases of an emergency where you
have to transport someonevis-a-vis, dragging them or
maybe even sometimes hoistingsomeone over your shoulder,
that's 160, 180, 200 pounds.
So, yeah, for self-defense,core uh training, but also to be
able to have the strength tomove and transport even
(33:44):
sometimes you can, 10, 15 feetis enough to save someone's life
or move them out of harm's wayin an emergency.
So yeah, yeah for men,definitely, but women should
have a certain amount of basestrength that they can develop,
and women can develop thatstrength as well without taking
all the negative attributes.
Like a lot of women try to stayclear of becoming overly bulky,
(34:07):
and the targeted training thata woman would do would give a
great benefit in the corewithout adding uh, any kind of
mass.
That seems to be a concern fora lot of women.
That has caused them to avoidweights for most of their lives
right now.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
You know, one thing I want to mention for women, um
and this for men too, but mainlyfor women doing a deadlift
right, If you can't make it to agym, you can also buy a simple
kettlebell from Walmart or fromsome other place Dick's Sporting
(34:44):
Goods and you can buy akettlebell and do deadlifts with
a kettlebell.
Deadlifts are a very importantexercise you should incorporate,
so a simple kettlebell couldget the job done.
You don't have to go to a gymand get the big old weights, or
even if you you know you couldalso do a, you could do a
(35:07):
deadlift using dumbbells.
You know there's a there'ss,you know they have the RDLs, the
Romanian deadlifts you can dowith the dumbbells, so yeah, and
even I always like to give anon-equipment, I'm going to say
equivalent.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Definitely not an equivalent in this situation,
but something that you wouldwant to do to build your core,
to build your torso region.
It's posture related.
Now you can do this, walking orsitting, and go back to old
school.
What grandma said no, sit up inthat chair, boy, sit up right.
(35:47):
Posture when the body is in itsproper posture, whether seating
or standing, that automaticallygives you more breathing
capacity, anywhere from five to10% more the average person will
get just by improving on theirposture shoulders back, with
their head up, so that theesophagus can get the air more
(36:11):
freely.
So posture no weight, noequipment, not a kettlebell, not
a dumbbell, not a deadlift.
But you've already begun toinitiate an alignment that will
build with time.
Now you add deadlifts on top ofthat.
So again, the first thing getyour posture, get your form, get
your breathing, so when you goto that exercise you can build
(36:33):
up right there, because theirfoundation is already set,
because a lot of times you getto the exercise without locking
in the little stuff.
Your strength could be improving, but there's like an Achilles
heel and then we wondersometimes where these
spontaneous injuries come fromafter an exercise you've been
doing for two years, three years.
So that's a big stickle on formright from the outset.
(36:54):
You get a solid foundation.
You could build 100 floors ontop of it.
A weak foundation.
You get to 8, 9, 10, you'reprogressing.
All that stuff is going to tiltand come crashing down at some
point.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Yes, yes, sir, yes, sir.
So now you know.
We spoke about the calisthenics.
We went a little bit intoweightlifting.
Can you give the people somerecommendations for
weightlifting, basic exercises?
So we spoke about squats,deadlifts.
We spoke about what do you?
What's your take on benchpressing?
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Bench pressing.
It's more or less standard.
And if you can get a bench, thesafety factor, because it's not
ideal unless it's dumbbellbench presses.
But if it's barbell benchpresses, I think if there's one
exercise that's the cause ofmore accidental death it is the
(37:49):
barbell bench press, done alone,with an individual that
misjudged that way, or fatiguecame on a lot more rapidly than
they anticipated.
So again, so what do you have?
You got a bar, you got aguillotine effect and many of us
had that experience.
(38:10):
Even I learned a technique froman old head because you know,
you learn how to train.
You put those clamps on bothsides.
Why?
So the weight don't tip offwhile you lift it.
But an old head told me yeah,in the case of an emergency you
want that weight to be able totip off.
Exactly he said he never wantsto clamp.
Yeah, yeah, and he savedhimself several times he got
(38:34):
messy.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Do not put those clamps on if you're by yourself.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Yeah, yeah.
But I mean if you would think asimple thing, but hey, boom,
boom, you're hit, we get intoroutine.
And he said he bagged up hiswhole fish tank tank one time
but yeah, you got to get thatstuff off.
So yeah, a bench press is good.
(38:57):
If you're challenging yourselfwith it, always do it with a
partner.
If you're going to do benchpressing on alone, I would stick
with the dumbbells.
But yeah, it's excellent.
One of the best exercises for,for building the chest.
Well, you know, a lot of us arenot going to have a bench, but
if you if do have one bench,start lighter.
Focus on range of motion, focuson isolation.
That's a big thing.
That's not even emphasizedenough in training.
(39:18):
Target the muscle while beingable to relax the other muscles
sufficiently where they're nottaking away the work from what
you're targeting.
Indeed, all these are thetechniques.
Indeed, I want to go back toyou're targeting Indeed.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
So all these are the techniques Indeed.
So I want to go back to benchpressing.
Again, warning, if you're byyourself.
I'm going to give you maybe acouple of tips.
If you're bench pressing byyourself, go a little lighter
than you usually would.
Don't put any clips on themRight, and even though full
(39:56):
range of motion, you know,basically incorporates the
greatest length, tension is thebest thing for the pecs.
I wouldn't go all the way down.
If you're worried, if you'reconcerned, go at a comfortable
range of motion and then push itright back up.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Yes, and this I would say, and only in an emergency,
because this is poor techniqueActually, but in an emergency.
And again, the first thing, getit off tilting boom, boom.
If not, if you misjudge, but ifyou think you might have one
more rep and you can get it up,that springboard effect off the
(40:40):
chest has helped a lot.
And then it's that last timeDown, get that bounce and
everything you got to drive it.
Now you missed that one.
Bring it down controlled andthen you have to tilt off
Because you know most of us areworking out in small spaces.
So if you got a bar flingingbecause it has weight on one
side and not on the other,you're already fatigued.
(41:00):
So in most cases you're notgoing to have a lot of control
over it.
So you're looking at breakingup something.
It's just not pretty.
Or your neighbors are going tobe coming up like what the blank
man?
Your ceiling got my ceilingfalling down.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
So yeah, yeah, you want to you want to work
carefully and intelligentlywhile challenging yourself and
getting the benefits fromexercise Right.
Shout out.
Shout out to the new member,joey.
You just became a new member tothe NYP talk show.
I really appreciate it.
This show brought you to becomea member.
(41:35):
So you know, we got to keep thisshow going on.
You know, I always wanted to doa fitness show.
We tried in the beginning and Idon't know, you know, some
things happen with that, but nowwe're here, so we're going to
keep this fitness show going.
Of course, this is like my mainthing.
This is what I do for a living,it's fitness, it's massage
(41:57):
therapy, group fitness.
So that's what I do.
Peace, joey, peace, joey.
I really appreciate you.
We're going to do this showevery other Monday.
Every other Monday, joey, thefitness show every other Monday.
And, depending on how this,depending on the response, you
know I want to do more fitnessshows because, like I said, this
(42:18):
is what I do for a living.
So the bench press we went intothe bench press what are you?
So I was watching a show no, aYouTube a couple weeks ago and
it was about lifters lifters whoare not on the juice and all
that stuff.
And they had a young guy onthere who was doing a lot of
(42:41):
incline.
He said he never does flat.
So what do you think about that?
Just doing mainly inc inclinedand not even flat yeah, that's
so interesting.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
I kind of I stumbled upon that maybe, maybe about 10
years ago, and and now, now,this is if there's only one
option, if I have an option forflat or inclined, I would only
do inclined, you do both, youintersperse them.
If I have an option for flat orinclined, I would only do
incline, you do both, youintersperse.
If I have an option of doingonly one, a barbell or a
(43:16):
dumbbell, it will always be adumbbell because that will give
me more angles that I can.
You have more control with thedumbbells, where the bar just
keeps you in a more or less astraight track of motion.
Everything your wrists, yourelbows, shoulders, everything is
more or less aligned, wherethat little play of adjustment
is oftentimes more comfortable,especially if you have an old
(43:38):
injury.
You're trying to work aroundand I'm sorry the question again
.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
So I was talking about the incline.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
This bodybuilder.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
he just does mainly incline, he doesn't do incline.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Again, I stumbled on that and guess what the logic is
.
The logic I mean from apracticality, and especially if
this person is either competingor because if you're working out
of all the pectoral divisionsinner pec, outer pec, upper pec
the one that would enhance themall, or the one that definitely
(44:13):
cosmetically benefits them all,is the upper pec.
Because what do you havepulling on you night and day,
day and night.
You know it is gravity.
So anything you pull from thetop, even when gravity is
working so I'm saying againstyou or when it's pulling, you
still have that development thatyou said.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
And fill out everything under it Right,
probably your sound, your audioagain went out.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Oh wow, I don't know about now.
I'm saying testing is beingstill out, still out.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
Yeah, now we on, we're on.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
We have to figure out why, that's why this happened,
but at least it goes away, yeahwhen you back up like this don't
, oh, okay, okay but yeah, theupper pec still enhances deep
development.
So it's kind of like a cheattechnique.
You really should work a moreupper, mid outer, I mean to get
(45:11):
that full development of thepectoral.
But if you like more like atime restraint and it's one that
I had to do it would be theincline only.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Now, the thing about the incline that I don't like is
that it's tough on theshoulders.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
It's tough on the shoulders.
Yes, it's tough on theshoulders.
So if you're going to doincline, I'm going to suggest
you start lighter than you wouldif you did a flat bench.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Without question.
Yes, at least I would say about30% lighter man.
Yeah, so if you're flat you'redoing 150, you're dropping that
to 100 for incline.
Right, sure for sure andfocused on form, range of motion
, and if you haven't done it ina while, it's a balance
adjustment, it's a wholeequilibrium thing.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
So you might even want to work with the bar alone
just to get comfortable againwith that range of motion right,
right, so yeah, so, um, my, mymain focus, like for clients and
for myself, right is like thatthat first set.
Even though I tell my clientsthe first set doesn't count, it
actually does.
I just tell them that becauseit's like they're counting the
(46:22):
sets to try to get it over withright, right, right.
So I say this first set doesn'tcount.
You you know what I mean.
Actually, the first set reallymatters.
Actually, the first set isextremely important because it's
the warm up, the first set isthe warm up.
So I would go.
My main focus is body mechanicsand getting the neuromuscular
(46:46):
system used to that actualmovement.
Okay, we start adding load toit.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Exactly Now.
You said something that I don'twant it to be misleading.
And now you said the first repis the warm-up.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
No, I said, the first set is the warm-up.
Speaker 2 (47:07):
So it's a warm-up set ?
Then, yes, okay, cool, cool.
So now is there any stretchingor warm-up?
So it's a warm-up set?
Then, yes, okay, cool, cool.
So now is there any stretchingor warm-up things done before
that set?
Or is that literally you'relaying down cold and that's the
first thing you do?
Speaker 1 (47:18):
Before I got a little older I used to just go down
there cold, but I don't thinkthat's the best.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
No, yeah, that's why, when you said warm-up set, I
wanted to tease that out forpeople.
No, there are basic range ofmovement stuff related to
warming up even before you getto that.
That could be helpful.
Now, also, I forgot the otherreason I was trying to work from
inside is my phone wasn't fullycharged and I know I'm in, I'm
(47:50):
in the red now, so I think I gotprobably.
Sorry.
Sorry, I, I got about, I think,about another four or five
minutes in in my.
My apologies, but I, I wastrying to stay plugged in for
those few minutes, that that's.
I was trying to keep the uh,the camera off until I got up.
So, all right, so we got time,but if it abruptly stops, I just
(48:12):
want to give you a warning onit.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
Okay, it's all good.
This was our first one, youknow, and I loved it.
You know what I mean.
It was thorough, even thoughyou know we got to do Beginner's
Guide to Fitness and Nutrition,part 2.
We got to do a Part 2 to thisPart two.
We got to do a part two to this.
So now, now, the, the warm upthat I like right is the
(48:34):
dislocations, because you'removing, you know it's more
dynamic as opposed to doing astatic stretch.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
Interesting, yeah, OK , so now over over those.
Yeah, Dynamic, definitely overover over static.
Speaker 1 (48:55):
Yeah for sure.
So I don't know what kind ofdynamic stretching you do, but
I'd use a.
Um, sometimes you can use astick and just go over your head
and back down in the front,over your head and back down.
Or you can use a long rope, goover the head and back down and
over the head back down andloosen up the shoulder joint,
getting the synovial fluidexcreted inside the joint,
getting yourself ready for thatchest press.
Speaker 2 (49:19):
Now I tell you, the over the back concerns me a
little and maybe again, andmaybe you know, I'm at a place
where I'm working with a lot ofolder clients, so I would say
that one would be a little morecomplex movement, that I would
want them to start off as awarm-up.
But one of the ones I do almostuniversal, depending on, is
this one the scissor across thefront where you're almost like
(49:40):
alternating one arm, yes, butall the way across the front
it's like you're giving a hugopposite with the other arm each
time, but moving it You're notstopping Up and over, up and
over, up and over.
So you're raising the heartrate because that's right in the
thoracic, and then I definitelygo up and down because you're
working that deltoid.
So going behind, believe me,that's a pretty complex movement
(50:04):
and, depending upon whatflexibility is in the neck, is
in the rhomboids, depending uponwhat flexibility is in the neck
, is in the rhombus, in thedeltoid in general, a lot of
times it can spark somethingmore than it will help.
Speaker 1 (50:23):
And an older client again.
You may not have seen a lot ofthis.
Well, you know, I've trainedpeople who the oldest person
I've trained was 80.
And I've trained him for years.
I'm pretty sure he's passed onat this point.
Rick.
Rick shouts out to Rick ifyou're still around.
Okay, okay, yeah, I used totrain Rick.
(50:47):
You know anyone who works withme at Equinox 63rd Street they
know I trained Rick for so manyyears.
It's crazy, but he from, Iguess, his 60s, all the way up.
So you know, yeah, and I hadhim bench pressing and I had him
.
I had him doing some good stuff.
So he was able to do that, youknow, because he didn't have any
shoulder issues.
(51:11):
Plus, oh, who's that?
Divine, uh, god of law, peace,peace, peace, peace, divine,
peace, divine god of law.
So, um, uh, that stretch, rightit.
So what?
It's really simple, though,like I wish I could, I had a, a
string or something, but youjust, you're just going above
your head like this, you're justdoing this.
(51:31):
It's nothing really hard at all, but I like your, I like your
eye, your warm-up as well.
That one is good too.
That one, please you there.
Okay, his phone, his phone, uh,died on us.
His phone died on us.
He said that was gonna happen,but yeah, so we just went
(51:51):
through.
Hold on.
If y'all want to see thatstretch, hold on.
Y'all got to wait one second.
Where the hell, where was that?
All right, so real quick.
So you could take any kind ofrope or, um, uh, you know, belt
(52:16):
or whatever, as long as it'slong enough.
Now, if it's really short, it'sgoing to be hard for you to do
this.
All you're doing is this You'rejust taking anything and
bringing it above your head,down behind your back and
bringing it back down here,above your head, around and down
.
That's all you're doing to warmup your shoulder before you go
(52:38):
into a chest press, um, andshouts out to nomad khali, nomad
khali, hey, nomad, that's myschool, right there.
I go.
Go to Kali, kali, ptk, martialarts, anyway, filipino stick
fighting, knife fighting, etc.
Anyway.
So you can do that.
(52:59):
Take anything a bit of a headaround and there you have it,
the warm-up for the shoulder,chest press and we're out of
here.
The brother Herman Smallsbasically phone died.
So we're on alternate weeks,eight o'clock Mondays for the
Fitness Podcast, beginner'sGuide to Fitness and Nutrition
(53:24):
in 2025.
I am going to also put outanother clip of Wise Asia
tomorrow and you guys will seethat.
Peace to all the 5%.
Peace to all people from the 5%Pardon me, y'all, I'm tired.
Peace to all and everybody inthe 5% nation, the gods and the
earth.
Peace to the Moors, islam tothe Moors.
(53:46):
Peace to everybody, the humanfamilies on the planet Earth.
I am out of here, I am gone.
See y'all tomorrow.
Peace.
what's going on.
Everybody is ron brown lmt, thepeople's fitness professional,
aka soul brother number one,reporting for duty.
I got the brother herman smallswith us this evening on the
check-in.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Peace and pan-africanism.
Peace and Pan-Africanism, peaceand Pan-Africanism.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Peace and Pan-Africanism.
So now, before we go into thebeginner's guide to fitness and
nutrition, I want to talk about.
When you say peace andPan-Africanism, let's talk about
that.
Are you a pan-Africanist?
And if you are, what does thatmean to you?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yes, I am not just a pan-Africanist, I'm a second
generation pan-Africanist.
I've been a pan-Africanistsince conception.
I say that because my fatherwas a pan-Africanist and a
member of the pan-Africanistmovement was a pan-Africanist
and a member of thepan-Africanist movement.
That's in the most simplestdefinition.
(01:10):
It's an individual whounderstands their origin and is
seeking to unite globally from aperspective of pan-African
Africa.
African is the base terms ofAfricanism, that landmass and
how we were dispersed indifferent places, literally all
over the world.
We're original to every part ofthe world, but Pan-Africanism
(01:34):
centers that as the base, andpresent day is seeking to us to
become a global power again, toconnect with other brothers that
understand and identify withthat same root, the same root
from the ground to the tree andthe branches may have spread,
but we still come from the sameplace.
So, yes, that's kind of like abasic definition for pan-African
(01:58):
, one that I flow from.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
OK, so give give us a little bit about your
background.
I know the first podcast youwere on with us.
You did that already, but Iwant to kind of reintroduce you
to the audience to let them knowyou know, you know who you are
and you know the informationyou're going to be given.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Sure, just to keep it within the realm that I wear a
few hats, but the one I thinkmost pertinent to what my time
this evening will be related tois fitness.
So I have a pretty extensivebackground in that I'm coming up
to my 40th year in fitnessbusiness, in designing exercise
programs, nutritional plans,conditioning.
(02:39):
I've trained people for the NewYork Marathon, worked with NBA
players, nfl players, trainpeople for the New York Marathon
, work with NBA players, nflplayers, a-list Broadway actors
so just folks with a limitedamount of time that they need
maximum results and they don'thave time to take a detour.
And I do all my stuff healthily.
So there's no gimmicks, but itis hardcore sensible training
(03:03):
and nutritional modifications.
That is what I built my successaround Helping people get to
their goals.
But it is hardcore sensibletraining and nutritional
modifications.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
That is what I built my success around helping people
get to their goals in a timelyand safe fashion.
Indeed, indeed, ok, so how, howdid you, how did you get into
fitness, the fitness industry?
Right, because from what I know, you've been jacked, since I've
been watching you on publicaccess.
So that was like what, like 30years ago.
That was 30 years ago.
So how did you get yourphysique that way back then,
(03:37):
like that was a long time ago?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Like a lot of young men, athletics, physical
competition.
Whether you're playing kick thecan ring, olivia Bulldog, you
know you run and you jump it.
So you're engaging in athleticsand we're racing each other, so
as you, you win more of theseraces.
King of the Hill was a populargame where one of the devices in
(04:02):
the park one person would standon and each young person came
up and had their chance attrying to displace them.
So it was almost like we wereconstantly fine tuning our basic
physical skills.
And then, you know, we got,fortunately, local community
centers and gyms.
I was blessed to have a mastertrainer, a grandmaster trainer,
(04:23):
in the community center near me.
That brother, just his abilityto teach, his ability also to
demonstrate, he lived what hewas teaching us.
So I got right from the jumpthat connection, because right
now a lot of folks, there'snothing wrong with getting the
knowledge, but if you're notliving what you're trying to
(04:44):
teach someone, or you're nottaking someone to a place that
you've never been, for methere's a little bit of a
disconnect there.
Oh, I know I'm morepassionately motivated by
someone who's teaching me from aperspective of something that
they not only have lived buttheir life demonstrates the
fruit of that path that they'reguiding me on.
So so that's the same placethat I've tried to come from.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
So who was the grandmaster that taught you?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Oh, grandmaster Sands , Former Marine, former
community backbone, I only knowI can put a community on my back
and carry it because I saw himdo it.
I mean an amazing brotherPatient.
He just had the ability tocapture young minds and I know
(05:34):
there's about a decade, decadeand a half, between us, so that
was a rough time in the SouthBronx.
It was Mitchell's gym.
So this is we talk in early 80sman, so so, so you know the
different things that theseintelligence agencies were
flooding our communities withand the substances and the
(05:54):
distractions there to give usinstructions and an example to
uh emulate was was a very, verymotivating factor for me and
seeing this as one, an activityI wanted to do, but very quickly
I was like, okay, I'm reallymastering this to the point
(06:16):
where I can begin to teach it.
So it started to take shapethere okay.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
So now you got your physique like you.
You're like a bodybuilderpretty much really early on
early, as early as I canremember right and uh so what
kind of program did you follow?
Did you follow arnold's uh umencyclopedia, the encyclopedia
of bodybuilding?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I saw that.
You know, I don't know if thisname would be familiar.
You heard of Bill Pearl?
Yeah, yeah, he's one of the oldschool guys.
He had some things out there.
Arnold Schwarzenegger wasputting out some good things.
Now, remember the route.
I kind of came in right withthe teaching kind of early.
So one of the icons that wasn'tnecessarily a body builder but
(07:06):
definitely a fitness enthusiast,and that was Jack LaLanne.
And as a matter of fact, it's sointeresting because there was a
little portion of my of my time.
You know, you know black folkswe go out, we go to flip a name.
So you know, I was kind ofgetting that black LaLane hook
for a minute.
It was just a connectionbecause he was on TV doing it.
(07:27):
He wasn't this massive dude,but he had balance, he had
flexibility, the exercises youcould do with the back of a
chair, you could get up againsta wall, no equipment.
Then what was he Engaging?
He kept up tempo, he encouraged.
There was a lot of okay, not alot, but the ones that were
(07:51):
there was that same model.
They demonstrated.
They showed that they were aliving example of what they was
trying to get you to learn orput you on a path.
So yeah, so those are some ofthe names that kind of shaped
and guided my, my interestsalong the way.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
OK, so what would, what would the routines like?
Like, let's say, you juststarted out, you just started
out First off.
You started out.
How, how much?
How heavy were you?
Were you like a lightweight?
Were you really thin?
Were you like a slim build, areyou?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
like a slim build.
It's so interesting becauseweight training or calisthenic
physical conditioning was rightat, because I got into the
Golden Gloves early.
I was in the Golden Gloves fromlike 16 on, so and that was I
got started learning aboutweight training getting at 13.
But you know, for most weighttraining and boxing, if you are
(08:50):
not cross training correctlythey can inhibit each other.
And I didn't know that and youknow that kind of sports
training knowledge wasn'tavailable, so I was having my
limitations.
You know, the weights give youall the power you want but you
can't deliver it.
So in my and I was still when Istarted 16, I was light, heavy,
I was already past middleweight.
So the thing is my trainer wasthrowing me in there with
(09:11):
lightweights and welterweightsand it was working on me like a
ping pong ball Bing, bing, bing,bing, boom, bop Cause you got
the power.
But if you can't deliver it?
So then I had to again usingmyself experiment, I had to
modify Okay, strength is great,but I can't interfuse it with
these kinds of repetitions, withthat kind of intensity level.
(09:32):
So then, and I saw my resultsimprove so well to say, the
routine before coming up withthat calisthenics and
calisthenics, that's alwaysgoing to be the poor man's gym,
because you can do a push-upanywhere If you're on planet
Earth.
Now, if you ain't got gravityyou might have some problems,
(09:52):
but you can do a push-up, youcan do a proper squat.
You can remember when thebrothers and brother right here
from Harlem are grandmasters ofbartenders, giant giant.
You couldn't go down the streetand not see a brother you know,
hitting his, hitting his work,so so so you make a gym and
(10:13):
activity out of things aroundyou.
Now of course we had a modelback there, so you put a few
dollars again there.
You can go in there, maybe getsome sand weights or get some
items, and now you can start inthe structure.
But even before that I kind orget some items and now you can
start in the structure.
But even before that I kind ofjumped over a category of
household items.
You can fill a gallon of wall,wrap a towel.
There's things you can do toadd resistance for certain
(10:35):
activities If, again, equipmentis not immediately available.
But so that was kind of theroute I took.
And then the community centerbeing right there, mitchell Gym,
with the Grandmaster trainer,mr Sands, that opened the
gateway.
Calisthenics, household items,free weights, then, if you are
(10:57):
in the gym, learn how to usethat equipment properly.
That should be, I think, anatural progressive.
Also, all of this is relativeas to what that person's goal is
.
Your goal will dictate theroute and the combination of
things you'll have to do toarrive at it.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Right when I was young I think I told you this
before when I was younger, whenI was younger, a young little
kid, I would watch public accessand I said, you know what I
want to get my muscles like this.
I went to you, I went toModell's and I got me some
(11:37):
dumbbells and I was, I wastrying, man, I was trying.
I didn't really understand howto lift weights until I, until I
went to the bath house, youknow, with uh, granddad and
mcgee before I went to karate.
I would go on the weight floorand look around and I would
watch people and then some guyswould go.
You know, let me help you out.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
And and then I learned how to lift weights in a
bathhouse interesting,interesting, yeah, good setting
early on in my get my companystarted I was.
That was one of the drop spots.
They had a nice little freeweights and it was a camaraderie
.
Obviously you had the moreadvanced you know the gym rats
(12:18):
that's in there all the time.
Then you had folks that wascoming through to get back to a
place they might have runningbehind jobs, starting a family,
all the different things thathappen in life that separate you
from your, your physicalregimen, and those extra pounds
start coming off.
So there's people at differentplaces.
Different paths led them tothere.
(12:38):
But that was one of the one ofthe great environments right At
the bath house in Harlem forfolks who are listening outside
of of new york right 135thstreet between fifth and lennox
yes right, right in front of, uh, lincoln terrace.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
I think it's right, lincoln terrace.
That's the name of the lennoxterrace.
Lennox terrace, lennox I'mthinking about len lincoln
lincoln projects.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
That's what I'm thinking about and the community
refers to Lennox as Malcolm XBoulevard.
Malcolm X Boulevard, but alsoknown as Lennox Avenue, Right,
so now let's talk about thebeginning stages.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
So you said calisthenics, you started there
with calisthenics.
So what was your main go-to,was it?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
round robins, push-ups, pull-ups and dips.
I would say sticking withpush-ups first, because now
that's a world in itself.
Now, remember, I'm introducingboxing, but I'm fortunate that
I've always had martial artistsaround me.
So I was doing a non, I wasdoing a mixed martial arts
before it was popular just byhaving so many different arts
(13:51):
and sciences and because in inpersonal security, the majority
of brothers have differentbackgrounds in the art.
So so much downtime.
So you're constantly workingand learning different things,
unofficially, you know, not forbelts, but to keep your game
tight.
So when you say the basics, alot of my push-ups, there were
knuckle push-ups, there werepush-ups on the fingers, because
(14:13):
you're still building yourjoints, Wide diamond decline.
So a lot of it was from thechest, building that deltoid,
because, remember, off-st strike, and then for defense, so that
that was almost half of theworkout.
And then you know your drills.
So that's the cardio, but again, it's tied to combat or it's
(14:38):
tied to also being able toperform a strike, if it comes
down to that.
So calisthenics, basically, andthen squats and a lot of
emphasis.
Now you're familiar with ahorse stance, I'm sure through
Uri Arch, but there's an innerthigh squat that you can do with
your legs in a horse standposition.
(15:00):
You do that between 20 and 40pounds and it just builds your
core and it builds that innerthigh in in, in a way four kicks
if you need it.
But even if you're not kicking,remember your punches come from
your legs anyway.
So so that that was the otherthing squats, but not just a
traditional shoulder withdefinitely horse stand inner
(15:22):
inner thigh squats right, soyou're talking about with the
feet externally rotated more ina wider stance, like a sumo
squat.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It's a sumo squat and the width is important.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So the heels of the shoulder I'm sorry, the heels of
the feet on either side areabout anywhere from three to six
inches outside of your shoulder.
So that right foot is aboutthree to six inches turned out
and outside of that shoulder onthat side.
That generally gives you a gooddistance.
Then your both legs shouldachieve about a 90 degree angle
(15:56):
before you start to pivot.
It's a short pivot as opposedto a long range squat.
That again it gets that quicktrick.
Muscles working in thequadriceps, again for kicks if
you need it, but if not for kick, it still gives your foundation
a lot of strength.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Right, and also that sumo squat that he's mentioning.
It's also great for deep pelvicfloor muscles, for women who
gave birth and things like that.
Like deep pelvic floor musclesfor women you know who, you know
gave birth and things like that, you know, you know to
strengthen the deep pelvic floormuscles.
And also women who like to, youknow shape and shaping up the,
(16:36):
the, the caboose, the backside.
That's also a great exercise.
You know what I'm saying?
Yep, yep.
So now we went to thecalisthenics.
So you said push-ups, youpush-ups, incline decline.
What else are you doing forcalisthenics?
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Well, incline the diamonds.
I want to get that in there.
And you said knuckle push-ups,right.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I think I don't remember I think, just to go
over them again knuckle.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
There's a shoulder width with the palms flat.
There is the wide, there is thediamond.
Then there's a decline todecline.
You achieve that with the feetup on a higher platform in your
chest down flat.
So those are those calisthenics.
The inner thigh squat we justmentioned.
You know what?
I would suggest this, but itdepends.
(17:28):
But lunges, but 10, 20 yearsago they were much more popular
in exercise.
I interest this person, thestress it puts on the knee,
sometimes over long periods.
But lunges for a person who'snot having any kind of issue
with that part of the body, donecorrectly, a lunge is an
excellent exercise.
(17:48):
And then your core.
There's a series of abdominalstuff.
You can incorporate the legsfor the lower abs, there are
side crunches for the externaloblique.
There are a number of rotationsthat you can do to get your
core firing and that's one ofthe main calisthenics.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Right.
Well, I want to make mention ofthis.
So you spoke on lunges, right.
So you said you didn't reallywant to suggest lunges, really
right, because you know it couldcause patella problems and
things like that.
So I'm going to say that youcan.
(18:27):
When people with knee issues,they can do reverse lunges
Excellent, true, depending onhow bad the knee issue is now.
So don't go out there withterrible knees and then go to a
reverse lunge and mess your kneeup and say ron brown, lmt told
(18:49):
you to do it, right, you,depending on the severity of the
knee issue, right?
So if you have like a littleaggravation every now and again,
you know, on the knees, you cando a um, you can do a reverse,
a reverse lunge, all right.
And and um, um, we're going tocall it a stationary reverse
(19:11):
lunge.
A stationary reverse lungebecause there are walking lunges
with body displacement, andthen you have stationary lunges
where you stay right in placeand you take a step back for
reverse and then do a reverselunge and then come back up
again.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
So and if I can just jump in with that just briefly,
that even can be done near awall.
So if you're having a balanceissue, you can still work with a
surface that you can extendyour arm to stabilize.
Not quite naturally, you wantto move to the place where you
can recruit your stabilizingmuscles and do that on your own,
but it depends.
(19:49):
Again, we said beginner when wepromoted this.
So if someone is just hey, justgetting into it, I want to know
, set up a few.
If there's not a wall nearby,put a chair nearby.
It's okay to have something asyou're developing your balance
and coordination.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
For sure.
And another thing you can do todevelop your lunging
coordination and strength.
You can do step ups Just incase.
Just in case your knees or youhave knee issues, ok, do step
ups.
It works.
(20:24):
Pretty much the same muscles.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Now, okay, again, each situation can be so
individual because now I'veexperienced with some clients
that that elevation going from aflat surface, even six inches
higher, sometimes that stress onthe patella can be challenging.
The good is that you recruitmore of the base of the thigh.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
The good is that you recruit more the base of the
thigh so you got more muscle tomove the rest of the body up to
that elevated point.
But it's still the knee, itstill becomes a digital point.
But I guess if it's a lowerstep it can be used.
It's also therapeutic for theknee if it's a lower step and
you focus on the vastus medialis, that muscle.
Well, you know what I'm saying.
But the vastus medialis is themuscle right in the middle, I
(21:25):
would say the midline next tothe knee, the patella Next to
the patella.
Okay, yeah, so more medial,more medial, okay, away from the
patella, more inside, closer toyour inner thigh, that muscle
on the quad, that's the vastusmedialis, vastus medialis.
(21:46):
Training that medialis on thestep up is imperative for knee
strength and knee health On thestep up.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
I totally agree.
Now, we had neither of us tosend this yet.
I'm assuming folks know all ofthis is suggestions and advice,
but you definitely want to get acheckup before taking this or
any advice.
You want to get a clearancefrom your health professional
that you're in good enoughcondition at this time Because,
(22:19):
yeah, you could be motivated andready.
Just get that last green light,especially if you know you've
been inactive for a substantiallength of a year or longer of
inactivity.
But with that said, yeah, I mean, and even with time to jump in,
walking might even be, if youreally walk for a distance, get
(22:39):
a pedometer.
So, even before the lunge, thesquat, the iron horse, the no,
no, sorry, sorry.
You know parking is rough hereand I'm sitting in the car so
many people ask me am I moving?
I might have to cut theselights out, but, yeah, walking
and then working on your posture, working on your breath.
So, again, not even a squatslung.
(23:00):
Yeah, the most natural activityfor the legs is walking.
So it depends on where thisperson is, what their age is is
walking.
So it depends on where thisperson is, what their age is,
and you live near a park.
You got a comfortable pair ofsneakers that might hold you for
two weeks, just walking everyother day, picking up the pace.
Okay, I got that under.
Okay, now let me listen to thesebrothers on the lunges, on the
(23:21):
squats, on the reverse lunge, onthe slight step-ups.
So even now, all of this is wea slight step up.
So even that, all of this is weare setting out a menu for you.
Only, you know what yourcurrent condition is.
Either you've had it checked oryou're about to get it checked.
But use this right now to pickfrom, say okay, I know this much
about my body.
This sounds like something Ican safely experiment with, but
(23:42):
by no means go forward withoutyou need to get some kind of
approval that you have agreedlike to take.
Take on these challenges indeed.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Let's talk a little bit about walking.
Walking is great.
Um, some some people do like,uh, uh, just leisure, right or
brisk walking, or they call itpower walking.
Some people do power walking.
You could also walk, uh, on atreadmill if you want to do that
Up, you know, on an incline,right On an incline, you could
(24:15):
walk on an incline.
The thing about walking that'sgreat, from what I've learned,
is that walking builds the feet.
It builds the, you know, thefeet, the calves, all the way
through, all the way up.
It's a total body exercise.
(24:35):
Actually, you know, and as theysay, you know you got to crawl
before you walk, right, so youwant to walk, you know, walk
before you run.
Walking actually helps youbuild your running mechanics,
the proper running mechanics.
So that's great to start outfor beginners, for running and
(25:00):
things of that nature.
So walking is great.
Another thing is Walking isgreat.
Another thing is the greatthing about walking is that you
burn a lot of fat right at alower heart rate.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
You burn a lot of fat .
Yeah, I don't know, a lot isrelative.
Now you can burn fat.
(25:38):
I don't know if a lot, becauseremember the threshold to get
into an anaerobic capacity,because remember the threshold
to get into an anaerobiccapacity, where the body most
efficiently burns fat, tends tobe a little higher than what
walking would achieve.
But you will burn.
But it's over.
The has already the glycogenthat's been burnt and now you're
digging into a fuel source thatyou're trying to burn anyway.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Right.
So you're basically sayingtaking the body into an
anaerobic state, Anaerobic right.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Well, no, remember, the anaerobic is the short term,
that's when you dispense of theglycogen in your.
That's like they say infootball the front line boom,
boom, boom.
That's anaerobic.
I'm talking about going into anaerobic capacity.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
That's what I'm saying.
With aerobic you can burn a lotof body fat at that low heart
rate over time, over time.
So I'm not saying, you know,walking on a treadmill only for
20 minutes, depending on it.
Remember it also depends on theperson's fitness level.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Now the threshold for aerobic.
When the body is shift gearsfrom anaerobic to aerobic, what
are the threshold markers youwould use to say okay, hey,
you're working on your aerobicsystem right now.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
I would use their heart rate.
Okay, I would use their heartrate.
So I would use their restingheart rate and I would.
I forgot how that goes.
Let me, let me look at, let melook at how I calculated that,
because I forgot how youcalculate that.
Uh, off the top of my head Ithink it's um, I mean, here we
(27:20):
go, here we go, I got it.
I got it, here we go.
I just remembered.
So you subtract 220, 220.
You subtract your age, yousubtract your age from 220.
And that would be your maxheart rate.
Right, that would be yourmaximum heart rate.
So then I would go in betweenthe range of your max heart rate
(27:45):
and down, right, so you know,usually people use, like, the
Bruce time test protocol to findthat out, to find out exactly
what their threshold is, theBruce time test protocol, to
fight, figure that out, andthere's a few calculations that
they would have to go through.
(28:06):
But the the, the basic forbeginners, right I would say, is
use, take the number 220,subtract your age, and then
you'll find your maximum heartrate.
And of course, you don't wantto take yourself into your
maximum heart rate because nowyou're anaerobic, so you want to
keep it in between the maximumheart rate and whatever sweet
(28:30):
spot there is.
So like, let's say, if yourmaximum heart rate is 180, my
maximum heart rate according tothis calculation is 180,.
Right, maybe like a 140 rangeto 180, depending on you know my
(28:51):
actual performance during thiswalk test, so you look at your
maximum heart rate and you justpretty much test it out from
there.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Okay, so then you would agree, there's a level of
intensity you have to get tobefore you can get to the level.
So now walking, especially ifit depends on his leisure you
may not get anywhere near thatintensity level.
So that's what I'm saying Iwouldn't even know if you even
get into an aerobic range whereyou'll be losing lots of weight
(29:27):
now you'll trigger the system,but lots of.
Because that you will triggerthe system, but lots of, because
that's the other thing.
I really try to give arealistic perspective to folks
once they get going.
Everybody's looking for resultson and on scales in the front
of the mirror every three days.
I don't want to set them up forsomething that might not be as
(29:50):
accurate.
It's not going to be quick, butit will come down if you're
consistent.
I think maybe leaning moretowards that direction.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Right, consistency is .
Consistency is key.
So, but just like you said,like leisure walking, like I'm
just walking, I'm just walkingto go to the store I'm walking
to.
I'm just walking to go to thestore, I'm walking to a friend's
house, that's not going to cutit, even though the amount of
steps.
They do matter, though, theamount of steps, right, because
(30:19):
there's something callednon-activity exercise threshold
as well.
So it's like your non-activityalso counts, like the walking
over here and walking over there.
But as the brother herman smallsaid, you know you have to take
your heart rate to a certainthreshold for you to burn fat.
(30:40):
So but yeah, so I I totallyagree with that, I totally agree
with that.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Yeah, I would say that threshold over a length of
time.
It's just like get to thethreshold, okay, I'm done, get
to that threshold, maintain itover a period, a period of time,
and then you can leave it andcome back.
But in that period of time yourbody would have most
efficiently started to utilizeyour fat storages.
And that's what most peopleunless it's a weight gain
(31:06):
program but most folks thatthat's weird.
That's that sweet spot thatthey're trying to to get you
where the body is like okay, nowI'm tapping into fuel.
I never wanted to be storing inthe first place exactly,
exactly.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
So now we spoke about walking, we spoke about the
push-ups, we spoke about thesumo squat.
Now, one thing about the sumosquat, you know, you know it
works, it works, you know.
Or squatting in general Right,it's going to work, the glue is
going to work, that squattingmovement pattern.
But what about the woman whohas a child, who's always, you
(31:43):
know, dead lifting that childfrom the, from from a chair or
the bed or from off the floor?
They have to have some kind ofdead lifting strength, would you
agree?
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Yes, especially as their child progresses in weight
and in age.
Let's hope they got goodbiomechanics.
They're lifting from the legs,engaging all of their core
muscles to do it properly.
But yes, women naturally haveto maintain that.
I mean mothers.
Mothers have to.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Mothers, I would say men should improve their
deadlifting abilities as well,because they have to pick up
things for the family, they haveto pick up the groceries and
things like that, and also,naturally, men are the
protectors of the home.
You know what I mean.
So that deadlift gives youenough power through the back of
(32:41):
the body to ward off opposition.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Yeah, definitely.
That's your root, that's yourbase, and in an emergency, you
know, God forbid you ever haveto drag someone out of a fire.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Right, your audio is off.
Your audio, somebody must havecalled you.
I hear you.
I hear you, but the audio is alittle off okay, I didn't do
anything on this end.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
What is it you're breaking?
Speaker 1 (33:17):
up.
Oh, now you're good okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
I'm just saying in cases of an emergency where you
have to transport someonevis-a-vis, dragging them or
maybe even sometimes hoistingsomeone over your shoulder,
that's 160, 180, 200 pounds.
So, yeah, for self-defense,core uh training, but also to be
able to have the strength tomove and transport even
(33:44):
sometimes you can, 10, 15 feetis enough to save someone's life
or move them out of harm's wayin an emergency.
So yeah, yeah for men,definitely, but women should
have a certain amount of basestrength that they can develop,
and women can develop thatstrength as well without taking
all the negative attributes.
Like a lot of women try to stayclear of becoming overly bulky,
(34:07):
and the targeted training thata woman would do would give a
great benefit in the corewithout adding uh, any kind of
mass.
That seems to be a concern fora lot of women.
That has caused them to avoidweights for most of their lives
right now.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
You know, one thing I want to mention for women, um
and this for men too, but mainlyfor women doing a deadlift
right, If you can't make it to agym, you can also buy a simple
kettlebell from Walmart or fromsome other place Dick's Sporting
(34:44):
Goods and you can buy akettlebell and do deadlifts with
a kettlebell.
Deadlifts are a very importantexercise you should incorporate,
so a simple kettlebell couldget the job done.
You don't have to go to a gymand get the big old weights, or
even if you you know you couldalso do a, you could do a
(35:07):
deadlift using dumbbells.
You know there's a there'ss,you know they have the RDLs, the
Romanian deadlifts you can dowith the dumbbells, so yeah, and
even I always like to give anon-equipment, I'm going to say
equivalent.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Definitely not an equivalent in this situation,
but something that you wouldwant to do to build your core,
to build your torso region.
It's posture related.
Now you can do this, walking orsitting, and go back to old
school.
What grandma said no, sit up inthat chair, boy, sit up right.
(35:47):
Posture when the body is in itsproper posture, whether seating
or standing, that automaticallygives you more breathing
capacity, anywhere from five to10% more the average person will
get just by improving on theirposture shoulders back, with
their head up, so that theesophagus can get the air more
(36:11):
freely.
So posture no weight, noequipment, not a kettlebell, not
a dumbbell, not a deadlift.
But you've already begun toinitiate an alignment that will
build with time.
Now you add deadlifts on top ofthat.
So again, the first thing getyour posture, get your form, get
your breathing, so when you goto that exercise you can build
(36:33):
up right there, because theirfoundation is already set,
because a lot of times you getto the exercise without locking
in the little stuff.
Your strength could be improving, but there's like an Achilles
heel and then we wondersometimes where these
spontaneous injuries come fromafter an exercise you've been
doing for two years, three years.
So that's a big stickle on formright from the outset.
(36:54):
You get a solid foundation.
You could build 100 floors ontop of it.
A weak foundation.
You get to 8, 9, 10, you'reprogressing.
All that stuff is going to tiltand come crashing down at some
point.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Yes, yes, sir, yes, sir.
So now you know.
We spoke about the calisthenics.
We went a little bit intoweightlifting.
Can you give the people somerecommendations for
weightlifting, basic exercises?
So we spoke about squats,deadlifts.
We spoke about what do you?
What's your take on benchpressing?
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Bench pressing.
It's more or less standard.
And if you can get a bench, thesafety factor, because it's not
ideal unless it's dumbbellbench presses.
But if it's barbell benchpresses, I think if there's one
exercise that's the cause ofmore accidental death it is the
(37:49):
barbell bench press, done alone,with an individual that
misjudged that way, or fatiguecame on a lot more rapidly than
they anticipated.
So again, so what do you have?
You got a bar, you got aguillotine effect and many of us
had that experience.
(38:10):
Even I learned a technique froman old head because you know,
you learn how to train.
You put those clamps on bothsides.
Why?
So the weight don't tip offwhile you lift it.
But an old head told me yeah,in the case of an emergency you
want that weight to be able totip off.
Exactly he said he never wantsto clamp.
Yeah, yeah, and he savedhimself several times he got
(38:34):
messy.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
Do not put those clamps on if you're by yourself.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Yeah, yeah.
But I mean if you would think asimple thing, but hey, boom,
boom, you're hit, we get intoroutine.
And he said he bagged up hiswhole fish tank tank one time
but yeah, you got to get thatstuff off.
So yeah, a bench press is good.
(38:57):
If you're challenging yourselfwith it, always do it with a
partner.
If you're going to do benchpressing on alone, I would stick
with the dumbbells.
But yeah, it's excellent.
One of the best exercises for,for building the chest.
Well, you know, a lot of us arenot going to have a bench, but
if you if do have one bench,start lighter.
Focus on range of motion, focuson isolation.
That's a big thing.
That's not even emphasizedenough in training.
(39:18):
Target the muscle while beingable to relax the other muscles
sufficiently where they're nottaking away the work from what
you're targeting.
Indeed, all these are thetechniques.
Indeed, I want to go back toyou're targeting Indeed.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
So all these are the techniques Indeed.
So I want to go back to benchpressing.
Again, warning, if you're byyourself.
I'm going to give you maybe acouple of tips.
If you're bench pressing byyourself, go a little lighter
than you usually would.
Don't put any clips on themRight, and even though full
(39:56):
range of motion, you know,basically incorporates the
greatest length, tension is thebest thing for the pecs.
I wouldn't go all the way down.
If you're worried, if you'reconcerned, go at a comfortable
range of motion and then push itright back up.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Yes, and this I would say, and only in an emergency,
because this is poor techniqueActually, but in an emergency.
And again, the first thing, getit off tilting boom, boom.
If not, if you misjudge, but ifyou think you might have one
more rep and you can get it up,that springboard effect off the
(40:40):
chest has helped a lot.
And then it's that last timeDown, get that bounce and
everything you got to drive it.
Now you missed that one.
Bring it down controlled andthen you have to tilt off
Because you know most of us areworking out in small spaces.
So if you got a bar flingingbecause it has weight on one
side and not on the other,you're already fatigued.
(41:00):
So in most cases you're notgoing to have a lot of control
over it.
So you're looking at breakingup something.
It's just not pretty.
Or your neighbors are going tobe coming up like what the blank
man?
Your ceiling got my ceilingfalling down.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
So yeah, yeah, you want to you want to work
carefully and intelligentlywhile challenging yourself and
getting the benefits fromexercise Right.
Shout out.
Shout out to the new member,joey.
You just became a new member tothe NYP talk show.
I really appreciate it.
This show brought you to becomea member.
(41:35):
So you know, we got to keep thisshow going on.
You know, I always wanted to doa fitness show.
We tried in the beginning and Idon't know, you know, some
things happen with that, but nowwe're here, so we're going to
keep this fitness show going.
Of course, this is like my mainthing.
This is what I do for a living,it's fitness, it's massage
(41:57):
therapy, group fitness.
So that's what I do.
Peace, joey, peace, joey.
I really appreciate you.
We're going to do this showevery other Monday.
Every other Monday, joey, thefitness show every other Monday.
And, depending on how this,depending on the response, you
know I want to do more fitnessshows because, like I said, this
(42:18):
is what I do for a living.
So the bench press we went intothe bench press what are you?
So I was watching a show no, aYouTube a couple weeks ago and
it was about lifters lifters whoare not on the juice and all
that stuff.
And they had a young guy onthere who was doing a lot of
(42:41):
incline.
He said he never does flat.
So what do you think about that?
Just doing mainly inc inclinedand not even flat yeah, that's
so interesting.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
I kind of I stumbled upon that maybe, maybe about 10
years ago, and and now, now,this is if there's only one
option, if I have an option forflat or inclined, I would only
do inclined, you do both, youintersperse them.
If I have an option for flat orinclined, I would only do
incline, you do both, youintersperse.
If I have an option of doingonly one, a barbell or a
(43:16):
dumbbell, it will always be adumbbell because that will give
me more angles that I can.
You have more control with thedumbbells, where the bar just
keeps you in a more or less astraight track of motion.
Everything your wrists, yourelbows, shoulders, everything is
more or less aligned, wherethat little play of adjustment
is oftentimes more comfortable,especially if you have an old
(43:38):
injury.
You're trying to work aroundand I'm sorry the question again
.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
So I was talking about the incline.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
This bodybuilder.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
he just does mainly incline, he doesn't do incline.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Again, I stumbled on that and guess what the logic is
.
The logic I mean from apracticality, and especially if
this person is either competingor because if you're working out
of all the pectoral divisionsinner pec, outer pec, upper pec
the one that would enhance themall, or the one that definitely
(44:13):
cosmetically benefits them all,is the upper pec.
Because what do you havepulling on you night and day,
day and night.
You know it is gravity.
So anything you pull from thetop, even when gravity is
working so I'm saying againstyou or when it's pulling, you
still have that development thatyou said.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
And fill out everything under it Right,
probably your sound, your audioagain went out.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Oh wow, I don't know about now.
I'm saying testing is beingstill out, still out.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
Yeah, now we on, we're on.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
We have to figure out why, that's why this happened,
but at least it goes away, yeahwhen you back up like this don't
, oh, okay, okay but yeah, theupper pec still enhances deep
development.
So it's kind of like a cheattechnique.
You really should work a moreupper, mid outer, I mean to get
(45:11):
that full development of thepectoral.
But if you like more like atime restraint and it's one that
I had to do it would be theincline only.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Now, the thing about the incline that I don't like is
that it's tough on theshoulders.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
It's tough on the shoulders.
Yes, it's tough on theshoulders.
So if you're going to doincline, I'm going to suggest
you start lighter than you wouldif you did a flat bench.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Without question.
Yes, at least I would say about30% lighter man.
Yeah, so if you're flat you'redoing 150, you're dropping that
to 100 for incline.
Right, sure for sure andfocused on form, range of motion
, and if you haven't done it ina while, it's a balance
adjustment, it's a wholeequilibrium thing.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
So you might even want to work with the bar alone
just to get comfortable againwith that range of motion right,
right, so yeah, so, um, my, mymain focus, like for clients and
for myself, right is like thatthat first set.
Even though I tell my clientsthe first set doesn't count, it
actually does.
I just tell them that becauseit's like they're counting the
(46:22):
sets to try to get it over withright, right, right.
So I say this first set doesn'tcount.
You you know what I mean.
Actually, the first set reallymatters.
Actually, the first set isextremely important because it's
the warm up, the first set isthe warm up.
So I would go.
My main focus is body mechanicsand getting the neuromuscular
(46:46):
system used to that actualmovement.
Okay, we start adding load toit.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Exactly Now.
You said something that I don'twant it to be misleading.
And now you said the first repis the warm-up.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
No, I said, the first set is the warm-up.
Speaker 2 (47:07):
So it's a warm-up set ?
Then, yes, okay, cool, cool.
So now is there any stretchingor warm-up?
So it's a warm-up set?
Then, yes, okay, cool, cool.
So now is there any stretchingor warm-up things done before
that set?
Or is that literally you'relaying down cold and that's the
first thing you do?
Speaker 1 (47:18):
Before I got a little older I used to just go down
there cold, but I don't thinkthat's the best.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
No, yeah, that's why, when you said warm-up set, I
wanted to tease that out forpeople.
No, there are basic range ofmovement stuff related to
warming up even before you getto that.
That could be helpful.
Now, also, I forgot the otherreason I was trying to work from
inside is my phone wasn't fullycharged and I know I'm in, I'm
(47:50):
in the red now, so I think I gotprobably.
Sorry.
Sorry, I, I got about, I think,about another four or five
minutes in in my.
My apologies, but I, I wastrying to stay plugged in for
those few minutes, that that's.
I was trying to keep the uh,the camera off until I got up.
So, all right, so we got time,but if it abruptly stops, I just
(48:12):
want to give you a warning onit.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
Okay, it's all good.
This was our first one, youknow, and I loved it.
You know what I mean.
It was thorough, even thoughyou know we got to do Beginner's
Guide to Fitness and Nutrition,part 2.
We got to do a Part 2 to thisPart two.
We got to do a part two to this.
So now, now, the, the warm upthat I like right is the
(48:34):
dislocations, because you'removing, you know it's more
dynamic as opposed to doing astatic stretch.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
Interesting, yeah, OK , so now over over those.
Yeah, Dynamic, definitely overover over static.
Speaker 1 (48:55):
Yeah for sure.
So I don't know what kind ofdynamic stretching you do, but
I'd use a.
Um, sometimes you can use astick and just go over your head
and back down in the front,over your head and back down.
Or you can use a long rope, goover the head and back down and
over the head back down andloosen up the shoulder joint,
getting the synovial fluidexcreted inside the joint,
getting yourself ready for thatchest press.
Speaker 2 (49:19):
Now I tell you, the over the back concerns me a
little and maybe again, andmaybe you know, I'm at a place
where I'm working with a lot ofolder clients, so I would say
that one would be a little morecomplex movement, that I would
want them to start off as awarm-up.
But one of the ones I do almostuniversal, depending on, is
this one the scissor across thefront where you're almost like
(49:40):
alternating one arm, yes, butall the way across the front
it's like you're giving a hugopposite with the other arm each
time, but moving it You're notstopping Up and over, up and
over, up and over.
So you're raising the heartrate because that's right in the
thoracic, and then I definitelygo up and down because you're
working that deltoid.
So going behind, believe me,that's a pretty complex movement
(50:04):
and, depending upon whatflexibility is in the neck, is
in the rhomboids, depending uponwhat flexibility is in the neck
, is in the rhombus, in thedeltoid in general, a lot of
times it can spark somethingmore than it will help.
Speaker 1 (50:23):
And an older client again.
You may not have seen a lot ofthis.
Well, you know, I've trainedpeople who the oldest person
I've trained was 80.
And I've trained him for years.
I'm pretty sure he's passed onat this point.
Rick.
Rick shouts out to Rick ifyou're still around.
Okay, okay, yeah, I used totrain Rick.
(50:47):
You know anyone who works withme at Equinox 63rd Street they
know I trained Rick for so manyyears.
It's crazy, but he from, Iguess, his 60s, all the way up.
So you know, yeah, and I hadhim bench pressing and I had him
.
I had him doing some good stuff.
So he was able to do that, youknow, because he didn't have any
shoulder issues.
(51:11):
Plus, oh, who's that?
Divine, uh, god of law, peace,peace, peace, peace, divine,
peace, divine god of law.
So, um, uh, that stretch, rightit.
So what?
It's really simple, though,like I wish I could, I had a, a
string or something, but youjust, you're just going above
your head like this, you're justdoing this.
(51:31):
It's nothing really hard at all, but I like your, I like your
eye, your warm-up as well.
That one is good too.
That one, please you there.
Okay, his phone, his phone, uh,died on us.
His phone died on us.
He said that was gonna happen,but yeah, so we just went
(51:51):
through.
Hold on.
If y'all want to see thatstretch, hold on.
Y'all got to wait one second.
Where the hell, where was that?
All right, so real quick.
So you could take any kind ofrope or, um, uh, you know, belt
(52:16):
or whatever, as long as it'slong enough.
Now, if it's really short, it'sgoing to be hard for you to do
this.
All you're doing is this You'rejust taking anything and
bringing it above your head,down behind your back and
bringing it back down here,above your head, around and down
.
That's all you're doing to warmup your shoulder before you go
(52:38):
into a chest press, um, andshouts out to nomad khali, nomad
khali, hey, nomad, that's myschool, right there.
I go.
Go to Kali, kali, ptk, martialarts, anyway, filipino stick
fighting, knife fighting, etc.
Anyway.
So you can do that.
(52:59):
Take anything a bit of a headaround and there you have it,
the warm-up for the shoulder,chest press and we're out of
here.
The brother Herman Smallsbasically phone died.
So we're on alternate weeks,eight o'clock Mondays for the
Fitness Podcast, beginner'sGuide to Fitness and Nutrition
(53:24):
in 2025.
I am going to also put outanother clip of Wise Asia
tomorrow and you guys will seethat.
Peace to all the 5%.
Peace to all people from the 5%Pardon me, y'all, I'm tired.
Peace to all and everybody inthe 5% nation, the gods and the
earth.
Peace to the Moors, islam tothe Moors.
(53:46):
Peace to everybody, the humanfamilies on the planet Earth.
I am out of here, I am gone.
See y'all tomorrow.
Peace.
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