May 26, 2025 • 35 mins
You can build the body you want and live a healthy lifestyle with a few simple changes, says Amadeo Aram, a sports and exercise professional, certified personal trainer, and online fitness coach who works with gay men all over the world to help them build the body they always have dreamed of. It’s not complicated to achieve your goals, he emphasizes.
Born and raised in Berlin, Germany, Aram conducts trainings online with his “tribe” of gay men – his community of like-minded individuals who face many of the same struggles when it comes to body image and health. Aram got into the business of helping other gay men reach their fitness goals because he himself had his own struggles as a young man. He found working out in the gym helped him overcome his fears and shortcomings, boosted his self-esteem and made him feel good “in so many ways,” he says.
In this Smart Sex, Smart Love podcast, Aram talks about some of the biggest mistakes men (and women) make when setting fitness goals, how you can stay fit at any age, and why it never is too late to start a fitness routine. “It is not complicated or overwhelming when trying to stay in shape and healthy with the right routines, practices and habits,” he professes.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Welcome to Smart Sex, Smart Love, where talking
about sex goes beyond the tabooand talking about love goes
beyond the honeymoon.
My guest today is Amadeo Aram, asports and exercise professional
and certified personal trainerfrom Berlin, where he was born
and raised.
(00:20):
Amadeo works with gay men allover the world to help them
transform their bodies and theirhealth.
His goal is to help gay menbuild the body they always have
dreamed of.
Amadeo specializes in strengthtraining and fat loss and has a
passion for martial arts.
His motto in life is grow andcontribute.
Today, he's going to talk aboutwhy he chose to be a fitness
(00:41):
coach exclusively for gay men,the biggest mistakes men make
when working toward theirfitness goals, and how to stay
fit at any age.
Welcome, Amadeo.
SPEAKER_00 (00:51):
Thank you for having me, Joe.
Thank you
SPEAKER_01 (00:53):
so much.
Yep, I'm so happy to have you.
And full disclosure to people,I've been seeing Amadeo as a
personal fitness coach forprobably a year now, right?
Yes, that's correct.
Yep.
Yep.
And it's been incredible for me,the accountability, the ease.
I mean, I can go into a lot ofstuff, but and then I decided I
really wanted to share him withthe world.
And although he's already veryknown in the gay world, for
(01:14):
sure.
So we're going to just start.
So Amadeo, tell our listeners alittle more about what you do
and how you got interested infitness and the health industry.
SPEAKER_00 (01:23):
Yeah, perfect.
So as I already mentioned, I'm afitness coach, but mostly now
working as an online fitnesscoach.
So I do think that not manypeople understand the concept
of, okay, what does an onlinefitness coach actually do?
Because in their mind it's like,okay, like probably you're in a
Zoom chat and you working outwith someone one on one while
(01:44):
looking how they're doing theirexercise form.
But actually, the whole conceptof the online coaching is much
more holistic.
So, I mean, Joe already knows itbecause he's working with me,
but we're basically focusing onhow to intelligently train at
the gym.
So I'm guiding all my clients onthey're stepping into the gym
what can they do in terms oftheir workouts so that they're
(02:04):
feeling confident in doing themachines correctly in
progressing correctly and justmaking sure that they're
building some knowledge aroundthe topic of sports and exercise
then the second part is ofcourse the structural nutrition
part so we're making sure thateveryone knows how to fuel their
body to feel energized to buildmore muscle as well as also so
as to reduce any kind of bodyfat.
(02:24):
And then we're having the, whatI call the lifestyle part is all
about making sure we're managingstress.
We're looking at sleep patterns,recovery, digestion, all these
things that are also verycrucial, of course, when it
comes to the full bodyrecomposition that basically all
of my clients are looking at.
SPEAKER_01 (02:41):
And what about a personal story?
Like how did you get into this?
SPEAKER_00 (02:46):
Yeah, very good question.
So I do think when I'm lookingback at...
The younger Amadeo, when I was ateenager, I wasn't actually very
athletic.
I was kind of very, very small.
So they called me the walkingmeter here in Germany.
I mean, all of the Americanclients, American listeners
won't now understand what ameter is.
(03:08):
Because in Europe, we use ametric.
But it's basically maybe for anadult, maybe hip height.
So no, but they called me thewalking meter because I wasn't
so tall back then.
And I was pretty skinny as well.
So yeah.
when that outward appearance atthat age, and then you're
finding out why you're gay,doesn't make it easy.
(03:29):
So that's why I thought at avery young age, hey, I need to
somehow overcome this kind ofshortcomings as of my
appearance.
So I remember that at a veryyoung age, I tried to be one of
the cool kids and startedsmoking weed at like 13 or 14
(03:50):
already, which then led veryquickly to major panic attacks.
And I remember being at thepsychiatrist when I was like 13
and she said, you're too youngto have panic attacks.
suffering here.
And the one thing that helped meback then was doing sports.
So I really got into exercising.
(04:13):
I started going to the soccerpitch, just playing soccer every
day, going to the gym.
And then I saw, wow, that's notonly helping me to overcome my
fears.
It's also helping me in all theother areas of my life.
When I'm at the gym, I'm feelinglike I'm making progress.
I'm accomplishing something.
I build better self-confidence.
I'm looking better when I lookat myself in the mirror.
(04:35):
And from a mental perspective,even it helped me so much.
So like making this experiencemyself back then was like, wow,
okay.
I have to make this as a livingand help people with the same
that I struggled with.
SPEAKER_01 (04:50):
Thank you for sharing that.
Why only gay men?
Or primarily gay men?
Why did you decide that?
SPEAKER_00 (04:57):
And it might sound a little bit cheesy, but it shows
me.
No, I mean, yes, of course, I'mgay myself.
And when I started working as apersonal trainer here in Berlin,
I...
quickly onboarded a few personaltraining clients and
independently from each other.
It's not like the first fewweren't even like from
referrals, but one from a gym,one from maybe from France.
(05:21):
So everywhere I had a fewclients from and one thing that
I didn't know back then, butthen found out within the few
months of working with them,they were basically all gay.
Even from one guy where I didn'tknow it, I was then at a club
And I saw him and his boyfriendnext to me was like, oh, you're
(05:41):
gay?
I didn't even know it.
Even though we've been workingtogether for a few months
already on a weekly basis.
So then I thought like, hey,okay, like most of my clients
are gay anyways.
And that's the easiest for me toconnect with.
I understand their struggles.
And yeah, it's just, itresonates a lot.
So I thought like, okay, why notjust really connect?
(06:03):
making the focus on, hey, onlyworking with gay men in order
to, yeah, make this as enjoyablefor me as possible because I'm
working with my dream clients aswell as really helping them find
the right fit for theirstruggles.
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
I also feel that in this last year, tell me if I'm
wrong.
I don't know if I've ever saidthis to you.
It feels like you've gotten morepopular.
Like when I get online, I'm onFacebook.
I'm noticing more and more of myfriends are seeing you.
And I didn't notice that before.
Are you getting more clients,more popular?
SPEAKER_00 (06:33):
Well, yeah, the thing is I'm doing a lot of
Facebook marketing.
Let's say I'm very much visibleon Facebook.
I mean, yeah, if any of myInstagram followers would hear
this now, they would besurprised that I have posts on
Facebook, which was surprisingfor myself, like reached like a
thousand comments.
(06:55):
I was like, wow, that's insane.
How can you post something and1,000 people are commenting on a
post?
It was mind-boggling for me.
But yeah, Facebook works verywell for me.
It's an easier platform for meto connect with people, to
really find my tribe, to buildan audience, and to give value
there.
So I didn't understand the wholeInstagram and TikTok game so
(07:18):
far.
I know, Joe, I talked to you,and I know you're having close
to 700,000 followers.
TikTok followers.
It's insane for me.
I know.
Because, like, I don'tunderstand TikTok.
I don't even have it on myphone.
And Instagram is also for me,like, yeah, I don't understand
it.
So, yeah, Facebook is a thing.
SPEAKER_01 (07:35):
No, it's great.
Your following has grown.
And I remember when I firsthired you, I was like, do I want
a gay, you know, coach?
You know, the gay community canbe so harsh and, you know,
competitive.
And I'm saying this on purposebecause there might be gay
listeners and you're nothingcompared.
Nothing like that.
When you're not harsh.
I've always said this to you.
(07:56):
And when I'm, I'm more harsh onmyself and I'll, I'll be like,
oh, I have this appointment withyou today.
And I got to tell you that Ididn't follow through or
whatever.
And you're just like, you'rejust naturally.
Well, okay.
So how do we go to the nextthing?
I don't know.
How do you, can you describe howyou got like that?
Or is that just your nature?
I
SPEAKER_00 (08:12):
think that's just my nature.
Yeah.
I mean, I needed to understandthat I also had to get a little
bit tougher on my clientssometimes.
So I, In the beginning, so likeI naturally, I am the nice guy,
I think.
I'm always trying to, I thinkyou call these people like
people pleaser.
So I really love when there'sharmony and it's tough for me
when people don't like me.
(08:33):
But I had to accept throughoutmy career in the last few years
working as a trainer and beingon social media that some people
will not like you.
It's just the truth.
It's inevitable.
Plus, also, when you're workingas a coach, you need to have
some kind of So meaning I needto be able to call people out on
(08:54):
their own bullshit, but in thenicest way possible.
So I think this is what you justsaid.
I think being always withempathy and making sure that I
understand the struggles, plusalso then making sure that I can
somehow help them overcome thestruggles while not being not
(09:15):
too harsh with them.
SPEAKER_01 (09:17):
Well, let's springboard off that and tell,
can you tell the guys what youdo?
Like, how do you, what, what'sthe process you do in working
with your clients?
SPEAKER_00 (09:25):
Yeah, 100%.
Like if anyone is interested intransforming their health and
they're feeling like, hey, theyneed a little bit more
accountability, guidance andstructure there, then usually
hopping on a call with them,making sure that we really
putting down a roadmap for themthat they're feeling comfortable
with.
Yeah.
And that's also important for mebecause I'm, I'm having a
community and you know thetruth, like we're a tribe, which
(09:48):
means we're having our WhatsAppgroup.
So everyone who needs to jointhe community needs to be a good
fit for it.
If you're having one personpeeing in the pool, everyone
needs to leave the pool.
And the same applies tocommunity.
When you're having someone whois a dick inside this community,
it's not It's not a great tribeanymore.
(10:09):
So I'm quite selective now withwho I'm letting into the tribe.
And I have to confess, I alsotold a few people off and said
like, hey, you might not be agood fit for us.
But that always means that bothof us need to be fine with going
the next step, which means thenwe're doing an onboarding call
and where we then going to makesure that we having the status
(10:29):
quo set from the status quo, wecan make sure we set some
milestones and the milestones wecan break down in the first few
action steps so that everyone ishas 100% clarity on what the
first steps are in the firstweek.
And from there, we're buildinghabits.
So always adding one habit at atime.
I mean, Joe, you know what,you're having a habit cheat.
It's super crucial that you areintegrating those things into
(10:50):
your lifestyle.
You're always making sure thatevery single step that we try to
automate, that everyone feelscomfortable with.
So the journey can be quiteindividual for every single one.
Some people might be onlycounting their steps in the
first week and making sure thatthey're hitting their water
targets.
And while others starting withfive to six strength trainings
(11:13):
at the gym and starting to counttheir calories.
So this is completely differentand individual.
But for me, it's alwaysimportant that on a weekly
basis, I'm sure what's beenimplemented from the client side
and what do they need from me inorder to move forward.
SPEAKER_01 (11:28):
I really appreciate the individualization because
you remember for me, at least Iwas getting confused about which
tracking sheets and how to doGoogle docs and I was all
screwed up and you simplified itfor me.
I really appreciated that.
SPEAKER_00 (11:40):
Yeah, that's super important.
And this is something that I'vehad to learn.
Like I had this program set inthe beginning.
It was like, Hey, this is goingto be how it needs to work.
But then I found like howeveryone is so individual and
everyone had their individualneeds and lifestyles.
So I'm now super happy to alwaysadapt everything individually.
individually to every singleclient.
SPEAKER_01 (12:00):
And you said there are three big mistakes men make
when they're trying to stay inshape and get in shape.
What are they and how do youhelp them correct these
mistakes?
SPEAKER_00 (12:08):
Yeah, so the first thing that I'm seeing is that
people are focusing only ondoing more cardio training.
So in their head, it's somehowlike our cardio training burns
body fat.
So I need to be doing morecardio training.
And then I'm hearing peopledoing on the going on the
treadmill a few times per week.
And then they're just feelingfrustrated because they're not
(12:29):
getting the results that theywould like to get.
And the biggest problem withthis is that the Of course, they
will be burning for a fewcalories while they're on the
treadmill itself.
However, studies have shown overand over again that then they
will be eating those caloriesback because they feel like, oh,
I've burned them and they caneat more.
(12:51):
This resonates here.
And the thing is, it's not along-term solution.
The long-term solution isalways...
by implementing strengthtraining.
Doing more strength trainingwill help actively to raise some
metabolism by building moreactive tissue, so muscle, an
active tissue which then helpsyou to use more energy on a
daily basis also while you'resleeping so when we're looking
(13:14):
at very muscular people they areeating a lot yeah so i just went
recently on a little retreatwith 30 other fitness coaches
where we were invited from mymentor yeah so i'm part of a
mentorship where we only fitnesscoaches and um i saw how much
everyone was eating and i waslike okay these are all
extremely fit guys and Somepeople would think like, ah,
(13:38):
when you're very fit, very lean,you might be eating very little.
Sometimes the opposite is true.
It's just about the right foodchoices and the right amount of
food.
So, yeah, first thing first, dostrength training instead of
only focusing on cardiotraining.
Cardio training on top, butprioritize strength training.
SPEAKER_01 (13:55):
That makes sense.
I do notice if I stop doingstrength training, I will start
to gain weight.
So I do notice that that is moreimportant, it seems like, like
you're saying, than just cardio.
SPEAKER_00 (14:04):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean, this is something thatwe might even have to highlight
here.
You are working with me as youronline fitness coach while
you're having two personaltrainers where you're based.
SPEAKER_01 (14:15):
I do, I know.
Because I find that, and this isa good thing, how do you find it
limiting?
Like, I like to be in personwhen I'm being coached to do my
strength training, but you do itonline.
Isn't that limiting?
SPEAKER_00 (14:28):
Not much because I'm expecting all my clients to send
me over their exercise videos.
So usually when I'm onboardingsomeone who is not working with
a personal trainer, they arejust sending me over how they're
exercising.
And let's face it, once you havemastered a few basic strength
exercises, you don't need apersonal trainer anymore next to
you.
You know how to squat.
You know how to do a pull-up orto do the bench press.
(14:50):
And the progression doesn't gothrough always alternating every
single exercise.
So progression is coming throughdifferent exercises.
intensities different volumesintercept rest breaks frequency
all these things will change butnot the exercise itself so you
will be doing squats for 10years and once you've mastered
this exercise you're fine youdon't need a personal trainer
(15:10):
next to you
SPEAKER_01 (15:12):
i think a lot of people are like me though i have
one so that i go if i didn'thave one i wouldn't like i'm
accountable to him rather thanjust to myself do you have other
clients like that
SPEAKER_00 (15:21):
Yeah, yeah.
So that's why, of course, Imean, once they started
investing into their health andfitness with the online coaching
that I provide, it's usuallyenough accountability already.
Also me asking them, hey, haveyou done it?
I mean, I'm holding you alsoaccountable all the other
lifestyle choices that you aredoing here.
But I do have a few onlinecoaching clients who have a
(15:44):
personal experience.
trainer additionally.
So that's the thing.
That's because it's not aneither or.
I'm often having people sayinglike online coaching.
No, I want someone in personnext to me.
Oh, I would say usually, andthis is from working with
literally hundreds of personaltraining clients and now
hundreds of online coachingclients, online coaching clients
getting much better results.
(16:05):
Why?
Because it's much more holistic.
I mentioned already the traininglifestyle and nutrition part,
which is very much of notcovered with in-person personal
training.
SPEAKER_01 (16:17):
And you're really good also, I think we should
also acknowledge about foodchoices and how to help you with
that.
Like, can you talk about that?
Like how you help people withfood choices?
SPEAKER_00 (16:26):
Yeah, 100%.
So there's about, again, I mean,because you also ask about the
mistakes and I think we cancircle back to this one and then
go on to the food choice.
Because what I'm always seeingwith the people eating very
little food, they're having intheir head this one sentence, If
you have calories, then youburn.
And of course, there's sometruth to the sentence, 100%.
(16:47):
If you're not eating for a week,you will be losing body weight,
for sure.
But it's not that easy becauseeveryone knows the sentence and
still everyone is struggling.
So it's just as saying, hey, ifyou want to be rich, you just
need to earn more money.
It's simply said, but not soeasily done.
And the same applies tonutrition.
If you're always trying to eatless food, you're having, again,
(17:09):
this...
This effect that your body iscraving a lot, so you're eating
wrong food choices becauseself-discipline is a lie.
It's not about you stayingself-disciplined.
You just need to give the rightfood choice to your body so it
doesn't even have the cravings.
Additionally, we're having highinflammation levels when people
(17:31):
are not eating the right foodsand not enough foods, plus the
metabolism getting very slow ifwe are not eating if we are not
eating enough.
And these things are all themain mistakes, again, when it
comes to using body fat.
Usually the main feedback that Iget from my clients is, wow, I'm
eating so much more than beforebecause no one ever ate 200
(17:55):
grams of protein by chance.
So actually hitting the amountof protein that they're supposed
to hit is eating a lot of foods.
And they still have, like, forexample, we say 200 grams of
protein equals roughly 800calories.
800 calories is not a lot toeat, but 200 grams of protein to
eat, yes, will take you quitesome effort.
You will be eating quite a lotof chicken, for example.
(18:18):
Yes.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (18:19):
And what about the whole idea of older men and
working differently with the ageof being older with the younger?
Because I noticed we're all,everybody, all ages are in your
groups when I'm in them.
So how do you work differentlywith each age group?
SPEAKER_00 (18:34):
Yeah, true.
I just recently found out, like,so the youngest guy in the group
now is 21.
And the oldest is 75.
Wow.
Quite an age gap.
And of course, I mean, theprinciples are still the same.
So both will be doing some kindof squat variation and will be
focusing on progressivelyoverloading their weights.
So meaning that they're gettingstronger every session.
(18:56):
Those are just principles thatwill always apply.
But of course, the trainingroutine itself for the
75-year-old will look differentfrom the one the 20-year-old or
the 21-year-old.
Usually, of course, we're makingsure that we're focusing a lot
on stability for older men,especially with a 75.
(19:16):
That's definitely a topic thatyou need to focus on stability.
We need to adapt, of course,exercises in a way that they
feel comfortable doing them.
So maybe, especially in thebeginning when they're starting
with me, older men, they'redoing lots of machine-based work
so that they're feelingcomfortable at the gym and
they're also feeling safe at thegym.
SPEAKER_01 (19:34):
I think I told you my trainer is 78 years old, but
he's in better shape than me anda lot of people.
I mean, you're in great shape.
He's in as good of a shape asyou at 78 years old, I would
say.
SPEAKER_00 (19:45):
Crazy.
Yeah, and that's where it makesa difference.
The older you get, the moreimportant is that you are doing
some kind of strength training.
You can tell.
He's 78 years old, and if he'sas fit as me as a 32-year-old, I
mean, amazing.
And that's the secret.
So you can immediately tell ifsomeone is working out or not,
especially as they're aging.
(20:05):
And it's never too late.
That's the thing.
I have people coming to me andthey're like 58.
They're like, ah, at 58, I'm notsure if it's still worth it to
even start at the gym and to getinto exercise.
Of course it is.
Like, preferably you're havinganother...
42 years where you want to havethe best life possible, enjoying
(20:26):
your retirement.
And that means if you're gettinginto the gym and working out
from 58 to 68, for example, is acompletely different lifestyle
afterwards instead of notworking out from 58 to 68.
So that's really where the magicis happening.
SPEAKER_01 (20:44):
I'm glad you mentioned that because one thing
I would say to my trainer in thebeginning, when I started 15
years ago with him, I said tohim, you know, what's the point
of this?
Like you're saying, and, youknow, and then what if I get
sick?
And then, so then this is allfor nothing.
And he said, and I know a lot ofpeople think that way.
And it's crazy to think that hesaid, but if you do get sick,
and you're in shape, or inbetter shape, you're going to
(21:04):
have a better chance ofrecovery, better chance during
surgery, whatever you need isgoing to go better, because
you're going to be in bettershape.
Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER_00 (21:12):
Yeah, 100%.
Yeah, the recovery is just somuch better.
Just the thing I've heardrecently again that when elderly
people fall, they're breakingtheir legs and then they're
going into the hospital and theywon't recover from this because
it just takes so long for themto actually be able to walk
again and then it's goingdownhill.
(21:33):
So it's really a thing thatpeople are falling at a certain
age.
And yeah, of course, from theside effects from this long
term, then dying.
SPEAKER_01 (21:44):
Do you work with couples that want to work out
together and be in the programwith you together?
SPEAKER_00 (21:49):
Yes, I had a few.
Not sure even if it worked sofine so far.
I had like three couples.
Yeah, I do a few, but it's not athing so much.
No.
Probably less so with the gaymale population, maybe, right?
I don't know.
Yeah, as you're asking this, I'mjust reflecting why that might
be.
But yeah, I have like a fewcouples, but not too many.
(22:12):
Usually they're doing it ontheir own, interestingly.
SPEAKER_01 (22:17):
And tell us about this model you have about
SPEAKER_00 (22:19):
grow and contribute.
What does that mean to you?
I mean, I love it.
I think it's actually from TonyRobbins who says this.
And I think it's perfect becauseyou're always...
When you're trying tocontribute, you're always
growing yourself.
So what are we doing right now?
So, of course, it might beuncomfortable in the beginning
(22:39):
to just sit here and do apodcast.
But it's a way of contributing.
And of course, you said earlieralso, before we started, you
said like, hey, you loveteaching, giving your message
out there.
And the same is for me.
I mean, yes, I need to make surethat I'm putting my message out
there and giving out value.
And while I'm doing this, I'mgrowing myself.
(23:01):
I'm growing my knowledge.
I mean, of course, the way I'mspeaking and teaching everyone,
it's differently than in my headand in my mind by teaching it.
So I do think teaching is thebest way of making this
knowledge inside your head.
And the next thing is, ofcourse, that you're just
(23:22):
building more confidence whileyou're doing this stuff, while
you're putting yourself outthere.
SPEAKER_01 (23:27):
what do you do when um somebody drops out if they're
in the middle of it and um theyjust like probably ghost you i
don't know if people do that ornot like how do you handle that
SPEAKER_00 (23:38):
a tough one in the beginning i always thought it
was me it was one learning i hadand one very very successful
client here in berlin he had ahe's he's a founder of a very
huge company in berlin they havehaving It's a huge FinTech
company having 5,000 employeeshere.
So he's like, this is a billiondollar company.
(24:00):
And he ghosted me.
And I was like, huh, must be me.
I fucked something up.
I was like the people pleaser inmy head again.
Like, ah, did I say somethingwrong?
What was it?
And then I found out later hecouldn't even reply because he
was at the hospital and theytook his phone away.
He wasn't able to reply.
(24:20):
In my head, it was like, must beme.
But this was a huge learning.
So everyone who is like alwaysmaybe feeling like me and
they're taking things personallyfor me, it stopped that day or
at least it got a little bitlower of me taking things
personal, especially when itcomes to clients, client hosting
me.
Because yes, back to yourquestion, it does happen that
(24:41):
people are...
dropping out for differentreasons.
And the first thing that theylove doing is, of course,
ghosting me because, yes, it'svery uncomfortable to tell your
coach that you didn't put intopractice what you promised him.
But I think the most importantthing is, again, and that's why
I'm always telling everyone, Icannot solve problems that I
(25:01):
don't know about.
The thing is, once we get on acall, just like we do right now
here, join me also on this call,we can have a call with my
clients and I'm just going tohelp them overcome the problems.
So once they're fine withmeeting again and making sure we
make a new game plan that theycan stick to, it's fine because
something can always beimplemented and we always can
(25:23):
find a solution to the strugglesthat they're having.
SPEAKER_01 (25:27):
What about supplements?
Do you recommend any and can youtalk about them?
SPEAKER_00 (25:31):
Yeah, 100%.
So I'm having the basesupplements that I'm always
recommending all my clients.
When they're starting, theyalready get access to those ones
in the onboarding.
This is usually a high-qualitymagnesium.
Magnesium is included in so manypathways in the body, but mostly
it's there for recovery.
So it's faster recovery as wellas helps you with sleep.
(25:53):
So a high-quality magnesiumwould be the go-to.
Then definitely an omega-3.
supplement so some fatty acidsproven to help with um
anti-inflammation as well asalso now new research also shown
that helps with cognitivefunction creatine creatine
(26:15):
monohydrate would alwaysrecommend same thing good for
cognitive function as well asalso just overall performance at
the gym and last one which iwould usually prescribe
especially If you're not livingsomewhere where the sun is
always shining, 365 is a vitaminD supplement.
(26:35):
So I'm here in Berlin, Germany,and it's definitely been raining
all day today.
Oh, it does that in Germany,right?
Yeah.
Summer can be nice.
June, July, August.
But that's basically it.
And
SPEAKER_01 (26:51):
what about this creatine?
Because I just started takingthat.
I was reading the bottle and itsaid creatine.
Like you just said, it's reallygood for when you're strength
training.
On days I don't strength train,should I still take it?
SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
Yeah, 1%.
Yeah, you can take it all thetime.
So like five grams in themorning have been proven to be
totally fine.
And of course, you see thebiggest benefits if you combine
it with strength training.
But that's, again, another thingthat they have found recent
studies, especially as you'reaging, they're having the
biggest benefits from it.
And not only from a muscleperspective, but also, as
(27:22):
mentioned, from a cognitiveperspective.
Okay.
All right.
SPEAKER_01 (27:25):
Oh, yeah.
You said that.
Yes.
And then do you accept otherkinds of clients than just gay
men or do you strictly work withgay guys?
SPEAKER_00 (27:33):
No, no.
I do have a few straight peopleon board as well.
My mentor recently said like,hey, maybe you should do like a
straight tax or something.
Straight tax?
Charging them higher orsomething.
No, I found it cute recently.
I had like someone filling inthe how is the form on my
(27:56):
website?
And he put in like, hey, sorry,I need to tell you I'm straight,
but I saw your work and I reallyliked it.
Is there any chance that we canwork together anyways, even
though I'm straight?
And I go, okay, maybe.
No, I do have a few straightpeople, but they're usually not
(28:17):
part of this community that I'vebuilt.
So you see like you're part ofthe pride tribe.
Yeah.
they're knocked out.
It's usually because I want tokeep it quite exclusive.
And you see, like, there aretopics coming up inside this
group where I even didn't know,like, this is something very
exclusive to the gay community.
So people sharing, like, yeah,hey, I've changed my HIV
(28:38):
medication.
Is it going to affect my bellyfat?
Or, yeah, so these things comingup inside the community.
Right, specific things for justfor gay men, right?
Yeah, yeah, 1%, yeah.
Yeah, and then straight peoplemay not relate to this.
They're, like, then completelyconfused how these topics can
(28:58):
come up in a gay chat.
SPEAKER_01 (29:01):
Right, because really the thrust of your work,
I mean, you work with meindividually, but the group and
getting us together in communityin the Pride tribe, like, you
know, is what your big, I thinkwhat makes it so effective.
SPEAKER_00 (29:13):
I do think so as well.
Being part of the community isso, so impactful.
Yeah, it helps.
They normalize their problems.
I mean, I'm not sure how much Ican tell about your journey, but
you recently said something tome like, hey, I'm struggling
with this and that.
Am I the only one strugglingwith this?
And I immediately replied, hey,no, you're not the only one
(29:35):
struggling with this.
It's actually 90% of the otherguys, but not everyone likes to
talk about it.
UNKNOWN (29:41):
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01 (29:42):
Yeah, right.
No, I know I constantly willfeel like that, but no one else
feels as bad as me or does asbad as me.
And you're like, no, it's nottrue.
You know, and it helps me whenyou say that.
SPEAKER_00 (29:52):
Yeah, one percent.
Yeah.
And then are you accepting newclients?
I do.
Yes.
Although I mean, yeah.
So for me, it's now 20 to 11p.m.
in Berlin.
Yes, we agreed on doing thisinterview now and said like,
yeah, easy, totally fine doingit 4 p.m.
Eastern.
But I have to admit, basically,I've been working since this
(30:15):
morning, 7 a.m.
till kind of now.
Yes, I went home in between, hadsome lunch.
And then I just had dinner at 7p.m.
with my boyfriend and said,like, I'm going back to the
office now.
And so I'm working quite a lot.
So, yes, I'm still onboardingnew clients, but I'm not sure
how long.
So the next thing, we talkedabout this briefly as well, Joe,
(30:35):
recently, that I said, hey,like, I'm at a point where I
feel like I need to hiresomeone.
Yeah.
And yeah, because you're at thispoint already where you have
built this kind of as abusiness.
And right now I'm a one manshow.
So I'm doing anything fromhopping with everyone on the
roadmap call and to theonboarding, putting the resource
together for delivery.
(30:57):
Yeah.
And if you were to ask myboyfriend, he would always say,
I'm already at a point where Ineed to hire someone because I'm
SPEAKER_01 (31:06):
working way too much.
And you should trust what he'ssaying.
Cause I, my husband used to saythat to me in the beginning of
this 30 some odd years ago and Ididn't listen, but he was right.
He was
SPEAKER_00 (31:16):
right.
It's good to hear it from you.
Yeah.
So that would be the steps forme as a business in 2025.
I'm thinking because like now,even in January, we had 15 new
people joining in the pridetribe.
Yeah.
Wow.
And everyone needs individualattention.
Yeah.
And of course, I'm keeping theservice as high as possible.
(31:38):
So meaning I have a cap somehow.
I have to admit to myself that Ihave to cap out and say at some
point, hey, I cannot acceptanyone new until I solve this
cap and say like, hey, I need toget someone on board to help me
to take care of this business.
SPEAKER_01 (31:54):
Definitely.
What else would you like peopleto know before we come to an end
that we didn't get to that youwanted to make sure you said?
SPEAKER_00 (32:19):
There is a solution.
So feel free to reach out.
And even if you're not keen tojoin the Pride Tribe, I'm happy
to guide everyone, send freeresources.
If they're joining the Fit GameEnd Group on Facebook, I mean,
we're now like 4,500 guys inthere.
I'm doing regular live streamsthere, getting lots of value
(32:39):
out.
So yeah, there's a solution ifanyone is keen and struggling
with this.
Don't suffer in silence.
Get some help.
And then we can figure it out.
SPEAKER_01 (32:51):
Well, you told my social media team this, and I
really like it, so I want to sayit.
It is not complicated oroverwhelming when trying to stay
in shape and healthy with theright routines, practices, and
habits.
That's a good quote from you.
SPEAKER_00 (33:05):
Yeah, it's true.
Yeah.
People are alwaysovercomplicating it.
And I think there's a few easyprinciples that we just need to
stick to when it comes tostaying fit and healthy.
Yeah.
And it's just about havingsomeone who is showing you these
steps, holding you accountable,guiding you along the way, and
showing you the path.
(33:25):
And then it has worked for allof my clients who were really
committed to making a change.
All right, so how can peoplefind you, Amadeo?
Yeah, just easily on almost allthe social media platforms, not
TikTok, unfortunately.
But yeah, it's Amadeo Aram, soA-M-A-D-E-O, A-R-A-M.
(33:46):
It will be the same forInstagram and Facebook for sure.
I think that's the easiest way.
Or if you want to check out mywebsite, it's A-M-A minus
A-R-A-M dot com.
SPEAKER_01 (33:59):
Great.
And we'll put links in there tooso people will be able to find
you that way.
And isn't there a link to cometo Pride Tribe or they find it
at your other medias?
SPEAKER_00 (34:08):
Yeah.
So the Pride Tribe itself,that's only for the...
paid client memberships.
The WhatsApp chat itself, it'sonly for all the clients.
But there is a free group, whichis called the Fit Game Man group
on Facebook.
That's right.
And there you can just apply andanswer the membership questions.
(34:32):
I also, even with thiscommunity, I got a little bit
more harsh.
So if people are trying to joinand they're having no photo or
they're just not answering thequestion, I'm like, you're not a
good fit.
I need a basic amount ofcommitment and also no trolls.
So yeah, if you're keen to join,just ask to join the FitCamping
(34:52):
group on Facebook.
SPEAKER_01 (34:55):
All right.
Well, it's a pleasure having youon my show, Amadeo.
I'm glad we did this.
Thank
SPEAKER_00 (34:58):
you.
Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER_01 (35:00):
Yeah, yeah.
And you can hear more of mypodcasts at
smartsexsmartlove.com or alsoyou can go to joekort.com,
J-O-E-K-O-R-T.com.
My podcasts are also there.
You can follow me on Twitter,TikTok, Instagram, Facebook,
LinkedIn.
My handle is at Dr.
Joe Kort, D-R-J-O-E-K-O-R-T.
(35:21):
Thanks for listening.
And until next time, stay safeand stay healthy.
Welcome to Smart Sex, Smart Love, where talking
about sex goes beyond the tabooand talking about love goes
beyond the honeymoon.
My guest today is Amadeo Aram, asports and exercise professional
and certified personal trainerfrom Berlin, where he was born
and raised.
(00:20):
Amadeo works with gay men allover the world to help them
transform their bodies and theirhealth.
His goal is to help gay menbuild the body they always have
dreamed of.
Amadeo specializes in strengthtraining and fat loss and has a
passion for martial arts.
His motto in life is grow andcontribute.
Today, he's going to talk aboutwhy he chose to be a fitness
(00:41):
coach exclusively for gay men,the biggest mistakes men make
when working toward theirfitness goals, and how to stay
fit at any age.
Welcome, Amadeo.
SPEAKER_00 (00:51):
Thank you for having me, Joe.
Thank you
SPEAKER_01 (00:53):
so much.
Yep, I'm so happy to have you.
And full disclosure to people,I've been seeing Amadeo as a
personal fitness coach forprobably a year now, right?
Yes, that's correct.
Yep.
Yep.
And it's been incredible for me,the accountability, the ease.
I mean, I can go into a lot ofstuff, but and then I decided I
really wanted to share him withthe world.
And although he's already veryknown in the gay world, for
(01:14):
sure.
So we're going to just start.
So Amadeo, tell our listeners alittle more about what you do
and how you got interested infitness and the health industry.
SPEAKER_00 (01:23):
Yeah, perfect.
So as I already mentioned, I'm afitness coach, but mostly now
working as an online fitnesscoach.
So I do think that not manypeople understand the concept
of, okay, what does an onlinefitness coach actually do?
Because in their mind it's like,okay, like probably you're in a
Zoom chat and you working outwith someone one on one while
(01:44):
looking how they're doing theirexercise form.
But actually, the whole conceptof the online coaching is much
more holistic.
So, I mean, Joe already knows itbecause he's working with me,
but we're basically focusing onhow to intelligently train at
the gym.
So I'm guiding all my clients onthey're stepping into the gym
what can they do in terms oftheir workouts so that they're
(02:04):
feeling confident in doing themachines correctly in
progressing correctly and justmaking sure that they're
building some knowledge aroundthe topic of sports and exercise
then the second part is ofcourse the structural nutrition
part so we're making sure thateveryone knows how to fuel their
body to feel energized to buildmore muscle as well as also so
as to reduce any kind of bodyfat.
(02:24):
And then we're having the, whatI call the lifestyle part is all
about making sure we're managingstress.
We're looking at sleep patterns,recovery, digestion, all these
things that are also verycrucial, of course, when it
comes to the full bodyrecomposition that basically all
of my clients are looking at.
SPEAKER_01 (02:41):
And what about a personal story?
Like how did you get into this?
SPEAKER_00 (02:46):
Yeah, very good question.
So I do think when I'm lookingback at...
The younger Amadeo, when I was ateenager, I wasn't actually very
athletic.
I was kind of very, very small.
So they called me the walkingmeter here in Germany.
I mean, all of the Americanclients, American listeners
won't now understand what ameter is.
(03:08):
Because in Europe, we use ametric.
But it's basically maybe for anadult, maybe hip height.
So no, but they called me thewalking meter because I wasn't
so tall back then.
And I was pretty skinny as well.
So yeah.
when that outward appearance atthat age, and then you're
finding out why you're gay,doesn't make it easy.
(03:29):
So that's why I thought at avery young age, hey, I need to
somehow overcome this kind ofshortcomings as of my
appearance.
So I remember that at a veryyoung age, I tried to be one of
the cool kids and startedsmoking weed at like 13 or 14
(03:50):
already, which then led veryquickly to major panic attacks.
And I remember being at thepsychiatrist when I was like 13
and she said, you're too youngto have panic attacks.
suffering here.
And the one thing that helped meback then was doing sports.
So I really got into exercising.
(04:13):
I started going to the soccerpitch, just playing soccer every
day, going to the gym.
And then I saw, wow, that's notonly helping me to overcome my
fears.
It's also helping me in all theother areas of my life.
When I'm at the gym, I'm feelinglike I'm making progress.
I'm accomplishing something.
I build better self-confidence.
I'm looking better when I lookat myself in the mirror.
(04:35):
And from a mental perspective,even it helped me so much.
So like making this experiencemyself back then was like, wow,
okay.
I have to make this as a livingand help people with the same
that I struggled with.
SPEAKER_01 (04:50):
Thank you for sharing that.
Why only gay men?
Or primarily gay men?
Why did you decide that?
SPEAKER_00 (04:57):
And it might sound a little bit cheesy, but it shows
me.
No, I mean, yes, of course, I'mgay myself.
And when I started working as apersonal trainer here in Berlin,
I...
quickly onboarded a few personaltraining clients and
independently from each other.
It's not like the first fewweren't even like from
referrals, but one from a gym,one from maybe from France.
(05:21):
So everywhere I had a fewclients from and one thing that
I didn't know back then, butthen found out within the few
months of working with them,they were basically all gay.
Even from one guy where I didn'tknow it, I was then at a club
And I saw him and his boyfriendnext to me was like, oh, you're
(05:41):
gay?
I didn't even know it.
Even though we've been workingtogether for a few months
already on a weekly basis.
So then I thought like, hey,okay, like most of my clients
are gay anyways.
And that's the easiest for me toconnect with.
I understand their struggles.
And yeah, it's just, itresonates a lot.
So I thought like, okay, why notjust really connect?
(06:03):
making the focus on, hey, onlyworking with gay men in order
to, yeah, make this as enjoyablefor me as possible because I'm
working with my dream clients aswell as really helping them find
the right fit for theirstruggles.
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
I also feel that in this last year, tell me if I'm
wrong.
I don't know if I've ever saidthis to you.
It feels like you've gotten morepopular.
Like when I get online, I'm onFacebook.
I'm noticing more and more of myfriends are seeing you.
And I didn't notice that before.
Are you getting more clients,more popular?
SPEAKER_00 (06:33):
Well, yeah, the thing is I'm doing a lot of
Facebook marketing.
Let's say I'm very much visibleon Facebook.
I mean, yeah, if any of myInstagram followers would hear
this now, they would besurprised that I have posts on
Facebook, which was surprisingfor myself, like reached like a
thousand comments.
(06:55):
I was like, wow, that's insane.
How can you post something and1,000 people are commenting on a
post?
It was mind-boggling for me.
But yeah, Facebook works verywell for me.
It's an easier platform for meto connect with people, to
really find my tribe, to buildan audience, and to give value
there.
So I didn't understand the wholeInstagram and TikTok game so
(07:18):
far.
I know, Joe, I talked to you,and I know you're having close
to 700,000 followers.
TikTok followers.
It's insane for me.
I know.
Because, like, I don'tunderstand TikTok.
I don't even have it on myphone.
And Instagram is also for me,like, yeah, I don't understand
it.
So, yeah, Facebook is a thing.
SPEAKER_01 (07:35):
No, it's great.
Your following has grown.
And I remember when I firsthired you, I was like, do I want
a gay, you know, coach?
You know, the gay community canbe so harsh and, you know,
competitive.
And I'm saying this on purposebecause there might be gay
listeners and you're nothingcompared.
Nothing like that.
When you're not harsh.
I've always said this to you.
(07:56):
And when I'm, I'm more harsh onmyself and I'll, I'll be like,
oh, I have this appointment withyou today.
And I got to tell you that Ididn't follow through or
whatever.
And you're just like, you'rejust naturally.
Well, okay.
So how do we go to the nextthing?
I don't know.
How do you, can you describe howyou got like that?
Or is that just your nature?
I
SPEAKER_00 (08:12):
think that's just my nature.
Yeah.
I mean, I needed to understandthat I also had to get a little
bit tougher on my clientssometimes.
So I, In the beginning, so likeI naturally, I am the nice guy,
I think.
I'm always trying to, I thinkyou call these people like
people pleaser.
So I really love when there'sharmony and it's tough for me
when people don't like me.
(08:33):
But I had to accept throughoutmy career in the last few years
working as a trainer and beingon social media that some people
will not like you.
It's just the truth.
It's inevitable.
Plus, also, when you're workingas a coach, you need to have
some kind of So meaning I needto be able to call people out on
(08:54):
their own bullshit, but in thenicest way possible.
So I think this is what you justsaid.
I think being always withempathy and making sure that I
understand the struggles, plusalso then making sure that I can
somehow help them overcome thestruggles while not being not
(09:15):
too harsh with them.
SPEAKER_01 (09:17):
Well, let's springboard off that and tell,
can you tell the guys what youdo?
Like, how do you, what, what'sthe process you do in working
with your clients?
SPEAKER_00 (09:25):
Yeah, 100%.
Like if anyone is interested intransforming their health and
they're feeling like, hey, theyneed a little bit more
accountability, guidance andstructure there, then usually
hopping on a call with them,making sure that we really
putting down a roadmap for themthat they're feeling comfortable
with.
Yeah.
And that's also important for mebecause I'm, I'm having a
community and you know thetruth, like we're a tribe, which
(09:48):
means we're having our WhatsAppgroup.
So everyone who needs to jointhe community needs to be a good
fit for it.
If you're having one personpeeing in the pool, everyone
needs to leave the pool.
And the same applies tocommunity.
When you're having someone whois a dick inside this community,
it's not It's not a great tribeanymore.
(10:09):
So I'm quite selective now withwho I'm letting into the tribe.
And I have to confess, I alsotold a few people off and said
like, hey, you might not be agood fit for us.
But that always means that bothof us need to be fine with going
the next step, which means thenwe're doing an onboarding call
and where we then going to makesure that we having the status
(10:29):
quo set from the status quo, wecan make sure we set some
milestones and the milestones wecan break down in the first few
action steps so that everyone ishas 100% clarity on what the
first steps are in the firstweek.
And from there, we're buildinghabits.
So always adding one habit at atime.
I mean, Joe, you know what,you're having a habit cheat.
It's super crucial that you areintegrating those things into
(10:50):
your lifestyle.
You're always making sure thatevery single step that we try to
automate, that everyone feelscomfortable with.
So the journey can be quiteindividual for every single one.
Some people might be onlycounting their steps in the
first week and making sure thatthey're hitting their water
targets.
And while others starting withfive to six strength trainings
(11:13):
at the gym and starting to counttheir calories.
So this is completely differentand individual.
But for me, it's alwaysimportant that on a weekly
basis, I'm sure what's beenimplemented from the client side
and what do they need from me inorder to move forward.
SPEAKER_01 (11:28):
I really appreciate the individualization because
you remember for me, at least Iwas getting confused about which
tracking sheets and how to doGoogle docs and I was all
screwed up and you simplified itfor me.
I really appreciated that.
SPEAKER_00 (11:40):
Yeah, that's super important.
And this is something that I'vehad to learn.
Like I had this program set inthe beginning.
It was like, Hey, this is goingto be how it needs to work.
But then I found like howeveryone is so individual and
everyone had their individualneeds and lifestyles.
So I'm now super happy to alwaysadapt everything individually.
individually to every singleclient.
SPEAKER_01 (12:00):
And you said there are three big mistakes men make
when they're trying to stay inshape and get in shape.
What are they and how do youhelp them correct these
mistakes?
SPEAKER_00 (12:08):
Yeah, so the first thing that I'm seeing is that
people are focusing only ondoing more cardio training.
So in their head, it's somehowlike our cardio training burns
body fat.
So I need to be doing morecardio training.
And then I'm hearing peopledoing on the going on the
treadmill a few times per week.
And then they're just feelingfrustrated because they're not
(12:29):
getting the results that theywould like to get.
And the biggest problem withthis is that the Of course, they
will be burning for a fewcalories while they're on the
treadmill itself.
However, studies have shown overand over again that then they
will be eating those caloriesback because they feel like, oh,
I've burned them and they caneat more.
(12:51):
This resonates here.
And the thing is, it's not along-term solution.
The long-term solution isalways...
by implementing strengthtraining.
Doing more strength trainingwill help actively to raise some
metabolism by building moreactive tissue, so muscle, an
active tissue which then helpsyou to use more energy on a
daily basis also while you'resleeping so when we're looking
(13:14):
at very muscular people they areeating a lot yeah so i just went
recently on a little retreatwith 30 other fitness coaches
where we were invited from mymentor yeah so i'm part of a
mentorship where we only fitnesscoaches and um i saw how much
everyone was eating and i waslike okay these are all
extremely fit guys and Somepeople would think like, ah,
(13:38):
when you're very fit, very lean,you might be eating very little.
Sometimes the opposite is true.
It's just about the right foodchoices and the right amount of
food.
So, yeah, first thing first, dostrength training instead of
only focusing on cardiotraining.
Cardio training on top, butprioritize strength training.
SPEAKER_01 (13:55):
That makes sense.
I do notice if I stop doingstrength training, I will start
to gain weight.
So I do notice that that is moreimportant, it seems like, like
you're saying, than just cardio.
SPEAKER_00 (14:04):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean, this is something thatwe might even have to highlight
here.
You are working with me as youronline fitness coach while
you're having two personaltrainers where you're based.
SPEAKER_01 (14:15):
I do, I know.
Because I find that, and this isa good thing, how do you find it
limiting?
Like, I like to be in personwhen I'm being coached to do my
strength training, but you do itonline.
Isn't that limiting?
SPEAKER_00 (14:28):
Not much because I'm expecting all my clients to send
me over their exercise videos.
So usually when I'm onboardingsomeone who is not working with
a personal trainer, they arejust sending me over how they're
exercising.
And let's face it, once you havemastered a few basic strength
exercises, you don't need apersonal trainer anymore next to
you.
You know how to squat.
You know how to do a pull-up orto do the bench press.
(14:50):
And the progression doesn't gothrough always alternating every
single exercise.
So progression is coming throughdifferent exercises.
intensities different volumesintercept rest breaks frequency
all these things will change butnot the exercise itself so you
will be doing squats for 10years and once you've mastered
this exercise you're fine youdon't need a personal trainer
(15:10):
next to you
SPEAKER_01 (15:12):
i think a lot of people are like me though i have
one so that i go if i didn'thave one i wouldn't like i'm
accountable to him rather thanjust to myself do you have other
clients like that
SPEAKER_00 (15:21):
Yeah, yeah.
So that's why, of course, Imean, once they started
investing into their health andfitness with the online coaching
that I provide, it's usuallyenough accountability already.
Also me asking them, hey, haveyou done it?
I mean, I'm holding you alsoaccountable all the other
lifestyle choices that you aredoing here.
But I do have a few onlinecoaching clients who have a
(15:44):
personal experience.
trainer additionally.
So that's the thing.
That's because it's not aneither or.
I'm often having people sayinglike online coaching.
No, I want someone in personnext to me.
Oh, I would say usually, andthis is from working with
literally hundreds of personaltraining clients and now
hundreds of online coachingclients, online coaching clients
getting much better results.
(16:05):
Why?
Because it's much more holistic.
I mentioned already the traininglifestyle and nutrition part,
which is very much of notcovered with in-person personal
training.
SPEAKER_01 (16:17):
And you're really good also, I think we should
also acknowledge about foodchoices and how to help you with
that.
Like, can you talk about that?
Like how you help people withfood choices?
SPEAKER_00 (16:26):
Yeah, 100%.
So there's about, again, I mean,because you also ask about the
mistakes and I think we cancircle back to this one and then
go on to the food choice.
Because what I'm always seeingwith the people eating very
little food, they're having intheir head this one sentence, If
you have calories, then youburn.
And of course, there's sometruth to the sentence, 100%.
(16:47):
If you're not eating for a week,you will be losing body weight,
for sure.
But it's not that easy becauseeveryone knows the sentence and
still everyone is struggling.
So it's just as saying, hey, ifyou want to be rich, you just
need to earn more money.
It's simply said, but not soeasily done.
And the same applies tonutrition.
If you're always trying to eatless food, you're having, again,
(17:09):
this...
This effect that your body iscraving a lot, so you're eating
wrong food choices becauseself-discipline is a lie.
It's not about you stayingself-disciplined.
You just need to give the rightfood choice to your body so it
doesn't even have the cravings.
Additionally, we're having highinflammation levels when people
(17:31):
are not eating the right foodsand not enough foods, plus the
metabolism getting very slow ifwe are not eating if we are not
eating enough.
And these things are all themain mistakes, again, when it
comes to using body fat.
Usually the main feedback that Iget from my clients is, wow, I'm
eating so much more than beforebecause no one ever ate 200
(17:55):
grams of protein by chance.
So actually hitting the amountof protein that they're supposed
to hit is eating a lot of foods.
And they still have, like, forexample, we say 200 grams of
protein equals roughly 800calories.
800 calories is not a lot toeat, but 200 grams of protein to
eat, yes, will take you quitesome effort.
You will be eating quite a lotof chicken, for example.
(18:18):
Yes.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (18:19):
And what about the whole idea of older men and
working differently with the ageof being older with the younger?
Because I noticed we're all,everybody, all ages are in your
groups when I'm in them.
So how do you work differentlywith each age group?
SPEAKER_00 (18:34):
Yeah, true.
I just recently found out, like,so the youngest guy in the group
now is 21.
And the oldest is 75.
Wow.
Quite an age gap.
And of course, I mean, theprinciples are still the same.
So both will be doing some kindof squat variation and will be
focusing on progressivelyoverloading their weights.
So meaning that they're gettingstronger every session.
(18:56):
Those are just principles thatwill always apply.
But of course, the trainingroutine itself for the
75-year-old will look differentfrom the one the 20-year-old or
the 21-year-old.
Usually, of course, we're makingsure that we're focusing a lot
on stability for older men,especially with a 75.
(19:16):
That's definitely a topic thatyou need to focus on stability.
We need to adapt, of course,exercises in a way that they
feel comfortable doing them.
So maybe, especially in thebeginning when they're starting
with me, older men, they'redoing lots of machine-based work
so that they're feelingcomfortable at the gym and
they're also feeling safe at thegym.
SPEAKER_01 (19:34):
I think I told you my trainer is 78 years old, but
he's in better shape than me anda lot of people.
I mean, you're in great shape.
He's in as good of a shape asyou at 78 years old, I would
say.
SPEAKER_00 (19:45):
Crazy.
Yeah, and that's where it makesa difference.
The older you get, the moreimportant is that you are doing
some kind of strength training.
You can tell.
He's 78 years old, and if he'sas fit as me as a 32-year-old, I
mean, amazing.
And that's the secret.
So you can immediately tell ifsomeone is working out or not,
especially as they're aging.
(20:05):
And it's never too late.
That's the thing.
I have people coming to me andthey're like 58.
They're like, ah, at 58, I'm notsure if it's still worth it to
even start at the gym and to getinto exercise.
Of course it is.
Like, preferably you're havinganother...
42 years where you want to havethe best life possible, enjoying
(20:26):
your retirement.
And that means if you're gettinginto the gym and working out
from 58 to 68, for example, is acompletely different lifestyle
afterwards instead of notworking out from 58 to 68.
So that's really where the magicis happening.
SPEAKER_01 (20:44):
I'm glad you mentioned that because one thing
I would say to my trainer in thebeginning, when I started 15
years ago with him, I said tohim, you know, what's the point
of this?
Like you're saying, and, youknow, and then what if I get
sick?
And then, so then this is allfor nothing.
And he said, and I know a lot ofpeople think that way.
And it's crazy to think that hesaid, but if you do get sick,
and you're in shape, or inbetter shape, you're going to
(21:04):
have a better chance ofrecovery, better chance during
surgery, whatever you need isgoing to go better, because
you're going to be in bettershape.
Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER_00 (21:12):
Yeah, 100%.
Yeah, the recovery is just somuch better.
Just the thing I've heardrecently again that when elderly
people fall, they're breakingtheir legs and then they're
going into the hospital and theywon't recover from this because
it just takes so long for themto actually be able to walk
again and then it's goingdownhill.
(21:33):
So it's really a thing thatpeople are falling at a certain
age.
And yeah, of course, from theside effects from this long
term, then dying.
SPEAKER_01 (21:44):
Do you work with couples that want to work out
together and be in the programwith you together?
SPEAKER_00 (21:49):
Yes, I had a few.
Not sure even if it worked sofine so far.
I had like three couples.
Yeah, I do a few, but it's not athing so much.
No.
Probably less so with the gaymale population, maybe, right?
I don't know.
Yeah, as you're asking this, I'mjust reflecting why that might
be.
But yeah, I have like a fewcouples, but not too many.
(22:12):
Usually they're doing it ontheir own, interestingly.
SPEAKER_01 (22:17):
And tell us about this model you have about
SPEAKER_00 (22:19):
grow and contribute.
What does that mean to you?
I mean, I love it.
I think it's actually from TonyRobbins who says this.
And I think it's perfect becauseyou're always...
When you're trying tocontribute, you're always
growing yourself.
So what are we doing right now?
So, of course, it might beuncomfortable in the beginning
(22:39):
to just sit here and do apodcast.
But it's a way of contributing.
And of course, you said earlieralso, before we started, you
said like, hey, you loveteaching, giving your message
out there.
And the same is for me.
I mean, yes, I need to make surethat I'm putting my message out
there and giving out value.
And while I'm doing this, I'mgrowing myself.
(23:01):
I'm growing my knowledge.
I mean, of course, the way I'mspeaking and teaching everyone,
it's differently than in my headand in my mind by teaching it.
So I do think teaching is thebest way of making this
knowledge inside your head.
And the next thing is, ofcourse, that you're just
(23:22):
building more confidence whileyou're doing this stuff, while
you're putting yourself outthere.
SPEAKER_01 (23:27):
what do you do when um somebody drops out if they're
in the middle of it and um theyjust like probably ghost you i
don't know if people do that ornot like how do you handle that
SPEAKER_00 (23:38):
a tough one in the beginning i always thought it
was me it was one learning i hadand one very very successful
client here in berlin he had ahe's he's a founder of a very
huge company in berlin they havehaving It's a huge FinTech
company having 5,000 employeeshere.
So he's like, this is a billiondollar company.
(24:00):
And he ghosted me.
And I was like, huh, must be me.
I fucked something up.
I was like the people pleaser inmy head again.
Like, ah, did I say somethingwrong?
What was it?
And then I found out later hecouldn't even reply because he
was at the hospital and theytook his phone away.
He wasn't able to reply.
(24:20):
In my head, it was like, must beme.
But this was a huge learning.
So everyone who is like alwaysmaybe feeling like me and
they're taking things personallyfor me, it stopped that day or
at least it got a little bitlower of me taking things
personal, especially when itcomes to clients, client hosting
me.
Because yes, back to yourquestion, it does happen that
(24:41):
people are...
dropping out for differentreasons.
And the first thing that theylove doing is, of course,
ghosting me because, yes, it'svery uncomfortable to tell your
coach that you didn't put intopractice what you promised him.
But I think the most importantthing is, again, and that's why
I'm always telling everyone, Icannot solve problems that I
(25:01):
don't know about.
The thing is, once we get on acall, just like we do right now
here, join me also on this call,we can have a call with my
clients and I'm just going tohelp them overcome the problems.
So once they're fine withmeeting again and making sure we
make a new game plan that theycan stick to, it's fine because
something can always beimplemented and we always can
(25:23):
find a solution to the strugglesthat they're having.
SPEAKER_01 (25:27):
What about supplements?
Do you recommend any and can youtalk about them?
SPEAKER_00 (25:31):
Yeah, 100%.
So I'm having the basesupplements that I'm always
recommending all my clients.
When they're starting, theyalready get access to those ones
in the onboarding.
This is usually a high-qualitymagnesium.
Magnesium is included in so manypathways in the body, but mostly
it's there for recovery.
So it's faster recovery as wellas helps you with sleep.
(25:53):
So a high-quality magnesiumwould be the go-to.
Then definitely an omega-3.
supplement so some fatty acidsproven to help with um
anti-inflammation as well asalso now new research also shown
that helps with cognitivefunction creatine creatine
(26:15):
monohydrate would alwaysrecommend same thing good for
cognitive function as well asalso just overall performance at
the gym and last one which iwould usually prescribe
especially If you're not livingsomewhere where the sun is
always shining, 365 is a vitaminD supplement.
(26:35):
So I'm here in Berlin, Germany,and it's definitely been raining
all day today.
Oh, it does that in Germany,right?
Yeah.
Summer can be nice.
June, July, August.
But that's basically it.
And
SPEAKER_01 (26:51):
what about this creatine?
Because I just started takingthat.
I was reading the bottle and itsaid creatine.
Like you just said, it's reallygood for when you're strength
training.
On days I don't strength train,should I still take it?
SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
Yeah, 1%.
Yeah, you can take it all thetime.
So like five grams in themorning have been proven to be
totally fine.
And of course, you see thebiggest benefits if you combine
it with strength training.
But that's, again, another thingthat they have found recent
studies, especially as you'reaging, they're having the
biggest benefits from it.
And not only from a muscleperspective, but also, as
(27:22):
mentioned, from a cognitiveperspective.
Okay.
All right.
SPEAKER_01 (27:25):
Oh, yeah.
You said that.
Yes.
And then do you accept otherkinds of clients than just gay
men or do you strictly work withgay guys?
SPEAKER_00 (27:33):
No, no.
I do have a few straight peopleon board as well.
My mentor recently said like,hey, maybe you should do like a
straight tax or something.
Straight tax?
Charging them higher orsomething.
No, I found it cute recently.
I had like someone filling inthe how is the form on my
(27:56):
website?
And he put in like, hey, sorry,I need to tell you I'm straight,
but I saw your work and I reallyliked it.
Is there any chance that we canwork together anyways, even
though I'm straight?
And I go, okay, maybe.
No, I do have a few straightpeople, but they're usually not
(28:17):
part of this community that I'vebuilt.
So you see like you're part ofthe pride tribe.
Yeah.
they're knocked out.
It's usually because I want tokeep it quite exclusive.
And you see, like, there aretopics coming up inside this
group where I even didn't know,like, this is something very
exclusive to the gay community.
So people sharing, like, yeah,hey, I've changed my HIV
(28:38):
medication.
Is it going to affect my bellyfat?
Or, yeah, so these things comingup inside the community.
Right, specific things for justfor gay men, right?
Yeah, yeah, 1%, yeah.
Yeah, and then straight peoplemay not relate to this.
They're, like, then completelyconfused how these topics can
(28:58):
come up in a gay chat.
SPEAKER_01 (29:01):
Right, because really the thrust of your work,
I mean, you work with meindividually, but the group and
getting us together in communityin the Pride tribe, like, you
know, is what your big, I thinkwhat makes it so effective.
SPEAKER_00 (29:13):
I do think so as well.
Being part of the community isso, so impactful.
Yeah, it helps.
They normalize their problems.
I mean, I'm not sure how much Ican tell about your journey, but
you recently said something tome like, hey, I'm struggling
with this and that.
Am I the only one strugglingwith this?
And I immediately replied, hey,no, you're not the only one
(29:35):
struggling with this.
It's actually 90% of the otherguys, but not everyone likes to
talk about it.
UNKNOWN (29:41):
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01 (29:42):
Yeah, right.
No, I know I constantly willfeel like that, but no one else
feels as bad as me or does asbad as me.
And you're like, no, it's nottrue.
You know, and it helps me whenyou say that.
SPEAKER_00 (29:52):
Yeah, one percent.
Yeah.
And then are you accepting newclients?
I do.
Yes.
Although I mean, yeah.
So for me, it's now 20 to 11p.m.
in Berlin.
Yes, we agreed on doing thisinterview now and said like,
yeah, easy, totally fine doingit 4 p.m.
Eastern.
But I have to admit, basically,I've been working since this
(30:15):
morning, 7 a.m.
till kind of now.
Yes, I went home in between, hadsome lunch.
And then I just had dinner at 7p.m.
with my boyfriend and said,like, I'm going back to the
office now.
And so I'm working quite a lot.
So, yes, I'm still onboardingnew clients, but I'm not sure
how long.
So the next thing, we talkedabout this briefly as well, Joe,
(30:35):
recently, that I said, hey,like, I'm at a point where I
feel like I need to hiresomeone.
Yeah.
And yeah, because you're at thispoint already where you have
built this kind of as abusiness.
And right now I'm a one manshow.
So I'm doing anything fromhopping with everyone on the
roadmap call and to theonboarding, putting the resource
together for delivery.
(30:57):
Yeah.
And if you were to ask myboyfriend, he would always say,
I'm already at a point where Ineed to hire someone because I'm
SPEAKER_01 (31:06):
working way too much.
And you should trust what he'ssaying.
Cause I, my husband used to saythat to me in the beginning of
this 30 some odd years ago and Ididn't listen, but he was right.
He was
SPEAKER_00 (31:16):
right.
It's good to hear it from you.
Yeah.
So that would be the steps forme as a business in 2025.
I'm thinking because like now,even in January, we had 15 new
people joining in the pridetribe.
Yeah.
Wow.
And everyone needs individualattention.
Yeah.
And of course, I'm keeping theservice as high as possible.
(31:38):
So meaning I have a cap somehow.
I have to admit to myself that Ihave to cap out and say at some
point, hey, I cannot acceptanyone new until I solve this
cap and say like, hey, I need toget someone on board to help me
to take care of this business.
SPEAKER_01 (31:54):
Definitely.
What else would you like peopleto know before we come to an end
that we didn't get to that youwanted to make sure you said?
SPEAKER_00 (32:19):
There is a solution.
So feel free to reach out.
And even if you're not keen tojoin the Pride Tribe, I'm happy
to guide everyone, send freeresources.
If they're joining the Fit GameEnd Group on Facebook, I mean,
we're now like 4,500 guys inthere.
I'm doing regular live streamsthere, getting lots of value
(32:39):
out.
So yeah, there's a solution ifanyone is keen and struggling
with this.
Don't suffer in silence.
Get some help.
And then we can figure it out.
SPEAKER_01 (32:51):
Well, you told my social media team this, and I
really like it, so I want to sayit.
It is not complicated oroverwhelming when trying to stay
in shape and healthy with theright routines, practices, and
habits.
That's a good quote from you.
SPEAKER_00 (33:05):
Yeah, it's true.
Yeah.
People are alwaysovercomplicating it.
And I think there's a few easyprinciples that we just need to
stick to when it comes tostaying fit and healthy.
Yeah.
And it's just about havingsomeone who is showing you these
steps, holding you accountable,guiding you along the way, and
showing you the path.
(33:25):
And then it has worked for allof my clients who were really
committed to making a change.
All right, so how can peoplefind you, Amadeo?
Yeah, just easily on almost allthe social media platforms, not
TikTok, unfortunately.
But yeah, it's Amadeo Aram, soA-M-A-D-E-O, A-R-A-M.
(33:46):
It will be the same forInstagram and Facebook for sure.
I think that's the easiest way.
Or if you want to check out mywebsite, it's A-M-A minus
A-R-A-M dot com.
SPEAKER_01 (33:59):
Great.
And we'll put links in there tooso people will be able to find
you that way.
And isn't there a link to cometo Pride Tribe or they find it
at your other medias?
SPEAKER_00 (34:08):
Yeah.
So the Pride Tribe itself,that's only for the...
paid client memberships.
The WhatsApp chat itself, it'sonly for all the clients.
But there is a free group, whichis called the Fit Game Man group
on Facebook.
That's right.
And there you can just apply andanswer the membership questions.
(34:32):
I also, even with thiscommunity, I got a little bit
more harsh.
So if people are trying to joinand they're having no photo or
they're just not answering thequestion, I'm like, you're not a
good fit.
I need a basic amount ofcommitment and also no trolls.
So yeah, if you're keen to join,just ask to join the FitCamping
(34:52):
group on Facebook.
SPEAKER_01 (34:55):
All right.
Well, it's a pleasure having youon my show, Amadeo.
I'm glad we did this.
Thank
SPEAKER_00 (34:58):
you.
Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER_01 (35:00):
Yeah, yeah.
And you can hear more of mypodcasts at
smartsexsmartlove.com or alsoyou can go to joekort.com,
J-O-E-K-O-R-T.com.
My podcasts are also there.
You can follow me on Twitter,TikTok, Instagram, Facebook,
LinkedIn.
My handle is at Dr.
Joe Kort, D-R-J-O-E-K-O-R-T.
(35:21):
Thanks for listening.
And until next time, stay safeand stay healthy.
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