May 31, 2019 • 41 mins
Mario Lopez welcomes his friend & PrayFit founder Jimmy Peña to the podcast to discuss faith, fitness, and more! Mario & Peña talk about how they first met, co-authoring a few books together, why diet fads don't work, how Jimmy's health issues caused him to hit rock bottom, all the faith based work he now does with people with disabilities, and more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, Mario Lopez here excited right now to welcome
my buddy Jimmy ben Yah to the podcast. I've known
this dude for a long time now. We co authored
a few books together. Both have a pretty strong passion
for faith and fitness. So we're gonna get into all
that and the major health issues that, ironically, this being
his field that ended up taking a toll in his life,
(00:21):
his career, everything, So let's get into it. Ben Ya,
what's up? Welcome brother? You know we're good friends when
I just call you by your last name because I
only call my dear friends either by their last name
or give him a nickname. And you've always been Benya,
which is which is a good one. Why are you laughing?
(00:45):
I'm not laughing, Yeah, sounding like a laugh So, dude,
I was trying to I've known you how long now? Since?
When when do we do our book? Years? Almost damn
fifteen years? Really? I think we started with with not
Out Fitness. That's exactly it. Uh, my very first UM
health and fitness book called Knockout Fitness. Really excited, right,
(01:10):
and they wanted me to partner up with um Um,
a guy who is very much respected in that Field, um,
and who's a great writer. And I remember Men's Health
and um. A lot of publications recommended a guy named
Jimmy Benya, and I'm like, okay's Latino. That's tight, said,
I said, Jimmy Benya, I said, I said, let me
(01:31):
And then we met in person and I was like,
all right now, I like this guy had a good energy.
What do you think? Who's this dude, Mario Lopez? I
gotta work with. Yeah. I remember the first thing I
walked up the stairs and the first thing you ever
said to me is like, great, you're prompt, right, coming
from the guy that's never on time. First of all,
I'm always on a time. You're such a lion, right, bastart.
That's how you're gonna start. I just gave you a
nicer deduction. I am always on time. Life gets in
(01:54):
the way or show business sometimes by the way you were,
you were giving me a hard time with that expression.
And the reason I say show businesses is unfortunately, and
I tell this to my family and friends all the time,
schedules unpredictable. It's fluid, it changes. It's about when you're
doing a show that's topical, stuff comes up and you
gotta retrack and you gotta reshoot and blah blah blah.
It's not my doing. You know that, you've known that
(02:15):
over your show business. Stupid. You're so stupid anyway, So
you came in you remember what do you remember about that? Yeah, No,
it's great. I brought flowers to your mom. You did,
You brought flowers and my mom didn't live with me.
It's just going to be there, you know. And and no,
it's great. I I couldn't believe. It was a great opportunity. Um.
I thought I'm gonna do some some good books. And
(02:37):
in fact, that opportunity actually opened up the doors for
other other ghostwriting gigs and other So yeah, it was.
It was a great time. Um is when fitness was big. Yeah,
both of us. Well well yeah, we're gonna get to
that in a second. But and also we parlayed that
into a couple of books and wrote a book called
Extra Lean Together, which proud to say New York Times
(02:59):
best uh seller, and um that was essentially all about
creating meals and and having a healthy approach to your meals.
Which you know, what I liked allow about that book
is that, look, there's a million diets out there, and
when we've said that, yeah, they can work for like
a hot second, but diets don't work. People work, And
(03:19):
it's all about the lifestyle. And if you essentially just
don't eat like an idiot and try to graze every
three hours like a goat, right, and your plate looks
sensible with a uh portion control, also with a healthy
combo of fat, carbs and protein, then you'll be fine
and try to break a sweat every day. And it
(03:40):
really is that simple, right you. You wanted to do
that book at a time when fads really started becoming
the thing, and you said, you know what I wanna
You're a foodie. I'm a foodie, and so you know,
I look at it like the Treasury Department looks at counterfeits.
You know, they don't spend all the time looking at
counterfeit bills. They study the real think so that when
(04:01):
a fake crosses their desk, they know it. That's how
I look at diet fads. And that's why Extra Len
did so well, because it really taught people, hey, this
is balanced, this is reality. You know, you can walk
into a restaurant and realize what foods due to you
and how you can you know absorb protein, fats and
cars weres today you got everything from you name it
(04:21):
keyto to you know, the the spectrum is endless on
the blank exactly. So yeah, that was a beauty of
extra Lyn. What exactly did you study or what was
your title that i'man aside from being a great writer
and in this space and dis consuming your life for
many years. Well, uh, in the nineties, I got my
master's degree of clinical exercise physiology and I published a
thesis on the effects of endurance training on muscle size
(04:42):
and strength in competitive athletes. So right out of college
I was into fitness and into strength and conditioning. And
you know, were you always into writing as well? Or well?
In fact, that month I presented that thesis and Muscle
Infinitess magazine. They were in the audience and they said, hey,
why don't you be a freelance for freelance science guy
for us? And I said, yeah. That was in like
(05:02):
and then for the Yeah, for the next few years,
that's all I did every month, And you usually just
kind of became a right became a writer. I was.
I was like the worst student in my class. I
was like the worst writer. Um, but the Baylor, right,
yeph Baylor, and then the UT system for my graduate work. Um,
and uh, never, never, in a million years I figured
out to be a writer but had a knack for it. Yeah, no,
(05:23):
And and it worked out. And obviously health and fitness
is the top priority in my life. And and um,
I've never appreciated it more than I do now because
it's something I want to get into. Man, that's really
been and I've been wanting to talk to you about it. Okay,
forty five now, right, gonna be forty six this year, dude,
my fucking body and I'm pardon me forgetting it is.
(05:45):
I'm battling like depression and frustration and a lot of
angst because it is slowly breaking down on me. Remember
the movie The Blues Brothers when that car at the
end of the movie goes through that big chase and
then it just sort of completely falls apart. Remember that?
But no, I didn't see the movie. How can you
not see The Blues Brothers? What does it matter with
you've never seen The Blues Brothers. Now you've thrown everything,
(06:09):
my whole thing, Oh my god, And I gotta pull
it up just to show anyway, the car completely just
goes through like one of the best car chases on
film history and dating myself, but it's a classic film,
and then it just implodes. It just just breaks down.
That's how my body feels right now. From my achilles rupture,
which was severe, which is about the worst injury you
can get as an athlete. Just as I was getting
(06:30):
over that, then I get stupid carpal tunnel, and then
I got a damage nerve in my neck, which is
basically paralyzed my arm. I haven't been able to work
out upper body for two weeks now, and I can't
do the things that I love. I can't. I can't box,
I can't do jiu jitsu. I can't. And I always say,
(06:52):
you know, I don't work out for vanity. I work
out for sanity. I wanna it helps me relieve my stress.
It helps me, um just chill out and not not
take it out on like my old lady at home
and or the kids or anything. It just helps me
kind of add balance because every day, UM getting pulled
in a hundred different directions, UM juggling a hundred things.
And I like that. I like being busy. I like
(07:13):
the chaos. But that was like my little out. Whenever
I can carve that out. I did that and it
was very therapeutic for me. And now that I'm not
able to do the things that I love to do
on a regular or or, I'm having to reconsider um
my approach and I don't want to get into damn golf.
I always said I was gonna play golf when my
(07:35):
body was broken down to decrepit. I feel too young.
I want to be that old guy at the gym
that you're still sparring with. I want to be able
to roll around. I want to get with my kids.
It's it's just it's really kind of with my head.
And we'll see your golf tournament. Yeah, well I have
a golf tournament, and that ironically UM is to U
benefit the children's hospital where my kids are born and
does a lot of good. So I do that just
(07:56):
because I know it's great revenue for helping a lot
of kids. So yeah, and helping people. But I mean,
I put it out there. I'm not a golfer, but
just as I'm all about this the celebration, but I
can host and I'll make sure people have a good time.
Um So, I just like it's hard to wrap my
head around that that you have to be willing to
(08:16):
um sort of accept how your your life comes at
you and the way your body just is. You're not
you're I mean where you're breaking down. We're breaking down.
Coming to grips with that. I mean, I unfortunately came
to grips with it, um a few years ago, had
to you know, Uh, you're a much more severe situation. Yeah. Um,
(08:38):
but we're in a broken world. Man, We're in a
broken world. Um. You know. I I approach it with
a from a kind of a you know, Christian mindset.
You know, we're in a broken world. Uh. And our
bodies follow suit our bodies like you said, you said,
I've heard you say, like my body is betraying me. Not.
Your body is just it's doing exactly exactly what it's
(09:01):
supposed to do. And you have to come to grips
with it. And I know you're a fighter and you're
gonna I'm gonna fight this tooth and nil, which I
think is fine. I think we should fight at tooth
and nail. And I think we should take care of
ourselves because the thing is health as a gift. You know,
we bust Toody's chops about. You know, you know his way,
and we can take care of yourself too. But you know,
there's some truth, honestly, there's some truth to the fact
(09:21):
that you know, I've got a brother who he doesn't
have a thing in the world wrong with him. He's
he's perfectly healthy, but doesn't take care of himself. It's
a gift. Um my dad, Dad gets checks out, he's fine.
The guy drinks and smokes every day. But it is
But it is a gift. And some people will say, well,
you earn your body. That's not true. Like you work hard.
You know, very few people work as hard as you
(09:42):
do in the gym, in the in the ring, you
name it. But you don't earn your body. It's a gift.
Even the ability to do what you do is a gift.
The byproducts are gifts. You know a lot of people
can't move at all, right, and so you think about, hey,
I can't do what I used to do. You know,
the thing is how you handle that is a maturity.
It's a it's a mindset. It's a paradigm shift. Like dang,
(10:03):
you know what, it was a gift from God, and
I'm going to take care of myself as best I
can right now and have it, have it coming to
grips with That allows you to kind of be an
influence on others who are going through, you know, the
tough stuff. You're never gonna be Mario Lopez of yesterday.
In fact, we used to say, remember, we used to say,
you know, just beat yesterday's best. You know, that's that's crap.
You know, it's not about beating yesterday's best. It's actually
(10:27):
there's gonna come a day, Lopez where you can't beat
yesterday's best. And that's and that's tough for you to handle.
Well it is. I mean, I like going out there
and sparring with these guys in their twenties and still
you know, whooping their asspals of the time and keep
it makes me feel young. I feel young, I feel alive.
It makes me, It gives me that sort of kind
(10:47):
of a I don't know if it's just that primal
sort of thing that a man has where you just
for me. It just makes me feel And to not
be able to do that, I feel like less of
a man. I feel like weak. He sucks and I
have small kids, but he and I'm gonna have another
kid coming up. I gotta be able to wrestle with them.
I gotta be able to to do stuff that I
(11:07):
want to do with that will still be small for
a while, so you'll be able to well. But like,
it's not like most of my other cousins who got
married young and the kids are all now getting in
college and they're all that, you know what I mean.
I'm got a little late start, and especially for Mexican.
So it's funny, you know, you mentioned the weakness. I
remember back when I was I was the fitness editor
(11:28):
for Muscle and Finness magazine, Like I had one of
the nicest titles in all of fitness publishing, right, and
I was thinking, like, what am I doing really kind?
I was having some hollowness and deadness in my work.
I really felt like, what am I doing that really
means something? And I and so I started scribbling some
dreams and of faith and fitness and I want. I
started to go in different directions with my mind, and
(11:49):
I reached out to this to this friend who has
a real influence in a real platform for college students,
Sam's Louis Giglio, And I said, hey, dude, I want
to make a make a make an impact for people's
lives in the area of fitness. And uh. And he says, hey, Jimmy,
the thing you need to do is embrace your smallness,
embrace your weakness. And at the time, I mean, I
was put together. At the time, I was squatting and benching,
(12:11):
and I thought, you know what, he could have been
speaking Yiddish. I wouldn't understood, you know, I didn't get it,
didn't compute. Um, I didn't It didn't make sense until
I got sick. Uh, and I started to break down.
My spine started to break down. I started, you know,
I realized I had had a degenerative thing I can't remember. Yeah, yeah,
just an accelerated degenerative spinal disease. So I started losing
spinal disc and my my neck replaced with artificial discs,
(12:32):
my lower back was replaced, and then I had, in
between those surgeries, I had an unforeseen, m embarrassing colon
infirmity that I had some reconstruction up in the unknown,
which you know, I would give you every spinal disc
I have. Yeah, thank you for that, but in a
seriousness that that's some severe stuff that kind of makes
(12:54):
me put in perspective like, okay, well, and so when
the doctor said, hey, you know you're never gonna train again,
You're never gonna lift again, you're you know I And
when you pound, look at that, that's the muscle and
fitness that are direct. Damn that's And so what is
the fitness expert to do with such truth and realization?
You're like, whoa, you gotta embrace your weakness, realize you
know what, you broke down a lot sooner than than
most people. Uh, and what are you gonna do with it? Um?
(13:16):
What kind of a man am i? Am I going
to be a fighter and really have perspective? Or am
I gonna you know, I'm gonna wallow? And I thought,
no way, I'm gonna. So that's why I just want
to help people have a perspective that health is a gift.
Take care of yourself. Realize that the health that you're
that you're receiving, or even the ability to train, that's
a gift too. And so use your use your energy.
(13:36):
I mean, I think I wasted a lot of health
on fitness. I think I wasted a lot of time
trying to build my biceps. I think I could have
done a lot of good for people. Had I had
this perspective, um, you know, back in my twenties and thirties.
Uh so, yeah, it's it's it changes your life. Then
when you go through stuff, I always say, you don't
(13:57):
have your health and what good as anything else? That
that should be your number one, um priority? You know.
It's I was thinking of all the different injuries that lately,
and they're are I chose like violent hobbies? I guess
with the boxing and jiu jitsu, torn rotator, broken rib,
the eight stables on my head, all that stuff. You know,
(14:17):
A broken rib, this guy broke my rib. Oh my god.
So I barely I barely hit you that day. Okay,
so you were sparring in that time. I barely hit you. Ben, Yeah,
you know what we were getting because you were let
me set it. You said it that was so wrong.
He said, yeah, you can't. And he goes, I'll go
in there, and he goes, you won't be able to
drop me in one. That's exactly say I won't be
You said you won't be able to drop me. That
(14:39):
I'm not gonna try drip your my friend, I'm gonna
drop you and so and he goes, but you won't
be able to do I said, all right, well then
come in tell him what of it? Okay, that's it's
complete false. That's a liar. He was bust of my
chops about your fitness guy. You think you can handle
it in the ring, And I said, I can handle
it to the ring. I'm not I'm not a boxer,
(14:59):
so come on, it'll be fun. It'll be fun, so
we get I never think you're such a liar because
I used to call Penia porcelain. Do I get in
the ring and no mouthpiece? I didn't even get to
go on. So anyway, he starts to just haul off,
shut out. He was like, I did not whale I did.
(15:22):
If I would have whale bro without respect, it wouldn't
been a lot worse than just a broken rib. In fact,
we were supposed to go to Vegas that weekend and
I couldn't go. I couldn't. I said, I didn't know.
He didn't. I knew he didn't have any mouth pieces.
I might get him ahead, and like, so I gave
him a couple of bodies sounds barely touched him and
I barely touched him. The guys like paper machee. He
just folded like a chair. And then he said, and
(15:44):
he goes to can't breathe, the can't breathe. So later
on he told me I broke his rib, but go damn,
I said, are you sure it was me? Because I
barely does this day to this day. It's like a
floating Bruce barely touched him, barely. And we're going on
your right side, Mike. Then I usually I usually go
for the left side. See that's on your line. No,
I'm actually feeling that the good side. Just remember we're
(16:05):
DIGRESSI We're digressy. But no, man, here's here's the thing.
I've kind of come full circle too, and I'm like, look,
I don't want to change what I don't want to
stop doing things I love, but I have to be
smarter and putting things in perspective. I have to stretch.
I have to be properly warmed up. I don't have
to spar two three times a week. Once a week
(16:27):
is fine, I have I could dial it down at
least right now. I refuse to accept that I'm getting
older to the point where I can no longer can
no longer do the things that I love to do
that make me feel the best. Okay, you can refuse
it all you want, but you're gonna have to accept
(16:48):
certain things. I mean to say it, I can I'm
not gonna do it. I was sparring like I would
either sparred jiu jitsu or boxing every day. That's getting
in a fight every day. I can't do that anymore.
So I now I'm gonna do it like once twice
a week, maybe you know what I mean, that's in
then that hopefully that's enough and the level of intensity
not as many rounds and dad all that sort of thing.
So it's just that's the one thing that I saw
(17:09):
all the other stuff getting pull That's the one thing
because you can't control it. I hate being in things
that you vanaged all, you know. I think for me
it was about vanity in many ways. You know, uh,
you say it's for your sanity. Well, I kind of
came to grips that, you know, God, his sovereignty and
him being in control was my became my sanity because
(17:31):
I was all wrapped up in fitness. I was all
wrapped up in my body like well, that was your career,
that was it was my career. It was myself a
lot of my self esteem. I mean, even though I
was a Christian and I had given my life to Christ,
and you know, I was like, you know, I was
still very insecure. Uh. And then like I lost it all.
I couldn't you know, couldn't train and couldn't go to
the bathroom because so many things were not happening well
(17:53):
uh for Penya. So I had to come to grips
with my smallness and like, wow, you know, um, I
really am at the mercy of God. And so I
just said, you know what I realized. I realized, you
know my place I want to I want to get
to building spiritual muscle in a second before we go there,
just people to leave them with with a little something. Um.
(18:16):
You know, because people come up to me and say, so,
what's the best thing I can do? Do Do you realize
is boxing things going to change a lot? Or what
I start rolling? And and I've always you know, what
I tell people is it doesn't matter what you do,
as long as you do something and you're consistent with it. Yeah,
I can tell you go box, would you you don't
like it? Or if it's not, it's it's pretty physical.
And that what good is that going to do? Whether
(18:39):
it's running or swimming or dancing, whatever, whatever is gonna
get you up and motivated to do consistently, that's what
I tell you to do. You just gotta get up
and break a sweat and that's the discipline that's required.
I mean, don't you agree The most effect there is
no one trick. The most effective form of exercise you
can do is the one that you'll do exactly. That's
(19:01):
a perfect way. Never used ten words when five will do?
I always tell you, you you know, sound bites he's breaking.
Always tell me he's a long window. But that was
a person. You've gotten much better with your sound. You
don't have to be on a podcast. Now you can
be your normal. Now you can years your long wind
itself after this. Okay, so yeah, do what you're like.
(19:23):
Would you just say give me that quote again? Do
you remember? The best exercise effect exercise you can do
is the one you'll do. Is the one you'll do
it right ever you make a habit of and enjoy
exactly because because that's a kay And you dude, you're
gonna have to like you know, you might have to
get into like stretching and no I do. I do
know I do. I mix it up. I have to
(19:44):
make it up more, but I do. I do. I
like doing those spin classes, like going on hikes, I
like breaking. I do. Like you're gonna have to come
to grips with you know, you're gonna lose size, you know.
I know that bugs you. No, I'm not I'm not
eighteen anymore. I was trying to you know what I mean.
I'm fine. I'm like, dude, can't be the old guy
with but a lot of things that that we have
to I don't like to lose strength is what pisces
(20:06):
me off. I've always been strong. I've always been able
to have, you know what. I don't like to feel weak.
I don't like to you know what I mean. That's
that's acause I know maybe that's an ego thing. I
don't know, but I just I just like I walk
around irritable, you know what I mean. And I'm a
pretty happy guy, as you know, but now I'm a
little edgier. You can't find you cannot base your happiness
on something you'll lose, you know, I mean. C. S.
(20:27):
Lewis made it clear you can't base your joy on
something that you can lose and like your strength, you
can't base your you know, walking around happy based on
your strength because you're getting weaker every single day. And
you're gonna have to, like, you know, don't let the
things that you can't control um take over consume your life,
(20:47):
you know, and you know, I know, I just it's
hard because you want to apply those methods of the
secrets had refused. But you gotta you gotta be realistic. Yeah,
you know, you're gonna you have to base your joy
on things that you you that are forever you know,
right for me, for me, just personally, my joy comes
from God and like I'm never I'll never lose Jesus, right,
(21:09):
And those those are kinds of like a little too
lofty or to whatever, to to heavenly minded. No, I mean, honestly,
I have to go there. I have to go there,
especially dealing with some with illness or whatever life grows
at you. I've got to go there. Well, okay, let's
go there right now. Because that's one of the things
where I think I we got close quick, even though
it's been fifteen years, is because I'm pretty good at
(21:30):
reading people and and and judging their character and picking
up on that, and um, I've always had the intuition
I think my dad. I get that from my dad
a little bit. But you're authentic from the get But
I also like that you were pretty open and vocal
about your faith, which is nice, which I'm I'm a
man of faith as well. I don't vocalize it as
(21:52):
as much, but I'm not ashamed of it either. I
put it out there, whether it's social media or what
have you. But it's rare you find other guys that
feel the same way and that you can act actually
talked to. We've always been able to have those conversations. Um.
I look forward to them. Helps put things in perspective,
gives you clarity on life. Talk about strength. You feel
stronger once you know you're sort of anchored. Um with that,
(22:15):
and uh, I've always appreciated that of you and going
through like what you said, when they're replacing your net
you're back, and that the issues you had, Man, I
know you turn how much you turn to it and
how much it um, it really gets you through those times.
And another thing I thought was really cool that I
know you're still involved in and and I'm a big
advocate for is um pray fit where you are essentially
(22:36):
and correct me if I'm wrong, but guiding people through
building both physical muscle and spiritual muscle, right, That's that's
the goal. Yeah, you know, pray fit started, you know,
after five years with M and F here in l A.
There was a big layoff and then we started, we
started prevate dot org. We just wanted to you know,
help people see health through the Gospel's lens. What's health
(22:58):
for you know, take care of yourself. We dual. We
wanted the fitness industry to kind of get over itself
a little bit and kind of have some healing humility,
but also we wanted the church and people of faith
to take care of themselves and see their bodies as
stewardship and and and so. And then when I got sick,
we started talking about both health and illness. Both are
ways that we can you know, uh, you know, approach
(23:20):
life and really have to use, you know, anchor ourselves
in the Gospel to be able to get through the
highs and lows of life. So that's prey fit has
changed over over the years to help both the sick
and the fit um you know, get through each day
because that's that's what it's all about. So prey Fit
now you know, we're we've dedicated prey Fit to people
affected by disabilities. So, um, that's that's what we're all about.
(23:42):
And then do you find that through social media and
since you've launched that more men are now um, because
I feel like women are more comfortable are we speaking
at it? But I don't find too many men that
are unfortunately as comfortable as kind of speaking about their
faith or or um really sort of keeping themselves accountable.
(24:04):
Um in walking that that christian uh walk? Is it
getting better? Do you think? Why do you think it's still?
I mean, it's almost seems like there's a we've become
a society to it. It's almost, I don't want to
say a war against Christianity, but it's it's it's not
as embraced. Well, I think there is a war. I
mean in many ways, there is a war against Christianity.
I just think, Um, you know, you mentioned christ or
(24:27):
you mentioned Christianity, and you're it becomes polarized. You're a
little bit, isn't that? But that's so sad, Yeah, because
that's not what first of all, this country is built on.
And then it's just not it's just it's sad that
it's not that it's it's it's looked at almost in
a negative way, right, It's it's looked at a negative like, oh,
then you must be right, you're immediately label against me
or whatever it might be. Um, but no, it's a
(24:49):
I mean, we do have quite a quite a bit
you know, pray. If it's population prey, it's following is
the majority are our women highly vocal, um, you know,
on fire about their faith. But we do have you know,
gentlemen that are that are that are on fire as well.
It's but you're right, it's uh polarizing. Um, but I
think that is well. I mean, I mean the Bible
(25:11):
says we're gonna face you know, we're gonna face opposition,
uh in this life, in this world. You know, Um,
you know, Jesus himself said, you know the world's gonna
hate you, uh, and we have to you know who
side are we on? You know? And so in in
becoming a follower of Christ, you're gonna base that kind
of opposition. You just have to. And but the key
is to love people like Christians. We just we gotta
(25:32):
love people that think you know differently than us, and
we have to just you know, be good examples and um,
treat everyone fairly and treat everyone, you know, with respect
and dignity. UM. Talking about strength, it requires a certain
strength amount of Yeah. Yeah, And you know Paul himself
talk about strength. Paul, the greatest evangelist of all time,
you know, talked about, Hey, I'm gonna embrace my weakness.
(25:54):
We talked about weakness, and you know he went through
some really tough stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, Paul,
like some HOMEI I don't know, no, no, when I
say the greatest evangelist about yeah, the apostle Paul, I
mean he he said, I'm gonna celebrate and embrace my weakness.
I'm gonna boast in my weakness. Because that's when that
really gives the context for us, because then that he said,
that's when I realized my true strength, you know. I mean,
(26:17):
the writer and speaker Paul Trip says, you know, weakness
wasn't the end of me. It was the beginning. And
for me personally, weakness in the midst of the M
and F days and the books and you name, you
name it, weakness was my beginning. Weakness is when I
really became a man, uh and I really started to
have my wits about me. True story. Wow, did how
(26:40):
low did he get for you when you were going
through all the physical stuff? Because I remember I wanted
to ask, but I didn't want to harp on it
because I know it was tough, and you know, I
didn't want to contribute to do you feeling worse about
yourself and stuff? So well, I mean I I retreated.
I pretty much went into isolation. It's one of the
(27:00):
worst things you can do. Because I remember, not the dinner.
I'm sorry, but I remembered, and I hope I'm not
over sharing her. But I remember when you told me
you had to go to the restroom, you had to
sit in the tub for like a half hour, right,
longer than that, but longer than that to go, bro,
I wake up. I'm like a pigeon. I gotta go.
And so I cannot imagine if I had to go
sit in the tub for really, yeah, it was. I mean,
(27:23):
I would find Mario can barely make it to work
without going in. But I'll never forget you telling me that, dude,
because you gotta sit in the temper I go before
you gotta go really damn. It was interesting because that
requires a line to my the you know, we had
an involuntary We all have involuntary and voluntary muscles way
up in the unknown, and I had muscles that were involuntary,
(27:45):
you know, taking on the mind of their own, and
that's like a bad scenario. So when you're in spasm
and whatnot. Anyway, long story short, I was unable to function,
and so, um, yeah, it was. It was basically it
was l every day and I would I had to
resort to actually not only lying in the bathtub, but
(28:07):
I would spend all my time in the bathtub. I would.
I would literally and in fact, I reached I reached
rock bottom. Uh, when I was lying in my bathtub
full of waste and blood and I was actually apologizing
to my body. I was actually, you know, we're you know,
our soul and our bodies were together, right, and so
(28:27):
I was actually apologizing to my body, like I'm so
sorry that you're going through this. I really like it
was like it was like I was life was a friend, right,
And I remember just crying and just thinking that's it.
I'm done. I have no no strength left. Um, if
I ever get up if I said, if I ever
hope and rise and speak and smile again, it's it's
not going to be because of my faith. It's not
going to be because of my you know, gut summon
(28:50):
passion of belief. No, it's gonna be by the grace
of God. If I get out of this bathtub and
made it up. And I went through a very difficult
surgery risk you urgery, um, whether or not I'd have
to forever have a bag um, but the voluntary muscles
came back. Uh. And I spent sixteen weeks at home. Uh,
(29:11):
couldn't move, couldn't couldn't be seen. Uh. And then UH
went to the doctor and yes, we're having some some
life up up there. And and so in fact, the
first time out of the gates, uh, Larette and I
went to see The Dark Knight Rises and we got
Bruce Wayne down in the prison right and he's trying
(29:33):
to climb this wall. I don't know if you remember
the scenes. He's trying to get out of this and
until finally they said you got to climb without the rope.
And Um, as he's climbing up, he says, Hey, what
are they saying? And he says they're saying rise, and
I'm just tears running down my face. He gets up
that and then he throws the rope down into the
to the prison. And I said, that's why I called
our conference prey fit Rise. You didn't know that. That's
(29:55):
why I called the conference pray fit right, man. Yeah,
because I am batman, uh and uh and so yeah,
so God healed me just by his grace. And I said,
I'll never take my health for granted. I'll never see
it as anything other than a gift. Uh. And I
want to help people go through tough stuff no matter
what it is. That's exactly what it is. A gift, absolutely,
and one that I can appreciate more more than ever. Yeah. Wow, man.
(30:18):
And and it's such such good advice to you. Gotta
embrace the weaknesses, recognize them, embrace them, and well there's
something about it. Yeah. Yeah. Once you once you embrace
that weakness, you can deflect. You can deflect that. You
know what, I'm in the mercy of someone much much
stronger than me, and I'm gonna help you. I'm gonna
do my best and see fighting through. Like when you
(30:39):
fight through, and you're an example to millions of people
in the area of health wellness. You name it, right,
and as you battle through and work through, work around
and modify, you're gonna be a better example to your
fan base, your audience, you name it, You're gonna be
a much stronger, poignant, piercing example to them to get
(30:59):
through stuff in their life. Then had you not gone
through some of your illnesses and injuries and surgeries. Uh,
you know, so you can have You're gonna be an
example on all sorts of in all sorts of ways. UM.
So well, I continue to to try to UM at
least represent being a good Catholic Christian is as much
(31:22):
as I can UM, you know, because like you said,
it is met with a certain sense of um hesitants.
Sometimes they don't want you to hitting in anybody over
the head of the with with a Bible. Right. But
at the same time, UM, I get a lot of
I get a lot of UM support from people saying,
you know what, I appreciate that you put it out
(31:42):
there because a lot of people don't. So you know,
I'm gonna I want to I want to continue UM.
And as I've gotten older too, uh, I've also continued
to try to build a more spiritual muscle. But you know,
it's it's it's it's tough, and I know we've talked
about it, because it's tough. You you you've obviously always
got certain distractions or temptations, but always circle back, you know,
(32:04):
and even if I stumble or take a step back,
then you know, I always make sure to kind of
keep getting right on back. And I think it's important
to have other men or people in your life that
can hold you accountable. Like that old saying goes like
one stone sharpens another, iron sharp, iron sharp, and iron
man sharpens man. Yeah, I mean, you know, like the
Bubba says, we've all sinned, we've all fallen short, right,
and so that's the good that's the good news. Actually,
(32:24):
that's the gospel, to be honest, you know, pray for
We talk a lot about that. You know, Hey, listen,
we're all going to fail, we all every I mean
we we fail even when we don't know we're failing. Right,
And so that's the good news about Christ, uh, and
that's we we we celebrate that because he lived a
perfect life, right, and he lived the life you Mario
and me, Jimmy, we couldn't live. So he lived perfectly
(32:46):
and died perfectly. When we accept his sacrifice, we accept
his life. You know, God sees us through the blood
of Christ, and so we can live like abundantly. We
can live with fire and passion. Yes, we're gonna fail,
you know, in our minds and our thoughts and our deeds.
We're gonna screw up. Uh, but thankfully He forgives us
and we can we can press forward. So, UM, I
(33:09):
think Christians, Uh you know that you talked about the
stigma or the or the polar right you know. Um.
One thing that Christianity we can't do is look down
and try and pretend that we're perfect, because we're actually not.
I think we're here are we are practicing absolutely, you know,
and um thankfully, Uh you know, God doesn't love us
(33:31):
anymore if we do well or if we do poorly. Um. Thankfully,
he loves us as much as he loves Christ. And
that's well, that's very refreshing. So and that's why we
can go through tough stuff, illnesses and you know, um business,
we can go through tough stuff because of our acceptance
from Him. Yeah, I and listen, it's Him that was
important for me to raise my kids with a faith
(33:53):
based education and have some sort of infrastructure. I know
it's a very personal thing for people, but you know
again I commend you to uh could you continue to
walk that walk? And UM, I appreciate our conversations when
we go there. I want to get into, um specifically,
what you're doing now with these people. And we're talking
about people talking challenges and overcoming some stuff. Talk a
little bit about this this disability space and what you're into. Yeah. Thanks.
(34:16):
You know, a couple of years ago when we turned
profit into more of a disability focused in fact, you
were I mean you were so sweet for to to
you know, to help promote the five K that benefited
kids effectively disability and so we we said, you know what,
this is really what we're about. This is what my
help is for to help those um that are really
going through some tough stuff or you know, kids and
(34:38):
families that need you know, really some extra care and uh,
you know, so we dedicated it to to disability and
special needs. Uh. Well, about a year ago I saw
that there's this really great nonprofit here in l A
called Johnny and Friends j O and uh Johnny and
Friends dot org and the founder UH is Johnny Eric
(34:59):
sin Tata. She's like the second longest living quadriplegic in
the world. And uh, she had a diving accident fifty
five plus years ago and broke her neck and um
in a pool diving off in a in a in
a lake. Uh. And uh so I'm just not to
I'm just curious. So when you it could hitting the
(35:19):
water or it's something in the water. I think she was.
She jumped in a shallow um part of and um snapped,
snapped her her spine. And yes, it's funny, funny. I
was just just when you ask that question made me think.
I moved to l A to work for a man
who was like the best at forming shaping. Yeah, Joe
(35:44):
Weider showing muscle. Now I I work for a woman
that can't move a one. It's crazy the spectrum of
like right now, I'm celebrating the fact that I get
to serve alongside this lady that's been doing so much.
So anyway, Uh, not to not to get off track,
but so anyway, Johnny had this accident. Yead the accident, Uh,
and a few years later her story basically she started
(36:07):
writing people and people started writing her about her accident
and people going through tough stuff, and she gained some exposure.
Billy Graham actually had her on his uh his his crusade. Uh.
She helped form the A D A uh. A lot
of things happened in her life and she started this
ministry uh called Johnny and Friends where people all around
(36:27):
the world really started writing in needing some comfort and
encouragement and community for specifically for people whether it be
you know, down syndrome to autism to you know, actual
spinal cord injury. And she started sending wheelchairs around the
world and so she's nearly we're about to reach two
(36:48):
hundred thousand wheelchairs, um being sent around the world. That's crazy.
We're in thirty three countries, so we have programs all
over the country. My job really is, um, I'm like
the West Coast guy for Johnny and Johnny and Friends.
And we raise money, we raise awareness for kids and
families have impacted by disability. And it's a great gig. Yeah.
(37:09):
It's yeah, no, my, yeah, my, I didn't get this
far in my dreams. Yeah. That's awesome, man, that's awesome.
And being able to do, um what you love in
something you believe in. His passion as far as helping
people and in this space and physically still them with
pray Fit coming to break in full circle. That's gonna pray.
You know. We write at night, and I write on
(37:30):
the weekends. We do things with pray Fits, still going
strong that community every day. I remember you, right every day,
that's right, you know, And that's my outlet. But during
the day I get to I get to serve with
Johnny Ericson Todd. It's pretty pretty awesome. What have you
learned about people with disabilities that you that you didn't
know before? That surprised you? Oh man, you know, I
don't think I've ever been closer to God than when
(37:50):
I'm with kids and families have affected by special needs.
I think it is so amazing. I work with this
this boy, Jordan's he's got autism, severe autism. And I've
been working with him for almost five years. Every month,
uh and we hang uh. We we hang out for
a few hours, he and he and a bunch of
his friends just so his parents can go and have
a date, go to the store, have a nap. You know,
(38:13):
it's a respite program. And when I'm with Jordan and
I see him, you know, he asks me five questions
in a matter of you know, a couple of hours,
and I answer every single one of them, and I
stay engaged with him, and I just love him to death.
And he inspired much of what we're doing it, you know,
at Prey Fit, and he inspired me to even be
you know there at Johnny and Friends. Um. But you know,
(38:34):
I just learned that that a couple of things that
our communities, even our churches, don't accept and invite people
affected by disability as much as you would think. Yeah,
and so one of the causes that were about is
really really demonstrating and really opening up the eyes of
churches and leaders in churches that he listen. There's an
(38:57):
entire community around us that that need the gospel, people
that need to hear about Jesus, people that need just welcoming,
and people that need programs of comfort. And so a
big part of the job is knocking on doors and saying,
do you guys have a disability program? You know, do
you need any help in establishing a special needs division?
You know? So it's it's uh, you know, so my
(39:19):
eyes have been open to um how marginalized the disability
community is and can be and um, but also just
how how sweet and awesome um they are and uh
and and how capable. Uh you know that they you know,
it's just I've just fallen in love um with with everyone.
That's that's really really cool man, proud of you. Yeah, thanks.
(39:41):
Last thing I want to talk about probably the most
important your game. You go next level with the intensity
in the passion, and I love it. I'm here for it.
You won the last time, didn't you, your rab bastard. Okay,
listen to me, seriously, how much do you love the
(40:02):
It's it's pretty much the best time of the year
when when we do the he is focused but game
face listen, we we we we anticipated, we think about it. Um,
we look for it. But you know what I am,
Actually I'm the I'm the best on the chord. I've
in fact, i've with like twenty other people think they're
(40:27):
the best. But you're you know what, that's real talk.
You have not walked off the court as a loser.
You wont like the last couple. Yeah, that's right. Not
only did I win the group, but then that later
that the last time we were on, I said hey,
let's go one on boom wife the court with you,
and when I went home with this, you know it's true.
We've never played one in her life. We're gonna be
(40:48):
We're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna put it. We're gonna
put a little wager. And I might like live streaming
or something to some people like I hope, but we're friends.
I don't want to do that too. All right, you better,
you better, you don't want you better do before that,
you better pray before we start playing. I'm looking forward
to that coming up next man. And thank you so much.
I'm glad we got to hang. And if people want
(41:09):
to find out more about pray Fit, which I just
think is awesome. And Johnny and Friends, where can they goping?
Absolutely Preyfit dot org or Johnny and Friends dot org.
Great great opportunities to get involved right there. So don't
forget a new episodes and listen to Mario dropping every
Friday all on Mario dot com to catch up on
(41:29):
the podcast, and please make sure you follow listen to
Mario on I Heart Radio and subscribe on Apple podcasts
or wherever you get podcasts. More fun next week. Thank
you so much for listening
All right, Mario Lopez here excited right now to welcome
my buddy Jimmy ben Yah to the podcast. I've known
this dude for a long time now. We co authored
a few books together. Both have a pretty strong passion
for faith and fitness. So we're gonna get into all
that and the major health issues that, ironically, this being
his field that ended up taking a toll in his life,
(00:21):
his career, everything, So let's get into it. Ben Ya,
what's up? Welcome brother? You know we're good friends when
I just call you by your last name because I
only call my dear friends either by their last name
or give him a nickname. And you've always been Benya,
which is which is a good one. Why are you laughing?
(00:45):
I'm not laughing, Yeah, sounding like a laugh So, dude,
I was trying to I've known you how long now? Since?
When when do we do our book? Years? Almost damn
fifteen years? Really? I think we started with with not
Out Fitness. That's exactly it. Uh, my very first UM
health and fitness book called Knockout Fitness. Really excited, right,
(01:10):
and they wanted me to partner up with um Um,
a guy who is very much respected in that Field, um,
and who's a great writer. And I remember Men's Health
and um. A lot of publications recommended a guy named
Jimmy Benya, and I'm like, okay's Latino. That's tight, said,
I said, Jimmy Benya, I said, I said, let me
(01:31):
And then we met in person and I was like,
all right now, I like this guy had a good energy.
What do you think? Who's this dude, Mario Lopez? I
gotta work with. Yeah. I remember the first thing I
walked up the stairs and the first thing you ever
said to me is like, great, you're prompt, right, coming
from the guy that's never on time. First of all,
I'm always on a time. You're such a lion, right, bastart.
That's how you're gonna start. I just gave you a
nicer deduction. I am always on time. Life gets in
(01:54):
the way or show business sometimes by the way you were,
you were giving me a hard time with that expression.
And the reason I say show businesses is unfortunately, and
I tell this to my family and friends all the time,
schedules unpredictable. It's fluid, it changes. It's about when you're
doing a show that's topical, stuff comes up and you
gotta retrack and you gotta reshoot and blah blah blah.
It's not my doing. You know that, you've known that
(02:15):
over your show business. Stupid. You're so stupid anyway, So
you came in you remember what do you remember about that? Yeah, No,
it's great. I brought flowers to your mom. You did,
You brought flowers and my mom didn't live with me.
It's just going to be there, you know. And and no,
it's great. I I couldn't believe. It was a great opportunity. Um.
I thought I'm gonna do some some good books. And
(02:37):
in fact, that opportunity actually opened up the doors for
other other ghostwriting gigs and other So yeah, it was.
It was a great time. Um is when fitness was big. Yeah,
both of us. Well well yeah, we're gonna get to
that in a second. But and also we parlayed that
into a couple of books and wrote a book called
Extra Lean Together, which proud to say New York Times
(02:59):
best uh seller, and um that was essentially all about
creating meals and and having a healthy approach to your meals.
Which you know, what I liked allow about that book
is that, look, there's a million diets out there, and
when we've said that, yeah, they can work for like
a hot second, but diets don't work. People work, And
(03:19):
it's all about the lifestyle. And if you essentially just
don't eat like an idiot and try to graze every
three hours like a goat, right, and your plate looks
sensible with a uh portion control, also with a healthy
combo of fat, carbs and protein, then you'll be fine
and try to break a sweat every day. And it
(03:40):
really is that simple, right you. You wanted to do
that book at a time when fads really started becoming
the thing, and you said, you know what I wanna
You're a foodie. I'm a foodie, and so you know,
I look at it like the Treasury Department looks at counterfeits.
You know, they don't spend all the time looking at
counterfeit bills. They study the real think so that when
(04:01):
a fake crosses their desk, they know it. That's how
I look at diet fads. And that's why Extra Len
did so well, because it really taught people, hey, this
is balanced, this is reality. You know, you can walk
into a restaurant and realize what foods due to you
and how you can you know absorb protein, fats and
cars weres today you got everything from you name it
(04:21):
keyto to you know, the the spectrum is endless on
the blank exactly. So yeah, that was a beauty of
extra Lyn. What exactly did you study or what was
your title that i'man aside from being a great writer
and in this space and dis consuming your life for
many years. Well, uh, in the nineties, I got my
master's degree of clinical exercise physiology and I published a
thesis on the effects of endurance training on muscle size
(04:42):
and strength in competitive athletes. So right out of college
I was into fitness and into strength and conditioning. And
you know, were you always into writing as well? Or well?
In fact, that month I presented that thesis and Muscle
Infinitess magazine. They were in the audience and they said, hey,
why don't you be a freelance for freelance science guy
for us? And I said, yeah. That was in like
(05:02):
and then for the Yeah, for the next few years,
that's all I did every month, And you usually just
kind of became a right became a writer. I was.
I was like the worst student in my class. I
was like the worst writer. Um, but the Baylor, right,
yeph Baylor, and then the UT system for my graduate work. Um,
and uh, never, never, in a million years I figured
out to be a writer but had a knack for it. Yeah, no,
(05:23):
And and it worked out. And obviously health and fitness
is the top priority in my life. And and um,
I've never appreciated it more than I do now because
it's something I want to get into. Man, that's really
been and I've been wanting to talk to you about it. Okay,
forty five now, right, gonna be forty six this year, dude,
my fucking body and I'm pardon me forgetting it is.
(05:45):
I'm battling like depression and frustration and a lot of
angst because it is slowly breaking down on me. Remember
the movie The Blues Brothers when that car at the
end of the movie goes through that big chase and
then it just sort of completely falls apart. Remember that?
But no, I didn't see the movie. How can you
not see The Blues Brothers? What does it matter with
you've never seen The Blues Brothers. Now you've thrown everything,
(06:09):
my whole thing, Oh my god, And I gotta pull
it up just to show anyway, the car completely just
goes through like one of the best car chases on
film history and dating myself, but it's a classic film,
and then it just implodes. It just just breaks down.
That's how my body feels right now. From my achilles rupture,
which was severe, which is about the worst injury you
can get as an athlete. Just as I was getting
(06:30):
over that, then I get stupid carpal tunnel, and then
I got a damage nerve in my neck, which is
basically paralyzed my arm. I haven't been able to work
out upper body for two weeks now, and I can't
do the things that I love. I can't. I can't box,
I can't do jiu jitsu. I can't. And I always say,
(06:52):
you know, I don't work out for vanity. I work
out for sanity. I wanna it helps me relieve my stress.
It helps me, um just chill out and not not
take it out on like my old lady at home
and or the kids or anything. It just helps me
kind of add balance because every day, UM getting pulled
in a hundred different directions, UM juggling a hundred things.
And I like that. I like being busy. I like
(07:13):
the chaos. But that was like my little out. Whenever
I can carve that out. I did that and it
was very therapeutic for me. And now that I'm not
able to do the things that I love to do
on a regular or or, I'm having to reconsider um
my approach and I don't want to get into damn golf.
I always said I was gonna play golf when my
(07:35):
body was broken down to decrepit. I feel too young.
I want to be that old guy at the gym
that you're still sparring with. I want to be able
to roll around. I want to get with my kids.
It's it's just it's really kind of with my head.
And we'll see your golf tournament. Yeah, well I have
a golf tournament, and that ironically UM is to U
benefit the children's hospital where my kids are born and
does a lot of good. So I do that just
(07:56):
because I know it's great revenue for helping a lot
of kids. So yeah, and helping people. But I mean,
I put it out there. I'm not a golfer, but
just as I'm all about this the celebration, but I
can host and I'll make sure people have a good time.
Um So, I just like it's hard to wrap my
head around that that you have to be willing to
(08:16):
um sort of accept how your your life comes at
you and the way your body just is. You're not
you're I mean where you're breaking down. We're breaking down.
Coming to grips with that. I mean, I unfortunately came
to grips with it, um a few years ago, had
to you know, Uh, you're a much more severe situation. Yeah. Um,
(08:38):
but we're in a broken world. Man, We're in a
broken world. Um. You know. I I approach it with
a from a kind of a you know, Christian mindset.
You know, we're in a broken world. Uh. And our
bodies follow suit our bodies like you said, you said,
I've heard you say, like my body is betraying me. Not.
Your body is just it's doing exactly exactly what it's
(09:01):
supposed to do. And you have to come to grips
with it. And I know you're a fighter and you're
gonna I'm gonna fight this tooth and nil, which I
think is fine. I think we should fight at tooth
and nail. And I think we should take care of
ourselves because the thing is health as a gift. You know,
we bust Toody's chops about. You know, you know his way,
and we can take care of yourself too. But you know,
there's some truth, honestly, there's some truth to the fact
(09:21):
that you know, I've got a brother who he doesn't
have a thing in the world wrong with him. He's
he's perfectly healthy, but doesn't take care of himself. It's
a gift. Um my dad, Dad gets checks out, he's fine.
The guy drinks and smokes every day. But it is
But it is a gift. And some people will say, well,
you earn your body. That's not true. Like you work hard.
You know, very few people work as hard as you
(09:42):
do in the gym, in the in the ring, you
name it. But you don't earn your body. It's a gift.
Even the ability to do what you do is a gift.
The byproducts are gifts. You know a lot of people
can't move at all, right, and so you think about, hey,
I can't do what I used to do. You know,
the thing is how you handle that is a maturity.
It's a it's a mindset. It's a paradigm shift. Like dang,
(10:03):
you know what, it was a gift from God, and
I'm going to take care of myself as best I
can right now and have it, have it coming to
grips with That allows you to kind of be an
influence on others who are going through, you know, the
tough stuff. You're never gonna be Mario Lopez of yesterday.
In fact, we used to say, remember, we used to say,
you know, just beat yesterday's best. You know, that's that's crap.
You know, it's not about beating yesterday's best. It's actually
(10:27):
there's gonna come a day, Lopez where you can't beat
yesterday's best. And that's and that's tough for you to handle.
Well it is. I mean, I like going out there
and sparring with these guys in their twenties and still
you know, whooping their asspals of the time and keep
it makes me feel young. I feel young, I feel alive.
It makes me, It gives me that sort of kind
(10:47):
of a I don't know if it's just that primal
sort of thing that a man has where you just
for me. It just makes me feel And to not
be able to do that, I feel like less of
a man. I feel like weak. He sucks and I
have small kids, but he and I'm gonna have another
kid coming up. I gotta be able to wrestle with them.
I gotta be able to to do stuff that I
(11:07):
want to do with that will still be small for
a while, so you'll be able to well. But like,
it's not like most of my other cousins who got
married young and the kids are all now getting in
college and they're all that, you know what I mean.
I'm got a little late start, and especially for Mexican.
So it's funny, you know, you mentioned the weakness. I
remember back when I was I was the fitness editor
(11:28):
for Muscle and Finness magazine, Like I had one of
the nicest titles in all of fitness publishing, right, and
I was thinking, like, what am I doing really kind?
I was having some hollowness and deadness in my work.
I really felt like, what am I doing that really
means something? And I and so I started scribbling some
dreams and of faith and fitness and I want. I
started to go in different directions with my mind, and
(11:49):
I reached out to this to this friend who has
a real influence in a real platform for college students,
Sam's Louis Giglio, And I said, hey, dude, I want
to make a make a make an impact for people's
lives in the area of fitness. And uh. And he says, hey, Jimmy,
the thing you need to do is embrace your smallness,
embrace your weakness. And at the time, I mean, I
was put together. At the time, I was squatting and benching,
(12:11):
and I thought, you know what, he could have been
speaking Yiddish. I wouldn't understood, you know, I didn't get it,
didn't compute. Um, I didn't It didn't make sense until
I got sick. Uh, and I started to break down.
My spine started to break down. I started, you know,
I realized I had had a degenerative thing I can't remember. Yeah, yeah,
just an accelerated degenerative spinal disease. So I started losing
spinal disc and my my neck replaced with artificial discs,
(12:32):
my lower back was replaced, and then I had, in
between those surgeries, I had an unforeseen, m embarrassing colon
infirmity that I had some reconstruction up in the unknown,
which you know, I would give you every spinal disc
I have. Yeah, thank you for that, but in a
seriousness that that's some severe stuff that kind of makes
(12:54):
me put in perspective like, okay, well, and so when
the doctor said, hey, you know you're never gonna train again,
You're never gonna lift again, you're you know I And
when you pound, look at that, that's the muscle and
fitness that are direct. Damn that's And so what is
the fitness expert to do with such truth and realization?
You're like, whoa, you gotta embrace your weakness, realize you
know what, you broke down a lot sooner than than
most people. Uh, and what are you gonna do with it? Um?
(13:16):
What kind of a man am i? Am I going
to be a fighter and really have perspective? Or am
I gonna you know, I'm gonna wallow? And I thought,
no way, I'm gonna. So that's why I just want
to help people have a perspective that health is a gift.
Take care of yourself. Realize that the health that you're
that you're receiving, or even the ability to train, that's
a gift too. And so use your use your energy.
(13:36):
I mean, I think I wasted a lot of health
on fitness. I think I wasted a lot of time
trying to build my biceps. I think I could have
done a lot of good for people. Had I had
this perspective, um, you know, back in my twenties and thirties.
Uh so, yeah, it's it's it changes your life. Then
when you go through stuff, I always say, you don't
(13:57):
have your health and what good as anything else? That
that should be your number one, um priority? You know.
It's I was thinking of all the different injuries that lately,
and they're are I chose like violent hobbies? I guess
with the boxing and jiu jitsu, torn rotator, broken rib,
the eight stables on my head, all that stuff. You know,
(14:17):
A broken rib, this guy broke my rib. Oh my god.
So I barely I barely hit you that day. Okay,
so you were sparring in that time. I barely hit you. Ben, Yeah,
you know what we were getting because you were let
me set it. You said it that was so wrong.
He said, yeah, you can't. And he goes, I'll go
in there, and he goes, you won't be able to
drop me in one. That's exactly say I won't be
You said you won't be able to drop me. That
(14:39):
I'm not gonna try drip your my friend, I'm gonna
drop you and so and he goes, but you won't
be able to do I said, all right, well then
come in tell him what of it? Okay, that's it's
complete false. That's a liar. He was bust of my
chops about your fitness guy. You think you can handle
it in the ring, And I said, I can handle
it to the ring. I'm not I'm not a boxer,
(14:59):
so come on, it'll be fun. It'll be fun, so
we get I never think you're such a liar because
I used to call Penia porcelain. Do I get in
the ring and no mouthpiece? I didn't even get to
go on. So anyway, he starts to just haul off,
shut out. He was like, I did not whale I did.
(15:22):
If I would have whale bro without respect, it wouldn't
been a lot worse than just a broken rib. In fact,
we were supposed to go to Vegas that weekend and
I couldn't go. I couldn't. I said, I didn't know.
He didn't. I knew he didn't have any mouth pieces.
I might get him ahead, and like, so I gave
him a couple of bodies sounds barely touched him and
I barely touched him. The guys like paper machee. He
just folded like a chair. And then he said, and
(15:44):
he goes to can't breathe, the can't breathe. So later
on he told me I broke his rib, but go damn,
I said, are you sure it was me? Because I
barely does this day to this day. It's like a
floating Bruce barely touched him, barely. And we're going on
your right side, Mike. Then I usually I usually go
for the left side. See that's on your line. No,
I'm actually feeling that the good side. Just remember we're
(16:05):
DIGRESSI We're digressy. But no, man, here's here's the thing.
I've kind of come full circle too, and I'm like, look,
I don't want to change what I don't want to
stop doing things I love, but I have to be
smarter and putting things in perspective. I have to stretch.
I have to be properly warmed up. I don't have
to spar two three times a week. Once a week
(16:27):
is fine, I have I could dial it down at
least right now. I refuse to accept that I'm getting
older to the point where I can no longer can
no longer do the things that I love to do
that make me feel the best. Okay, you can refuse
it all you want, but you're gonna have to accept
(16:48):
certain things. I mean to say it, I can I'm
not gonna do it. I was sparring like I would
either sparred jiu jitsu or boxing every day. That's getting
in a fight every day. I can't do that anymore.
So I now I'm gonna do it like once twice
a week, maybe you know what I mean, that's in
then that hopefully that's enough and the level of intensity
not as many rounds and dad all that sort of thing.
So it's just that's the one thing that I saw
(17:09):
all the other stuff getting pull That's the one thing
because you can't control it. I hate being in things
that you vanaged all, you know. I think for me
it was about vanity in many ways. You know, uh,
you say it's for your sanity. Well, I kind of
came to grips that, you know, God, his sovereignty and
him being in control was my became my sanity because
(17:31):
I was all wrapped up in fitness. I was all
wrapped up in my body like well, that was your career,
that was it was my career. It was myself a
lot of my self esteem. I mean, even though I
was a Christian and I had given my life to Christ,
and you know, I was like, you know, I was
still very insecure. Uh. And then like I lost it all.
I couldn't you know, couldn't train and couldn't go to
the bathroom because so many things were not happening well
(17:53):
uh for Penya. So I had to come to grips
with my smallness and like, wow, you know, um, I
really am at the mercy of God. And so I
just said, you know what I realized. I realized, you
know my place I want to I want to get
to building spiritual muscle in a second before we go there,
just people to leave them with with a little something. Um.
(18:16):
You know, because people come up to me and say, so,
what's the best thing I can do? Do Do you realize
is boxing things going to change a lot? Or what
I start rolling? And and I've always you know, what
I tell people is it doesn't matter what you do,
as long as you do something and you're consistent with it. Yeah,
I can tell you go box, would you you don't
like it? Or if it's not, it's it's pretty physical.
And that what good is that going to do? Whether
(18:39):
it's running or swimming or dancing, whatever, whatever is gonna
get you up and motivated to do consistently, that's what
I tell you to do. You just gotta get up
and break a sweat and that's the discipline that's required.
I mean, don't you agree The most effect there is
no one trick. The most effective form of exercise you
can do is the one that you'll do exactly. That's
(19:01):
a perfect way. Never used ten words when five will do?
I always tell you, you you know, sound bites he's breaking.
Always tell me he's a long window. But that was
a person. You've gotten much better with your sound. You
don't have to be on a podcast. Now you can
be your normal. Now you can years your long wind
itself after this. Okay, so yeah, do what you're like.
(19:23):
Would you just say give me that quote again? Do
you remember? The best exercise effect exercise you can do
is the one you'll do. Is the one you'll do
it right ever you make a habit of and enjoy
exactly because because that's a kay And you dude, you're
gonna have to like you know, you might have to
get into like stretching and no I do. I do
know I do. I mix it up. I have to
(19:44):
make it up more, but I do. I do. I
like doing those spin classes, like going on hikes, I
like breaking. I do. Like you're gonna have to come
to grips with you know, you're gonna lose size, you know.
I know that bugs you. No, I'm not I'm not
eighteen anymore. I was trying to you know what I mean.
I'm fine. I'm like, dude, can't be the old guy
with but a lot of things that that we have
to I don't like to lose strength is what pisces
(20:06):
me off. I've always been strong. I've always been able
to have, you know what. I don't like to feel weak.
I don't like to you know what I mean. That's
that's acause I know maybe that's an ego thing. I
don't know, but I just I just like I walk
around irritable, you know what I mean. And I'm a
pretty happy guy, as you know, but now I'm a
little edgier. You can't find you cannot base your happiness
on something you'll lose, you know, I mean. C. S.
(20:27):
Lewis made it clear you can't base your joy on
something that you can lose and like your strength, you
can't base your you know, walking around happy based on
your strength because you're getting weaker every single day. And
you're gonna have to, like, you know, don't let the
things that you can't control um take over consume your life,
(20:47):
you know, and you know, I know, I just it's
hard because you want to apply those methods of the
secrets had refused. But you gotta you gotta be realistic. Yeah,
you know, you're gonna you have to base your joy
on things that you you that are forever you know,
right for me, for me, just personally, my joy comes
from God and like I'm never I'll never lose Jesus, right,
(21:09):
And those those are kinds of like a little too
lofty or to whatever, to to heavenly minded. No, I mean, honestly,
I have to go there. I have to go there,
especially dealing with some with illness or whatever life grows
at you. I've got to go there. Well, okay, let's
go there right now. Because that's one of the things
where I think I we got close quick, even though
it's been fifteen years, is because I'm pretty good at
(21:30):
reading people and and and judging their character and picking
up on that, and um, I've always had the intuition
I think my dad. I get that from my dad
a little bit. But you're authentic from the get But
I also like that you were pretty open and vocal
about your faith, which is nice, which I'm I'm a
man of faith as well. I don't vocalize it as
(21:52):
as much, but I'm not ashamed of it either. I
put it out there, whether it's social media or what
have you. But it's rare you find other guys that
feel the same way and that you can act actually
talked to. We've always been able to have those conversations. Um.
I look forward to them. Helps put things in perspective,
gives you clarity on life. Talk about strength. You feel
stronger once you know you're sort of anchored. Um with that,
(22:15):
and uh, I've always appreciated that of you and going
through like what you said, when they're replacing your net
you're back, and that the issues you had, Man, I
know you turn how much you turn to it and
how much it um, it really gets you through those times.
And another thing I thought was really cool that I
know you're still involved in and and I'm a big
advocate for is um pray fit where you are essentially
(22:36):
and correct me if I'm wrong, but guiding people through
building both physical muscle and spiritual muscle, right, That's that's
the goal. Yeah, you know, pray fit started, you know,
after five years with M and F here in l A.
There was a big layoff and then we started, we
started prevate dot org. We just wanted to you know,
help people see health through the Gospel's lens. What's health
(22:58):
for you know, take care of yourself. We dual. We
wanted the fitness industry to kind of get over itself
a little bit and kind of have some healing humility,
but also we wanted the church and people of faith
to take care of themselves and see their bodies as
stewardship and and and so. And then when I got sick,
we started talking about both health and illness. Both are
ways that we can you know, uh, you know, approach
(23:20):
life and really have to use, you know, anchor ourselves
in the Gospel to be able to get through the
highs and lows of life. So that's prey fit has
changed over over the years to help both the sick
and the fit um you know, get through each day
because that's that's what it's all about. So prey Fit
now you know, we're we've dedicated prey Fit to people
affected by disabilities. So, um, that's that's what we're all about.
(23:42):
And then do you find that through social media and
since you've launched that more men are now um, because
I feel like women are more comfortable are we speaking
at it? But I don't find too many men that
are unfortunately as comfortable as kind of speaking about their
faith or or um really sort of keeping themselves accountable.
(24:04):
Um in walking that that christian uh walk? Is it
getting better? Do you think? Why do you think it's still?
I mean, it's almost seems like there's a we've become
a society to it. It's almost, I don't want to
say a war against Christianity, but it's it's it's not
as embraced. Well, I think there is a war. I
mean in many ways, there is a war against Christianity.
I just think, Um, you know, you mentioned christ or
(24:27):
you mentioned Christianity, and you're it becomes polarized. You're a
little bit, isn't that? But that's so sad, Yeah, because
that's not what first of all, this country is built on.
And then it's just not it's just it's sad that
it's not that it's it's it's looked at almost in
a negative way, right, It's it's looked at a negative like, oh,
then you must be right, you're immediately label against me
or whatever it might be. Um, but no, it's a
(24:49):
I mean, we do have quite a quite a bit
you know, pray. If it's population prey, it's following is
the majority are our women highly vocal, um, you know,
on fire about their faith. But we do have you know,
gentlemen that are that are that are on fire as well.
It's but you're right, it's uh polarizing. Um, but I
think that is well. I mean, I mean the Bible
(25:11):
says we're gonna face you know, we're gonna face opposition,
uh in this life, in this world. You know, Um,
you know, Jesus himself said, you know the world's gonna
hate you, uh, and we have to you know who
side are we on? You know? And so in in
becoming a follower of Christ, you're gonna base that kind
of opposition. You just have to. And but the key
is to love people like Christians. We just we gotta
(25:32):
love people that think you know differently than us, and
we have to just you know, be good examples and um,
treat everyone fairly and treat everyone, you know, with respect
and dignity. UM. Talking about strength, it requires a certain
strength amount of Yeah. Yeah, And you know Paul himself
talk about strength. Paul, the greatest evangelist of all time,
you know, talked about, Hey, I'm gonna embrace my weakness.
(25:54):
We talked about weakness, and you know he went through
some really tough stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, Paul,
like some HOMEI I don't know, no, no, when I
say the greatest evangelist about yeah, the apostle Paul, I
mean he he said, I'm gonna celebrate and embrace my weakness.
I'm gonna boast in my weakness. Because that's when that
really gives the context for us, because then that he said,
that's when I realized my true strength, you know. I mean,
(26:17):
the writer and speaker Paul Trip says, you know, weakness
wasn't the end of me. It was the beginning. And
for me personally, weakness in the midst of the M
and F days and the books and you name, you
name it, weakness was my beginning. Weakness is when I
really became a man, uh and I really started to
have my wits about me. True story. Wow, did how
(26:40):
low did he get for you when you were going
through all the physical stuff? Because I remember I wanted
to ask, but I didn't want to harp on it
because I know it was tough, and you know, I
didn't want to contribute to do you feeling worse about
yourself and stuff? So well, I mean I I retreated.
I pretty much went into isolation. It's one of the
(27:00):
worst things you can do. Because I remember, not the dinner.
I'm sorry, but I remembered, and I hope I'm not
over sharing her. But I remember when you told me
you had to go to the restroom, you had to
sit in the tub for like a half hour, right,
longer than that, but longer than that to go, bro,
I wake up. I'm like a pigeon. I gotta go.
And so I cannot imagine if I had to go
sit in the tub for really, yeah, it was. I mean,
(27:23):
I would find Mario can barely make it to work
without going in. But I'll never forget you telling me that, dude,
because you gotta sit in the temper I go before
you gotta go really damn. It was interesting because that
requires a line to my the you know, we had
an involuntary We all have involuntary and voluntary muscles way
up in the unknown, and I had muscles that were involuntary,
(27:45):
you know, taking on the mind of their own, and
that's like a bad scenario. So when you're in spasm
and whatnot. Anyway, long story short, I was unable to function,
and so, um, yeah, it was. It was basically it
was l every day and I would I had to
resort to actually not only lying in the bathtub, but
(28:07):
I would spend all my time in the bathtub. I would.
I would literally and in fact, I reached I reached
rock bottom. Uh, when I was lying in my bathtub
full of waste and blood and I was actually apologizing
to my body. I was actually, you know, we're you know,
our soul and our bodies were together, right, and so
(28:27):
I was actually apologizing to my body, like I'm so
sorry that you're going through this. I really like it
was like it was like I was life was a friend, right,
And I remember just crying and just thinking that's it.
I'm done. I have no no strength left. Um, if
I ever get up if I said, if I ever
hope and rise and speak and smile again, it's it's
not going to be because of my faith. It's not
going to be because of my you know, gut summon
(28:50):
passion of belief. No, it's gonna be by the grace
of God. If I get out of this bathtub and
made it up. And I went through a very difficult
surgery risk you urgery, um, whether or not I'd have
to forever have a bag um, but the voluntary muscles
came back. Uh. And I spent sixteen weeks at home. Uh,
(29:11):
couldn't move, couldn't couldn't be seen. Uh. And then UH
went to the doctor and yes, we're having some some
life up up there. And and so in fact, the
first time out of the gates, uh, Larette and I
went to see The Dark Knight Rises and we got
Bruce Wayne down in the prison right and he's trying
(29:33):
to climb this wall. I don't know if you remember
the scenes. He's trying to get out of this and
until finally they said you got to climb without the rope.
And Um, as he's climbing up, he says, Hey, what
are they saying? And he says they're saying rise, and
I'm just tears running down my face. He gets up
that and then he throws the rope down into the
to the prison. And I said, that's why I called
our conference prey fit Rise. You didn't know that. That's
(29:55):
why I called the conference pray fit right, man. Yeah,
because I am batman, uh and uh and so yeah,
so God healed me just by his grace. And I said,
I'll never take my health for granted. I'll never see
it as anything other than a gift. Uh. And I
want to help people go through tough stuff no matter
what it is. That's exactly what it is. A gift, absolutely,
and one that I can appreciate more more than ever. Yeah. Wow, man.
(30:18):
And and it's such such good advice to you. Gotta
embrace the weaknesses, recognize them, embrace them, and well there's
something about it. Yeah. Yeah. Once you once you embrace
that weakness, you can deflect. You can deflect that. You
know what, I'm in the mercy of someone much much
stronger than me, and I'm gonna help you. I'm gonna
do my best and see fighting through. Like when you
(30:39):
fight through, and you're an example to millions of people
in the area of health wellness. You name it, right,
and as you battle through and work through, work around
and modify, you're gonna be a better example to your
fan base, your audience, you name it, You're gonna be
a much stronger, poignant, piercing example to them to get
(30:59):
through stuff in their life. Then had you not gone
through some of your illnesses and injuries and surgeries. Uh,
you know, so you can have You're gonna be an
example on all sorts of in all sorts of ways. UM.
So well, I continue to to try to UM at
least represent being a good Catholic Christian is as much
(31:22):
as I can UM, you know, because like you said,
it is met with a certain sense of um hesitants.
Sometimes they don't want you to hitting in anybody over
the head of the with with a Bible. Right. But
at the same time, UM, I get a lot of
I get a lot of UM support from people saying,
you know what, I appreciate that you put it out
(31:42):
there because a lot of people don't. So you know,
I'm gonna I want to I want to continue UM.
And as I've gotten older too, uh, I've also continued
to try to build a more spiritual muscle. But you know,
it's it's it's it's tough, and I know we've talked
about it, because it's tough. You you you've obviously always
got certain distractions or temptations, but always circle back, you know,
(32:04):
and even if I stumble or take a step back,
then you know, I always make sure to kind of
keep getting right on back. And I think it's important
to have other men or people in your life that
can hold you accountable. Like that old saying goes like
one stone sharpens another, iron sharp, iron sharp, and iron
man sharpens man. Yeah, I mean, you know, like the
Bubba says, we've all sinned, we've all fallen short, right,
and so that's the good that's the good news. Actually,
(32:24):
that's the gospel, to be honest, you know, pray for
We talk a lot about that. You know, Hey, listen,
we're all going to fail, we all every I mean
we we fail even when we don't know we're failing. Right,
And so that's the good news about Christ, uh, and
that's we we we celebrate that because he lived a
perfect life, right, and he lived the life you Mario
and me, Jimmy, we couldn't live. So he lived perfectly
(32:46):
and died perfectly. When we accept his sacrifice, we accept
his life. You know, God sees us through the blood
of Christ, and so we can live like abundantly. We
can live with fire and passion. Yes, we're gonna fail,
you know, in our minds and our thoughts and our deeds.
We're gonna screw up. Uh, but thankfully He forgives us
and we can we can press forward. So, UM, I
(33:09):
think Christians, Uh you know that you talked about the
stigma or the or the polar right you know. Um.
One thing that Christianity we can't do is look down
and try and pretend that we're perfect, because we're actually not.
I think we're here are we are practicing absolutely, you know,
and um thankfully, Uh you know, God doesn't love us
(33:31):
anymore if we do well or if we do poorly. Um. Thankfully,
he loves us as much as he loves Christ. And
that's well, that's very refreshing. So and that's why we
can go through tough stuff, illnesses and you know, um business,
we can go through tough stuff because of our acceptance
from Him. Yeah, I and listen, it's Him that was
important for me to raise my kids with a faith
(33:53):
based education and have some sort of infrastructure. I know
it's a very personal thing for people, but you know
again I commend you to uh could you continue to
walk that walk? And UM, I appreciate our conversations when
we go there. I want to get into, um specifically,
what you're doing now with these people. And we're talking
about people talking challenges and overcoming some stuff. Talk a
little bit about this this disability space and what you're into. Yeah. Thanks.
(34:16):
You know, a couple of years ago when we turned
profit into more of a disability focused in fact, you
were I mean you were so sweet for to to
you know, to help promote the five K that benefited
kids effectively disability and so we we said, you know what,
this is really what we're about. This is what my
help is for to help those um that are really
going through some tough stuff or you know, kids and
(34:38):
families that need you know, really some extra care and uh,
you know, so we dedicated it to to disability and
special needs. Uh. Well, about a year ago I saw
that there's this really great nonprofit here in l A
called Johnny and Friends j O and uh Johnny and
Friends dot org and the founder UH is Johnny Eric
(34:59):
sin Tata. She's like the second longest living quadriplegic in
the world. And uh, she had a diving accident fifty
five plus years ago and broke her neck and um
in a pool diving off in a in a in
a lake. Uh. And uh so I'm just not to
I'm just curious. So when you it could hitting the
(35:19):
water or it's something in the water. I think she was.
She jumped in a shallow um part of and um snapped,
snapped her her spine. And yes, it's funny, funny. I
was just just when you ask that question made me think.
I moved to l A to work for a man
who was like the best at forming shaping. Yeah, Joe
(35:44):
Weider showing muscle. Now I I work for a woman
that can't move a one. It's crazy the spectrum of
like right now, I'm celebrating the fact that I get
to serve alongside this lady that's been doing so much.
So anyway, Uh, not to not to get off track,
but so anyway, Johnny had this accident. Yead the accident, Uh,
and a few years later her story basically she started
(36:07):
writing people and people started writing her about her accident
and people going through tough stuff, and she gained some exposure.
Billy Graham actually had her on his uh his his crusade. Uh.
She helped form the A D A uh. A lot
of things happened in her life and she started this
ministry uh called Johnny and Friends where people all around
(36:27):
the world really started writing in needing some comfort and
encouragement and community for specifically for people whether it be
you know, down syndrome to autism to you know, actual
spinal cord injury. And she started sending wheelchairs around the
world and so she's nearly we're about to reach two
(36:48):
hundred thousand wheelchairs, um being sent around the world. That's crazy.
We're in thirty three countries, so we have programs all
over the country. My job really is, um, I'm like
the West Coast guy for Johnny and Johnny and Friends.
And we raise money, we raise awareness for kids and
families have impacted by disability. And it's a great gig. Yeah.
(37:09):
It's yeah, no, my, yeah, my, I didn't get this
far in my dreams. Yeah. That's awesome, man, that's awesome.
And being able to do, um what you love in
something you believe in. His passion as far as helping
people and in this space and physically still them with
pray Fit coming to break in full circle. That's gonna pray.
You know. We write at night, and I write on
(37:30):
the weekends. We do things with pray Fits, still going
strong that community every day. I remember you, right every day,
that's right, you know, And that's my outlet. But during
the day I get to I get to serve with
Johnny Ericson Todd. It's pretty pretty awesome. What have you
learned about people with disabilities that you that you didn't
know before? That surprised you? Oh man, you know, I
don't think I've ever been closer to God than when
(37:50):
I'm with kids and families have affected by special needs.
I think it is so amazing. I work with this
this boy, Jordan's he's got autism, severe autism. And I've
been working with him for almost five years. Every month,
uh and we hang uh. We we hang out for
a few hours, he and he and a bunch of
his friends just so his parents can go and have
a date, go to the store, have a nap. You know,
(38:13):
it's a respite program. And when I'm with Jordan and
I see him, you know, he asks me five questions
in a matter of you know, a couple of hours,
and I answer every single one of them, and I
stay engaged with him, and I just love him to death.
And he inspired much of what we're doing it, you know,
at Prey Fit, and he inspired me to even be
you know there at Johnny and Friends. Um. But you know,
(38:34):
I just learned that that a couple of things that
our communities, even our churches, don't accept and invite people
affected by disability as much as you would think. Yeah,
and so one of the causes that were about is
really really demonstrating and really opening up the eyes of
churches and leaders in churches that he listen. There's an
(38:57):
entire community around us that that need the gospel, people
that need to hear about Jesus, people that need just welcoming,
and people that need programs of comfort. And so a
big part of the job is knocking on doors and saying,
do you guys have a disability program? You know, do
you need any help in establishing a special needs division?
You know? So it's it's uh, you know, so my
(39:19):
eyes have been open to um how marginalized the disability
community is and can be and um, but also just
how how sweet and awesome um they are and uh
and and how capable. Uh you know that they you know,
it's just I've just fallen in love um with with everyone.
That's that's really really cool man, proud of you. Yeah, thanks.
(39:41):
Last thing I want to talk about probably the most
important your game. You go next level with the intensity
in the passion, and I love it. I'm here for it.
You won the last time, didn't you, your rab bastard. Okay,
listen to me, seriously, how much do you love the
(40:02):
It's it's pretty much the best time of the year
when when we do the he is focused but game
face listen, we we we we anticipated, we think about it. Um,
we look for it. But you know what I am,
Actually I'm the I'm the best on the chord. I've
in fact, i've with like twenty other people think they're
(40:27):
the best. But you're you know what, that's real talk.
You have not walked off the court as a loser.
You wont like the last couple. Yeah, that's right. Not
only did I win the group, but then that later
that the last time we were on, I said hey,
let's go one on boom wife the court with you,
and when I went home with this, you know it's true.
We've never played one in her life. We're gonna be
(40:48):
We're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna put it. We're gonna
put a little wager. And I might like live streaming
or something to some people like I hope, but we're friends.
I don't want to do that too. All right, you better,
you better, you don't want you better do before that,
you better pray before we start playing. I'm looking forward
to that coming up next man. And thank you so much.
I'm glad we got to hang. And if people want
(41:09):
to find out more about pray Fit, which I just
think is awesome. And Johnny and Friends, where can they goping?
Absolutely Preyfit dot org or Johnny and Friends dot org.
Great great opportunities to get involved right there. So don't
forget a new episodes and listen to Mario dropping every
Friday all on Mario dot com to catch up on
(41:29):
the podcast, and please make sure you follow listen to
Mario on I Heart Radio and subscribe on Apple podcasts
or wherever you get podcasts. More fun next week. Thank
you so much for listening
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