April 17, 2025

#87 Natural Testosterone Boosting and Fitness Strategies for Men in Their 30s, 40s, and 50s with Funk Roberts

Ready to Crush Excuses and Reclaim Your Strength After 40? 💪In this powerful episode, Greg Denning is joined by elite fitness expert Funk Roberts, the go-to authority for men over 40 looking to reclaim their energy, masculinity, and physical performance. Funk dives deep into the real reasons why men’s testosterone levels are at an all-time low—and what you can do about it.

If you’re a man over 40 battling low energy, stubborn fat, or declining drive, this conversation will light a fire in you. Funk reveals how you can naturally increase your testosterone, build lean muscle, and transform your mindset—without relying on dangerous shortcuts or crash diets.

From non-negotiables to brotherhood, Funk shares his proven blueprint that’s helped thousands of men get back in the best shape of their lives. You'll learn how food, sleep, stress, and even social pressure are affecting your health—and what you can do TODAY to change it.

Whether you're just starting your fitness journey or looking to level up, this episode is packed with action steps, motivation, and real talk from a coach who walks the walk.

🎧 Tune in to discover how men over 40 can build a legendary body and legacy —one rep, one choice

Key Takeaways:

Mindset is crucial for transforming health and fitness, especially after 40.

Sleep plays a vital role in testosterone production and overall health.
Nutrition should be simple and sustainable, focusing on balanced meals.
Gratitude can shift your perspective and improve mental health.
Recovery includes both physical and mental aspects, such as yoga and meditation.

Chapters:

00:00 Funk Roberts: From Athlete to Fitness Expert

07:53 The Power of Immersion in Sports

14:22 Transitioning from Professional Sports to 9 to 5

20:19 The Turning Point: A Journey of Self-Discovery

27:33 Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone

30:22 Mindset Shifts for Men Over 40

31:54 The Wake-Up Call: Observations on Health and Fitness

35:00 The Importance of Body Health: Mindset and Physical Condition

37:49 Sleep: The Foundation of Health and Testosterone

40:41 Recovery: Physical and Mental Well-Being

45:49 Nutrition: Building Blocks for a Healthy Life

59:51 Workouts: Modern Approaches to Fitness

01:03:49 Transforming Workouts for Longevity

01:10:53 Metabolic Training vs. Traditional Cardio

01:18:56 Understanding Testosterone Levels

01:26:38 The Importance of Non-Negotiables and Brotherhood

Funk Roberts: https://over40shred.com/alphatransformations/

https://www.instagram.com/over40funk

https://www.facebook.com/funkrobertsfitness

https://www.youtube.com/marcroops

RESOURCES:

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0:00

Testosterone production generally happens during deep sleep.

You move the right levers in in six months, you're a new man.

0:06

Not only will your entire life be different, but your hormones will definitely increase.

Once you get over that little obstacle, that first little hurdle, it changes everything.

0:14

Nutrition is key and.

When when you lean into gratitude, it changes what you focus on.

0:21

The more you do it, the better you get.

I can't be spending so much time in the gym.

0:26

You're going to be burning calories hours and hours after.

Being a family man is the greatest calling there is for men, and in order to do that well, you and I

0:34

and all of us, we have to be dialed in.

You need a brotherhood of men who are on the same journey as you.

0:40

Gentlemen, welcome to the Formidable Family Man podcast.

I'm your host, Greg Denning.

0:44

Today, my guest is Funk Roberts.

He and I have a fun, engaging, detailed conversation of how to be healthy and fit and energized and

0:54

alive for men in their 30s, forties, 50s and beyond.

We get into all the details of mindset and sleep and food and exercise and how to boost testosterone

1:09

naturally so that we can be operating at the levels we need to be as men.

This is a phenomenal episode with lots of details, lots of strategy, fun stories about moving

1:20

through life, business, family, fitness, health, the whole shebang.

So get in there.

1:27

Enjoy this episode.

Connect with Funk.

1:29

Enjoy.

Yeah, Mr. Roberts, I am so excited to talk to you again.

1:35

We had such a fun conversation before.

Let's dive in.

1:38

Tell tell us a little bit about your story because there's there's still lots that I don't even

know.

1:42

So introduce yourself here to the group and tell us a little bit of the story and then we'll dive

in.

1:45

I got all kinds of great questions for you and we'll have a just a phenomenal conversation today.

OK, yeah, I know.

1:51

Thanks so much for having me on your podcast.

I'm really excited.

1:54

So yeah, I'm Funk Roberts, former professional athlete turned, you know, fitness experts specific

for men over 4050 and 60.

2:00

So my story starts, you know, I was a single child here in Toronto, Canada.

I live in Toronto, Canada.

2:06

So, you know, my parents were absolutely incredible.

And that's really for me as a as a youth, I was a latchkey kid.

2:15

For those who don't know latchkey kid, it's just those kids.

Like I was seven years old and I had a key to the house because I had to come home.

2:21

I had to cook rice, you know, because my parents, they worked, right?

So my parents worked a lot and they were also athletes.

2:28

So as I was growing up, you know, one of the things that my parents did was, you know, they're

always, you know, pushing me to different sports, you know, YMCA sports camp for the summer, all of

2:38

these things.

But the one thing I always used to see was my parents is like they would go to work 9:00 to 5:00 or

2:43

my dad worked 2 jobs back then come home, you know, cook because I have to prepare the rice and then

they're out practicing or they're training or they're coming home with trophies.

2:54

So like very early in my life, very early in my life, I would like just see that all that every week

is like they're coming home with these trophies, right?

3:02

And we had a, we literally had a room filled with trophies with those Batman.

They were still competing and winning.

3:09

When you were a kid you literally got to see competition and winning up.

Close 100% and it was like plus plus like working plus like cleaning the house, doing all just doing

3:23

everyday regular parent stuff, but then also, you know, doing the hard stuff that, you know, again,

for me as I grew up, it was just seeing them coming home with trophies and and and you know, they

3:35

they've never ever, ever pushed me to sports.

They just like put me in sports because they needed, right, They're working.

3:43

So, oh, it's pair.

You go play football, go play basketball.

3:46

Like that, that was their way of being.

It was their identity.

3:50

Are you?

It would be hard for you to not like be an athlete.

3:54

Yeah, 100% like that.

So, so it was easy for me to and and here's the other thing too about and I don't know if it was

4:01

because of my parents or if it was just because of who I am, but I always wanted to dominate.

I was a only child, right, and I always wanted to Dom it didn't matter what sport I was in, I always

4:11

wanted to be the best and I generally was either the best or the second best, like captain or Co

captain or like I always So I would do things as a only child.

4:19

You know, you're playing, you're doing stuff on your own all the time anyway, but it was always

sports related.

4:23

So very quickly, you know, didn't matter what sport I played, I became very good at.

I was like the Jack of all trades with master of none.

4:31

But then when I went to high school, football was a was a sport I really wanted to, to excel at.

I was a quarterback.

4:37

I tried out for the in this, we have a call the CFL here.

I tried out for the CFL later on in my life, but the school, the high school that I went to, they

4:46

didn't have football.

There was a rugby school.

4:49

So volleyball was at the same time.

And I, you know, I've been playing volleyball for in, in junior high.

4:54

But high school, I just gravitated the volleyball because that's the only sport that was really

around at the time.

5:00

And then I just became really good at it.

So volleyball was my big sport.

5:04

And again, as I mentioned before, it was more about like I wanted to dominate.

We had a really good high school team.

5:09

Then I played on our club team, then I played on our junior national team.

And so there was a lot of a lot of the, you know, just just again, just this is a sport that I'm

5:18

going to dominate.

I remember like it was 1987.

5:21

I totally remember this.

I turn on NBCTV or I I it was ESPN and I'm watching volleyball.

5:26

So I was playing indoor volleyball right high level, but I'm watching ESPN and I'm seeing like

Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklows versus Kartch cry and I can't remember who's powers and they're on the

5:39

beach like it's 22 beach volleyball and I'm like, Oh, that's what I want to do because I'm I'm also

like I love the being center of attention.

5:49

Although I love the team sport.

Don't get me wrong, I love the team sport, but like, hey, I'm black, so I'm already going to be the

5:56

center of attention playing, playing volleyball, beach volleyball in a sport at that time, there was

no black black, no other black players at that time.

6:04

But like being the center of attention, like just me and one other person, of course.

So I just literally gravitated the beach volleyball because luckily in Toronto, Canada we had.

6:12

That's why I was going to ask, like, are there any sand courts in Toronto?

Yes, so we were the Mecca of beach volleyball here in Canada was right down at the Balmy Beach Club.

0:00

So we have a lot of guys who already were playing in the US on the AVP.

6:29

So we had a tour in 1991, a massive tour.

I think it was like $400,000 in prize money throughout the whole tour.

6:38

And so that's where I kind of like got my craft.

I still played indoor and I played overseas in in Switzerland.

6:45

So I played pro, but it was, it was beach volleyball that really took a hold on me and just just

learning to live that.

6:54

Like, you know, we had our Canadian tour, then I played on the AVP tour.

And of course, like, you know, during the 90s, that's, that was a big rise of beach volleyball

7:01

during the 90s.

And then it was, it was also an Olympic sport in 96.

7:06

And the Canadian, our Canadian team, Mark and John, they got a bronze.

So that blew up beach volleyball here in Canada.

7:12

So in the 90s, that's all I did.

I was playing beach volleyball.

7:15

I was playing indoor like on a club level, so very high level and you know, of course gobbling with

jobs here and there.

7:23

I could literally play beach specifically when we had Arturo, I could play beach volleyball all year

round pretty much and, and, and live.

7:30

So that was kind of like the 90s for me.

Right, I want to I want to point out like some some things that are just really kind of standing out

7:37

for me about like deep immersion, like your whole story right there is the power of immersion

because your parents were athletes.

7:47

I mean they were doing life, but they were athletes and they're showing it from little.

Then you get exposed to what's available to you.

7:54

And then it became big, like you happen to be in a place where it took off.

And then, you know, things lined up sort of exploded right there with deep immersion at home, at

8:05

school, in, you know, your clubs, sport, like you're, you're right there.

And and I think there's something beautiful if, if we and our children, for those listening, like we

8:15

want to help our kids really embrace something and they have to want it too, because we don't, I

don't want to be the guy that forces something on my kid because I'm trying to like live vicariously

8:26

through them.

Like I'm not going that road.

8:29

But if one of our kids love something and we and we want to really help.

Your story is such a great example of immersion.

8:37

Like, get in it exposing to the greatness, the greatest players, what's what's possible from indoor

to beach to, you know, what's happening around the world.

8:49

That is that is such a cool, cool example of immersion.

Can I, can I ask a couple?

8:55

Yeah, yeah.

No, no, go, go, go, please.

8:58

Well, I was going to, I was going to ask about, well, what sports your parents were playing because

I'm curious.

9:05

And then I know, I know you.

You saw their example of athletics.

9:10

Do you feel like that ever left you feeling a little bit neglected as a kid?

Yeah, Those those kind of things.

9:17

Great question.

So they So what I was about to say is that they started off as badminton because they came from

9:23

Guyana.

They were Diana is a South American country.

9:27

So they came to Canada and I think they were playing badminton in Guyana.

So they just brought that here and just dominated.

9:34

And then they switched to tennis and literally like I, I remember this, it's like all of a sudden

they're playing tennis and they're coming home with trophies.

9:43

I'm like, how is this possible?

You're going from 1 sport to another and dominate.

9:47

My mom specifically, she like, I don't know anyways, and then golf was the other thing.

But anyways, so they never ever, ever, ever first of all, they never came to any of my game, any of

9:57

my matches, any of my games, nothing.

My dad maybe drove used to drive us to practice once in a while.

10:03

But as latke kid, you just take the the the transit to get to where you need to go.

So my parents were not like go play the sport, go go even even as a pro athlete.

10:14

It was all about like, like being, you know, getting the job, you know, the 9:00 to 5:00, like

they're they're old school, right?

10:21

Like if you're generation X, your parents are kind of old school.

Like they just want you to get that, that nine to five job, you know, get, get your, get your

10:29

pension, whatever that is, right.

So it wasn't, it wasn't like pushing me to do like it was literally the opposite.

10:36

It was all about school.

But for me it was just seeing that, like just seeing it on a daily basis and see how they, they

10:43

worked.

And in regards to like being neglected, I don't, I didn't really, I don't, I don't think I really

10:50

took that in because I, I also had a lot of friends and I was in sports.

So a lot of, a lot of my time was taken from through sports, right?

10:58

Taking, you know, you're travelling when you're playing at a high level, you're always travelling,

even in the club.

11:03

Like, you know, during high school, I mean, they're playing on my high school team or playing on the

club team and with the club team, they're always travelling.

11:09

So that there wasn't really anything about like, you know, the neglecting, not all.

Like even to this day, I just, I, I thank my parents for being the type of parents they were because

11:18

they showed through through action.

Like it was all about action, right?

11:23

You know what I mean?

And and and.

11:25

Results don't lie, baby.

I I remember I had AI, had AI was so enamored with trophies.

11:34

Like I always wanted a trophy because I would go into our trophy room or my parents trophy room

because I didn't have trophies all the time.

11:41

And literally like the whole room was filled with trophies.

And it's so weird because I and I used to get pissed off because I played a sport where it was

11:49

medals like beach volleyball's medals or even a check.

And I'd be pissed.

11:54

I don't want this stupid check.

I don't want.

11:59

Yes, yeah.

It's, it's, it's funny how you know, and I always say this too, in regards to like as a parent,

12:07

it's, it's the, it's the actions that speak the loudest.

Because my son is, you know, he went to Thailand to train Muay Thai for like 6 months and, and, and

12:16

like was like high level training in Muay Thai.

I never told him about training Muay Thai because I was also a Muay Thai fighter.

12:24

But he just, he would just see me from the outside looking in seeing I'm training, seeing Muay Thai

and be like, yeah, dad, I think I'm going to go to Thailand.

12:31

I'm like.

Really.

12:32

Yes.

OK, Yes, Yes, yes.

12:34

Right.

And that's, and then it's like, oh, but if you're going to go to Thailand, then you're going to go

12:37

here where it's really tough.

So the 90s really shaped me in regards to well, I mean, I don't, I wouldn't say shaped me because

12:45

you know, as a professional, like here's the thing about being a professional athlete in a sport

like beach volleyball.

12:50

If you're a professional athlete, it doesn't matter what sport, you're a professional athlete and

you're always feel like a rock star, whether it's a professional athlete and like, I don't know, I

13:00

know rodeo or like, it doesn't matter the breadth of the sport, you know, because usually people

like if it's on NBA, it's on NHL.

13:07

If it's not that, then it's like, you know what, how crazy can it be?

But every sport has that little community and, and the ones who, who rise through you still feel

13:18

like you're playing, like you're, you're, you know, you're a rock star.

So yeah, that, that all came to an end when I turned 30 because I just lost a passion for, for

13:28

training.

I lost a passion for practicing.

13:31

And that's when I knew, OK, I'm done.

Like, and, and with beach volleyball, it's a sport where you don't actually, you can, you can last

13:39

longer because you're playing on the sand.

So you don't have the joints, you know, that joint pain.

13:43

But I lost that, that grind, right?

I lost it.

13:46

And I knew right off the bat, OK, if I'm only playing to try to make money and pay my rent, you

know, like that's the wrong reason because you're just going to be resentful to your partner.

13:56

You're going to be resentful to the sport.

You're going to just hate your life if you're just trying to get third or fifth, OK, All I have to

14:03

do is get 9th place.

If I get 9th place this weekend I can pay my rent.

14:07

I can pay rent, yeah.

Right, 9th place dude, you should be playing for first.

14:13

So I transitioned into the 9:00 to 5:00 in the in in the 2000s, right.

So it's nine to five job.

14:19

I was still playing indoor volleyball and I also ran the tour for a couple of years, but really and

truly is more than 9 to 5 grind.

14:27

And that was good.

I mean, you know, that was good for a while.

14:30

You know, again, I took the same mindset of trying to be the best, trying to move up into management

as quickly as I can, try to just be the best employee that I could, right.

14:39

Like that's, that's really what it what it's all about for me.

And then I.

14:43

Kind of jump in right here real quick, just because I just had this little, this question in my

head, knowing what you know now as an entrepreneur and business owner, if you had the chance.

14:54

And again, it's kind of a silly question because you don't get a chance to do it over.

But would you do it differently or or was that the path to get into the 9:00 to 5:00 and and climb

15:02

up the ladder and and pursue that?

I loved that I did the 9:00 to 5:00.

15:06

In fact, I loved all the stuff I did before that.

You know, the door, like the door to door sales person, telecommunic telecom, answering phones like

15:15

that was that was all the little gigs that I did when I was in, when I was an athlete and then when

I retired, it was a nine to five.

15:22

But learning sales, learning how to present like all of those things, learning to get up 9:00 to

5:00 every day, like.

15:28

Comfortable, precious training right there.

Yeah, So all of the little skills that I that I built, right.

15:36

And I always tell people, listen, man, we you have to think about all the little skills that you

built as, as you were growing up, as you were going from job to job or career to career.

15:46

You've built so many skills that anyone can literally start a business just taking the skill sets

that they've learned and go, yeah, but I, I know how to cold call because I used to cold call, knock

15:55

people on the torn and say, Hey, do you want some yuk yuk tickets?

Like I know that uncomfortableness I've got, I've lived it.

16:01

So there's all these little skill sets, right that I know now.

Like, man, thank goodness I was, I did customer service because I know what it feels like, you know,

16:11

to, to, to be on the other side.

So I when I was I used to work at Dell Computers and I became a manager really quickly and I

16:18

realized that management is just customer service because all of your.

Reps are.

16:23

Just all your reps are doing is like, oh, you want to talk to my manager?

OK, hey, so I would come back, I would come into work and be like 20 messages and it's all like

16:35

angry customers.

And I'm like, OK, this this dude, you guys have to figure out your own stuff.

16:40

But but you learn how to deal with customers, you learn customers, you know, satisfaction.

I would never have learnt that if I wasn't in that environment, right.

16:49

So, so a lot of the the little things that I picked up in the 9:00 to 5:00 and in the small jobs and

then the, you know, collecting newspapers, I used to deliver newspapers like all of those little

17:01

things all I think built so formative, yes.

I gave those details, brother, because it those are the skills that are they're hard won.

17:14

They are uncomfortable and, and most of us, including myself, want to avoid the, the, the

uncomfortable jobs that require those uncomfortable, awkward conversations with people and knocking

17:26

on doors and dealing with customers.

But right in there is where those skills are born and and cultivated that give you the skill set,

17:36

then the tool bag you need later on.

Specifically in our 40s, forties, 50s, like we have so much experience that we don't tap into

17:45

sometimes we're not like, like, it's not glorifying to sell yuk yuk tickets knocking on people's

door.

17:50

But then when I think back of like, man, those were great times.

I mean, those were great.

17:55

You're talking to everybody.

You're trying to sell them comedy tickets.

17:58

Like, this is great, man.

What you're talking about.

18:00

Yeah, we were struggling.

Yeah.

18:02

We were living from paycheck to paycheck, but man, and we talked to so many people and had such a

good time and just it's all those little things.

18:08

And then there's a job that you just hate it.

It's like, man, I hate my manager, but you learn, you know, you learn that tolerance and it's all of

18:15

these little things that I bring to the table in business.

But also it helped me just to communicate, like the communicating with people.

18:25

That's another big thing is just being able to communicate with people and, and playing, playing

sports really helped me to, to learn emotional intelligence, right?

18:34

You're not because if you react too much from your emotions or it's over, like it's over.

One of the, one of the things for me as a, as an athlete and I, I don't know how, why this was hard

18:45

wired into me, but I was very mentally tough.

Like I had really good mental toughness.

18:50

Like like I knew when someone across the, the, the net or if I was training with someone, I know

when they break.

18:57

I know how to break people.

I know how to say these little things that break people and I know on the flip side, how to stay

19:03

mentally tough.

Even if the last three, you know, serves I got, I either Shank the ball or I got blocked three

19:10

times.

I still like I don't let that I've seen people crumble, crumble.

19:15

Exactly.

That's it.

19:16

Oh, there he is that we're going to serve that guy because he's he's crumbling.

But I never really, I've had a couple of moments, I'm sure, but I never really, I was always that

19:25

mental tough, that toughness.

And, and I think that also carried me into being able to try and do things that I'd never really

19:33

done before.

Because after I, when I turned 39, this is where my life really took a massive turn.

19:40

And I think this built the foundation for my 40s because I have 39, you know, I was doing 95.9 to

five, but I was also still dabbling in the fitness world.

19:49

I was, I was a personal trainer realized I didn't like that.

Then I ran boot camps.

19:55

Like I had these big boot camps here in, in Ontario, Toronto, like hundreds of people come to these

boot camps, like bringing all my equipment, like set it up, you know, set it up at all these

20:05

different stations.

And you know, and then after the boot camps over going to take all that stuff, put it in the truck,

20:10

go home, maybe upload a video and then go to work right the next day.

So it's kind of like that grind.

20:16

And I also realized that I didn't like that because it was a grind.

But then the online like YouTube started to pop off and I started to post on YouTube and I was

20:25

starting to find my way as you know, just using YouTube as a way to share my fitness information.

But when I turned 39, a lot of things changed.

20:34

The first one was I was, I remember training with a buddy of mine's name is Chuck Bassey, actually

big up to Chuck.

20:40

We're at the gym and he looks at me and he goes, doesn't it piss you off that you're probably the

hardest worker in this gym?

20:47

You train the hardest in this gym, but you've been training here for about 6-7, eight months now and

you still look the same.

20:54

And when he, when he said that to me, obviously I got defensive, right?

Because I'm like, what are you talking about, right?

20:58

It's like, yeah, you look the same.

You're still, you're puffy, you got a big belly and you're in here all the time.

21:03

And I went home and realized that I hadn't ever really been looking at myself in the mirror with my

shirt off.

21:10

Because when I saw that what I saw, what I saw in the mirror, I was like, Oh my God, it was like 215

lbs.

21:15

I was big and puffy like Elliott Hulse used to call it PM male PMS, puffy muscle syndrome.

You know, you're big and puffy and I had a big belly and I like 215 was like so foreign to me.

21:28

I was like, I was like 180 a 185 lbs.

But I was big and then so the So what do you do well as a fitness?

21:37

Chuck.

Chuck was just a friend of yours you trained with.

21:40

Yeah, Chuck is a friend of mine who I trained with, but tells.

You the truth.

21:43

Kudos to him for saying, hey, I'm going to say something here that just I'm going to hold up the

mirror and say something really uncomfortable and honest and what a catalyst brother, those are

21:56

friends.

Good friends can say what needs to be said A. 100% and at the time I don't know if it was out of

22:03

like I'm just ribbing him or if it was out of hey man, you do work hard.

But either way, it worked in a way because then I started to train more.

22:13

So let me go, let me go harder.

I might as well just go harder.

22:15

I started trying all these diets, Atkins diet, all these diets.

And at a time I was living with a, a girl who I thought was going to be the one, right?

22:23

And I came home from work one day and she had all of her bags packed.

And she's like, I'm out of here.

22:27

I'm going, I'm like, what are you talking about?

And she just said, listen, we're not having sex.

22:32

We haven't had sex in 6-7 months.

I'm out of here.

22:35

And she left like literally that whole, you know, kind of like, oh, the bags are packed at the door.

That's literally what happened.

22:42

And and that moment crushed me, absolutely crushed me because not only is it that this girl was, I

thought was going to be the one, but the fact that she left and the fact that she said it was

22:55

because we weren't having sex, right?

And that was kind of like emasculates.

23:00

Yeah, what's, what's the story there That's that's fascinating and insightful.

So I didn't know this was happening.

23:06

You know, you're, you're just going going on 9 to 5.

You're doing your thing.

23:10

I didn't even realize that that wasn't happening.

But for her it wasn't.

23:13

You know, even if I look back now and think about it, I'm sure this she gave me signs over and over

again, but I was so over here that I didn't even realize that.

23:22

And so I just, I just, I remember just just falling into this like, OK, I'll show her.

I'm going to start going to strip joints.

23:32

I'm going to start having sex with strippers and prostitutes.

I'm going to start hanging out at after hours parties and literally addiction hit me probably within

23:42

the first couple of months like I was deep doing drugs, partying and because I thought I was well,

what I was doing was actually masking my manhood, masking my manhood by eating in places like that.

23:53

Was strippers sabotage by telling yourself this story in these lies?

24:00

Yeah, because I'm I'm with strippers, I'm a prostitute.

I'm I'm in like the Drake.

24:04

I'm with party bikers, gang members and after hours parties.

I'm like, you know, like, like putting myself in a situation where I thought it was manly, right,

24:16

because those are all the things that men do right with women, sex, like all this stuff, drugs, but

100% I was masking and and that and that spiral went to deep depression, anxiety and then suicide.

24:30

Like, I remember, think I remember, you know, wanted to to kill myself so many times.

In fact, like putting myself in situations and in places that's like, well, you're going to go buy

24:40

drugs over there.

Oh, you're literally committing suicide by going into, you know, the this building.

24:46

You didn't buy a job.

I didn't care, right?

24:47

You don't care.

You're just like, Oh well, who cares?

24:49

Like what?

What?

24:50

Even with having kids, yeah.

So important to emphasize what you're saying here, like pointing out this spiral.

24:58

It's like this choice leads down to this choice, to that choice, to that choice, and pretty soon

it's so dark you cannot see or think clearly.

25:07

It went very quickly, like probably 6-7 months it took and, and, and then so I'm deep in it, you

know, not realizing what's happening.

25:18

Probably my, my work life is now starting to become unmanageable, right?

Because you're showing up late, you're calling in sick.

25:25

All of these things I, I try, I'm, I thought I was masking it not only for myself, but from other

people, but people they knew, they knew they, they, they were saying, what's going on here, man?

25:34

How come you're here one minute and they're gone and then we can't hear, we don't hear from you.

So January comes up.

25:39

I'm now still still 39.

January comes up and I go to the doctor to do my, my yearly checkup, right.

25:46

And then I come back.

So, you know, you do the blood and they come back and the doctor's like, hey, dude, your

25:51

testosterone is like a grandfather's testosterone.

And I'm like, what are you talking about?

25:56

Because at the time I didn't know, I knew testosterone was a male hormone, but I thought because I

was a big and puffy and like a big guy BI was having sex with everybody got Oh no, what are you

26:11

talking about?

Like I'm a fitness guy, you know, I'm big.

26:15

How can my testosterone levels be that low?

And then, you know, I also was an addict at the time.

26:21

So, you know, I had I had combined with my doctor about that.

So he's like, Oh, well, the reason why you or you have a big belly, you can't build muscle.

26:29

You're you're, you got anxiety, stress, depression, your libido is low because the only thing that's

fueling your libido is the drugs.

26:36

And then that doesn't work.

So all of the all of these side effects, he goes, because your testosterone levels 189 nanograms per

26:43

deciliter.

And for you it should be 800 nanograms per deciliter.

26:48

And so that was a massive aha moment for me in so many ways.

Number one was like, oh, OK, that's why all this is happening.

26:57

So it's like, OK, so it's not whatever I thought it was at the time, but it, it gave me hope.

It was like hope, right?

27:04

And, and so that just took me down kind of like a, a journey of learning more about hormones,

getting into recovery completely change the type of workouts, change my nutrition.

27:17

And within six months, like the summer of me at 40, literally 185 lbs lean and ripped and in the

best shape of my life at that time, No if ands or buts about it was just like I was a new person,

27:32

new person completely.

And it was just about changing my lifestyle and then going back to the doctor and seeing my

27:37

testosterone levels had tripled.

So there you go, there you go.

27:41

So, and that was all done naturally because of the time TRT and all this stuff that wasn't actually

a really big thing, but steroids, right?

27:50

So I remember because as a pro athlete, you can't, you can't do that stuff.

So I was very aware of like, OK, I'm, I can't go down.

27:56

That road I was going to ask, I was going to ask why you didn't kind of go for the, the injections

like so many people are doing.

28:02

But you want to be natural and see, I'm, I'm, I'm a purist.

I'm, I want to be as natural as absolutely possible.

28:07

I know a lot of guys are getting the, the testosterone injection.

I'm like, man, go go natural first.

28:12

See what you can do with lifestyle changes before you become dependent on the injections.

Yeah, yeah, 95% of men don't need the only the only people who need TRT, the only people who need I

28:24

call it steroids is people with brain injuries and testicle injuries.

Souls, the only two because you know, testosterone production happens, starts in the hypothalamus

28:34

and it makes its way all the way down to the testes.

So if both of those things or either one of those things are are damaged, then obviously, yes, 100%

28:42

go for it.

I would tell any man who has those things, whether it's concussion or whatever, whatever the the

28:48

brain injury or testicle injuries are.

Other than that, 1,000,000%, you can do it natural.

28:54

Then let's go, let's go.

Let's dive into it, brother.

28:57

Yes.

So from there that was that that that was it, you know like that, not the the, the naturally of

29:03

increasing testosterone really changed my life in my 40s because in my 40s I fought professionally

Muay Thai in Thailand.

29:09

So I went to Thailand, trained, fought, got married, you know, helped my kid go to school, started

my online business.

29:17

So all that stuff happened in my 40s and all that stuff happened because, you know, I had a new

leaf, a new, a new look on, on life, right?

29:25

Like really living what I was doing, yes, and becoming a fitness more into fitness.

And at the time I was training fighters, training condition for fighters.

29:33

But once I hit into my mid 40s, I changed to men over 40.

That's when I really leaned in again on how to naturally increase the saucer on right.

29:41

What are the ways to naturally increase testosterone?

I don't know if you want to start talking.

29:46

Yes, I do.

I want to hear some of the strategies because I love this stuff.

29:49

I love experimenting with it.

I love learning about it and sharing it.

29:52

So let's hit some of the maybe the the things you really like to lean into that make the biggest

difference.

29:58

So first, first and foremost is, and I know a lot of people say this is the mindset, but it is the

mindset to know that you can transform your, your, your horn, your testosterone and your body and

30:10

your health and your life at the age of 40.

Because we are fed a lot of bull crap that you can't do that after 4050 sixty.

30:16

So the mindset has to change and the mindset does change because most guys when they're hit their

40s or even in their 50s and they start to feel different, like you just literally know when things

30:26

are going wrong.

You start to feel different.

30:28

So that mindset shift of I can do this and making sure that you have a strong enough why as to why

you can do this, right?

30:35

It's not just about I want to lose the belly fat or I want to build muscle.

It's about I want to be there for my grandkids or my like my kids or my wife's looking at me with a

30:44

weird look like, you know how horrible it is when your wife, let's say that you, you have a family

and your kids leave the house.

30:52

Your kids are gone now.

So now it's just you and your wife, right?

30:56

And your wife, she's always healthy.

She's always out there.

30:59

She goes to the gym.

But you as a man, you haven't been doing that right?

31:03

You've, you've yeah, sure.

You your focus is, is putting food on the table.

31:08

But if you've got a big belly and you're out of shape and you're sitting down and you don't really

have a relationship with your wife.

31:14

Meanwhile, your wife's going to the gym and her, her Tyrone is her personal trainer.

And Tyrone is telling her every day that she looks great.

31:21

MO Missus Johnson, you look great.

And she comes home and sees you on the couch eating chips or drinking beer even though you had a

31:27

hard day at work.

Dude, it's over Lose.

31:30

Respect.

It is over let.

31:33

Me tell you a quick story about that cuz this hit me so hard brother.

My wife and I for our this was our like our annual honeymoon trip last year we went to a really

31:43

famous touristy area in northern England.

We went out first day and we were walking everywhere right so I was just 10s of thousands of people

31:51

out and it was mostly families.

It was really awesome all these couples holding hands with kids.

31:55

I thought it was beautiful.

I'm like, this is a family friendly place, but we start at 8:00 in the morning and we were out there

32:00

the entire day and walking past 10s of thousands of people first thing in the morning.

I started to notice I'm like.

32:05

Man these.

These ladies are all fit and their husbands are all fat.

32:11

I'm like, this is this is blowing me away.

This is so weird.

32:13

So I'm like, I'm going to pay attention all day today and see if it's just a few guys or if it's the

trend.

32:19

And brother, we were out there 10 hours and thousands of people, the vast majority of the men were

out of shape a lot.

32:29

And it was, it was exactly what you're describing.

I'm like, what is going on?

32:32

This is wild.

Yeah.

32:34

And and listen, I don't, I'm not just if you're listening this right now or watching this, I'm not

here to like preach and sit on this pedestal and because I know exactly where you're coming from.

32:44

But in working with the thousands of guys I've worked with and hearing the same story over and over

again, I'm not here to judge what I but I am here to just tell you, listen, it's, it's, it's time to

32:55

make the decision.

Yes, it is you.

32:57

Need to make decision it's just time it's just time to step up and it's going to be uncomfortable

it's going to suck at first but it's going to be the best decision you're going to make.

33:04

But sometimes you just need that wake up call, like Charles Chuck gave me that wake up call like

that was the wake up call I needed to to the the first wake up call I needed to hear because I was

33:14

on my own pedestal, because I was listen, I was posting YouTube workouts.

If you look back in the 2000 16/17/18, I had my I was AI would always wear a basketball shirt.

33:24

I got a basketball, a jersey, right, But I was big and puffy and I'm talking like, Oh yeah, you

know, do this exercise, whatever.

33:33

But man, I was just I was playing the fool, man, I was playing the fool.

So I know let.

33:38

Me emphasize what you just said because you're spot on, brother.

Like, you know, there's no condemnation here, but what a what a chance to say, hey, gentleman, you

33:47

can do this.

Like you can do this.

33:49

And yeah, there's going to be, there's some tough, tough days, maybe some tough weeks.

But once you get over that little obstacle, that first little hurdle, it changes everything.

33:58

It literally changes everything because, and I want to drive this home.

Like our body is the vehicle in which we do every single thing in life, even thinking is done

34:10

through the vehicle, the body.

So, and sleeping and sex and service and having fun and working hard, It's all done in this one, the

34:18

vehicle we get.

And if the vehicle's in a poor condition, that diminishes the, the experience of everything else.

34:25

So get that body right.

And, and you and I both know it can be done quickly and, and with the right strategies.

34:35

Like it's not near as hard as we might think it is, even if we've tried all kinds of things before

that you move the right levers.

34:41

And like you said, in six months, you're a new man.

Easily, easily.

34:44

I see it, like I said, I see it every day.

I see it every day.

34:46

Guys coming in like totally out of shape.

So the mindset thing is a big thing.

34:50

And I'm going to talk on, I'm going to talk about workouts and nutrition, but I'm going to, I'm

going to leave that in a second because I need to talk about the lowest hanging fruit, which is

34:58

sleep.

And you probably don't think about sleep and testosterone, but let me just talk about testosterone

35:04

is our #1 male hormone, OK?

That's everything for us.

35:06

So we need testosterone.

We want to be getting about 600 nanograms per deciliter or more.

35:12

Testosterone production generally happens during deep sleep and R.E.M. sleep.

That's when it happens so early in the morning.

35:20

You know, 6-4 or five in the morning during deep sleep and have the process.

It's important for you to know the process starts in the hypothalamus.

35:29

Hypothalamus releases what's called gonotropin hormone, which goes to the pituitary glands.

Pituitary gland then releases follicle luteinize or luteinizing hormone and follicle sex hormone.

35:41

They both go all the way down to the testes.

Follicle hormone goes to the testes and the luteinizing hormone goes to another part which is called

35:49

the Ladex cell.

Once they get to the latex cell knocks on the door, latex cell opens the door and then you're

35:56

luteinizing hormones, looking for cholesterol because cholesterol is the precursor to testosterone

production.

36:02

So if you don't have cholesterol, you don't have testosterone production.

Why am I telling you this is because these little things I'm going to talk to as we continue to go

36:10

through the ways that you naturally increase testosterone.

But if you know that, if you know that starts up here in the brain, it it goes down to the testes

36:18

and you need some cholesterol.

And you also know that this only happens when you have deep sleep, R.E.M. deep sleep, not just

36:25

generally the 7 to 9 hours sleep.

Of course you want to try to hit 7 to 9 hours sleep because the potential of you getting two to

36:33

three hours of deep sleep is going to be increased if you're getting 7 to 9 hours of regular sleep.

But I'm telling you right now, not just the testosterone piece of it, because that's what you're

36:42

going to optimize, but your muscle.

Muscle building happens while you sleep.

36:48

It doesn't happen in the gym.

In the gym, you're tearing down your muscle fibers.

36:52

You're creating a catabolic environment.

So you know you're in there.

36:55

You're doing bicep curls, tricep dips, whatever or whatever it is.

You're tearing down muscle fibers, but the only way those muscles can recover, get stronger, rebuild

37:07

is during that deep sleep, during that sleep.

So that's the other thing.

37:11

The second thing is you are, it's a fat loss, right?

You're in a, a perfect fat loss zone when you are in that deep sleep, right?

37:20

Cortisol levels are low, right?

And that's perfect because cortisol is a stress hormone and that causes belly fat storage and it

37:27

also blocks testosterone.

And the other thing is you're setting yourself up for a lot of energy and clear thinking as we get

37:33

older, right?

We lose a lot of energy as we get older.

37:36

Our brain health starts to deteriorate as we get older, so we need to do the things that will pull

the lever.

37:43

You were talking about that, you know, like sleep is one of those low hanging fruits as well as like

literal chronic health issues.

37:49

You know, at 4050, sixty more guys are blood pressure issues, cholesterol issues, like all of these

diabetes.

37:57

That's huge.

Like that doesn't happen when you can consistently get that sleep.

38:02

So that's key to testosterone.

In fact, most of the times when someone comes up to me in my program and they say funk, I got like I

38:10

went to the doctor and you know my testosterone about 400 on nanograms per deciliter.

But I'm doing my workouts, I'm doing the nutrition just like you said.

38:19

And I'll ask them two things, how much stress you have in your life and how much sleep you're

getting.

38:23

And they always the same.

It's either one or the other or it's both.

38:27

So, so and sleep is the big one because most people we don't get enough sleep.

And when that, when that little pillar is is attacked and when you can at least do your best to

38:39

optimize your sleep, it's not going to be perfect all the time.

We know that.

38:42

But the more you can get that deep sleep and the more you can focus on it telling you right now, not

only will your entire life be different, but your hormones will definitely increase.

38:51

So sleep is, is literally the second pillar, mindset and sleep.

The third pillar.

38:56

I touched on cortisol, I touched on stress.

It's recovery, but not just physical recovery, it's mental recovery, right?

39:03

So physical recovery is yoga, mobility, movement, range of motion stuff, you know, Pilates, even

things that are going to keep us injury free.

39:15

Because here's the thing, once you commit, there's no stopping like training three to four times a

week, you know, nutrition, all of the, all of the healthy habits that doesn't stop until we're until

39:29

we're gone.

OK, So, so, so we want to make sure that we stay injury free, pain free.

39:34

So we have to lean into the yoga.

We have to lean into mobility.

39:38

That's like, if you look inside my membership, you'll see like in the Facebook post, like the, the

people who like they put so much stock on mobility and stretching more than the workouts.

39:49

Yeah, they get the workout accounts done, but it's like, Oh yeah, but I'm doing my mobility with,

you know, a mobility guy or I'm doing yoga or whatever.

39:56

Like that's like the stamp of like I'm stepping outside my comfort zone.

I'm staying healthy, not getting injured.

40:02

I'm continuing to make get results and I'm learning something new because, you know, it's very

humbling to do yoga.

40:09

It's extremely humbling when you, it's so hard.

Totally, totally specifically.

40:14

We haven't done it right.

So.

40:15

But we you get better, the more you do it, the better you get.

The second part of it though, is mental recovery because we live a life that is in inundated with

40:25

stress, whether it's stress at home with kids, family, whatever, whether it's stress at work, right

hit our jobs, hit our boss.

40:34

Maybe you're a business owner.

So you the stress that comes with that.

40:37

I know I remember all three companies when this is crazy everyday it's something, right?

The stress of scrolling on your freaking social media, all of that stuff that you're bringing in,

40:47

all that, all that negativity, right?

All of that mindless drama, totally like that's, that's feeding our ongoing chronic stress.

40:58

Cortisol is a important hormone.

We do need it in the mornings.

41:03

Our cortisol levels are high.

Well, by the time we get to sleep, our cortisol levels need to be low so that melatonin, which is

41:09

our natural sleep hormone can get released.

So and throughout the day, of course your cortisol levels are going to go up and down, right When

41:18

you're working out, cortisol levels are high.

Right now our cortisol levels are probably high because we're talking to each other.

41:23

I got, I'm talking non-stop.

So my cortisol levels are probably high.

41:27

But then after I'm done, they're just going to come back down, right?

Because I'm just going to relax, maybe do some breath work, maybe some meditation.

41:34

We need to ensure that we're not bringing our chronic stress to bed, we're not bringing it home.

And we have tools like breath work, like gratitude journaling.

41:44

Like this is my gratitude journal from this morning, right?

Every morning I write in my gratitude journal.

41:50

When I first started doing gratitude journaling, I have a whole bunch of books here.

At first, I would write down three.

41:55

I would only get like four or five things I was thankful for.

That's what gratitude journal is.

41:59

You write down what you're thankful for.

So I remember I would, I would struggle.

42:03

It's like I would struggle.

Now I, I struggle to fit 506070 things on, on, on a, on a, on a page because I am grateful and

42:12

thankful for all of those things, whether it's always in my life or like yesterday.

I actually talked to Chuck yesterday.

42:19

Actually, I actually talked to him yesterday.

And so I put him on here.

42:23

I'm grateful for Chuck.

You're going to be on here tomorrow.

42:26

Like the more we can lean into the things that we're thankful for, the less the mind, the mind shift

on, on, on.

42:34

Sweating the small stuff, like not sweating the small stuff and having more happiness in your life.

You do that for 30 days, you're going to be a change man, a guarantee you can't see it.

42:45

I want to jump in on this because it's so profound and so powerful when when you lean into gratitude

like you're doing, it changes what you focus on, right?

42:56

And what we focus on, we feel.

So if we focus on what's off, what's wrong, we focus on the news and the negative and the drama, it

43:05

we feel it and it releases the, the cortisol and, and what you focus on the field, right?

And so, but gratitude changes your whole paradigm.

43:13

It changes the way you see the world.

It changes every, it changes the way you feel about yourself and, and everybody around you.

43:20

It's, it's amazing.

Actually.

43:21

I learned this when I started doing jiu jitsu.

I went in there and I was, I was, I was stacked.

43:26

I was really strong.

I was like 210, just all muscle.

43:30

And I went in there, started rolling with this guy.

He was about, you know, 160 lbs and I'm like, I'm going to smoke this guy.

43:36

Like I'm so much stronger.

He is you guys.

43:39

He kicked my butt every single time easily.

Finally in frustration.

43:45

I'm like, bro, like tell me why this is happening.

And he said it's easy, man.

43:51

Where the head goes, the body follows.

Oh.

43:55

Say that again.

I saw, I mean, not only was that good for martial arts, this is good for life.

44:00

Where the head goes, the body follows.

And your beautiful practice that you just taught us, there is that exact principle where the head

44:07

goes, the body follows.

And when your head goes to tons of gratitude, your body follows it.

44:14

Totally not even a question.

Like I'm always smiling.

44:17

I was like no matter what, even and even when we have stuff happen, you know, internally with our

business and then the business, I'm always solution based, right?

44:27

I'm always thinking, OK, yeah, that happened.

OK, let's go.

44:29

What do we do?

How OK, how can we fix this?

44:30

What do we do?

What do we learn?

44:32

You know, like you're just you're just, you know, people are like, how can you be so happy with all

this stuff going on?

44:37

Like what stuff going on?

I mean, I don't.

44:39

There's nothing to me where the world is great, man.

Like that's whatever you're feeling.

44:45

That's not affecting me, and it's probably not affecting.

Me, because your world is great.

44:49

You're yeah, you're just feeding on that stuff.

But and that that honestly, for me is, is the gratitude stuff.

44:55

Like my wife always says, Like I'm always smiling and laughing.

Like just, I'm always smiling and laughing.

45:01

Like just I love life, man, like whatever.

And she'll always be.

45:05

What are you laughing at?

Why are you smiling?

45:06

Like, you know, it's like, I don't know, man.

I'm just happy she's always thinking she.

45:11

Always thinks I'm happy.

But life's good, man, Life's good.

45:14

So, so, so the recovery pieces is big.

And listen, you're not, it's not going to be something that you, you all of a sudden get.

45:22

Remember everything that I'm going to tell you right now.

It's going to be uncomfortable at 1st and you don't have to implement it all at once.

45:28

But taking one let's maybe it's meditation.

Maybe you just go through guided meditation, maybe do box breathing.

45:33

You know, there's so many things online where you can go and just follow the ball and do box

breathing.

45:38

I have some I have to create box breathing stuff for or just breath, breath work stuff for our our,

our thing.

45:44

But again, so that's, that's the third pillar.

Let's get into the 4th pillar is nutrition, right?

45:48

You can't out train a bad diet.

You can't out hormone a bad diet.

45:52

You can't out you can't out illness a bad diet.

Nutrition is and, but it doesn't have to be confusing.

46:02

In fact, a lot of times when I tell, I talk to people about the nutrition that's testosterone based.

Because remember, the nutrition that we're talking about is going to help you naturally increase

46:11

testosterone, build muscle, burn fat and be sustainable.

Because here's the thing, the, the people who are successful with nutrition, literally it's just the

46:22

consistency and sustainability, right?

You're not going on all these fad diets and all I got to try to lose weight for this and this and

46:28

that because it's not sustainable, doesn't work.

You're just going to bounce back.

46:32

But you so you have to keep it simple.

So basically it's three meals a day, OK, that's it.

46:37

Three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, dinner or meal one meal 2, meal 3, whatever you want to call

it.

46:43

Every single meal needs to have a source of protein, a source of complex carb, a source of healthy

fat, and a source of vegetables and fruit.

46:51

Every single meal, whether it's a smoothie, whether it's a like a steel cut oats breakfast, which I

just had, or whether it's just a regular meal.

46:59

Now why do we need those?

Well, first let's start with protein.

47:02

Protein is the building blocks of our muscles, our bones, the metabolic processes in our body.

We need protein, fat loss, all of those things for protein.

47:10

Our body doesn't naturally produce protein, so we have to get it from an outside source and you want

it from a high quality protein source.

47:16

So that doesn't necessarily have to do with literally testosterone, but the more muscle you have,

the more metabolic you're going to be, the better your hormones are going to be.

47:25

But protein's such an important, it's a, it's the key to longevity, right?

Muscle is the key longevity.

47:30

So protein is going to be key to that.

Carbs, complex carbs.

47:33

And when I say complex carbs, there's two types of carbs.

There's simple carbs and complex carbs.

47:38

Complex carbs are the things like sweet potato, potato, Jasmine rice, white rice, quinoa, steel

cutouts, the good high quality carbs.

47:48

The reason why you need carbs a is for your thyroid.

Thyroid is your metabolism hormone and carbs feed your thyroid #2 energy.

47:59

Carbs are energy.

If you've ever been on a low carb diet, 100% you're dragging your butt.

48:04

I've cut weight, I've watched fighters cut weight and it's the worst experience for them because

they can barely even talk.

48:10

And that's just because they're, they're, they're eliminating one of the biggest energy nutrients

that we have, which is carbs.

48:17

Carbs are good for the brain.

Carbs also keeps your cortisol levels down.

48:20

It balances your, your insulin levels, right.

Again, it's the complex carbs, not like not like the the simple carbs, pastas and all all of those

48:30

things.

The breads, most breads, Zico breads good, but you know you want to stay away from the other breads.

0:00

So that's carbs are such an important piece of the puzzle.

48:40

The third is healthy fats.

So we're going to the cholesterol.

48:44

If you guys remember I talked about cholesterol having to be in that latex cell when luteinizing

hormone gets there, there better be cholesterol.

48:50

We're going to get cholesterol, most of your cholesterol from healthy fats, things like olive oil,

avocado, you know, Brazil nuts, Brazil nuts are really good grass fed butter and it's it's a very

49:02

small list, right?

So again, nutrition, even though it's absolutely taste incredible because of the types of foods that

49:09

you can that fit into this, this model, you just also want to keep it simple, right?

So avocado is a big key.

49:17

Grass fed butter, olive oil, I put on all my salads.

That's my salad dressing because I'm going to get those that cholesterol, like good cholesterol from

49:25

that healthy fat.

And the final thing is vegetables.

49:27

The eggs as well, right?

The eggs, yeah.

49:29

Eggs.

Yeah, I put eggs in the protein.

49:31

I put eggs in the protein because a lot of guys will have eggs in the morning or for their

breakfast.

49:36

But yeah, I like to keep, I like to add an extra like if you have eggs, I would still say have

avocado or something else because again, the, the, the importance of, of that healthy fat for your

49:49

cholesterol is key because most guys don't even eat fat.

So we got to, we got to, we got to get them there.

49:54

And then vegetables and fruits, right?

Like the, the greens, the, the, what's called the, the micronutrients, because we hear a lot about

50:01

macro nutrients, which are proteins, carbs and fats, but we don't hear about the micronutrients, the

vitamins, the minerals like the phytonutrients.

50:09

And those are actually the most important because they have the, the minerals and vitamins like

magnesium, like zinc, you know, they, they've got the boron selling like all of those things that

50:21

feed your hormones, feed testosterone and keep estrogen levels low as well.

So again, whether it's fruit or vegetables or a mixture of both, usually in the morning you're going

50:30

to have your fruit, right, Like berries or, or you know, like the strawberries.

That's that type of thing.

50:35

In the morning, I always tell people you got to have at least one salad, 1 green salad with one of

your meals because most guys don't eat salad, but that's going to give you the greens, the

50:45

cruciferous vegetables that we need because that has a lot of the micronutrients.

And then of course, in the afternoon, you know, for dinner, you may have steamed vegetables or, you

50:54

know, whatever, whatever it is.

But again, having that those vegetables and fruits, teen like carbs and healthy fats, so key and

51:05

only three meals so you don't have to snack because the carbs is what's going to ensure that you're

not snacking.

51:11

If you don't have enough carbs, that's when you start to get the sweet tooth.

That's when you start to get, you know, you feel like eating processed foods and salt because you

51:20

you're you, you're not eating enough carbs.

Most of the time.

51:22

That's the reason, unless it's like actually like a habit, right?

Like, you know, some people, you know, movie comes on or, or like here in Canada used to be like a

51:31

hockey night in Canada, which used to be at 8:00 on Saturdays.

So for some guys, it's like they don't have to think about it.

51:37

They'll just go and grab a beer because it's hockey, hockey time, hockey time, right?

So that's, that's more of a a habit and some, most of times you can easily break that.

51:47

But again, it's it's the carb that's usually the missing piece.

So that's the nutrition piece.

51:52

So again and let.

Me ask, let me ask, let me ask about like percentages, what you think because I'm, I'm in the camp

52:00

of, of very low carbs and more, even more protein and and fats, right?

Really making the emphasis there.

52:09

But what do you yeah, what do you think about percentages?

And then what do you think about a rough calorie number?

52:15

Do you like to obviously want to be operating in a caloric deficit?

Yeah, so here's the thing.

52:21

We don't count calories because the reason why we don't count calories is that's a barrier for most

guys because people are not, I'm not talking about the guys who are dialed in, I'm talking about the

52:34

the guys who I'm at, I'm at Z and I just need to get or I'm at A and I just need to get going.

So no counting calories.

52:41

And it's literally a bounce plate.

But generally speaking, you're looking at about 40 to 50% of your meal like the plate is going to

52:48

have carbs.

And the reason why is because when you don't have carbs and this will, this will also tack tap into

52:56

the type of workouts that I that I propose.

If you don't have carbs, your body is going to remember I said carbs are responsible for your

53:04

metabolism.

Well, what happens?

53:05

Your body starts to slow down, the metabolism slows down.

You're not getting the glycogen that you need.

53:11

Specifically if you're working out, you're the minute you're replenishing yourself of glycogen

stores, the type of workouts you do.

53:16

So now imagine you're, you're, you just finished a workout.

Your body's like, man, I need, I need some carbs, man, I need that glycogen And you're like, OK, and

53:24

you know what, I'm going to skip it.

I'm just going to maybe have a protein drink.

53:27

Not saying you're doing that, but maybe that's what most guys generally do.

And then they may not eat again for four, 5-6 hours or maybe till the next day.

53:35

And so what's happening is your body goes, OK, funk, you're not going to feed me the glycogen, the

carbs that I eat.

53:40

OK, you know what I'm going to do?

I'm going to hold on.

53:42

I'm going to because now we're in, we're in survival mode, right?

So we're going to slow everything down.

53:46

I'm going to actually hold on to the fat because if you're not feeding me the carbs that I need, I'm

going to hold on to the fat, which is why you see a lot of guys who are skinny fat and they don't

53:55

eat carbs.

It's usually because their body is holding on to fat.

53:59

The body's going to actually take that protein that's supposed to be for the muscles, the metabolic

process, and they're going to use it as energy.

54:05

The last thing you ever want is your body using protein that's needed for your muscles as energy.

And then of course the vitamins and minerals and all those other things going and aren't really

54:16

getting to where they need to go.

Getting those carbs in kick starts the metabolism.

54:20

This, this is something that happens all the time with not all the time, but it happens quite a bit

because most guys are afraid of carbs and they'll go for two months, three months, maybe not eating

54:29

as many carbs, but they still can't get rid of this belly fat, right?

They may start to see a change in the body, but it's a belly fat.

54:36

I'm like, how much carbs are you eating?

Truth comes out.

54:39

And as soon as they make that change, it's like metabolic furnace, right?

A metabolic furnace.

54:45

You definitely need protein, but it's the carbs that are and it's the type of carbs and that's that

makes a difference, right?

54:50

We're not talking pastas here.

We're talking sweet potato, rice, potato, but your, your, your when it comes to calories.

54:58

For us, it's I want you to burn more calories.

I want you to learn how to burn more calories, right?

55:04

Because it is a calorie deficit when you want to lose fat and lose weight.

But if you want to build muscle, we're not in a calorie deficit, right?

55:12

So because after a while, when you are on this, you know, journey, you want to start putting on a

little bit of size.

55:19

You want to build some muscle, right?

You want to start building muscle.

55:21

So you're going to need more carbs, you're going to need put on some size.

So you need to be in a caloric, you know, surplus, right?

55:29

But again, it's the type of foods you're eating.

But I guess it's it's it's a balanced plate meal.

55:35

So about 4050% carbs, 3040% protein, 2020%, thirty, 4020% is going to be healthy fats.

And then vegetables and fruits, they don't even get a percentage because they don't have any

55:47

calories.

They barely have any calories.

55:50

So the caloric in what you're taking in calorically with, with vegetables and fruits is very

minimal.

55:56

If not depending on what you're eating, none.

So it's mostly going to be, you know, carbs and proteins really and truly.

56:03

And of course you need those fats, but we don't.

But what I I basically all I want people to do is make sure that every single meal that they have

56:12

has a source of protein, carbs, healthy fats and, and vegetables and fruits.

Because then when you can do that, when you can look at your plate and you go, wait a minute,

56:19

where's my, oh, I, I don't have any fats.

OK, let me go get 1/2 of an avocado.

56:23

Boom.

Right.

56:24

Like the, it's the behavior of the balance plate meal.

And then once you get that, if you still feel like I still feel like I'm, I have a sweet tooth on

56:33

Fridays and Saturdays.

OK, let's take a look at the car.

56:35

Are you eating enough carbs?

Let's take a look.

56:37

You know, post your meal in the group and most of the guys will say, oh, you need more carbs, right?

Proteins are easy for most guys.

56:44

It's the carbs.

It's very difficult for new people to come in and, and create a better relationship.

56:50

But as soon as they do and they start to feel the energy and, and then of course, you remember as

your BMR, as your, as your basal metabolic rate continues to increase because the more muscle you

57:01

have, the more metabolic you are and the more good you need.

So when you start counting calories too much, it just really truly sets up a barrier.

57:10

And then it's like you're, why are you still eating 818 hundred calories when you're building

muscle?

57:15

Your, your body needs more man.

Your body needs more because your body is at a point where it needs a certain amount of calories in

57:22

order for everything to work.

So if you're not even getting that much, that many calories, yes, I know you people, some people

57:29

want to lose weight and it's got to be a caloric deficit, but there's better ways to get into that

deficit.

57:35

And for me, it's the type of workouts you do and getting the seven to 10,000 steps a day that's

going to add more Calor caloric burn for your day as opposed to not eating because we need that.

57:46

We need those nutrients.

57:48

I've never seen anybody in any of my programs gain like fat because they've eaten carbs.

Like again, if they're eating the wrong carbs for sure, but.

58:01

So yeah, because a lot of guys are just living on carbs.

Yeah, now 100%.

58:06

No, of course there's outliers.

Like you're, you're, you're, you're an outlier.

58:10

I call you're, you're, you're a Unicorn in the sense that you've been training and in shape for most

of your life.

58:16

So, so you're different.

Like you can probably get away with low carbs.

58:20

You're different.

Your body's different.

58:23

Most of these guys coming in or listening perhaps they haven't been there for years.

So we got to get them into US place because in in my program once a year we do or twice a year we do

58:34

what's called a nutrition audit.

So at the beginning of the year we do count calories at the beginning or actually at the very

58:42

beginning of the year we count calories because I actually do want them to know how many calories

are on those plates like.

58:49

Yes, exactly.

That's I love that idea.

58:51

Like, hey, let's just get an idea when you make a plate, just get a rough idea of what what that

looks like.

58:55

Yeah, I love.

That yeah.

58:56

So it's a seven day and it's very, they hate it because it's because I because I tell them, listen,

we're we're doing the the audit, but we're not just kind of doing the audit, we're doing the audit.

59:06

Yeah.

Which means every single thing you put in your mouth.

59:10

It's good to know.

It is good to know.

59:12

It is because it it gives you that that big picture.

So now let's move to the workouts.

59:17

What type of workouts do we need to do if we want?

Can I, can I pause real quick?

59:21

Yes.

So I've seen pictures of you just absolutely shredded.

59:24

Are do you still, are you still lean?

Do you maintain a lean body?

59:27

100% one one right now I'm 185 probably right now probably 12% body fat because I just started

taking creatine again.

59:37

It's under the way.

I haven't done.

59:38

I haven't used creatine for over 20 years.

Yeah, I'm.

59:41

I'm like you.

Seven years totally like you kind of want to try a little bit of it and see how I respond.

59:47

So I sailing all the time.

I, I, I'm eating roughly, I think somewhere around 2000 calories.

59:57

I'm, I'm going to guess I don't, I don't measure either, but I, I, I, I don't eat a lot and I do

intermittent fasting.

1:00:03

So I eat breakfast around 11.

Try to have my last meal around six or seven and then just water in between.

1:00:10

Then I guess I would say I'm doing the three meals, but they're pretty small.

Yeah, yeah.

1:00:16

And so that's where I'm operating and I operate lean all the time.

But you're right, I've been fit my whole life.

1:00:23

Yeah, and it's, it's good.

And the other thing too is, you know, it works for your body.

1:00:26

You know it works for you, right?

Like that works for you.

1:00:29

The intermittent fasting getting sometimes you probably get 2 meals a day or three meals a day

because we do, we also have a fasting challenge once a year as well because even though we do three

1:00:39

meals a day sometimes specifically at the beginning of the year, a lot of guys want to like

accelerate their weight loss or fat loss.

1:00:48

So we'll do a 28 day fasting challenge where it's perfect, you know, and a lot of times most of

those guys only eat twice a day because with a window of eight hours, you're only really going to

1:00:56

eat twice a day.

But they're definitely.

1:00:58

They're big.

So Austin, I'll eat it at 11 and have my breakfast and then have something, you know, 3 or 4 and

1:01:02

maybe a little snack and that's it.

That's it.

1:01:04

Yeah, yeah.

So so yeah, the, the leanness for sure for me is, is, is key.

1:01:10

And so let's move to workouts.

So now we get into the workouts.

1:01:14

So what type of workouts you're supposed art can you do or should you do?

So again, we're going from zero to hero here, right?

1:01:19

So first the old school workouts.

I'll tell you what not to do the old school workouts of buys.

1:01:24

And now again, you're probably an outlier, so I'm not going to talk to you.

I'm talking, but the regular person.

1:01:29

But those old school workouts of buys and tries, back and shoulders, you know, back squats, all of

those old school bodybuilding that doesn't work for us anymore because a we are spending too much

1:01:40

time working out.

Cortisol levels increase because you're cortisol levels increase, but you don't want them elevated

1:01:45

for too long of a time.

So you do you're you, you want to focus more on shorter, more focused workouts, right?

1:01:52

The second thing is can.

I can I jump in there just because I didn't, I didn't know that.

1:01:58

I've never even heard anybody say that.

But just because I have so many kids, I was like, I can't be spending so much time in the gym.

1:02:07

And so I smashed my workouts into 30 to 40 minutes and I'm like, I'll just crank up the intensity,

right?

1:02:14

You can collapse time with intensity And, and it's just, it's worked so well.

But to hear you articulated like that, like, Hey, you don't want those, those cortisol levels up for

1:02:23

that long of a time.

It's just a really great insight.

1:02:26

Yeah, I know.

I I, you know, I love, I love that you said smash it.

1:02:30

Well, I think you said yeah, yeah.

Intensity and time.

1:02:32

Like that's exactly what it is.

You, you can have you and your workout in a shorter period of time is going to be way more intense

1:02:40

than doing bicep curls, 1212 reps and then you're sitting down on your phone for 5 minutes.

Oh yeah, that's right, I got to.

1:02:47

Get back exactly you see it so much.

And it's, and again, I'm not, I'm not judging because most men don't really, if you haven't worked

1:02:56

out in years, how are, how do am I going to expect you to be able to walk in the gym and know

exactly what to do?

1:03:02

You're, you get into the gym and all of a sudden it's like, oh shit, I haven't been here a long

time.

1:03:06

And then you may pick up a dumbbell and you know, and then you start to feel like a little bit out

of place because you haven't been there a long time.

1:03:12

Then exactly.

Machine and you just and next thing you know, you're just wandering around like a aimlessly right.

1:03:17

So I get it guys, I get it so that the bodybuilding style doesn't work and also because we don't

recover the same way we used to.

1:03:25

So if you're breaking down muscle fibers and tearing muscle fibers day after day after day, because

one day is going to be leg day, the other day is going to be chest, the other day is going to be bis

1:03:34

and tries the other day is going to be shoulders, the other is going to be back.

Like usually you're that bro split style.

1:03:39

You're working out four, 5-6 times a week.

You're describing my workouts here.

1:03:44

We can't do that.

We can't do that because we're we're destroying our body, like not destroying, but we're, we're not

1:03:50

giving our body a chance to recover because again, as we get older, you guys know we can't do the

same things that we used to.

1:03:56

We can't recover the same way.

So those type of workouts out the door, sure, once in a while you can do those, but you're not going

1:04:03

to be doing those type of workouts until you've literally transformed you, you know, you're fit,

you're healthy, you feel good.

1:04:09

And once in a while you want to get in there and do a bodybuilding.

Like my, my wife used to be a bodybuilder way back in the day.

1:04:14

So sometimes we'll go to like when we're travelling, we'll go to the hotel, then you're like, hey

honey, do you want to do like one of those?

1:04:20

Old school just hit it.

Man, I haven't done these in years, you know what I mean?

1:04:26

You just hit a little different because there's like, you know, they got the flies and like, Oh

yeah, I haven't done cable flies in years, right.

1:04:33

So we get, it's so funny when we do that.

So that's number one.

1:04:36

You don't do that.

The second thing you want to do is cardio like, and I'm talking like getting on the elliptical,

1:04:42

getting on the stair climber, getting on the treadmill for 60 minutes at A at a medium rate because

you can't go any intense than that.

1:04:49

Once again, what are you doing?

Well, you're elevating your cortisol level.

1:04:53

Literally you're just doing like literally a steady state cardio.

Don't what you're doing is you're elevating your cortisol levels, holding on to fat body's going to

1:05:02

be tapping into the muscle right?

Not right there in that workout, but you're, you're going to be losing more muscle than you are

1:05:11

building muscle off of that that that machine.

So can you warm up on the machine for 5 minutes?

1:05:16

Sure.

But that type of cardio does not work.

1:05:19

Not not in the long, long run.

The third thing we don't want to do is go percent like we don't want to go straight to the CrossFit,

1:05:27

straight to high rocks again.

Yes, you know, it's exciting.

1:05:31

You're getting back in the gym, your buddies going to high rocks or your buddies going to to

CrossFit and you're like, oh, you know, let me just go do some CrossFit.

1:05:38

And that's just a setup to get injured because A, you haven't been in the gym B, it's technical C

it's not it's not sustainable.

1:05:45

So what do you do instead?

Well, what we do is metabolic training.

1:05:48

So metabolic training is moving from one exercise to another with little to no rest in between.

So back in the day with circuit training.

1:05:55

Mike Metzger, the.

King of Circuit.

1:05:56

It's a hit workout.

High intensity interval training.

1:06:00

There's a difference between hit and metabolic.

Hit workouts are like sprints, so hit.

1:06:05

So the, the, the there's a problem, not a problem.

I don't want to say there's a problem, but when people say hit, like when when fitness trainers or

1:06:14

whatever say hit, they are misusing that term.

Hit is high intensity, which means that like sprints, like sprints, that's hit like when you're

1:06:24

going as fast as you can for 50 yards or 40 yards and then you walk back so 6060 seconds to 100 and

you know, to 90 seconds rest, right?

1:06:34

And then you Sprint as hard as you can.

So you can only be, you can only perform that intensity for a very short period of time.

1:06:44

Like when people talk about Tabata like true Tabata, like you're going as hard as you possibly can

for 20 seconds.

1:06:51

Metabolic training on the flip side is like I'm going to do chest press for 40 seconds of work.

Boom, boom, boom, put them 20 seconds rest.

1:06:59

Kim doing goblet squats for 40 seconds of work, 20 seconds rest going moving over.

I'm going to do barbell bent over curls.

1:07:06

I mean bent over rows.

So it's, it's moving from one exercise to another.

1:07:09

What that does is it it has what's called the afterburn effect.

The yeah, the afterburn effect is you're going because that is very intense even if you're not doing

1:07:19

100%.

It is it's very difficult to do 50 LB chest prep with dumbbells for 40 seconds.

1:07:26

It is very difficult.

That's what I do like every day and have been doing for years.

1:07:31

So I've called it HIT training.

But you're right, I think I've been misusing the term.

1:07:36

I'm doing the metabolic training just going from moving exercises.

Very little rest in between and just pack in a fantastic full body workout.

1:07:45

And listen, don't get here.

I'm not.

1:07:46

I'm not the hit, I'm not the one who's like, oh, you can only call it hit.

I understand.

1:07:51

Sometimes I call it hit because people understand that more so don't.

I'm just saying there is a difference between hit and metabolic training because sometimes when

1:07:58

people think HIT, they also don't think muscle building.

They think, oh, hit means I'm doing with my body weight.

1:08:04

But metabolic resistance training, which is mostly what we do in my program, you're using dumbbells,

you're still using body weight sometimes you're using dumbbells, you're using kettle bells in some

1:08:14

cases.

So you're still building muscle while burning that, right?

1:08:18

And so, yeah.

I love it.

1:08:20

Perfect.

Yeah, it's called the afterburn effect.

1:08:23

So we do something for 20 minutes, 25 minutes.

A lot of my workers are 2025 minutes, maybe 30 minutes.

1:08:29

And then it takes your body up to 36 hours to get back to homeostasis.

Stasis is where we're at before the workout.

1:08:38

So when we do a metabolic workout or even a hip workout, we're going out a very high intensity for a

short period of time.

1:08:46

But what that does is it forces our body to slowly get back to homeostasis, which means we're

continuously burning calories.

1:08:53

Sometimes you may even get this Greg, when you worked out two hours later, you're still sweating.

Why am I still like, oh, that's because your body is still metabolizing.

1:09:03

Your body is still burning calories because it's still trying to get to homeostasis.

That used to be AII shouldn't say it used to be because even newer guys that come into the program,

1:09:12

they still they start to complain about that like, hey, Phon, something's wrong with me.

You know I'm.

1:09:17

Still sweating I'm.

Still sweating.

1:09:19

I'm like, that's no, no, that's this is what's happening.

And it's like, oh, OK, OK, that that's supposed to happen.

1:09:24

Yes, it's supposed to happen.

But when you do cardio, for instance, your, your level of intensity only goes so high.

1:09:33

So it only takes maybe 30 minutes to get back to homeostasis.

So that's also another reason why these short metabolic workouts will not only burn calories during,

1:09:43

but you're going to be burning calories hours and hours after, right?

And that's what we want.

1:09:47

We want to put our body into this metabolic state.

We want to be burning calories as much as possible outside of, you know, the workout itself.

1:09:56

So those are the type of workouts.

And again, there's so many metabolic ways to set up metabolic workouts.

1:10:02

I like timed workouts because you don't have to worry about, you don't have to think about like

counting, right?

1:10:08

Most of the workouts are time, 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds, rest 40201530, whatever it is, and

then the final.

1:10:15

Thing there's so much variety it's it's so easy to make it fun and enjoyable.

It's just.

1:10:21

And it's a great way.

To work out.

1:10:23

And there's so many, so many.

But here's the thing, you're only working out three to four times a week, 3 minimum, right?

1:10:31

So Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Because in Tuesday and Thursday, what are you doing?

1:10:36

You're doing yoga mobility, right?

That's the recovery day.

1:10:39

Because remember when you're in the gym, you are tearing down muscle fibers, you're stimulating, you

know that that catabolic environment, right?

1:10:49

Catabolic means you're breaking everything down.

We want to make sure that we're creating an anabolic environment, a muscle building environment.

1:10:57

So we need that day to rest.

Because if we go to the gym everyday and we keep breaking down, breaking down, breaking down, when

1:11:02

are we giving our bodies a chance to recover, right?

So, and also we're setting ourselves up for chance of injury again, if you're going from zero to

1:11:11

just getting in the gym, one of the biggest mistakes guys make is they will go, they go full on,

right.

1:11:17

So it's so funny here in my neighborhood, as soon as it gets warm, all of a sudden you see all these

guys running, right?

1:11:23

There's all kinds of people.

There's the runners.

1:11:25

I see them, you know, rain.

Canadians are just happy to.

1:11:29

Be outside after a long winter.

These guys are out here and I'm like, oh, this guy's only going to last.

1:11:34

I'll see this guy maybe a week, maybe 2 weeks.

And then after that, they're gone.

1:11:38

Why?

Because it is hard on the body, specifically in your 40s, fifties and 60s.

1:11:42

So just start running knees, joints like that.

And so that's going to catch up very, very, very quickly.

1:11:49

And that's going to put us on a sideline.

Remember, we want to train smart.

1:11:53

We don't want to be killing ourselves.

This is about the, this is the marathon.

1:11:57

It's a longevity game.

We want to be training until we're 100 years old.

1:12:01

We want to be doing burpees until we're 100 years old.

Do not be afraid of burpees and do not, do not buy into the burpees suck.

1:12:08

You don't need to do burpees if you can't, if you can't get down and up fast.

Dude, burpees is a, is is a, is a it's, it's a must in this program.

1:12:19

It is a must in my program.

Everyone burpees no matter what.

1:12:22

We even have what's called birthday burpees.

So I have to do 56 burpees for my birthday.

1:12:28

And the crazy thing, the crazy thing is, and this is what blows me away, every single guy in the

program, when it's their birthday, they set up the phone, they click record and they do the

1:12:41

birthdays.

Whether it takes them 10 minutes, whether it takes them 15 minutes or whether it takes them 3

1:12:46

minutes, they do it and it's, it's just what we do.

That's the mindset.

1:12:52

Remember I talked about that mindset.

I thought at the very beginning it's listen, like you even said, you do hard like the you have that.

0:00

We do hard stuff for whatever.

1:13:02

Like, I love that, and that's what we do.

HD Dennings do hard.

1:13:05

Things, Yeah, yes.

And that's just what we do, man.

1:13:08

We do.

We lean into the burpees, we lean into hard and staying outside of our comfort zone.

1:13:13

We lean into yoga and Pilates and things that we're not used to or not sexy because we know that

this these are the things that that will that'll fuel us into longevity and not just physically, but

1:13:26

mentally, because in the end, we are going to be the patriarchs of our family, whether we want to be

or not.

1:13:31

This grey beard starts to this grey beard says, Oh, when sure, that's a fan.

We got to go to funk because funk's grandpa funk.

1:13:38

I'm not a grandpa yet, but it's just, it happens like there's nothing we can do about it.

It's just what we do.

1:13:44

It needs to mean something.

That's what you're saying, and I love that.

1:13:48

Now it needs to be a symbol of something that we've really earned and paid a price to, to be there.

And the and the like, again, the respect, because we all know that we want respect.

1:13:59

I don't care who you are, if you're listening us right now, you want respect.

You want status.

1:14:04

You want to feel like you are, are, are there's a purpose in your life like you should have your own

purpose, but you need to.

1:14:13

I know that a lot of men want that respect.

And you're not going to get the respect because you make $1,000,000.

1:14:19

You're not going to get respect because you're ACEO.

You're going to get the respect because you put in the work to be as healthy as you possibly can.

1:14:26

Because everyone knows it's a difficult thing to speak consistent about.

It's difficult.

1:14:32

It is very difficult to be consistent day in and day out, eating the right foods, staying away from

the foods that are going to, you know, kill your testosterone, make you estrogenic.

1:14:42

We'll, we'll get into that in a second.

And, and, and get, get in the gym or in your home, getting those workouts done when you only have

1:14:49

1520 minutes or when you're traveling.

Make leaning into the yoga, leaning into the things that are uncomfortable, you know, gratitude

1:14:57

journaling, meditation, like those are getting sleep and going to bed at 10:00, getting up at 6:00.

Those are the things.

1:15:06

The byproduct of that is an unbreakable body and an unbreakable mind.

And people see that spirit and they see that in you.

1:15:13

I'm telling you right now, I'm in, I'm at 56 years old right now and I'm in an industry where I'm

with a lot of guys who make a lot of money, lots of money.

1:15:21

And I, the people who have the most respect, are they like when I walk into a room, I demand respect

just not because I say I demand respect.

1:15:34

It's just, it just happens just because of my physique, the way I walk in with confidence because I

know who I am and I'm not looking for outside reassurance.

1:15:44

But so many times I'm telling you guys, it's the old man.

Hey, what are you, what are you doing for your workouts?

1:15:50

Oh, wow.

And these are like guys making 1012 figures, 11 figures, whatever it is, they're, it's, it's, it's,

1:15:56

it's a different story.

And then going back to like my parents and seeing my parents training and going, you know, like

1:16:03

coming back with trophies and, and my son seeing me.

Like I don't tell my son you should do this, this, this.

1:16:08

He just sees it and automatically does it.

He's got like your kids, your kids are the same thing.

1:16:13

That's all they know.

That's all that my dad does this.

1:16:15

I want to be like my dad.

So I'm going to do it.

1:16:18

So many guys in my program when they're when they're it's funny, like they're, I remember, I'll,

I'll tell one story about Ben Gervais.

1:16:25

Ben Gervais, He he said in one of the coaching class, like, yeah, the other day I was downstairs and

I just heard all this banging upstairs, right?

1:16:34

I heard all the banging, like what the Hell's going on up there?

So he walked up and his 11 year old kid is doing working out, doing push ups and squats.

1:16:41

And he said, oh, I'm doing this because I want to be like you dad.

And it's just like.

1:16:45

Praying his heart.

You kidding me?

1:16:48

God doesn't say anything, He just watch.

He sees his father working out in the basement or he sees his father struggling, and that's good,

1:16:56

too.

Your dad's struggling.

1:16:58

Look at him struggle with this workout.

But he's still getting through it.

1:17:02

Those things, the action that we do as fathers, as men, it speaks volumes, more volumes than this

man.

1:17:12

I see this all and hear this all the time.

And then it's like, dude, like you're talking this, but what are you talking about?

1:17:18

Look at you, Right.

I don't judge.

1:17:21

Yeah, I don't judge, but.

It's, well, it's the reality because the body, yeah, the body's a walking billboard and a walking

1:17:30

business card.

It's all of that, man.

1:17:33

And it's, it's that one vehicle.

And so, you know, in a very real way, our habits are on display.

1:17:41

They can't.

Could not be.

1:17:43

Yeah, for sure.

And, and with elevated testosterone levels, again, you want to do it naturally.

1:17:50

So again, the number that we have, the number that I say is 600 nanograms per deciliter because

generally speaking, that's when you feel good, right?

1:17:58

Can you feel good at 500 nanograms per deciliter?

Sure.

1:18:01

But 600 is kind of what we strive for. 1000 plus is what we want to have because I'll tell you

something in the 80s, in the 80s, OK?

1:18:11

So if so, if you go and get your testosterone levels checked right now, by the way, it is very

difficult to get your testosterone levels checked from your doctor because most doctors push back on

1:18:20

that.

Please do not let your doctor push back on you if you're asking for testosterone, your testosterone

1:18:27

levels, because the first thing they'll say is, oh, is it because you're how's your libido?

How's your energy?

1:18:33

Oh, it's good, it's good.

OK, then you don't need it.

1:18:35

No, no, no, no, no.

I need to know what my #1 male hormone is saying.

1:18:40

The one thing that makes you a man is your testosterone.

So you push back.

1:18:44

And so when you get your testosterone levels, it's going to be between 200 nanograms and 800

nanograms or I think 900 now, and that's going to be normal.

1:18:55

But that doesn't even make sense.

How can 200 to 900?

1:18:59

How can there be a 700 score like that makes zero sense.

And that you, that should tell you something, right?

1:19:05

And that score of 200 actually used to be 600.

So in the 80s, men's testosterone levels used to be 1012 hundred, 1500 naturally.

1:19:18

In fact, right now, in 2025, testosterone levels are the lowest they've ever been.

And estrogen levels, which we do need a little bit of, but it's a female hormone, is the highest.

1:19:28

And you can tell men who have high estrogen is that they're the ones with the man boobs.

They're the ones with the belly, right?

1:19:35

The beer belly and the dad bod.

That's not cool.

1:19:37

That's actually killing you.

So when you see a score of 200 to 800 and you're maybe you're at 2:12 and you're, you're the doctor

1:19:45

goes, oh, no, you're good, you're normal.

But why do I so low?

1:19:48

Why do I it's so low?

So you want to be striving for 600 nanograms per deciliter or more.

1:19:57

Again, it's just a number that we use in our program because I needed like like a key performance

indicator because guys would ask me what should I, what should I be?

1:20:04

So OK, 600.

So that's what you strive for, right?

1:20:07

And all you're doing is just continuously continuing on on the journey of your healthy use, a

healthy body, healthy lifestyle.

1:20:15

And you can go from 100 to 609 months to 10 months.

It does take time.

1:20:21

It takes time and consistency.

It's not one of these things that that happened right away because testosterone levels also go up

1:20:27

and down throughout the day.

It's the highest in the morning.

1:20:30

So when you wake up, your T levels are the highest, which is why that's when you should get your

testosterone levels checked and they're the lowest at night.

1:20:37

Yeah, yeah, do it that because I just got off a call with a friend who he's actually a fitness guy

and he said, dude, I just got my testosterone levels checked and they're like at 3 something he

1:20:48

said, and he's pretty jacked and, and he was, he was, he was panicking, like he was legit panicking.

And I'm like, well, first it's probably because you have a lot of stress because you do have a lot

1:20:58

of stress.

But I then I asked him, when did you get, when did you take it?

1:21:02

Oh, I took it at like 2 in the afternoon.

I'm like, dude, that's probably why they're so low.

1:21:07

Went back and got it checked again.

I think it was like at 700 or 650 or something like that.

1:21:11

So the timing of when you can get it makes a big difference.

But also there's other factors like stress and, and, and you know, lifestyle, of course, the, the,

1:21:21

the foods that are killing your testosterone are soy and processed foods and sugars and alcohol and

weed.

1:21:28

Like all that stuff destroys your T levels 100%.

So you want to eliminate those foods, bring in the good foods.

1:21:36

Of course, there's all the toxins out there, plastics and all that stuff, which is very difficult to

get to, to, to remove.

1:21:43

But let's start where we can control, right?

Let's start with changing the mindset.

1:21:49

So knowing that, OK, I can, I can get in the best shape of my life.

And I want to do this not just for myself or maybe this for yourself, but you got to go deep with

1:21:55

your why.

Let's kind of literally be so powerful and strong that when Brenda comes to work with Donuts, right?

0:00

Like she does every Wednesday and she says not fun.

1:22:08

Brenda, you're trying to kill me.

You're running my disaster.

1:22:13

You're going to be like, no, thank you, Brenda.

I'm cool, I'm good, you know?

1:22:17

No, come on, have it.

No, Brenda, you know what?

1:22:19

I'm good.

1:22:20

You know, I appreciate it, but I got to stay away from that, right?

Like the only way that's going to happen and you're not going to cave is if you have a strong wife.

1:22:27

You remember.

That yes.

1:22:28

Why is the reason why you're?

Saying no to Brenda, even though Brenda loves you.

1:22:32

Know what's going to also happen the more you say no to people like that, Brenda, Carl, who wants to

go out to, to, to drinks with you, you can still go out with Carl, but you just don't have to drink.

0:00

The more you do that, the more people are going to respect your boundaries.

1:22:46

And Brenda's going to start bringing in like Brenda's going to start bringing in like gluten free,

you know, a gluten free, very healthy muffin for you while she brings in the doughnuts for everybody

1:22:59

else.

And, and, and I'm not saying this just because my mother-in-law, when I first married got married to

1:23:05

Angela, my mother-in-law for my birthday.

Every time she would, she would make me a cake at 1st.

1:23:10

And I'm not, I never really had a sweet tooth.

So I told her to listen, I'm not going to have that cake.

1:23:15

But every year it's a cake.

It's a cake.

1:23:18

Then it was brownies.

It was brownies.

1:23:22

And I kept saying no, man, no, I said, listen, if you're going to make that, I'm not going to eat

it.

1:23:26

So finally, like 5.

It's been five years now.

1:23:29

Four years now.

Yeah.

1:23:31

She just, she just knows.

So go, Yeah, Funk funk's not going to eat cake.

1:23:34

So I'm not going to make them cake.

And I'm not going to take offense to it because he's not going to eat it.

1:23:40

Like it's, it's that simple.

I'm not going to eat it.

1:23:41

She may, she may try to like, like to get me something that's really healthy.

And I love that when she does that.

1:23:45

But the point I'm trying to make is the more you say no and you have to respect the timing that it's

going to take because you probably told many people, oh, I'm going to lose weight.

1:23:54

Oh, I'm working out.

Oh, I'm, I'm doing this diet.

1:23:57

Oh, like they've heard that from you 100 times.

So you can't expect them to support you right away or believe you right away.

1:24:05

But the more you say no, the more you there's non negotiables that we have, my brothers, there's non

negotiable.

1:24:11

There's thing you have to control what you can control, which is you, your behaviors, your non

negotiables that you're living this life for you and the and, and your Kingdom, the family around,

1:24:23

not everybody else.

So the non negotiables are Brenda, I don't have that Carl, I'll come out with you, but I'm only

1:24:30

going to drink water and I'm going to hang out with you for a bit and and and and so on.

So hey, boss, I got to leave work right on time because I got to work out.

1:24:39

I got to do the home.

Sorry, I'm leaving right on time.

1:24:41

You don't pay me enough to to to stay.

You don't have to say it like that, but non.

1:24:45

To be unhealthy, yes.

Non negotiables, meds.

1:24:49

You got to stop caving into everybody else and start having that self worth right?

I know someone 100%.

1:24:56

And self respect, it's like, like I gotta, I have to.

And this is part of that.

1:25:02

Why, right.

And and I do it what?

1:25:05

To respect myself and my body.

But man, for my wife and children and for my unborn grandkids and great grandkids, like no, I'm

1:25:15

doing it for them.

And so I'm going to respect myself so that I can respect them and their lives.

1:25:22

I want to be around for a long time and healthy and fit and energized and alive.

So I'm going to set up, you know, and I have, I did this several years ago.

1:25:29

Well, a lot of years ago, it was only 5 or 6 non negotiables.

But when I said that my integrity on the line, I committed like I'm going to keep these and that's

1:25:40

that.

And it's done.

1:25:41

And you know, it can't be 50 things, just a few things.

And you say, these are my non negotiables and you and you hold to them.

1:25:48

And you're right, man, it inspires people.

They respect it, they honor it, it it helps them change and make their own non negotiables.

1:25:55

And it, it's sustainable.

And so life is good things stay healthy and fit and energized and love my life.

1:26:04

It's super powerful.

Yeah, I mean, the non negotiables are key and the self respect is key and it's not going to be easy,

1:26:11

which is why you need to do this with other people.

You need to gather in a a brotherhood.

1:26:16

And I say brotherhood because you need a brotherhood of men who are on the same journey as you,

right.

1:26:21

The guys who feed into OK, we want to be new, new men.

We want to, you know, be the best we can be for ourselves and our families.

1:26:28

But we also know that it's going to be difficult sometimes doing it on our own.

We don't like to, we listen the lone wolf mentality, you got to kick that out the door, man.

1:26:37

You got to you got to work that out.

The the lone wolf mentality does not work right.

1:26:42

You we need a brotherhood.

We need community, but we need a brotherhood of men who are on that same journey, who can lift us up

1:26:50

when we need them, who we don't, we can share information with, who we trust, who doesn't judge, but

we all hold each other accountable.

1:26:59

Doesn't have to be 50 men, but two or three guys who you know, OK, listen, you never let me off the

hook, man.

1:27:05

You never let me off the hook.

Because if with the three of us are on this journey together, we have to respect that we're on this

1:27:13

journey together.

There's going to be days when I'm going to need the someone's help, that they're going to need my

1:27:17

help.

So we pull each other up in, in, in when we're in our worst and we celebrate each other.

1:27:23

When we're at our best, we celebrate great iron sharpens iron.

And so you need a brotherhood, man, you 100%.

1:27:30

You can't do this on your own.

Doesn't work.

1:27:32

Doesn't work.

Beautiful.

1:27:34

So good.

All right, funk man.

1:27:36

So good, brother.

I'm going to have to have you back on the show.

1:27:39

You and I will talk because I want to talk business strategy and all the cool stuff you're doing at

Harvard and business, all kind of this.

1:27:47

That's another conversation.

This was beautiful and awesome.

1:27:51

Where can people connect with you?

Learn more from you happen to your resources.

1:27:56

Thank you.

Listen over 40 alpha.com if you're ready to to change right and you need a program go to over 40

1:28:03

alpha.com $1.00 for 30 days.

So I am going to prove to you that in 30 days with follow along workouts, you get workouts and

1:28:12

literally you just follow along.

You could play it.

1:28:14

I'm actually training with you.

I'm dying with you, right?

1:28:17

I'm coaching you.

You get nutrition, you get the brotherhood, you get everything you need.

1:28:21

So 30 days, $1.00 and if you like it, you continue.

If you don't, you leave.

1:28:25

But I get no one has ever started this program and not continue.

So over 40 alpha.com, I'm here for you.

1:28:32

Fantastic brother.

That's awesome.

1:28:33

Thank you so much for sharing all these insights and your story man, just.

Thanks so much for having me, I appreciate.

1:28:40

It for, for living it, brother, thanks for living it and, and exuding this energy and this joy, the

gratitude you have for leading men.

1:28:50

I, I feel like, you know, being a family man is the greatest calling there is for men.

And in order to do that, well, you and I and all of us, we have to be dialed in.

1:29:02

So the work you're doing matters so much, man.

So I appreciate that brother.

Funk Roberts

Founder of Over 40 Alpha Brotherhood
Harvard Masters Student
Fitness Expert & Certified Hormone Specialist for Men Over 40
5x Amazon Best Selling Author
2024 Expy and Quilly Award Winning Expert
2022 CanFitPro Presenter of the Year
Former Professional Athlete and Muay Thai Fighter
GQ Cover Model
56 Year Old Badass