Can't Be Broken
Can't Be Broken
The A2F Journey: Building a Community Gym with Heart and Purpose
Ever wonder how a devastating life change could become the catalyst for an extraordinary transformation? Meet Arlene and Mark Cherry, the inspiring husband-and-wife team behind A2F Gym in Rancho Cucamonga, whose personal journeys through heartbreak, depression, and physical injuries led them to create something truly special in the fitness world.
At 50, Arlene found herself in the depths of depression following the end of her 33-year marriage. It was her son who urged her to "forget the depression pills and get to the gym" – advice that would change everything. Meanwhile, Mark was navigating his own challenges, recovering from multiple surgeries that threatened to end his athletic pursuits. When these two wounded souls found each other, they didn't just heal together – they built an empire.
Their gym, A2F (Addicted to Fitness), isn't your typical fitness center. It's a 4,500-square-foot sanctuary where members become family, where personal transformation happens daily, and where judgment simply doesn't exist. "We turn ordinary housewives into bikini babes," Arlene shares with a smile, whether they compete or not. At 62, she leads by example as an IFBB Pro, while Mark brings decades of expertise as a master trainer who specializes in helping clients recover from injuries.
What makes their approach unique? It's their unwavering authenticity. They've weathered the storms that typically sink small fitness businesses – including the pandemic – by focusing on genuine connections rather than profit margins. Their community protects the special energy they've cultivated, and their members achieve remarkable results because Mark and Arlene see potential where others might not.
Whether you're battling your own personal challenges, considering a fitness journey, or dreaming of entrepreneurship, this conversation offers practical wisdom on overcoming fear, building resilience, and creating community. As Arlene powerfully reminds us, "Don't let fear hold you back from your goals and dreams. The acronym for fear is False Evidence Appearing Real."
Ready to transform your life? Take a page from the A2F playbook: show up, be consistent, and remember – it's never too late to become who you're meant to be.
and the broken podcast. I'm your host, sea monster, and today I'm here with two lovely people that are going to share some information and their experiences. Uh, they're business owners, they're married, they're a couple. They train people. I'm to let them introduce themselves to you, guys and we'll go from there. Go ahead, introduce yourself.
Speaker 2:Hi everybody. My name is Arlene Cherry. I am the owner and founder of A2F Gym in Rancho Cucamonga. I'm 62 years old. I have two kids 39 and 35, and a bonus son who is 16. I have five grandkids. I'm an IFBB pro, bikini pro and happy to be here.
Speaker 1:That's right. That's right, Well welcome. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be on this podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Cesar.
Speaker 3:Go ahead, sir. And I'm the other half of the business here. Mark Cherry is my name. I also have the same amount of kids, everything she has.
Speaker 2:I married into this amazing family, which I love.
Speaker 3:I am a certified master trainer. I train athletes, bodybuilders and people who just want to get in shape and be healthy and live longer. I've switched a lot of my emphasis to longevity now that I'm pushing my age up a little bit.
Speaker 1:Oh, you said your age. He doesn't want to say. Usually women don't say the age.
Speaker 2:He's older than me.
Speaker 3:Okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:By six months.
Speaker 3:There you go, but she still looks a lot younger and she looks fantastic and she's an amazing partner to have. Yeah, and we're the co-owners of A2F Gym and Team A2F, which is our bodybuilding team. Yeah, out here in Rancho Cucamonga, california.
Speaker 1:Well, you did great. You did a great introduction. He just jumped right in with the kids right there and says everybody's family, we're all, we're all good, that's right, that's right. Uh, and then you have your A2F family and stuff and A2F stands for addicted to fitness addicted to fitness, and we talked a little bit about addicted in that word and whatnot when you were choosing names for the gym. It could be a negative connotation but you obviously said, hey, we can make it over to a positive thing in the word Right.
Speaker 2:Right, let's get addicted to something that's good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, we're all addicted to something. That's right, and there's good addictions and bad addictions, and the more we can obviously create in a good addiction of working out longevity, then that's amazing and you guys are obviously affecting the lives of many people. I had two people that come here and train and do bikini competitions and you guys trained. We have Amber, who's going this next week to compete in Vegas. She's ready to rock it. Rock it in Vegas.
Speaker 3:She looks amazing when I saw her last time and obviously I followed her on her page and she looks amazing now and she's doing an amazing job it's amazing when you put uh time and effort and be persistent and consistent in something and I will definitely hand it to her she followed uh, my hour and our direction completely, whether it was the posing, the eating or the working out. Whether it was the posing, the eating or the working out, put the effort into it, didn't waver from it and we all see the results. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, consistency is the key and being coachable Absolutely and having great coaches to guide them. I mean it's a process. There's a lot of stuff involved in all that stuff. I do ultra running and several other stuff. I never got into competition or anything like that, but it's a process. You got to train, you got to be consistent, you got to stay disciplined. There's a fuel involved, which is super important. There's recovery involved. Tell us a little bit about both of you guys, where you guys grew up and how you're growing up If you guys were into fitness or sports or whatnot and then we'll go from there.
Speaker 2:Okay For me. I was born in Philippines. Okay. I came here when I was six years old. We started in El Monte, then moved to Escovina, where I mainly grew up, and then moved to San Dimas and, as far as like like how I was raised, my mom was a very hard worker and she's very resourceful, and so I believe that through her example, I became who I am today. Yeah, you know, because she was a hard worker, so all I knew what to do is just dream and work hard.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and your father was involved my, father was involved.
Speaker 2:My dad was a wonderful man, very patient man. Okay, I probably have heard him yell maybe a handful of times in his life and he lived to age 92.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, that's a long time. Yes, 92 is a good life. Okay, how about yourself, sir?
Speaker 3:Well, I was born and raised here in Southern California. Although I'm a first-generation American, my parents came from Europe, england and Scotland. Unfortunately, growing up for me I didn't have much of soccer, morphed into football, playing some of the sports at the professional level and then, as I got into my 40s, I got into CrossFit, okay, and loved experiencing athletics. I was very blessed that some of my coaches turned out to be kind of father figures to me and helped guide me along my life and helped me make, in most cases, the best choices. But born and raised in Southern California, born in Pasadena my mom was the original little old lady from Pasadena. Little reference to the Beach boys there. Yeah, we just had what's the thing?
Speaker 3:pass away, yeah, yeah I used to have every one of their albums actually yeah, and not aging myself there, I just called them albums. I actually had to play them on a record player yeah, exactly uh and then we moved to the uh out here to the Inland Empire. I lived in Claremont and La Verne. Okay, I left to go to college, said I'd never come back. Instead, I came back and got married. That's right.
Speaker 2:That's right. Yeah, lucky man, there's a wonderful lady next to me here my best friend and partner.
Speaker 1:That's right, lucky man, lucky man. Well, I know everybody has their own journey as they're growing up and stuff. And I didn't hear you say that you played sports or you weren't very athletic growing up or whatnot. What got you into fitness originally, where you started working out and whatnot?
Speaker 2:I've been active all my life, except for that my mom and dad had too many kids, or six of us. So we never got involved in sports. So I never really did any sports. I never was injured, you know, not that I didn't want to, but because my, my parents didn't have the time to do that. Yeah. So how I got involved in fitness I had never trained or lifted ever, really never trained or lifted ever really. Um, I'm naturally thin, very small framed, but that doesn't always mean that you're healthy, right, correct?
Speaker 2:So how I got involved in fitness is I got to give all of that glory to my son, first and foremost. Um, after 33 years of marriage now, I haven't talked about this in a long time, so for those of you out there that don't know my story, after 33 years of marriage, I was going through a breakup and it threw me into a really deep depression that I never knew even really existed. I met my husband at 17. So we grew up together. I was married at at 21, homeowner at 20, 22, pregnant at 22, and at that time I had just started my new career in a new business in financial services, and so I thought my life was all set right. Um, I had my life all planned out. I'm very goal oriented, so everything has to have a goal, otherwise I I just flounder. I have two kids at that time.
Speaker 1:Well, I still have my two kids. It's like she's talking about like have you guys seen the meme where it's like this is my current husband or this is my current wife? Have you guys seen that one and the other person is like current, current.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You got current kids.
Speaker 2:My current kids. Um, you know, I had, I had a thriving business. My kids today are 39 and 35 and I have five grandchildren. We had a thriving business, a husband and children that I adored, and you know we weren't perfect, but who is right? But at that time we were perfect for each other and we were actually role models in our industry, in the business that we had at the time, and it seemed like it was all of a sudden, but I know that it wasn't. But I was definitely blindsided when I found out that he was having an affair and for the first time in my life, I found myself lost and depressed. I didn't know what direction to go and I always knew what I wanted in life. Everything had a goal, everything had an end date and I always knew what I wanted in life. Everything had a goal, everything had an end date and I knew exactly what I wanted. And I was lost and I found myself depressed and didn't know what depression was.
Speaker 1:And when you talk about depression and loss internally, what does that look like to you? What does that look like to you? What did that look like to you? What were the thoughts coming out of you, what were your feelings?
Speaker 2:And what was your physical state of being?
Speaker 1:Okay, so, Because I know people would go through depression. But they just say the word and then everybody has their own experiences of what they went through. What was your experience through that time? My experience was, I was scared.
Speaker 2:A lot of people run to the bottle or drugs or maybe food when they're depressed. Right To me, I just couldn't eat. I couldn't get myself out of bed. I laid in bed, I was crying all the time, I had knots in my belly, didn't know how to get rid of those knots, but as far as depression is like, that wasn't me. I withered down to nothing. You know, I would forget to eat, and my daughter would actually come over. My happy place was she just had a little baby, my first granddaughter. She would bring my granddaughter over and I would be happy, and she'd sit there and bring me my food and watch me eat to make sure that I ate. But I don't really know. I I know how I got out of it. Um, you know, because I had so much knots in my belly. I don't know if you guys have ever felt that, but not, it just wouldn't go away. Um the luck luckily for me, though that I had a lot of people that supported me.
Speaker 2:I had my whole family. I had a lot of great friends that supported me and believed in me. Um, I know you talk about how'd I get into fitness, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, this is leading up to how we got, because, because it just doesn't happen overnight Sometimes. You know, mark, you was been an athlete, played different sports and whatnot, and that's fine, you know. And and now he's in a different direction. He just talked about how now he's looking at longevity, training and all this stuff and life is all about changing, right. And so you were. You said, obviously, obviously you didn't play sports and whatnot, so that you know. The question is like well, what led you and all this? And there's there's a big, uh, a lot of things going on in your life that that all of a sudden catapulted you into, into change?
Speaker 2:yes, yeah, um. I never owned a pair of tennis shoes. It was a hand-me-down. I was a diva girl. All I want to do is get dressed up and look good.
Speaker 3:I was skinny fat and you still do, actually, and I was gonna say that so my niece, um, let me tell you, let me kind of back up first.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So my son one day came over crying hysterically. You know I was laying in bed and he said this isn't my mom. You know, mom, you need to get up and you need to do something. And he put my shoes. That was a borrowed shoes or hand-me-down shoes of my daughter, so it's the only shoes that I wore. He put music in my ears and he took me outside and he goes I want you to run and I want you to keep running and just run as fast as you can, scream and yell all you want, but I want you to keep running, and when you can't run anymore, we'll walk back together. And then he says you need to go to the gym. Forget taking these depression pills. You need to get to the gym because I want you back.
Speaker 1:You were on depression pills. Yes, yeah, you were on medication whatever, yes. And then how long did that last? For a little bit that cycle of depression.
Speaker 2:If you don't mind me asking, I would say probably a couple of months. I got out of it fast. Okay, it's when my son showed up and said I want you back, I want my mom. He held me by the shoulders, yeah. And then my brother encouraged me, my brother Romel, who was my biggest cheerleader. He says, arlene, you need to work out. And I said, okay.
Speaker 2:And I found myself that every time that I did, it was like those knots were slowly going away and I was starting to feel more confident and stronger Now. This didn't happen over days. This happened months yeah, took time it took some time, and so at that point, um, I decided to hire my first trainer and my niece, who was a gymnast at the time. She goes tita tita is auntie in filipina she says I'll go with you.
Speaker 2:And I said okay. So she supported me because I didn't know what to do. Yeah, I hated lifting, you know I hated the gym, so she would go with me. We hired our first trainer, named Reed, and I walked in and Reed was there and he was a very kind man. He was my first trainer, so as he trained us, he had asked me probably halfway through, maybe a few weeks later, he said have you ever thought about competing? And I'm like, no, I'm too old. I mean, I was 50 years old when I started my fitness journey and I said there's no way. And he said if I can get you there, would you do it? And I said, okay, and my niece goes, I'll do it with you. And I go okay, let's do this together so that I can focus on something bigger than the issues and problems that I was going through at the time. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So during this time I started also, I thought I wanted to go on a date I had never dated before.
Speaker 1:You had been married and kids since 17.
Speaker 2:I didn't know what it was like to date, I had never dated. So I asked my kids if it was okay and they said Mom, it's time for you to do you. Yeah. And so actually my daughter is the one that got me set up on Match.
Speaker 1:You got good kids over there. One's getting you healthy, the other one's getting you out there. I'm like how do?
Speaker 2:I meet him and I go. I don't want to go to a bar, and she was mom. A lot of my friends are meeting people online now okay and so I got online. I went on the first couple of dates didn't know how to be, didn't know what to do, because I thought everybody was a murderer, you know, and I was scared to go on these dates. And then, all of a sudden, this one man, he messaged me and we talked, and his name is Mark Jerry.
Speaker 1:He was murdering. He was murdering, but he was murdering workouts.
Speaker 3:Killing the workouts. I had to get the shovel, the plastic bag, the rope out of my car before I met her.
Speaker 2:And he was kind of annoying because he kept messaging me.
Speaker 1:Oh well, that's what we do. Yes, that's what men do, but the good thing is when they're interested.
Speaker 3:The good thing is you actually messaged me back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're right, because I thought you were cute.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you were kind of cute too back then. Currently cute.
Speaker 1:Do I need to step out right?
Speaker 3:now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're good, that's good. So you met him, went online, had him, your kids both pushed you. One kid, your son, pushed you. Hey, ron, fitness met Reed. And then you have your daughter saying, hey, you need to be yourself, get out there. I have a question about that. Well, both of you, obviously. But how was it going online? Obviously I'm married and I going online? Obviously I'm married and I don't know anything about that. I have some friends. I hated dating A lot of people like dating Sorry.
Speaker 3:B no, go ahead.
Speaker 2:I hated dating and then I met this man and before we even dated we had gotten to know each other over the phone for several months. And then it spooked me because I went on a few dates so I got off of match.
Speaker 3:Let me intervene here. Yeah, yeah, we started talking on the phone and we hit it off. We were talking until two o'clock in the morning, just about anything life, sports, kids, everything. But I could tell because we almost didn't come to be. Yeah, I could tell that she was still going through a lot with the breakup and the divorce. For sure, and I actually said to her I think you need to go back and try to work it out with your husband. It's still lingering in your heart and in your mind.
Speaker 3:And I hung up with the pump of the phone and I basically said what the fuck. Are we allowed? To say that, yeah, I'm like what the?
Speaker 3:fuck did I just do? I just blew it, yeah, and but I knew it was the right thing, correct, because I've had other experiences where when you're dating someone who's divorced and not over it, you end up being the ex-husband, whether you're not Right. So I thought, no, let's be, let's do things the right way. And I could tell, I could tell where her heart was. And then we got off. We didn't talk for a couple months and I was dating somebody else and I decided you know, I'm going to, I kept thinking about her.
Speaker 3:She was still on my mind and I got back on match and there she was and reconnected was, and reconnected. They were reconnected.
Speaker 1:And here we are. I think that was the best thing you can do, because until the person works on themselves, they can't experience and give themselves to the other person. Yeah, so. I think that was the best.
Speaker 1:I obviously it was hard for you to do because you're like, ah, it's like locked down the deal right now kind of deal. Yeah, but it was the best thing for her to give her space to work on herself, yes, to continue her journey of fitness and all that stuff, and to heal. She needed to heal a little bit and then time will tell, you know, if it's meant to be. It's meant to be kind of deal.
Speaker 3:That was 13 years ago 13 years ago, almost 13 years ago 13 years ago. Almost 13. Almost 13 years ago.
Speaker 2:But let me tell you, when I first met him Cesar okay, so we go on this date and Mark was fashionably late, like always.
Speaker 3:You know. I swear to God, everybody. The electricity went out and I was trying to iron my clothes and that's what made me late. That is a true Electricity goes off. That's a new one.
Speaker 2:I didn't know that one Because Because I only saw pictures, you know, and he goes do you like big football, guys? And I'm like I don't know. I don't know what I like, and so when he started walking towards me, I thought, oh my God, he's a big guy. But anybody that knows Mark, he's just huge.
Speaker 1:Yes, or you guys will see pictures and stuff. He's a monster.
Speaker 2:Muscly, Like I don't know what do you call your big white boy?
Speaker 3:Somebody who works out.
Speaker 2:So he's, walking towards me and I'm like oh my God, he's huge. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And then he came towards me and he thought, oh my God, she's trouble. She was all made up to the nines man. I mean, she looked absolutely fantastic and I thought, oh boy, this could be really good or this could be really bad. But over the lunch we had together everything we talked and the feeling I got on the phone was there. I met somebody who was a very and and warm person and kind person, someone that I could forget about, forget about the romantic stuff, but she's somebody that I could be friends with and just hang out with. Yeah, and that's kind of a start. If you don't have that foundation, it's difficult because you know friends with benefits yeah, pretty much yeah something like that.
Speaker 1:I wasn't gonna say that but now that you say that, yes, best friend with benefits. I mean, that's what I say when I marry my wife. I'm like, I'm there, my best friend with benefits you know, um, somebody you can talk to, somebody you can share stuff with, yeah and and be yourself and uh, accept what's going on, and sure, everybody has troubles, but she's still my best friend.
Speaker 2:I say that Cesar and I wanted to say how I met Mark, because I remember one day I got on my hands and knees and I put my arms up and I said, okay, lord, where do you want me, where do I go from here? Because I've been an entrepreneur and business owner all my life and I thought where do I go from here? What is left for me? You know and it's funny how God leads you to people, right? Because then fitness opens the door. The fitness door started to open and here I am, I start helping women at the park.
Speaker 2:I started with eight people and decided I want to help people. I wanted to change careers and so I wanted to help people. I wanted to change careers and so I wanted to help people. And I didn't do it for the money, because I wasn't making any money then. And out of the eight people, four were family members that were too cheap to pay me, and all I want to do is make fitness fun. I thought, what if I can make fitness fun and kill him with a smile and force change. And so it just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger and by the end of the year I had over 125 people that came through my, my bootcamp at the time, and so I didn't really know a whole lot about fitness. I did get certified, um, I started learning, but what's ironic about all this is that when I prayed to open doors, I didn't know that he was going to send me a man that knew everything about fitness.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there you go, he was a football player, crossfit, bodybuilder, you know, and he's taught me everything that I know today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, as far as fitness, they say some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers, you know, and uh, yeah, um, or you're praying for something, and this is the way it goes, and he brought you exactly where you were going, which was that energy of fitness and giving back, and this guy was a master in it already, you know and he obviously was looking you were in a relationship before as well. Obviously yeah, yeah, yeah. And then that didn't go as well.
Speaker 3:It didn't work out the way I was hoping it would work out. You know, I was basically a single dad at that particular time, you know, trying to make my way in life and trying to take care of a kid that I've had no experience in. I mean, everything else I was experiencing. This is one thing that I didn't have experience in. I mean everything else I was experiencing. This is one thing that I didn't have experience in. And you know, the wonderful thing is I had this woman come into my life, who's raised a family, raised kids, you know, learned how to do it the right way. And then, you know, I had her to kind of be my teacher and learn from yeah, Filipinos, from.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Filipinos and Mexicans or Latin American people, we're all the same. We're big family oriented. Yes, Everybody takes care of each other and you know we mess up a lot, but that's why we got a big family. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I'll say that one of the things that I admire about those cultures because it used to be that way in America, yeah, that I admire about those cultures because it used to be that way in America, yeah, until we started getting lazy and forgetting and becoming selfish and forgetting about how important family is, yeah, and you know one of the things my, my son used to say to me and used to break my heart because I wasn't with anybody and I asked him what he'd want for Christmas and he'd say I want a sibling. And I'm like, oh, okay, yeah, well, uh not sure if that's going to happen. Like that I can buy one but, look what happened.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I met this amazing woman who's you know, my partner, uh, my lover, my everything, and with her I have, I inherited two great two great, two great kids that are grown. They may be grown, but I love them both. I inherited grandkids, cousins, nephews, sisters, brothers. We got it all and I didn't have to change a diaper.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly that's key, and that's the benefit of that I say that jokingly, but we have a really wonderful life. You're 100% correct. My stepmom, like Kate, hate saying stepmom because she's a mom to me.
Speaker 3:Well, my son introduced her to his girlfriend as his mom. 100%.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I love that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%. And she's from Nebraska, comes from a big family and you know the older days or those times were different and that's a real close family. But I think you know it's it's hard. In California right now it's harder. People aren't having big families anymore here. It's just too expensive.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know it's, it's expensive. Um, you gotta think about it and uh, it's just not happening as it did back in the day. My dad comes from a family of 12 and my mom from like a family of eight. You know my stepmom from my family of like 10 to 12, you know I got to. You know it's just different times, um but um, I know you were a swimmer. You did some stuff right, uh, while growing up, and then you had an injury injury, oh well, or surgery, if everybody's.
Speaker 3:Everybody knows me here at the gym. I'm like the billboard for injury recovery. In fact, it's one of the things I'm really good at is helping people make that transition from physical therapy to becoming an athlete again, cause I've had to do it numerous times. Yeah, yeah, I think, from playing football and all the contact sports and then doing CrossFit in my forties and being very successful at it and doing it all the time, my body just started to break down.
Speaker 3:I, when I met her, I was going to compete in the master's CrossFit at the Home Depot and I was training for that and unfortunately, my hip started giving me problems. They went in to do surgery on it, remove some impingements. Instead, because I had so much muscle, they had to cut me open instead of scoping me. When they removed the hip, they destroyed the rest of my cartilage. So six months later I was a candidate for a hip replacement. Wow, wow, yeah. And then we're talking about at the same time. She's now going through her breakup and everything I was going through for lack of an emotional breakup, with thinking that something that had been so much a part of my life is now not going to be possible.
Speaker 2:We met each other at the worst times of our lives. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And then at the best time also, because now you met and grew together and had something in common that was like, wow, I kind of understand you, yeah, and I understand you and what you kind of are going through, or whatnot.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1:And then obviously it evolved, yeah, and started going out and dating. And then how long after? Or you guys were doing something different, obviously you were working out. But when did it become, hey, we want to open up a gym and help others. I know you were training some people.
Speaker 3:She had already started the training and I decided I do a hip resurfacing. It's instead of cutting away the bone, they just basically clean up and cap the femur on the leg and put an insert in the in the socket. Uh, a little more evasive, uh at that time somewhat controversial, uh surgery, but the outcome is much better.
Speaker 3:Like I have no limitations, you know, if I want to run again, I can run again. If I want to squat 600 pounds again, I can squat 600 pounds again. And she kind of issued a challenge to me, kind of like her brother and her son did to her. He said hey look, you were in fitness all your life. You know you've had your hip replaced. At the same time I also had my shoulder surgery. So those are two of my surgeries I had at that time. She says why don't you get yourself certified and become a trainer and come help me, come help me and I'm like, well, that's what I've always wanted to do.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what I always wanted to do is to have a gym, and I love giving and helping people, and the best way I can do it is through fitness and conditioning and being an athlete or just trying to get healthy.
Speaker 1:So you were doing it out of you creating clients out of the park and whatnot. And then how did it lead to like I'm going to get a location and whatnot.
Speaker 2:Well, I started running space at a gym. So, I, the first gym that I was at, I started running space. It was a very small area and I just I just kept out growing it, so I had to keep adding hours, um, and I found myself working a lot of hours just to be able to fit all these people in and one day, one of my clients. They all started saying open your own gym, we'll follow you, and I'm like oh, I don't want to.
Speaker 2:I don't want to open up a gym. You know and be a business owner. And they say, come on, open your own gym, we'll follow you. And I'm like, oh, I don't want to. I don't want to open up a gym, you know and be a business owner. And they're saying, come on, open up a gym. And they kept pounding me and I said, okay, you know I will. And then months later they said when and I went okay, we'll open a gym in September. So in the interim, this gym ends up closing down. So now I had to frantically go look for another place where our people can train. Mark wasn't with me at the time at the gym with me, I was just running my own boot camps.
Speaker 2:And so I found this other gym, and so then I started doing boot camps there, and I think at that time I had asked Mark to know yeah, then he had moved in with me at the time and, um, that gym, we, we found out that gym was also closing oh my god, and so it was a sunday, yes yeah yeah hey well, one door closes, another one opens. Don't be afraid of doors closing correct yeah because there's always something better on the other side. Yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 2:I thought, okay, where to now? And that's when Mark and I, one day, one morning on a Sunday, I was going through the marketplace on Facebook and I saw this building that we're at and I said, mark, let's go, take a look at it. And he says, no, not on a Sunday. He said let's go. So we came here and we looked at it. It was a dance studio and we went oh my God, this is a perfect place.
Speaker 3:It was so pretty we were almost thinking maybe we should just open up a med spa or something. I mean the place was gorgeous. I mean the floor you see out there was all over the place. That was the dance floor. They had those great lights and everything all set up and it was kind of a shame in some regards to have to change that. But the size and location of the place was actually perfect, yeah.
Speaker 2:And this happened when we found out that this gym was closing. It was around May, may or June, right, and so we had to, frantically. That's when everything started rolling, we started getting the business license, started doing all of these things and we didn't know we were going to be in here because we had to tear down this whole place. And again, it's always people lead you to good people, because all the people that helped us I mean they helped us for free, they tore down this place. You know, they painted this place, and Selena and her husband, and Tiffany and Joe, and if I forget people, but they came to our aid and helped us. Yeah, and guess what? September we opened the door.
Speaker 3:So you said September, september 2016, september 17th. So September 17th this year will be our ninth year.
Speaker 2:Another lesson learned what you put out in the universe, it'll eventually come back to you good, bad or indifferent. So be careful of the things that you say, yeah, and be careful the things that you put in your mind, because they do come true yeah, I believe in that 100.
Speaker 1:There's this book called the energy bus and um, it just talks about energy and you are what you attract and who you are. If you have good energy, you can attract good energy.
Speaker 2:That was one of the books I read too, yeah and I think that you're right.
Speaker 1:You're very grateful for the people that helped build this place for free and all that, but it wasn't for free. I tell you that right now because what you gave them, and your energy and your love and your passion and your guys' who you are is not for free. It's it's. It's something that you're passionate about, and they get it and they want to give back and you receive. You know what I'm saying. It's. It has nothing to do with money, but it's about giving and receiving in both ways, and they, they gave back and you received, and it was built Well.
Speaker 1:From what I see, this gym is about family you know, and so, um, describe your gym a little bit, uh, of what kind of place it is, what you guys think about it, because people are probably like, well, what kind of gym, where is that at?
Speaker 2:Tell me where it's at the space what you guys offer here and a little bit about the gym. First and foremost, I could have never done it without Mark.
Speaker 3:Yeah, couldn't have done it without you.
Speaker 2:This is beauty and brains, right.
Speaker 3:So we know who the beauty is, I know, and it's funny because you're the one with the brains right, yeah?
Speaker 2:that's right. It's too bad.
Speaker 3:People can't see me out there because I am truly beautiful in my own mind. Yeah, me too. Our gym is like I said. When we opened up, we had maybe half a dozen pieces of equipment. We had the rig out there set up I'd say the whole other half of the gym. You'll have to come see it to really envision what I'm saying. Or look at our Instagram. And it's grown. We probably have about 30 machines now. Um, we still have a small space left open for posing and, uh, you know, doing some small classes and things like that, but I I spent my time because we are a smaller gym, we're not a big box gym with a huge budget. I really researched the type of machines that we're going to put on there. If I got a machine, that's that's supposed to work glutes well, it better work glutes, yeah, and the same thing with anything that works chest or shoulders, whatever we're doing, yeah. And of course, we have the cardio equipment as well and lots of space outdoors to run sprints. That's right. Little hint to everybody what's coming up?
Speaker 1:The world is my. What do they say? The earth is my gym. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you the whole reason behind why I wanted to open the gym too. It wasn't so much for the equipment, that was Mark's thing. Yeah, you know, I wanted to open a gym where people didn't feel that they were going to be judged. I wanted to create an energy and an environment and a community of people that can encourage and lift each other up, where friendships can be made and bodies can be built. You know, and that's exactly what we did. I really pride ourselves in the people that we have here and the environment that we have, and we protect it. Not just Mark and I, but all of our members here protect it yeah you know, and if anybody negative comes in here, I'm the first to know.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't think this person is right for this place.
Speaker 1:And they protect us yeah, yeah, you guys are definitely different. Too bad, you guys aren't in, in, uh, in where I live in san fernando valley, but hey, you never know, maybe you can open one over there, franchise, huh.
Speaker 3:Yeah we're okay with that yeah, of course.
Speaker 2:You know this is about a 4,000-some-square-foot what we would call, probably a fitness boutique place. Yeah, about 4,500 square foot.
Speaker 1:That's really family-orientated, really team-oriented. You guys, do—.
Speaker 3:Everybody supports everybody here, I don't care if you're in here because your doctor said lose weight, or you're die, or whether you're one of our pro bodybuilder athletes or somebody who's an up and coming football player or baseball player. Everybody respects everybody, yeah.
Speaker 1:No matter who they are and you guys are. Encourages everybody in Rancho Correct. Rancho Cucamonga, rancho Cucamonga. There is a Cucamonga. And then is there other trainers, or just you two.
Speaker 2:Yes so we have five employed trainers. Okay. We all have our roles. Correct. Mark mainly handles all of the competitors, the men, any athletic training you know, I pretty much handled one-on-ones. Mark does as well. And then our trainer handles all of the group training.
Speaker 3:And all our trainers are great.
Speaker 2:They're all exceptional. Read my reviews.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right. Are you guys on Yelp?
Speaker 2:We're on Yelp and Google. Go read it. I mean, they're all pretty much universal in how people feel coming in here.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, it's like any gym that you'll ever go to. Yeah. Because of the community of people. Yeah, you know, we want people to come back. We want them to not only get results, but we want them to have fun doing it, and that's what we're known for. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Is results. As a matter of fact, though, cesar, a lot of people are really intimidated to come here, because they look at the reviews, they look at google and they look at yelp and they see all the beautiful people. Yeah, and they're all fit, and they think they need to be fit and you don't. They're like that because they they're here yeah, you know that's.
Speaker 1:That's one of the.
Speaker 1:I think one of the problems, well, in general, in this whole gym fitness thing is some people that aren't in shape or not feel intimidated going to a gym, whether it it be a big, big gym like an LA Fitness or something like I don't know, I don't know the machines, I don't know what's going to happen, and you feel intimidated and you make any excuse to not go.
Speaker 1:Oh, I didn't find the right parking, oh it's too far, oh it's too much money or it's too busy and whatnot. But this space right here, just walking into it, first of all, um, and then seeing, well, first of all, getting to meet the beautiful ladies of amber monique that I had on the podcast previously, um, and then talking about you guys, and then prime and everything. That would be a great fit for me, to be honest. But there's great gyms like that that, I think, transform people in a better or more often than the bigger gyms, and I and I say that because when you're around people, uh well, let me say this when you get too big, you get watered down.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And when you're just perfect like this is, you become family. You get to know other people, you get to encourage other people. You're here to help. It's what the main goal of why you guys did this well, why why you guys are in this business as well we're sitting here in our office, yeah, uh, doing this podcast, and I've always maintained in arlene's with the on this too.
Speaker 3:We always have an open door policy, so that door in my office is always open. It doesn't matter whether I'm training you or you're training with one of my other trainers. Yeah, if you have a question or a concern, I always encourage people to come and talk to me. Yeah, you know, uh, the door is open because somebody walked in to work out right now.
Speaker 1:Perfect, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, uh. And are you guys open 24 hours, like? Is this a gym, that where people can come in and scan something? No, there's business hours, well we.
Speaker 3:We do have some key fobs that allow our members and people that are training to come in when they're not actually training with a trainer. Yeah, like an open gym then Pretty much. But you know, we figure people ought to be at home in bed by midnight at least and not turning on all the electricity.
Speaker 2:The memberships that we have here. Cesar are people that train, so once they train here with us, they have full access to the gym. So they get a key fob. They can take water, coffee, full access to the gym. But we don't have memberships. The memberships are people that train and that utilize this gym. Okay, but also, I really believe, to. One of our mottos here is that we turn ordinary housewives into bikini babes.
Speaker 1:There, you go.
Speaker 2:Whether they go on stage and compete or not, they're going to look like a hot bikini babe when we're done with them, yeah, or? Confident or more confident in their skin yeah, let's, let's dive into.
Speaker 1:I know there's, um, there's so many things to dive into here. Um, how did the first? You guys have been in business how long now here? Almost nine years, okay, they say. You know, for a smaller business, or any business, to have succeeded it's four to five years and you guys have surpassed that well, we made it through covid, that was not.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, that was tough. That was right around her fifth year, if you remember. With the time, that's true, yeah I actually flourished during covid.
Speaker 1:I was like so busy, I was working 12 hour days by myself and I was like I, I was blessed, um, and still I'm blessed, you know. But, um, what were some of the obstacles at early stages of of owning a business or getting this started, just so that we can talk to some of the people that are like I want to open something up, whether it be a gym or a small business or something else? Like, what advice can you guys give those people of like some of the things that you learned the hard way? They like hey, look, before you get into this, think about this, think about that thing. But cause, everybody talks about, well, I'm going to go get a loan, I'm going to open up a gym.
Speaker 2:Well, it's not just that. It's not that you have to have a business sense as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So then, what is some advice that you guys can kind of give?
Speaker 3:Make sure you have a plan. Yeah, follow that plan. Make sure you know what you're talking about. There's a lot of people out there in this industry who look great, who don't have a clue of what they're doing, but they look great and everybody just assumes, unfortunately, in some cases. We're a very visual society, so if they figure something looks a way, it's got to be a certain way is we're a very visual society, so if they figure something looks a way, it's got to be a certain way, yeah, you must be doing something right, you must be doing something right, and that's not always true. So make sure you know what you're doing, yeah, and get as much experience before you do it. Yeah, it's like anything else. Yes, there's one thing to get a degree, a certificate, whatever, but you also have to know how to put that to work. So you have to combine the knowledge with experience. Yeah, and that's something that the two of us had when we came together. She's a successful businesswoman from what? 17 or 21 or whatever young age she was.
Speaker 3:I mean, she's been a successful businesswoman for like 40 odd years.
Speaker 1:So she was selling lemonade.
Speaker 2:I am unemployable, I am unemployable, cesar. If you hire me as your employee. You'll fire me no amount of money. You cannot pay me enough money to work at a job. I am meant to be an entrepreneur, yeah.
Speaker 3:And then you combine that with the fact that I've a nationally ranked swimmer, soccer player, football player.
Speaker 1:You don't look like a swimmer right now. No, I don't Trust me.
Speaker 3:I probably sink to the bottom right now. Yeah, and then I spent almost 10 years in the CrossFit realm on top of bodybuilding, on top of that realm, on top of bodybuilding on top of that. So I have the experience and now the certifications to, to actually know what I'm talking about. Yeah, she does as well. Yeah, so those are important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, in opening a gym, though you know everybody wants to open a gym and everybody wants to have a business. But statistically gyms will fail, correct Right, especially in the first two years. Yeah, a gym, though you know everybody wants to open a gym and everybody wants to have a business, but statistically gyms will fail correct yeah right, especially in the first two years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so what has kept us on afloat is that, first of all, you, you have to have the resources. You need to know some people. You know, if you don't have the resources, you can open the door and have the most beautiful gym and you don't have anybody coming in here.
Speaker 2:You have nothing yeah and so, because I've been in business and in the rancho kookamanga area for so many years and both my kids were in high level sports I knew a lot of people. I was also very reputable in around people because they knew who I was and the kind of business that I had before.
Speaker 2:I was a senior vp for a financial services company and so having the reputation really helped me because we did absolutely no advertising. So with the bootcamp that I had, they did all the advertising for me. I would tell them look, if you like it, post. And everybody would post and that's how I would get people to come in here. So is it possible? Absolutely it's possible. If you have a dream in here, so if you, is it possible? Absolutely it's possible. If you have a dream and a goal to do it, go for it. Yeah.
Speaker 2:But it's more than just opening the gym. It's more than just having the certifications and knowing how to train. You have to know the business side of opening up any business as well, so do your research.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think both of you guys obviously talked about a main thing is um, having the reputation coming from a background of mass, being a master trainer, being an athlete all his life. You coming in from the business aspect, understanding that, but also the great personality that you guys have and then giving the energy of, of of doing it for the right reason, having the connections around this area, and then social media, I'm sure, plays a big role right now as well. Like you said, you were building your clientele, going through the parks first and moving on and then them reposting free marketing. Here you go on and then they're reposting free marketing. Here you go.
Speaker 1:But you know, I think, speaking for myself, that the personality and who you are is what makes this gym. Just talking, you guys sit in front of me, what it is and why you're successful and why you're still afloat and why you succeeded because you've led with that. Sure, it's a business, sure, you got to make money to keep the doors open, but, god, are you guys giving back so much to some of the girls I already interviewed? They feel like their life has transformed and been different by what you guys have given them.
Speaker 2:Well, mark and I are such a perfect partnership because this man is brilliant. He's so smart, you know, sometimes too smart for his britches, right? I mean put it this way he got a scholarship to go to Webb High School you know room and board. Then he went on to college and got his degrees. So he's got the brains. He likes to do the research. I'm the action person. Just tell me what to do, I'll go have it done.
Speaker 3:Yeah, see, we actually have to really balance each other out, cause I I nerd out on stuff. If I don't know something, I'm looking. I'm not less reading crap on the internet and whatever Instagram BS is being sold to us these days. What I do is I go and actually read the research articles what actually happened when this was done this way to this person, or these particular exercises, or whatever we're talking about? But I suffer from what they call analysis paralysis.
Speaker 2:That's where I come in.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but then she's the other one. She just wants to shoot from the hip. She's like a gunslinger. She's like let's just go, Poof, Go, and I'm like, wait a second, we do have to find out some information. She goes yeah, but we can't take six months. So between the two of us we kind of we merge and come up with a plan. A plan. Yeah. Of what you're going to do. Yeah, that's not as risky and not as time consuming. Yeah, and it's worked well for us.
Speaker 1:No, it seems like it. Obviously, you guys balance each other out, you know, and work as a team well to have this place here open and I'm like I'm just speechless because I continue to hear nothing but amazing things. I'm like I'm just speechless because I continue to hear nothing but amazing things, first and foremost of you guys, of your personality and who you are, and second, this place of being almost a church like place you know what I'm saying A place where people feel comfortable can come in, be themselves, get the love and transform.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And that's why I'm like why are you so far? But we will talk later about that. Okay, you know, let's go back to a little bit of your depression and whatnot. And then what transformed you, obviously, into getting whatnot? A person that's going through a similar thing of depression, whatever it might be, to try to get out of it, to try to get out of being depressed get up, wash your face, get dressed and get to the gym.
Speaker 2:nothing bad comes out of it, everything good comes out of it and Everything good comes out of it. And if you have a hard time doing it on your own, find someone that you can go with, like I went with my, my niece. Go find a trainer that's going to help you be accountable to being there. I knew how much I was paying. I was paying a lot of money. I was going to make sure I was going to get my ass at the gym and I went all in. I went five days a week so that I can keep focused on what I was trying to do. But I would say get to the gym. It does. I promise you. It'll help you because you're going to, if nothing else, you're going to walk out of there feeling better because it sends off these happy hormones and endorphins. It's going to make you feel better and regain your confidence.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then I know I don't know if you were depressed or anything, but you were going through some struggles yourself, having surgeries and multiple injuries, and saying, hey, I can't do this, maybe right now, or that. How did you overcome that? What advice would you give to say, hey, you know, even though I had to have hip surgery, even though I had shoulder surgery and all these different things and things that I was doing back then, I can't do or I'm not doing right now? What do you tell people that are going through a similar situation?
Speaker 3:Don't quit. Don't quit. Life is full of ups and downs and adversities. Uh, in my case, I just think it was God testing me. Oh really, let's see how much willpower you really have. How bad do you really want this? You've got to figure out what you want out of life.
Speaker 3:And I still want to help out people and be fit, and I can't do that if I just give up because I have an injury. You know, lots of people have, like I said, ups and downs and bumps in the road and downs and bumps in the road, and you know, also, having her in my life at this time was a great impetus for myself. And then also I had a young son at that time too and I wanted to be an example to him, not to be a quitter, and luckily enough that's rubbed off on him and I am where I am today. I, I mean I've had my other hip replaced since this, both my soldier shoulders operated on, tore my abdominal wall and had back surgery, and I'm still in relatively good shape for an old dude yeah, look great still amazing still it.
Speaker 2:I still like your muscles. There you go, folks. Can I?
Speaker 4:step out again. You heard it from the girl in the back there.
Speaker 3:We should have separated you two individually.
Speaker 1:I'm just kidding, you know that's great advice and obviously you guys didn't quit on also looking for a partner. You know, and that's why you guys are here, because you guys kept on pursuing. You know you went out there try to get on the internet as you as well, and you didn't quit and look at what led to that I wasn't looking, no, but you were.
Speaker 2:You know, I didn't.
Speaker 1:I didn't want another partner or even wanted another husband, but you took your daughter's advice and got out there and met a great person. Yes, yeah, so far, so far.
Speaker 3:Currently, currently, right Currently Currently.
Speaker 1:Currently, if you. I mean you know we always give advice and I'm not asking you questions about advice, but a lot of it deals from our own experiences and whatnot. And I know we've done some stuff when we were younger, sometimes that you know, whether we regret or not, or we learn from what. What advice would you guys give your younger self? What you know? What would you tell yourself if you you know right now, knowing what you know, that would speed up the process to be a better person.
Speaker 2:I thought about this and I thought what advice would I give my kids? And the one advice that I would tell my own kids and the people that I love is don't ever let fear hold you back from your goals and dreams, because the acronym to fear is what? Do you know what the acronym to fear is? It's false evidence appearing real and it's not. It's the devil that's trying to hold you back. So, if you have a goal, if you have a dream, go for it and when the doors open, walk through it.
Speaker 1:And it's never too late. Never too late, you started your fitness journey at 50, correct.
Speaker 2:I was already a very successful business person. Yeah, um, at 50, correct, 50. I was already a very successful business person. Yeah, I walked away from that business to start something new.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm grateful for it.
Speaker 2:Because I wanted to help other people and I wanted to help specifically women.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and people will make an excuse and use age as an excuse to say, well, I'm too old to start this or I'm too old to do this or whatnot. And you're a perfect example of saying age is a number. What are you talking about? I've never felt or looked as good in my life. Let's go Right.
Speaker 2:I feel better at 62 than I did at 50.
Speaker 1:Let's go, I'm going there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you think you're old, guess what you are. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3:Your body's just like a car If tuned up, yeah, it runs much better and it lasts a lot longer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what I tell people. I said look, you can have a Ferrari body, but if you don't change it you don't change the tires, you don't change the oil, you don't do any of that stuff it's not going to drive like a Ferrari.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you gotta you gotta take care of it. You gotta sleep. A lot of people just think I'm going to go to the gym and hang out a couple nights a week and then all of a sudden, by osmosis, all of a sudden I'm going to get muscles and get healthy. No, you've got to put the work in and you've got to be consistent and persistent with it.
Speaker 1:And that works. What advice would you give your younger self?
Speaker 3:Oh, wow, when I'm thinking all the things I did wrong and things I did right.
Speaker 2:Just one, yeah, just one. How long is this podcast for? Yeah?
Speaker 3:I think one of the things and I'm doing a lot of soul searching in my own life now that I'm getting older is I was quite often fearful of and this piggybacking, what she says of failing and not trying. And I'm lucky enough, especially like when it came to football. My Pop Warner coach, Mike Sims, saw a physical ability in me but I was too afraid to hit. And I still remember one day he took me out. And I still remember one day he took me out. He lined up a couple of linemen with about a six foot gap in between and he says OK, and he got OK.
Speaker 3:My Pop Warner team. We went undefeated for two years. So the guys on that team were good we're great players, really good players, especially for that age. And he made me learn how to tackle. And the first couple times I got knocked on my ass and he said look, you're bigger and stronger than that guy, use that. And he made me do it until I could do it right. And then it dawned on me oh my god, if I hit him harder than he hits me, I don't feel it. Oh, wow, maybe that's how I should play this game. My point being is don't let fear hold you back of fear of failing, hold you back.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, that's, that's a. That's a good story. Yeah, there's lots of, and there's lots like it happened to me all through my life.
Speaker 1:Yeah um, you know, a lot of people want to be healthy, want want to change, transform, get healthier or transform their physical self or whatnot, and they make excuses, whether it be it's too far, it's too expensive, I didn't find the right parking, whatever. What advice would you give them to show up and and to show up, get going and what it can do for them, and also what keeps you guys showing up every day, you know, whether for yourself or for them and your clients and family? Um, but first, what advice would you give people that are trying to barely, you know, get into the fitness industry or like, get fit?
Speaker 2:people that are trying to barely, you know, get into the fitness industry or like get fit.
Speaker 2:Okay, so first, of all I would say you can't help somebody who's not willing to help themselves, right. If they feel like they've lost hope and they can't do this, well, you know what they're right. But if they have any bit of hope of at least trying to get better, get to the gym of hope, of at least trying to get better. Get to the gym, just get your body there. We will do the rest. We'll show you what to do, we'll help you and guide you every step of the way. You just need to get here.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I'm, I'm a little more forthright with him. I just I'm very blunt with people. I'm like, yeah, you need to get in shape, or if you want to reach this goal, you need to do X, y and Z, and it's going to suck Period, especially for the first month. But I also make the guarantee to them if you stick with it do what we tell you, be consistent and persistent which we've mentioned many times on this podcast you will see changes. And when we start seeing those changes, it becomes a lot easier.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm sure for you guys as well, you've had clients or people that walk through the door just randomly and they want help or they are asking to change, and you tell them exactly what you just told me. Hey, you know, you want to help yourself, you got to show up, you got to be consistent, all this stuff. And they say they are, and they say they will, and then they don't. I know that that happens to me and it hurts me. I think I remember those people more than than anything else because I I feel like I like I want to help them. They're, they're helpable and they just don't know it. It hurts more.
Speaker 1:You remember your losses. They always say your losses rather than your wins. You remember you lost when I played baseball, so I remember the game I lost going to the College World Series, but not all the games we won, and so how do you guys deal with that when you see somebody and you're like, oh my God, this person right here is wanting help and I'm telling them and whatnot, and you think it's going to go that way and they just never show up again. How do you overcome that for yourselves and keep moving forward? And have you tried other stuff. Maybe I shouldn't have done this with this person, or whatnot.
Speaker 2:No, I think for the most part the people that walk into our gym because it's no pressure. You know I have them come in for two, three free sessions. You know, with other trainers, make sure that this is the place that they want to be, because if not, we don't want them here. You know the people that are betting process.
Speaker 1:It's almost like a vetting process. You're like look, go, shop around, kind of like what you did with her. Hey, handle yourself first and then come back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I tell them, look, we're not for everybody, yeah, and not everybody is for us.
Speaker 3:But if you are, and that's okay, that's okay yeah are, try out the gym first.
Speaker 2:Then, once they've tried out the gym, for the most part, you know, this is where they want to be there. There are some times where people do leave, for their own reasons, you know, and most of them are valid. Maybe they've lost their job, but they're, or they've moved, or they realize they really can't afford it. Um, I'll break their contract because I want people to be here, because they want to be here. So now, yes, you do get those random people that say, well, I didn't get what I wanted there, and blah, blah, blah, blah, we let them go, yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:We're not. We're not. This place isn't for them, because here we focus on nothing but results.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think, I think, at the end of the day, you keep your motto, you keep your mission statement right Of which you guys believe, of what you guys are growing here, and you keep that tight, you know, and that's how you're going to grow and that's how you obviously have survived COVID, which was a hard time for any specifically gym business and and other businesses but the gym, me being myself in that space God, there's a lot of gender.
Speaker 2:I also erase everyone's excuses, Cesar. Yeah. When people say I'm too old, oh really, I'm 62. Yeah Well, I can't lift that. Oh really, if I can do it, I know you can do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And that's why I always believe in leadership. It's about do it, yeah, and that's why I? Always believe in leadership, it's about leading first yeah, because there's too many people out there that'll tell you what to do, but they don't lead by example 100% and at 62,. I am still leading by example.
Speaker 1:Well, you guys look it for sure and are doing it, and that's exactly what it is. Leading by example is the only way Because, like you said, you have to be credible. And who are you, you know? It brings me to an example of like I'll look at a coach a baseball coach I play baseball, obviously and I'll look at a baseball coach and they're yelling you got to hustle, you got to be this, and yet they're not the example. They're overweight, they're unhealthy, they're just yelling out of fear, yeah, out of unknown. But the coach that's like, hey, we gotta hustle. He's not yelling, he's giving advice, he's growing right. He's like, hey, we gotta hustle. Like you could have made that play if you're ready, if we're hustling, if we're working hard for so-and-so, and if he's, if he's doing that and he's doing it with the kids or whatnot, then he's credible and he's believable and the kids will believe.
Speaker 1:You can't lie to kids, you know, they see what they see and and whatnot Um the second part of your question.
Speaker 2:Was that what brings you back in?
Speaker 1:here, I forgot my own question.
Speaker 3:I need to start taking it. Sure Reminds you. Thank you.
Speaker 2:What brings, what makes us come in here every day?
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, how do you show up yeah?
Speaker 2:I show up every day because of our people. You know the lives that we have changed and impacted. Um, it makes me so emotional because I really, really, really, really, really truly love them. Um, the members that we have. I give them everything. They know me. I give every part of me to them. And because I feel so responsible you know, when they come in here and they sign up and I tell them they can get results if they follow the program I feel so responsible because they're not only taking their time, but they're hard-earned money and they trust us. So if you're going to come in here as God is my witness if you follow the program and I work you out, you're going to get results, or any of our trainers. So I take a personal interest in every single person that walks in this door.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's why you show up to give yes.
Speaker 2:I ask him what can we do? How can we help you? I haven't seen much change. What are you doing? Let's get back on track. I know everybody by name, I know most everybody here and what their goals and desires are.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, we're genuine in what we believe. Yeah, and we're not. We keep it real. Yeah, there are a lot of people out there that are trying to emulate us or other people like that, and you can tell when they're fake. Yeah, you can tell.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, when I started my business after I left the sheriff's department and I was like, okay, what am I going to do? Because I had left, I still need to do something, I knew because I had left I still needed to do something, I walked away with my pension. Thank you for your service. We appreciate you. I appreciate that. Thank you. It's a hard time right now. That's why I left.
Speaker 1:My wife is a current LA County Sheriff detective with the Homicide Bureau. She's got a couple more years and we're leaving California. Who knows? I joke. We have two beautiful daughters, one's in college, one's going to graduate high school next year and we'll see where that takes us.
Speaker 1:But right, um, when I first started my business, my dad had passed away, started my business and I was drinking my my way away, you know, hitting the bottle, and I just started the the business and I didn't know until later that people could read you. You know my clients and I. My business wasn't going too well, but it wasn't until I changed myself. I transformed myself and started being genuine to myself and my business changed like that. I started running ultras, marathons, world records, triathlons, did everything that I wanted to do for myself and that came genuine and people started but what? What is he doing? What's going on? I've always dealt with weight issues, been heavier kid, you know. Uh, my brother, older brother, always had the perfect body, went to Pepperdine, got drafted, played with the Padres, could run, could throw. You know, I had to work hard for everything and um, and you guys are saying it correctly, when you lead with your heart and be genuine and show up for your clients and give it gives back.
Speaker 2:Well, the biggest mentor that I had in my life was a gentleman named Art Williams and he has actually he's the only one that I would say that has made a huge other than my parents impact in my life, in helping to raise my children, in my marriage and in business. Because he said, everybody wants to feel special. Everybody has a sign on their chest that says make me feel special. If you can capture that person's heart, you can capture the person you know. But most people are trying to lead with their head when they should be leading with their heart. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, and that opens up a lot of opportunities to be heard as well, and you got to be okay with that because not everybody's going to like you and it's okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. I have a question. Obviously, being you guys, being in the, I always get it probably wrong, but in the physique competition would you say that Bikini, bikini, bodybuilding?
Speaker 2:No, Mark is bikini. He looks good in a bikini.
Speaker 1:I want to imagine that.
Speaker 3:Wait till you see his picture. You can't see it. Yeah, folks, that's not a real thing, body real thing.
Speaker 1:Is it harder to train somebody to gain muscle if they're small, or is it harder if somebody's overweight to get them down into a physique to compete, or are they?
Speaker 2:both equally hard.
Speaker 1:I mean probably hard.
Speaker 2:but Well, some people have become overweight in the process. Yeah, they might have been an athlete in their younger days and they might have been smaller or fit, but they just got themselves out of shape. Okay. Well, with muscle memory, it won't be as difficult for someone like that. But then you have somebody like me, who's maybe, who is thin and had to build muscle, and it was just as hard for me to try to build muscle.
Speaker 3:Correct. Yeah, it depends on whether you know what to do. It could be different if you're not experienced. I mean, we've had to do with all types of athletes, people that are, you know, they're easy gainers, hard gainers, gain fat, gain muscle. It all kind of depends on the person and you know, we've, you know, had the opportunity to work with every particular type of person and be able to adjust things for them. They can be equally difficult, they can be equally difficult, but it also depends on everybody's different. You know, I just did an experiment Well, not an experiment.
Speaker 3:I just got three girls ready for a competition. They're each one with 70. One was in their 50s, one was in her 40s. They're, each one was 70, one was in their 50s, one was in their 40s, and I was testing them out a couple weeks before the competition. So they're waiting until the last moment, like a lot of coaches do, and see how carb loading them and getting them, depleting them and getting them really fine-tuned for the competition. And all three of them were different. Yeah, yeah, I think the body reacts differently, yeah it was all age-related, but all three of them are different.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I think the body was all differently, yeah it was all age related, but they're all three were different, yeah, but it worked out perfectly because I figured out exactly what this person needs. This person needs and this person needs yeah, yeah, I mean that's.
Speaker 1:You know, to have self-acuity, uh is super important. You know, to have self acuity, uh is super important. You know. I know what works for me when I get ready for a race or competition, um, or something that I need to do, and um, and then, knowing my clients in front of me, everybody's different. Some need to get a little bit bigger, a little bit faster, a little bit stronger. Some, uh, you know, need to do this or whatnot, and that's why I've kept my. I haven't left running it out of my house, nice and small, cause I had big groups. I did the same thing as big groups and I'm like this isn't helping anybody.
Speaker 2:I'm just putting one big workout and everybody's different, yeah, and but most people that do competitions though, caesar, they have to lose weight in some form or another and build muscle at the same time.
Speaker 2:It's not so, yeah, losing body fat and gaining muscle. So, regardless of where they start because most people are not it once they're starting they're they're not at their ideal body fat to get started. I mean, we've had people most of them have lost 30, 40, 50 pounds to get up on stage. Yeah, and most of these people have kept it off.
Speaker 1:I hear it's super hard. You can only do these competitions for a little bit because depleting and all that it's a toll. It's hard mentally, physically and whatnot. Is that something that's true?
Speaker 2:For me, it wasn't because I had a different mindset. You know, my mindset was that I wanted to be in shape all year round. So, I would do competitions in the beginning, two competitions a year. I would do one in the beginning of the year, like I would train February, march, april, compete in May I'm ready for summer and then I would enjoy my summer with my kids and my grandkids, and Mark, of course.
Speaker 2:And then I would go back on prep again around August, september, october, compete, so that I'm ready for the holidays. And my intention was never to go get my pro card. My intention was just to lead by example and look good all year long.
Speaker 3:But that's how it worked for her. Some other women couldn't do what she does. I mean, she has great genetics, over and above 99% of the other women out there. That's why she's 62 and she looks like she's 38.
Speaker 2:Thank you, babe. I thought you were going to say 32. 38's old.
Speaker 3:I'm trying to keep it real babe.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to keep it real, raw, raw.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:It is taxing on some people because if they're dropping 30, 40 pounds, yeah, but, once again, this is where we're about being smart and keeping it real.
Speaker 3:I mean, you're going to try to do something and if you've got 25 pounds to lose, you're gonna try to do something in six weeks. Yes, it's probably possible, but it's probably not the best way of doing it. And you know, whenever I'm talking to somebody wants to compete. You know I'm going to be upfront. Okay, it's the first competition. Okay, well, most of the top bodybuilders, whether they're bikini or physique, whatever they're to get to where they're at, they've been training for years not months, certainly not weeks, years. So somebody who comes in here, who's raw and it's like, oh, I want to get on the stage in three months, I'm like, okay, you'll look, look better in three months, but don't count on winning the competition at that particular point yeah, so um time and consistency.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, um, what are some of the people in the industry, whether it be in the fitness industry or people around you, that you guys either uh help you along?
Speaker 3:your you that you guys either uh help you along your way or you guys look up to um, I'll start. Okay, I, I was training for my first bodybuilding competition out agora hills at the gold's gym out there and, uh, it just so happened that the current mr olympia, lee haney, and Rich Gaspari were training together. I think it was going to be a Gasparis either first or second Olympia and they were kind of training together. I don't know if they're out doing some stuff with Joe Weider at that time in the muscle fitness magazine, but they ended up training at the gold gym in Agoura Hills several times and I was young and Lee Haney was watching me and then he actually spent time and came over and pointed out some things to me.
Speaker 3:Now here is the current Mr Olympia, who's one of the greatest Mr Olympia, absolutely fantastic body. What a kind man to come and talk to this kid and say, hey look, have you thought about doing this? And I remember we were doing bench press and I thought that was great. I've always been a huge fan of his. Since that to me, he's a true champion. Doesn't let it go to his head. Yes, you have to be confident, but not cocky, and that's what I saw in him. A couple of my coaches I mentioned Mike Sims, my Pop Warner coach, who helped me get over my fear of failure by just making me do it, and it was one of those great things that just happened in my life that I'll always remember. And then, off the top of my head, I can't remember thinking of anything else at this moment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, lee Haney is a great, obviously.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I mean I've met other great athletes that were really cool. Yeah, jay Cutler was one.
Speaker 1:Every time.
Speaker 3:I see him. Every time I see him, he's like that guy doesn't age. It seems like.
Speaker 2:No, he doesn't, he still looks great.
Speaker 5:It looks like he could probably get in do masters olympia or something like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he looks good still, yeah, so does arnold, but I'm a big fan of arnold. Oh yeah, just because of the story background immigrant governor, like everything he's done, he went to these and he went for everything and what an amazing story. I think they. Just the documentary I saw was amazing. He's a character. He's a character.
Speaker 2:So, okay, I was thinking about this, you see, sir, because not a lot of people that I would use as a mentor, you know, they have to be exceptional for me to look up to them, because I don't listen or get advice from people that are doing less than me. I only take advice from people that are higher that can teach me things Right. So I think, right now, what, really? Because your question was who inspires you to be your best self, right? Yeah.
Speaker 2:And what is inspiring me to be my best self right now is our community our people that are looking up to me, that sit here and say I want to look like you, I want to do what you do, say I want to look like you, I want to do what you do, whether they're 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, or 70 years old.
Speaker 2:So, that's what inspires me to be my best and that's why I get up every morning. I say prayer, I get dressed, I get up, I show up and I fight to be the best that I can be yeah, for them. You know for people like Monique, yeah, you know for people like amber that want hope. You know, an opportunity for the RVs. Rv is 68 years old, for God's sake. When she first came to us, within six months mark got her on stage yeah she's 70 and a half years old today and still competing.
Speaker 2:Wow, wow, it's for it's for the, the Bobby's of the world. I've got Bobby, who came in here I'm not wanting to compete, but wanting to get her quality of life back and when I can give her back that quality of life as simple as just walking up, you know, or walking down a curb, or sitting up from a chair, which she could, you know, without any assistance, and you can give that back to her, hell, yeah, that's the best gift that we can give people, not just you know, changing their bodies, but changing their lives.
Speaker 1:Yeah, changing the mind, the body and the soul Absolutely.
Speaker 2:How do you?
Speaker 1:guys, how do you guys? How do you guys? Uh, what does your daily routine look like for you guys, whether it be with meals and, you know, coming out here and working out and stuff like?
Speaker 2:that you want to know our daily routine not completely, but like, what would you, you know, in giving advice?
Speaker 1:okay, you know, what would you give advice? Or what do you guys do? I mean people, and this is a stigma, right, my God. They must not eat or they must be in shape all the time.
Speaker 1:They've never had a donut in their life or something you know, apple fritter. I just had a crumble cookie yesterday. I told my wife. I said I think it's National Cookie Day. She goes. Mm-hmm, because she was right next to Crumble Cookie. She was at one of the stores and I knew she was there and I said I think it's National Cookie Day, plus, I think it's half off at Crumble Cookie. She goes. I know what you want. I'm like I didn't say I want. And then she went and got me a cookie.
Speaker 3:I was feeding her a cookie. Let's break that down a couple ways. Yeah, a typical work day for us is we'll get up, depending on. Usually we have to be here in the gym somewhere between five and six in the morning. We'll get up. She gets up a little bit earlier than me because she just likes to look pretty, although I think you may have to get that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, anyway, while she's doing that, I usually make our first couple meals for the day. You, yeah, egg whites with some onion and maybe, uh, um, a little bit of, uh, oatmeal. You know, I typically make whatever we're going to eat during the day the morning session in the gym, between you know six and noon, and then we'll take a little break in the afternoon wait, you didn't finish.
Speaker 2:Then he'll say what color are we wearing today, babe? Oh yeah, that's right, that's right. We do color coordinate. He likes to match me.
Speaker 3:Babe, you weren't supposed to tell her.
Speaker 2:And then we usually drive to work together. Okay, yeah, he's my personal chef and driver. Chef and driver.
Speaker 3:Yeah, chauffeur, I wear too sometimes, and then in the afternoon it could be running errands, meeting some new people doing podcasts. There you go.
Speaker 2:Going home, taking a little nap.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I take my grandpa a nap, I admit it. Yeah, every once in a while, but not so often, and then we head back to the gym, usually from about 4 until about 7 at night. We have um one-on-one people who work with some other, uh, small group things we do, yeah, and that's that's a typical work day for us, but we also do like to um enjoy life, yeah. So you know, we promise ourselves every quarter that we take some sort of a trip together and where it's the two of us where we can.
Speaker 3:You know people often think how do you guys stand being around each other all the time?
Speaker 2:I love it.
Speaker 3:And I love it and it's not like it's not. It sounds funny saying it, Maybe it's not the right way, but it's not really quality time. We're working, yeah, we kind of flirt with each other and you know it's a partnership.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and you know it's a partnership. Yeah, Keep the partnership going.
Speaker 3:We'll flirt with each other, but we're busy working.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know every Saturday is date night.
Speaker 3:And every Saturday is date night. I actually ask her out on a date and usually she likes to mess with me. She'll say, okay, this Saturday.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this Saturday. Let me check my schedule. Let me check my schedule first.
Speaker 3:I'll get back to you and I'm like wait a second, what do you mean?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then of course he like he is such a great man because he'll sit there and say I want you to dress this way and be ready at this time, and he never tells me where we're going.
Speaker 3:Oh nice. So a Saturday night, depending, like this Saturday we're going to be at a competition, so that's kind of our date night. But we always that's our.
Speaker 2:Saturday Saturday is date night Every quarter. We like to take at least a weekend away. Every six months or so we want to go away on a vacation.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So we spend a lot of time away and you guys indulge in some goodies, some cheap meals, some stuff that you guys personally like.
Speaker 3:Well, we just came back from Tennessee.
Speaker 2:Our kids are from moved to Tennessee.
Speaker 3:Our two eldest kids.
Speaker 2:So Tennessee whiskey or no.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, a little bit of. Tennessee whiskey A little bit.
Speaker 1:There's a good whiskey.
Speaker 3:Biscuits and gravy. Of course you've got to have some barbecue, some Hattie B's hot chicken. So we do indulge in things and you have to yeah, yeah, people think you don't.
Speaker 1:You know. That's what the stigma is like, well, you know, and it's like uh, no, we do. You, you know, like to me, I always say you have to feed the mind, you have to feed the body, you have to feed the mind, you have to feed the body, you have to feed the soul. Absolutely, and the soul is just that making sure you have a balance, making sure that you're doing okay.
Speaker 2:Well, I told Mark that I have absolutely no discipline when it comes to food. So, don't bring it home. If you bring it home, I'm going to eat it.
Speaker 1:So it's your fault, even though my wife will get along, even my wife will get along.
Speaker 3:Even though I tried to hide it, she found it. I will find it when.
Speaker 1:I want something, if there's a cookie at home, like I'm finding it. Yeah, I'm just a cookie guy. Are you the cookie guy? Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Mark is a very emotional eater. When he's happy, he eats. When he's sad, he eats. When he's tired, he eats. When he wakes up, he eats, oh, he eats.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, you guys are funny. That's a good one. All right, let's get into Sue. You guys obviously get inspired by certain things as well. Do you guys have like a favorite quote or a mantra or way that represents who you are?
Speaker 2:I have always lived by this quote and anytime I have fears or think that I can't do something, from the time that I was younger, I would always say I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. And I just got to remember that fear is of the devil and his fear is that false sense. And so whenever I have fear, I just go for it anyway. I tackle it head on.
Speaker 1:I love that quote. That's a great quote. That's a great way, because you guys keep on mentioning fear and fear and how you overcame fear, your coach and everything, and that's why you guys are successful, and not only because of that, but your personality and giving and who you guys are and how you carry yourselves.
Speaker 3:Yeah, mine would be Vini Vidi Vici. I came I saw.
Speaker 3:I conquered. I actually in eighth grade I had to take Latin and learned how to say that properly, and I hope I just did. Sorry, mr Webb, if I didn't. And I just like that because when I really set my mind to something, that's what I'm going to do. Yeah, like that because when I really set my mind to something, that's what I'm gonna do, yeah, that's what I'm gonna do. Yeah, that's me too. I'm gonna come, I'm gonna see it, I'm gonna take it, I'm gonna conquer, I'm gonna conquer you know the most important thing to me growing up.
Speaker 2:Also and I say growing up because I'm 62 years old it was so important for me to lead my children to success that I wanted to be an example for them yeah. You know, and that example is hopefully, that they want to emulate not only the work ethic but in my values and what I believe is right. And today my children are the best kids. I say kids, they're old, yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, you have a 16 year old they're successful yes.
Speaker 4:Just okay, they're successful. They workold, they're successful. Yes, she's still a kid.
Speaker 2:They're successful, they work hard, they're great parents and they're just good all-around people, and that was all I ever wanted, and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to be there and be a mother for Luke, because I was also able to be a big force of his change in his life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think when the kiddos that I train, I train everything from pro level to 8U, 10u. 8u is very, very small, very minimal, but you know, sometimes they want to come and train with me, but I lead with. The only thing I want you guys to take out of this is to better be human beings.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Because baseball.
Speaker 1:Sooner or later, whatever sport you play because I trained from baseball to basketball, soccer it'll stop. Everything comes to an end at one point and if you're not a good human being, what was it for then? So, when you leave here, make sure that you're doing the right thing, that you do the right thing when nobody's watching and whatnot. I kind of started this thing. When they come and train, there's this book, there's this trainer that I follow, uh, by the name of Lewis Corella, and uh, he's a strength and conditioning coach for a football team. He's bounced around, you know he is.
Speaker 1:And uh, he has great quotes. He has this book called uh three 65. I'm going to butcher it, but it's like three 65 something and it's a one chapter or one page of a story or a quote that talks about something, and it's for 365 days out of the year. Great, and I open it up and I read it to the kiddos and they just enjoy it. You know they come in and we're going to read from the book and we have them pick and it's just a great lesson. Oh, I love that, and then I will give that and I'll gift that to people.
Speaker 2:That's awesome, because what you put in your mind is what you become 100%, if you think trouble, you're trouble.
Speaker 1:Yep Attracts yeah. Let's get into these rapid questions I kind of made up here. They're fun, they're cool and you can give me whatever you want. They can be fun or they can be serious. Um, but what are both of you, or both of you guys, favorite exercise to do? If you can only do one, what would you pick? Shoulder? What does that look like? Like a press or like a shoulder?
Speaker 2:Shoulder press side laterals. I love nice shoulders.
Speaker 3:How about yourself? Well, because my wife likes arms.
Speaker 1:So anything to do with arms. Like a bicep curl or triceps.
Speaker 3:Bicep curls. I mean I still, as clean as I am here, have 19-inch arms, yeah, huge, yeah. So I definitely like working my arms, for sure.
Speaker 1:And then do you guys prefer machine or free?
Speaker 3:weights, both, okay, both Whatever hurts the best, and it could be free weights and it could be. I love doing spider curls on my bicep. They make my biceps just burn the way I do them. But I also love the machine preacher curl and I have an old modeless bicep machine out there. That I think it's probably about as well as I am. Yeah, but it gets the job done. It gets the job done.
Speaker 1:I have one question inside of this. I'm sorry we're going off of a rapid question, that's okay, I hear and see, I don't have this problem. But the calves are the hardest to build. Is that true?
Speaker 3:Well, I think it comes a lot of times to genetics. Some people just aren't born with calves. Yes, you can make them bigger, as with any other part of your body, but a lot of what you see on the stage, those guys that are the Mr Olympia, the Miss Olympias, whether it's bikini physique or open bodybuilding or wellness, they have some genetics. They have to go with that.
Speaker 1:They have to go with it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, I have never worked calves. I mean I run, so that's obviously working in a different way. But I'm gonna show you my calves. I remember I went to a gym one time. I wasn't working calves, I was doing a leg press or something. Right now I was doing a chest press and this guy comes over he goes man, I'm sorry. I need to ask you don't take it the wrong way. I don't want him like yeah, what's up, brother? And he's all how the hell did you get those calves? And you're born with.
Speaker 1:I'm like dude, my dad, yeah my dad, my mom and dad, like my calves are legit, like I'll show you. You tell me what you think. They're just rock solid, right um. But I never worked on them. You know my arms, you all the stuff I had to.
Speaker 3:I have a guy who trains with me in the evening. He's almost my age, you know what I'm talking about yes, it's calves. I'm like if I ever get on stage again. Can I borrow your calves, Because I don't have? Your calves.
Speaker 1:Genetics and some work but you can only get as big as you can.
Speaker 3:We're all built a certain way. Yeah, you know I'm always going to have big shoulders and arms, no matter what, but now that I've gotten older it's harder for me and with the hip surgeries to build my legs. It just is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's go back to the rapid questions. Favorite book or podcast or anything you're listening to, or if you read or podcast.
Speaker 2:Think and Grow Rich book or podcast or anything you're listening to, or if you read or podcast. Think and grow rich, purpose-driven life those are the two things that have helped me and guided me through my life yeah, I've read that think and grow rich have you read? A purpose-driven life? No everybody has a purpose in life and most will never find it correct yeah you know, we are all here, do you? Know, uh, I have to look. Okay, but we are all destined to do something. Great, but most will never know their purpose.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it doesn't have to be a fear yes, and it doesn't have to be, you know, because of money. Yeah, I know what my purpose is and I found that out a long time ago and I've continued.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%.
Speaker 3:Me. I'm a. I'm a little different. I liked, uh, the original book. I think it was written by Robert Heinlein, uh, starship troopers. Hmm, unfortunately, they completely butchered it in the movie. Uh, they always say that the book is better than the.
Speaker 3:No, the books. No, the book takes a guy and it's funny because it was probably written about 40 or 50 years ago, around the year 2000. And in the book, technology is considerably more than what it was and even what it is now, and it takes a guy through the life of graduating high school and becoming a starship trooper and it takes it through the history of this long war and what all the different weapons and everything were developed and stuff. And as a science fiction nerd, it was like I, I read that book, I think probably in one or two nights. Yeah, like about 500 pages, um, and then the movie comes out. It's like what the hell happened. I watched the movie and I'm like what did you do? Yeah, weird. Okay, so we're traveling intergalactically and we're still using M16 rifles.
Speaker 3:I mean come on let's, let's, let's, let's mesh this stuff together so it actually looks like one thing belongs with the other and the other book and I got this book from Arlene and it's called dare to discipline and, um, my son was not very well behaved when he was very young and you know I'm a very emotional guy and he could tug at my heartstrings and he would get away with stuff that he shouldn't be getting away with.
Speaker 3:And I read that book and it completely changed me as a parent and a father, and now I have a great 16 year old, so we have a great 16 year old son, yeah, who's truly um a blessing to have still a teenager, but he truly is a gentleman, yeah, and uh, that that's one book that that I read that really made a huge difference.
Speaker 1:that's good, yeah, that's awesome. Um favorite healthy meal and favorite cheat meal um, let's go.
Speaker 2:A cheat meal first in and out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I might have that on the way home.
Speaker 3:I saw it on the and you know the line goes really quickly oh that I know, ice cream, I'm not done I'm sorry, man and kettle corn.
Speaker 1:Well, there's more yes, and there's more yeah, there's more than one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's more than one. Wait coffee ice cream.
Speaker 2:You said Coffee Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream.
Speaker 3:This is what she used to do to me. I'd be training her for a competition and we're talking we're like a month out from her trying to get her pro card. Babe, do you think I could have like one more gallon of Haagen-Dazs? Coffee ice cream. I'm like, are you serious? Oh my God, Do you realize? No, but that's how much he loves that. So those are the cheat meals?
Speaker 1:How about the healthy meal Like what do you enjoy when you're like I can't wait.
Speaker 2:I just had kill a workout and I'm gonna eat this maybe like a nice steak that mark would make okay he's a great cook nice yeah, so anything that I'm coming over sometimes somewhere, yeah, you can come on over there.
Speaker 3:You go there.
Speaker 2:You go, okay, whenever we're ready, yeah yeah we don't do it all the time, but whenever he makes eating clean good, that's good. He makes it taste good.
Speaker 1:You know, I find it that some people put a bad name on, like I got to eat this again. What are you talking about? You can make it exciting. You can make clean food.
Speaker 3:So good, I can make tilapia. I can make tilapia be the best fish you can make People always ask me I go what do you eat?
Speaker 2:And they go chicken, so do I Exactly Steak. So do I Rice? So do I yeah, no, it's the way you prepare it, the way you prepare it what you put on it.
Speaker 1:My wife's an amazing cook, we meal prep and whatnot, and then I'll have it different ways. I can have it in a salad, I can have it on a protein bowl style, I can have it mixed with other stuff, you know, and just amazing. So yeah, I don't cook, I just do chocolate chip pancakes for my daughters. There you go, I'm solid he does all the cooking.
Speaker 2:I do the cooking in other ways.
Speaker 1:There you go, hey god, this is the third time I gotta leave. Oh, good lord. What do you enjoy?
Speaker 3:cheat meals over here. Oh, cheat meal, everything is a cheat meal yeah, if I'm, if I'm going through a drive through or a fast food place, it's definitely going to be in and out or the hat. I love pastrami, pastrami sandwich.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, pizza too, yeah, yeah, what isn't there Right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, uh, there's, like I said, being a foodie and loving all different foods from different cultures. I mean, you know where do I go with that? Yeah, sushi, uh, pasta, yeah, everything. But in general if I'm thinking, oh, you know what, I deserve a cheat meal. If I'm by the hat, I'll drive for the hat because pastrami is super different, yeah, different, and I love, I love in and out.
Speaker 3:I don't it's the simplest burger you'll ever have, but it's. I don't know what they do. It's one of the best tastings it is, it is.
Speaker 1:Now for clean Way better than Whataburger. Yeah, I have to say that because my wife's from Texas. They have Whataburger Whataburger's better than In-N-Out Get out of here.
Speaker 3:No, it's not bad, it's just different yeah, exactly healthy, and I'm we're going back to. This is when I was younger and I was going to college and and doing some bodybuilding and some modeling and stuff like that and had a really busy travel schedule or daily work schedule. I was I'd leave in the morning, I wouldn't come back until I'd been to the gym that night. I would get a big Tupperware container and I'd have three meals inside that Tupperware container and it would be I don't know 24 ounces of chicken breast or steak or combination that, or fish, or two or three cans of tuna and I would put whatever the amount of carbohydrates I want, usually as brown rice, a little bit of mayonnaise, light mayonnaise, garlic, pinch of salt pepper, stir that all up. You know the macros on that were something like, you know, 200 grams of protein, maybe 100 grams of carbs and maybe 100 grams of carbs and about 20 grams of fat.
Speaker 3:And my only goal was when I left the house till I got home, I had to finish what's in that tupperware container and it tasted great. Yeah, that was my. That was now. Now that I'm older, I'm a little more uh, my insulin sensitivity is off because of age. I substitute some cauliflower rice in the rice, so cutting the carbohydrates even further than the sugars. But that was and it was easy to make and I would get hungry and I would just take out my spoon and sometimes, you know, I'd eat a third of the container and sometimes I wasn't hungry. But I knew I had to put something else in my body so I just grabbed a couple spoonfuls Simplest way of getting stuff done and putting the right stuff in your body.
Speaker 1:Yeah, favorite supplement to take. And then the two-part question would be or the second part would be what supplements do you guys recommend for people to take, if any?
Speaker 3:Favorite supplement my favorite supplement probably would be. It's a toss-up because sometimes with our schedule, by the time I get to work out I'm tired. So I like a good pre-workout and I like Global Formula's BioFreak. That works really well with me. And the other thing that I recommend to anybody would be creatine creatine monohydrate 5 grams. 5 grams a day is kind of like a minimum, but they're finding out not only does it help you build muscle and strength and restore your ATP and things like that to give you extra strength and power when you're training or when you're doing athletic competition. They're finding it also has a lot of cognitive abilities, as well, it also has a lot of cognitive abilities as well.
Speaker 3:They did a study where people that were suffering from pre-Alzheimer's disease and just from general aging. They were given them a little bit more, about 10 to 15 grams a day but there is a definite change in their ability to memorize short and long-term processes. Yeah, I did read that I recommend creatine for everybody.
Speaker 1:It gets a bad name. You think about creatine. You think about the stigma right, we all talk about the stigma but you think about like, oh well, is that safe? What are you talking about? It's one of the most studied compounds, but it gets that you know, because I'll get that question Could my kid be taking it? You know, should I be? Am I going to get bulky? Am I going to get this way?
Speaker 1:I'm like yeah, but those are the stigmas, just for the females. We'd be like well, I don't want to get bulky, I don't want to lift weights, I don't want to be like this.
Speaker 2:I tell them that donuts make them big and bulky. Exactly. I love it right, you always got an answer for everything.
Speaker 1:Shut up, get over here. What I'm 62. I'm doing it. What you know, what makes you big and bulky, is this too, yeah exactly.
Speaker 2:Keep eating the donuts, yeah.
Speaker 1:Actually donuts from an ultra runner in person, those are the best. Yeah, I mean obviously, but they go through you quick. I'd rather have a bagel then. But then we talked about how what you eat is your fuel source for what you're doing. Right, if I'm gonna go run a marathon, oh yeah, I'm eating bagels. I mean you know all that stuff. If I'm not doing that and I sit on my butt, I mean that's not good.
Speaker 3:No, I'm not using that, not not to age myself, but when I started training, I had a another buddy of mine in the gym who had an enchilada being my training partner, and they didn't have all the supplements they have today. Oh yeah, you either you either were naturally went straight to steroids and and, and they didn't have all the different choices we have. And so my pre-workout was three cups of black coffee and a Snickers bar, and I tell you what it worked out great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, what would uh Arnold Schwarzenegger said? That the night before he would drink wine to dehydrate himself at times. Yeah, and, uh, yeah. And then remember the movie uh Rocky, where he was when he was getting in shape. He'd have the eight eggs and, you know, suck it down and whatnot.
Speaker 3:I actually used to do that too. I used to try to copy an Orange Julius. So I put, because back in the day the first protein powders that came out tasted like crap yeah. Everything tastes better now I would use a stronger word, but I'm trying to be a gentleman here, but they tasted really bad.
Speaker 3:So I would mix orange juice, five or six eggs and a scoop of the protein powder, and it actually ended up tasting very close to an Orange Julius. Yeah, not the same, but pretty close Pretty close, and then supplements you take or recommend people take.
Speaker 2:I just take what Mark gives me. I just try. I don't like. With me. If I don't need to take it, I won't do it. I'd rather eat than to supplement. I'd rather eat my food and the things that I need and get it through whole foods. But, like right now, I don't take pre-workout. I don't take nothing other than my vitamins.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like vitamins. Those are some of the I would say essential or non-essential. What do you recommend for that? Like vitamin D3s or daily?
Speaker 2:stuff. We train doctors and one of our doctors said Dr Chanel said if you forget anything, don't ever forget your vitamin D3 with K2.
Speaker 1:With K2, yeah, it's so important. Yeah, because that's what's going to guard
Speaker 2:you from a lot of illnesses and even cancer. Yeah, so every day, take your vitamin D.
Speaker 1:I take that vitamin D3 with K2. And then you said magnesium. You take magnesium glycinate Because that's what I take. I think there's several different kinds of magnesium to help you.
Speaker 3:There's like three and I have them actually recommended on my meal plans. When I give them to my people, I take the magnesium glycinate.
Speaker 1:I think that's for me. I'll take a little bit of zinc and then obviously all the omegas and stuff, but same thing, I believe in trying to get those from your foods. And then what I usually do in the morning is also I do the Himalayan sea salt. Yeah, so super, or 72 to 73 minerals that your body needs. That's really really healthy and good for you. And then I just got on this for running and endurance running and for anything. There's Rhone. You guys heard of Rhone. Rhone is a gel packet and what it is, it's raw honey. You got pink Himalayan sea salt. You have lion's mane mushroom and you have raw honey and it gives you 100 milligrams of caffeine, raw natural. Oh, that sounds good and everything is natural. There's four ingredients in there. It's the best gel on the market. I'm glad to be an ambassador. I'm putting my name out there. I'm glad to be an ambassador with them. It's helped me out. It doesn't do anything for your stomach because it's all raw natural.
Speaker 2:What is it for? For energy.
Speaker 1:Everything. It's for pre-workout, it's for during, it's for recovery, because everything is really good. It's for hydration. The pink chameleon sea salt is there to make you sure if you've got a good workout.
Speaker 2:Is it? It's a gel.
Speaker 1:I'll get you on it. I'll give you a code. If anybody obviously those people that are listening Rome Nutrition, check them out. Use code CMONSTER It'll give you a 20% discount. It's an amazing gel for all athletes. They come for younger kids that don't want or people that are sensitive to caffeine. They have now some that are non-caffeinated, and then they have. Now they just came up with flavors. They're, and then they have. Now they just came up with flavors. Um, they're. Based down in california, been around for two years, or just under two years, and it's amazing product. You, you will love it well we're gonna try it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:getting back to the magnesium, I like my people to have a blend containing magnesium, taurate, thionate and glycinate. Yeah, glycinate, all three of those, all three of those are good. And then I also love them taking milk, fosil and NAC to help protect your liver and your kidneys, and then glutathione is like the ultimate what's the word? Helps build up your immune system. Yeah, I actually use that and I've never been. I can't remember last time I was sick, other than maybe for a day. Yeah, a lot of people go down for like two weeks. Yeah, and, of course, creatine, and then omega-3 fatty acids yeah, omega-3 is correct.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um favorite vacation location anywhere tropical where I can wear a bikini.
Speaker 3:And mine is anywhere she's at that's beautiful. I don't know man Favorite one. I love Hawaii. I've never been on a cruise until I met her, and we've been on a couple cruises that were just amazing.
Speaker 2:There's not one particular place that we go every year because I want to see the world. Yeah, if I've been there, done that, I want to go see somewhere else.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, um. What a great conversation. I think we can keep going on. You guys are amazing people. What are some of the things that right now that we haven't talked about, that you want to leave this show with this episode? Any kind of advice, anything that we haven't talked about that you guys would either like to talk about or leave us with here?
Speaker 2:Okay. So again I go back to the building. Part of my life, and what I mean building is like not only building my family, but building our business Is that my sister and I used to say we're like rhinoceros, be a rhino, because you know why? Rhino has really thick skin. It's hard to penetrate a rhino, and so I used to have a rhinoceros and I used to always try to remember you have to be thick skin like a rhino. Don't ever let anything or anyone change who you are or change your attitude and follow your dreams. Just go for it. Don't listen to anybody that tells you you can't. So the more that somebody says I can't, the more I'm going to prove to you that I will.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's amazing advice. I like that one, the rhino one, that's beautiful.
Speaker 2:I was talking to my granddaughter today or when we went to go see him in Tennessee little Isla I used to say Isla, because she lets things get to her and I go. You have to have a thick skin, you have to be like a rhinoceros. This is why Lola a rhinoceros. This is why Lola and I go, because you can't penetrate the skin of a rhino If you let things get to you. Guess what You're going to end up?
Speaker 1:losing in life. Yeah, I'm going to use that.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, how about yourselves Um.
Speaker 3:God, so many things that we should continue talking about, and so that maybe there'll be a future.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm sure it will.
Speaker 3:I really enjoyed this. Um, don't let fear go back to that again. Don't let fear paralyze you. Uh, it happened to me several times throughout my life where I thought, Holy crap, I should have at least tried. So it's a. You know, that's as I was saying. Uh, you know, try, try. As I was saying, try, try again. It's like, if you don't be afraid to fail, Learn from your mistakes and build on that. Yeah, Build on that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, such great advice that you guys have given and what a great story. And where you guys have come from and are at now and what you guys are doing is amazing. I really appreciate your guys' time taking time out of your busy schedule. I know you guys have traveling to do this weekend for a competition of a girl, of a lady that is competing yes, amber, which she was on the podcast. Yeah, good luck to her. I don't think she needs it. I think she's solid. She's podcast, yeah, good luck to her I don't think she needs it.
Speaker 1:I think she's solid, she's solid.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And amazing job. I wish you nothing but the best in your personal life. Thank you, Cesar.
Speaker 1:In your business life and what you guys are doing is amazing. It's very hard in this industry to find genuine people and not only genuine people, but genuine people that know what they're talking about and just good people overall. And it shows by, obviously, the kids that you guys are raising and how you guys get along. And being in front of me. I'm a good character reader because I was a cop before and I just think I find myself that kind of person, but I really appreciate it, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me here and thank you for sharing your experiences, your knowledge and everything that people are going to hopefully take this and get something out of it, whether it be everything or just one little thing that gets them going and getting started in their health and fitness journey.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:And thank you very much for having us. We enjoyed it, I enjoyed it started in their health and fitness journey Absolutely, and thank you very much for having us. We, we enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. We don't mind telling our story because if we can help somebody else out there, listen to. You know what we've been through and what we've learned. Yeah, you know we love it?
Speaker 1:What, uh, before we leave what other? What ways can people find you? Oh, one thing before I was going to ask it earlier Do you guys do online training? Yes, you do yes. And then which way can they find you to either get that service or come here to your gym, or, if they have to reach out to you for any questions that they may have for competing or nutrition or anything, give us a couple of different ways that they can find you.
Speaker 2:There's so many ways that they can get ahold of us. Number one they can go on to a two F gymcom at our website. They can look us up Um a, two F, the number two.
Speaker 1:Correct the number two. Okay.
Speaker 2:They can also find me on Instagram as a, the number two F, like Frank babe. B-a-b-e underscore I-F-B-B. Pro. Mark is the underscore A2F coach. You can look us up under A2F gym. You can read our reviews on Google and on Yelp as A2F gym or you can message the gym directly. Should I give out my phone number?
Speaker 2:If you want to do the gym, yeah, yes, they can message text or call 909-921-7220 and ask for Arlene, Okay, and then we will definitely get back to you. So you can message us anyway. And also just to let everybody know that are listening. If you're listening to this and you want to come try at our gym, just say Cesar's name or the podcast here and we'll give you a week free.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you so much. That's awesome. Yeah, it's obviously can't be broken. Yeah, yeah. Or if you guys didn't get that or whatnot, obviously you can reach out to me and I'll forward that information to you guys Direct message, phone number and everything. Once again, I appreciate your guys' time and this podcast is going to serve to help people, just like you guys have been doing in so many different ways. Appreciate your time and we'll stay in touch, because I think we need to have that whiskey and then I need to come down here because this is an amazing gym. I thought it was going to work out today, but you know you get busy and you're there for your clients and you have to do what you got to do For everybody listening. Thank you so much for listening. I appreciate your time. You know you can always reach out to me for anything and remember you can always reach out to me for anything. Um, and remember you can't be broken.
