I love the honesty and vulnerability in Dr. Mike when he was talking about people being intimidated by his size and him not enjoying the attention for that reason alone.
I am no way as big as Mike but I really feel the same. The jokes when people say "lol you could beat me up" or that I could beat up some body random, like wtf I dont want to fight anyone
same! Im not that muscular but if youre lean and have a bit of muscle you look better then 90% of the people out there. i feel rather insecure and dont want to be looked at by people, i dont like the attention they give you
I'm only 185lbs but I'm cut and in great shape. I don't walk around with that mind set I still walk around like I'm the old marc of 155lbs humble. I have people that open doors for me now, move out of my way way before I'm even close they toss jokes out like man I wouldn't want to mess with you and those things really bother me because I wouldn't hurt a fly and I'm not a bully nor am I someone who feels the need to make my presence known. I don't like the attention from men or women especially women it's almost sickening how they look at me and float around me. I am just the old normal.marc internally and I want people comfortable don't be intimidated I am nothing to be intimidated about unless you hit me we will never have issues. I'm kind I'm easy going I'm chill but apparently I don't look it but I wish people would stop judging me by my body
Agreed that was so cool. I experience this to a degree and I'm not really jacked 6"0 220. I am gentle giant and I can't stand when people mention beating them up or something my immediate first response is I'm not a fighter. This was a great perspective to hear.
This is so true what dr. Mike said. When I first met my brother’s girlfriend’s dad who was a bodybuilder, I was super scared to approach him because he looked tough because of his huge muscles. But eventually I had to greet him at some point, so I shooted my shot and started talking to him. And what I found out was that he was actually a super nice person. He was very calm, relaxed and chill. And when we started talking about the gym he got really happy that I also go the gym. I have noticed these things in other occasions as well, like asking for advice at the gym. It is always the biggest guys that are the most humble people and want to help you.
@@HaharuRecords It´s true. If you are big you can actually afford to be chill and humble. Because you don´t need to be that barking little dog to get some attention or respect. I have also made the experience that almost no big bodybuilder that i have ever met in the gym was rude or aggressive. They just like muscles and the sport. Unfortunately most people think that bodybuilders want to intimidate others. This is only true for very few of them.
@Schaufelor I think that's just one of the major reasons. I think another reason is that the exercise itself actually makes you chill because it's like a massage for your body that relieves tension. When I stop going to the gym for a month or so...I get knots in all my back muscles. When I workout I never have any knots so I am actually chill.
That was really different. I've not sen a youtube video about the negatives of getting jacked. It's very anti-Bro culture. it seems the way up is very clear to see, and then you drop off the side of a cliff and you're gone. No one has talked about consciously making the decision to ramp down training in order to better live their life. Thanks. And yes, I've seen Eugene play guitar! It is on his channel.
Dr. Mike is such a nice, interesting and wise person. What a great interview and lots of interesting insights! Even though I'm 100% positive that I won't ever get to a fraction of his size! Thank you, Theo!👍
@Christopher Huber But that's personal, and living an "interesting life", going places and doing stuff that you think people wanna hear about is essentially the same as getting jacked so people wanna see you and ask you for advice. Just different ways of living an interesting life. I personally would love to talk to someone who deadlifts 700+ (I haven't), somebody who is huge(I have, he was cool) or somebody who has traveled the world etc. (I travelled a lot). Life gets more interesting if you broaden your horizons aswell 🙂
@Christopher Huber I think you are in the wrong channel, sir. Eugene, Dr. Mike and bunch of others build their life and career into all they have to talk about is workout plan, how hard they workout and how big they get (in simplistic way that is). This channel is about those things. Watch enough of Dr. Mike and Eugene you would know they have more to talk about than that but since their channel is about "workout plan and how much you BDS" , that is the theme you are going to see mainly.
The intimidation thing is so true. It's like you have prove to people you aren't a mean-spirited person which sucks. It's nice to reach a point where you're content with progress you've made 💪
Yeah people just assume you are going to have a rude reaction. I found that kids smile a lot at me though. At least they are innocently curious, they tug their parent’s arm, point and smile. It’s cool, maybe looking like a supehero has its perks afterall.
@@coacheugeneteo Honestly it will have a dramatic impact on those who see it . The discussion of mindfulness and introspection was as vital as any video I’ve ever seen in the fitness industry .
Hi, i am from berlin and train only in outdoor parks with my bodyweight. To learn skills and control my body against the gravity give me also a good physique and a hearth full of happiness
This is so interesting, and I deeply respect Dr Mike for being so transparent and vulnerable. As a woman I also feel like I understood more of the insecurities my male partner feels, which I can't always empathise with. I identified with his experience of mindfulness and getting "full", and love that he got down to the root causes. I think bodybuilding attracts people who like control, repetition, optimisation, and pushing things to the absolute limit. I am happy for Eugene and Dr Mike if it took skipping birthdays for them to know they had done their best and reached their goals, however I feel in my life pushing that hard is a given, and what has been toughest is turning down the intensity. Like, running life as more of a marathon, than a sprint. In another area of my life, I got to my equivalent of being absolutely "jacked" but was already suffering extreme burn out and mental health issues before I peaked performance wise, and I wish I could have been less stubborn, but I don't know if I would have peaked as high as I did.
I get what he is saying, I used my humour a lot to disarm situations and not be seen in a bad light. I remember one girl saying to me "I was scared of you, you're a big black guy"😤 I was bullied a lot when I came to America and the gym helped me rebuild my confidence.
That was brilliant. Utterly illuminating insight into the day to day mindset of ones who have made it to the summit. I love it, and it will inform my speech to others and writing. Thanks for being so deep and candid, Mike and Eugene. May y'all get closer the Lord and get mad blessed.
It's funny that I was just thinking I want to start losing muscle. 25yrs old, 7 yrs lifting, 245lbs 15% BF, 5 ft 10 in. Bodybuilding, powerlifting background. Now I just got into the firefighting profession and my joints hurts so much with the gear we wear and the type of work we do. This profession has got me in excellent shape and conditioning but tryna hold on to my weight and muscle is going to take a toll on my body in the long run so been thinking about downsizing and I am honestly over the muscle building phase. its all about performance, athleticism and health for me now
Yes, in terms of the positives to being muscular, it is amazing how night-day-day my interactions are compared to when I was skinny. If I am with a group of people and decide to chime in on conversation, everyone instantly turns their full attention to me. The respect it garners is just second to none. So I always chuckle when I hear random people say that getting this jacked is pointless.
Being jacked AF for 20 plus years and at one point also Fat AF I totally concur. I feel for fata$$es because when I was fat, unlike when I was skinny, I was literally and ironically invisible. The other aspect people who are not jacked that ask the WHY question is the sexual aspect where if you don't know what you are missing, I can't explain it to you. To have women squeezing on your arms and a$$ in ravished passion is way more intense than having them softly caressing your double chin and trying to push back into singularity all whilst closing their eyes lol. There is also the flip side of the coin to this too, as being jacked often provokes Beta Alphas to feel insecure and target you for harassment... that does get old as they are the also the type of individual that really don't know when to back off and only seem to understand a slap to the face.
It is so amazing to see an honest nuanced convo about how much is enough, the holes in our hearts, and reflection/meditation being the way to fulfillment on our journey. Thanks Eugene and Dr Mike!
This was awesome. Super insightful. I'm also looking forward for the day where Mike becomes natural. Such a gem of a human being and genuinely want to see him live for as long as possible.
The level of sincerity, honesty, and perspective is a breath of fresh air. Thank you both for being willing to open up and talk about these topics that I feel are less common in this space.
This is an interesting conversation. At 5' 11'' and 190 I ask myself, "How much larger do I need to become?" I'm often the largest male in my social group, not many mathematicians or computer programmers get to my size. At 45 I my thoughts turn to what I'm going to do as my physique becomes, inevitably, impossible to maintain. This convo is helpful. Thx guys!
I work in IT too, 37 years old. Network/Servers (CISCO CCNP etc.). Lifted for 20 years at this point, consistently. Most people think I don't know what i am talking about because I lift and workout out - I can sense it in the beginning. I am 225 lbs with around 10% bf and 20 inch arms with visible veins. Pretty much NO-ONE, EVER, are my size in meetings etc. It's funny to prove them wrong tho, when it comes to knowledge. Just because you don't look like the typical "geek" 😁 I am a geek. I am tired of the compliments and "jokes" at this point tho... Especially at work...
Off topic question, what diet has worked for you that enables you to build muscle and maintain a high level of cognitive performance? Asking because I generally find that having to eat frequently/more protein slows my brain down.
@@dougt4283 To be honest, the most calirty of mind and "brain horsepower" i had when i was keto for half a year. I had focus and clarity for days, which was perfect for my bachelor and later master thesis. Now as iam working iam back to eating carbs and i feel better in the gym, gain more muscle but my brain is noticebly more foggy. So yes, fo rme it was keto with lots of animal fats and protein and up to 0 carbs per day
Love to see mental health being prioritized by you guys. I know lifting probably keeps a lot of us out of trouble in life and helps us learn dedication, pushing limits etc. it’s so refreshing to hear these conversations.
It’s true. I’m nowhere near the size of Dr Mike, but here’s a personal experience with this…. Over a period of time, a lady who worked at my gym started speaking with me some here and there. She was surprised I was so nice and polite. Told me how she had this impression that a lot of bigger more muscular guys were not as friendly. Speaking with me helped her realize you can’t judge people by that outward appearance.
This made me reflect.. my conscious brain has been telling me to balance my life for a few years now. My subconscious brain keeps pulling me back. I'm 35 and I'll never beat my peak at 30. At least not without risk and sacrifice.. it just doesn't make sense to me any more. At the time of my 250kg squat and 280kg deadlift i didn't know that would be it.. but it's time to let go. I've got videos and memories. That's enough. Thankful i found this
Wow, what a genuinely lovely guy and I love how engaged and empathetic you are in this, Eugene. Such an honest and eye opening conversation. I’ll admit to being guilty of exactly what Mike said - making judgements based on an initial physical impression, which is no indication of the quality of the person underneath.
Two beautiful men inside and out. Thanks for bringing us this interview Eugene. We people are complicated and vulnerable. It is a wonderful gift for accomplished and admired individuals like yourselves to honestly reflect on your personal psychology and share advice.
This was a great interview. Always interesting to hear the psychology of not just lifting and athletic training but the mindset around the people who excel at it.
I'm 5'6 as well, graduated high school at 115. I was in permabulk mode for awhile, got up to 185, hung around 175. Filling out a large is as big as I need to get. Now time to just be fit, healthy, aesthetic. No more size needed.
Two megachads on a casting couch. What a treat. Lol. For real though, amazing convo, every gymbro should watch this. Most dont think “longterm” and just as building up the physique, bros should be working on the mental/inner stuff too so that when one comes to a good transition point between pure performance and longterm health, the mind is ready to make that transition in a healthy and proper way, filled with gratitude for an amazing chapter that is closing and a new one that will be different but just as amazing. Cheers
Phenomenal video that. Raw honesty and truth about your feelings from both of you. Very respectable of you both to open up like that. More people need to listen to videos like this and I think they would feel a lot more comfortable and interact with the gym better as well as one another.
I never thought of leaning into ones goals so far that it becomes oversaturating and satiation manifests as a result. Resonates with my mantra of 'die empty'. Great vid!
I feel this conversation deeply. My satisfaction with how I'm looking has stopped my drive for more muscle. I still love to train though thus I have switched to primarily handbalancing now. It's still physical training, it still requires good programming, depending on the move it's still strength dominant but the focus is not getting bigger but learning new moves. I find unlocking a new move (same with calisthenics) much more gratifying than putting on a bit more muscle
Kind of makes me appreciate just being muscular on a modest scale. I'm still making gains in middle age, still enjoying the process, while being small enough to be mobile, play roller hockey, etc. Don't have 'get-huge' genetics, but there's an upside to that. I have jacked, vascular arms and a V-taper, but no C-PAP machine.
I can read 1,000 "alpha", "inspirational", or "motivational" quotes but never *learn* anything that sticks to me for the rest of my life. These vulnerable, genuine, and authentic stories WILL. I'll probably even tell my grandchildren about it, I swear On a personal note: I've had trouble with my body my whole life. I've been looked down upon as the butt of a joke, been the center of the gossip circles, and lost so many things and been abused by so many people, I thought I NEEDED to be strong. To be "alpha" (or "jacked"), but, that's not going to permanently help me. It's like a drug. I'll practice mindfulness and dedicate myself to this journey for real. Thank you
This was an amazing video for multiple reason, I hope Dr Mike makes a channel of his own about just everything he likes to talk about. Not only big muscle, but also - big brain 🤝
It’s so true this whole convo! Mike’s honesty is refreshing, I was smiling the whole time bc it was relatable! I’m 31 year old, 310lb 6’3 but now my fat percentage is too high for my liking, so now trying to lose the fat but not wanting to get under 300lb. But the daily struggle is real! Great convo! And good thing to look forward to one day!
2 года назад+1
Is this an interview or the BEST therapy session I've ever seen??? You guys are the best ❤️
@@coacheugeneteo Life is all about challenging and trying not to regret the things you did not do for your goals (Hiroki Kurosawa, legendary Kyokushin karateka). You missed Christmas and your birthday for your goals, and now you have another life. My journey in bodybuilding competition is about to end some day within this decade. I still have the fire to put 500 grams of pure muscle every year, naturally. I am 64 and almost done, but not yet.
Man, this really talked to me, specially the part where doing competitive martial arts is fun and being big isn't. I wanted to go back to Muay Thai, but after 4 years of training i'm a 5'7 and 190 pounds dude, i can't move like i did when i was 16 years old, before i had to stop doing martial arts. I didn't even got that big and i feel like it's anoying because i can't do it all at the same time and be the best i can on both things. But now i feel less bad about dropping wheight and going back to fighting. I can still use the gym to boost my fighting strenght.
I needed this. The last 3 weeks or so i just don't want to lift weights. I just don't. After good 6 years of addictively training 5/7. I don't care if I lose my muscles or my strength. In the back of my mind im beating myself for not continuing with something that has been so important in my life. But then i ask myself with all seriousness: don't you want to go lift a little bit to at least maintain your gains and size? and I keep answering, easily, nah, I'm good. It scares me that I don't need that fix because it's something that has been with me for years. But in my heart I really don't give a shit. I think I just found what I needed. What do I need now? I'm guessing love. Thank you for opening this discussion. I really thought nobody else would understand why it's so important for me what I'm going through.
Really honest, refreshing interview, thank you for sharing. In your previous videos with him, it was clear he was not physically comfortable and he was often short of breath, so it was nice to hear his perspective on that and where he will go from here. I hope he chooses to drop to a more comfortable weight soon, because it didn’t sound like the pros of being that huge really outweigh the cons.
Well look at you guys....got really Zen there in the last 5 minutes...impressive answer from Dr Mike about being aware of the patterns of thought thru mindfulness....didn't see that coming....pretty much gonna share/recommend this video with everyone....great work!
I did my last bulk over a year ago, and walking around at 230 lbs/105kg or "Fridge Mode" as my training partner liked to call it was... Horrible. I was extremely strong, but also so tight and my knees and ankles were aching just from the sheer body mass. It's a pretty miserable experience and only worthwhile if you have goals that necessitate the bulk. The physical discomfort was almost constant. The eating sapped all the joy out of food. It made me never want to go near anabolics, because the thought of being 10 to 15% heavier than that just sounded unbearable. But, at the same time, getting big was the culmination of years of effort and discipline, and that's something I'm very proud of. When I actually made it to my threshold, the reward was knowing how hard I had to work to get there.
I feel exactly like this now. I weigh 230lbs at 6ft and bench 370lbs. But it's just to much. Simply walking in the mountains (which I loved to do) is so much more exhousting. It's not fun anymore. I wanna lose weight and I'm not scared of losing some muscle anymore.
Yeah I get that. It's frustrating because one of the friends that I know that walks with me.. is always getting frustrated that I'm lagging behind. If he put a weighted vest on with the difference between our weights. He wouldn't be able to walk 20 mins. It's frustrating because he acts like I'm unfit. Weight adds up quickly on a 6 hour hike in the mountains.
@@Arkhsthis for sure, people judge so quick the cardio of big people, but it's no different than a fat person carrying an extra 50 pounds, and then you have the extra energy expenditure of just having that muscle, which might be like 3k Cal's instead of 2, messing you need a third more oxygen even at rest..
wow now I admire Dr Mike even more than just a humorous doctor. Thank you eugene for bringing up this topic. Fitness content sometimes need to slow down and reflect a bit like this
I think a lot of us adults that use PEDs can relate. Mike is so open and intelligent to know himself and the changes around him that when he speaks, it's an eye opener for some. Especially for me. Great platform, great questions. This will help some who want to stop but are too scared to lose all the hard work they put in.
What an absolutely fascinating video, it was great hearing both your perspectives. I'm a big guy for my height (not Dr. Mike big!!!) because I've pushed myself to be that. From being a tiny, bullied kid, I still need the ego boost, both in compliments from others, and when I look in the mirror. But I'm getting older, joints are hurting more, I will have to scale back at some point. At the moment I'm bigger and stronger (in some lifts) than I've ever been, and at 48 I'm quite proud of that. But it can't last forever and I need to become OK with that. Dr. Mike and yourself have given me a lot to think about!
I'd say everyone in the gym is unhappy with themselves, not lean enough, not strong enough, not fit enough etc. Think we all reach that point when we start to accept ourselves and just enjoy the experience, especially as age creeps up on you.
Fantastic interview on a basically never discussed topic. I will never have these problems because attaining this level of development has never been my goal, but it is nonetheless super interesting to get this perspective.
Insightful stuff. I don't really care about bodybuilding as far as my own goals are concerned, but a lot of what Dr. Mike talked about, like that inner voice, really is applicable to anything.
I used to think of being huge as a problem. It put a target on my back in school, and I was also a massive socially awkward nerd. If I defended myself from bullies I got in trouble because I was twice their size. I scared girls, for real. It was much harder to hide in a crowd. I got attacked by groups of guys in the street who thought I was just a weird looking adult (that was a thing in my hometown). It didn't matter that I excelled in Muay Thai and beat school powerlifting records on my first day on the team, those things don't necessarily translate to anything useful socially... probably helped with the getting attacked tbf. In my 20s it was great being huge. I was never a nasty person, but it was refreshing being scary to other guys rather than just a bigger target. I hadn't really come into my own socially, so I was still kind of annoyed people saw a big creepy weirdo rather than a friendly young man, but anyone who spoke to me very quickly saw I was lovely. In my 30s, I'm far more comfortable with myself and my relationship with random people. I definitely give off more friendly secure vibes, so I don't think anyone's intimidated by me so much as would rather be my friend in case of bar brawls. 🤣 I get a lot of random women ask me to be bodyguard too, like "you seem like a nice person who's also nails. Keep me safe, please."... I dunno, maybe that's just a crap pickup line. I get a lot more compliments on my physique these days, ironically, I'm the least lean/jacked I've been since I was like 12. 🤷
19:20 I think this point can be relevant even within the context of going full robot in order to get big and achieve your goals. I think setting the perimeters of getting as big as possible -without- becoming a robot about it could be as much of a thing as getting as big as possible without taking drugs. In the end they're both goals set within your own personally preferred perimeters.
Appreciate these types of videos, the perspective and mindset stuff was awesome to hear from you both. I’m sure it’ll help a lot of people out there to hear this type of stuff. Hopefully we get to see you guys interacting more on camera in the future! …Just not on the casting couch maybe 🤔🤔🤣
Listening to the downsides portion of the video was really eye-opening for me. I think that almost 50 years onwards from the film 'Pumping Iron' that the general public's perception of what is 'healthy' has changed somewhat. This video really raised some interesting questions in my mind, like: for a given individual what is the ideal healthy amount of muscle they should carry? If you were going to 'design' the healthiest physique for a given individual (taking into consideration all the various 'body types' out there) what would that look like? Are the answers to these questions directly related to an ideal strength to mass ratio? Interesting stuff.
I think of this SOOO MUCH! I wanna know too! It's like the scaffolding of our bodies (our heart, bones, connective tissue) have a maximum load spec built in. But what's the most "efficient" distribution depending on goals. Probably in academic journals somewhere
You can see it right now, these people are just not that impressive Anyone who looks better than the average gym goer has gotten into shape with steroids
I love the honesty and vulnerability in Dr. Mike when he was talking about people being intimidated by his size and him not enjoying the attention for that reason alone.
Yes!
I am no way as big as Mike but I really feel the same. The jokes when people say "lol you could beat me up" or that I could beat up some body random, like wtf I dont want to fight anyone
same! Im not that muscular but if youre lean and have a bit of muscle you look better then 90% of the people out there. i feel rather insecure and dont want to be looked at by people, i dont like the attention they give you
I'm only 185lbs but I'm cut and in great shape. I don't walk around with that mind set I still walk around like I'm the old marc of 155lbs humble. I have people that open doors for me now, move out of my way way before I'm even close they toss jokes out like man I wouldn't want to mess with you and those things really bother me because I wouldn't hurt a fly and I'm not a bully nor am I someone who feels the need to make my presence known. I don't like the attention from men or women especially women it's almost sickening how they look at me and float around me. I am just the old normal.marc internally and I want people comfortable don't be intimidated I am nothing to be intimidated about unless you hit me we will never have issues. I'm kind I'm easy going I'm chill but apparently I don't look it but I wish people would stop judging me by my body
Agreed that was so cool. I experience this to a degree and I'm not really jacked 6"0 220. I am gentle giant and I can't stand when people mention beating them up or something my immediate first response is I'm not a fighter. This was a great perspective to hear.
This is so true what dr. Mike said. When I first met my brother’s girlfriend’s dad who was a bodybuilder, I was super scared to approach him because he looked tough because of his huge muscles. But eventually I had to greet him at some point, so I shooted my shot and started talking to him. And what I found out was that he was actually a super nice person. He was very calm, relaxed and chill. And when we started talking about the gym he got really happy that I also go the gym.
I have noticed these things in other occasions as well, like asking for advice at the gym.
It is always the biggest guys that are the most humble people and want to help you.
So, be bigger to get humble, or to be humble you better eat and be big ..🤖⚠️
@@HaharuRecords It´s true. If you are big you can actually afford to be chill and humble. Because you don´t need to be that barking little dog to get some attention or respect.
I have also made the experience that almost no big bodybuilder that i have ever met in the gym was rude or aggressive. They just like muscles and the sport. Unfortunately most people think that bodybuilders want to intimidate others. This is only true for very few of them.
Just get stronger than the dad and confront him challenge him to a dual to the death
@@SchaufelorHit the nail on the head! 💪
@Schaufelor I think that's just one of the major reasons.
I think another reason is that the exercise itself actually makes you chill because it's like a massage for your body that relieves tension.
When I stop going to the gym for a month or so...I get knots in all my back muscles.
When I workout I never have any knots so I am actually chill.
That was really different. I've not sen a youtube video about the negatives of getting jacked. It's very anti-Bro culture. it seems the way up is very clear to see, and then you drop off the side of a cliff and you're gone. No one has talked about consciously making the decision to ramp down training in order to better live their life. Thanks. And yes, I've seen Eugene play guitar! It is on his channel.
Yes! Thank you! 🙏
I man he's literally Herman Li
being on roids is probably what draws the unwanted attention
Dr. Mike is such a nice, interesting and wise person. What a great interview and lots of interesting insights! Even though I'm 100% positive that I won't ever get to a fraction of his size! Thank you, Theo!👍
Glad you enjoyed it! Mike's a great guy with a wealth of knowledge and experience
@Christopher Huber But that's personal, and living an "interesting life", going places and doing stuff that you think people wanna hear about is essentially the same as getting jacked so people wanna see you and ask you for advice. Just different ways of living an interesting life. I personally would love to talk to someone who deadlifts 700+ (I haven't), somebody who is huge(I have, he was cool) or somebody who has traveled the world etc. (I travelled a lot). Life gets more interesting if you broaden your horizons aswell 🙂
@Christopher Huber I think you are in the wrong channel, sir. Eugene, Dr. Mike and bunch of others build their life and career into all they have to talk about is workout plan, how hard they workout and how big they get (in simplistic way that is). This channel is about those things. Watch enough of Dr. Mike and Eugene you would know they have more to talk about than that but since their channel is about "workout plan and how much you BDS" , that is the theme you are going to see mainly.
These things are far from mutually exclusive.
Накачаешься Димон, не ссы
The intimidation thing is so true. It's like you have prove to people you aren't a mean-spirited person which sucks. It's nice to reach a point where you're content with progress you've made 💪
It's even worse when you are an introvert or have some social anxiety. You come off as arrogant if you keep to yourself
Yeah people just assume you are going to have a rude reaction. I found that kids smile a lot at me though. At least they are innocently curious, they tug their parent’s arm, point and smile. It’s cool, maybe looking like a supehero has its perks afterall.
Wow , I hope RUclips pushes this video out to the masses. Incredible .
This stuff will probably never be as popular as more mainstream videos - but I wanted to make it cos I knew how important it is!
@@coacheugeneteo Honestly it will have a dramatic impact on those who see it . The discussion of mindfulness and introspection was as vital as any video I’ve ever seen in the fitness industry .
Hi, i am from berlin and train only in outdoor parks with my bodyweight. To learn skills and control my body against the gravity give me also a good physique and a hearth full of happiness
Yes!
This is so interesting, and I deeply respect Dr Mike for being so transparent and vulnerable. As a woman I also feel like I understood more of the insecurities my male partner feels, which I can't always empathise with. I identified with his experience of mindfulness and getting "full", and love that he got down to the root causes.
I think bodybuilding attracts people who like control, repetition, optimisation, and pushing things to the absolute limit. I am happy for Eugene and Dr Mike if it took skipping birthdays for them to know they had done their best and reached their goals, however I feel in my life pushing that hard is a given, and what has been toughest is turning down the intensity. Like, running life as more of a marathon, than a sprint. In another area of my life, I got to my equivalent of being absolutely "jacked" but was already suffering extreme burn out and mental health issues before I peaked performance wise, and I wish I could have been less stubborn, but I don't know if I would have peaked as high as I did.
Dr. Mike is low key enlightened and self realized. How else could you manifest limitless Lamborghinis, a doctorate, and the muscles? 🙏🤪
what
@@aonair7211 imagine not being isreatelpilled
@@xX_dash_Xx goofy manifest
I get what he is saying, I used my humour a lot to disarm situations and not be seen in a bad light. I remember one girl saying to me "I was scared of you, you're a big black guy"😤
I was bullied a lot when I came to America and the gym helped me rebuild my confidence.
That was brilliant. Utterly illuminating insight into the day to day mindset of ones who have made it to the summit. I love it, and it will inform my speech to others and writing. Thanks for being so deep and candid, Mike and Eugene. May y'all get closer the Lord and get mad blessed.
Thank you! 🙏
It's funny that I was just thinking I want to start losing muscle. 25yrs old, 7 yrs lifting, 245lbs 15% BF, 5 ft 10 in. Bodybuilding, powerlifting background. Now I just got into the firefighting profession and my joints hurts so much with the gear we wear and the type of work we do. This profession has got me in excellent shape and conditioning but tryna hold on to my weight and muscle is going to take a toll on my body in the long run so been thinking about downsizing and I am honestly over the muscle building phase. its all about performance, athleticism and health for me now
Ya wear a lot of gear....
My unsolicited, biased, and hard-earned advice is to focus on training your connective tissue to catch up with all that muscle.
Yes, in terms of the positives to being muscular, it is amazing how night-day-day my interactions are compared to when I was skinny. If I am with a group of people and decide to chime in on conversation, everyone instantly turns their full attention to me. The respect it garners is just second to none. So I always chuckle when I hear random people say that getting this jacked is pointless.
Being jacked AF for 20 plus years and at one point also Fat AF I totally concur. I feel for fata$$es because when I was fat, unlike when I was skinny, I was literally and ironically invisible. The other aspect people who are not jacked that ask the WHY question is the sexual aspect where if you don't know what you are missing, I can't explain it to you. To have women squeezing on your arms and a$$ in ravished passion is way more intense than having them softly caressing your double chin and trying to push back into singularity all whilst closing their eyes lol. There is also the flip side of the coin to this too, as being jacked often provokes Beta Alphas to feel insecure and target you for harassment... that does get old as they are the also the type of individual that really don't know when to back off and only seem to understand a slap to the face.
It is so amazing to see an honest nuanced convo about how much is enough, the holes in our hearts, and reflection/meditation being the way to fulfillment on our journey. Thanks Eugene and Dr Mike!
This was awesome. Super insightful. I'm also looking forward for the day where Mike becomes natural. Such a gem of a human being and genuinely want to see him live for as long as possible.
you don't become natural, you are born natural and you either keep it or lose it
Dr mikes honesty, humility, and articulation on the topic makes this such a great video
The level of sincerity, honesty, and perspective is a breath of fresh air. Thank you both for being willing to open up and talk about these topics that I feel are less common in this space.
This is an interesting conversation. At 5' 11'' and 190 I ask myself, "How much larger do I need to become?" I'm often the largest male in my social group, not many mathematicians or computer programmers get to my size. At 45 I my thoughts turn to what I'm going to do as my physique becomes, inevitably, impossible to maintain. This convo is helpful. Thx guys!
I work in IT too, 37 years old. Network/Servers (CISCO CCNP etc.). Lifted for 20 years at this point, consistently. Most people think I don't know what i am talking about because I lift and workout out - I can sense it in the beginning. I am 225 lbs with around 10% bf and 20 inch arms with visible veins. Pretty much NO-ONE, EVER, are my size in meetings etc. It's funny to prove them wrong tho, when it comes to knowledge. Just because you don't look like the typical "geek" 😁 I am a geek. I am tired of the compliments and "jokes" at this point tho... Especially at work...
Same boat. Working in it, Lifting for over 10 years at this point. Never was i not the biggest IT guy.
@@nickDasgunnar maybe you guys should start a company together, for nerdy IT gymbros.
Off topic question, what diet has worked for you that enables you to build muscle and maintain a high level of cognitive performance? Asking because I generally find that having to eat frequently/more protein slows my brain down.
@@dougt4283 To be honest, the most calirty of mind and "brain horsepower" i had when i was keto for half a year. I had focus and clarity for days, which was perfect for my bachelor and later master thesis. Now as iam working iam back to eating carbs and i feel better in the gym, gain more muscle but my brain is noticebly more foggy.
So yes, fo rme it was keto with lots of animal fats and protein and up to 0 carbs per day
Love to see mental health being prioritized by you guys. I know lifting probably keeps a lot of us out of trouble in life and helps us learn dedication, pushing limits etc. it’s so refreshing to hear these conversations.
Mike And Eugene the Duo we didn’t know we needed 👌
🙏🙏
but always wanted
It’s true. I’m nowhere near the size of Dr Mike, but here’s a personal experience with this….
Over a period of time, a lady who worked at my gym started speaking with me some here and there.
She was surprised I was so nice and polite. Told me how she had this impression that a lot of bigger more muscular guys were not as friendly.
Speaking with me helped her realize you can’t judge people by that outward appearance.
Looooove it !! I could listen to you and mike chat about your mindset and thoughts around and about training for hours and not get bored
Thank you! 🙏
Maximum respect to Dr. Mike! The most honest, funny, eloquent, and scientifically-informed person in the world of physical culture!
Everyone who lifts needs to watch this, I think it would help a lot of people.
Thanks for putting this out Eugene.
This made me reflect.. my conscious brain has been telling me to balance my life for a few years now. My subconscious brain keeps pulling me back. I'm 35 and I'll never beat my peak at 30. At least not without risk and sacrifice.. it just doesn't make sense to me any more.
At the time of my 250kg squat and 280kg deadlift i didn't know that would be it.. but it's time to let go. I've got videos and memories. That's enough.
Thankful i found this
Wow, what a genuinely lovely guy and I love how engaged and empathetic you are in this, Eugene. Such an honest and eye opening conversation. I’ll admit to being guilty of exactly what Mike said - making judgements based on an initial physical impression, which is no indication of the quality of the person underneath.
Two beautiful men inside and out. Thanks for bringing us this interview Eugene. We people are complicated and vulnerable. It is a wonderful gift for accomplished and admired individuals like yourselves to honestly reflect on your personal psychology and share advice.
I’ve never heard of this guy before, but he’s incredibly insightful and it’s really refreshing to see a mindful big guy talk in the way he does 🔥🔥
What a fantastic video. I think I can safely say this was the best and most interesting video on fitness I’ve seen this year.
This was a great interview. Always interesting to hear the psychology of not just lifting and athletic training but the mindset around the people who excel at it.
I'm 5'6 as well, graduated high school at 115. I was in permabulk mode for awhile, got up to 185, hung around 175. Filling out a large is as big as I need to get. Now time to just be fit, healthy, aesthetic. No more size needed.
200+ lbs is the goal, ripped.
Two megachads on a casting couch. What a treat. Lol. For real though, amazing convo, every gymbro should watch this. Most dont think “longterm” and just as building up the physique, bros should be working on the mental/inner stuff too so that when one comes to a good transition point between pure performance and longterm health, the mind is ready to make that transition in a healthy and proper way, filled with gratitude for an amazing chapter that is closing and a new one that will be different but just as amazing. Cheers
Phenomenal video that. Raw honesty and truth about your feelings from both of you. Very respectable of you both to open up like that. More people need to listen to videos like this and I think they would feel a lot more comfortable and interact with the gym better as well as one another.
I never thought of leaning into ones goals so far that it becomes oversaturating and satiation manifests as a result. Resonates with my mantra of 'die empty'. Great vid!
My two favorite guys in the fitness "social media" arena. Honest, no fluff and BS. Love it!
yeah, its so much more honest. It is amazing to me how many people get popular while being dumbasses with shit or fake-assed communication.
Beautiful conversation guys! Thanks for sharing all of your insights!
Thank you! 🙏
This is one of my favorite videos I’ve ever seen. So insightful. Thank you for this
I'm always listening to Dr.Mike
I love his channel and sense of wise guy humor
The closing statements about pushing yourself passed the point of "too far" is such a good way to put it.
I feel this conversation deeply. My satisfaction with how I'm looking has stopped my drive for more muscle. I still love to train though thus I have switched to primarily handbalancing now. It's still physical training, it still requires good programming, depending on the move it's still strength dominant but the focus is not getting bigger but learning new moves. I find unlocking a new move (same with calisthenics) much more gratifying than putting on a bit more muscle
Kind of makes me appreciate just being muscular on a modest scale. I'm still making gains in middle age, still enjoying the process, while being small enough to be mobile, play roller hockey, etc. Don't have 'get-huge' genetics, but there's an upside to that. I have jacked, vascular arms and a V-taper, but no C-PAP machine.
I can read 1,000 "alpha", "inspirational", or "motivational" quotes but never *learn* anything that sticks to me for the rest of my life. These vulnerable, genuine, and authentic stories WILL. I'll probably even tell my grandchildren about it, I swear
On a personal note: I've had trouble with my body my whole life. I've been looked down upon as the butt of a joke, been the center of the gossip circles, and lost so many things and been abused by so many people, I thought I NEEDED to be strong. To be "alpha" (or "jacked"), but, that's not going to permanently help me. It's like a drug. I'll practice mindfulness and dedicate myself to this journey for real. Thank you
This was an amazing video for multiple reason, I hope Dr Mike makes a channel of his own about just everything he likes to talk about. Not only big muscle, but also - big brain 🤝
It’s so true this whole convo! Mike’s honesty is refreshing, I was smiling the whole time bc it was relatable! I’m 31 year old, 310lb 6’3 but now my fat percentage is too high for my liking, so now trying to lose the fat but not wanting to get under 300lb. But the daily struggle is real! Great convo! And good thing to look forward to one day!
Is this an interview or the BEST therapy session I've ever seen??? You guys are the best ❤️
Give all you have, and someday there is nothing left to give. Briljant
🙏
@@coacheugeneteo Life is all about challenging and trying not to regret the things you did not do for your goals (Hiroki Kurosawa, legendary Kyokushin karateka). You missed Christmas and your birthday for your goals, and now you have another life. My journey in bodybuilding competition is about to end some day within this decade. I still have the fire to put 500 grams of pure muscle every year, naturally. I am 64 and almost done, but not yet.
Man, this really talked to me, specially the part where doing competitive martial arts is fun and being big isn't. I wanted to go back to Muay Thai, but after 4 years of training i'm a 5'7 and 190 pounds dude, i can't move like i did when i was 16 years old, before i had to stop doing martial arts. I didn't even got that big and i feel like it's anoying because i can't do it all at the same time and be the best i can on both things. But now i feel less bad about dropping wheight and going back to fighting. I can still use the gym to boost my fighting strenght.
Thank you for this important conversation. Eugene, you look healthier than ever.
Thank you! 🙏
This conversation is reeally insightfull ...
Keep it up guys much love 🙏❤
This became a bit more emotional than I expected, great insights from some great minds.
Glad you enjoyed it 🤗🤗
I needed this. The last 3 weeks or so i just don't want to lift weights. I just don't. After good 6 years of addictively training 5/7. I don't care if I lose my muscles or my strength. In the back of my mind im beating myself for not continuing with something that has been so important in my life. But then i ask myself with all seriousness: don't you want to go lift a little bit to at least maintain your gains and size? and I keep answering, easily, nah, I'm good. It scares me that I don't need that fix because it's something that has been with me for years. But in my heart I really don't give a shit. I think I just found what I needed. What do I need now? I'm guessing love.
Thank you for opening this discussion. I really thought nobody else would understand why it's so important for me what I'm going through.
Really honest, refreshing interview, thank you for sharing. In your previous videos with him, it was clear he was not physically comfortable and he was often short of breath, so it was nice to hear his perspective on that and where he will go from here. I hope he chooses to drop to a more comfortable weight soon, because it didn’t sound like the pros of being that huge really outweigh the cons.
If only everyone was as introspective as Dr Mike is -- about everything. The world would be a much better place.
Immensely helpful, honest, and educational. Thank you.
Thank you! 🙏
This was amazing. A side of the convo we don’t hear often. Dare I say it was beautiful! Ty
Such a refreshing conversation!
Thank you! 🙏
Amazing raw conversation. So good. Thank you.
Well look at you guys....got really Zen there in the last 5 minutes...impressive answer from Dr Mike about being aware of the patterns of thought thru mindfulness....didn't see that coming....pretty much gonna share/recommend this video with everyone....great work!
❤ so great to see this side of Mike. Much wisdom.
I did my last bulk over a year ago, and walking around at 230 lbs/105kg or "Fridge Mode" as my training partner liked to call it was... Horrible. I was extremely strong, but also so tight and my knees and ankles were aching just from the sheer body mass. It's a pretty miserable experience and only worthwhile if you have goals that necessitate the bulk. The physical discomfort was almost constant. The eating sapped all the joy out of food. It made me never want to go near anabolics, because the thought of being 10 to 15% heavier than that just sounded unbearable.
But, at the same time, getting big was the culmination of years of effort and discipline, and that's something I'm very proud of. When I actually made it to my threshold, the reward was knowing how hard I had to work to get there.
I'm nonironically waiting for the RP Mindfulness Meditation app. Dr. Mike and his metaphors take me to a peaceful place.
Some people need to see themselves trough other people’s eyes to feel good. Enjoy who you are first.
Man, that was the most important BB conversation i have seen in my life
Dr.Mike is so good at talking
Great video
I feel exactly like this now. I weigh 230lbs at 6ft and bench 370lbs. But it's just to much. Simply walking in the mountains (which I loved to do) is so much more exhousting. It's not fun anymore.
I wanna lose weight and I'm not scared of losing some muscle anymore.
Yeah I get that.
It's frustrating because one of the friends that I know that walks with me.. is always getting frustrated that I'm lagging behind.
If he put a weighted vest on with the difference between our weights. He wouldn't be able to walk 20 mins.
It's frustrating because he acts like I'm unfit. Weight adds up quickly on a 6 hour hike in the mountains.
@@Arkhsthis for sure, people judge so quick the cardio of big people, but it's no different than a fat person carrying an extra 50 pounds, and then you have the extra energy expenditure of just having that muscle, which might be like 3k Cal's instead of 2, messing you need a third more oxygen even at rest..
Mike Israetel is a treasure
Damn Dr. Isratel spitting tons of wisdom, especially the distinction between addiction and passion/goals.
wow now I admire Dr Mike even more than just a humorous doctor. Thank you eugene for bringing up this topic. Fitness content sometimes need to slow down and reflect a bit like this
I think a lot of us adults that use PEDs can relate. Mike is so open and intelligent to know himself and the changes around him that when he speaks, it's an eye opener for some. Especially for me. Great platform, great questions. This will help some who want to stop but are too scared to lose all the hard work they put in.
Really refreshing to hear about potentially downsizing and mikes thoughts on it, great video
This was a amazing interview. Respect to dr mike for the honesty. Good man
Really different conversation, great stuff
Dr. Mike just always, always always wins my heart ❤️
What an absolutely fascinating video, it was great hearing both your perspectives. I'm a big guy for my height (not Dr. Mike big!!!) because I've pushed myself to be that. From being a tiny, bullied kid, I still need the ego boost, both in compliments from others, and when I look in the mirror. But I'm getting older, joints are hurting more, I will have to scale back at some point. At the moment I'm bigger and stronger (in some lifts) than I've ever been, and at 48 I'm quite proud of that. But it can't last forever and I need to become OK with that. Dr. Mike and yourself have given me a lot to think about!
I'd say everyone in the gym is unhappy with themselves, not lean enough, not strong enough, not fit enough etc. Think we all reach that point when we start to accept ourselves and just enjoy the experience, especially as age creeps up on you.
Pleasantly surprised to see a colab of two of my favorite fitness RUclipsrs and a really interesting subject to boot!
You two get together and instead of dropping knowledge we get a sitcom
This was a video I didn’t know I needed this badly thanks to you both!
really refreshing introspection from two greats, thanks so much!
This is one of the more interesting interviews I've heard. Very insightful, thank you for talking about this and for making this colab possible.
Some really good takeaways from this video! I like the “you suck” part. I definitely have those times
Yes for sure!
much love and respect for you both, you're truly setting an example for us to follow on our journey
One of the reasons that I like Dr Mike it's because he understands the psychology as well as the science of the physical
Fantastic interview on a basically never discussed topic. I will never have these problems because attaining this level of development has never been my goal, but it is nonetheless super interesting to get this perspective.
Came to hear about downsides of getting huge, left with a life lesson on how to live without regrets
Last 5 mins were absolutely massively informative, rest was super informative. Great vid / interview thanks for sharing it
feels good to see you both vibin that way
Man I love Dr.Mike so much. Great video Eugene!
Insightful stuff. I don't really care about bodybuilding as far as my own goals are concerned, but a lot of what Dr. Mike talked about, like that inner voice, really is applicable to anything.
I used to think of being huge as a problem.
It put a target on my back in school, and I was also a massive socially awkward nerd. If I defended myself from bullies I got in trouble because I was twice their size. I scared girls, for real. It was much harder to hide in a crowd. I got attacked by groups of guys in the street who thought I was just a weird looking adult (that was a thing in my hometown). It didn't matter that I excelled in Muay Thai and beat school powerlifting records on my first day on the team, those things don't necessarily translate to anything useful socially... probably helped with the getting attacked tbf.
In my 20s it was great being huge. I was never a nasty person, but it was refreshing being scary to other guys rather than just a bigger target. I hadn't really come into my own socially, so I was still kind of annoyed people saw a big creepy weirdo rather than a friendly young man, but anyone who spoke to me very quickly saw I was lovely.
In my 30s, I'm far more comfortable with myself and my relationship with random people. I definitely give off more friendly secure vibes, so I don't think anyone's intimidated by me so much as would rather be my friend in case of bar brawls. 🤣 I get a lot of random women ask me to be bodyguard too, like "you seem like a nice person who's also nails. Keep me safe, please."... I dunno, maybe that's just a crap pickup line. I get a lot more compliments on my physique these days, ironically, I'm the least lean/jacked I've been since I was like 12. 🤷
19:20 I think this point can be relevant even within the context of going full robot in order to get big and achieve your goals. I think setting the perimeters of getting as big as possible -without- becoming a robot about it could be as much of a thing as getting as big as possible without taking drugs. In the end they're both goals set within your own personally preferred perimeters.
This is a subject a lot of bodybuilders should be thinking about already, but unfortunately many are not, what's the exit strategy
Nice to listen to your reflections on these topics guys! Really enjoyed this.
Great conversation I feel like a lot could benefit from 👍🏼
Appreciate these types of videos, the perspective and mindset stuff was awesome to hear from you both. I’m sure it’ll help a lot of people out there to hear this type of stuff. Hopefully we get to see you guys interacting more on camera in the future!
…Just not on the casting couch maybe 🤔🤔🤣
That smile of eugene at 3:24 says it all 🤣
😂😂 Thank you! 🙏
3:17 “Mr. The Rock” 🤣
Listening to the downsides portion of the video was really eye-opening for me. I think that almost 50 years onwards from the film 'Pumping Iron' that the general public's perception of what is 'healthy' has changed somewhat. This video really raised some interesting questions in my mind, like: for a given individual what is the ideal healthy amount of muscle they should carry? If you were going to 'design' the healthiest physique for a given individual (taking into consideration all the various 'body types' out there) what would that look like? Are the answers to these questions directly related to an ideal strength to mass ratio? Interesting stuff.
I think of this SOOO MUCH! I wanna know too! It's like the scaffolding of our bodies (our heart, bones, connective tissue) have a maximum load spec built in. But what's the most "efficient" distribution depending on goals. Probably in academic journals somewhere
You can see it right now, these people are just not that impressive Anyone who looks better than the average gym goer has gotten into shape with steroids
@@RUclipsChillZone I'm not sure I understand, are you saying natural people don't look impressive?
I feel like Dr. Mike would give great hugs.
What an absolutely incredible video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Mike's sense of humor is what dragged me there. No regrets.
Meditation...Gamechanger.