Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Baby Don't Hurt Me - Mike O'Hearn On His Viral Meme, How He Handles Haters, Acting In "Magazine Dreams" With Jonathan Majors

Episode Date: June 6, 2023

Mike O'Hearn (@mikeohearn) is an actor and a legendary bodybuilder. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Hollywood, CA to talk about how the "Baby don't hurt me" meme started, why he decided to lean into it, what he has learned from working out with Arnold Schwarzenegger, how close he was to signing with WWE in the 90s, his reaction to Joe Rogan talking about him on his podcast, his biggest pet peeve in the gym, working with Jonathan Majors on the film "Magazine Dreams", being Titan on American Gladiators, why he believes that you should never skip a meal and much more! Check out Mike O'Hearn's website: http://mikeohearn.com Get $150 off your Plunge with the coupon code CVV at http://thecoldplunge.com Quote I'm thinking about: The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent. - Arnold Schwarzenegger For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://chrisvanvliet.com If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests.  Follow CVV on social media:  Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are going. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Blin. Are you, my friends? Welcome back to another one here on Insight. I'm CVV, Chris Van Fleet, and baby, don't hurt him. Oh, yeah, we've got the legend himself, Mike O'Hern, in the house. And if you're subscribed on YouTube, actually, I'm going to talk as if you already are subscribed, because why wouldn't you be subscribed to both the main Chris Van Fleet channel

and the CVV clips channel, which is that channel's growing in an insane rate, like a thousand new subscribers a day. You, of course, are one of them. But since you are subscribed on YouTube, you've seen the workout video that I did with Billy Gunn and Mike O'Hern at Gold's Gym Venice Beach. And both of these guys are monsters. Billy's 58. Mike is 54.

They're doing things that most guys half their age can't even dream. of doing. Mike is walking, talking proof that age is just a number. And he's one of those guys that you recognize from so many different things. He's been featured on the cover of over 500 fitness magazines. The only person who has more covers, by the way, is Arnold Schwarzenegger. You may know him as Titan on American Gladiators. How good it was American Gladiators. And yes, he was Titan on both the original version in the 90s and also that rebooted version they did. in 2008, you know, the one hosted by Hulk Hogan. Or you most recently may know Mike as the baby don't hurt him guy, that meme that started on

TikTok but is blown up everywhere. Baby don't hurt me. So good. You see it all the time now on Instagram or YouTube. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, now that we've put this out into the world, you're going to see it. You're going to go, oh, that's the thing he was talking about. And I love how Mike is totally okay and actually leans in to like poking fun at himself.

We talk a lot about that here. Please share this episode with a friend and take a screenshot. Let us know you're listening and tag us on social media so we can share it out. Mike is very active on social media. I know he would love to see this and love to retweet it or share it on his Instagram stories. It's just his name. He's at Mike O'Hern. I'm at Chris Famfleet.

And I really hope you enjoy this one. So please welcome Mike O'Hern. Do you hit Gold's gym this morning? I did not. Wow. Yeah. You're usually in there like knocking on the door like as they're opening it. So this is out of days going.

First thing, hit me, knock me down. I missed a workout this morning, but we're going to get it later. You're normally in the gym at like 4.30 is it? Yeah, it's 4 or 5 in the morning. Man. I love those early mornings. And you joined us. I joined you.

Which was awesome. It was you in the knucklehead. Billy Gunn. The thing that's amazing about you is people see you in photos or they'll see you on Instagram. TikTok, we'll get into that. They don't realize how big, like how tall you are and also the scary strength you have. Oh, well, thank you.

Thank you. Yeah, I guess because it's coming from the, you're around these monsters from wrestling that are actual monsters. You know, they walk the streets and you're like, that's Billy Gunn. big show. That's the rock. Bodybuilding, I don't think, have that stature. And so when they see me, they assume

something different. Well, a lot of the, like, all-time greats are 5-10, 5-11, like, you know, Ronnie Coleman's 5-10. Yeah. And I think they think of me as a bodybuilder where I did gladiators and Battle Dome and those kind of things are teamed up on

WCW much longer than I ever did competition in bodybuilding. But it's the way you look. Like you are a walking magazine cover. I don't know what you're even talking about. I'm just standing here. I appreciate that though. But yeah, I love the training.

I'm that athlete. I love the working out. I love the wrestlers and the UFC fighters and those kind of guys that really love getting into it and doing the longevity. That day that I did work out with you, I got there on time. You had already started. you guys were already 10 minutes into this workout. You had four plates on the incline bench press, and you were like, oh, yeah, it's just a warm up.

You were throwing it up like it was nothing. I've been doing it a while. And speaking of this, though, first of all, cool for you getting up that early. Oh, of course. I mean, you're doing an interview with us and training with us, but I mean, I'm talking about like these, the kids today, the influencers, they're like, yeah, I'll train with you, but I ain't going at four or four.

I'm going like 12, 1 in the afternoon, and I'm like, have a good workout. My thing has always been, if you are willing to say yes, yes, I'll do an interview, yes, you can work out with me, then that's it. I'll find my way there if I live in a different city or state. I'll wake up early, whatever it takes. Like, just say yes, and I'm there. And it was so cool for you to invite me into your world. And, like, it's so hard to keep up with you and Billy Gunn.

And I don't know how you're 54 years old. Are you Benjamin Button? I'm trying to hang with Billy. 58? 59, right in that range. Crazy. Crazy. And you're hitting 40 and something you said to me is that you're getting in the best shape going into 40.

Yeah. And I wish more people did that. Like Billy and me are such good friends because we have that mentality of don't care what age it is. That's going to be our best. Well, the best thing about you is this mentality you have of like, I'm going to get it in. I'm going to get that work it in, work out in. I'm never going to miss a meal. And that's just how you're wired.

And I think there's a lot of other people who just make up excuses. And Arnold has this great quote. You either get results or you get excuses. You can't have both. Yeah. And I agree with that. I mean, most of Arnold's philosophy I've adapted or lived because he's so right about all. It's just, it's one way or another.

You're going to get older. So the best thing you can do is fight against it, the best you possibly can. And then for a lot of us, we look at it as we get to work out, not that we have to work out. And those are two different worlds. Yeah, that's huge.

When you change it from, I get to do something instead of I have to do something, your whole mindset shifts around that. Have you always been wired this way? Yeah. Yeah, it started early. Nine years old, I started training, eaten right.

But I grew up in a family that was just savages. My sisters and brothers all grew up in the martial arts world, powerlifting, bodybuilding, martial arts competitions. And you're the youngest of nine? And I'm the youngest at 10. 10? Yeah. So it was go time from the early years.

And you know, the younger brother getting your butt kicked by your older brothers is a typical thing. Yeah. But when my sister Kate front kicked me, I was like, okay, I got to start working out more, and training more and stuff. And so it was just, I've done that so. long that I know no other way. And then it just it just unfolded into one workout day after day into decade after decade after now it's 45 years in. There's a lot of people that want to look at what you've accomplished and just want to write it off to, ah, it's just great genetics. I'd look that good

too if I had great genetics. Why does everyone discount all the hard work that you put in? Wow. I guess it's just they see a photo. They see a moment in time. And even for me, when I look at something and I'll see these videos of me as a teenager competing. And I'm like, wow, that, wow, okay, it's been a long time. It's hard to comprehend. I'm just that guy that never gave up and just consistently moved slowly.

but consistently moved forward. You are like a walking meme right now. What's going on with this baby, don't hurt me thing on TikTok is, it's mind-blowing. I don't know where, I know what we do know it rooted in TikTok and exploded there and then moved its way over

into Instagram and into the mainstream media now. And I ain't mad at it. What was the first one? Who did this? Do you remember seeing? it? Man, my team probably does. I remember just seeing a few of them because we did these great photo shoots or for a clothing company that I love, father and son right here. We did this great shoot for

them and then people started grabbing all those shoots and just started throwing funniest funniest things with them and it just took off and it just TikTok to Instagram to, yeah, everything now. But you could have, I have no idea where it started though. You could have been insulted by this. Instead, you leaned into this. You're making your own memes and you have the t-shirt that says, baby, don't hurt me. Yeah, we got shirts. We got everything. It's one of those things. You can't take yourself so serious. You're so good at that. I've been alive long enough to know when things are so awesome, they could turn a corner and you could be ground zero. And same thing. You could be on ground zero thinking you're going to get nothing.

And the next day you get a call. And boom, you're on top of the world again. So it's just mostly at this stage, it's, I can poke fun of myself. I think society thinks, because you get haters with social media, which is great. But I got friends like Billy Gunn and Paul White and who talks more smack than wrestlers. Yeah, nobody. It's like, I don't know if me and Billy have ever actually had a sit down pleasant, conversation. We're busting balls the whole time. So it's that crew that you keep tight that

keeps you down to earth that no matter how much fame or money you get. You just stay cool, stay calm and enjoy it. There's something about gym culture and just being in there with other people who are like-minded that are both, you know, everybody's chasing after the same thing. It's hard to not be in a great mindset when you're in there. That's the truth. And that's like you're saying And congratulations. This won't be out before this, but I'm going to spoil and you can cut it out. But you're going to sit down with Arnold and talk about his incredible new stuff. But he's somebody that from day one when I met him to 30 years later, it's that fun attitude of gym culture, tease the guy, have fun with it and laugh at yourself.

You know, and it's cool to see, because I'm an old man, but life is about, I guess they say, a great quote would be, die as young as late as possible. And I love that. It's like, stay that kids, keep that enjoyment of life alive as long as you possibly can and enjoy life. And that's what I see on the people that are around me, like Arnold or the rock. These guys have fun. And Billy, if you don't know Billy Gunn in real life, he's a 15-year-old. He's a ball of energy. Yeah.

So infectious. The smile and everything. And Paul White's the same way. It's just they're good people, but they're down to earth. And those are the best people in the world. Arnold's fascinating to me because he doesn't need to work out at Gold's Gym. He has enough money that he could build a gym that looks like Gold's Gym. If anybody.

Why do you think he still goes to golds? It's the community. It's the people. It's the guys. It's that gym locker room kind of banter. We grew up with it and it's fun. It really does make lifting fun. And again, like we said, we get to do it, not that we have to do it.

And so he'll be the first to say, there's guys in the health and fitness world that are always angry and dieting and grumpy. And you don't want to talk to him. And then there's guys like Arnold or others that are just walking around training and going, this is so much fun. And that's, again, I think the reason why Arnold still comes to gold. Still is the same way he is. Still breaking balls and having fun. We've been trying to do this interview for like months, but you've been so busy with all the projects that you're working on.

I feel like you're on a new set every week. So what have you been working on most recently? We are working on a great, and I'm so happy. Again, I've been in this long enough to, I don't think the world knows that I've been acting since the 90s. My first movie was Death Becomes her in 1990. We filmed it, and then it came out like in 91, 92. But being on set with Bruce Wilson, Golden Hound, and Merrill Street, I never gave that up. I kept going on additions, but it just never happened.

like bodybuilding and the covers and the romance books and all those things are gladiators and battle those things happen for me right away but the the hardcore acting didn't happen little pieces here and there and in the last couple years it has opened and so we've been working on this incredible tv show blue ridge with a buddy jonathan sheck who has been the top of the world um in acting and it's a great show So that will be out later, and it's very cool because he's like this badass sheriff, old school mentality. And I get to come in and kick some ass. That's the most recent. The thing I'm most excited about is magazine dreams, because that turned a lot of heads.

There's a lot of buzz coming out of Sundance about that one. A lot of really early Oscar buzz for the film and for Jonathan Majors. Here's what's interesting to me. You can fake a lot of things in movies with angles and cuts and stuff. You can't fake being a bodybuilder. Jonathan Majors looks like a beast up there. He was impressive. He really was.

I mean, obviously the acting, he's phenomenal. The script is unreal. But I'm sitting there when I got casted to be the co-star against him or his pinnacle who he's chasing. I was like, I was curious to see how he'd look. And when it came down to it when we were on set and filming and stuff, I was like, He crushed it. He looks great. He adapted to this.

And he also had an insight to bodybuilding that I've never heard a bodybuilder talk about. Really? The depth of where he went studying this. And this is why he's such a good actor. He was talking about how a person trains kind of develops the kind of physique. The guys that train angry and heavy look this way. And the guys that train happy or in a different route come enjoyment, they look a different visual to him.

And I was like, I've never even heard that, but it made sense to me someone that's been in the sense I was born. How do you work out? I work out happy as heck, but heavy as heck. So it's a combination of both that I'm a huge human,

but tapered in shapely. Why are like, going back to what we talked about the start of this, why are bodybuilders a bit smaller in stature? I think I actually don't know because I know a lot of big, tall bodybuilders, but it's easier to be more complete with the shorter muscles.

But it looks so impressive when you're somebody like Arnold with those long limbs and filled out. But to everybody, their art piece. Because I don't think of it as a sport, I think of it as an art piece, and you create that art piece the way you wanted to look. So what's your character like in this film? I get to do with with with with magazine dreams it's a roller coaster first off and and you're right the the the buzz out of sundance blew me away and I haven't seen the movie just so you know I can't I have not seen I don't want to see it until it's here but the the discussions are that they just announced that releasing it first week of December for Oscar buzz because that's what it is he's

possibly going to be nominated. The movie's going to be nominated. The director, it's such a meaty character for me to be in such a incredible movie. Mostly when they start talking about this is similar to taxi. What was De Niro's taxi driver? Taxi driver, yeah. They're talking about that up and down roller coaster. So my character's, you'll see what he does.

You'll see what he does. But I'm the golden boy in it. Or am I? Yeah. Okay. So it's pretty cool. Congratulations on this. Thank you. Like it's one thing to have a one scene in something or two scenes in something. It's a completely different thing to be part of a film that's already being talked about for the Oscars. And granted, it's May right now. A lot of things can happen between now and Oscar season, you know, when that rolls around.

But that's pretty exciting. Yeah. So congrats. Thank you. We worked on a project, which is, with Steven Soderberg and the director, Eddie, is amazing. We did a very sci-fi futuristic movie called Divinity. And it also showed at Sundance, the same week, this last Sundance. And the buzz about that was it's going to be a instant cult classic. And it's very edgy. And again, I get to play this metahuman type of character.

And again, I can't say much about that. the character except you're going to enjoy this cat. You're really leading into the acting stuff right now. Yeah. Lucky. Yeah. Taking the opportunity. But also, sure, luck, but a ton of hard work.

And I feel like this is just always been something in your life and in your career. Everything you put yourself into, you put all of yourself into. Because it'd be easy for you to rest on your laurels and go, yeah, I'm in great shape or, yeah, look how handsome I am. But you work your ass off, too. Like, people don't realize how athletic you are. And then they go and watch one of the old episodes of American Gladiators and they go, oh, damn. I forgot how great time was.

I thought he just looked good in Spandex. What's going on? No. Thank you. I appreciate that. But I just love the hard work aspect of it. And I think that's, again, why most of the people that you'll see me around are those kind of individuals. It's like Paul White's now coming out a lot more in training with us.

because he's getting back and he wants to be the best. You've got to come. I'm in. Yeah. It's crazy to see Billy and the personality and Paul. And it would be awesome to have you there. And then Mona's over there training with us and stuff. But it's a great crew.

But to see the willingness and work ethic of those guys. Because I think wrestling and being on the road like they do teaches you that real deep commitment to you better love. It's not for the fame or money. You better love it. The work aspect. And I think that's why we all get along so well. We just love the work.

How close were you to being a pro wrestler? In 92, which is funny because it was the same year Billy signed with Vince. Shane McMahon came out, had dinner with me. A week later flew me to Stanford. We sat down with the cowhide chairs. Vince came in and we had a talk. Great discussion. Sent me down to wardrobe, started getting suited up and stuff,

and had an idea of what my character would be, and I was going to go off to camp. Flew back to California. They got into negotiations, but I had gladiators already. And so then the battle started with, well, we got them on gladiators, and then so it fell apart. years later WCW and Battle Dome team up and I get to get in the ring with those guys

and have some fun and that's where I really got to meet all the guys in the late 90s and hang out with them and do some wrestling but again I had Battle Dome so I went Gladiators, Battle Dome back to Gladiators and so I got lucky

doing another thing but I got to be on the same kind of plane road, I guess you would say, with all the guys. I could just picture Vince McMahon, especially in that era in the early 90s, when he was so into the bodybuilding look, seeing you and being like, oh, yes, this is great. Yeah, he was great. And then Terry Taylor, the Red Rooster is the one that started working with me.

And we went down to Atlanta and we were watching videos and I was showing Billy. And he's like, oh, my God, there's Dave Palo. And all these, all these guys that were there. wrestling with us, the million dollar man, all these guys. And it was fun, but I just never got those contract deals. Here's the luckiest. I was working in something so similar that I couldn't do both. And that's not a bad thing.

Yeah, not a bad thing at all. Opportunities were there. But again, I think it's just the hard work allowed me to do that stuff. Yeah. When you talk about never missing a meal, Yes. Does that mean like when you drove here, you've got a meal in the car ready to go? that the and it's not me i think this talks about that i think it's all my the people that have been around me for the last 30 40 years is they're the ones that see it me at the ufc parties or the get-togethers

and they're eating and i pull up my Tupperware i just i started this so young and there's simple steps that i do and i know if i continue to do those simple steps that maybe others think it's not simple to stay on a meal plan continue to work out if i stay on that I keep getting opportunities. And I keep being ready for those opportunities that I get to capitalize on those opportunities. And so at the end of the day, I sit down and I go, I've been pretty darn lucky to live this freaking life. Yeah. And I'm still doing this.

Man, this is a blessing. But for most bodybuilders, there's an off-season. But I feel like for you, you're always ready to go. Yeah, there's no more off-seasons in that sense. I don't get that luxury. And I don't want that luxury. I, you know, I competed in the 80s and 90s. And so I still get to travel the world and guest posts today.

And I haven't competed in over 25 years, I guess it is. And I still get that opportunity. But it's just because I continue to do the work. Before this baby don't hurt me. No, my gosh. Right. There's the viral video of you guest posing. That was, I guess that was like the real first.

That was. viral. What happened? Oh, man, I'm blind. It was a small stage. I thought I saw the end. I walked out there. You were like a cartoon character.

And it was hilarious. And that thing blew up. But it's again, it's like, oh, well, you know, have fun with it. It was what it was. I thought I saw the edge of the stage. I didn't see. Shhh. And I took a dump.

Phil right on my face, got up. But we didn't show the video because it was more funny that I just fell. Yeah. But we had the full video of I jumped back up and started guest posing and went into the audience and stuff. And I'm like, they don't need to know that. They can just see that I fell off the stage. Have fun with it.

But you could have, you know, broke your neck. Could have. That didn't settle until much later. And then it goes back to, then it goes into the science of the way I lift and the blunt force trauma and all this kind of stuff that these people don't want to hear about. But I said, I go, that's not a 20-year-old falling off a stage. That was an old man falling a good six feet onto, in pitch black onto concrete. And I'm like, I got lucky.

I got lucky. I don't know. You're not just any quote-unquote old man. Well, I did break the floor and I had to pay for that. So that's... You lean into all of that. You're okay being the butt of the Joe. But on the flip side of it, does it bother you that you've become...

You're criticized all the time by these online bodybuilders. And you know. And you lean into that too. Like you're okay. Like, oh, yeah, fake Natty. Sure. Yeah. Always have been.

Yeah. You know what's funny about that stuff is you're always going to have the haters, right? Yeah. And for me, and I think is at the end of the day, I get a workout. I get a, I get a, I got a beautiful family. I'm a first time father, a late father. And I'm like, this is just. fun. If they want to believe this or that, they can go have fun with it and I'll lay into them

because it's at the end of the day, I'm still me. I'm still having fun. Yeah. And so why be upset that these guys are saying whatever they want to? It just feels like it's not going away. And the fact that you keep kind of leaning into it, maybe it's helpful. I don't know. I don't know. You know what? I do notice that it's always me in the rock and stuff. Yeah. And I'm like, I don't mind getting tied to the rock in that sense. And I love how he handles it. I mean, he might, I think I have, he doesn't maybe address it, which he doesn't need to. Nobody needs to address the haters.

I like doing it because I know it irritates him even more. And I don't mind poking fun. Joe Rogan brought this up. Yeah. Talked about you for a while. Yeah, he did. On that podcast. And Joe Rogan has talked about doing HR teens.

stuff. And so it's kind of an interesting one because of the fact that he's saying that he does that. And then he looks the way he does where I know these guys like Robbie Robinson that are 70, 80 that look, it isn't. And I think at the end of the at the end of the discussion, it makes everybody if you're going to do something, it doesn't make you the rock. And so that's the final point. My point is if you think something is going to make you the rock or make you the best fighter in the world or make you the fastest runner in the world, it's not that. Yeah. A lot of people seem to think that steroids are this magical drug and that if you use them, you'll look like the rock like that. You go from the frog to the prince.

Yeah. It does not do that. Yeah. And for people to say, well, it helps. Vitamin C helps. They can B12 helps. So what's your level of help? You know what else helps?

Working really hard. Yeah. And that's, at the end of the day, full circle, the working really hard is what's got people. Like, even Joe Rogan, he works his ass off. But like the rock, I don't know of anybody that makes me feel lazier than the rock. Have you worked out with him? I have worked out with him. But, I mean, I'm up at three and he's already up doing something.

And then I'm going to bed at eight or nine and he's still up traveling some. where it's like, I've interviewed him a bunch of times, and there's been a few times where the interview has had to shift, because no matter where he is, no matter what he's doing, he gets a workout in every single day. And I have an immense amount of respect for that. You know, it doesn't matter if we're in Hawaii doing an interview for Jumanji like we did, or for on the other side of the planet,

he makes sure that his schedule has that workout built into it. And that's how you succeed. That's how you get to the level that he's at. and it doesn't and and I agree with you and you've seen him in that sense and I've seen him and I've seen him when he's got mauled in the sense of like he's trying to get a workout in and then everybody wants pictures yeah and I'm like oh just let him get his workout does this happen to you like I'm sure every time you go to golds there must be people that are like oh when you're done can we get a photo yeah it's not at that level but for me when they

do that I'm stopping and taking a pick yeah because I know that I'm blessed just to still be here and recognized and stuff. And so I don't got no problem stopping and doing it. You're an inspiration for a lot of people who are younger, getting into the sports, seeing what's possible. But you're an even bigger inspiration for people who are in their 40s or in their 50s going, wait a second, I could look like that. That's possible.

I hope that is. I hope that they start going, okay, let me, let me get some of that back. Because I think most people kind of go, hey, I'm 35, done. my best year is behind me and it's like wow kid yeah not even close and and now it's like acceptable to have a dad bod but you're a dad i'm gonna be a dad in a few weeks here i'd like to think that maybe this is the new dad bad so what i got to ask this because what triggered and what triggered you going i'm coming into 40 i got to get in the best shape of my life i've always worked out really hard I've always eaten relatively clean, although pizza is like, that's such a big place in my heart.

I love pizza so much. But I wanted to, two things. One, I wanted to show people that 40 is not the end of your life. Like you said, 35 is not the end of your life. I wanted to show people, this is what's possible at 40. And people say to me all the time, there's no way you're turning 40. They say that to you all the time, too. There's no way you're 54 years old.

That's crazy. And the other thing was, I wanted to take a photo at 40 that I could then look back at. in five years, 10 years, 40 more years, and go, look how your dad looked at 40 years old. Like, I'm really proud of this. And I also know that, like, hard work does pay off. So I've been working with a phenomenal nutritionist and coach, AJ Sims. It's 12 weeks. Anybody can put in hard work for 12 weeks.

So I feel great, feel better than I've ever felt before. And it was just something I wanted to be able to do for myself. So, yeah, I've got a lot of big things on the horizon here. my 40th birthday, baby coming into the world. What do I need to know as a father here? You already got it because you said it in that discussion. You said that you want to be able to look back and show a picture to your little one and go, hey, this is it.

And when I grabbed the idea that we were going to have a little one and then he came into the world, man, did that focus in a different light happen? And I think in the last four years, my boy just turned four. And so in the last four or five years, I think I've taken my work ethic that was already mentally insane, even up a notch more because of the fact what you said. I want him, I'm hoping I'm going to be around for a long time so he can kind of know me and stuff. But I want him to be able to see what his dad was like if something crazy.

crazy happens. But I want him to be able to see his father was working and put in the work and what his possibility can be and don't rely on his genetics or where he was born or any of those things and just know that it was the hard work. And if he follows that path, this kid could do anything. He does seem to have some pretty great genetics though. Four foot two already at just four years old. They're saying a size of a nine year old. I'm sitting there going and I was just with big Thor yesterday, who's six, 10, 400, 400 pounds. Yeah. And he was that size by the time he was 16.

And I'm like, my boys measured, they're saying six, nine. What? Yeah. Wow. And I'm like, wow, that's going to be a big boy. But I got to make sure that he is ready for this life and prepared. But I also want to be an example to him because the mother's baby mom is already an example. So she's a beast as well.

Wow. The real beast. Good partners. That's one of the biggest things. I think with you being a new dad, one of the biggest things I saw was knowing that your partner is gold and can handle things. I've got such an incredible partner in my wife, Rachel. And that's what, like, I have no idea anything about having a kid, right? No clue.

I'm going to figure this out as I go, hopefully. Like all of us. Yeah, right? And that's kind of how the process goes, right? like figuring it out day by day. But I have so much confidence in who she is as a person and as a mother that I'm like, we're good. We're going to be fine here.

And speaking of Rachel, I showed her a photo of Titan like a few months ago. And she's like, there is no way that's a three year old. I'm like, I'm pretty sure. I think we can Google this, but I think he's only three years old. What's going on here? We will teach you some of that because we did do a complete understanding of how for us how we wanted to raise him and how we wanted to feed him and how we wanted him to sleep and like goat milk over basic milk and other things like that that really helped us.

And again, you're in a position where you get to talk to the best of the best. And that's what we did. We talked to the very best nutritionist, not for the, for a person getting ready for a bodybuilding show, but I'm talking about doctors that were talking about getting kids to their full potential. because today's a crazy world of these kids, mostly on social media are, and my whole demographic has changed in the last three months. It's completely changed to where I got these eight to 12-year-old kids asking questions about training compared to the 40-year-old men. These guys are all going,

hey, I want to do this. And so. And for a long time, there was that myth of don't lift weights too young. You will stunt your growth. Eating, this, this, this, this. And we discovered it's such a different world for that age. And I was lucky enough to be raised in a family that my parents allowed me to do sports and eat the way I needed to at that age, but not being a deficit. Because I see kids today trying to be ripped at 13, 14 years old. And I'm like, you're growing. You're growing and you're in a deficit of calories.

So your body wants to grow, but you're not giving enough nutrition. And so that's one thing that we really did not do and we didn't hold back on feeding our baby. What do you think's been the biggest shift in nutrition that you've seen in the 40 years that you've been bodybuilding? That how they keep trying to change the most basic stuff. Like what? Just this isn't good. That's not good. Stay away from this.

It's just the moderate amount and it has to do with weightlifting, food, sleep. Do the best you can get as much sleep as you possibly. can. Train smart. Don't hit yourself against the wall and just fatigue every workout and go blitz out. And when it comes to nutrition, all food, if done correctly, is healthy for you. Have your carbohydrates, have your proteins, have your healthy fats. And then just moderately do this. Don't gorge yourself and don't starve yourself. We're living in such an interesting time on social media where everybody has a voice. everybody has an opinion and there'll be people that'll say this one thing is terrible for you and then on the complete flip side going only eat this thing it's the best for you where do you

sit on what you should be taking in every day in terms of nutrition well two questions then because you're saying everybody does have a voice and i agree with that everybody does have a voice and so we more than ever as parents need to as best we can guide even all the our ears to the people that are not just doing it now, but did it prior to and have proofs success, not just degrees, because that's what I see. I see people with degrees, but no time in the trenches. Yeah. And it's like you're getting this nutrition advice from this 350 pound 50% body fat person. I'm like, okay, that's hard. I understand that you read all the books and you can, you can regurgitate all that information. But when it comes down to actually,

doing it. What's the daily, daily thing? And so be careful on who you're listening to. And then when it comes down to nutrition, I'm a guy that believes that protein is an amazing thing and it builds muscle and it keeps you content, but have your carbohydrates, make sure to do fat and healthy fats, and try to be in a surplus of calories. Your body's always wanting to repair regardless of what age you are. It's trying to repair. And so if you're starving it throughout the whole year and you're working out tremendously, you're breaking your body down without any recovery. And life is about recovery.

And that's the one biggest change I would say Mike now compared to young Mike. Young Mike thinks, I can train as hard as I want. I'll recover. Yeah. And it's like, man, kid, you could have been so much better. You could have been so much better if you chilled. Wow. Yeah.

Yeah, that whole attitude of like, I'll sleep when I die. That has shifted so much. And when you hear someone like LeBron James gets, I think it's 10 to 12 hours of sleep a day, so that's including sleep and the naps that he takes. And, you know, he's arguably the best to ever do it. Right. I think that that speaks volumes of how important it is to recover. And then, you know, you also see guys like Tom Brady, who still doing it at 45 years old.

Because motivation. Yeah, motivation. And also, I feel like his. priorities shifted. The TB12, the way that he was stretching muscles, that changed a lot of things. But there's a lot of people that want to get into the gym. Yes. They want to get in shape. And they can't take that first step to work out. So what do you say to someone who's going, man, this is going to be the year. This is the year, Mike. I've always wanted to do this. I just want to be the better version of myself. Where do they start? I would do the same thing you did.

Grab an emotional attachment that is so freaking deep for you. the individual that has no bearing on anybody else. So the whole concept of, I want to look good and stuff. It's got to be deeper than that. And like they say, it's like there's the self fear of the, and that's where most people change

is when the doctor says, you got high blood pressure. It looks like diabetes is coming, all those kind of things. And then you go, okay, now I'll change. It's like, it's got to be before that and it's got to be something that you pick. And it can change.

Like right now, it's, you're going to be a new father. You want to show the world that, no, no, I can do this. And you want to show yourself. Yeah. Sometimes just showing yourself that level up is enough for somebody to go, that's the first step. And that needs to happen before you actually going into gym. Because the membership isn't going to change you. Getting a meal plan is not going to change.

change you. It's the mindset that has to switch. Yeah. For me, one of the big things was I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something that was difficult. For a lot of people, I think they look at someone like you who you're working out two times a day right now. Yeah. That's a lot, right? You do your homework too. I like that. I think there's a lot of people that are working out zero days a week right now, zero times a week. And they go, well, I don't want to, you know, an hour a day, five days a week, that's a ton. Would it be okay for them to just start with 15 minutes, 20 minutes, half an hour? The cool thing about a body changing is that you only need one aspect of it.

So like if you're not working out and you're eating bad, just clean up the meals. You don't even have to start working out yet. You can just clean up the meals and that's one step. Your body's automatically going to change. And then add two days in a week. Start just getting movement. That's your next change. And so now you're four weeks in already.

And all you did was change your meals and work out a couple times. What's one small change that someone can remove from their diet right now and start to feel much better in a week or two or three? Is it soda? Yeah. Do people still drink? Is that crazy? Do they?

There's people watching this. I probably drink like six a day. Wow. Looking at you. That would be an easy one. Take out the crazy meals during the week. just the cheap meals and the celebration for no reason. Take those meals out and just start eating smaller portions.

That's the one thing. Just do that. And just to add on to that, maybe don't eat out as often. Maybe don't Uber eats it so often. Maybe make a meal. That one's like, wow, you just order the meals in. I'm glad I grew up in the era I did because I know, man, it is tough out there. and they're making it easy for you to be overweight.

And I think people really need to start going while. They're making this too easy for me. I can just sit on the couch, watch my show, order a meal, done. Yeah. Get up, get moving again. But there's people that will go, but you don't understand, Mike. My job is so stressful. I just need that time to myself.

And ordering that food, Mike, that's just my me time. Can't help everybody. I'm sorry. I wish I can give you an answer. I can't help everybody. I know that it's this decision you made. Not every father did that. Not every father says, I'm having a baby.

I need to make sure work and I'll, you're going, I need to make sure my health is health. I need to make sure I'm better. I'm raising it. I'm the little one. I got to be ready. I got to be around here for the next 20 years. 20.

I got to be around for the next 120 years. Yeah. But yeah, it's like, and I wish more people would do what you did relative to, I got to work more. I got to do all this and say, take care. yourself, you'll get the work. I'm such a big believer in the idea if someone else can do something. That means that I can do it too.

I've just got to figure out how they did it. I know that in this process, I wasn't planning to look like you at the end of this, but I knew with enough time and hard work, I could at least be on my way to having a much bigger physique. But I just want to show people it's possible. If you put in the hard work, it's possible. Absolutely. You'd crush this, man.

Thanks for doing this today, man. Thank you for doing this. No, this was a blast. And we'll do it again, though, when the movies come out, because I want to see what happens with, I mean, I'm just happy about divinity, Book of Kane, Jonathan Sheck's new show, Blue Ridge. Magazine Dreams is going to be unreal, and I'm ready for this ride. And that's why I'm training twice a day right now, because we're back on set again with Blue Ridge. and I want to come back into this next I'm just getting in better shape than I've ever been in this year.

How is that possible? I will tell you the secrets at the end of the year. Maybe the fake Natty out there fan base will let you know what I'm doing. But the game plan is to unveil a physique that I've never had before at this stage. I want to hit you with a few quick ones here. Go. Seed oils are a big thing. right now. What's your take on seed oils?

But is it big in the sense of don't do any seed oils? Yeah. Yeah. I like them. You like seed oils? Yeah, I do. Like canola oil, vegetable oil. Yeah. Really? I do. This is a big thing right now. I know like right now it's like a no

no. Take all the seed oils out. I do flaxseed oils, a flaxseed powder. I like them. And here's the thing with me is I get people are saying pull things out and that's a new one, that's a new one. I know you said this can be quick, but I don't just read it. I check my blood.

I check my markers. What's working, what's not working? What's out of balance? What's not out of balance? Everything good. And then I change my diet to see what I can manipulate on my blood markers. So I take this to a completely different level. I'm more like Tom Brady.

I'm doing the blood work. I'm checking it. I'm checking my sleep patterns, how well I do, how well I recover. How much do you're sleeping? I get eight. That's good. Yeah, I'm right around there right now without the newborn here. So that's going to shift a lot.

That's going to change a lot. What is your biggest pet peeve in the gym? The toughest stuff is the space. There's no more allowance on space. if you're lifting something. There's just old school protocols. You don't walk in front of a person that's squatting or deadlifting in front of their face and those kind of things.

Or if they're doing dumbbells, give them space to do their dumbbell work and put the weights down. So space is the biggest thing. I feel like gold is just, it's busy all the time. I think it is too. And that's why, again, I love because it's hard for me to change that old school mentality of training. I'm in there to do the work. I fully understand.

Get some videos. Get what you need for the content. But if you can, try to do it in a sharing kind of attitude way. What do you think of Joey Swole? I feel like he's doing a lot for gym culture and like calling out a lot of people for the negative gym culture that is, that, you know, certainly exists right now. I've known Joey forever. And he's also a husky owner like I am and always been friends. I like it.

You know, we got enough people breaking down people, so it's good that Joey's on the other side doing something positive. You think you can keep this mass on you forever? There's a lot of bodybuilders that as they get older, Jay Cutler is one that immediately comes to mind. He's a lot leaner now because he doesn't want to carry around that much mass. You think you could keep this much mass for a long time?

I have attempted to drop the weight from every aspect and I'm just a big guy. That's, you know, Billy's like, Billy Gunn is, I don't know if people know this, but he's like a 260, 270-pound guy. That's just what he is. I'm going to always be about a 280-pound guy. That's what it is.

Damn. Yeah. But that's 280 lean, and it's been like that since puberty. So that's just me. So. Yeah, that crazy story, if you stepping on stage for the first time,

at 14, 170. something pounds 176 14 years old and then a year later then I hit puberty and it was 285 pounds yeah that's crazy but I thought okay it's decent but I mean all kids grow during puberty I just timed it that I was doing so much good training and eating before yeah and then also on stage was 176 sliced down sure as a 14 year old and then 285 was me power lifting at 15 a half and just taking advantage of all the growth hormone, the testosterone that's coming in during puberty. And I wish kids would know that they're growing until their early 20s, better than anybody at any gym. Yeah.

And don't, don't waste that time. But also, don't stop that time of growth. Don't try something outside of your body. You know, that's the biggest pet peeve I have. And that's the only thing that upsets me without the haters and stuff is these guys go, Say something. Say something. It's like, if they don't want to believe all the drug tests I did and never got busted for it, never got busted. I don't know how you would say it. I did all my drug tests and never got a negative. For 25 years, 30 years, I did those. And they'll just go, oh, well, you cheated through them, whatever. Don't put that on the youngsters. Because the one thing I don't want any kid to do is to do that. and stop their potential of what they can be. Yeah.

Because the stuff that they're talking about is you'll be great in your 20s, but the time you're 40, that back nine is not going to be pretty. And that's what I see with a lot of the guys that retire is like they're back nine, their later years, they're so destroyed. And I wish they didn't do that stuff when they were younger. What's the one thing that you know now to be true, that you wish you knew when you were getting into this, you know, when you were just starting out,

that I can't outwork by working out so hard somebody else. So like the greatest, I had the greatest coaches because they were the best power lifters in the world. And then I was training with the best bodybuilders in the world by such a young age. And my whole belief was if I outworked them, I'll be better than them. And that's not health and fitness.

It has no bearing. You can outlift a guy. You can work out longer than the guy. It has nothing to do. All you're doing is beating your body down. Maybe his body can grow doing that much work where your body can't. And that's the one thing. I just wish I chilled.

And I said that earlier. I wish I just did enough to get better and not think of ego lifting or trying to outwork everybody. That sounds like the old adage of the only competition is in the mirror. Like that you're competing with your. yourself every day. Yeah, because that's all you get. It really is when it comes to bodybuilding and strength and stuff, because all you can do is if you're chasing numbers or chasing a physique that somebody else has, you're going to hurt yourself. And then you can't do nothing. Because the sick man wants one thing, the healthy man wants 100. I love that quote. Yeah. So I end every interview talking

to my gratitude because it's such an important part of my life. I wake up every day. I say out loud, three things I'm grateful for. And I do that before going to bed as well. What are three things in your life that you're grateful for as we sit here right now? That I still have my puppy, my best friend, the longest in my life right now, that I got a baby mama that is incredibly supportive. And then I get to raise my son who's absolutely changed my life for the better and shows me what life is about for me. I love that. I feel like we got to end this with a, uh, look at these guns.

Look at these right here. We, are doing a classic pose? Oh, sure. Is it this one? Yeah, yeah. Look at you, man. I got at least eight 40. Come on. You're very, you. You ain't you. Come on. How old are you, really? 35. 15 soap star just to just, just, hi. So, what are we doing today? Hey, what do we have going on? I don't know where we went with that, guys, but enjoy. Enjoy. I don't know how we fit you into this shot. You are a very large man. But thank you, sir. We'll be doing this again sooner. And congratulations again. Hey, I am so excited for you to be a father. Thank you. I'm so excited. And I'm so excited for everything you've got going on. Thanks, good. Congrats. There we go. Sitting down with the legend himself, I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did. And man, magazine dreams. When that comes out later this year, who. I mean, it's a little. I mean, it. if we're talking Oscar stuff now and we're still talking Oscar stuff about that film as the year continues to progress, that is a very good sign. So I can't wait to see that. The buzz around

this is huge. And I think that since we recorded this episode, I think he's gained, Mike has gained something like half a million more followers on TikTok. So if you're not following him on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, wherever, it's just his name at Mike O'Hern. If you're not following me. What are we doing here? I would hope that since we have this connection, since we hang out all the time, that you'd be following me. But if not, it's just my name at Chris Van Fleet. Please take a screenshot of this episode and tag us, share it on social media, and we'll share it out as well if you tag us. And I will leave you with a quote from Arnold since we talked about him during this interview. And I love this. Arnold just has this great mindset, as does Mike. That whole idea that

Mike never skips a meal, there's really something there. It's really something there. And I just think the idea in general that anything Mike has put his mind to, he's accomplished it. It's amazing. It's truly inspiring, seeing what he's done. And his body is a representation of that. It's like a personification of like, you look at a guy who looks like him and you go, yeah, that guy's got dedication. That guy knows about hard work. But here's the quote from Arnold. The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it as long as you really believe 100%. Be great and be grateful.

We will see you on the next one for some more insight. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do. With rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air.

It's like you get up in the morning only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it, but get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What should be? Follow and listen on your favorite platform. You've been warned.