Mark Bell's Power Project - Tom Segura, Fat to Fit and Still Hilarious || MBPP Ep. 976

Episode Date: August 28, 2023

In episode 976, Tom Segura Mark Bell, Nsima Inyang, and Andrew Zaragoza talk about how Tom has been able to lose weight and keep it off. We also dive into his career as one of the most famous comedians and podcasters on the planet. Sponsors mentioned on air: ➢ https://hostagetape.com/powerproject to receive a year supply of Hostage Tape and Nose Strips for less than $1 a night! ➢ Piedmontese Beef: https://www.CPBeef.com/ Use Code POWER at checkout for 25% off your order plus FREE 2-Day Shipping on orders of $150 ➢ https://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/powerproject to save 15% off Vivo Barefoot shoes! ➢ https://powerproject.live   Follow Tom on IG because he could really use the Power Project Boost: https://www.instagram.com/seguratom/   Join The Power Project Discord: https://discord.gg/yYzthQX5qN Subscribe to the new Power Project Clips Channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UC5Df31rlDXm0EJAcKsq1SUw   Special perks for our listeners below! ➢https://drinkag1.com/powerproject Receive a year supply of Vitamin D3+K2 & 5 Travel Packs!   ➢ https://withinyoubrand.com/ Code POWERPROJECT to save 15% off supplements!   ➢ https://markbellslingshot.com/ Code POWERPROJECT to save 15% off all gear and apparel!   ➢ https://mindbullet.com/ Code POWERPROJECT to save 15% off Mind Bullet!   ➢ https://goodlifeproteins.com/ Code POWERPROJECT to save up to 25% off your Build a Box   ➢ Better Fed Beef: https://betterfedbeef.com/pages/powerproject   ➢ https://thecoldplunge.com/ Code POWERPROJECT to save $150!!   ➢ Enlarging Pumps (This really works): https://bit.ly/powerproject1 Pumps explained: https://youtu.be/qPG9JXjlhpM   ➢ https://vuoriclothing.com/powerproject to automatically save 20% off your first order at Vuori!   ➢ https://www.eightsleep.com/powerproject to automatically save $150 off the Pod Pro at 8 Sleep!   ➢ https://marekhealth.com/PowerProject to receive 10% off our Panel, Check Up Panel or any custom panel!   Follow Mark Bell's Power Project Podcast ➢ https://www.PowerProject.live ➢ https://lnk.to/PowerProjectPodcast ➢ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/markbellspowerproject ➢ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/markbellspowerproject   FOLLOW Mark Bell ➢ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marksmellybell ➢https://www.tiktok.com/@marksmellybell ➢ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkBellSuperTraining ➢ Twitter: https://twitter.com/marksmellybell   Follow Nsima Inyang ➢ https://www.breakthebar.com/learn-more ➢YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NsimaInyang ➢Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nsimainyang/?hl=en ➢TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nsimayinyang?lang=en   Follow Andrew Zaragoza on all platforms ➢ https://direct.me/iamandrewz   #PowerProject #Podcast #MarkBell #FitnessPodcast #markbellspowerproject

How long has it taken you to like start to rein in like your nutrition, exercise? You pull from everything. Like honestly seeing you guys like that was super inspiring. It's pretty cool that you've been able to actually move in the right direction when your environment isn't necessarily set up for you to win. That shit is not set up for anyone to win. Is it hard for you? Because I know a lot of people they'll look at Mark and Seema and now you and just be like oh that's just not for me because it's way too hard. Like, you guys do this where you're like, it's just like how you live.

What do you do about, like, cravings? I don't think it's a good idea to give yourself a bunch of permissions. Because Mark was like, you know who doesn't, like, who needs snacks? Like, children. And so I told people that. Because they're six years old. And people flooded me with like, I have snacks. What the fuck are you talking about?

Like, you'd be surprised. You'd be really surprised that you will not eat what you don't have in the house. There's an episode where you were pinning Burt with some testosterone and you've also you've been on using testosterone. So how's that been for you? I mean, I'm on Deca, Tren, Anubar. That's the good shit. Yeah.

You're looking to me for more answers, right? Yeah. Hope you guys are enjoying this episode. We continue to produce these podcasts for free. And if this podcast has brought value to your life, it would mean a lot to us if you guys could give us a five-star review on Spotify or iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Because that helps the podcast grow. Thank you and enjoy the episode. Don't open with that.

Where is the coolest place that you've ever visited? helps the podcast grow. Thank you and enjoy the episode. You hear that expression that there's postcards, but everything, every place they take you, you take a photo, even with your phone, you're like, this looks like the cover of a magazine. It's that majestic. And we had a guide who did the thing, like, hey, will you take us around? They call it the golden circle like these you know a few stops but he is a he's not just like a driver he happens to also be a professional photographer so he would take us to like the the spots but then he was like do you want to see something cool like yeah of course so he would take us off the path and shit where you're like what is this like one thing looked like mars like it was actually all red terrain hills everything and we were like what is this he's like something about like lava that become iron in the soil over like thousands of years

where i was like this looks like mars he goes yeah there's a productions that come and just shoot here because it like it doubles as it looks like mars you know things there's a productions that come and just shoot here because it like it doubles as it looks like mars you know things like that and just like a shot of a stream where you realize like yeah there's no human has like fucked anything up here at all you know like it was just exactly probably exactly as it was 10 000 years ago he told me the that like, I remember it was him or somebody else telling me the story that they were doing. They did, I think, one of the Tom Cruise movies, maybe it was Edge of Tomorrow, one of them. And like a farmer like wandered onto the set, you know, with his like goat or something. Yeah.

And they're like, hey man, what are you doing? He was like, what are you doing? And then like Tom Cruise right then, they're like, hey man, what are you doing? He was like, what are you doing? And then Tom Cruise was right there. They're like, it's Tom Cruise. He's like, who the fuck's Tom Cruise? He had no exposure to any pop culture stuff. They're like, the most famous movie star?

And he was like, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm trying to get my goat. But it was like, it was kind of majestic. I mean, I've seen a lot of cool cities. And I'm going to... It's like a big, giant, volcanic rock. Yeah.

Right? Yeah. I mean, it was really, it was spectacular. And then the glacier water meets up with the volcanic water, and you're in like a hot spring, like a natural hot spring. And people are really cool there. Like, really. They have a lot of weird myths there.

Yeah. They explain that stuff to you about, like, the dwarves and stuff like that. And it's, like, scary shit. No. Like, they grew up with all these, like, weird tales. I mean, first of all, if your bloodline is from there, you're kind of already half a savage. If somebody's settled in Iceland before heat, you're a fucking animal, dude. You're a savage.

Yeah, all the Scandinavian people are fucking savage. The women are like 6'2". Your bloodline is wild. I was wondering how long has it taken you to start to rein in your nutrition, your exercise? You must have been thinking about this for a long time because I've never worked with anybody before where they just overnight turn it on. And I think to the outside world, they're like, oh shit, Tom decided to make this change and he lost X amount of weight.

But it didn't, I don't think it happened overnight. Did it? No, no, it didn't happen overnight. I mean, you know, I guess there's,

you point to like different things. I mean, getting injured is the most obvious thing, you know, cause I got injured in like, like big injury, December, 2020.

But I mean, you know, I was moderately active back then, you know, just doing some things. But I think what happens is like when you come out of that you have all these people who are like oh you got fucked up like you're gonna really turn into a piece of shit now you know like they tell you that

they're like if you're out of shape and you get hurt they're like you're really gonna be a mess now like they start telling you you already have bad habits you have bad habits and now you're not gonna move for a while you're probably just gonna eat and get like really fat who was saying shit like this to you because like it's like are your are your friends like oh you're fucked well uh well i mean i don't one of my burt's wife was one of them okay she told me that like the night i was hurt she was like you're gonna get this

gonna be real bad you're gonna get real bad i was like what the fuck man can you give me 24 hours yeah but it wasn't just her i mean honestly like i think she i think that came that was a very i don't think she was trying to be mean i think it was like her genuine concern concern some people online do it in a more mean way they're like you're really gonna be a mess now you know they and then so some of that affects your like ego and you're like am i gonna let that happen and then like you start going i mean you know that's why i always give like so much credit to like my pt and like pts in general it's like she told me like at the beginning she saw me like incapable of sitting up and she was like look you're gonna come out of this in the best shape of your life and i was like what she going to come out of this in the best shape of your life.

And I was like, what? She was like, you're going to be in the best shape of your life. I was like, really? She goes, yeah. She goes, like, you're going to, it's going to change the way. And she was, I think, you know, yeah, she was trying to motivate. I think she was also speaking from her experiences. Like, you talk to people in that field that, like, they work with people who go through orthopedic devastating injuries, traumatic.

People get hit by cars and horrible things like athletic injuries. In her experience, she sees, I think, a certain mindset, a certain type of person. She's like, you're going to attack this? And she is going gonna work with you she's like i mean my pt she gets up every day at like 4 45 and like she's doing like pull-ups and dips and running and she's like 6 a.m she's like already like i'm in the car like she's like what's up motherfucker like that's how she i'm like are you up she's like up i've been doing you know that's how she like she sleeps in like to like 5 15 you know like that's just like i let it go today like you think just like her mentioning that empowered you

a bit i think it did i think you i think when like you pull from everything like honestly seeing you guys when i was in sacramento like that was super inspiring but you know I mean like I liked it that woke certain things up inside of me too where it was like it was exciting I remember because we were pulling the sled and I got like I got fired up about it so I was like oh last time I think I had like a sled pull it was like high school football but I liked it you know so like you leave those things intensity like you were picking up the intensity. I was like, oh, I don't know why I didn't view this guy as being someone that could be intense physically. Yeah.

Because you're intense with a lot of your success in other places. You're directed and focused. Yeah. And so when I saw that, I was like, ah, he's going to be able to make like a switch. Yeah, I think, you know, it's a factor because someone told me like what,

they asked me and they were like, what inspired you? Thinking it's one thing. And you go, it's not really one thing. I could pick that day as real inspiration, PT, real inspiration. I think there's people I go, I want that person to be proud of me. And it'd make me emotional. Because I'm thinking about a specific person going, I want them to be like, I'm proud of you. And it makes me emotional now just to think about it.

We're proud of you, too. Yeah. Well, thanks. Thanks. But I really think about those things. And then you go, all right, this person, I don't want to let them down. This person, I want to want to let them down. This person, I want to, like, show them what's up. Like, you know, like, you have, so I think you pick from all those things. It's collective.

It's not just, like, this, you know. Like, injury is, like, a catalyst. But it's, like, it's not just that. I do think if I hadn't got injured, if I hadn't been devastatingly doing that basketball shit that you know very well possible that this doesn't get kick started so it's like weird to think of it but you go it's like

it was the worst thing and then in some ways a thing that needed to happen you know you seemed like you liked lifting you liked physical activity yeah but then the diet part of it was probably the real yeah i mean i i feel like i yeah i just kind of i had no structure i had nothing to really

um you know i i didn't stay within any boundaries i feel like it was just like just eat whenever and eat whatever it was kind of like of like, you know, now I see people that do that. I see myself. And I go, like, I know what you're doing, you know. And then they're like, yeah, I just can't lose weight. I'll go, I got a real fucking crazy mystery for you to solve here. Like, it's very, you know, it's so obvious because you see it. You go, like, this is what i was

doing you're doing what i was doing yeah and they're like yeah i just can't cut weight i'm like no shit like the odd thing is like the nature of what you do comedy you guys are working at night all the time yeah that's fucking hard it's not good sleeping you're not sleeping normally right and food's all around snacks are all around so it's like it's pretty cool that you've been able to actually move in the right direction when your environment isn't necessarily set up for you to win that shit is not set up for anyone to win and like i mean i give a lot of credit to sean who was just sean nicks i bring on the road yeah he's like he's a great guy i mean like a great person um you know he's one of those like he walks the walk right like he does all this stuff so he's not just

like you need to do he's not like lecturing me but it's like we're talking about having kids and like how the the best thing you can do is like you and your wife are active healthy people so like your kids just go like oh that guy that guy just goes and he works out all day. Like it's normal to them. Mom swims every day. It's like saying like they go to work. It's like they work out. You know, with Sean, it's like he just, I mean, he eats a certain way and he takes care of himself. And it's not a put on.

It's like just how he lives life. So it's like a walking example. Like I see it every day. We're on a bus, and he's getting a protein bar, a beef jerky or something. It's not just potato chips and bullshit. We get to the hotel, and he's just like, you want to go to the gym?

I'm like, yeah. He's going to the gym. I see him later. I'm going for a run. You want to go? He's just that guy. So you're just constantly seeing the good example. I think that's a big thing is you just start to slowly, like if you weren't there, you start to like slowly make these changes where you're like, yeah, I want a snack.

Give me the protein bar instead of the bullshit. You know, it's like I used to do this thing. the protein bar instead of the bullshit you know it's like i used to do this thing and it's not like it's bad but like i used to go all right when we get to the hotel on the road i want to do cardio an hour before i need to get ready for the show because i like to hit the show with kind of like that post show or post workout kind of energy but what i found was just like i don't know on this last tour we just decided you get to the hotel you work out then and that's how i started to approach it like i was able i think to have just better workouts that way it wasn't like time crunch and it and in that old way it was basically just a cardio thing and this time it was

much more like strength resistant and I think combining the two and also if you wait something can go wrong and maybe that opportunity's gone and if you get there and go we just work out when we get there if something holds you up you can still

go after that first thing so there's less. I do think that, like, being a stand-up or anybody that tours for a living, even if you're not in entertainment, like if you just travel for a living. Yeah. Yeah, it's, dude, I mean, I just got back from, I wasn't even on tour recently. I was with the family vacation and we were traveling. And then I got back home like 10 days ago yeah dude it's so much easier being home like being home everything is better like meals food prep work the workout like everything like you

know i i was active almost every day that we were gone in some way, whether it was like bike ride, swim, going to the gym. I was eating well, but like the meals are better here. The like, you know what I mean? Like everything as soon as I guess my first workout was shown when I got back, I was like, this is way fucking different than, you know what I mean? I didn't feel like I was inactive. Like I was doing stuff, but I was like, this is so much better. I hate to sound like a broken record, but your sleep quality most likely sucks. It's one of the biggest things that we talked about on the podcast. So many guests have come on and talked about how sleep can help you stick to your diet, stick to your workout plan, lose body fat, gain muscle, all the good things that you're trying to

do, but it's hard to do because you might be snoring. And if you're snoring, that's why we partnered with hostage tape, which is mouth tape that you can put over your nose, your mouth, when you're asleep to help you stop snoring and breathe through your nose. But if you haven't been breathing through your nose this whole time while you've been sleeping, it's going to be a little bit difficult to get air through there. That's also why hostage tape has nose strips to help open up your nasal airways and make it easier to breathe through your nose when you're asleep. Now your partner won't be having a fuck with you when you're asleep because you'll be actually breathing through your nose. Andrew, how can they get it? Yes, that's over at hostage tape dot com slash power project where you guys will receive

an entire year supply of nasal strips and mouth tape all for less than a dollar a night. Again, that's a hostage tape dot com slash power project links in the description as well as the podcast show notes. Is it hard for you because i know a lot of people you know like they'll look at mark and sema and now you and i used to be this way also and just be like oh that's just not for me because it's way too hard so like did it take a period of time to go from like day one holy shit to day 100 or whatever it may be or it's like no this is what we do now yeah i think you're just i the one thing that i have said that i feel like is the biggest change is that i used to go

if you get like to here like let's say it's like a number on the scale then you're good so i would i would chase like a number hit the number and be like i did it it's almost like you were on a race or something like i want to finish this race yeah got to the finish line and then what happens is like all my kind of motivations and things they just kind of slowly fell it wasn't like quick but it was like oh yeah i'm just kind of not on top of stuff back and forth on that remember you were like i usually get like this weight and then i just stop and i end up being fat again yeah that's not gonna happen this time yeah yeah i just but then the thing is that it's like what you're saying what ended up happening is i just go like

i finally kind of wrap my head around that it's not one goal like we were just saying like what's like what's your next thing it's like it really Like, you guys do this where you're like, it's just like how you live. And even people that don't do it at your, like your level, you guys are elite level fitness people.

You just have to go like, no, it's, it really is like, are you going to brush your teeth today? Are you going to go to the, are you going to have

a glass of water? Like, you're going to do all those things. I try to go like, I try to listen to my body so like last week i was like really active meaning like in more intense workouts like fairly intense let's say to fairly intense to really intense monday tuesday wednesday thursday and then friday when

i was like i i went and did something in the morning, went to the doctor. I was like, I was on my way home. And I'm not like a daytime nap guy. It was like 11. And I was like, I think I need to lay down, right? Like, I think I need to lay down. And I got home and I slept for like 90 minutes in the middle of the day. But I just go, I just, I was like, and I got up, first of all,

I didn't feel great because I went back into like deep REM sleep, you know, it wasn't like a power nap. It was like a real. And then I was like, today I'm not, uh, like I'm taking the rest of the day off. Like I'm, you know, I'm not going to like beat myself up for being like lazy today. I was like, it was just, my body's just going chill today. Yeah. Did that. And then, you know, next day I did, like, a bike, like, good bike ride.

And I was like, hey, you know, active again. So, like, I listened to myself on that. But I try to stay doing something. Like, if today is, like, we're lifting and, you know, we're moving around. doing something. Like if this today is like we're lifting and we're moving around and tomorrow if I don't get to wait, it's like bike, swim, do something.

So like being active is the minimal part of it. You do something. And I feel like if you look at every day as like, I just, I am active in some way. Like I heard that about George St. Pierre. That like, do you know how often he is active? No, they're like 365 days a year. I was like, he trains?

No, no, he doesn't train 365 days a year. But when he's not rolling and he's not intensely doing that, they're like, he might just jump rope that one day, but he's doing that. So his body moves in some way every day. And I was like, well, like even a lower level athlete can go, yeah, I do something every day, except for the

day you take a 90 minute nap at 11 a.m. Then you just chill that day. Yeah. Yeah. I think there's nothing wrong with even working out multiple times a day, like not full workouts. Sure. Like we call it microdosing. You just microdose. Maybe you wake up and the only thing you do is jump rope. Later in the day, you go on a walk and maybe that's your workout. Like what we did today for our workout. Yeah. We had one exercise that had some pretty good intensity to it, but the rest of it was like kind of coddle yourself and let's do exercises

that are going to make us feel better. Yeah. Rather than like just going in and just blitzing your body with all this stuff that makes you sore forever. I'll confess now to this. I was like, I'm seeing these fucking psychos

in the morning. Right? So I was like, man, I got to get ready for this shit. So I was like, like pre-workout, like fucking getting my mind right.

And I was like, I don't know what these savages are going to be up to. And I was just like, I was just waiting for you guys to be like you ready i was like fuck yeah i was i was so preparing for insanity to come at me that i was like the whole time even like towards the end there i thought you were gonna be like now are you ready to work out i was like oh fuck like getting my mind ready for your guys craziness for for the entire time we were in there then

we just throw a ball around yeah yeah but here's the thing time we were in there. And then we just throw a ball around. Yeah. But here's the thing. We were like, I don't know, what time is it now? Yeah, we were active, though, for close to two hours. It wasn't at a 10. Right. And there was resistance and moving. So it does feel like your body is fully awake, alert, and that we had strain.

We strained ourselves. That felt great. That felt great today. What do you do about your former fat guy self? What do you do about cravings and how have you navigated that? It does seem like you still enjoy a lot of stuff. It seems like you enjoy stuff with your family. It seems like you enjoy stuff on the road.

Because you are traveling to some places that maybe other people don't get an opportunity to go to yeah and it sounds like you're a little bit like me in the sense of like i'm gonna travel somewhere and they're known for something i'm gonna fucking eat that thing yeah i mean i think it's like i'm i'm like careful of like how i say this to people it's, I don't think it's a good idea to start off with like the, like if you're like just beginning, like I need to get healthy and you lose weight, to give yourself a bunch of permissions. Yeah, no gray zones, no gray. Yeah, to like allow yourself to indulge in all these things.

If you're like, I've been unhealthy, I'm trying to, you know what I mean? indulge and all these things if you're like i've been unhealthy i'm trying to you know i mean so it's like you i feel like i've been like kind of in the like going after this now for a minute for a little while so basically what i do is i just i've learned a lot of little things like i've learned that one of the things that is fully possible is like if you have some crazy dessert that like i can try it like have a bite and be like that was good that's crazy isn't it yeah but i never thought like that i never thought like that i really didn't i always thought that like well i have to eat this entire fucking thing like i just it feels crazy to say but like a lot of things I just go like, oh, yeah. And guess what?

That's not going to ruin your physique or your mind. But it's really hard, I think, when you're at the beginning of that to be like, yeah, I just tried. People who are not used to that, it's hard to do. It's hard to go have one when someone's used to having seven. So I do think, and I think we actually talked about this a couple years ago, where it was like, just don't do that to start. Like, don't allow yourself this great. Yeah, don't be a baby. Yeah, and I mean, I said that said that by the way on a podcast i was

like oh mark bell said this thing and people were like the fuck are you talking about like i was because mark was like you know who doesn't like who needs snacks like children and so i told people that and people flooded me was like i have snacks what the fuck are you talking about like like we're allowed to snack and i was like but here's the thing i know what you meant i know what you meant and people who understood it you know what it's the you know i mean it's people people will always hear what they want to hear see what they want to see you know the call always comes from inside the house so it's like you can say something to somebody they spin it and you're just like enjoy yourself i don't i'm not gonna fucking debate you on this whole thing like right what you're saying

is like you don't have to indulge every time you feel like i need something to eat right now okay so somebody who can't wrap their head around that concept i'm not gonna spend time explaining it to you know you're not gonna dm them back forever yo snacks are hard though dude because like i even me like i used to just have food around all the time. And then when I stopped doing that, I got mad. Yeah, yeah. You get a little cranky when you don't eat a little snacky-poo, man. Yeah, you do. Yeah, yeah.

It's tough. It's a change. But, I mean, look, I think you end up finding things that, like, I don't know. Like, I remember seeing this on, like, a show one time and being like, this fucking Momo doesn't. Like, talking about, this guy was like, yogurt and blueberries. This was, like, talking about, this guy was like, yogurt and blueberries. This was like 10 years ago. He's like, yogurt and blueberries, you fucking tool. It's like, I eat it every day.

Like, and I love a yogurt. I do. I fucking love it. Yeah, you have like a palate for it now. I do. And it's like, this one yogurt, it's like 17, 18 grams of protein. Blueberries, like, have like this really great, you know, it's like a superfood, whatever. It balances out the palate from the

yogurt taste. It adds a little bit of, it's not too sweet, but I have it all the time. I have it all the time. I like it. Figuring out those little things. I'll have an indulgence. I had that amazing burger that

i told you guys to go to but it's like you know i had it and uh i don't know i'm not gonna have it for a while you know i mean like the the real slippery slope for people i think like myself included is if i'm like that was going that was great i'm gonna take you guys right now and then tomorrow i'm gonna take my like you start like just overdoing stuff, which is like, that's pretty much the definition of being overweight is that you are overeating. You know, you're, you're, you're calorically in a surplus. So you, I think you, once you learn to like navigate the path, you go like, all right, I'm going to have this indulgence, but I'm not going to do this all the time. I'm going to do it this week and maybe I'll do it again next month. That is something you can do. But like we originally talked about, I don't think

it's a good place to start at if you're like, I'm really struggling with food. Yeah. We had a guy on the show years ago or not too long ago that said, you can only break the rules when you know them you know i mean it's a great point and then same thing with comedy right chapelle can go up there and just like do whatever because he understands the rules so well he's fucking unbelievable dude he can do things that i've never seen i remember he went up at this arena and like arenas are just so different. Like, you know, you're used to seeing comedy performed in clubs.

And that's really how it's designed for. It's an intimate art form. He can do, like, quiet, soft-spoken storytelling. Like, he's telling you, like, it's you three at the table. And then you look up and there's like 18,000 people. And he was doing this with his special had just come out so he had no

new material. Most people when you have no new material you go, keep me in the small clubs to figure stuff out. So that I can take it to the big room. It's the natural way. He was like, no, just do the arena. So he worked out stuff with 18 000 people and i was like and like and the thing is like he's so just gifted as a

orator like somebody that can just talk that they were just like that was incredible and you're like yeah that's the first time he said that like that wasn't even it's just yeah another thing i think in terms of food what i think could be important for a lot of people and uh it sounds like such uh i don't know sounds like a little over the top fitness advice yeah but just go to fucking bed yeah you know what i mean like yeah you're done with your set go to your room if you need to eat something because you're actually hungry like maybe go to your room if you need to eat something because you're actually hungry like maybe it's something that's healthy but go this has happened to me countless this was the other night because i mean i don't want it to sound like i'm not coming for

saying any of this stuff from like i have this all figured out this is like always a work in progress thing but it was just like the other night i got home on the not golden tiger night, and it was like everyone was asleep. I was like, ah. I don't know. It was like 11.30 or something. I'm going to get something to eat. I started walking to the kitchen, and I kind of like,

I just kind of stopped literally in the middle of the hallway, and I was like, I'm not hungry. I just i go i'm not i'm not hungry right now i just want to taste something you know i mean like i was not gonna be good i go it's not i mean i didn't think i was gonna go for like something even crazy indulgent but i was just like why eat anything right now i was like can i go to bed right now without eating? And I literally had like the conversation in my head, standing in the hall. And then I was like, yeah, just turn around, go to, you know, it was like, it was like a waste. It was going to be just wasteful eating. It was, there was no purpose to it other than like spending time doing it.

I was like, just go. Like if I, if my stomach was groaning, I would have been like, oh, you're really hungry. You know, like, like you're, you're, there's hunger pain.. I was like, just go. Like, if my stomach was groaning, I would have been like, oh, you're really hungry. You know, like, there's hunger pain. But I was like, just go to bed. If no one else is awake and no one sees it, the calories don't count. It doesn't count.

That's true. They don't count against you. The other one, and this is super obvious, but, I mean, I've told so many friends this, like, you'd be surprised, you'd be really surprised that you will not eat what you don't have in the house. Like if you're like, man, I keep eating these fucking like, you know, chocolate bars.

You're like, yeah, you know, it's crazy because if you don't buy them, you won't eat them. People are like, well, my kids. And it's like, oh, your seven-year-old kid drives to the store and buys granola bars. Well, yeah, because the funny thing is with my kids are snack hounds, you know? They're just monsters. Yeah, you'll see how it goes. What happens is they go, I want the granola.

And you're like, we don't have it. And they're like, all right, what else do we have? Like, they just go right to the next thing. They'll eat what is available. Power Project family, we talk about beef and meat all the time on the podcast. That's why we've partnered with Certified Piedmontese Beef. But did you know this?

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lot of people almost become, they feel like they become different people as they change and as they change their habits. But like you've always, you've been a successful comedian for a very long time. You've been doing business at a very high level for a long time. And recently, maybe past three or four years, you really changed your your shape like you look younger now than you did 10 years ago crazy so i'm curious like did your skill and other things the way you do business the way you do comedy did that change at all or is it just like you're in better shape and that's the big deal um i do think it all has like a you know like a domino effect. Like, I mean, I've heard people say they're like, discipline in one facet of your life will bleed in to other parts of your

life. But you were already super disciplined in comedy. I was. I was. I was disciplined in that. So I just, I do feel like it kind of connects things more. You kind of develop more skills. You become more focused because you're not allowing – because it was basically like do these things and then let this thing slide by. So now you're like don't let that slide by. And what happens is you go I'm not going to let that slide by, and it makes you look around at anything else. So you being a little more you tighten everything else you know up and it like yeah i think you do become like sharper at your business stuff because i mean you know when you

look at i've i've talked about this even before i was even doing anything to take care of myself health-wise it's like The most successful guys in entertainment, let's say movies, they're all in really good shape. And I don't mean that they're in good shape because their bodies need it, but Kevin Hart, he's a fitness lunatic. Mark Wahlberg, same thing. The Rock, same thing. The Rock.

Same thing. Cruise. He's in great shape. All those guys are, like, very disciplined with their health. And then they are also, like, really on top of all their business stuff. Like, they all have multiple businesses that they work with. You know, they have, like, different, whether it's, like, car stuff, gym stuff, they work with banks and shoe sponsors. Like they have all these other things going on and like their physical health is a huge priority.

So I think those things are connected. It's not just, oh, you know, this is randomly happening. It's like I think it's all tied together. So, yeah, I think it's like you're doing what I do. Also, the truth is if I really was living the way I was physically 10 years ago, I wouldn't be able to complete a tour like I did. You literally cannot complete. How many dates was it?

We did 303 shows in 171 cities. In how long? 21 months. But I mean, there's a lot of movement, you know? A lot of movement. There was a few times where we did, I think it was on average, what, there's 30 days a month, where we did like 24 to 26 shows in a month.

a month where we did like 24 to 26 shows in a month and that was on average you know a city every other day so you think about like the amount of travel if you're really like i don't lift i don't eat well and i don't move i mean i got sick. I got sick on that tour probably six, seven times. And that was with being on top of stuff. And like I told you, not really drinking. Still, because your body is breaking down from all. And then the stress of performing. And then you do two shows in a night sometimes. So you're wrapping up at like 1 a.m.

And you're on a bus. And you sleep like shit on the bus and you get to the next city, it's 5 in the morning, you check in. So that wear and tear, if you're not taking care of yourself at all, I mean, you just completely fall apart. As you started to like stop letting things go, you know, like because you're saying you're kind of tightening other areas of your life, did that upset some people that you were maybe working with?

I mean, that's a good question. I don't know if it upset them. You know what? It makes you more decisive. Like, I have fired more people in the last few years. And, like, I remember the first time I fired somebody was, like, probably, like, 2015, and it was so hard it was really hard and what and i don't mean this in like a uh ruthless cold-blooded thing when i say it's gotten easier but you become

just more clear thinking and decisive about like this is what is best and so I'm sorry but this doesn't work and whereas before you get like lost and like but you know what I should I don't want them to think poorly about me and I don't want you know what if they don't like me after this like that was like a fucking nine month conversation you would have what if someone doesn't like me if I let them go you know and so I mean it sounds weird to connect it to, but to me, it's definitely connected, where you go, all these things become structured and you become more grounded in who you are, and then you go, I'm sorry, but this isn't working out. I wish you the best. Have you been

fired before? Yes. But the last time I was, usually a turning point for a lot of people. A turning point for a lot of people. Yeah. A pivot point for a lot of, like people are devastated, but then sometimes from there, it's a nice pivot point from them. It can be. I think it depends on, there's other factors, right? In this, I mean, I was never fired when I was like really a, you know, working adult, like in my 20s. I was fired, like I was doing this part-time thing in college, and it was so weird the way I was fired one day. I showed up for this job, or I showed up for this gig,

and I was working, I was a full-time student, and I was doing this a few days a week, and I was working for the marketing division of a shopping cart manufacturer. So like the people that make shopping carts. And I was just like a marketing person. And marketing, I'm not even an intern. It wasn't an internship.

It was a part-time job. The marketing, head of marketing was this lady who was fucking clueless, like really clueless. I would show up and like, you know, she would be like, label these envelopes. I was like, Jesus Christ. And one day like her boss pulls me in and is like, hey, we're going to have to let you go. I was like, what?

He's like, yeah, we expected more. I was like, you expected more? And I was like, for real? I mean, I was expecting to be told to do more than label these envelopes. So I reacted poorly. i wouldn't call that a turning point i almost set that fucking building on fire but but like you know i have let people go who who um yeah you could tell it it has an effect on them and i mean you know i i never like i've been lucky that it's not like that I've had, like, a blowout, crazy

firing. It's just, like, things where you go, this isn't working for the best, you know. Right. Got to change it. You've had a lot of weird jobs. Like, your background is interesting, the fact that you're a comedian. Now, didn't you, like, work for America's Most Wanted or something like that? I did work for America's Most Wanted, yeah.

Right? Yeah, that was crazy. Like, you've been working since you were a kid? You know what was crazy? Yeah. Yeah. My first, I started, I started working, like, the first time I Right? Yeah, that was crazy. Like you've been working since you were a kid? You know what was crazy? Yeah. I started working, like the first time I had a job, I was 14.

So like basically, it was crazy. You know, my dad, I have two sisters and like they had a whole different run than I did. It was like, like my sister's like sunbathing.

He's like, you have to get a fucking job. And I was like, what? So, and like I was working. You're like, I'm like i was working 11 yeah man i was like but you know he's marine and he was just like yeah no you're a dude so i'm like okay so i worked uh i work construction in florida um oh shit that wasn't my first job but that was a job job that really showed. It also showed me some of the guys I worked with in those jobs had taken a path of not going after. Not that everybody in construction is in this, but these were guys that were like, these were fuck-up guys that I worked with.

I mean, crack-smoking dudes. Because we were laborers. I'm not talking about like hey let's contract no no no we were labor labor hands you know like dragging concrete bricks and shit you know like and like i was like oh this is it's interesting to go like this is a path in life like i could be doing this with and this guy was these guys were just like happy to get to Friday get a check and get fucked up all week and we would just like I mean

when you're like one of those labor dudes in Florida in summer and you really can see like this is like this is a path like you can go down this if you want to I was like no I don't want to do this shit but I mean I worked at a worked at a pizza shop in LA when I

was trying to do acting stuff when I first got there I worked America's most wanted to crazy is that my first day though they filmed that show in D.C. on Wisconsin Ave. We used to do it at the Fox Studios there. My first day there was September 10th, 2001. Oh, shit. Yeah. Yeah. So I moved. I was doing real estate in Boston, ironically, where the flights departed from. And I did that for a summer. I made so much money doing it. And that's how I knew that my motivation wasn't money.

Because I was like, I don't want to do this. And I'm 21 making thousands of dollars a week. I can't believe how much money I'm making. it still was like yeah i don't want to stay doing this shit you know which is like a really fascinating thing to learn that young because i was already in them yeah i was i want i wanted to do i didn't have the um the balls to try like to really try yet so i was like i was i was basically like i knew it was coming up i was just slowly getting toward you know it's like when you go, someone's not ready to get active yet, and they're just kind of like, you know. So I was like, I was looking for obstacles, something to stop me.

And then when we moved, I moved, I had interned for, they call it AMW, America's Most Wanted. I had interned there in college for a summer and did great as the intern. So then they offered me a job as a researcher so i start september 10th 2001 so you know september 11th there's also a plane hits the pentagon so i'm in dc right it's fucking insane to be there like that day I was at the office from like, you know, probably 10 a.m. till like 1130 p.m. And it was just insane. But then we just started going to the White House all the time.

And we stopped chasing like the normal fugitive bank robbers and shit. And we would just profile like terrorists every episode. They were like, you know, bin Laden and Khalil Sheikh Mohammed. Like profile terrorists every episode. They were like, Bin Laden and Khalil Sheikh Mohammed. That was every episode. And there was always pressers from the West Wing, so I'd be on the West Wing lawn just standing there holding a cable or something. Like researching murderers and terrorists and shit?

So the way that that would work is they would give you, they'd be like, basically do a deep dive on a fugitive. And then I would do like a deep dive and try to find not just a fugitive, because we had plenty of them, but a story. Somebody that you, like, how can we profile this person? So I would pitch, you know, I pitched one that was like horrific. pitch you know i pitched one that was like horrific this uh sexual predator that would a lot of them go to like um you know like caribbean and central american countries because it's much easier not just to commit those crimes but to escape prosecution and give someone like 500 bucks and split so i i pitched this dude and they like, that's a really good story and everything.

And then my contract, I had a short-term contract, and then they offer me a renewal, longer contract. And I'm like, no. I just decided I don't want to do this. I want to move to L.A. and pursue entertainment. Like, all right. do this i want to move to la and pursue entertainment like all right so i go home to florida for like a month and then i moved to la january first or second 2002 like a month later they call me and they're like hey where are you i'm like where am i i don't i don't work there like they're like i haven't seen you around the office i'm like no shit i've been gone for like

three months yeah and they're like hey you know that story that you pitched us we want to do it and i was like good for you and they're like will you come and help like be like an associate producer on the piece and i'm like where and they're like costa rica i was like uh i don't know and then i i go well you're gonna have to pay and i thought i was like, I don't know. And then I go, well, you're going to have to pay. And I thought I was like, you know, negotiating like I was a fucking agent. And I was like, you have to pay all this. And I remember the guy, he was like, no, we're not paying you that. And I called the other guy and I'm like, hey, he said you guys aren't going to pay me.

He's like, we'll pay you. We're not going to pay you fucking top dollar. And I was like, all right. So I flew to Costa Rica. And I'm on an episode of America's Most Wanted somewhere out there. Yeah, where I'm like talking to these people in a van. And it's just profiling. And here's the thing, man.

Here's how bad I was at this. It's like you learn things about yourself. I'm interviewing a girl who was the victim of this horrific predator. And as I'm interviewing her, you know, cameras over my shoulder interviewing her, I'm crying and she's not. And I was like, like, that's so sad. They're like, dude, hold it together. And then like the camera guy, he goes, I remember he goes, I don't think this is the right line of work for you. I was like, I don't think so either.

It was like, it was too much, you know, it was too emotional. And how old were you at that time? 22. Jeez. Okay. Was there a turning point when you were starting comedy where you're like, I think I can do this? Or did someone say, like, dude, you're,

or was it more like your weight loss journey where it wasn't really one thing it's been a here's the thing with comedy i think everyone's like this i don't know i think you're like i'm definitely like there's part of you where you're like i'm definitely super i'm this i'm very funny i'm good enough to do this the thing is how do i show someone i just met how do i show new people because you know kind of like what you're capable of, right? You have like a lifetime of like making people laugh so hard. Like I could think of like from, I moved a lot and you go like, man, I made so many people cry laughing. But you're like, it's always in like private settings. So you're, all you're trying to do is trans like how do i get that to happen but like on a professional level and that's the part that takes you i think the years to

navigate because you're like and because even like when you you know i remember doing this thing i don't know some comedy bit for somebody and like the guy filming was like don't quit your day job like i told you that yeah i was like fuck fuck right and i was like i don't quit your day job like i told you that yeah i was like fuck fuck right and i was like i don't have a day job at the moment i was like this is what he was like you know like and then you're kind of like man you get down but you're like no fuck that guy you know like i know i i can it's a skill set yeah it's like and it's weird because all you're trying to do is like get get to the point where you can do the thing you've done in perfect scenarios to do it in imperfect scenario like yeah you just turn it on it's like we're talking about like turning on your nervous system

to deadlift 600 pounds like you show up now it shows professionally and you're having a bad day or you're upset for yourself but you still are like showtime boop and like it's just they don't know you can just do it right it's like that's the thing that takes you years to develop but it's also it's like this you know it's like there's days even on tour where you're like man i'm i'm pretty good at this you know like you feel like that you're like i'm i'm pretty fucking proficient at this and like that same week on tour you might have a show where you're like what am i doing up there you know like just full of doubt and i think it actually is supposed to be like that i think it's supposed to be like that for life i don't think you're supposed to perform all the time where you go i'm really good like i think having doubt and like all that is part of

the creative process where you kind of go like you know you what you do is you like you listen to the thing if like if you're feeling shitty doubtful uncreative you go like you know what i need to do something different like i need to like stop opening with this joke or i need to go experience something in life that maybe i can talk about it you know like so i i feel like that still is the case that you have days where you feel very talented and days where you feel like, I think I'm an imposter and I shouldn't be doing this. Like that still happens every year. You know, I want you guys to imagine that you're wearing a cast on your hand and you're going through your whole day with this cast hand. Well, because your fingers don't move, your hand will

start to become stiff, weak, and that'll work its way up your arm. That's the same thing that happens when you wear these damn shoes. Okay. Sorry to curse, but it's frustrating because these shoes that have a narrow toe box, although they look nice in their Nikes, narrow toe box. So your toes can't move. They're not flat. So your foot is in this weird thing and it's not getting stronger and they're not flexible. So they don't move.

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project when you guys get there you'll see a code across the top make sure you use that code for 15 off your entire order again vivo barefoot.com slash power project links in the description as well as the podcast show notes throw these away dude. Oh my God. Dude, watch the camera. You said you're always able to make people laugh, but do you know any comics who just like literally were not funny people? Is it actually a skill set you can build if you're not a funny person? There's, I've seen everything in standup.

Meaning like I have seen people that are the funniest person that I've ever been around offstage that can't translate that onstage. I've seen people that seem like they work at a mortuary offstage that onstage are fucking just hilarious. I've seen everything in between. in between um i don't i do think that at some level somebody who ends up being like professionally proficiently comedic has some of that is is not it's not like you could take somebody who has not like you can produce someone meaning like i could take somebody who i go who like you're, this person is not funny.

And I put them in a scenario. I sit them here and I go, okay, we're going to talk. And then every once in a while, I just want you to nod and go, I haven't thought of that. And then we'll cut to it. And like, so I'm producing this to make them look funny, but they're not being funny. Like we're manufacturing being funny. Like, we're manufacturing the funny from them, you know? Like, that person on their own

just won't get people to laugh. Yeah. Right? So, like, you could put somebody in that situation and go, like, oh, you made them funny. It's like, well, you know, you did it.

You made them funny. That person's not gonna... But there are people that, like, you just have to awaken something in for sure. You're them funny. That person's not going to. But there are people that, like, you just have to awaken something in for sure. You're triggering something. You're giving them. A lot of people just need, like, a lot of mic time. That's what they tell you.

It's like if you're starting out, there is no substitute for doing every single microphone you can get on. They're like, what shows should I do? All of them. All the shows. You should do the gay show. You should do the black show. You should do all the shows because every minute on stage

is helping you get to that place. I love how on your Wikipedia page it says black comedy. Along with other comedy, you also have black comedy. I don't make that. Somebody else made that. But I think, aren't they meaning when also have black comedy I mean that don't make that somebody else made that but I think like

aren't they meaning when they put black comedy I don't think it's dark comedy you think it's I don't it's like dark comedy is another thing black comedy is like

a black audience but that's that is 100% true I mean that was like I mean if you go like through years

it is exclusively what I consumed for a set number of years. Like, as I'm saying, as a viewer, a consumer, like, when I was, like, I mean, I started off, like, as I'm saying, as a kid, first person I ever saw do stand-up was Cosby. Then I saw Eddie Murphy. Then, like Then people forget. This funny thing is when you say Def Jam, it has this, you're younger, but because I don't know,

you were probably too young for when this first came out. But when it first came out, Def Jam kind of ends up having this polarizing effect on people as a reference where they'll think it means like bad over the top like hacky you know urban like a lot of stool fucking right but what they don't realize is that like people who think that they're like it also was the place where that launched i mean countless martin so that's what i was going to say is like. Martin was so good as a host that it's one of the few things that I can think of where you watch the show for the host. Sometimes you would watch and when someone's set was started, if you weren't into it, you were like, yeah, but Martin will be back in a couple of minutes.

That's literally how you're watching the show. So you'd watch somebody and you're like, I'm not really into this, but like in another minute or two this guy will wrap up and then Martin will be back. He was like, I mean, it was like,

when people say someone has like star quality and charisma, Martin Lawrence, as the host, you just knew that he was special. So like,

I was fucking, I mean, just enamored with the guy like i thought it was like the great and then i loved when he started doing movies and i you know i loved his show yeah but yeah like so i was just consuming that stuff so yeah black comedy for sure big fan yeah do you and your wife talk about comedy a lot with her being a comedian do you guys uh or did you used to maybe when you were younger yeah no i mean, for sure it was the only thing we talked about for a while, because you're, like, just talking about more, like, you know, comedy is a lot of, like, shit talking.

This guy, you know, you're talking about every, there's a lot of that. But then, yeah, talking about comedy you like, because, you know, we're big fans of comedy. That's how you get into stand-up, because you're a big fan of it. Like, we're talking about, like, watching these shows. Right. So yeah, we talk about what we were fans of and then you talk about,

oh my God, I just saw so-and-so's bit. It was fucking amazing. Or, you know, this person, I don't know what's happening to them right now.

This person's drunk. All of it. Like, you're just talking about all the stuff that you're seeing. And, even now, like,

you know, we were in the car yesterday. She's telling me, like, I'm doing this bit but I'm trying to figure out, because you're always trying to figure out a way in. Like, you know, we were in the car yesterday. She's telling me, like, I'm doing this bit, but I'm trying to figure out, because you're always trying to figure out a way in. Like, what's the way into the bit? So we're just talking that out. That stuff, I mean, I could talk about that with anybody for fucking hours.

Like, the way in is the most kind of cerebral part. The way in to, like, convincing somebody, kind of like, give us a story. No, like, what's the,, like, you have a story, but what's the point of the story? Because that changes the whole story. Like, if you go, like, I saw a fight.

I mean, that's just like, okay, I saw a fight. But if you have a point of telling why you're talking about the fight, it elevates. The story then has actually more value. People will

lean forward if you talk before you tell the story. So you're always trying to figure out, it's almost like you work backwards. You have the story, now why are you telling it? I saw a guy shit his pants one time during a fight. Yeah. And this is what happened. Yeah. You gotta go back.

You gotta go back. You gotta start talking about burritos. And like, you know what I mean? Like, the whole thing would be like, you got like, because you want things to be a surprise too, right? So it's like, you have to think about what you're gonna, you have to plan out your

days. Like, I always have a go bag. A go bag has essentials. It has a satellite phone, it has rope, and it has a change of underwear. You might wonder why it has a change of underwear. Because today I saw, and then you like tell your, so you have a, like you said that thing at the top, and now when you tell the shitting the pants story,

it's like, oh, like it's connected to something. It all came together. Yeah, you guys do an amazing job with that. see comedians like they'll they kind of start their set with like there might be like a little joke in there and then they go and go and go and they go on other things and then they pull back to that thing they said in the beginning yeah like now i kind of get what you're saying like you're in on it too yeah like we're all in it in it together even though you're the one that set it up. Yeah. Yeah, it's fun. It's also like,

it's the fun too I think of like putting together a set is like, oh, because a lot of times you don't figure it out. That's the, it's like a thing that's moving, you know?

Like you're doing your set now for like three months, six months, and all of a sudden like you have a thing and you're like, oh, I gotta add this here and like,

it's like the whole thing works better. It's like adding an instrument to a piece of music, and you go, that's what this thing needed the whole time. The worst is when you figure that out after you shoot a special, and you still do that material for a few months, and then you say something one day because you're not thinking anymore. You're just kind of like, and you're like, that's what the fuck i assume that's what i do oh it's happened like every special every special you do you do the special you still are working the road for a few

months before it comes out so you still do the material you start dropping stuff but you're so loose after a special because you have the pressures gone that your mind has like this kind of stream of consciousness thing going and you'll throw something in there that you're not like you're just not you know trying and it's like as you're on stage you're like motherfucker because you know like it's already recorded and you're like that was the line like i needed that line and then you just have to let it go you know but like yeah it happens to everybody you shoot and then your your mind goes and you're like that's what it needed i don't know if about you but this sounds exactly like jujitsu like you have to piece the things together because if i like armbar he's like what the

fuck you doing i have to set it up yeah and then you go try it on somebody or whether it be a competition like oh that wasn't it and then you're fucking around afterwards like that's what it was as you're like not thinking yes yeah thank you yes flowing um early on did you like surround yourself with like a bunch of other comedians because you're just talking about it right now you just you guys can talk about it all day long and obviously you're around the best comedians now but when you first started did you kind of dive in and have that same like thing where like dude i could talk about this all day or you know did you kind of get frustrated you know everybody's so scared i think everybody's so scared when you're when you're starting out you're just like everyone's so insecure and you're so like fearing of judgment and you're still you're so judgmental

that you and you you have this thing where you're like i don't judgment, and you're so judgmental. You have this thing where you're like, I don't know if this guy, I don't know if he thinks I'm funny. You have all these things that I think everyone kind of isolates at the beginning. For me, you find one or two people that you guys are friends, and you don't fuck with anybody else. You're cordial, but it's not like, let you guys are friends and you kind of don't fuck with anybody else. You kind of, you're cordial. Yeah.

But you're not, it's not like, let's all hang out and be funny. Like, no, it doesn't work like that, you know. So everybody kind of is like standoffish to a degree. You have like your cliques and crews, you know. That's really how, and then like you guys talk, but it's not like with everybody. Hey, don't tell that asshole over there what I said today. I mean, you hate that guy, you know. But it's also like with everybody hey don't tell that asshole over there what i said today i mean you hate that guy you know but it's also like you really don't you just think you do you know and and you think that like you think things like that guy got this thing on tv that means i'm never

gonna fucking get a thing on you know like that's how you think because you're young and you don't realize that that person's success is not, has no relevance to you. You're just not, you're not aware of it, you know. But it's all like things that you learn like through just experience, you know. You can't really implement that in somebody at 22. Like, hey man, this is how life is. Like, you know, you just have to kind of you go through it you feel those insecurities and you react poorly people react poorly to you it's a whole thing

right and then 15 years later people go i'm sorry i fucking i was such an idiot you know and i've literally had those conversations people like apologize or like i apologized to some guy i was like i was trying to be funny and he was, I have no idea what you're talking about. Like, I told him, I was like, I fucking said, I remember saying this stupid thing to this guy. Yeah. And he was like, I remember him being like, and him just kind of like,

literally went like, and turned around. And I was like, oh man. Because I was trying to be like, funny backstage. And when I told him, I was like, oh man. Because I was trying to be like funny backstage. And when I told him, he was like, I have zero recollection of you doing that. I have no memory of this whatsoever. Like for me, it was like impactful. For him, he was like, no big deal.

Yeah, it didn't really. Is it more fun in the beginning stages, like building to where you are now? Or is it more fun now? Like I'd imagine, like people are kind of ready to laugh when you come out now you know people are they are aware of your tour they spent the money to go there they're not like all right make me laugh motherfucker yeah i mean like when you go just like to a regular comedy store and it's person after person there they're kind of no namers yeah beginning you're like what's this you know you're there to laugh because it's comedy they're the most honest comics yeah you know the most the best the

truest most purest form of comedy that you can get from a comedian is right before they break because that's when they're operating at a high level. They've been doing it a while. The comedy, like, you can do more evolved comedy, but they're like pure comedians when they're like, they have the proficiency, but they have no fame. So you're like, man, it's like, it's hitting on all cylinders, and they're earning every laugh. It's like and you can't you can't mimic that once you're known.

Right. Like you look you can still do poorly. I don't like you. I've done poorly as a known comedian. It still can happen. You know you can go up there unprepared lazy arrogant sloppy just heads in the wrong place. You know I can go sideways. But there's nothing like the honesty of being unknown.

Because when you're unknown, you can fail so fucking hard. And you can also surprise people in such a way that just, it almost can't happen when you're very well known. Magical almost. Yeah, it's kind of magical. I had had you know killed in in ways where i'm like that was fucking unbelievable you know like really really magical and i bombed so epically you know like where i was like this is the worst thing i've ever

experienced in my like that kind of shit which kind of feels like i either one of those feels like it's almost impossible to mimic now. Funny thing about you, though, is like, with certain comics, you know, I guess, politically where they stand, or you know where they stand on certain things. Yeah. I don't know with you. Yeah.

I don't know if you're doing that on purpose, because you kind of make fun of everything. Yeah, I prefer it that way. I mean, I also feel like, I don't know, I just feel like there's people who do political things so well, and I watch them, and I'm like, you're so good at this. And I'm comfortable going, this is your lane. I'm not that guy. I don't know, no one wants to hear my take on the fucking legislation that's going on. You know what I mean?

Like, somebody does that well, it's like, let them have it. I have different opinions on things and also i don't feel like the thing where like i won't share those things i share them when they kind of come out naturally yeah you know whether that's on podcasts like things come up i just i go this is you know if it if it comes out on stage same thing i've said things and, you know, either people like it, don't like it, you know? Black Lives Matter, how do you feel about it right now? Those fucking blacks are so goddamn foolish. Right? Yes, dude.

God. Yeah. Sick of them. Yeah, I mean, like when people go... When, I don't know. I also feel like personally, like I'm not going to restrict myself from saying something I want to say. Yeah. But I don't want to be like, I don't know.

I didn't sign up to be like an activist. You know, some people are like, you have to use your platform. I'm like, you can use yours. I can do it. I can do whatever I want with mine. So I talk about things that like, you know that they come to me naturally like if I think something's really funny like that's still the guide they tell you that in the very beginning what should you talk about talk about things you

think are funny don't don't talk about what you think people will think is funny take about and then 20 years later it's the same thing. You should talk about what you think is funny. I mean, I also have news and political fatigue a lot of times, like where it's been years now where I go, I'm just tired. It doesn't mean that I'm unaffected or don't have an opinion. You're just like, hey, man, I want to step away from that too. I'm tired. I'm tired of all the news so i'm gonna talk about other shit you know and like if you want like really insightful political commentary there is plenty of that available i don't think that like i'm the guy that needs to deliver it you know it's like and then yeah

every time you do the same thing happens that happens when anyone delivers any opinion online you get a bunch of people that go this is great i'm so happy you said this a bunch of people that go i thought you were a fucking comedian you know like and like it's all the the so i don't know it's like is that what you want is that what you're going for i mean i'm not letting it be a deterrent in that I won't say things, but I'm not looking to speak out on things I don't feel the most informed in or don't have a strong opinion on, you know? Like Black Lives Matter, I don't get it. I know your favorite food is a croissant, right? I would say so. We had a guy on our show who had a diet called the croissant diet. was this is real is this real well i don't know how real but pretty real well he was real he was real yeah he was real

about it but basically uh a croissant has it's heavily buttered right and butter has a type of if it's worth a shit yeah yeah it has a type of saturated fat in it called stearic acid, which supposedly has less ability to convert to fat. And so his theory was like the French people are always eating croissants. Maybe I can get away with doing it. So I think he would eat a croissant every day, right? Or multiple, yeah. He would make the croissant sandwiches, though. What was this body composition like?

He wasn't like ripped or anything. He was just a normal dude. You know what? I found, like, I remember going to a French bistro. This was, like, five years ago. I'm fat as fuck, and I'm just, like, at this place. And everything is, like, super rich. But everything was, like, small portions. And it was, like, an authentic. Like, it was like small portions.

And it was like an authentic, like this French guy, and I was like, do you eat like this every day? He was like, yes. I was like, how are you not fat? He's like, look, it's two bites of this, two bites of that, it's not a lot, you know, you just have a few bites, and it's not a lot. You don't have to be as fat as you,

you just eat a little bit. I was like, oh yeah. And it was like, I mean mean it's like basic shit but it was like you know if you eat like the the endless bowl of pasta you know you'll get fat right but if you go i'm gonna have this much pasta you're not and you have to wash down with wine and a cigarette. Yeah, I mean, the cigarettes. That'd be fine. Key, yes. Aren't cigarettes appetite suppressants? I think so. Right? Nicotine is actually found to be like a, it's not bad for you.

It's like the gum. Or just like the chemical, right? So, but getting nicotine from smoking, I've heard, not the best. Yeah. Guys, summer is here and it's time to get some new footwear. I'm not talking about these. Flip flops suck. I used to love them, but they are messing with the way you walk and they're actually

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We love these things, and that's why we've partnered with Shama to make our version two, which is much cleaner than our version one. Both versions are on the PowerProject.live website, so get your new summer footwear, the Power Sandals. Peace. Thank you so much for your time today bro you got one just really quick before we get away well i guess we're now wrapping things up i know you've been asked probably like a bunch of times about nerves getting on stage um i'm curious what you do to work through that but also like let's say you have a big date that you just booked out like when do you start getting nervous for that date and i'm asking this personal reasons because like if i have a competition coming up i'm like shaking as i'm logging in to sign up and i'm like i need to figure out how to

break through this because like i know i'm good enough for this but like my mental capacity can't handle it right now so i am curious like, what's your whole protocol for doing this? Well, it's interesting that you ask that. One of the things I was thinking about, too, is that I was thinking about this, obviously before you mentioned this a while ago, about the type of nerves that I would feel I can still remember from high school football was physical competition, particularly violent physical competition where there's a component of violence. And I likened it to almost, I mean, you say this, oh my God, but almost like an act of war, right?

You know, you say this, and people are like, oh, my God. But, like, almost like an act of war, right? Where you're, the idea of being, not that you're going to die, but that you're stepping into the unknown. Something about competition is there's an unknown factor. And when there's physical, violent competition, part of your brain, I think, goes, am I going to get decimated at this thing, right? Even if you don't consciously think that, I think part of your brain goes, and like, so there was this thing when I played high school football every day, every Friday, Fridays are game days for high school football. football, I would be so nervous by like second period that some of those days I would take Xanax in the mornings, right, to calm down enough to get through class, right?

Like that's how, and people wouldn't know. They weren't like, well, you're a mess, right? This was like internal. People wouldn't know. They weren't like, well, you're a mess, right? This was like internal. And then without question, every single game, freshman through senior year, I would throw up before the game.

I would throw up before every single game, right? And the way that the only time that those nerves would kind of go away was after the first impact. So the first hit, all of a sudden I was like, I'm fine. And I never figured out how to, I mean, this is like many years ago, obviously, but I never figured out how can I get my mind, I almost wished, oh, there was like sports psychology offered in that time, because I figured like

somebody could have helped me figure out how to deal with that but the only solution for me was actually be on the field hit and literally it all felt and i was just fine i was just fine it was uh this fear of like i like almost like what's going to happen what's going to happen here yeah you know i don't know and it's like at a certain point you're like i know like logically i know it's not gonna fucking i'm not gonna break in half but i i just the the anxiety was through the roof right in stand-up you know there's there's parallels and there's differences, right? So, like, I've had real nerves, particularly in the beginning, because there is the reality that you are not proficient. You're not. So your anxiety is, like, almost, like, deserved.

Because you're like, what's going to happen when I go out there? And the same thing. You hear the first, you get the first laugh. And it's like, it all just goes away. And all that's happened for me over the last 20 years is I've become more proficient and my nerve level goes down, down, down. Now the interesting thing is that I think a little bit of nerves,

a little bit, is helpful. I've done shows, and I've talked to other comedians about this, where you're completely relaxed, and that's too relaxed. Because you're on stage, there's thousands of people, like, you shouldn't be, like, too, like, you're not like, yeah, what's up, man? You know, it's like, it's not, you're still performing. So, what I've learned is, like, yeah, you know, that little bit of, like, pacing. All right, what am I, you know, your mind kind of going of going i should i'm going to try this i'm gonna you know kind of going through your set or like dealing with like what you're going to be there focused it's like you're um you're calm but you're focused and that usually calm and focused means

you have you know a little bit of butterflies is like the best place to get to be in and the only thing that i know to do is like to be aware of that and that time has helped me get there like there's no there was no way for me to like get to that without time going by you know like earning your confidence and your proficiency but um yeah when there's when there's like there's there's shows that i've been backstage even in this last tour where like you feel nerves swell it is like breathe it's like the things you've always heard like breathing getting your mind to calm down because you realize you're you're ramping things up that don't need to be ramped up calming yourself down and then the same thing it's like get to the first laugh. It's like get to that first hit and then settle down.

I mean, I don't know if that's even an answer, but I've thought about the same thing many times. Is it helpful to occupy your time with something different, like almost before you go on stage? Because when I saw you at one of your performances, you just kind of sat there and talked with me and my wife and my brother and stuff. I like a calm... It was just a few minutes before you went out. I wasn't surprised that you said hi to us and stuff, but I was surprised that

you were chill and just took your time. I'm like, he's up in like four minutes. Yeah, I mean... I'm nervous. I like a calm. Some people have real active backstages, meaning like 25 people. I don't like that. I like chill. I can have people around. I just don't want a pre-show party. So I just like having a certain, I like music on.

There can be a game on or something, but like to keep it like pretty low key I look at notes sometimes I'll pull notes out read like look at things and like you know it's like you're focused but you're not like you know losing your mind in it um and I just I like to keep a certain energy which is like chill like yeah let's let's not make it chaotic that's why I have like if family comes I'm like don't even think about coming backstage before the show like i don't want like you know i mean like siblings and your mom i'm like get the fuck out of here like i don't want you around i had to ask you this because uh there's an episode where you were pinning burt with some

testosterone and you've also you've been on using testosterone. So how's that been for you? Has it changed? Like, have you noticed a change or is it just chill? It's, I mean, I can't say I don't know. I don't go like, man, I feel so different. Because I think part of you, when you start that, you're like, oh, it's going to be wild. You know, like I take, from what I understand, like it's a pretty, like it's's what you it's like a pretty low dose

like i took i take 20 units in a syringe three times a week right so i don't know i mean talking to you and other people they're like that ain't shit you know like and i'm like yeah but i mean that's what i'm i'm not looking for like a crazy bump, you know, it's like, so, I mean, yeah, I guess I notice, you know, recovery is better, probably energy stuff. But I also feel like I'm doing so many other things that are good that you go like, is that from, you know, you can't like separate it so much. You're not like a real performance enhancement because you're not on a level that is pushing you way beyond. Most people don't understand that though. And it's not worth trying to convince them. They're like, you're on a juice.

Yeah, you just go like, yeah, man, I'm a huge juice head. You know, I just, yeah, you just go, sure. I don't know. I mean, it's part of my routine now. And, you know, as you know, like popularity amongst guys in my AM44, it's like, you know, people, I've met people who are like, you're on that? That's what's going on. I'm taking it. Like they start doing it.

And then I'm like, I'm doing other things too, man. It's not like you just inject it. And like results may vary. Yeah, yeah. I'm like you know i i get up i eat this and i work out and they're like you're on juice okay so i do say this i don't know i know it's all it's almost like um like eye roll we you know uh cliche or whatever now that like but i do love cold plunging um But the thing that I've discovered is that mine just had a malfunction at home,

so they're sending me new parts to it. Oh, cool. But I like it first thing in the morning. I keep telling people there's no cup of coffee like the cold plunge. It's strong, man. Yeah. That's the move, dude, is to start your day. And I remembered before i left on my

vacation we had to like double up and triple up on podcasts like five days a week right because you have to bank enough for leaving and those days were they just wear you the fuck out and i was doing it before i would i would wake up coldunge, exercise at home, and go in. The second day, my whole staff was like, man, you're in such a good mood. How is this not bothering you? I'm like, because I fucking wake up and do that. I just did it every day. There's no way I can't give it the credit for making me feel that way.

I was really in a good mood. Doing like two and three multiple hour podcasts. I mean, those conversations drain you after a while, but it wasn't affecting me the way it normally would. It makes a difference. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And juice, man.

You got to juice up. You got to take tons of steroids. Take all this. I mean, I'm on Deca. I'm on Tren, Anovar. That's the good shit. Yeah. Hydro.

You're looking to me for more answers, right? Yeah. Special shout-out to... Winstroll. Sorry, go ahead. There you go. Special shout-out. Shout-out to Winstroll.

Shout-out to Winstroll. Special shout-out to Winstroll, who sponsored this podcast. Special shout-out to Nick Baer for letting us use the studio today. Nick Bear's the man. Thank you very much. And BPN, thank you guys so much for the hospitality. They let me work out here so much. I feel like I work for fucking BPN.

So thank you, BPN. You should start clocking in. I'll see if they send me a check. Yeah. Guard stamp. Yeah, it'd be awesome. They're the best. Thank you.

Strength is never weakness. Weakness is never strength. Catch you guys later.