How to Heal your Body and Heal your Mind with Coach Russ Yeager | CPTSD Podcast
How to Heal your Body and Heal your Mind with Coach Russ Yeager | CPTSD Podcast
In this episode, I speak with Author, Speaker, Coach, and Entrepreneur Russ Yeager about his battle from husky boy to fit man and his journey helping others put their physical health first! Listen to the episode and read the show notes at www.michaelunbrokenpodcast.com
This episode is sponsored by Think Unbroken: Click here to get your copy of my #1 selling trauma healing book: https://linktr.ee/michaelunbroken
Learn more about how to heal your body and heal your mind with Coach Russ Yeager
Hey, what's up Unbroken Nation, Michael Unbroken here — author speaker, coach entrepreneur and advocate for adult survivors of childhood trauma and you are listening to the Michael Unbroken podcast. Super excited for today to be joined by my great friend. Russ Yeager, Russ is an incredible transformative coach business owner, entrepreneur 10x, all the things, and Russ, my friend could not be more excited to have you here today. How are you, man? What's going on?
Russ: Doing awesome Michael great to see you brother. I like I said we were talking before already know this is gonna be a great conversation.
Michael: Thanks, brother. Yeah, I agree. You know there are people you meet in your life and you go I was supposed to meet you but before we get into that Russ talk to me about your journey. How did you end up here today?
Russ: Yes. Oh, so today is what you mentioned on the transformation coach. I'm 46 years old. I help men and women get the physical mental, emotional health they need so that they can fulfill what they were put on earth to do and live a life they love. That's my mission, personal mission and I have two personal training studios here in Atlanta and then we do online coaching and personal training in the thickest 15 states now, and three countries. So, well, seven countries with the coaching 3, with the, with free personal training, we can talk about that later if you want kind of how that evolved just over the past year. So, you know, I'm 46, I've run three businesses. I have three kids, 5 and under and I'm the fit dad with abs. So keep that serum sixty-five days a year, and I don't say that to brag. I say that for relations variation because I started out the chubby kid, I don't have great genetics, I'm tall, I'm 66, so I managed to grow up tall lanky, bucktooth, headgear but also chubby at the same time, have a spare tire and I hated going to the pool. You know my friends all seem to freak have the flat stomach to abs and they see me eat whatever they want. I love to eat, then I still love to eat. I've struggled with overeating, binge eating my whole life. Still have to work through that, very open about that and, you know, I just didn't know what to do. And then finally, you heard my story of I think I was 10 or 11. I know I was 10 or 11 and my dad had a big VHS camera. So, for your audience is old enough to remember those, you know, it took up the whole room and he's doing home movies, and he asked me to introduce myself and I said; ‘my name is Russ’ I like soccer, you know, I love my dog, Rudy, like basketball and then I pause and look down and said I'm fat. And my parents look at each other and don't know what to say. And then my mom said; ‘You know, you're not fat, you're just husky.’ And she said that because I had to get the husky pants going back to school, which I hated that word. I still hate the word, like, it was this called the fat pants, and it was like, you know, like you said it was moments, it like clicks, I get pissed me off, and I think she's never told me, you know, I think she did it to piss me off and it works because she used to talk to me about, ‘hey, you know, you should eat healthier and should work out this and that I just remember, I started running my dad, and I guess I got healthier but my body didn't change and I didn't understand this is lesson number one like you people do cardio, cardio and it's good for your heart. But if you want to transform your body, you need to focus on strength training. We can talk about life, we want to get into that, and I learned that in my late teens, early 20s. I started melting man, getting his muscles, I like it and really got into it, but just like a lot of people, I went to college. Got my undergrad, I got my master’s in accounting, got recruited by one of the bigger, county firms. So I'm working, you know, long long hours man, traveling all the time, late-night business dinners. I'm in my 20s, so I'm drinking and partying with my friends and co-workers and I was working out consistently. I wasn't in terrible shape, but I remember back to that kid was like that kid wanted to be like the, you know, I watch the WWF wrestling. I love it like the guys are all ripped up. I want to be that guy with the abs, you know, I don't know what it was about the abs and I said, you never did it, man. And then so at 27, I said, you know what, I'm going to do it. I made a decision, I made a commitment. I hired an online coach to hide the top natural bodybuilding in the world. I entered one of those 12-week transformation contests, you know, before, and after the fake tan, the whole deal, and did everything. My coach said and took my body fat from percentage around 25% to like 5%, which people who don't know, that's like on stage completely shredded, unnecessary to get that lean, but, you know, I did it for the contest and this is in 12 weeks. So I mean it's when you're focused and I did it. I was extremely most people will not do, I'm very clear about that. It's very possible through weeks to make like crazy body transformation but you got to be all in and I mean, I was working out five, six days a week, you know, eaten, quote, unquote perfectly or what I thought was perfect at the time and it sparks, you know, I won the contest and so I got sponsored by the supplement company that, you know, that's month is a contest. Got to be a sponsored athlete with them with the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, which is the largest Fitness bodybuilding Expo in the world. Still, today started writing for some of the bodybuilding Fitness magazines. I was like, this is what I was put on to do, people start asking me if I could train them and I said, sure, and you know, a couple of years, let took me a while to finally quit my job. Because that, a good job, to CPA or prefer a good big firm, making good money or what I thought was good money at the time. And, but finally, quit my job and, and that was in 2006. So, here we are 15 years later today.
Michael: That's incredible man, quite the journey. And so many things in there, we can dive into, but my brain immediately goes to husky and the reason why is because like, dude, I will never ever, ever forget this till the day I live, you know, we grew up in poverty, we were super poor, it was rare if we ever got new clothes super rare. And one day, my grandmother right before I was starting Middle School. You know, that seven that sixth-grade year right after Elementary School, we're going to buy some are clothes for the school year and she takes us to Walmart which you know might as well have been Gucci and we walk in and none of the kid’s clothes fit me. But all of the men's clothes are too big and there's a sign in the corner I'll never forget this and said husky on it and I was just like damn, I was defeated man, super defeated and like you, I had the struggle with the back-and-forth of weight for years and years and years of trying to get into it and having the even and flow of the career in the life and things like that.
Now, you know, my story in these guys have heard it a million times, but if you haven't at one point, I was 350 pounds, right? And there was so much of it that was intertwined with just the experience of not believing in myself of not think I was capable of, not having self-love. And I, I think it's easy for people to hear this and go - ‘Oh, good job, Russ. You just started going to the gym. Congratulations!’ you ate well, right? And that was my thought, too. Because for years, I look at people and I go, oh, you're fit, who do you think you are? But what I didn't now understand is that it all starts up in your head. It's all about your mindset, it's all about the way you think about yourself and the world talk to me about the journey around your mindset, especially that young to be, like, I'm going to go run. Yeah, sure. Maybe Mom pissed me off, but I'm going to go and do this. I'm going to take action, but then again, because I fell in the same trap. I got fit when I was 15, 16 17, play to School, athletics, and sports when I went to school and by the time that I was in my 20s, man, I had blue wound up working for corporate America. So, I had these multiple mindset shifts. Talk to me about your journey there.
Russ: Yeah, definitely. I mean, first of all, man, I agree like my set, it's everything. I mean, the more I live life, you know, go on a journey, you know, try to grow my business and succeed in different ways. Like, dude, the mind is everything. And, you know, what you think about is what you talk about, what you talked about becomes your life, you know, Think and Grow Rich, Secret Law of Attraction manifestation like all that is 100% real and scientific and it works, but it's kind of in. So people are so a lot of people say, well no, it doesn't work, you know, I've tried it and it doesn't work for me. I like to compare it to working out like it's a systematic thing, but it's hard as a freak, it's kind of like going on, I'm going to get in shape, I'm going to lose a hundred pounds and get fit. And, you work out one day and you eat, you know, healthy and the next day, you know, you fall off the wagon and eat a large pizza and drink beer. You're not going to get the results because you're not consistent, it is hard. At least for me to consistently put into my mind and put out into the universe. Exactly what I want is those thoughts to start freaking those negative thoughts. Our brains are, you know, meant to protect us from dinosaurs, you know, trying to kill us. They're not meant to think, positive thoughts. And so it's not natural and it's not, it's not easy, which is why I, which is what I think a lot of people don't understand why it works that you have to be focused and intentional about it and that's not necessarily an easy thing.
So, in my childhood, man, I mean, I'm not a, you know, better than me. I'm not a child psychologist, but, you know, we know, we get so much of our mindset, our programming from our parents and then again, I look at, like, you know, my mom was very, she was into, like, aerobics and just aggressive and out there, like, you know, just living life and just kind of that tough, you know, go get it mentality and very fit. And like I said, she was, didn't like that. I was chubby would say things, try to encourage me. I remember. Okay, here's another story.
So I remember after my first basketball game, I was being as first grade and it was first grade and I came home and my mom, my dad took me to the game, my mom, you know stay home and shoot me with my sister, whatever it said, who wants that we want and what was the score 33, 25? How many points do you score? Like all of them. How is the tallest guy I just do it to me in the center she comes to the next game and I was very similar, I scored, maybe not all the points but most of them and she said you played good, but you play music playing machine, the Husky right almost and it made me so freaking mad that I became the most aggressive player like they. I remember in high school, I had four fouls in the first quarter like they had to get me out. I was the most aggressive player on the team. Remember, our coach would say like if it probably too aggressive for basketball, I probably should have played football actually tried to get me, but I really like basketball. And I remember, but my coach said, if I go to war coach, Honeycutt is, if I go to war, I want Jaeger in the Foxhole with me. And so, even though, at the time, I didn't like, you know, my mom being quote, unquote being mean to me like she and still they fired that served me really well like just to this day. Like if something challenges me if my back's up against the wall like I just got another, another level of intensity comes out that I'm just gonna like it's almost like I love the Challenge. I love that, diversity. I think that's why it's all. I don't know if it's healthy or not, but it's almost probably like why I got in the natural bodybuilding because it's just so especially towards the end like groups basically starving and trying to get to 0% body fat, you know while building muscle and it's, you know what, you're to counter goals and it's just absolutely brutal on your body. But I almost like love that that challenge in a way if that makes any sense.
Michael: Yeah, I totally get it. I mean, first of hearing the word resiliency in there, right? Because you do have to, you have to walk through the fire, right? I think about this all the time, like, you have to be willing to step into adversity, to get to where you want to go. And that can be something as terrifying as quitting the job, leaving the relationship, starting the business, going to the gym for the first time. Dude, I'll never forget this, 25 years old - 350 smoking two packs a day. Like I need to take care of my physical body. I'm going to go do hot yoga. This was over a decade ago; Dude nobody was doing it; nobody was doing it. I walked into this, hot yoga studio up in Indianapolis is the only one in the city and it was just nothing but super-fit sweaty women. And like, you got to think about this dude man wasn't doing yoga 10, 12 years ago, they just weren't. And I was terrified. And I went sixty-five straight days because I said, you know what? This is more, my fear is less important than the life that I want to have. But I was in that place where I was still like, which I think a lot of people who are listening, they're going to be adults in there battling that thing, were like it's the work mentality go out and have the drinks, go ahead and have the pizza go.
I don't have the things and I'm not saying I'm a proponent of having the joyful things in life, you are, your pizza guy, I get it, I relate. But how do you work through this conversation where the peer pressure is there every day, we're in your heart you're like I want to go and take care of myself. I want to be the leader of my life, I want to show up in my community but I'm getting drawn into this societal norm of like we're going to go and smash some beers after work like how do you, how do you navigate them?
Russ: Yeah, it's a great question. I want to dive in and I got to ask you first. I don't know if you shared on the show. If you have, that's okay. But if you haven't liked what made you walk into that yoga studio? Because I never had to lose. I know what you lose a hundred fifty pounds?
Michael: Yeah. Like a hundred twenty-five.
Russ: I never went through that Journey. What went on in your mind to say enough is enough?
Michael: Yeah. Well, I have this moment. I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't recognize the reflection on the other side and I started asking myself like what do I have to do to have the life that I want to have? And the words, no excuses, just results. Like just like waving like if Zeus to a lightning bolt at me like hit me in the chest and I was like I'm just so tired, I was fat once I got in great shape. I had a six-pack I got fat again like what is happening? And I made it my mission in my goal to get healthy again and to get a six-pack again. Now, because I was older. It took a much longer time to get that six-pack again, but I did because I was driven by it because I understood something, and that was how was I going to heal my mind? If I didn't take care of my body and I just stopped making excuses. I got out of my own way and I just, I went through the hell of getting in shape.
Russ: Yeah. So I appreciate you sharing that man. And you just answered. So your question to me, you know, of how do you combat everything coming at you and do what you need to do to get the results you want versus what feels good in the moment. I mean, you just answered it. The side of the psychological part and then there's the physical strategy. So, go through both, you answer the psychological part. You have to get to a point where there's no other option other than change, where the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of making change. And that's what it, unfortunately, takes for most people to make that change.
And so that's the real answer, the psychological answer. And if you don't have that, right? Then you're, all the physical strategies in the world are not going to work or not, going to work long-term, you know, the fit in terms of the physical strategies is, I believe, in the beginning, you need to figure out what to do, and it's not that complicated, I tell people, there are two types of workouts need to be. Number one, something you enjoy. So that you'll be more likely to do it because guess what, the number one factor in getting results in your business program is, like, when people come to us, and we take our time to customize everything, we look at their background, look at injuries, look at balances, we create the perfect plan for them nutrition says rips periodization all that. But the most important factor is that they're consistent and if they're going to that they're supposed to work out four times a week, they work out four times a week about everything else, but that consistency is you need to have something that you're excited about or at least that you believe in if you hate exercise to know some people do.
And number two, the spring training and mentioned that earlier. And the reason for that is the strength training is the only thing that's going to transform your body. We know that it gives us muscles gives us strength, which is super important, not only for parents but for you know aging so that you have the strong functional strength of muscles and you don't, you know, start to punch forward and you've got strong bones and prevent osteoporosis and osteopenia, all that kind of stuff. But also lifting weights is your biggest fat-burning asset. And the reason is that every pound of lead, once you hit about 30, 35, every people start to lose lean muscle mass every year out of town, you know, half a pound every year, and the problem is lean muscle mass is what drives your basement rate, your basal metabolic rate is the number of calories, your body burns every day. So let's say you've got somebody whose base metabolic rate is 2,000 calories a day. That means they burn 2000 calories, they can lay in bed all day, theoretically, the 82000 calories, not going to gain weight, not going to lose weight. So what do most people do when they want to lose weight? They go on a huge diet, eat hardly any food, I mean a thousand calories, 800 calories can do tons of cardio. So they lose weight, they have to create a calorie deficit, you lose weight, the problem is some of that weight, a lot of that's water especially be you a low carb or a keto diet car behind people don't realize this carbohydrate hold two, three grams of water, get rid of the carbon water flushes out. They have lost 10 pounds in a week. Nothing's changed, not good or bad, you lose some fat, which is a good thing. But inevitably if your calorie deficit is too big and or you're not lifting weights or doing resistance, some kind of resistance training you're going to lose muscle, which is a huge problem because you lose that muscle. Now, you're probably starving because you did this frigging unsustainable diet, start eating like you used to again but big problem your base bit about grades, not 2000 anymore, it only says 1700. So now you actually gain more weight and most people repeat, then you get motivated again, the same thing, most people are driving their basic metabolic rate, lower and lower and lower every year and age are making it worse and that indicates harder and harder than they either stay in that vicious cycle where give up. So it works the opposite though, so strength training every pound that only, I know going through a lot, but if you guys can listen to this, every pound of lean muscle that you build burns, an extra 10 to 40 calories a day. So for example, my mail clients to work with me, the first-year average 10 to 20 pounds of lean muscle build, women average 5 to 10 nouns and that's not going to make you big and bulky spread out makes you nicely, you know, tone, looking great. But let's say you put on 10 pounds of lean muscle and you're just burning an extra 20 calories a day profoundly muscle, you're buying extra, 200 calories a day all day, every way you and I, both love Grant Cardone, right? It talks about passive income being we grill for finance, this is a passive fat-burning baby and there's nothing better than burning fat all day long. Whether you're working or sleeping or eating. So those so having a plan you believe in first of all making a commitment, making it through decision commitment, plan you believe in and then doing having the string trained over cardio any day of the week nutrition is important, we can talk about that if you want. And then the third secret sauce is accountability, you know, especially in the beginning, having someone and then you're a coach, I'm a coach having someone to show you the path, give you the right information, and then the holds you accountable and inspire you to keep you on track, when you feel like falling off and then the last thing is finding something that's sustainable. So, you know, I was talking about, you know, you got to make a decision was hardcore in this contest, all that works, but the problem is, it's not sustainable for most people, and I started to train my clients. Same way as a bodybuilder either chicken and broccoli every two hours, alternate your protein shake. Yes. What body strength form in 12 weeks, but then they're like screw this is no kind of life stuff. So for the past seven years, I've been obsessed with, now that I'm an old little bit older, I want to do for me, it was all about the abs. Now, I want to live a long time and with the hundred-plus one of my goals, I want to have great energy on feel good, I want look to mobile, I want to be there for my kids, you know, I'll be able to travel the world with my wife, Emily. We both love to travel, but guess what? I still want to have the abs. Can I do all of that together and guess what, I still want to eat pizza. I want to be able to eat ice cream. I want to be able to pretty much do whatever I want have carbs and even have a couple of glasses of wine. Every once in a while that's been my mission, the answer is. Yes.
If you've got the right information, the right strategy, then you can do all that and you can't eat as much as you want it, whatever you want. That's unrealistic have to figure it out into a reasonable eating plan. But when you can do it that way, now, it's you can feel great, look, great have great energy and it's something you can do for the rest of your life versus killing yourself with something that is, you know, you can force yourself to do for a period of time, but then is unsustainable. But having that coach that person to hold you, accountable, to make sure you do it because the reality is if you're 30, 40, 50 years old and you hadn't gotten this part of your life figured out yet, maybe you can do it on your own, like, you did. I couldn't, I had to hire a coach so that I could get where I wanted to go quicker.
Michael: Yeah. And I'll say this. That's right. And those are all amazing points and I'll say this, I actually became a certified personal trainer and nutritionist a few years ago, I didn't actually do it on my own because I went and I learned, right? I got a certification because I was like, you know what? There are things, I don't know. I'm not getting everything that I want, my body is not transforming the way I want it to be. I'm getting injured too frequently like there's something going on here. I was getting hurt too frequently. There's something going on here that I need to go and get help on, but I think you're spot on and part of this mission, and as you were speaking came to -, you know, there was something I had to give up to get this lifestyle, I had to quit some things, I had to quit drinking every day, I had to quit smoking cigarettes every day, I had to quit my favorite thing, eating gummy bears, I had to quit eating gummy bears every day, man, because I had to focus on what do I want? What's more important right now, the moment, instantaneous pleasure, or what comes on the backside and I think about this every day, there's three C's that I apply into my life and in my coaching, in my business, in my practice, in my relationships, and my friendships and everything, Community, Connection and commitment, do I have a community to have helped the support right? Because you got to have the support. No one has great has ever done anything on their own. You can't name them because they don't exist. No one has ever done anything great on their own and connection is so much about that accountability. I need to be around people who are going to help me go to, where I want to go. And then, the last part is the commitment. It's like you said, you've got to be like, I have committed hell or high water, no matter what I'm going to go through, and I'm going to do this, but it's also and I think a point I'm going to add some words here. I know you didn't say them but you have to be willing to ask for help. You have to be willing to say, I don't understand at all. I need help. I need someone to come in, that's how you and I met quick segue. So, I'm in Miami, it was this February/March whenever this was. I'm no idea what this the next thing is never heard of Grant Cardone. I don't understand what I'm doing, I'm just like, I'm out of a Marketing conference turns out it's actually an entrepreneur conference, which is even better because I'm an entrepreneur, and I'm sitting there, and it's the first day and there's a guy behind me as we're getting ready to go to lunch break and he's got this lady next to him and they're chatting away. And I heard her say something. And I turn around and I go, ‘hey, I'm Michael and you go.’ Hey, man. What's that shirt about? Think Unbroken and a hello, literally Russ, a hello has just my life in three months because what happened is I got an opportunity, everybody knows this so I won't go into the story but to pitch my business to Grant Cardone, the undercover billionaire, for $10,000 investment. And I said to myself, I'm going to go win that for think I'm broken for this message for my community as my commitment to end generational trauma. But I know I can't do it alone. And so what happened Russ, you remember this? I picked up the phone and I said, Hey Russ. Will you help me? And I believe that we are always one hello away from changing our lives, but you have to be willing to ask for help and why I asked you for help for those of you listening or watching is because the year before, Russ is the person who won that pitch off and Grant Cardone invested $10,000 into his business. And so I said to myself, well if he did it why would I not ask for help? You have to understand something really important that asking for help can be the difference between success and failure in your life. Russ, I'm leading to in this talk to me about the power of vulnerability, especially as a man because I do have some men listening right now of asking for help in the role that that's played in your life.
Russ: Yeah. Well, it's been, we're stubborn. That's why we, you know, will drive and get lost for three hours versus asking for directions. But man, like your example is perfect and that's crazy, like I said, I think of you is like Mr.10x, and I forget that you were just introduced to the community back in February. So I remember that day, we met, man and it's like, like you said, some people you're supposed to meet for a reason and I know you and I were meant to meet for a reason, but it's crazy. Like you gave one of the simplest and one of the best pieces of advice, right there is to ask for help.
But then to take it one step further. So he at who did, who do you ask for help? Because you got to be careful. Right? There's a lot of people especially everybody's a bringing coaching, consulting and they want to tell you how to make more money. You know, get more leads, get in shape, you know that's a relationship with who are you getting your results from? Who are you getting your advice from? Right? If I want to know how to grow my business and create generational wealth, guess what? Grant Cardone is one of the guys that I'm going to do is he has done all of that and continues to do that. So if you want to silence, they don't go to the dentist with rotten teeth. Don't go to the fitness guy, that knows everything, but they're out of shape. And so you knew you wanted to win that contest, and so it sounds natural. Of course, you're going to go ask the guy who won last year. Hey, you got any advice, you know how many other people wanted to win that contest?
Probably everybody. You know, how many people came to me and asked me for advice, I think what I shared was good to you and Dr. Greg parsley. Guess who came in second place? Dr.Greg, and so they like, guys like the simplest thing you modeling if you want something, find someone who's already done what you want and ask their advice. And here's the last thing is you'll be surprised how much? Not only they're willing to help you but they want to help you. And I don't know if you were surprised but like dude, I could feel it. Did you leave me a voice message or a text message?
Michael: Yeah. Initially, I sent you a voice note.
Russ: Okay. So that's why I felt it. I was going to say I even felt it in your, writing. So that’s smart voice or video because communication is 93% tonality and body language. If you in person, you're not in person becomes almost virtually all tonality. So I could feel it, dude, like that you wanted this and I knew as soon as you reached out to Emily too, so this guy is going to win and then we made it like our personal mission. Like how many times do we communicate back and forth that day? We made it like, are we wanted you to win because we knew. Number one, you wanted it. You're asking for help like people want to help people who are hungry, excited asking for help when and have a great obviously, having a great mission and something to share the world. Like I wanted generally wanted to help you so much. So man that could be the number one, there's a lot of success principles. Like the number one thing, especially to get bastard, you can if you got enough desire, you got enough hunger, you're committed enough, you'll figure it out, but instead of just running a brisk walk, a brick wall and you know, getting their bullheaded, lie over 15 or 20 years, skip to the front of the line ass, someone's died. Exactly what you want to do for help, and you'll be surprised how much not only they will be willing to help you but we'll be happy to help you because it's rare. Like it's not, I've never met a lot of people that are like really want to be successful and actually willing to do what it takes to get there. So when somebody like you comes to me like that I and it fires me up to where I want to, because I know that you're going to go out, it's not just about you like to think of all the people now that you've reached and the lives that you've changed, because you didn't, get on that stage and win that contest and continue to get on stages.
Michael: Yeah, and look. And I'll say that an obvious. I'm incredibly appreciative of you and grateful for that. But the thing is Russ, I spent years of my life, not asking for help thinking that I could do it by myself and just watching myself suffer, right? Because I was like, I'm a man men don't ask for help. The strongest thing you will ever do is ask for help, but sometimes and this is important, this is a catalyst in all of this that I didn't mention. But I want to because it matters, sometimes you have to pay to be in the room, sometimes you have to pay to have the mentor, sometimes you have to pay and that could be time, it could be energy, it could be volunteering, it could be cash, but there is an investment Russ, I think a lot of people lose sight on the fact that you do have to invest in yourself and all of these different ways. How is investing in yourself, pay dividends in your life? because people are terrified to spend $10 on a book sometimes man.
Russ: Yeah, it's crazy, man. I mean, it's been everything. I mean, from when I won that contest, 27 years old, I hired a coach, I still work with business coaches today, you know, because even though I know what I'm doing, I know how to transform my body. I know how to stay lean fit, strong like there are things, I don't know about stretching about recovery. You know, I have 30 years old, I was diagnosed with early, bone-on-bone arthritis, 41, I had a hip replaced have titanium there for 46 years old and another hit, that's half of a seventy-year-old. Most people never know that because I work with experts, now to do things, to make my legs feel almost as freaking normal is, they could feel. So I'm always learning in terms of business. I mean, it's everything. I mean, I've invested hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars easily in coaches, programs, events, mentors over the years, and it's worth every penny. But, you know, but to your point, like you don't have to if you don't have that money right away, like buy a book, a book enjoys $10, $15 book can literally change your life.
You like, well, I want to work with you again, like a Grant Cardone. I can't work with him yet by one of his books. Pretty even give some of those books away for free. So you mean you can that's what's amazing about the world today that you could get access to anybody you want through a book or even, you know, a lot of people put out free content like, you know, this podcast, there's access, but man coaching is incredible, but there is something to pay it in there. I found, the more you pay to be in a room, the I don't want to say higher quality people because everybody is a high-quality person, but in terms of business and people who can help you take your business to the next level, those relationships, you're going to find people who are willing to invest in themselves are typically successful and no other successful people. So yeah, it's a huge man.
Michael: Yeah. And I have found and look, I used to be an anti-self-help guy like when I would see this dude like Brendon Burchard and Marie Forleo and Tony Robbins and Napoleon. I'd like these guys are so full of shit who do these guys think they are and I was so adamantly against it, but I'm going to tell you right now, without question, the most important thing that I ever did was pick up a book and just go, I don't have the answers. I need help, but there's a vulnerability in that, right? And vulnerability and you coming to terms with the acknowledgment of, you know, what I need support. And maybe I don't have the money to invest, but maybe I can get it somehow else right through online, through a podcast, through whatever that thing, maybe. One of the things as we continue to dive deeper into this conversation, as I think about the correlation between my mental health, and my physical health, and how when I started taking care of my body, my mind felt stronger, my soul, my constitution, my conviction felt stronger.
Like, I could take on the world and the challenges of the day in and day out. Can you talk about the impact of why your mental health and physical health are so intertwined?
Russ: Hundred percent had to do, one last thing on the events to maybe give people motivation. I think if you when you can get in a room, getting a room because the book is amazing, but there's nothing like being in the room. And so there's we were talking about this before the before we went live is it's a lot of people think. Well, I'm paying for the event to go. Learn the information. That's only one-third of what you're getting. When you invest in an event or a programmer Mastermind, you're getting the information? You're getting the environment in the network. We talked about mindset is everything so now you're working on my set, you're getting that positive mindset, you're getting a massive reading that network, and the third thing this is something I just kind of I guess as I was the same way man. I'm going to count it so I'm like numbers. It's I'm spending this money. No, so, I make a return on investment so I would literally go to every event. So if I spent 5 grand on the vent, my goal is to get 5 grand in business from that event, and to this day, I pretty much do that, every time I go to an event, or even exceed it, and it's not that I'm going in, you know, hey, you want to work with me, you would know, I'm not cheesy got him, not far as, but I walk in on the fitness guy, I practice what I preach, I take care of myself. You know, I talked to people to your point. I introduce myself, I have good energy, people naturally, ask me what I do. And you're, you know, Jim Rohn said, you know, success isn't something that you chase is something you attract by being an attractive person.
So if you're in the right environment and you're living your purpose, and you have a great value, in the world I think we're going to do business with you so every literally every event on investing in, I make more money back. So hope that is people motivation, mindset, and the body goes together 1 million percent. And so what I want to things I teach is we do a lot of things you can do for your mind, meditation, affirmations, reading, all that kind of stuff. I do, all that, and that's all great. But, you know, the fastest way to change your mindset is to move your fricking body, get a great workout. You know, I like one of my favorite sayings is; “Don't wait to get motivated to move, move to get motivated.” I mean, you moved Tony Robinson's you change your physiology is like, freaking fastest way to change your mindset. It's really hard to go out and get a great workout in and then being a bad mood. You might be in a bad mood while you're doing it, which gets back to him, try to find something that you enjoy for me. Now, it's lifting weights, I love it walking outside in the sun, when I do that, I did my workouts about an hour before this, as I feel like freaking Superman and so, it's huge man, but so many people I think, are trying to think themselves into being a better moonlight shit, I feel like, freaking shit like how? Oh, I'm happy, I'm happy, this doesn't work, it's BS, don't you, just move your body, get up, move your body, get in the sunshine, vitamin D is real, our bodies need it and that will instantly, you know, put yourself in a better mood.
Michael: Yeah, hundred percent, and I think about it every day, Mike you go look at my calendar. I know when I'm working out. I know when I'm meditating, I know what I'm journaling, I know what I'm doing every single thing of every single day because it's so important to talk to us about routine because there's I'm gonna guess, I don't know. I've never asked you this question. I am going to assume that there is a zero percent chance that you do not use a calendar.
Russ: Yeah, I'm kind of, I'm kind of a freak with routine. I mean, I'm a creature of habit. I do the same things, you know, pretty much every day, and I, you know, it's successful people, they do. I mean that consistency and just, I just rewrote my, book “live longer feel better, look great naked.” And that throughout the book, I talk. I thought I'd get all my best strategies and this, and that, and macros, intermittent fasting, you know, weights versus machines and all that stuff, slow cardio versus intense party and all, that's important. But the two biggest factors for success in terms of transforming your body and I would just say this applies to anything in life is consistency and intensity and I used to put an equal because I like intensity you know, but consistencies number one, even if you. So you got somebody who's got a perfect program completely dialed in, a best athletic coach in the world and then you got somebody who has a but they're not consistent. Then you got a mediocre program, this person never misses this person wins every single time and if I don't know if this is on visual with the person who has the media or plan, this consistent is going to win every single time so freaking and I wish I had a better answer but boring old consistency is the key.
Michael: Yeah a commitment right? I mean I think about trudging through the days of going through the yoga, going to the gym, being on the treadmill, being on the just like getting my body used to moving again after being stagnant for so long and then like the consistency of doing Cross Fit of running a 5k every day of all those things. But ultimately, you know, things would happen, and I realized after doing Cross Fit for like four years, I was like you're not actually don't, I'm not interested in this anymore. I'm going to do my tie, I'm going to practice fight, I'm going to do something that makes me happy and excited but it all started at zero and I want to talk about this for a minute because I think it's really important. A, you have to deploy, I believe a tremendous amount of patience to be able to change your body but be you have to start. How do you, Russ? I'm sitting here, let’s pretend I didn't do all the things I did. We're having this conversation. I'm 350 pounds, I'm smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, I'm drinking myself to sleep, I'm back at 25 years old, my body is a wreck, my mind's of rack ham having a five-pack tax a day consuming sugar like it's my job. I am your worst client, Russ where do I start, man? How do I start this process?
Russ: Yeah, I would ask you, you know, Michael. Do you want to change?
Michael: Yeah, let's say I do let's say you know what Russ, I'm tired of it. I look at myself in the mirror, I'm wearing a size, 4 XL shirt, size 47 pants. I can't even get the belt, I had to go buy another belt again. I'm ready. Russ, I'm a committed, man. What do I do?
Russ: Yeah, so you know we'd go through. What do you want, right? So specifically, we don't have to do. The whole role play but you got to be very clear. Okay. You know, you ready to change. What do you want? You know you want to go from here to here, a hundred fifty pounds, whatever it is, 50 pounds, 30 pounds, three sides are no energy to energy, you know, and then I'll honestly get a need to tell you what it's going to take to go from here to here because some people, you know, want to go from here to here and no amount of time in six weeks. Okay, here's what it's going to say go. Whoa, whoa, whoa, right. So, okay, maybe I want to go from here to here and I want to know, do it in a longer period of time. So you gotta want to change. First, we talked about that and you've got to have a strong would ask you why, like, why is this important to you, right? Do you know what's going to happen if you don't change? Again, you've got to build that Tony Robbins talks about the two biggest motivators are pain, pain, and pleasure with pain being the biggest motivator, you got to stack that pain to where the pain of not making the change is greater than the pain of making a change because there are pains both ways and then figuring out what is the actual paths to get there and then making a handshake agreement. Are you willing to work out four days a week? You know, eat this amount of calories, you know, this structure not expecting to be perfect, but expect to be consistent, you willing to do it for six months, typically, six months to a year, what I found, it takes to make a real transformation in 3 months. If you're going aggressive, you can transform your body but I found six months is about the time, it takes to where it really just becomes a habit page essay like brushing your teeth, because they're still, not that there are still days. I don't want to work out, it's not completely automatic. But you know, at that point, six months, if you can get yourself consistent, you can get the physical changes, you can get the mental-emotional, you know, routines in your body. It's can be where, it's just something not that it's necessarily easy, but just something that you do. So you got to make that commitment and then we figure out a plan to get you there and then we work together again. That's why it's important to have a coat whether it's me or not you know for me to say Okay Michael You're ready. Let's do this. Here's your plan. Good luck. You know you may go do it. But most people are not going to, especially in the beginning again for that six months or whatever time frame, you need somebody checking in. I mean, I have a coaching accountability group of people who have to go through my body transformation University, which is, you know, a year-long program does exactly what you need for your work out, exactly for nutrition, exercise demonstration video mindset, but it's got everything, like somebody can take that and get in shape, to be on the cover of a magazine. But the most important key component is once a week, we need on zoom and we check-in, ‘hey, your goals for last week for this. How are you doing?’ So just that weekly check-in, there was a study done, can't remember the school right now. It was Harvard or Yale or one of them. Anyway, magazines either, but there was a study and it showed that there were people that were just doing a simple walking program, right? And they one group had no accountability. The other group had got a phone call once a week and the group that got the phone call once a week was I think it was like nine or ten times more stuck with their plan like nine to ten times more just by getting that simple once a week check-in. So that accountability is huge in the beginning.
Michael: Yeah, and that was my, that's the experience that I give clients that I coach as well because even on this mental health side, it is like you got to have accountability, you have to do the work, you have to do the exercises, the journaling, the meditation, the showing up 99.999% of life as the showing up, its the action, and to your point earlier, what you think, becomes what you speak, and what you speak are your actions, and your actions inevitably will become your reality.
It's funny. I wish you could see it, my computer monitor my background literally says mindset is everything because that's what it's about, and if you believe look, here's the thing at the end of the day. If you don't believe in yourself, then who will write, but sometimes you need a little bit of help. Russ, my friend, I appreciate you being here so much. There's so much value today for people who are starting this journey or in this journey and want to go to the next level, what their mind and body because they're so interconnected. But before I ask you, my last question. Tell everybody where they can find you and what you have going on?
Russ: Definitely I've enjoyed today so much man and so my website I'm on social media @russ_yeager, and then go to my website, russyeager.com I actually just turn my we're talking before turn my book, “Live Longer, Feel Better, Look Great Naked” into an e-book. I did also, I wrote the book in 2014, so seven years later. It's amazing like I've changed a couple of things pretty significantly since then and so I did too 21 updates and I turned it into an e-book so I can reach more people, my mission. Now, my personal mission is to help 10 million people, get the physical mental, emotional health, they need so that they can fulfill what they were put on earth to do a live a life they love. And so I turned it into an e-book and they can go to russyeager.com forward slash book and giving it away for free to your audience.
Michael: That's incredible and very very gracious Russ and I'm absolutely going to read that thing. My last question for you, my friend is what does it mean to you, to think Unbroken?
Russ: Man, I think it can mean you asked what it means to me. That's a good question. Is a tough question I'm going to share. I don't know if I'm going to answer your question directly but I'm feeling two things I need to share right now. So number one is like I know I just you doubt a lot of like stuff especially when I was going through you know, the base metabolic rate and the love of God and your metabolism and all that. So but I want. So I want you guys to know like I know so many people struggle with their physical, not only their physical health and weight but mental-emotional, just stress and depression and so I just want you to know based on the thousands of people that worked with who thought there was no hope like whether you're 35, 45, 55, 65 and you failed. I don't care how many times your past doesn't equal your future. You can make a new decision today and you can have a healthy fit body, I promise you. So the person who doesn't believe that they can. And number two, you know, I know that you work with a lot of you know, childhood trauma clients that yes, and you know I've never had my challenges but I've never when I look at the world I've never had any real challenges but I do. So I don't know who is listening right now? I don't know your situation. I know how hard you've had it but I do know this and you don't have to believe me. That's okay. But I know that God put each of you on earth with a unique gift and message that you're the only person that can do what you were put on earth to do. Nobody else can do it your way, and so you need to know that and know that the world needs you to go out there and make a difference in that you can make a difference. So, that's my answer to what it is to think unbroken, because so many of us, I think all of us, to some degree, another thing we're broken, but we're not broken. You're exactly how you supposed to be.
Michael: Powerful! My friend. Goosebumps. I feel that man. I feel like I give you a hug right now for your next to each other. Russ, my friend. Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate you.
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