Tag: Mike O’Hearn
The Mike O’Hearn Show: “If You’re Not In Great Shape In Your 20s… I’m Done With You.”
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Episode 7: Mike O’Hearn debates with Vlad Yudin about cancel culture, actions vs words, and short sightedness in bodybuilding.
Mike O’Hearn sits back down with Vlad Yudin to discuss some key thoughts that have been on O’Hearn’s mind recently. Most notably, what makes a man? What determines the true value and character of a person? While this is somewhat of a philosophical topic – it can tie directly into bodybuilding more than you might think. In Generation Iron and Barbend‘s latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show, Mike discusses a person’s actions vs their words, the rise of online cancel culture, and how short sightedness is a major problem not just in culture at large but also directly affecting bodybuilding.
Mike O’Hearn has always preached on the value of longevity. He believes that bodybuilding, true bodybuilding, is about maintaining an incredible physique and strength over the long run. It’s one thing to be a natural talent when you are 28 years old. It’s another to still have that kind of talent and success when you are 50. This notion ties directly into O’Hearn’s question about “what makes a man.” No singular statement or action can truly determine the character of a person. It’s about their actions over the longterm. What kind of person are you in the whole of your life?
Actions vs Words: The Problem With Cancel Culture
The conversation starts off with Mike O’Hearn claiming that a person’s actions are far more valuable than their words. This sparks a discussion about cancel culture online and how quickly online mobs are ready to take down a person for a single tweet. While word can be damaging – O’Hearn thinks it is impossible for one statement or one tweet to represent the whole of a person.
While there may be some extreme exceptions – O’Hearn believes that the actions and the consistence of a person’s actions speak louder than anything else. This is where bodybuilding comes in. Fitness and bodybuilding are about action. They are about consistence of action and building not only a better physique but better health for the whole of your life.
“You can’t judge somebody based on someone else’s opinion of that person.”
– Mike O’hearn
Those same training tenets should be how we evaluate a person’s character. In today’s world of social media, short sightedness prevents evaluation of long term action. No matter how high someone may climb, the mob is always excited to see them torn down. Speaking of, this short sightedness ties directly into the other key topic of this week’s episode…
Short Term Greatness vs Long Term Success
Mike O’Hearn takes this larger concept and parses it down into bodybuilding and what defines bodybuilding success. O’Hearn believes that many young people are short sighted. This was true even before social media or the web. But perhaps modern technology has made this bad habit even worse for the newer generations.
O’Hearn has always seen bodybuilding success as longevity. While it can be impressive to build a 300 pound mass monster physique – it’s less impressive if that can’t be maintained in the long term of life. Mike O’Hearn is now 53 years old and has a physique that still matches how he looked in his 20s. He also is very rigorous about health checkups – and can claim that he is extremely healthy.
He owes all of this to his consistency throughout his life. He made certain sacrifices, less partying when he was young, more early mornings), so that he can feel as healthy in his 50s as he did when he was a young adult. He would rather be healthy and muscular in the long run of his life – than be Mr. Universe for even one year.
However, what he sees in the bodybuilding world is more of the opposite. Many pro bodybuilders aim to be the best possible in the short term. They want to be Mr. Olympia for as long as possible before burning out. This is why there is a growing drug and health problem in the sport. This is why many retired bodybuilding pros have bigger struggles in their older age.
O’Hearn understands that success such as becoming Mr. Olympia can be huge for opening doors in life. But is it worth cutting that life short? Or simply having a less healthy and more challenging twilight years?
Mike O’Hearn even ties this into finding the right coach. In an era where everyone is good at selling themselves online – it’s more important than ever to judge a coach or trainer by his actions and consistency in the long term of their career. If O’Hearn sees a trainer who is out of shape in his 50s, well then what can’t he teach about maintaining fitness and muscle into older age?
Wrap Up
You can watch Mike O’Hearn and Vlad Yudin’s full conversation about actions vs words, cancel culture, and bodybuilding longevity in our latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show. Check out new episodes every Friday only on GenerationIron.com and wherever podcasts are downloaded.
Mike O’Hearn Shares Two New Tricep Exercises To Use During Training Session With Aleksey Mokshyn
Mike O’Hearn showed off two creative tricep workouts to add into the mix.
Mike O’Hearn has been a fitness guru for quite some time. Over time, he has sculpted a physique that has found success as a bodybuilder, model, and actor. Now, O’Hearn continues to work hard in the gym and share some of his knowledge with the next generation.
O’Hearn was joined by bodybuilder Aleksey Mokshyn for a tricep exercise that added some new variations. He told the Ukrainian bodybuilder that it is important to enter the gym with a purpose and understand your goals before the workout begins.
This mindset, along with different workouts and discussions about fitness and bodybuilding, can be heard on The Mike O’Hearn Show, which has been brought to you by Generation Iron and BarBend.
Mike O’Hearn’s Tricep Variations
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Crossover Single-Arm Tricep Extensions
The first of two workouts for Mike O’Hearn and Aleksey Mokshyn begins on the cable machine. The starting position is often seen when training delts but this time, O’Hearn throws in a bit of a wrinkle.
READ MORE: Jay Cutler On Mike O’Hearn And The Rock Not Discussing Natural Status
The two can be seen standing straight up with their elbows bent at a 45-degree angle. From here, the arms are straightened out to work the tricep. O’Hearn explains how it is important to perform this exercise while standing straight up as opposed to bent over.
“You’re going to find pressure on the racks itself. Then you find out that spot there where the balance is. Your body is balanced. It’s not forcing. For me, I like that. I never liked doing cable crossovers where you’re so leaned in that your body is holding it.
It’s not an intense exercise, a very simpleexercisn. It’s a good warmup, a good opener, a good mind-to-muscle connection to start the workout.”
Skull Crushers/Push-Up Superset
The final exercise of the workout is a superset to hit all areas of the tricep. It begins with a variation of a skull crusher performed on the Smith machine. O’Hearn uses just his bodyweight when performing this exercise lowering his body under the bar and driving it up. From there, the duo goes right into incline push-ups, which are also performed on the Smith machine.
READ MORE: Build Sleeve-Ripping Triceps With This Crazy Arm Workout
“He is demanding how much his body works throughout the workout. Not the other way around.”
Mike O’Hearn remains extremely shredded at 53 years old and it is because of workouts like this one. He has remained an active voice in fitness because of his overall knowledge and passion. From here, continue to follow O’Hearn’s tips and tricks on how to get a better pump in the gym.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Chris Duffin Interview: From Homeless Teen To Engineer And Record-Setting Powerlifter | The Mike O’Hearn Show
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Episode 6: Mike O’Hearn interviews powerlifter Chris Duffin – “Challenge And Stress Is The Essence Of Life.”
Chris Duffin is a man passionate about all aspects of strength and fitness. He’s made it his entire life. Duffin is an engineer, powerlifter, and fitness entrepreneur who released a part-memoir, part motivational book titled The Eagle And The Dragon: A Story of Strength and Reinvention. The book explores Duffin’s self actualization from being a homeless teenager in poverty and transforming into a successful engineer and record-setting powerlifter. In Generation Iron and Barbend‘s latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show, Mike sits down with Chris Duffin to discuss his life story, his book, and also talk shop on high level training and motivation tactics.
Mike O’Hearn is a firm believer in working hard to overcome any obstacle. He doesn’t believe in handouts. And he doesn’t believe that a bad situation is an excuse to repeatedly fail. This is why O’Hearn was so excited to sit down with Chris Duffin and discuss his life journey into fitness and powerlifting.
How Chris Duffin Discovered Engineering, Weightlifting, & Escaped Poverty
Chris Duffin was born into poverty, had to raise his two siblings at a young age, and was surrounded by death and drug addiction in backwater rural America. He had every “excuse” to be another statistic that fell victim to drug addiction, abuse, and a cyclical life of poverty, pain, and suffering. But instead, with nothing to lose, he dedicated his life to escaping poverty and becoming the best most successful version of himself. Ultimately, fitness and weightlifting was his lifeline into happiness and success.
But Chris Duffin had other passions. His early obsession with reading led to him being exceptional in the realm of engineering. It was his initial lifeline that got him a full scholarship into college and a deeper education. It gave him his initial career and a stable financial foundation to provide himself more opportunities.
But throughout it all, weightlifting and fitness were lighting up his soul. He eventually realized that powerlifting was the kind of strength sport that fit him best. This provided an even bigger outlet to explore his passion with more focus and a specific goal. He soon built and fabricated his own private gym (using his engineering knowledge). This later evolved into a gym business.
The Nature Of Sacrifice: The Importance Of Paring Away The Filler In Life
Chris Duffin found himself at a crossroads. There was simply not enough time in the day for him to continue to succeed and improve with powerlifting and his gym – while also maintaining his career in engineering. Both were important to him. But deep down he knew that fitness as the core of his life.
This started a new phase in Duffin’s life. One that changed his perception and became a key tenet in his book. Duffin realized that he need to “cut the fat” from his life. There is only so much time in a day. And only so many years we live on this earth. Duffin realized he could not be fully happy with certain aspects of his life due to limited human capacity. He already tested his limits, pushed past them, and faced a real wall that needed to be scaled.
“So what I’m thinking is how do I pare away the non-essential. The more I pare away of the things taht are taking up my capacity in life. So not just my training capacity, how do I pare away the non-essential. The things I fill my life with or that I fill my training with. All of the stuff that isn’t adding value that I’m just doing.”
– Chris Duffin
So Chris Duffin started making hard decisions. He quit his job, sold his second house, and used the money and freedom to discover a career that fit in directly with his passion of fitness. He also divorced his wife. While Duffin does not divulge private details, he explains that his ex-wife was a wonderful person but not right or aligned with what he needed to be happy.
These were challenging decisions. But ultimately ones that allowed him to have more capacity for the things that truly fulfilled him in life. He went on to become a record-setting powerlifter, owner of multiple gyms, and now most recently, become the author of a book read by the world over.
Chris Duffin On The Importance Of Adversity In Life
Towards the end of Mike O’Hearn and Chris Duffin’s conversation. They touch upon the parallels between weightlifting and life in general. Weightlifting is about putting resistance on your body and pushing through to become a stronger person. Duffin believes this mentality applies to all of life. It’s challenge and stress that force us to reassess ourselves and become stronger people.
That strength might not always be physical. It can be mental and emotional strength. All things that add up towards being more capable and having more capacity to make yourself feel fulfilled and happy.
“Challenge and stress is the essence of life.”
– Chris Duffin
And just like weightlifting, it takes time before you really start to notice the results. The biggest challenge the average person has with fitness is the same challenge our society at large seems to have with seeking happiness and success. After the first few months you may not see obvious improvements. It’s frustrating and can make you want to quit. But stick with it and look back years later and you’ll be shocked how much you’ve changed without realizing it.
Chris Duffin realized this through extreme circumstances. But he wants to use his knowledge and experiences to inspire others to find the same end solution.
Wrap Up
Chris Duffin has had an extremely fascinating life and holds a depth of knowledge valuable to anyone interested in not only fitness but achieving self actualization. Mike O’Hearn and Duffin discuss far more than can be fully recapped in this article.
You can watch the full interview in our latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show above. Make sure to catch new episodes every Friday. Only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network and wherever podcasts are downloaded.
The Mike O’Hearn Show: Gunnar Peterson On Training Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, & Pro Athletes
Mike O’Hearn and iconic trainer Gunnar Peterson dive deep into training history, techniques, and the secret to transforming into a fit life like Sylvester Stallone.
Gunnar Peterson is an iconic personal trainer best known for his work with celebrities and professional athletes. He’s been known to train Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and was the trainer for The Lakers. There is a reason why so many high profile individuals seek out Peterson. He has truly valuable insight into strength training and fitness. That’s why in this week’s episode of Generation Iron’s and Barbend‘s The Mike O’Hearn Show, Gunnar Thompson shares stories of training Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and how anyone, regardless of money or genetic talent, can transform via fitness.
A gym membership, fancy gym equipment, and a personal trainer are all valuable resources you can invest into for optimizing your fitness. There’s no doubt about that. But it’s not necessary to succeed in the fitness world. In fact, the greatest thing about strength and fitness is that it can be done by all walks of life – at zero cost. It’s clear that Gunnar Peterson is a high profile celebrity and pro athlete trainer. But he wants the general public to understand that just because you can’t afford a trainer like him, doesn’t mean you can’t live and look like Sylvester Stallone.
And that’s what this entire episode’s conversation is all about. Mike O’Hearn sits down with Gunnar Peterson to discuss the true secrets behind living a fit life. What can the general public learn from the insights of Peterson? And what can they take with them from this conversation to transform their life? Let’s jump into it.
The Human Body Is Very Forgiving: It’s Never Too Late To Start Being Strong And Fit
One inspiring conversation topic that Gunnar Peterson touches upon with Mike O’Hearn – is on the forgiving nature of the human body. Yes, the body can be very fragile and fall victim to injury or illness. But on the other hand, it’s also very resilient and forgiving. A fit lifestyle can start at twenty, thirty, or even in your forties and fifties. You can’t turn back time and stop the damage you may have done from an unhealthy lifestyle. But no matter what you’ve done, you can always start to become fit in the present.
“I was a fat kid,” Gunnar Peterson states during our interview conversation. He continues:
“When I learned about this and I saw, ‘Wait if I do that and then I do that and I tacked on this and I didn’t need that.’ I start looking different. Which means I start feeling different. Which means I start carrying myself differently. Which means I start seeing myself differently. People see me differently. I want to share that.”
Gunnar Peterson experienced the limitless transformative powers of fitness directly. And he wanted to share it with the world. To him, the biggest travesty is the idea that fitness is for a select elite few group of people. That you need to be athletically gifted to be good at fitness.
That’s not true – and Peterson wants the world to understand just how forgiving and flexible the human body can be no matter what point in your life you start. Peterson explains:
“It’s never insurmountable… the body is so forgiving. You can be a meth head, undernourished, not sleeping and start making some changes and you come out of that and you go, ‘I can turn into a physically fit, healthy, contributing member of society…’ to me that’s super powerful.”
Sylvester Stallone’s Fitness Secret… And It’s Not His Money
When people look at action star celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and The Rock – they may think that their physiques are only possible due to the untold riches they’ve accrued from their films. The general excuse is that someone like Stallone can still have abs over 50 because he has the money to invest in a trainer like Gunnar Thompson.
While we will not pretend that money doesn’t afford more time, flexibility, and resources – it’s also unfair to assume money is the only way to look like Stallone well past his 50s and into his 70s.
In fact, Gunnar Peterson explains that Stallone’s success might be directly related to a work ethic he had from the start. This includes his dedication to fitness. So what’s the secret? How can a person who finds fitness a chore learn to be motivated and dedicated like Sylvester Stallone?
Gunnar Peterson explains that it comes down to never giving up, even in the face of multiple failures. Easier said than done right? Well, one secret Peterson realized about himself and in successful action celebs like Stallone was this – always make time for fitness even in the face of failure.
What does Peterson mean by this? Here’s an example. If life throws a curveball at you and takes away your free hour usually dedicated to a workout. Don’t just throw that entire day’s workout away. First try to find another time to squeeze in your planned training. If that doesn’t work – still attempt any sort of workout. Even if it’s just for a spare 15 minutes.
This may not be your planned hour workout. And no – training for 15 minutes will not majorly improve your strength or fitness levels. However, it does continue to train your mindset. If you squeeze 15 minutes here and 30 minutes there because life has become too hectic, you are still building a second-hand subconscious focus on fitness and bettering yourself.
That’s the hardest part. And if you can eventually make working out second nature to every single week of your life – then the mental battle becomes easier. Then the scheduling a full workout becomes less stressful. Suddenly, everything feels easier and you are more motivated to prioritize fitness in your life.
“I was with him on Rocky Balboa, the sixth installment of the original Rocky series,” Gunnar Peterson states. He goes on:
“It was more like, when can we get the workout in? He’s never going to miss it. And it might be the morning, it might be before shooting, maybe he’s not there for the first couple shots, maybe he’s there late. And it’s just going to be wherever he is, let’s just get it, let’s get this done.”
Sylvester Stallone was directing, acting, and producing in Rocky Balboa. So time to train was very limited. But it was also important. Not only because he values fitness in his personal life but because his role in the film required a boxer’s physique.
So he would squeeze in a workout, no matter how long or short, whenever he had a window of opportunity. Peterson explains:
“So I’m in my gym and I get a text… from his right hand guy who would say, ‘Sly is on his way to you.’ And always knew there was a break in his day and he would drive from downtown, knock out a workout, and then go back and finish shooting.”
Wrap Up
There is rarely a life circumstance or personal deficiency that prevents an individual from being fit. We might not all be able to look like The Rock but we can still dedicate ourselves to fitness like The Rock. It’s never too late, you’re never too old, your genetics are never too flawed. The hardest part is to train your subconscious to always find room for fitness. Once you do that – the hard part is over and the real transformation begins.
Gunnar Peterson goes into far more detail about his training philosophy, workout tips and insights, as well as more stories of training celebrities and pro athletes. You can check it all out in our full interview on The Mike O’Hearn Show above. Make sure to watch new episodes every Friday. Only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network or wherever podcasts are downloaded.
James Maslow: Most People Don’t Know What It Feels Like To Really Be Fit | The Mike O’Hearn Show
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Mike O’Hearn sits down with Singer and actor James Maslow being both physically and mentally optimized in order to succeed in life.
James Maslow is a likely best known for being a singer in the boyband Big Time Rush and also starring in the Nickelodeon show of the same name. But he’s also exploding into the film industry with three new films being released in 2022. Not only that – but as he’s aged out of being a “child star” he’s put emphasis and energy in building a lean physique for leading man roles. He seems to have avoided the pitfalls of being a child star and maintained a stead and successful career into his young adult years. In our latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show, James Maslow talks with O’Hearn on how fitness and bodybuilding strategies helped him find success in the entertainment world. Presented by Generation Iron and Barbend.
James Maslow definitely falls into the same school of thought as Mike O’Hearn when it comes to not only fitness – but overall outlook on the world. Dedication, focus, and consistency are paramount towards leading a successful, happy, and healthy life. With Mike O’Hearn a few generations older than Maslow – he sees this kind of mindset incredibly encouraging – and rare – in today’s world.
In fact, O’Hearn finds it particularly impressive in James Maslow due to his career starting as a child star on Nickelodeon. It’s well documented that many child stars ultimately suffer many public struggles as they transition into a career as adults. Maslow, on the other hand, has transitioned with grace and avoided the pitfalls that we’ve seen in many other young stars.
James Maslow believes a big part of that has to due with his fitness regiment. Much like Mike O’Hearn, Maslow dedicated himself to fitness and bodybuilding at a very young age. He’s always considered dedicated work into health and fitness as the foundation for success and happiness in all arenas of life.
ABOVE: James Maslow showcasing his physique in the TubiTV movie – We Need To Talk.
James Maslow On The Importance Of Being Fit And Optimized
James Maslow believes that many average people in this world have never fully felt what it’s like to be truly healthy. This doesn’t mean that most of the world are unhealthy slobs. But it does mean that majority of people in this world suffer from often unseen subconscious limitations all stemming from a lack of optimized health.
“I think most people have never felt what it feels like to be optimized. Truly, people think they are healthy and a lot might be somewhat healthy and the workout… but they have burgers three or four times a week and they are like, ‘Whatever. I worked it off at the gym.’ There’s just this constant justification. They are not feeling or performing to their full potential. They’re not feeling their best.”
– James Maslow
James Maslow goes on to state that he understands this because he was once like that. For a short while, he believed he was young and invincible. That he could drink heavy and then “sweat it out in the gym” the next day. But once he started truly making fitness a priority – everything snapped into place. He realized just how far from feeling good he really was. In a way he could never fathom before he changed his lifestyle.
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ABOVE: James Maslow stars in the upcoming feature film Wolf Hound.
The More Consistent Your Fitness, The Easier It Gets, The Younger You Feel
James Maslow goes on to explain that one his fitness and bodybuilding lifestyle became consistent, so much of the rest of his life became easier to bloom. His mental health improved and his focus on succeeding in other avenues outside of fitness grew.
Not only that – but he’s noticed that the older he gets the easier his training and diet regimen becomes. What feels more like a challenge and chore when you first start out for a year or two becomes second nature, more embraced, and suddenly the benefits are easier to obtain.
He looks toward the future to use a comparison. A fit person at 50 years old will feel such much more capable and younger than a person who never prioritized fitness at 50. Mike O’Hearn considers himself a testament to that fact. He was told that there was no way he can still be bodybuilding at a mass monster size over 50 years old. That the natural decay of the human body into older age won’t allow it. However, now well into his 50s, he’s still going strong and feels just as fit and capable as ever.
The myth that we cannot be functional and strong in older age is only due to a lack of focus on fitness. It’s a constant battle of the young. It’s human nature to assume you will live forever and that the things you do today will not matter because your youthful body is so resilient. But the truth is, if you can focus on fitness consistently at a young age – you will be much more capable, happy, and successful once you are over the hill.
Wrap Up
Mike O’Hearn sometimes worries that the younger generations of today don’t value the kind of hard work that he experience in his generation. While that might be simply a generational assumption – O’Hearn believes that James Maslow is a perfect example of what is possible when dedication to fitness becomes priority.
It’s not just health and longevity. It’s mental health and optimistic outlook. It’s easier to think happy when your body is running at an “optimal health setting” so to speak. While it may be impossible to prevent youth from being wasted on the young – James Maslow is a shining example of why bodybuilding and fitness matter beyond the “meathead” perception it has in the mainstream.
You can watch Mike O’Hearn’s full interview with James Maslow in our latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show. Make sure to watch new episodes every Friday only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network – or wherever podcasts are downloaded!
Mike O’Hearn And Robby Robinson Share “Old School” Tips On Bicep Training: ‘It’s About The Art Of It’
Robby Robinson and Mike O’Hearn recently got together to share some tips on building biceps.
When a pair of Mr. Universe champions get together for a training session, you listen to the tips that are being shared. That is exactly what happened when Robby Robinson joined Mike O’Hearn for an “old school” day of training biceps.
Robinson found great success right way in his bodybuilding career. He earned the Mr. Universe title and Mr. America title in 1975 to set a tone. In 1979, Robinson was the inaugural winner of the Night of the Champions contest. O’Hearn has found similar success in many areas. He is also a former Mr. Universe winner who has dabbled in modeling and acting.
In 1994, Robinson won the first Masters Olympia contest and continues to train at a high level. This duo was able to get together to share some wisdom when it comes to building biceps.
Robby Robinson Shares Tips That “People Wouldn’t Normally Do”
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There are always different ways to train and keep your body guessing. That is exactly what Mike O’Hearn and Robby Robinson are trying to accomplish in this training session.
“Understand why we’re doing it different today. Not even different. Is this the form that we use all the time or is there a change in the form?
And if there’s a change in the form, what did we do different weight wise, rep wise, time wise? All of those kinds of things come into play,” o’hearn said.
The legendary bodybuilders focused on different areas of these workouts in order to hit different parts. For example, O’Hearn focused on squeezing to gain strength during each rep.
“This is something that people wouldn’t normally do.” Robinson added. “It’s just like if you’re coming out of a curl, if I kept my hands clamped like this, and I come out of it, it forces the outside head of the bicep and the brachii to come into play,” Robinson explained.
“So when I turn my wrist at the top, these three fingers is actually what rotates the wrist and builds the biceps. If you just curl it up, you’ll have just a bicep, but you’ll have a more awesome bicep if you turn your wrist.”
O’Hearn And Robinson Prioritize Form When Lifting
There are some that would argue that as long as the weight is being lifted with a contraction, that is all that matters. Mike O’Hearn and Robby Robinson shut that notion down and explained that form is extremely important. Robinson explained that form might be the most important part.
“You’re missing the whole point. That’s the whole thing of it, it’s about the art part of it. That’s where the hard part comes in. That’s why Mike looks the way he looks, that’s why I still look the way I look. Even at 76 years old I look like this but I put in the work. I do all those little things.
People don’t want to do all that, people are lazy. I don’t care who it is. You don’t interrupt those little things, you’re missing the whole biceps, triceps.”
Toward the end of the workout, O’Hearn continued to explain that there are actions that will benefit a weightlifter over the course of his life.
“I was telling Billy, look at his feet. Then Robbie walks by and he tells him to fix his feet. I know we’re doing curls. I get that, I get that maybe going once a week. I’m talking this stuff is going to pay dividends in 20 years. It’s just a stronger position,” O’Hearn said.
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The Mike O’Hearn Show: Tommy Chong Shares Schwarzenegger & Golden Era Bodybuilder Weed Stories
Episode 3: Mike O’Hearn interviews Tommy Chong about his unexpected connection to the bodybuilding world.
Tommy Chong is most famous as being part of the comedic duo – Cheech & Chong. The stoner comedies and Chong’s love of marijuana remained a staple of his personal through to today. But many people may know that Chong also had a close relationship with bodybuilding and the Golden Era bodybuilders of Pumping Iron fame. That’s why Mike O’Hearn brought on Tommy Chong for a full length interview to discuss his past, his discovery of bodybuilding, and share a few funny bodybuilding weed stories including greats like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Zabo Koszewski.
Tommy Chong might not have the physique of a bodybuilder – but his connection to the sport actually runs pretty deep. He respects greatly the focus, dedication, and mentality of the bodybuilder lifestyle. He hung out at Gold’s Gym, was trained by Vince Gironda, and spent time with the Golden Era bodybuilders such as Zabo Koszewski, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Tom Platz.
Underneath it all – Tommy Chong most connected with the work ethic that went into sculpting perfect physiques in bodybuilding. Chong came from a poor upbringing and learned how the value of hard work could bring him out of poverty and achieve the goals he set in his life. While those goals ultimately leaned towards music and comedy – he sees that same mentality displayed physically in pro bodybuilders as they build their physiques.
Mike O’Hearn took some time to discuss Tommy Chong’s childhood and struggles during his upbringing before jumping into some bodybuilding stories. Let’s jump into it.
Tommy Chong’s childhood, poverty, and rise to success
Tommy Chong grew up in Canada with very little money. Because of this – he found work wherever he could with blue collar odd jobs. His first ever job was mowing lawns at 10 years old. Chong explains when you grow up poor and live in a poor part of the country – there is always a job to be had somewhere if you are willing to put your head down and work hard.
Tommy Chong explains that this early “training” of learning to work hard while he was a kid gave him the mindset of working hard on everything he put his mind into – no matter the challenge. He considers this a big reason why he was able to succeed in music and later in comedy. It wasn’t just talent. It was hard work to make people take notice.
Tommy Chong’s family went through such hardships – that Chong eventually had to go to an orphanage for a short period of time. During that time he would find solace in being alone. That alone time allowed him to discover himself. To understand and define himself. This, in combination with the hard work, gave him focus to succeed at his endeavors.
Tommy Chong Discovering Bodybuilding
So how did Tommy Chong get into the bodybuilding world? When he was a young man, he was very small and skinny. As a teen he would play sports – but was told he would need to train to stand alongside the other athletes. So Chong found a hardcore bodybuilding gym where he could afford to train – and quickly discovered a respect and love for weightlifting.
Fast forward to Tommy Chong’s movie career and success. He purposefully wanted to move to LA so he could train at Gold’s Gym while building his film career. He would train at Gold’s Gym because it was cheap – and he enjoyed the company and mentality of the bodybuilders who would train there such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Zabo Koszewski. He would become good friends with Zabo and share a few funny exchanges with Arnold before Chong became famous:
“One time [Arnold Schwarzenegger] said to me, he said, ‘You know I look at you and – what’s wrong with your body? And I realize, you have no shoulders! And so that’s what I would concentrate on.”
Years later, when Tommy Chong was preparing for a movie. He decided to reach out to the legendary Vince Gironda for some training sessions. Because he was living a more lavish life as a movie star by this point – after some successful sessions – Chong would overpay Gironda to show his gratitude. This led to Gironda becoming Chong’s personal trainer.
A combination of these moments all led to Tommy Chong being a personality integrated into the Golden Era bodybuilding crew. He would train at Gold’s Gym, have fun laughs with the bodybuilders, and leave with a collection of great stories.
Marijuana Stories With Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Pumping Iron Bodybuilders
By this point, everyone in the bodybuilding world is familiar with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s famous scene in Pumping Iron – where he smokes a joint while wearing his “Numero Uno” t-shirt. With Tommy Chong hanging out with the Golden Era bodybuilders – Mike O’Hearn wanted to know if there were any funny weed stories that Chong could share.
Tommy Chong explains that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s actions – smoking weed openly – signaled to other bodybuilders that the effects of marijuana were helpful and not detrimental to bodybuilding. If Schwarzenegger could be the best in the world while smoking weed – so could anyone.
Chong also tells some great stories involving fun times he has had with pro bodybuilders and smoking weed – including a fun game with a bong and an eighth of weed that would bring a lot of entertainment to the Golden Era bodybuilders.
Wrap Up
Tommy Chong is a man with an interesting life, fantastically talented career, and a surprising amount of bodybuilding. We could barely cover it all in this article – so be sure to watch the full interview in our latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show above! And don’t forget to stop by every Friday for new episodes of the podcast each week!
The Mike O’Hearn Show: Is Embracing Obesity With Body Positivity Unhealthy?
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Episode 2: Mike O’Hearn discusses body image and the difference between being happy with how you look versus your actual objective health.
Welcome back to another episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show – brought to you by Generation Iron and Barbend. A weekly podcast and digital video series hosted by Mike O’Hearn breaking down deep explorations into fitness, health, and nutrition – as well as trending topics in the world of bodybuilding and strength sports. This week, Mike O’Hearn discusses preventative health as a 300 pound bodybuilder, obesity and weight loss, and toeing the line between healthy body image and actual objective health.
In 2022, we live in an age of anti-body shaming and embracing different body shapes and sizes. It’s a massive course correction from the 80s and 90s – when billboards and magazines would plaster ultra skinny models as the standard in beauty. However, a person’s weight and their health are very much so tied together. While it’s good to have a healthy body image – it’s also important to ensure that your lifestyle and weight do not contribute to unhealthy outcomes.
That’s why this week, Mike O’Hearn dives deep into many different fitness and health topics such as preventative health and what that really means, weight loss and obesity in the United States of America, and how confident body image can sometimes lead to encouraging unhealthy lifestyles. Let’s jump into it.
Obesity, Body Image, And Objective Health Goals
Looking at Mike O’Hearn’s life story, it’s clear that he puts an extreme effort into not only how he looks but also his health. O’Hearn has been obsessed with fitness and bodybuilding since he was 17 years old. Nearly 40 decades later, and he is still actively maintaining a massive bodybuilding physique while also keeping himself healthy. He has maintained that he is an all-natural bodybuilder. He has also put extreme effort into finding the healthiest diets to maintain muscle without missing out on vital essential nutrients for long term health.
That’s why it’s no surprise that Mike O’Hearn is a supporter of picking a fitness goal and working towards transforming your physique. In this week’s podcast, O’Hearn dives into the struggle many average Americans have with losing weight. He believes that this is due to not fully hitting “rock bottom” regarding health and body image – so to speak.
“A person doesn’t change until they are completely fed up with how they are,” Mike states during the podcast conversation with Vlad Yudin.
Unfortunately, some people never get fed up until it’s too late. Either from a heart attack, diabetes, or some other dangerous health crisis. If they survive it, they may change. But sadly some won’t survive.
Vlad Yudin also brings up the modern culture of embracing all body types and sizes. This includes embracing people who would be scientifically classified as obese. Does this actually encourage people to stick with unhealthy lifestyle choices? Is it making it harder for individuals to get “fed up with how they are?”
Mike O’Hearn believes that body positivity, as a whole, is a good thing. It’s important to not feel pressure to look how the culture at large expects you to look. However, there is a line. O’Hearn believes that line comes down to objective health. O’Hearn explains, if you are overweight and happy with how you look – that’s great. But if you have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, then it’s time for a lifestyle change and to drop some pounds. It’s no longer about what body image makes you happy, it’s about whether you will live a long happy life. You only life once after all.
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Preventative Care & Cardiovascular Health
Mike O’Hearn also dives deep into preventative care. As a man who is near 300 pounds, albeit mostly muscle, he takes extra care to ensure that his health is always on point. In fact, he believes that most individuals should be doing more than what is commonly prescribed in terms of yearly doctor checkups.
O’Hearn goes into detail about getting regular heart scans and bloodwork done. In fact, he states that after speaking with a medical professional – he was told that in a perfect world, men would get a heart scan every six months.
He also believes that while it’s common practice to go to the doctor less often when you are a young adult – it would likely be best to get a checkup bi-yearly even in your twenties and thirties.
In addition to this, Mike O’Hearn talked in detail about heart health and cardiovascular training. He believes that most individuals do cardio not to lose weight – but because they are actually in fear for their heart health. O’Hearn believes that culture today believes the heart is far more fragile than it really is.
If a person was to eat completely health and be mildly active – they would most likely have a perfectly health heart (genetic disorders and predisposed diseases not withstanding). Today’s culture is so fearful of heart health due to heart attack and disease statistics. This makes them believe the heart is super fragile if you don’t do cardio every single day.
But Mike O’Hearn explains that this is only due to the systemic unhealthy eating habits we are largely engaging into. O’Hearn is personally not worried about cardio in regards to his heart health. In fact, he only does cardio when he needs to get more lean and shredded for a movie role, photo shoot, or guest posing performance.
It should be stated that Mike O’Hearn is not a doctor. But he is someone who has dedicated his entire life to being healthy. This is not meant to be medical advice – but perhaps simply an eye opener for those to do more research and look into their lifestyle choices. The heart can be a very powerful muscle if you take care of it – in more ways than one.
Wrap Up
You can watch Mike O’Hearn’s full comments in our latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show above. He goes into far more detail about his personal regimen for preventative care, cardio, and body image. And don’t forget to visit Generation Iron every Friday for new episodes each week!
The Mike O’Hearn Show: Biggest Differences Between Training Tactics In The 80s Vs Today
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Episode 1: Mike O’Hearn talks about the evolution of bodybuilding training and nutrition tactics from the 1980s to the 2020s.
Welcome to The Mike O’Hearn Show. Our brand new digital series and podcast hosted by Mike O’Hearn. With a focus on all things bodybuilding, fitness, and strength training – O’Hearn brings unique insight into trending topics in the industry due to his near ageless fitness career over 4 decades. Which is why for our episode premiere, Mike O’Hearn breaks down the evolution of training and nutrition strategies over the past 40 years. How do we train today vs the 80s? Let’s jump into it.
Technology and science is rapidly changing. It’s hard to believe that it was only 15 years ago before iPhones existed. Before we could connect to infinite information in the palm of our hand at any moment. That same kind of rapid change is constantly happening in the fitness space as well. If you were to compare the diet and training tactics of fitness masters in the 1980s – they would vary in many ways versus today.
While the core functionality of training will always be the same – the details have largely shifted. And it hasn’t stopped. What the fitness world looks like in another 40 years will likely have many shifts compared to today. Mike O’Hearn has been dedicated to strength training, bodybuilding, and fitness since his teen years. And he’s still going strong today without slowing down. This makes him the perfect person to provide insight into the evolution of fitness over these past few decades.
Gym Training – Working Smarter Not Harder
So what is one of the biggest differences in training tactics today vs the 1980s? Mike O’Hearn believes it comes down to how hard we train in the gym. Now this might sound misleading. O’Hearn doesn’t believe in secret tips to skip ahead of the line. But what he does believe in is the old adage, “Work smart, not hard.”
At one point in this week’s episode, Mike O’Hearn says that the goal of the gym is to gain as much benefits with as little work possible. What he means by this is to not overtrain. In the 1980s, more was always seen as better. The hardcore lifting mentality was to push your body so far that it forces growth. While it’s important to push past your perceived limits – recovery is also vital.
Mike O’Hearn understands this and believes more people today understand this than they did 40 years ago. O’Hearn notes that many bodybuilders use to push their bodies so hard that they would degrade from the pressure. While this still led to some truly amazing physiques, it also led to shorter careers laden with injuries down the road.
Mike O’Hearn learned early to not push so hard that he would be physically burnt out and broken by middle age. He looked at pro legends like Lee Haney for inspiration on how to train smart rather than too hard. Due to this, O’Hearn is still able to maintain a fantastic physique and train with full energy 40 years later.
“We understand the best rep range today better than we did back then.”
– Mike O’Hearn
It’s the little details that have improved over time with science in fitness. We understand how to better optimize training without breaking our bodies. We understand the importance of rest much better. We also understand how nutrition affects our bodies and our training methods more than we did 40 years ago. Which brings us to our next topic.
How Nutrition and Macros Perception Has Changed
We see the world of nutrition and diets much more differently than we did 40 years ago. Mike O’Hearn points out that the importance of dietary fats in a bodybuilding or fitness diet has taken a 180 vs yesteryear. In the past, dietary fat was seen as the enemy. It’s right there in the word “fat.” No one wants to be fat – so we should consume less of it.
But in reality dietary fat (especially from lean healthy sources) is vital toward maintaining a powerful physique and a healthy life. On top of this, we have grown to understand how much carbohydrates contribute to gaining fat on our bodies. In fact, the distrust of carbs has gone too far – at least in Mike O’Hearn’s opinion.
In 2022, carbs have a bad rap. They are seen as unnecessary. Carbs provide our bodies with energy – but beyond that can be seen as largely unnecessary. So modern dietitians and fitness gurus believe in low carb diets that bring in other sources of energy for our bodies. This helps with staying lean and avoiding unnecessary weight gain.
However, Mike O’Hearn thinks that the massive trend of low-carb diets has swung too far in the other direction. O’Hearn swears by carbs and still keeps them largely in his daily diet. He finds them necessary for longevity and building a healthy bodybuilding physique.
O’Hearn thinks that social media has played a slight part in the negative perception against carbs. Social media has created a world where fitness icons need to be lean 24/7. They need to post pictures of their shredded physique throughout the entire year. This denies people a period to focus on bulking and growth. O’Hearn finds this especially damaging for young aspiring fitness lovers.
During the teen years and early 20s, athletes should experiment with pushing their muscle mass as far as they can go. But if most people feel the need to stay lean 24/7 due to social media – this puts them in a constant state of deficit. That denies them a whole world that may open up if they allow themselves to put on more pounds and get to know their bodies muscle mass limits more.
Wrap Up
Mike O’Hearn likes to look ahead. He was talking about lower rep ranges and working smarter back in his younger years before many believed in that gym mantra. He believes that his views on carbs and other diet trends will eventually be popular in another 10 or 20 years. His longevity in fitness proves he is often on point. Science and technology will always continue to evolve. O’Hearn encourages all to try and stay ahead of the curve.
You can watch Mike O’Hearn’s full comments in our premiere episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show above. Make sure to stop by every Friday for more new episodes as we launch them each week.
Mike O’Hearn Close-Grip Benches 385 Pounds 10 Times, Shares Huge Arm Workout
Mike O’Hearn showed off his massive arm workout including close-grip bench press.
Mike O’Hearn has made waves during his career as a bodybuilder, actor, and fitness model. He has appeared on the cover of many magazines because of his incredible physique and that is built using his strength. This is something O’Hearn showed off during a massive arm workout as he close-grip benched 385 pounds for 10 reps.
On his YouTube page, O’Hearn was joined by former fullback and NFL Network analyst Heath Evans. The two got together for a huge arm day workout to build biceps and triceps.
Mike O’Hearn completed his close-grip bench presses as the first exercise of the day. This is a classic workout to build triceps and upper-arm size. O’Hearn completed his impressive set followed by Evans, who pumped out five reps of 315 pounds.
The duo moved onto skull crushers, which they performed with a barbell while laying down on a bench. This tricep workout explodes the muscles but also provides a deep stretch to stimulate more muscle fibers. Hammer-grip barbell bicep curls were next. Mike O’Hearn performed these workouts with a neutral grip to emphasize the brachialis. This an elbow flexor that pushes up against the outer biceps.
This was an abbreviated workout but one that pumped the arms for size. The duo performed the exercises with big weight and less reps. This is a way to promote muscle building in all areas of the arm. O’Hearn has continued to provide wisdom in different areas over the course of his career.
At 53 years old, Mike O’Hearn has maintained an elite physique thanks to his work in the gym and knowledge of muscles. He is a former four-time Mr. (Natural) Universe winner who has also competed in strongman and powerlifting. On TV, he has been featured in the original American Gladiators series.
For this specific workout, O’Hearn was joined by Evans, who was one of the strongest players in the NFL during his time. This continued in retirement as Evans is still a freak in the gym. This was shown in 2017 when he benched 225 pounds for 45 reps during the NFL Combine. This is a method used by the league to test the strength of athletes coming out of college. Evans decided to give it a go while in his full work gear.
Mike’ O’Hearn is still an influential voice in fitness because of the physique he has maintained and his overall wisdom of the area. This is another instance of O’Hearn providing a workout for others to try.
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