How Steve Used Man Flow Yoga to Recover from Cervical Radiculopathy At 65 | Steve G. | Better Man Podcast Ep. 114

Dean Pohlman: Hey guys it’s Dean. Welcome back to the Veteran Podcast. Today we continue our Reclaiming Your Fitness series. And I’ve got Steve G here from Baltimore to talk about his story with, getting back into fitness. So, Steve, thanks for being here.

Steve Gore: Oh, pleasure.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. So how long have you been doing, manual yoga for?

Steve Gore: Oh, I started, Boof. I think February of 2023. Probably.

Dean Pohlman: Okay. And what caused you to go looking for something like that?

Steve Gore: Well, I’ve never done yoga, except for, you know, maybe occasionally here and there. I was never avoiding yoga. I just never kind of found time to make it part of my life or the reason, too. And, I developed a really bad, problem, with the cervical nerve, cervical vertical apathy. Great. And, it was really oppressively bad.

Steve Gore: And, as part of the evaluation for that, I just had plain X-rays of my cervical spine, which, to my great surprise, pretty advanced after arthritis. In my spine, which I’ve had no symptoms from. And, was very worrisome to me because I’m, I guess I was 55 at the time and I’m thinking, wow, this is like the beginning of the end, you know, I’m a physician.

Steve Gore: And, you know, that doesn’t sound good to me. So I, I went to my, massage therapist, who happens to be, yoga instructor, although that’s not a full time gig anymore, but he’s he’s pretty big. Had a yoga guy. And, I asked him what he thought about, you know what? There was a reasonable for me to consider yoga as a, you know, adjunct to.

Steve Gore: He said I absolutely should be doing that. So, I was looking around for kind of beginner’s yoga programs in my neighborhood, and there just wasn’t really anything that was, easy. Or, you know, made sense. Time wise. And so, you know, I did what anyone does and goes to the internet and, then, of course, things start popping up on my Facebook feed, including this, Dean Perlman guy with his, strength foundations challenge thing.

Steve Gore: And that was very appealing to me because, you know, I, I’m, I’ve been involved with weightlifting for quite a long time, and, so, you know, just the idea that I could do it at home and there was a program to follow. It seemed like it was worth a try. And, so I signed up for that, and, I was, like, immediately hooked.

Steve Gore: So there you go.

Dean Pohlman: Cool. So immediately hooked. All right. So, you know, and that that’s a challenging program, by the way. It’s not it’s not an easy program. I was actually just talking with the guy who, you know, and he was only 49 when he started the program, and he’s like, yeah, it is way too hard for me. So, you know, you go into that program at 65 or 66 and being able to do it consistently is is definitely a testament to your your previous fitness level.

Dean Pohlman: So well done first off.

Steve Gore: Well thanks. Yeah I was very persistent. You know, I, I, I’m going to do this.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. So, and what do you think enabled you to be consistent?

Steve Gore: Well, you know, I, I, I don’t have problems following a fitness program, so that’s them for as long as I can schedule it. That’s something that’s been important to me, at least since my, early 40s. And, so that was no surprise again, having the program, with kind of, expectations for how much per week and what were you going to do this week versus next week?

Steve Gore: That was very helpful to me. You got, you know, like, it’s like having a trainer or telling you what to do and having a trainer. Really? Yeah. And, so, you know, and then the question was, you know, do you repeat the same thing twice or do you go to the intermediate level than if I was going to the same thing twice?

Steve Gore: Excuse me, I got it sweating because it was hot outside. So.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah, I was okay. So you never had issues with being consistent so that that wasn’t that wasn’t an issue for you. So, you know, and you talked about the, you know, your, your kind of, your health, your health scare with the cervical ridicule up the you talked about that being kind of a big motivating factor. Do you think that, you know, how how how motivational was that?

Dean Pohlman: And this, you know, this, you know, and take take me through that experience of. Oh, shit.

Steve Gore: Well, you know, here I am, you know, doing physical therapy, like, in a lot of really in a lot of pain and having trouble sleeping a very few positions that were reasonable, that were possible. I ended up getting out some medication that really helped. And fortunately, I responded to immediately, pain wise. So I was able to get the pain under control.

Steve Gore: That’s kind of when I think started doing yoga was like, now, okay, now, now I’ve got the pain managed. And you know, I went back to my massage therapist like two months later and he was just astonished because, like, I’ve had some, like, really chronic, knots that he’s, you know, worked at. I don’t have that often, but like that, they’ve never gone away.

Steve Gore: And, like, everything was, like, just totally open. I mean, there was like, no, no bad. Wow. What’s there? So. And he’s like I said, he’s a Yogi, is very much a believer. But he was astonished because he’s known me now, you know, for four years or whatever. And he’s, you know, and, you know, maybe 3 or 4 sizes a year.

Steve Gore: Never seen me like that. So, so that was very encouraging. Yeah, yeah. And then, you know, I, I started, I can’t get everything in exactly into sort of the exact time frame.

Dean Pohlman: Well, you don’t have this all written down somewhere. Come on.

Steve Gore: I don’t I don’t journal totally about that. I don’t journal, but, you.

Dean Pohlman: Should journal about why you don’t journal. That’ll that’ll solve.

Steve Gore: I found it was really helping my my, my work in the weight room. Oh, yeah. So, the, by.

Dean Pohlman: The way, the numbers that you’re putting up in the weight room are, are very impressive.

Steve Gore: Thank you.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah.

Steve Gore: I remember, so.

Dean Pohlman: Some of your weights, I was like, wait, really? That’s a lot.

Steve Gore: That’s funny, because a, son in law of one of our family friends, works out in the gym that I work out, and he’s usually there a half hour before, and we were both, deadlifting, the other day, and he stopped and he says, well, what are you lifting there? And it was, it was 321.

Steve Gore: And, you know, it’s just what I was doing. But he know he’s, he’s 35 years old or something. So anyway, that was kind of fun. But, anyway. But but for sure, for sure, the yoga has helped me. You know, I work with a trainer. And a couple times, I’ve also had, lumbar to go up the after the cervical thing, and, and both times were maybe, maybe related to doing something, doing a not great deadlift.

Steve Gore: I’m not really sure. I felt like my, my, it’s like it was like my focus, my, being one piece machine, if you understand what I’m saying, if I let that engagement go. So then I felt like my back say, oops. And it wasn’t, like, a painful thing. But then the next day, this happened twice. The next day, I was like a thing.

Steve Gore: So yeah, bottom line is it’s a long way of getting around thing. You know, I my my muscular awareness now, is so much better. And again, just going back to deadlift, I really understand how to engage and how to, you and I have talked about it once before, how to, you know, really push into the floor, through my feet, like, you know, yeah.

Steve Gore: People who don’t. Yeah. It’s not always so easy to explain, but, I mean, to feel like I’m a unit. I’m pushing down. My body’s, you know, lever is working, and I’m not afraid. Yeah, I’m all connected. The other thing was, you know, the other day, a few weeks ago, I was, doing a body source and gliders, and, my trainer saw me from across the room.

Steve Gore: He said, you know, my butt was to up and blah, blah, blah, and he, you know, that’s it’s not so easy to gauge, I think, whether your spine is neutral for me. Anyway. In, in a plank position, and he told me about, you know, engaging my core and, and my glutes at the same time.

Steve Gore: And, you know, again, well, that was really familiar because from all the work I’ve done in mental yoga and immediately that corrected it and I’ve got that down. So, yeah. So,

Dean Pohlman: So it sounds like the, the body awareness and the muscle awareness is, is a is a huge factor and huge improvement.

Steve Gore: But I think, but I think I’m also stronger. I mean, I think, I think I do think that my strength and I can’t quantify that obviously. Right. But Yeah.

Dean Pohlman: Well, I mean, maybe you can in terms of like a 1 to 10, this is how I feel. Scale.

Steve Gore: That’s what I, I just feel, I feel stronger. And again, I can’t know how much that is, is just weightlifting and how much that is, is yoga and and definitely flexibility as well. I mean, I, I’m the kind of guy whose hamstrings were like terrible, like the bend and reach thing called bail, you know. Yeah, any of that stuff.

Steve Gore: And I have done a bend and reach thing, but, I know that, you know, in pyramid and other postures, you know, half splits. I’m doing stuff in my hamstrings. But in my life, I’ve never been able to do, you know, pigeon, lizard. I could never do that stuff with my hamstrings, so. Yeah, anytime.

Steve Gore: My legs, as far as I know, you know.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah, well, you weren’t doing any. I mean, it sounds like, you know, correct me if I’m wrong. So you you’ve been lifting pretty consistently for the last how many years, and have you done it? You know, every week, have you had periods where you don’t do it for a few months or like, what’s what’s that been?

Steve Gore: It’s been up and down. But I’d say since like since like 2013, except for the beginning of Covid. You know, I’ve been in the gym, usually with the trainer. You know, regularly, you know, pretty much most of that time.

Dean Pohlman: Okay. And is that when that’s when you started weightlifting, did you do weightlifting before that?

Steve Gore: No, I started probably was about 40. Okay. But but there were years I did and years I didn’t. And it was never, you know, I did everything the wrong way. It’s like, you know, I read Men’s Health magazine and figure out what to do. So I was very much kind of an independent guy. Like, I’m not going to, like, look for help.

Steve Gore: And all this really stupid stuff that men. Well, that I do. Let’s just say I’m not going to generalize for men, but I that’s okay.

Dean Pohlman: You can, you can, you can do it for a lot of men. Yeah.

Steve Gore: So like for example, I remember some years ago, you know, I was, bench pressing on a cement machine and, you know, it was pretty easy. I said, well, I don’t I can do a lot of barbell. And so I just transferred the same weight. Oops. That was, that was really a bad move.

Dean Pohlman: I’ve been in that position at least a couple of times where I’m like, oh.

Steve Gore: Okay, we’re going to yeah.

Dean Pohlman: We’re going to somehow roll this off of me.

Steve Gore: Exactly.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. I’ve spent most of my most of my shoulder recovery for the last ten years has just been focused on undoing the damage I did to my shoulder while bench pressing. Just I was just obsessed with my pecs when I was younger. I just wanted to. I did bench press like three times a week and, yeah, I don’t know if I’ll ever do bench press anything close to what I was doing when I was younger, but, yeah, it’s.

Steve Gore: Obviously not easy on your shoulder either. Right?

Dean Pohlman: The what?

Steve Gore: Lacrosse. Yeah.

Dean Pohlman: Lacrosse. Lacrosse is not either. I mean, it was. Yeah. No, no, no, it was, it could have been better, I think I think I think, you know, a lot of what I know now versus what I did not know as a, as a college athlete, particularly with strengthening the muscles around the shoulder blades and with doing way more pulling exercises.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. I wish I had paid attention to that a lot more. But, you know, at the same time, I wouldn’t know all of what I know now if I didn’t have to figure out, oh, what’s wrong with myself? Let me figure it out, because I wouldn’t know. I would have no, I wouldn’t have had the motivation to figure that out.

Dean Pohlman: So most of what I figured out with manual yoga, as a result of me figuring out my own problems and then being able to say, hey, I figured it out. Other inflexible men who don’t want to do yoga, I can help you.

Steve Gore: Right, right, right.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. So, okay, I.

Steve Gore: Think it’s great. I recommend it to people all the time.

Dean Pohlman: So. Yeah, I appreciate that. You’re, you’re you’re, you’re a wonderfully vocal, proponent. And, I do really appreciate that. So. So thank you. Welcome. My dad’s actually, my dad is also. You’re you’re 67 now.

Steve Gore: 60. I’ll be 67 next month. Yeah.

Dean Pohlman: 67 next month. Okay. My dad, my dad just retired. He’s 65, 65, maybe 66. I don’t know. But he’s also he just she’s also a physician. He is an oncologist.

Steve Gore: Right.

Dean Pohlman: And, yeah, he’s, we’re talking about his his fitness journey now and him, you know, he’s like, I’m going to start lifting weights and I’m say, I’m okay. You know, I’ll be watching.

Steve Gore: It’s good.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. But, so what did you, what other what other results did you. I’ll actually I want to go back to like, you know, the difference between manual yoga and weightlifting versus just doing weightlifting. And I’m just curious, what other things did you notice? You know, did you did you have the same kind of soreness that you had before?

Dean Pohlman: Do you notice other, other improvements are there? You know, what’s been that experience?

Steve Gore: I don’t have a lot of soreness. I don’t have a lot of soreness. And now. I just don’t I mean, if I’m if I’m pushing weights or like, we’re going from, you know, changing the routine, in terms of, you know, volume versus weight or something, you know, you know, I might when we switch up, you know, obviously, I may feel I was like, oh, it was my in the back or in my lap something, you know, that kind of soreness like.

Steve Gore: Yeah. Soreness like, oh, I did something, for have that. But but I really don’t have pain. And similarly a lot of times on the mental, you know, the workouts, you know, where in your pattern you’re saying, say, oh, you’re really going to feel this like the next day in your or whatever. I just don’t.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah, I always, I always get offended by your comments and I’m like, oh, I didn’t it didn’t it wasn’t challenging enough. It wasn’t sore. Know I’m, I’m, I’m only partially joking, but,

Steve Gore: It’s plenty challenging, but I’m not. You know, I don’t get the sort of thing that, you know, I’m happy about that. Yeah. And I think that’s because, I mean, I really do think that your, your, Your explanation of technique, especially now that I’ve been at it for a while and I really understand your language a lot better than I did at first.

Steve Gore: I have to admit that when I was doing, the first time, I went through a strength foundation challenge, you know, some of the things about, you know, pulling your ribs in versus some of the things about, you know, external versus internal. Yeah. I was not always, clear about. And, you know, sometimes I post to the Facebook page and somebody, Richard or somebody would, you know, help was always good, but.

Steve Gore: I think something has to click at some level where, you feel where you hear it and you feel it and say, oh, I understand that now. Right. So I think that it took me time a little bit and I don’t think it’s anything with your instruction because now I find instructions like so helpful. Your cues and I think that keeps me out of trouble.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah, yeah. So just because you’re doing the technique properly, you’re not getting sick.

Steve Gore: So I don’t want as of.

Dean Pohlman: Right. You did something wrong.

Steve Gore: Right? Right. Cool. I mean, it’s it’s hard. I mean, I’ve been doing the beyond, the flexibility beyond. And the whole the folder this long, dude. I mean, they’re.

Dean Pohlman: A long time. Yeah.

Steve Gore: They’re long and,

Dean Pohlman: Yeah, I, I think I remember recording those and looking over the time like, okay, another minute. Okay. All right.

Steve Gore: You just keep talking.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. I gotta keep talking. I gotta keep talking through it. You guys would not if I stop talking and oh.

Steve Gore: That would be bad.

Dean Pohlman: There too, had people would just tune out, they’d be like, what am I doing here again? Don’t I have something else to do now? It’s, Yeah.

Steve Gore: I don’t really like it, honestly. As much as I kind of don’t like it, but I mostly do like it because I find, you know, I’m in my third cycle now, and, it’s a familiar, but it’s a really good headspace, I think, like, okay, I’m going to be in this one for five minutes. And I know at some point we’re going to like, do this isometric thing or that isometric things and kind of okay, like expecting that.

Steve Gore: But but there is this kind of really open zen thing about it, mindfulness, whatever it may be. So I’m really digging that. I mean, I really feel like I’ve come out feeling I’ve been present. I’ve just been really present and awesome.

Dean Pohlman: So it sounds like repeating the workouts is helpful for you in the sense that, you know, what’s coming now is that.

Steve Gore: Yeah, yeah, it is. Yeah. I mean, I think overall that’s always true. You know, you know, I’m.

Steve Gore: It’s for this particular one, it’s been very helpful, especially because, you know, there are some first time through I feel like there’s something like that unknown, what, five minutes like this going to be? I, you and I chatted online about, about the, horse pose for 2.5 minutes, and it’s like, yeah, and I, I can I can squat pretty well in that, in that Hakka position.

Steve Gore: I don’t have any limitations, flexibility wise, but, you know, the first time through, I was like, oh my God. I mean, this is just so hard just holding it there. But now, now it’s like, I know it’s going to be okay and and move and it’s it’s going to be fine. So, just having gone through it, there’s just not that anxiety about.

Steve Gore: Is this going to be terrible?

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. So, so you mentioned being able to feel more present, when you’re doing the workouts or have towards feeling more presence, what are some other things that you notice just in terms of improvements in day to day life as a result of, you know, being consistent with this?

Steve Gore: Well, hello. You know, I definitely get an endorphin rush after a lot of the workouts. So the yoga workouts, I really, I tend to workout, do my yoga in the morning, and when I’m in the gym, I do the gym, like, super early, like 630, but that’s for me. And then I’ll try to fit in yoga, usually later in the morning if I have a break in work.

Steve Gore: Sometimes it’s later, but, and on other days, like sometimes I do bootcamp the gym, which is like a noon. So then I’ll do yoga in the early in the morning for work. So especially on those days, I do feel, you know, just really endorphin ized, focused, ready to go. I don’t know, gain.

Steve Gore: It’s like I feel,

Steve Gore: I feel like I’m going to get, like, corny and, for client, like, emotional. There’s something there’s something really good, just good together. Ready? Composed, in myself. And. Yeah, it’s it’s good, but.

Dean Pohlman: No, it’s kind of this sense of like, I like to describe it as like this. It’s this sense of energetic, focused, calm. And so, like, all of those things, you know, but I haven’t really.

Steve Gore: Thought about it until just now. Like I said, I was getting kind of emotional about it because it was it feels very powerful to talk about.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. That’s great. I mean, I mean, yeah, that’s the yeah, I mean, feeling I don’t know, I guess I can only explain my own experience. And that’s kind of, you know, there’s been a couple of series that I’ve created based on. Okay, I know that when I do poses in this particular sequence and in emphasizing these aspects of the poses that I finish feeling the way that you’re talking about, like you feel more focused in what you’re doing, like more present, more able to focus on what you’re doing.

Dean Pohlman: You are present in the sense that you’re looking at what’s in front of you instead of worrying about, oh, there’s like other things that I have to do or, oh, there’s this thing that I haven’t done that I’m worried about, or you know, I mean, yeah, it can, it can create this, this total different way of experiencing life in a way.

Steve Gore: I agree again, I can’t I can’t articulate it that well, but that is exactly how it kind of feels. And I guess I hadn’t really thought about that, but, you know, the it’s interesting because I haven’t really, except for a few days here and there. I mean, I, I’ve been like, pretty consistent for the last year and a half or however long it’s been.

Steve Gore: And, so I, I can’t feel like I haven’t done the, the experiment where you don’t do it.

Dean Pohlman:

Steve Gore: I mean I don’t have any interest in doing that either, you know, to yeah. To see how different it is when you’re not doing it.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. And I think you’ve, you already answered this, but I think one thing that I really find cool, so you know, I, I went back and I created this whole accountability and strategies, piece of content based on. And I wanted to get feedback from the members to make it instead of just like, hey, here are some theoretical theory, here are some theoretical strategies that work based on, you know, the exercise world I want.

Dean Pohlman: And I just ask people like, hey, what enables you to be consistent? And one of those answers was, I know how I’m going to feel when I finish. Absolutely. That feeling that it’s the anticipation of, oh, I’m going to feel so much better when I do it that encourages you to do it rather than like, oh, I know that.

Dean Pohlman: Like in six months I’m going to be able to straighten my legs and pyramid.

Steve Gore: Yeah. No, I think that’s really good.

Dean Pohlman: Better immediately.

Steve Gore: But it’s not just how I’m going to feel afterwards. I feel great doing it right. Even even even through some of the really hard poses. And, you know, more challenging, balanced things, which is a, a challenge for me, but, but, I just, I feel good doing it. It’s like, you know, I like about the map, I feel like, okay, let’s get through the spiel and get get moving.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. And then not that one is better. Not that one is one or the other is better because you know, you know, I’m a big weightlifting fan, but what’s the difference you notice between weightlifting and doing mental yoga?

Steve Gore: Oh, I mean they’re they’re just really different. I can’t even compare it. I mean, that they’re just different. I, I do feel like with, with weightlifting, it’s, it’s forward focused in a different way. That’s right. Like, you know what, what progress. Swimming in the sea. What’s that going to mean? And I’m not going for any particular goals, honestly.

Steve Gore: And I’m at a certain need, and I just want to be fit and healthy and all around for my grandkids and stuff, and you’ll be mobile and stuff. So. But I want.

Dean Pohlman: All of your kids.

Steve Gore: My grandkids. Yes. You get like my grandkids are five and three five and have them okay. Yeah.

Dean Pohlman: Cool.

Steve Gore: So, anyway, so, you know, it feels good to lift weights. It definitely does. Right? You get the kind of pomp and and, you feel good, but it’s it’s it’s not the same. It’s not the same than the, Yeah. Yeah. Unified thing. It’s, it’s it’s different.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. Cool. All right. No right or wrong answer. I just wanted to ask.

Steve Gore: Yeah. I’m,

Dean Pohlman: I’m just trying. Yeah. So, one of the question I have is. So I know you would do a group workout class in the morning sometimes. And I don’t know what other ways community has been helpful to you in your fitness journey, but, you know, can you talk about some of, how you’ve integrated community and social structure into your overall health and wellness and how that’s been helpful?

Steve Gore: Wow. So, it’s like super important. You know, I, I think that, like, some other people I know, early 40s was kind of a, a dark would maybe not be the right word. Maybe that’s too difficult a word, but I but I kind of stressful and maybe dark time, some depression and and, you know, you’re in a career time when, you know your kid, you got your kids, your marriage all around the kids, right?

Steve Gore: And, they’re little and they’re needy, and your work is, you know, you’re at a certain level of your career and, you know, am I going to be this way or that way? And yeah, all that and, and, you know, there isn’t a lot of traditionally a lot of really healthy male social stuff at least.

Steve Gore: Yeah. It wasn’t 20 years ago. So much so, I think that was really missing for me, a lot. And, so, anyway, I do, I do, small group training, at the gym. And that’s really to make the trainer affordable more than anything else. But, you know, there’s like six of us, and, everybody else is probably under 40.

Steve Gore: But I, you know, we’re all friends, and, it’s encouraging and it’s fun. And then I do, you know, I do boot camp. And again, there’s a couple people in their 50s, but most people are, you know, 2240s and, you know, there’s a there’s a core, there’s that, there’s one guy. He’s he’s in his 40s.

Steve Gore: He’s also has been a trainer. He’s really fit. And, you know, he likes to tease me or egg me on or sometimes correct me. And it’s really meant I mean, I feel like it’s meant in a very loving way, and I really appreciate it. So, you know, the camaraderie, the palling around the I don’t know, it’s it’s it’s very important to me.

Steve Gore: It’s it’s very positive.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. Cool. So it’s just the, just that atmosphere of having people, just having people there, doing it with you.

Steve Gore: Having people doing it with you, sort of having some care about each other. Right? Because you know each other and, you know, there’s, there is some thing like that. Yeah. And I, you know, I think the, the mental community, mental yoga community, I think, has some of that, both on the Facebook page and engage. I think it’s, it’s, it’s by definition, not the same as in real life.

Steve Gore: Of course.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah.

Steve Gore: But but I do think that that whole thing about, you know, sharing your experiences with certain programs and workouts and, you know, and how people are doing and it’s, it’s it’s good. Right. But, yeah, it’s nice to know that people are doing it and, and sharing the same stuff. Yeah. That to me, that’s all good.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. Totally. Yeah. It’s you know, unfortunately we don’t have the, you know, the manual yoga chapters set up in every major city in the US yet. But if you’re willing to head up the Baltimore one, let me know.

Steve Gore: Yeah, well, yeah, I just signed. They signed on for another five years before retirement, so not sure I haven’t been, but let me know. Oh, wow. Yeah.

Dean Pohlman: Okay. Well, dang. You’re good. You’re just going to live forever then. That’s cool. That’s great. I’m happy for you. So what’s the, what’s the next thing you want to work on in your fitness? Is there a is there a goal that you’re looking toward, that you’re like, this is what I want to do next, or.

Steve Gore: I’m not really. I mean, things come up and they go, you know, when I was up at when I was up in, working at Yale and in Connecticut, there was a big fundraiser. Those around cycling. And I like to cycle. And so training for a century or 50 mile or whatever was a thing. Right. And, and I enjoyed doing that, in a structured way.

Steve Gore: So I don’t really have anything exactly like that, in the books, planning wise, but, you know, I’m, I’m open for that. In the meantime, I just kind of follow along and like I say, you know, what’s the, you know, what’s the next goal going to be at? You know, bench press? You’re talking about something I was never strong at because I was never working with anybody.

Steve Gore: I never had any spotting on a regular basis, blah, blah, blah. So the first time in my life I’m, you know, benching, you know, in the one 7180 range or, you know, it’s a lot for a young person, but it’s more liberated. And, you know, so I, I really enjoy seeing that grow. And I don’t have a particular peak where it’s going to be, but if I’m growing with it, that’s, it’s it’s kind of I see it as personal growth.

Steve Gore: It’s a fun, you know. Yeah.

Dean Pohlman: Cool. Yeah. I think it’s I mean, I think you have, you know, just based on everything that we’ve discussed, it sounds like what you’re doing sounds so sustainable. Just because you’re enjoying the process, you don’t. You know, some people really do need I want to know what I’m working on. I want to know what I’m working towards. I want to plan to get there or I’m not going to do it.

Dean Pohlman: And, you know, I think you found a way that really works, which is I just enjoy what I’m doing. I like the people that I’m around and I do it, and I like the process of it.

Steve Gore: And I like the way I feel.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. Awesome. So let’s get into our, our rapid fire questions. Okay. I, I have a feeling you’re going to have get some, some good ones. So, so the first one is what is the one habit, belief or mindset that has helped you the most with your overall health and wellness?

Steve Gore: Oh, that, that I can, that I can do this, because, I was kind of a fat, unathletic kid, and I grew up with the feeling that I couldn’t, And so realizing that I’m an adult and I can take responsibility for myself, and, and get help, and I can ask for help, right?

Steve Gore: I don’t I don’t have to be that kid. It was great to talk to coach because you think I was stupid and fat and unathletic, right? So, Yeah, that’s kind of it. Like, I can do this if I want to.

Dean Pohlman: I got it. All right. Great answer. I’m writing that down for myself. What is one thing that you do for your health that is often overlooked or undervalued?

Steve Gore: Overlooked by other people or by myself or.

Dean Pohlman: By other people?

Steve Gore: Yeah, I mean, I, I do think I mean, I do think the yoga thing, at least among the guys I know, I think, for sure, for sure, the yoga piece. And I’m again talking about the younger people I know in, in boot camp, and they’ve all done yoga, right? But they. My, my trainer, who’s a 34, I mean, he’s he’s all about yoga.

Steve Gore: He he’s so glad that I do the do your warmups before deadlifting or squatting. I always do a ten minute or that one always.

Dean Pohlman: I’m glad you do them too. Yeah, I do. You wouldn’t believe how many people I speak with who like, oh, I just go do it. I’m like, why don’t you warm up? Go, go get your glutes firing, bro.

Steve Gore: Yeah, exactly. So I, I do think that, you know, they. Oh, yeah. That would be a good idea. You know, like the young guy’s dealing with sciatica. He’s a big guy, like a linebacker type, you know, in the 30s. And that’s a dude. Just like, just do this. Like, you’re going to feel better.

Dean Pohlman: So. Yeah. Okay. I mean, I can’t argue with that answer. All right. Next question.

Steve Gore: I think paid to do this, by the way.

Dean Pohlman: No, you’re getting paid nothing. I just want to clarify exactly.

Steve Gore: We have not rehearsed.

Dean Pohlman: Yes. What is the most stressful part of your day to day life?

Steve Gore: Okay. Well, the really good news thing is that my life, is much less stressful than it’s ever been before. Because I work from home 4 to 4 days a week. Four out of five. I really, really dig my job these days. You know, I, I took care of leukemia patients all my life. I stopped that four years ago.

Steve Gore: It was really highly spiritual, important work, and also really emotionally stressful. Right. And I don’t do that anymore. And and, surprisingly, I don’t miss it because I think I did enough. So my, my work is all about service to other people. And, it feels, very fulfilling. And, between that and my fitness and my dog and my grandkids and my wife, you know, I life is pretty good.

Steve Gore: The under the worst stress is, is the commute back. I drive down to, Rockville, Maryland, once a week for work. And so my wife works in the same place. And since the bridge came down in Baltimore, the commute back is just a nightmare.

Dean Pohlman:

Steve Gore: But, Yeah, life is pretty low stress these days. I’m really super grateful for that.

Dean Pohlman: All right. Sounds good. And then my last question is what is your best piece of advice for men who want to be healthier?

Steve Gore: Yeah, just I mean, get a program, get, get a program. That you like, and that’s fun. That’s interactive as possible. I think, whether it’s group acts or whether it’s something online, and, I don’t know, I, I’ve really benefited from having, you know, instruction, whether it’s, trainer or, your instruction to me, you know, feeling like you’re not doing it alone, first of all, like that somebody, somebody else cares about you besides you, even if you’re paying them to do it.

Steve Gore: I mean, it’s it’s nice. It’s nice to have somebody really, engage with you, in your journey. And whether that. I guess that could be a workout partner. I suppose, as well. But, I think having that, has been very helpful for me.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. So follow a program you like with people you like? Yeah.

Steve Gore: Like that.

Dean Pohlman: Cool. All right. Well, anything else you want to add.

Steve Gore: No I, I really I just love being part of this community. Dean you and I have talked about that and, and I, I’ve just gotten so much out of the, out of the program, it’s really, you know, it’s it’s become, such a positive habit. So, you know, I’m, I stumbled into it. I had nobody had recommended it.

Steve Gore: And, you know, I’m just a huge supporter, so I’m really super grateful about that.

Dean Pohlman: Yeah. And every time I talk with you, I feel like I. I really like this guy. Yeah, I love it. I love all this. Yeah. And it’s been great having you as part of the community and getting to see your, you know, getting to see you sharing your experience with the workouts and hearing about how it’s helping you.

Dean Pohlman: And. Yeah, I am, I’m very happy that you’re here. So thank you.

Steve Gore: You’re welcome. And maybe next time I’ll have 75 pounds, 200.

Dean Pohlman: 75 pounds. You have 75 pounds. That was.

Steve Gore: Oh, I don’t know, but do you have that, recent podcast with that. Oh, yeah.

Dean Pohlman: You know Anthony. Yep. Yeah. He’s got a great story. His cool his is cool. Just because he like. And he lost it so quickly. You just like I just stopped eating like crap. And I did my yoga in the morning. And I went on lots of walks and I lost like I don’t I think it was like 30 pounds in one month.

Dean Pohlman: Just do it. Yeah, something like that. Just crazy. Hey.

Steve Gore: We’ll see. Yeah, I’m practicing self-love in the meantime, so.

Dean Pohlman: Hey, good. That’s better than shaming yourself into working out. Exactly. Good job. All right, well, Steve, I’m sure I’ll talk to you soon. Guys. Listening in, I really hope you enjoyed this interview. I hope you got a lot of it. I hope it inspires you to be a better man. I’ll see you guys on the next episode.

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