The Rock's Trainer Reveals the MOST IMPORTANT Lesson He Learned

In this episode of Spartan Leadership Podcast, Aaron Williamson, The Rock's trainer, reveals the most important lesson he learned from training with The Rock. Tune in to hear about discipline, hard work, and the mindset of a US Marine.

🚨 Aaron is also a featured keynote speaker at our upcoming Bridge Builder Live event at Five Bridges Farm. Learn more here: https://www.joshkosnick.com/bridgebuilderlive

🔗 Aaron’s Website: https://www.aaronwilliamson.net
📸 Instagram: @aaronwilliamson

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:03:24 - Joining the Marines & Early Life
00:08:31 - Struggles After Service
00:11:26 - Finding Purpose in Fitness
00:13:41 - Breaking into Hollywood
00:23:59 - Zac Efron’s Transformation
00:31:08 - Intermittent Fasting & Nutrition
00:36:55 - Aging & Longevity
00:45:21 - Biohacking & Peptides
00:56:04 - Thoughts on TRT
01:03:20 - Fitness as a Life-Altering Belief
01:07:09 - Closing Remarks
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Transcript

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[00:00:00] 


Introduction and Guest Introduction
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Josh: Welcome back to Spartan Leadership. I'm your host, Josh Kosnick, and this is your podcast for leadership, inspiration and impact. And today will be no different 'cause I got a great guest joining me and let me give Aaron a proper introduction. So today's guest, Aaron Williamson, truly embodies the Spartan spirit from serving as a US marine to transforming the fitness regimens of Hollywood's elites.

Aaron's story is one of relentless discipline. Personal reinvention and servant leadership. He's not just a transformation coach, he's a keynote speaker, an actor, a Marine, and a man who has built, rebuilt himself from the ground up. Aaron has worked with actors like Dwayne, the Rock Johnson, Zach Efron and Sylvester Stallone, and now brings his insight to stages across the country.

And he'll join us. He'll be joining us here on August 7th at Five Bridges Farm for our biggest event, yet called Bridge Builder Live. You won't wanna miss the chance to hear him in person. So today we're gonna get into some [00:01:00] snippets and give some baseline knowledge for the deep stuff that we're gonna get into on a in August.

Aaron brother, welcome to the show. 

aaron: It's a pleasure to be on with you, and I appreciate everyone who's listening. I hope we can provide some value to you. 

Josh: Oh, we don't hope. We know there's gonna be plenty of value coming today alright, but let's get into it. 


Aaron Williamson's Early Life and Joining the Marines
---

Josh: I always first, I always ask our veterans, what was really, let's start back at your roots and what really led you to join the Marines?

aaron: The Marine Corps actually became my salvation because I had no direction as a kid. I didn't have that role model, someone to look up to. I never really knew what preparing to be an adult was all about. I got into drugs early a dysfunctional childhood. The whole divorce thing, it really affected me in a bad way.

Hang, hang around the wrong people do drugs, you end up doing the wrong stuff. Almost died in seventh grade from a cocaine and speed overdose. And really just, I [00:02:00] think, tried to do what I thought was right. But when you're a kid. What you think is right, usually is not right. Yeah. So I didn't really have much respect for authority.

I thought I knew what was best and it just kept leading me down, dead end road. I remember about my 10th grade year being a sophomore, there was a guy on the varsity football team who reminded me of Goldberg, the WWE guy, big traps, shaved head, just, big muscle head linebacker you didn't want to get in front of.

So he graduated, joined the Marine Corps, and when I saw him come back, I was so enamored. Like I, I just he was like a completely different person. The way he talked, the way he carried himself, the way he looked, he was more streamlined. He had new language and. I knew right then that's what I wanted to do.

And that was the path forward. Joining the Marine Corps. I wanted to be in the Special Forces community, but didn't quite work out that way. But, God [00:03:00] has his own unique plan and you never know what it is until after the fact. 

Josh: Yeah. You know what's funny about that, or ironic, is you resemble Goldberg now shaped, I was been told big muscles looks like you could spear someone through the ring.

aaron: Yeah. It's a cool, it's a cool thing now looking back on it, 'cause I was such a skinny kid, and if you've told me back then I'd have a career in fitness, I would've laughed at you. 

Josh: Oh that's awesome. 


Impact of the Marine Corps on Aaron's Identity
---

Josh: So how did the Marine Corps shape your identity as you transitioned out of it?

aaron: Going into it, what ended up happening was I learned so much about myself. I really knew nothing about, I, I didn't know I had leadership skills. I knew nothing about comradery. I knew nothing about loyalty. And really just, I learned to believe in myself more than I think more than most people have the capacity to, or the understanding to.

And really what it comes [00:04:00] down to is I found I found this place in my mind where if I said I was gonna do something, I knew I could achieve it. And no matter what obstacle was put in my way, no matter who said I couldn't do it no matter what pushback I got, I always figured out a way to achieve the end goal.

And that's been my mindset to this date is to just continually accomplish everything I set my mind out to, despite all the negativity, despite any anything that anyone throws in your way to try and derail you. Because what I've learned is. People get very insecure and jealous and the hate comes out when they see you succeeding in life.

Josh: Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting how that works, especially people from your past. Yeah. People from your past, the people that you're leaving behind because they, and they don't realize that they have the opportunity to grow along with you and they're choosing not to. And it's like you're holding a mirror up [00:05:00] to them and showing them who they could be if they actually chose the path or worked as hard as you did or made some different choices in their life.

aaron: Yeah, exactly. I look back on it and see and think about where I came from, Daytona Beach, Florida, growing up as a kid that was Party Central, USA, and that's what I did. But after the fact when I joined the Marine Corps, I. I realized how small Daytona Beach actually was and how little opportunity there was in terms of what I needed to grow, which is why I've pretty much just been traveling the world.

And I just I love being in big cities where everything's happening. I love traveling. I love being, in the thick of it because you meet some great people along the way. I've met some bad people along the way that have definitely set me back a little bit, but there's lessons to be learned in all of it.

Josh: Oh, 100%. Now, as you and I have become friends I know this piece of your story, but I want to get into it a little bit. 


Challenges Transitioning to Civilian Life
---

Josh: You, it wasn't all sunshine and [00:06:00] roses after getting out of the Marine Corps and you've gone through some dark periods. What was the biggest challenge you faced transitioning back into civilian life and rebuilding that next chapter?

aaron: So transitioning into civilian life was actually a new thing for me because I joined the Marine Corps right outta high school, and really all I knew was military structure routine. So leaving all that, coming into the civilian world where you don't have that camaraderie, you don't have that trust, the brotherhood, you don't have that structure routine.

You have to redefine your purpose. And I thought that I knew the next steps, but I realized quickly that the transition was not what I expected because there were so many variables that were outta my control. So I moved to New Orleans to do some work with Marine Forces North, and things didn't really pan out the way I had anticipated to.

I was trying to find the right work, [00:07:00] really any work. The problem is. A lot of companies, a lot of human resource department people don't know how to read veteran resumes. And it's an issue because you can be a very qualified person as a veteran, but unless that lingo can be translated into the corporate world, into the civilian world, then a lot of times you get passed over.

So I literally couldn't find work. And long story short is I spun outta control and lost everything I had. I was on a I say a path of survival. I was living in my car, I filed for bankruptcy. I'm thinking to myself, how can I have done all these amazing things? In the Marine Corps as a a body bearer, the section leader for the body bearers, the personal security for the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff.

Just all these amazing opportunities, having a top secret SCI clearance I think about all that coming from a broken kid. And then here I am now back to a position where I'm at rock bottom with nothing and [00:08:00] no one. So it was a very difficult time for me. 


Finding Purpose Through Fitness
---

aaron: And this is where I tapped into, I say my, my my Marine Corps discipline but also to my love of fitness.

Both of those anchors I, I dug into and it allowed me to keep my mind intact enough to successfully get myself out of the rut that I was in. But it, again I placed this all back on on God's plan. And I don't mean to push God, I had a really. I had to really dig into my faith too.

Not only overseas, but in this challenging timeframe here, because really all I wanted to do was give up. I'm, I'm so tired. My mind is broken, my spirit's broken. I don't have any purpose. I don't know what to do. I'm not with my family, nothing. So fitness is something that's very personal to me, and it's something that I really never wanted to share with anybody.

But outta desperation I decided to do that. So I got certified as a personal trainer and as Destiny would have it, I fell [00:09:00] right in the middle of Hollywood South. There were more films and TV shows being shot in Louisiana than anywhere else. So it's, I just happened to land in the right place at the right time, and, made the right relationships being the type of person that I am. 

Josh: Yeah. And God was working through that all the time. And it sounds and I just to surmise this, that God and fitness really saved your life, and we're recording this in the month of May. We'll probably release this in the month of May, which is mental health awareness Month, month.

And if you were speaking to that younger version of you and someone may be listening that's in that dark spot that may have transitioned out of the Marine Corps or any other branch of service that's looking for some sort of purpose again in their life, what would you say to that younger version of yourself?

aaron: I would say don't give up. And at the same time, don't give up. I would say don't shy away from asking for help because it's [00:10:00] something that I did that I wish I would've reached out and got some help because it would've alleviated a little bit of the. The stress I was undergoing. But I guarantee somewhere around you right now, there's someone, at least one person who actually looks up to you and is a source you like, you're literally a source of inspiration for them And for me in that time, I just thought back on the things that I had to, I had to keep in focus.

I had to keep in the forefront of my mind to keep going. And that was, I'm healthy, I'm here. I'm back in the States. I made it back. A lot of people did not. I have a responsibility to do something, not only just something, but something unique and special to give back. And that's the path that I'm still living on right now.

Josh: That's awesome. That's, and that's great advice. 


Training Hollywood Stars
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Josh: But you, so you land in Hollywood South, I. And I'm sure there's plenty of personal trainers [00:11:00] that were around that timeframe as well. What was it about you that made people like the Rock and other Hollywood stars go, I want that guy. 

aaron: I never sought out the entertainment space.

It, I just fell into it. And in doing that I was able to actually tap into something that I really didn't know about. Being in front of a celebrity. I'm not a, I'm not a starstruck guy. Because at the end of the day you realize that these celebrities are normal people, just like we are just because you're on TV or just because you're on the big screen or just because you're famous doesn't make you any different.

A lot of times what I've realized is these big names, look for people who just are real because they don't really deal with real, and that whole industry is very superficial and materialistic. And e everyone's always wanting something from you in some capacity. 

Josh: Yeah, 

aaron: I never wanted anything from anybody because I wasn't seeking anything.

I just, this just found me and [00:12:00] I'm good at what I do. I would do my assessments with clients. I would talk through issues they were having, and then on my own dime I would go out and get things that they would need in prep in preparation for training, maybe some compression sleeves for their knees or their arms or maybe a weightlifting belt or some electrolytes or, just little things that show that I'm putting in some extra effort that I care.

And also it's. Staying on top of how your client's doing all the time. It's I'm not reaching out to see how your movie's doing or if I can come by set, I'm reaching out to make sure you're feeling okay. Are you getting your meals in? I'm talking to your assistant. There's a level of care there.

That was really important to me because the whole, the package deal for me is I'm not just a trainer. I want to, I wanna make sure your nutrition's locked on. I wanna make sure your recovery's locked on. I wanna make sure that everyone's taking care of you during the production so that you're able to embody what you're supposed to be, whether it's, for a functional moving strength, superhero marvel type deal, or whether it's [00:13:00] just for this one bedroom scene.

There's so many variables that come into play here. And me I'm only one piece of an actor's day, so they might have. Vocal lessons, they've got stunt rehearsal, they've got fitness, they have this long list of things to do. And I'm always being I'm always conscious of that. Being able to adjust the training on the fly too.

If you're working with someone at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day, it might be a little bit different. You wanna keep 'em engaged, motivated, feeling good. So that's the deal for me. And then also too, just really coming by said a lot, just stopping by talking to the crew, talking to the production, explaining what I'm doing, sharing secrets, tips, all this stuff.

It, it gives people this sense of curiosity. They want to know more about what you do. And it makes a big difference when you actually embody what you're doing with the client. Like when they see fitness being lived in real time by someone who again, embodies everything about what you're doing.

I think it's it makes a big impact. I. 

Josh: Yeah [00:14:00] it does. Yeah, there's something to be said about not being starstruck and I think that it probably goes back to you being bodyguard of, joint chiefs of staff. Those people in the military can be often seen as celebrities as well. So you probably hit that.

That probably parlayed for you pretty well. But I also have that trait where I don't get starstruck. Someone asked me once who I might get starstruck by and there was only one person that could come to mind and it was Michael Jordan and just 'cause I was growing up in Illinois and the nineties and the bulls were all the rage and he's just bigger than life type person and I got an opportunity to meet him last year.

And I wasn't starstruck, so that checked off my list of there's not a single person on this planet that I would be starstruck by. It's just they're real people. I'm a real person and I don't want anything from them. If I get an opportunity to shake their hand, cool. If not go about our business.

But it's it's [00:15:00] interesting that a lot of people place this aura around people on tv, people in sports, whatever it may be. And again, at the end of the day, they're living a human existence just like the rest of us. 

aaron: Yeah, one, 100% you just said. Exactly. And also too, it's the, I think one of the other pieces for me that I really enjoyed about the celebrity training stuff is you get to showcase your work on the biggest screen in the world.

Like everyone in the world gets to really see what you're capable of doing with the human body, especially if they're really locked in and me being as hardcore as I am it's why I gravitated more in the action genre. 

Josh: Yeah. So I gotta tell you though, I don't know if I've told you this.

My son, who's seven is a little disappointed 'cause I told him you were coming to town in August and he goes, wait, is the Rock coming? I was like, sorry buddy. I don't think Aaron's pulling that. And he goes, dang. He's a big Rock fan. Yeah, but 

aaron: he's a good one. Rock's a good one. It he's you learn a lot about [00:16:00] these guys when you're in their circle during production and filming and stuff.

And you learn a lot about why the way, like why they are the way they are and what they do and certain things like that. So I wish I could get him there, but I know that ain't happening. He's bigger than life. 

Josh: Yeah, that's right. So thinking about that, he, he's, if not the biggest star in the world, one of the top five.

And I've always wondered, he may get paid whatever, 20 million for a movie, whatever the number is. I don't, that might even be low nowadays. What motivates someone like that to get in really good shape for a role when they're already in shape, they're already this multi multimillionaire. What's the thought process that goes through someone like that's mind to work with you and get, transform their body when they're already at the top of the heap?

aaron: I think this goes back to me saying there are different levels in fitness and it's a matter of what level you want to take it to. There are I would say there aren't many, or when I was really knee deep in it, hot and [00:17:00] heavy there wasn't much of an emphasis as there is now in the health and longevity community, the biohacking community.

So the spaces has become much more dynamic now. But back then when I started this whole journey training with someone like the Rock or, training with Stallone or hearing Stallone talk or the Rock Talk it's similar to me, and this is where I say it's where you're cut from the same cloth because I look at myself and I see all the flaws because I'm looking at my body as art.

A lot of people haven't really been able to capture that yet because they've never pushed their body to its limits, to where they've seen it change in a way that there's a constant evolution of wanting to continually get better. People enjoy food, people enjoy the nightlife people enjoy the comforts of just being a human being.

I don't really know what any of that means, and I think that goes for people like rock and sly, where they're like these physically. Like super human [00:18:00] anomaly, so to speak, especially in that industry. So when Rock and I trained, it was more of like, how can we fine tune you and make you even better?

How can we take that shoulder that, that take your shoulder and cap it, make that deep, cut on your dealt. And this is where we geek out on it because this is part of just the lifestyle and why we just train so much. Because not only is it an anchor, not only is it sanity, you get the endorphins and all that, but you're creating the ultimate masterpiece.

You like, literally, fitness is something you, you can't buy no matter how much money you have. You have to work for it. And I think that's another piece of it too, is with with guys on that level is they know that if they can achieve this, they'll stand out even more. And it's something that they've had to earn and it's something you have to earn.

Literally every day, every month, every year over year. Because fitness is something that doesn't happen overnight. People see me now, or people see the Rock or [00:19:00] Sly or Zach Efron or something like that, but they don't realize the amount of years that have went into sculpting that, achieving that.

The consistency the grind, the getting up in the morning when you don't wanna do it. And for all of us, that's a real thing. I don't want to get up and train every morning. Neither does rock, neither. Like at some point there's a human factor to it, but that's where the discipline beats the motivation.

Josh: Yeah. That's really good. Let's talk. So most people have known, or that have followed rock or slys career. They've always been in shape, pretty big humans. Let's talk about Efron for a moment. So he's never been, I've never seen him necessarily out of shape, but he wasn't a big human. He got absolutely cut for Baywatch.

Yeah. So what, like how long, like if someone was thinking like, man I wanted to train for a show, or I just wanted to train for a life, whatever it may be, and I wanted to take my body from decently in shape to be an absolutely cut like [00:20:00] Zach was. For Baywatch, what was the duration of time discipline on food and workouts?

Was it a six month period? Was it a two year period? What type of period would someone be looking at there? 

aaron: So my very first person I trained in the industry was Zach for a movie called The Lucky One, which is about a Marine Iraq veteran. It's a Nicholas Sparks love story Marine movie. From that point, and this was 2000, this was, I started training with him at the end of 2010 and I trained with him all the way up until Baywatch.

So he had a different trainer for Baywatch. There's some stuff that just didn't align with us, staying together for that. But that whole process of, from lucky one up until Baywatch, there was really about just trying to man him up, to put muscle on. Because prior to that, everyone knew him from like high school musical, where he was just, yeah, a kid.

He's now becoming a man. You put on muscle, you get stronger, you carry yourself [00:21:00] differently, you have more confidence. You talk a little bit differently. And I think that's all part of the evolution. And for Zach he's a very disciplined and structured guy. So I think for him continuing to refine his physique became somewhat of a, an addiction for him.

'cause he wanted to see what he could achieve. And it was just a lot of different nutritional manipulation stuff. But for most people. Who were looking to get into fitness, a lot of times you have I always hear this reference to a 90 day program, and I used to have 90 day programs and all this stuff, but at the end of the day, you gotta look at 90 days.

It's really just the beginning. That's just the, that's just the kickstart things I say. It's a building block. You've gotta, yeah, you've gotta take, at least you have to take at least an entire year of just breaking your old lifestyle habits, creating new ones, getting into new routines, changing your taste buds, detoxing your body, detoxing your mind, just getting into different facets of [00:22:00] yourself that you probably never even knew existed.

We live in this suboptimal, baseline of what we think is normal. And when you can take someone from being relatively unhealthy and get them to what the, their real baseline should be. They're shocked. They almost feel super human just by getting back to homeostasis just by getting back to center.

Josh: Yeah. Okay, so most people, it's not their job to be in shape, however, it should be a lifestyle that we all adopt. 


Fitness and Nutrition Insights
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Josh: You and I both agree on that. So you've laid out that it should be about a year, about how much time per day, concerted effort of actually working out hard. Should someone that's a professional, they run their own business, a leader in their own company, but you're, you've laid out that baseline of a year.

What's a good timeframe per day that they should be dedicating to their physical fitness? 

aaron: I would say 30 minutes to an hour, [00:23:00] four days a week is enough time. Most people will think you need much more. The much more comes around your nutrition because the nutrition is gonna be the make or break it.

Anyone can eat whatever they want and go into the gym and have a great training session. Not everyone has the mental capacity to really pay attention to their nutrition and feed their body what it needs so that it allows that body recomposition to come into place. And then you start seeing those physical changes coming into into view, whether it's the mirror, whether it's the way your clothes fit, but the cleaner you eat.

The harder you can train, the better you recover the better your sleep is. Like all these things are hand in hand. So nutritionally, if you can make sure that you're eating properly every day, doesn't mean you have to, meal prep and do all that stuff. It's just really paying attention to nutritional, like high quality foods.

And if you can do that, I guarantee that year will [00:24:00] yield tremendous progress rather than if you just trained and didn't worry so much about nutrition. Eh, you might notice some changes, but not as much as you would if the nutrition is backing it. 

Josh: And what's let's get even more nuance for people and we're gonna get into some biohacking stuff here in a bit 'cause I know that's an area of genius for you as well, but I wanted to give some people some tactical thought work for their own nutrition and physical plan.

So if I, if, let's talk to the males first. What should be their macro ratios if they're trying to get in the best physical fitness of their life, not trying to body build, not trying to, do a show or anything like that. They're just trying to transform their body into a lean, mean fighting machine to 

aaron: to lay out a macro breakdown.

I, I wouldn't be able to do that. 'cause everyone, every, everyone's body is so different. And this is where it takes some adjustment. But here's the foundation I would lay to it. Protein should be the foundation of every single [00:25:00] meal. Look at 20, 30, 40 grams of protein depending on how you know how big you are.

And then think about carbohydrates as something that fuels your training. So maybe pre intra and post-workout that window there, you focus your carbohydrate intake around that that specific window. And then outside of that window, you keep it more on the. On the the protein, the good fats, the veggies, maybe a little bit of fruit there.

And if you stay within that guideline, I promise your body will change in a very good way and you'll feel good. For me, I eat a lot of food. I eat a lot of carbohydrates. Not everyone wants to be like me. So I would say you have to play around with certain things. You hear all about these different nutritional strategies.

You got keto, you got carnivore, you got Mediterranean, you got a, you got all these different things. I look at a lot of these as elimination type. And elimination type [00:26:00] diet. What I mean by that is it's more of a detox. So let's just say you run carnivore for 30 days. What you're doing is you're getting rid of a lot of inflammation and you're simplifying your nutrition to something that's very easily sustainable so that you can start to feel better.

You can start to lose weight because you're gonna be more inspired, motivated, whatever you wanna call it, to keep going. If you see the changes coming in each week most people the, what I see happening is they want to jump into a program and they want to go cold Turkey, everything right away. And by doing that, you burn yourself out within a few weeks because you haven't really changed your lifestyle habits.

So you gotta think about baby stepping your way into it. And what I and what I say is, start moving. Start moving more. Maybe in the morning instead of getting up and sit on the couch, drinking coffee, maybe get up in the morning, drink some electrolytes or some water, and go for a walk.

If you can start to piecemeal things together that fit your [00:27:00] schedule, or if you have a good coach, someone who can gradually take you through that process, this is where it gets fun because you don't feel so stressed out. You don't feel like I gotta travel tomorrow. I'm gone for a week.

What do I do? And then, boom, you're off. You're done. And then it's 

Josh: yeah, 

aaron: you're trying to figure out the next program to get on now. 

Josh: Yeah. That's so good. 


Intermittent Fasting and Personal Experiences
---

Josh: I wanna ask about intermittent fasting part. Personal, but also for the group is I've got friends that have done really well with intermittent fasting.

There's a lot of buzz about the fasting. Fasting is even biblical in a sense. What I haven't figured out for a guy my size, I'm about 210 pounds. I run less than 10% body fat. I'm trying to get in 200 to 250 grams of protein per day at my body weight. I haven't figured out a way to get that much protein intake in that limited of a window.

And so what are your thoughts initially on intermittent fasting as a whole? And then secondly, for someone like me that [00:28:00] hasn't figured out a way to get in that much protein in a short enough window if I were to take that on. 

aaron: Intermittent fasting is a good one. It's something that I feel it's not meant for everyone.

I don't think there's any type of magic behind it. I it's it's a good gut reset because you're given your digestion a break during the day, but at the same time, because you're tap you're locked into a certain timeframe for your eating. It might be hard to fit all your macros in there, like you're saying, trying to get all the protein and stuff in.

So it, this is where I say it, it let's just say you're on a 16 and 16, eight intermittent fasting window, 16 fasting, eating eight. If you can get all your calories in or all your macros in within that eight hour period, then maybe try and shorten it a little bit more.

Maybe try like an 18, 

Josh: 18 6, 

aaron: 6, something like that. Yeah. [00:29:00] I guess what I'm saying is you have to play around with it a little bit. There's no, in, in fitness, there's no, there is no such thing as cookie cutter. It doesn't fit. Like I can write the best program out that might fit me, but it won't fit you.

So this is where the, this is where having a good coach comes into play. 


Understanding Your Body's Needs
---

aaron: But also too there's a certain level of understanding what you need and how you're feeling, getting in tune with your body, getting in tune with your health in that eating period, in that little eating window.

Are you feeling bloated? If you're feeling bloated for the whole time, then there's something, there's something wrong. And that's another thing that I still see happening to people is they're trying to pack too much in at one time and their digestion can't handle it, especially as we age.

Our hormones change. Our metabolism changes a little bit. Depending on, if we're just starting to get into the healthy lifestyle, if you've been acclimated to fitness your whole life, then as you get older, you won't see much decline [00:30:00] because you're acclimated to it. But if you're someone who's been sedentary for a while and now all of a sudden you're trying to really get into it, then there might be some underlying issues.

And then this is where I say, this I would say, get blood work done. See what your markers are. There might be some hormonal deficiencies that need to be addressed that will help you be able to have a more efficient metabolism, a more efficient di digestive process. The whole there's just so many variables in everything.

For every one question someone asks me, I've got 10 back to you. You know what I mean? It's that nuanced. 

Josh: Yeah. And it should be. And everyone is individual. That's. 


The Importance of Individualized Fitness Plans
---

Josh: He would go back to my old career and people would bring up Dave Ramsey for financial stuff and they go, Josh, what do you think of Dave Ramsey?

And I was like, he gives some good advice, broad based at a 30,000 foot view. And then some people that were reading between the lines would be like tell us what you really think. And I'm like, all right, listen to him on debt and budget to the best that you can and ignore his advice on investment insurance because he is given it [00:31:00] at a 30,000 foot view.

And every person we meet with individually has different goals. And so we gotta design a financial plan that does, is designed towards those individual goals for that specific person that's in front of my face. Not a broad based, everyone should do this, everyone shouldn't do that. And that's what you're speaking to in the fitness realm as well.

aaron: And that's, I think this is what you just said, is probably one of the biggest issues that as a society as a whole, we face because everyone thinks that there is just this. Best approach. There is something that will fit everyone. Or like that one question they asked, they think there's gonna be a simple answer to it.

And there's just not, there's no simple answer to it. It's very, it's I think nutritionally, like when you talk about nutrition, it's probably one of the more nuanced things you can possibly deal with. Trying to put a plan together to get in your best shape. 

Josh: Yep, a hundred percent.


Aging and Fitness: Staying Strong
---

Josh: So let's talk about aging biohacking a little bit like [00:32:00] this. You had the privilege of getting JK Simmons absolutely jacked. How old is he now? I just want to give everyone perspective. 

aaron: I think right now he's gotta be right around 70, just maybe shy of 70. 

Josh: So this is, that's what's so cool, is like think thinking about someone like that 70 years old that's pushed their body to the point where they've gotten absolutely jacked for that age and seeing people that are now embracing fitness.

Whereas I think about my grandparents, my great-grandparents, like they just coasted to the finish line and to see people now taking this more serious and showing us even the rock's, what, mid fifties? 

aaron: Yeah. Something around there. Just over 50. Think 

Josh: it, yeah, just over 50.

Like thinking about how big and in shape he still is for over that age is an anomaly. Or at least it used to be, and now it's becoming more, more prevalent. So what are some of those things that we can be, that, those of us that, that are in their [00:33:00] thirties, forties be doing now to continue to keep our bodies in shape our minds and everything healthy to be able to continue to progress and actually finish our lives strong instead of just coasting into the, into our deathbeds 

aaron: here.


Simple Steps for Better Health
---

aaron: Here's the thing. I think it's much, I think it's much, so speaking on more of a broad scale approach what you just said, it's a lot easier than people think, because really at the end of the day, if you're eating things from wrappers and packages and bags that's not that's not the right approach.

You gotta switch it. Think nutritionally trying to eat whole nutritious, like clean foods. You need to get up and move. I say as much as you can or strategically think about where your movement comes into play. So let's just say after you eat a meal, instead of just doing what we all wanna do, plop down on the couch and just exist for a minute because it feels good.

Instead of doing [00:34:00] that after you eat, go out and move for 10 or 15 minutes, go for a walk. And it sounds stupid simple but the impact that walking has after you eat a meal is tremendous in terms of nutrient partitioning, insulin sensitivity, improving your digestive health.

There's just a number of of benefits that come into play. So there's that, there's scheduling your exercise or training or scheduling your fitness in you and the way I see it is you need to schedule your fitness into your day like you're scheduling a meeting. You can't leave it to chance where you'll say I'll work out sometime whenever I finish.

If you're, if if you're a CEO business owner, someone who's traveling a lot, I guarantee if you just leave it to chance it won't get done. Or if it does get done, it's gonna be half-assed. In order for your body to respond, there has to be some stimulus for it to adapt to. So if you're doing everything in the gym or [00:35:00] doing everything from an exercise standpoint, that's easy.

There's no progress that's gonna be made because there's no stimulus that your body's having to adapt to. If you just do 10 pushups every day, there, it's not there. Like where's the stimulus for growth? 


The Role of Muscle in Longevity
---

aaron: You have to look at muscle. And we, I'm sure you probably heard this talked about more and more lately in this whole biohacking community, but I like the way Dr.

Gabrielle Lyon puts it where she says. Muscle is the currency of longevity. The more skeletal muscle mass you have, the healthier you will be physically overall from every standpoint, right? So instead of focusing on getting lean or losing body fat, think about putting on muscle. And a lot of people have this really skewed idea of what that means, where I don't want to get too big.

I guarantee you're not gonna get too big unless you're, one of these people who just are genetically [00:36:00] gifted people and who can be in a caloric deficit and still gain muscle there. It's not very common. Like in order for you to get big, you gotta eat a lot of food and you gotta train really hard.

But protein focused meals moving after you eat 10, 15 minute walks. Pay attention to the nutritional quality of the foods you eat, because what you ingest will be what you get out of it, right? So if you're putting garbage in, you get garbage out. Really focus on your sleep hygiene as much as you can.

If you're traveling a lot and you're in time, different time zones and things like that, this is where, certain supplements can help, like maybe some melatonin or there's, or there's some peptides and things you can take that'll help keep your circadian rhythm intact so you're not just too all over the place.

Honestly though, it's it's really simple. It's really simple. 

Josh: No, I like it. And the big thing on the muscle side of things that I've studied over time is that [00:37:00] muscle. Bone density go down together. And one of the number one things that we've, most of us have probably experienced is the elderly falling, breaking a bone, not being able to heal, die.

And because most of our elderly are not working out, not focusing on muscle, they may be walking, but they're not focused on lifting or muscle or anything. And I also want to give some perspective to your point of you're not gonna get too big. I am seen and known as a big guy. Aaron's bigger than me.

We'll get that out of the way right now. But I'm 210, 212 pounds. For me to put on lean muscle mass to get to two 20 would be infinitely harder than me dropping 10 pounds of muscle and fat. I could drop 10 pounds of muscle fat water weight in the next few weeks for me to put on 10 pounds of muscle, lean muscle mass.

To go from two 10 to two 20 would take me three to six months of concerted effort and a lot of food. Proper [00:38:00] food. That's it. 

aaron: Yeah. Yeah. And so pe people don't see it from that angle. And then you said it, like you said it perfectly. 

Josh: I just wanted to breathe into that and give a real life example with me, because I've tried doing both ways and I know which one is infinitely harder to do.

You are not gonna get too big. Get your butt in the weight room. 

aaron: What you said too about the el the elderly so if anyone who's working with me, I would say, who's, let's just say not into fitness, but they want to take it on. They wanna get in shape. They realize that health and fitnesses are one missing link in my programming with people who are getting older, I.

I would say you'll find a lot of leg training. And I, and obviously it's gonna be different for everyone and by a lot, it's all depending on the schedule and the goal, but also by a lot means I'm trying to, I'm trying to strengthen your your [00:39:00] legs as much as possible.

The more muscle you have on your legs, the stronger your legs are, the more bone density you have in your legs, the better off you're gonna be. Because like you just said, it's one of the first things that, that goes. People falling and tripping and breaking, breaking femurs and breaking their hip.

And because they don't have that stability anymore, they start to lose that muscle mass. And that resistance to that, pro that protein resistance, that anabolic resistance is a real thing, which is why the older you get the more protein you need to make sure you're focusing on eating because you actually probably need a little bit more than you did when you were younger.

Josh: Yeah, that's really good. 


Exploring Biohacking and Peptides
---

Josh: Let's dive into some of the biohacking, the peptides, some of that nature. By the way, if you guys aren't watching on video, Aaron is wearing his red light glasses today. Trying to filter some of the blue light that we all get. And the blue light doesn't just come from our screens, comes from fluorescence and LED lights as well.

So you gotta we have a blue light inundation in our lives. And so [00:40:00] that's one thing that we're seeing a lot of the influencers on social media is wearing these red light glasses. But beyond that, we hear of BPC 1 57. We hear of NAD, we hear of H-G-H-T-R-T, all these three letter things.

What are some of the things that people should know about peptides should know about? Let's start with peptides, maybe NAD, maybe BPC 1 57. And I know there's. 50 others that I didn't mention. But where should people be looking to supplement their lives with some of these peptides, and what are working the best in your experience?

aaron: Pep peptides is becoming the future because they're not steroids, they're not anabolic, meaning, it, it doesn't make you a steroid user by being on peptides. When you think about peptides, you have to understand what they are. Peptides are sequences of amino acids, so your body recognizes them, and you already [00:41:00] have internal processes that your body goes through with growth hormone secretion, with its own healing with your cognitive function, which is why sleep is so important.

So if you think about what your body already does, these peptides that you, whether you ingest them or inject them help encourage your body. To function more efficiently by using them, maybe increasing your growth hormone secretion. You have different you've got ip, morlin, tesamorelin, CJC, you've got all these different growth hormone type of secreted dogs, growth hormone releasing hormones.

There's just, there's so many different categories that fall into place, which is why it's important when you do peptides to, to get with a reputable coach or company that can help you go through it the right way. 'cause at the end of the day, the best place to start is getting blood work to see what you actually do need, not just thinking you need to take something because some [00:42:00] influencer is telling you need to take it.

They should be strategically implemented based on what your body needs. I like Tess. Tessa glutathione is a very good one. Liver a whole body detoxifier liver. Liver detoxifier. It's a master antioxidant. I say anyone over 30 should probably be taking glutathione. BPC 1 5 7. There's TB 500 and there's G-H-K-C-U, which is a copper peptide.

Those three can fall into the realm of healing peptides or considered like the wolverine stack, the copper peptide. GHK. We're actually many people are deficient copper, like our, we have copper in our bodies when you become deficient and it affects things like your hair, skin, nails, which is why that falls into the healing category, but also falls into, I would say the beauty category.

'cause it's really good for hair, skin, nails and just a number of other things. I think the more these [00:43:00] peptides continually are, or are continually studied, the more we're finding out about how much more they do than we originally thought. BPC TB 500, for gut health, wound healing, tendon strength recovery, muscle tissue the list goes on and on.

There's you talked about NAD there's synapsin, there's Cmax. There's a whole number of different cognitive peptides that you can inject, you can take by capsule, you can take 'em in na intranasally. Dude it's it's there. There's another, so you talk about peptides and there's another category of peptides that are come that are slowly becoming more discussed now that are called bio regulators, that are shorter chained sequence amino acids that you can ingest.

The reason why we don't ingest some of the ones we just mentioned is because the sequence is so long, they would be destroyed in the gut, but because some of these shorter [00:44:00] ones these bio regulator peptides, and there's cat there's probably one for everything you can think of, bladder, heart, adrenals, like you name it, there's a bio, there's a bio regulator for it, but because of the short chain amino acid sequence, you're able to ingest it without it being destroyed in your stomach.

So it's an easier way to get some of these peptides in. 

Josh: Yeah, let's talk about NAD for a minute. 'cause I've had a doctor that I trust that loves it and absolutely advocates for it. And I got a doctor that I trust that says, don't touch it. What's been your experience with the NAD and I believe you, you've even stated that you've used it or are you using it?

So let's talk about what it is and then your experience where people should deploy it. 

aaron: NAD is actually the one peptide that I'm not taking, and I've never taken. The cognitive peptides that I'm currently taking are dxa synapsin and Cmax. And tho those are nasal sprays and a capsule, and they're [00:45:00] all different.

But essentially it helps with this whole neuro pathways. It helps with brain fog, it helps mental clarity. The mechanism of action behind it is very complicated, in my opinion, to be able to discuss it and put into words where it makes sense, which is why I say start to go in and do your own research on it, or, I work with Transcend HRT, it's an amazing company.

Obviously I'm biased 'cause I'm with 'em, but wellness specialists are extremely knowledgeable and take a tremendous amount of time to go through the whole process of exactly what they are and how they work. Why you would need it or the options you have, which would be best. So NAD is one that I haven't taken or experimented with, so I can't speak to it.

Josh: Gotcha. What about the BPC 1 57? I've heard a lot of people utilize it when they have injuries and use it for an isolated experience, but I've also heard others that use it just for their everyday health. So talk a little bit more about that. 

aaron: Yeah, so the BPC I [00:46:00] say if you have a specific injury, let's just say you, maybe you tear a muscle, pull a muscle you've got some type of internal wound somehow.

This is where injectable BPC would be good because it's localized. You can literally inject it right into the injury the injury site. Now BPC in a capsule form would be better for someone who's looking to get some repair to their digestive tract because the BPC 1 57 is really good for improving your digestive tract.

But by the capsule form, it's actually processed much better specifically for that reason. You are gonna get some of the spillover from taking it, the injectable from the injury site. But this is the difference between the two is one you can direct directly inject into an injury site. You can use red light with it.

So it's do the injection stand in front of a red light near infrared, 15, 20 minutes. It'll help accelerate [00:47:00] the healing process. So what would normally take you an injury, let's just say maybe a couple months to heal. You could be potentially healed if you're nutritionally on point, inflammation's on point, all that stuff.

You could. Go from a two month healing pro probability to maybe three weeks. It's that dramatic. 

Josh: Oh, that's, and that's what I've heard. I've heard some rave reviews on those injury healing because that's what we notice. I'm in my mid forties, I look at my 7-year-old boy as he bangs himself up, he gets a, cut on his leg or something like that.

And he is, it's healed in two days. Yeah. I bump a coffee table on my shin and it takes two weeks for that thing to heal up. And that's just what happens as we age. Yeah. Kids are like wolverine, and as we age, we become less and less. And that's where some of these peptides are really coming in to, to heal us.

And that's not just external, cuts on leg stuff as Aaron is telling us here, that those are internal things as well from our gut to any muscle tears [00:48:00] or whatever it may be. 

aaron: What you just said right there, I think is a good piece to. To let marinate in your brain on why it's important to stay as functionally healthy as possible, specifically from a nutritional standpoint, because the nutrition side of things can screw your hormones up massively and bring you down a path to, if you let's just say you have these a predisposition for something that runs in the family heart disease or Alzheimer's or whatever it is, the more garbage you eat, the better chance of that, that genetic predisposition position presenting itself in your life in a very bad way.

And when I say that, it'll just creep up on you and bite you like a freaking doberman pincher that just got out. You know what I mean? So if you can think about, I. Your health as you would taking care of your bank [00:49:00] account or your financial status or something like that that healing process will actually continue to stay pretty good until it doesn't and you eat bad.

But then this is why I talk about nutrition being the foundation of everything. 

Josh: Yep. 


The Truth About TRT
---

Josh: Do you have any negative things to say about TRT? Because a lot of time that's can become all the rage as we know that our testosterone for most men depletes over time. And I've done a lot of study on it. I've been on it myself for the last eight years.

But do you have any cautions? I know we gotta get our blood tests and we gotta work with a reputable doctor and company to make sure we're doing the right things. He has. Aaron has stated that he works with Transcend. I work with Carbon World Health, both extremely reputable companies that do great work, and I get my blood test twice a year to make sure everything's right.

But any experience or yeah, just a share on TRT as it's become all the [00:50:00] rage? 

aaron: Pe I think people throw TRT out too quickly. I don't think everyone needs it. But I do think that there's a point in time where it can be beneficial for me, I got on it back in 2018. So it's for me it's just a lifelong thing now which is fine.

But this is where I talk about the more you stay on top of your health, the less you'll probably need something like this. We're in a, we're in a stage of society right now where we have access to so many different resources to be able to help us and be led in the right direction to stay on top of our health so that we don't need all these additional things.

But at the same time, if you're an old school guy who just do what we do, ground pound knuckle, dragger, eat what's available and just work hard chances are down the road, you're probably gonna need something because. You've not really focused on optimizing your, your hormones.

So if your if your sleep is off, if you're constantly in a [00:51:00] chronic state of stress if you're not nutritionally eating what your body needs, so you start to become deficient and mi and nutrients, micronutrients, macros, all this stuff, all that, that, that compound effect will take a massive hit on your endocrine system, which is why some, it'll lead you to a point where it's man, I can't even get outta bed in the morning.

Alright, when you get your blood work done and your testosterone is that of a 90-year-old lady, it's like how are you? Like, how can you be. How can you feel good when you've not done the right thing? So this, in that case right there, this would be something where TRT could come into play and TRT depending on how the severity of your situation, TRT, can be something that's temporary.

It doesn't need to be lifelong. Like you can get on it, HCG Clomid and Clomophine, whatever it is and help guide your hormones back in the right direction, continue to get blood work done and you can bring it back into probably the right level. It just depends on, are you willing to do all the little things because it becomes much harder.

Do you still want to have kids? If you want to have [00:52:00] kids, TRT is probably not the right option for you. 

Josh: Yeah. I've had friends that have had to get off it to be able to have kids and yeah, that those are good things and why you need to speak with a doctor, healthcare professional that knows what they're talking about and has your best interest in mind to have those discussions with before you jump into anything.

So really good point there. 


Non-Negotiables for a Healthy Lifestyle
---

Josh: Is there any that, we're wrapping up on time here, but is there anything that you have as non-negotiables for yourself, whether it's morning routine stuff, health-wise, that as you look at continuing to become your best self moving forward, that you're like, these are my non-negotiables, that would be good for others to know as well?

aaron: My non-negotiables. I like to train early in the morning. I like to get up before the rest of the world's up. You're it's a very easy time to get a lot done because no one's bothering you. Your phone's not going off, you don't have scheduled calls. It's quiet. Everyone's still sleeping.

I'm I get up at three, I come out to the red [00:53:00] light. It helps wake me up. I eat my first meal, which is relatively light, so I can get into the gym and train by four 30. I usually train for about an hour and a half, two hours, which is a good stint. But again, I have this all scheduled into my day.

That's my non-negotiable is my morning routine. And the only way, that's the only way I don't do that is if I'm traveling or if I have some specific engagement that. It doesn't lead me to do that, but it's very rare that it does. Outside of that, my outside of scheduling my training in getting up early is my day revolves around my food.

I don't leave it to chance. My, I either have meal prepped in my fridge or if I'm traveling I know what to eat. I know if I know if I know where I'm going on my travel, I'm already looking around there to see what the spots are to eat so I know what's available to me. I leaving that to chance is a bad idea.

So my, those, that, that would be the non-negotiables, I think [00:54:00] for everyone is, and it goes back to the basics. Get up early, get your training outta the way, first thing, you're gonna feel better. It's gonna set you up to take on whatever life throws at you for the day. You don't have to have your, you can go through a stressful day and then not have to worry about, damn, I gotta train now.

How am I gonna muster up the energy to train, knock it out first thing in the morning, make sure you spend the day eating all the good food and then sleep like a baby. 

Josh: Yeah. And your willpower is done at the end of the day as well, or it's depleted at the very least. What I love about what you just said there is looking at where there's, what food is around, where you're about to stay, because as we evolve in this our life and our fitness and our nutrition, if we're making that a priority, one of the things I always do, and my wife is great about helping me with this, is I'll choose a hotel based on what their gym looks like.

Yep. And so if you're like me in that respect, okay. Also factor in there we're, is there good food around you? So [00:55:00] not just the hotel and or the gym at the hotel, but also what's the food situation around where you're about to travel to? So that was something small you said I wanted to highlight.

That was a really good piece of feedback. 

aaron: Yeah it's literally, it's the first thing I do everywhere I go is look up the gyms and look up the food. 

Josh: That's good. I hope everyone takes that advice because Yeah, it's not just about how nice the hotel. Yeah. If you have kids, you gotta figure out if there's places around there to entertain them as well.

But the food for the kids and yourself is important. The gym, hopefully for yourself is important. And if you're teaching your kids the right way, hopefully they're showing up at the gym with you as well, and then you can entertain them. It's been such a great conversation today. 


The Power of Fitness: A Life-Altering Experience
---

Josh: There's a question that I always ask at the end, and this can be on any topic that we've discussed or something that just comes to your heart, but what's an unpopular belief that you hold to be true that you think most others would disagree with?[00:56:00] 

Ooh, 

aaron: an unpopular belief that I believe to be true. 

Josh: Yeah. That you would die. That you'd die on that hill.

aaron: I, I truly believe that fitness is or can be a life altering experience. I think it can open doors that you can't even imagine being open. I think that if you can guide yourself down a health oriented lifestyle, a health oriented life, I. Revolves around fitness, being an anchor you're gonna have different conversations with people that probably you wouldn't normally talk to, which could potentially open huge doors.

I don't know, man, that's a, I could talk about this one all day long, but I think for me when I hear people talk about fitness, it's such a, it's just such a throw off. And I, to me, it's changed my [00:57:00] life. It's kept me alive. And through doing that, I get to keep other people alive. Now I get to help other people be healthy, which is pay it forward.

I changed the culture of companies. I changed the history of families. 

Josh: Yeah. That's so good. And the other piece of it is the confidence that you walk into a room with. 

aaron: Exactly. I think 

Josh: that's, there's a lot to be said about that showing up. Like when Aaron walks into a room, yes, he's got his sleeves cut off most of the time.

But even if he didn't. That's a disciplined man. Just by looking at him he is disciplined. 

aaron: Yeah. When you're fit, it just shows a level of responsibility and discipline. It just it just comes off. People can see it and feel it. 

Josh: Yeah. 100%. I'm so excited to share the stage with you in August.


Event Invitation and Final Thoughts
---

Josh: Any, anything that you would give the audience for those that are thinking about coming up here to the farm, what [00:58:00] they should expect to hear from you and I any words of wisdom that you'd think that give them something, give them a little hint of what to expect come August. 

aaron: Since I'm a, since I'm a fitness guy and you're a fitness guy and, we'll be talking a lot about fitness I think that, the conversation about fitness will be a little bit different because we, most people will look at fitness being more one dimensional from a physical standpoint. But in reality, fitness is about probably one of the most mental things you can do because I can write out, again, the best program in the world for you, but if mentally you're not prepared for it, you're not prepared to change some of your lifestyle habits, you're not ready to flip the switch and go to a different level, then it just it, it won't make sense.

But I think there's a lot of different language and conversation we'll have from a mental perspective that will shift your understanding of fitness into a different perspective. That could be [00:59:00] the motivator or the inspiration that you need to actually adopt it. 

Josh: Yes. Yep. And there's gonna be a lot of talk on the internal bridge, is what I call it.

Which is your mental, your physical, your emotional self. And then obviously intellectual comes along with that. And that's a big part of what we wanna discuss because we gotta put our oxygen masks on before assisting others. And so I can't wait for that day in that event. I hope those of you listening can make an effort to be here.

Join us at the farm. You've heard me on this podcast, talk about my farm all the time. The podcast studios here. We have an opportunity to get together. Here's some amazing speakers beyond Aaron and I. We got Renee, we got Dean, we got and a couple others. I'm forgetting off the top of my head, Nestor and and a couple others.

So what I want from you guys to tune in, go to Bridge josh Kosnick.com/bridge builder live. Check [01:00:00] it out. The tickets are very in inexpensive. We want everyone here at the farm, the t the. Tickets will sell out probably here in the next month. So act fast and we can't wait to see you here at the farm. Aaron, where can they follow you?

aaron: I'm mostly on Instagram, but I'm all over social media. And just rebranding on my website right now, Aaron williamson.net. Instagram is Aaron B. Williamson, and if you reach out I'll reach back out to you. 

Josh: Yeah, and he's very communicative and you he also puts out there what he's doing from his supplement program to his workout programs, what he's doing to shape his body and his mind.

So give him a follow Spartans share this episode far and wide. We don't run advertisements. We're doing this. It's puts a lot, it's a lot of effort, a lot of time and money to put this on. So if you're getting value from these episodes, make sure you're sharing them. Remember the good and great are the enemies of possible lead, like a Spartan today.