Straight Outta The Lair with Flex Lewis
7x Mr. Olympia 212 Champion Flex Lewis presents Straight Outta The Lair, the podcast that aims to bring you vital information for your life's ambitions, providing valuable insight from interviews of the many many different faces that walk through our doors at The Dragon's Lair Las Vegas and a few from the man himself.
Straight Outta The Lair with Flex Lewis
Olympia Journey to Glory | Keone Pearson | Straight Outta The Lair Podcast Ep 91
Step into the world of a true titan of bodybuilding, Keone Pearson, whose electrifying journey to clinching his second Mr. Olympia championship is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Feel the pulse of Keone's raw emotions as he recounts the meticulous planning, ironclad focus, and ingenious stress management that fueled his ascent to the pinnacle of the sport. In the eye of the pre-competition storm, discover how his choice to retreat from the chaos of the event venue and his calculated nutritional tactics provided him the edge he needed to dominate the stage.
As the conversation unfolds, Keone peels back the curtain on the life of a reigning bodybuilding champion, exploring the delicate dance between seizing opportunities and staying grounded in rigorous off-season training. He shares candid insights into the savvy of valuing oneself in sponsor negotiations and how his robust support system, including a trusted coach and a strategic sponsorship, propels him forward. Be transported across the globe, from the passionate fandom in Korea to the potential for bodybuilding's commercial rise, mirroring the UFC's mainstream success, and realize the universal reach of this formidable sport.
Wrapping up this episode, a champion's spirit shines through in Keone's unwavering commitment to maintaining excellence. His journey from disciplined dieting to psychological fortitude paints a vivid portrait of the relentless pursuit inherent in every champion athlete. Beyond his triumphs, Keone's expression of gratitude and role as an inspirational figure reverberate as a call to action for listeners, reminding us that the heart of a champion beats not just for titles, but for the inspiration it sparks in others. Join us and be motivated by the story of a man who embodies the essence of a true champion, living proof that the spirit of sportsmanship burns brightly within the world of bodybuilding.
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----- Content -----
00:00:00 - Intro
00:13:19 - Bodybuilding Champ Discusses Post-Win Opportunities
00:25:20 - Professional Athlete Vision and Goals
00:30:32 - Commitment to Excellence and Future Goals
00:38:20 - Champion Appreciation and Gratitude
gonna win title number two.
Speaker 2:Quote me on it straight out the lab straight out the lab, joined back by the champ keon pearson. My friend, listen, the last time we spoke was a week before the mr olympian year, and here you are now, victorious, yeah, with the title the new champ. How does it feel, my friend Feels freaking amazing man.
Speaker 1:I manifest it. This is what I worked for my whole entire 2023. I had the momentum, I had the circle, I had the mindset and we did it. And it's so crazy because I still look at that video of me saying that I'm going to win at Mr Olympia. Next time you see me, I will be your new 212 champion. You made it happen and it just feels amazing, man. I think that right there in this generation is people don't really speak on what they say they're going to do and it actually happened. So for that to happen is like damn.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we're referring to the last podcast we done.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you truly put it up in the air. You said I will be winning. I've done so much, I've changed so much. You're going to see a new version of me. And suffice to say we did see a new version of you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100% man. I knew what I was working with and I knew that last week where I was at, it was just only going to get better once I landed to Florida and Patrick did his magic. Amanda helped me make sure I was stress-free, make sure my food was done, and everything just went perfect, stress-free. I wasn't nervous, it was just so calm. You've been doing this for a while and I know you had those years where everything was it just went your way.
Speaker 2:I know it won't be like that every single prep, but this year was that year, so take us to that week, because the last time we spoke on the podcast okay, you were into the mr olympia. What kind of things did you do differently that week going into the show honestly?
Speaker 1:wasn't much different. I the work was done. When we got there, the work was done. When we got there, the work was already done. It was just the final touches. As we know, when you're 100%, when you're on, that last week should be just calm, stress-free. It's just the final touches to the look and we didn't do anything different. I was away from the venue. We had an Airbnb, so that was different. That was probably the most different thing. We actually had an Airbnbbnb, so that was different. That's probably the most different thing. We actually had an airbnb.
Speaker 1:Wouldn't stay at the actual hotel, so it was away from everyone. It was like 30 minutes away from everyone when me and patrick trained. We trained in the morning, where it wasn't much people in there, where I wasn't bothered as much. So usually when I was done training, um, that's when everybody started coming in, it was already done, so it was no, it was just like no bother, I wasn't bothered, no distractions, and it was just in our own lane yeah, that battle between you and sean, that was a great battle and that's what you want, right, you want the best version of every turning up.
Speaker 2:but knowing that it was really close between you and sean and obviously sean was the current champ the saying is you gotta really take out the champ. Yeah, what did you do on stage between prejudging the night show to make them changes to take out the champ?
Speaker 1:Man, I was, just, like I said, stress-free. People don't realize how much stress can make your physique great or terrible, and I was stress-free. After the prejudging, patrick gave me like a little tiny small meal, which I don't need much food at all, because the goal was to bring in the midsection tight as possible. That's what Tyler's really nailing now is the midsection, and we had a little meal. I took a nap. When I woke up, went straight back to the venue and did our fucking thing and yeah, that was it, man.
Speaker 2:So did you stay away from everybody.
Speaker 1:Everybody Stayed away from everybody. I was so locked in. It was the meet and greet. I think it was the day before the show. I was only there for an hour. I was there for my, I think this year. Last year they had the fans could come in early. They had a ticket to come in early, before the doors actually opened for everyone to come in. I was only there for the fans that came there early. So when they actually opened up it was already gone.
Speaker 2:Neil would have loved to have done that with me, but of course you know me, I'm the first there and the last to stay?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I wanted to do that, but the thing was it was so messed up. When I first went to the venue I didn't have a table nor my name on the table, so we was walking around for 15 minutes around the venue trying to find my table. They had to make up a table for me and then I didn't have a name tag, so it was like that was like a strike right there. I was like that's unprofessional in a way. So that sucked. Everybody had their table but me and they had to find a space for me. So it was there just for an hour. And, patrick, we gotta go this, we gotta lock this in. Yeah, we gotta go. We could talk to fans later. No disrespect to fans at all. I love the supporters, of course I think all of them from talking to me, but it was business it's tough to balance it.
Speaker 2:Sorry not to interrupt you. No, it is tough to balance it, especially when you've got 12 months of work coming down to that one day before and that variable can change tremendously if you're stressed, or you miss a meal because you're so engulfed.
Speaker 2:That's why Neil was like a freaking I don't know, I don't recall him bad names here, but he would pop up to my booth. He'd be like, have you eaten that meal? I said yeah, after he said no. Everybody understands. So he would stand there in front of the huge line, watch me eat my meal and, okay, go back and I would just continue on. So I understand the circumstance as it all weighs down. Obviously the fans have saved up their money to meet you, but they can meet you at the various different times, because the meet and greet is the day before the show, then you've got, obviously, the expo and then you've got the gala.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:After that. So you being pulled away? Patrick obviously knows your mindset of old, right, and you, if you watch the last podcast I've told the viewers and fans that you would always be you would succumb to nerves, right. You would get it in your head a little bit, you get nervous or you start talking to yourself or put some doubt in your head, going into this year's Olympia or last year's Olympia, even said in the podcast. It's a whole different. Me and Patrick really had to hone that in. So I understand the reason why he took you out. So you can just stay in that bubble.
Speaker 1:That's exactly what he did and I felt like I made it up after the show, talking to the people and the expo, the gala and just going to different gyms after the show. So I felt like I made it up for sure to them. But it was personal and I respect everyone that stayed there from the beginning to the end, like Samson, for an example. He literally stays there the whole entire time. So that's props. That's amazing. But usually when people do that, they get sick after the show and I feel like that does plays a toll on your body the day before, which I feel like I wish they did change the meet and greet instead of the day before, at least two days before. So I hope one day they can change that. But other than that, man, man, yeah.
Speaker 1:It was an experience, right? Yeah, it was definitely an experience. This year I'm going to stay longer. This year I'm the champ, so I'm going to stay longer and talk to the fans and stuff.
Speaker 2:Talking about being the champ.
Speaker 1:When your name was called Victorious, what was that feeling like? It felt freaking amazing, especially Bob's silly ass. He, just you, just everybody just paused. Everybody's quiet, you're just waiting. And when he said my name, just everything that I went through my whole entire career to get here, that's what played in my head. Like dropping out of Olympia, winning a couple of shows but I wasn't at my best. Knowing that I brought my best so far at the world's biggest show, it felt amazing. Meeting Sean and Sean was a great champion. He told me I deserved it and much respect to him, much respect.
Speaker 2:I look at you and Sean and I think of the fights that are soon to happen for man U, because you and Sean have got so much more battles left in you, with the old school guys of Rich and Lila Brad going at it All around the world At the Olympia, then on the Grand Prix. This is going to be a fun next couple of years Because obviously Sean now has lost that title. He wants it back. He's already felt that feeling before when he lost the title once, and now, with Sean coming back with this fire under his butt, this is what you want, though.
Speaker 2:Because, this is you now has the champion not willing in any shape or form to lose that title, and Sean is now on the redemption. Two hungry guys.
Speaker 1:That's dangerous for the sport and I want us to keep going at it because I want 212 to stay alive and I want 212 to expand. And I feel like people are forgetting that a lot of the Mr Olympians were 212s. The best bodybuilders in the open were 212s, so they got to put 212, they got to put respect on the 212 name. Yeah, 212s may not be as competitive as the other divisions but, damn man, 212 created a lot of really great bodybuilders william bonac hot, I don't have to say nobody else.
Speaker 2:Hardy derrick, right there, three, three, but yeah, so so what is it you think that the 212 class brings when they go up into the open? That separates 212 class. Guys say it again the 212, right? Every name that you've mentioned. Right there, I've gone up into the open class. Yeah, I'm being dominant, right? What do you think separates them?
Speaker 1:I feel like they still have that aesthetic to the aesthetics. They're not like just mass monster freaks, but they're put together well. Gary got the small waist, hardy got the small waist I'm doing a vacuum now so they're bringing that little old-school twist to it. They have really good lines. Yeah, it's just they're bringing that clean mass to the stage now. And yeah, we're shorter, but with us being shorter we can put on more mass and it just looks more prettier than sometimes in a taller guy because they have much more to fill out. So if you put like a, let me see maybe a Derek Lunsford say. Andrew Jack is nuts but he has very long limbs. Derek is just so short and compact. Your eyes may draw more to him. So I think that's an advantage 212 guys in the open having a that's our advantage.
Speaker 2:I think also conditioning.
Speaker 1:And conditioning too as well.
Speaker 2:You learn how to suffer in the 212 class because, naturally a lot of us are not 212. Too, as well, you learn how to suffer in the 212 class because naturally a lot of us are not 212 right and we have to suffer to get into that class. Just to see a number on the scale.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a lot of guys get. So if y'all guys can suffer to 212, imagine when you have those extra pounds in the open. Yes, without sacrificing the condition yeah, because I'm sure that obviously you made 212 weight, which I don't know how, but I'm your best, I bet your shredded look was probably like what two, like in the high 220s, maybe mid 220s, yeah, mid 220s, so what?
Speaker 2:was the weight. What two? I was ready at about 226, 224.
Speaker 1:226, peeled and you had to go all the way down to that 212.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I've got a four on my phone, as I'm talking of something I found the other day.
Speaker 1:I don't think I ever saw your pictures when you were in that 220s field going into the Olympia.
Speaker 2:I'll have to send this to Tyus, but this is me, when I was a 15-year-old, walking into my off-season.
Speaker 1:That's off-season.
Speaker 2:Oh shit, that was 36 weeks out from the Olympia 212. There you go, I'll send it to Tyus. How much did you weigh there?
Speaker 3:22 from the Olympia 212. Damn, there you go.
Speaker 2:I'll send it to you how much did you weigh there? 226. Yeah, yeah, but I was like me and Neil would be looking at that and be like where the hell are we going to get this?
Speaker 1:How much were you when I met you in Dragon's Lair at the Inboka when we trained legs. Yeah, we trained legs Two, five people in that whole damn leg day.
Speaker 2:But hey, you were on the floor for half of the fucking sets.
Speaker 1:I was off everything, I was fucked up.
Speaker 2:Stop giving yourself the excuses bro, that's my excuse.
Speaker 1:I can pull out the videos.
Speaker 3:You were laying on the floor.
Speaker 2:Whatever we were one fucking pump away from CPR, okay.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, that shit was crazy, but that's the fun memories we can look back on right, yeah, it was.
Speaker 2:I think I was about 250. 250?, 250s, oh, 250. I think so. Maybe 240s, I can't remember. My body weight fluctuates depending on the travels. But talking of which nice segue into my next question. How has life now changed for you being the 212 champ? Very, different.
Speaker 1:I remember Jake Wood whispered in my ear and was like your life will be changed forever and that just hit me hard. And then with the traveling going to Korea, traveling to places I never thought I'd be traveling so soon the sponsorships Now I'm getting a house in four weeks. I already got it. So much change, it's really life-changing. Winning the Olympia it's very life-changing. I'm seeing a lot of cool things already and it's just only the beginning, so I'm really excited for the future and what's to come. It really makes me happy to see that people actually want me to come to their seminars and guest posts and to the events now. So it feels good. It feels really good that people are noticing the hard work and we definitely worked our ass to get here.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and we had a conversation just for you leaving Olympia, and I said same thing this is going to be the biggest change in your life. You get that title, you make sure that you realize what that title is and you wear it with a badge of honor. Create opportunities not just in the sport but also outside the sport, and that's what you've been doing. You turn, you won the title. What six months ago, I think we're coming up to now? Yeah maybe less, and since then you've been on the road.
Speaker 1:You're in a career you mentioned it was a career for a week, which was insane. It I was there for Yamamoto, plus extra couple of days with the Mexico. I've done three guest poses, haven't went to any expos or anything. Unfortunately my sponsors wasn't there, so I just sat out that and just took advantage of that to focus on this offseason. And then I have three guest poses at the end of my off season.
Speaker 1:So yeah definitely been doing a lot of traveling. Honestly, I had a lot more opportunities, but I just wanted to. I don't want to overwhelm myself with so much travel after olympia because I still have an off season to focus on. Yeah, and I don't want to. I want, I don't want to chance that. I want to keep this raining going what would be the most?
Speaker 2:what would be the? Let me ask this question again, structured a little bit better. What's been the most unexpected change that you didn't incur being the 212?
Speaker 1:champ. Now I truly know my worth. Now I had a little hiccups after the olympia with a couple of sponsors and whatnot. But when I noticed when you're elevating, sometimes people just don't want to give you what you're worth. But I noticed when you're elevating, sometimes people just don't want to give you what you're worth. They just see you here, who you're really here, and that's what I really saw the most after the Olympia knowing my worth. And now I know my worth and I know what I'm going to be worth even more as I keep progressing and accomplish these things. So that's the biggest thing that I learned.
Speaker 2:So truly looking at it as a businessman, yes, and that's really what a lot of the guys don't think about. They. They're so focused on the training, getting bigger, really getting bigger, let's be honest that they don't realize that this sport is over in one injury. Yeah, and you got to make that money and put hay in the barn when the opportunities are there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're not getting health insurance and stuff from this sport and we're not paying our doctor bills. All this stuff is going out of our pockets, so we've got to get the money from somewhere. So you've got to know your worth. Anyone that's watching this know your worth. You're competing. You're at the end of the day. Every people don't really care about you. It's a business thing.
Speaker 2:At the end of the day, it's the business thing talking of worth, you signed with my old sponsor, yamamoto nutrition, and again with that company they signed you as the champion. So I'm sure you had a very lucrative deal there, knowing your worth, and you've settled all that. Obviously the other bonus to being with Yamamoto is you get to work alongside your coach, patrick Tor yeah, that was like the whole vision.
Speaker 1:It was like how you and Neil was. It was like that was pretty much the vision. Yamamoto was honestly unexpected, to be honest. That was that Patrick hit me up, was like I talked to Yamamoto, I put a good word in for you and I was like, really me up, was like I talked to Yamamoto, I put a good word in for you and I was like really, and I was like damn, and we talked and went to Italy, messiah with him and everything. But that was definitely another life-changing thing and I really look up to you with you and Neil, and I want to relive that for you guys. I want to redo that with Patrick as long as he's still coaching. I want to keep that going With the Yamamoto and just with 212 in general, and that's like my whole vision with Yamamoto was to do that which you did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, listen, that sponsor for me was a tremendous sponsor. Obviously, there was changes to the tail end of my contract, which is great for you because the new people are now in the seats that are new representing Yamamoto on the business side of things. That's all new relationships that can solidify with with me. I knew the old company, all the old faces and my loyalty, obviously, as theirs was with mine to me on on the old regime. So you started now, literally as the company's been bought out, and they brought all these new faces in. It's a great opportunity to create a long-term relationship with these guys great.
Speaker 1:I see how long you was with them, so I feel like they are very supportive um of what you do and how you perform. So it's definitely motivation to perform even better now that I have a company that actually cares about that.
Speaker 2:Have you been to Italy yet on tour?
Speaker 1:Have I been? What now?
Speaker 2:Italy.
Speaker 1:Just that one time, when I signed there for a couple of days, I was actually supposed to go to their meet up with Regan and everyone, but I went to Korea that week, which was insane. Korea was great. Actually supposed to go to their like their meetup with reagan and everyone, but I actually go to. I went to korea that week, yeah, um, which was insane korea was great.
Speaker 2:I've been to korea three times. What a great fan base favorite word is wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's just insane man. I did a seminar out there. Amanda did a seminar too as well, but I did a seminar out there and then they surprised me with a guest post in the gym. They asked me to take my clothes off and pose and the gym was small. But having 150 people in a small gym, that's a lot of people and everybody's cell phones up and you're hitting a pose and everybody's saying wow after every single pose.
Speaker 1:Yes, chris, I laugh after two poses because it was just insane how in tune they are with bodybuilding and it's just insane how in tune they are with bodybuilding and it's just, it's insane. It's just insane. I have no words. It was just so much love. I wish that love was here, unfortunately, but korea was amazing. I experienced a lot of different foods, had live octopus, liver, just different stuff. Did youtube channels, mukbangs I. I went to a Korean spa. It's the same Korean spa that Ronnie Coleman went to when he was in Korea. So they actually did a video. They edited a video with Ronnie Coleman right here I'm right there doing the same exact thing at the Korean spa. It was pretty funny.
Speaker 2:I got chipped out of that. I didn't go to no Korean spa. They took me to Korean barbecue, but not the spa.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was a spa. It was a different experience. Had a freaking dude with his drawers on scraping me with his I don't know what it was. It was just like a full body scrape, like taking all the dead skin and did like a cold what it was. I did a sauna and he just took me like all types of different things in the Korean spa. So that was a great experience. Did you go?
Speaker 2:to Lottie World. What now Did you go to Lottie World? What's that Theme park?
Speaker 1:No, what is?
Speaker 2:that Okay. Well, every time I went to Korea, we stayed right by this theme park called Lottie World.
Speaker 1:No, I stayed at the Marjorie on. I think I said that right.
Speaker 2:You missed out, bro. A McDonald's, a Disneyland, but Korean version, and all the pros went there. We went to Korea and we were all like we might pass away on this ride right now because, yeah, it was a little crazy, but the fans in Korea, going back to that. I remember every year it was three different venues and every time I went to do a shot you would hear the guys oh, and they clap.
Speaker 1:I remember when you competed at that show. You're the guys, oh, and they clap. I remember when Crazy you talking about the show.
Speaker 2:When I competed in Korea?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember I seen that and that was insane.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a different crowd right.
Speaker 1:Is that the year you competed with Sean?
Speaker 3:That year.
Speaker 2:Or.
Speaker 1:Sean competed the year after Cause he did that show 2 and 212 and I remember he did his routine. They didn't play his music. Huh, he got on there. He looked at the DJ, okay, hit his front double, wow, yeah, I didn't know. That was the year y'all competed together, or maybe it was like a year after that or maybe a year before.
Speaker 2:I can't remember they all blend into one another at this point in time.
Speaker 1:That's the year you went against.
Speaker 2:Hadi, that was the last year I went to Korea, the last year. I shouldn't have gone in 2017 because, obviously, after Dallas' passing, it was like literally the week after the Olympia and I committed myself, but I wasn't there physically, mentally.
Speaker 1:You wasn't 100%.
Speaker 2:you felt like no, but I never back out of anything. So I went there knowing I wasn't 100% and I wasn't with Neil because Neil had decided to go to I think it was the Prague Pro with William Bonac. So it was tough for me to be in that room on my own looking at my physique deteriorating and going back into that mindset that we started off in the show right, just doubting, thinking which I'd never done before. But yes, I competed against Hardy that year, I think the year before it was me, sean Jose, if I'm not thinking about it. But Korea is such a beautiful place, place, culture, and now, as the 212 champ, you're going to see a lot more of the world. There's a sentence that you mentioned earlier. It's you wish that some of these fans were like american fans we really do, man, we.
Speaker 1:I felt like I had this talk with amanda.
Speaker 1:I think it's because they know us, they see us a lot in the gym and maybe they're just not comfortable or they feel like they're too good to show us that love.
Speaker 1:On the internet they show us love, but in person it's like it's totally opposite. Even at the shows like tyler uh made a video, it was like I hope that these uk fans inspire the people here in the us to make us feel better, clap after we hit poses and just appreciate the physiques that's on that stage and I wish that we do have that more. And I feel like people like myself or just all of us that would have voiced speak that you know, talk about it on these podcasts or make a video or whatever your story youtube and try to push these fans to appreciate us a little bit more. It goes a long way and it makes the sport so much better. I really want this bodybuilding to to grow and be bigger than what it the sport so much better. I really want this bodybuilding to grow and be bigger than what it is, have so much potential. We just really have to come together. Everybody have to be on the same damn page and come together.
Speaker 2:I just think, mainly the fans in the US, and this is not a knock on fans in the US at all. There's a different kind of enthusiasm found overseas. Like you mentioned, the uk there even them guys go crazy. But when you go to countries like brazil oh, I heard about, oh, my god, I'm heading to brazil on wednesday yeah, and last time I went to brazil, fans are holding signs up yeah flex, please stop when I'm trying and there's people crying, it's a a different kind of passion.
Speaker 1:Do you think because it's? You think it's because of let me see what I'm trying to get at Maybe just because we look very different compared to everybody when we go international. That's why they liked that.
Speaker 2:I think bodybuilding is one of them. Sports that doesn't matter where you come from.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Rich, poor, everybody has the same fucking shot. Everybody has the same shot, Genetics obviously playing the biggest part. You look at some of these guys from Brazil, right, A lot of them are coming from very humble beginnings, they're coming from poverty and it could be a way out for them. And Brazil now has become bodybuilding side of things, or the fitness industry has become so big Keon that they're starting to put it on mainstream TV over there. That's crazy, which used to be the case in the US.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was on ESPN, right, mm-hmm, and they took it down.
Speaker 2:So, knowing that as a champion right now, how far do you think we're away from getting Bordy Willenbach on TV?
Speaker 1:I think we're pretty far away from that. We just need more voices, like I said, to speak on this stuff, get on these podcasts with this huge following and really alert people and let people know, hey, we need to come together and make this sport a lot bigger than what it is. It has so much potential. How I see how we get treatment there in the international we need that here. Like how I see how we get treatment there in the international we need that here. And, like I said, there's no disrespect to the fans here.
Speaker 1:But I feel like we can do a lot better to make this sport a lot more greater and hopefully one day we can get on TV and have that you know experience on TV and let people show people this hard work that we showcase, because the sport is not easy. We watch football. We see guys with helmets bang each other up, so let's see, like the best mistakes on stage showcase the hard work that we go through to motivate people like, hey, when you dedicate yourself to something, you can go far, and I feel like that would be a great example if we can come together and actually make this happen. But hey, who knows who?
Speaker 2:knows, we've got guys like chris bamstead right, who are perfective influencers, who are one foot in one world, one foot in the bodybuilding world Again. So much eyes on the sport and doing a tremendous job of it. I think there's only a matter of time for somebody to see the opportunity.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And not necessarily pretty put it on ESPN, but it might end up on one of these apps right, yeah something when you look at UFC, it started on Spike and then it grew tremendously and it's just really getting the viewership on that, and then these companies be like, oh shit, there actually is an ROI in here. And then that's when the sponsors follow. So for the athletes, like I said, in Brazil right now they're getting so much opportunity because it's going on tv. There's a lot of mainstream sponsors that are cell phone companies that are sponsoring these athletes. There's all these you know, it's car companies that are sponsoring these athletes. Tremendous opportunities. And there's not a mr olympia title in brazil but, to your point, there's such a following. There's so many key figures that are great spokesperson, male and female, that are doing a tremendous job. That's why they're getting the eyes on on the sport. What would you love to see in the ideal world as a champ at some point in time? That now takes the sport to the next level outside of the tv what will I see?
Speaker 1:what now?
Speaker 2:what would you like to see?
Speaker 1:Outside of.
Speaker 2:Outside of the TV work Sponsors coming in.
Speaker 1:What would I like to see?
Speaker 2:Jonah, I'd like to see, as you're thinking, more collaborations with actors. Yes, more collaborations with big-name athletes.
Speaker 1:I would like to see that for sure. Bodybuilders connecting with those type athletes I'm seeing a lot of these influencers doing it. I feel like we need to do it too. That's just like the thing now with the influencers. They're collabing with the world's strongest man and Thor and all these people. I feel like we need to do that too Expand the bodybuilding.
Speaker 2:It's just getting your face seen in different industries If influencers can do it.
Speaker 1:we can do it Absolutely. We just have to make that so I got.
Speaker 3:I have a question as you get higher up in professional athleticism, across any sport, you find that there's less and less difference between the different athletes, because it takes a level of excellence to become a top performer. I'm curious what sets you apart from everybody else that you've competed with?
Speaker 1:What set me apart? Oh man, A mindset. I think that's like the biggest difference from all athletes in bodybuilding, football, whatever. It's just your mindset, how bad you really want it. Are you willing to do the things other people's not willing to do? Are you willing to be perfect? Are you willing to be better every single day? So I think that what separates me from a lot of people.
Speaker 2:Is the mindset. You happy with that answer, Tyrus, or do you want to dive in more?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's very great questions. The words, the way he worded, everything is very good.
Speaker 2:This is why I bring him in, this is why I keep him around, that's why you keep me around. There's other things. Do we press some buttons back there that I like you pressing and make me look good?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I figured you'd keep me around because I make your biceps look bigger, because I'm so small.
Speaker 2:It's very hard to make my arms look big next to this fucker.
Speaker 1:Oh shit, your arms still fucking big.
Speaker 2:What you talking about I don't know about that, but listen, talking of which, what are you weighing right now? Because you are being literally waddling around the gym.
Speaker 1:Ah, 230 right now. Never been this heavy before. We're still airing right, yeah, I'm stopped. Yeah, yeah, 230 was crazy because my last offseason I'm leading to Texas Pro, I got up to 217. Still so light for the 212 as well 217. I competed at 199 at the Olympia.
Speaker 2:That's where you weighed, huh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 199.
Speaker 2:Wow that's so much weight.
Speaker 1:I weighed myself right before the night show when we walked to the venue. It was 199.3 on the scale. After I woke up from that nap and I was like we're on, we're on. I've seen the number 199 on my freaking scale since Classic Physique days. I don't think I got that big in Classic. My all-season in classic was like 190.
Speaker 2:so that was it was insane I did not know you were under 200 pounds, that's oh really I honestly that is scary to know that you've got 13 pounds left in that class oh, yeah, I have that's.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have so much room for improvement and I think that's the scary part yeah, for the competitors and no disrespect to no one, but it's just that I have a lot more room, I have more time to be in this class and a lot of people that struggle when they make weight eventually gonna have to go up because you can't bring your best when you're struggling to make weight for so long. Eventually you're going to start losing certain body parts. For me, I can only get better and that's why I'm super, super excited for this year because of the progress we made, the I've been I feel like I've been perfect to every single thing as far as detail, with training, nutrition, recovery. It's going to be a scary thing for it's going to be scary. For this year. I'm excited.
Speaker 2:I'm I think about it every day and you told me, maybe a day or two ago, this this is your real, true first offseason, correct?
Speaker 1:Last year was, I'll say my true, full offseason.
Speaker 2:But in comparison to this year this is your first.
Speaker 1:I can't even compare, especially with the size and everything, especially with the size and everything, but yeah, it's much, much different. I don't do any cheat meals or anything. Like I said, I might have talked about it on the last podcast, but I talk about it a lot on the internet. Patrick hates cheat meals.
Speaker 2:So we don't do any cheat meals or anything.
Speaker 1:So most of my cheat meals and stuff free meals were after the Olympia, a little bit in the health phase, but once we got into off-season it was just locked in. Was that a hard feel? No, because of last year. I did the same thing Last year. It was hard.
Speaker 1:Sometimes you feel like you bust your ass the whole week and you may want to get a free meal that Saturday after a back or leg day. That's what I was doing. Patrick wasn't accepting it. I fucked up. This was way beginning of the offseason. I posted some chicken nuggets on my story. Patrick messaged me with five question marks and then he called me and chalked me off.
Speaker 1:Man, yeah, do you know that, though that's a coach, that was the coach and it was like that's not a Mr Olympia. Mr Olympia's, don't eat McDonald's. Mr Olympia's, don't post what they're going to eat as far as like a cheat meal. And Amanda was like what they're going to eat as far as like a cheat meal. And Amanda was like no more. I couldn't even finish the meal. I threw it away. I felt so bad and horrible and I haven't had a cheat meal that whole entire offseason last year.
Speaker 1:This was like I would say, like the first two weeks of my offseason after the health phase and then the rest of the offseason I had no cheat meals, and yeah. So now I'm used to it, man. And then the rest of the off season had no cheat meals, and yeah, so now I'm used to it, man. I enjoy my meals, I enjoy my food and when you follow the plan 100%, you shouldn't be craving that cheat meal shit anyway. That's just how Patrick look at it, that's how I look at it and the way my digestion work is. If I do have an off plan meal, it ruins the rest of my meals for the day. I have to make sure I follow what's on the plan and that's the mindset, and that's the mindset.
Speaker 2:That's what separates you from the park now.
Speaker 1:You know what's funny? I did a muscle strength video and shout out to Dan and he was like let's do a cheat meal video. He came here about two weeks ago. I was like, bro, I can't do a cheat meal. Patrick, see this shit, he's going to kill me, he. He was like what, no more cheat meals. I was like, dude, no, it's hard to believe. I was like what I can do is we can go to Protein House and I'll get a bison burger and sweet potato fries. He was like okay, what? Okay, you think the fans are going to like this? I was like, bro, yeah, it's organic. Like they can see why I am the champ and my cheat meal is literally a freaking clean meal from a protein house, which is like basically a meal prep service.
Speaker 2:So that's what we had, and all the time, listen, you don't miss what you don't have. It's the consistency of the grind. If you're having the same thing on a Monday that you're having on a Sunday, you're controlling every variable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know what I did last offseason and I won. Now I'm like, okay, if I can make this a little bit better, imagine what could happen. Just change that dial. Right, that's my mindset. It's so dialed in it's next level. They're going to see it in October.
Speaker 2:Talk it talk.
Speaker 3:Talk it.
Speaker 1:Talk it, man. What's going to happen? I'm going to manifest. I'm going to win again Title number two.
Speaker 2:I say it every day when I do my sets Title number two Is that the mental fortitude and the mind games you play with yourself? Yeah, every day.
Speaker 1:I'm going to win at Olympia again. I'm very hungry, I'm very confident. I know the progress that I'm making now compared to last year and I'm sure you felt that too, when you had a super, really good offseason like damn, this is much better than last year.
Speaker 1:You know what's going to happen you got the blueprint yeah, I'm not the type of guy that always going to internet to say what I'm gonna do. I just show people I do the work. But times like this, I want the world to know that, hey, I'm a manifested again, I'm going to win title number two and I will be your 212 champion again, if, if, the fans, to give the fans something they want to hear outside of you defending the title.
Speaker 2:What is it that you feel that you've changed the most now having the title that the fans can expect now in this offseason, when they get to meet you.
Speaker 1:Ask that one more time. I'm trying to process that question Absolutely. I guess I should change the conversation. I'll ask that one more time. I'm trying to process that question Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I guess I should Change the conversation by saying Now you're the champ yeah, the Keanu of old Was One that had doubt. The Keanu of old was one that Second guessed a lot, yeah. And when you meet the fans, that's a different person.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Now that you've won the title and you're going around as the champ a different person, yeah. Now that you've won the title and you go in the round as the champ, okay, what is that type of confidence that the fans now get to see when they get to meet you?
Speaker 1:Even this lately, people see the changes in my mindset. Damn, he's doing it. He manifested, he did it. I, right now I just have no more doubts myself. I know what I'm capable of doing and that's just what it is. And I feel like the fans do see that they see me finally blossoming, growing and seeing this once this potential person now is actually doing it and focused and locked in. I think that's what they see when they talk to me.
Speaker 1:I'm so locked in and so focused and I just love motivating people like hey, man, stop doubting yourself, because you're not going to accomplish anything. Doubting yourself, that's just the truth. You're just going to slow the progress down, the process down, just doubting yourself. It's such a great superpower to have confidence. You have to have confidence and Patrick says so when someone's confident, they're dangerous, no matter what they're doing. What is you're confident, you're going to pass the test and you know you studied Most likely you're going to pass the test and you should be confident. You did the work and that's how I feel about bodybuilding. I did the work and I'm confident and I'm being honest with myself and that's the most important thing Be honest with yourself.
Speaker 2:What's the legacy look like for Keon?
Speaker 1:The legacy. I just want to really prove to myself that I can keep winning, but also I can keep getting better. That's the main goal is to keep getting better and I want to be remembered as one of the best 212. Just like you, I want to be able to go to the open before I retire and be that 212 guy, build the legacy in the open bodybuilding and be done. I want to be remembered as one of the best bodybuilders aesthetic bodybuilders in this generation and after I'm done, after I'm done, I want to be able to spread that positivity, like yourself and all the other greats. That's doing it now.
Speaker 2:Do you think we could see Keon in the open class whilst a 212 champ in the future?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, 100, 100, 100, 100. Just no time soon. A lot of these youtubers want to push me so soon. Excuse me, I got asked the other day about what I do to arnold if I get an invite this year after the olympia. I'm like, yeah, I don't know, we'll see. If they give me an invite, we'll see. We'll see how my body looks and Evaluate if I can be compared To people like Hardy and all these other guys. If I'm ready, if not, I'm not doing it. I want to be smart. I don't want to just Chase the money. I want to go to an open show and be confident I can win it. That's where my mind's set at. I don't want people to rush me to do it. I'm going to do it when I'm ready. Until then, I'm focused on building my legacy in the 212 division. Then, when that's done, then we can move up to the big boys and open.
Speaker 2:I'd be one that's excited to see that, my friend, I know that many people that are listening and watching this podcast also wants to see you up on that open stage eventually. But your goal is to win. Your goal is to win, defend, win, defend. That's the only thing you should be focused on right now. Everything else is just a cool. If the fans are talking about you being on that open stage and wanting to see you, that's great.
Speaker 1:It doesn't look good to be like the champ, jump into another division and place third or fourth. I don't think that looks good. I feel like once you're winning, you should want to keep winning and stay in that lane, and that's pretty much what I'm looking at right now.
Speaker 2:Champ in wrapping up this podcast. Anybody you want to promote, push. Thank sponsors et cetera.
Speaker 1:Shout out to all the sponsors Long Life, mill Prep, my mill prep service, yamamoto, gasp Zero. To Hero there's my equipment for the gym to make sure I'm nice and protected and all the supporters. Thank you so much for everything. You guys pushed me to be where I'm at today. I couldn't do it without you guys. Thank you for having me on the podcast again. I'm just here to show you love and manifest that we're going to win title number two. Quote me on it. Yeah, I love it, it's gonna happen man clip that clipite Tyus okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's another one right there, so you can put that separate and I'll post that on my For me to you, man, since you've won the title, I can tell you this nothing has changed from you outside of your dedication and your mindset. I get very honored to see you here in the gym as the champ Obviously selfishly, as somebody who has won the title and very protective of that title and who gets to see it and where the crown now and you were doing an absolutely fantastic job. The fans love you People. When they come into the gym, they get to take pictures of you and see you. And again, I hear all the feedback and everybody says that you make that impression for them because, listen, some of these fans will end up one day potentially standing on a stage next to you yeah not me anymore.
Speaker 2:So you're giving them that inspiration and also leading from the front and how you should walk, talk and act as a champion. So, 100%, you're a great poster boy for being a champion across the board and again, it's an honor to have you here at the gym representing not only the sport, the IFBB, the Dragon's L, the person that I sit in front of me, to now see this guy who was matured long before he won the title and now has got it and just made himself that much better.
Speaker 1:So I'm proud of you, my friend. Thank you so much, man. This is awesome for you to see me at my lowest, and now you see me at the top, and it's just only the beginning. It's only the beginning.
Speaker 2:What a story. Straight out the lab joined by the champ. I'm excited to see much more episodes. Follow this guy and also follow me and all of the other fucking things that I'm involved with. We are out.
