Breaking Through Macho Mentality: How Mental Health Transforms Physical Fitness

What happens when we start seeing fitness as more than just physical transformation? Coach Tarek, internationally renowned health expert and author of "Purpose Driven Movement," reveals the profound mind-body connection that shapes our wellbeing on all levels.

"If you can change your physiology, you can change your psychology," Coach Tarek explains, demonstrating how something as simple as five jumping jacks can immediately alter your mental state. But the relationship goes both ways—our thoughts and intentions shape our physical actions in ways we're just beginning to understand.

The conversation challenges conventional masculine fitness stereotypes that keep men trapped in limited movement practices. While many men approach fitness with superficial goals like weight loss or muscle gain, Coach Tarek guides us to uncover deeper motivations: increased energy, mental clarity, emotional stability, better sleep, and reduced stress. These qualitative benefits often become more meaningful than the physical transformations that initially motivated us.

We explore how fitness journeys naturally evolve through different life stages, from competitive performance in youth to more mindful, skill-based practices that support longevity. Coach Tarek shares his personal evolution from high-intensity training to embracing practices that integrate mind and body—revealing how breaking free from "macho" attitudes about acceptable male fitness activities opens doors to comprehensive wellbeing.

Whether you're struggling with burnout, looking to redefine your approach to

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Mind Over Matter
• 3:54 The Mind-Body Connection Explained
• 8:32 Uncovering True Fitness Goals
• 14:22 Evolving Fitness Journey Through Life Stages
• 19:16 Breaking Free From Masculine Fitness Stereotypes
• 22:14 Finding Balance and Preventing Burnout

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome back, listeners, to another episode of Mind Over Masculinity. I'm your host, sanaa, and today we are diving deep into the powerful connection between mental and physical health mind over matter. In fact, we do have another podcast with mind over matter. But how do we really much understand about the role of our mental state, how important role it plays in our overall physical well-being? Well, to unravel the answers to these questions, I am thrilled to be joined by coach tarik, an internationally renowned health and fitness expert, best-selling author of Purpose Driven Movement and co-founder of the Functional Training Institute and FitWell Education Lab. Now, coach Tarek has dedicated his career to empowering people worldwide with knowledge and strategies to build a healthier, more purposeful life. So, listeners, whether you are someone striving for a better fitness routine, seeking mental clarity on where to start, how to start, or just looking to redefine your approach to wellness, this conversation is absolutely for you, so let's quickly jump in. So, of course, tarek, welcome to the show and, as always, it's an absolute honor having you with us.

Speaker 2: 1:29

Good to be back on this specific show, Sanat. So yeah, thank you very much.

Speaker 1: 1:41

Lovely, lovely. So, of course, tarek, I mean, you have global, global exposure. You have traveled the world educating trainers and individuals about movement and wellness. So, from your perspective, how interconnected are mental and physical health?

Speaker 2: 1:54

yeah, look, um, they're intricately, that intimately, connected.

Speaker 2: 1:59

Um, you know the, the, the.

Speaker 2: 2:01

The whole thing is is is this right, you have, if you can change your physiology, you can change your psychology?

Speaker 2: 2:11

You know, for example, if, if I got everyone who's listening to, if they're sitting down to, to get up and kind of, do you know, five jumping jacks, and all of a sudden you, the, the, the mental states changed, right like it, you're going to become maybe a little puffed, perhaps if you haven't trained much, or you know you're going to be become a little bit more alert, but it's, it's, you know, we've shifted your state right in a simple, simple fashion. So we know that, um, the best way to learn is to embody something. So we'll take a concept or a thought, that thought, then um, manifests or becomes a greater idea, and then from there it's like well then, that there's something created from there, so that the first but my point here is the first, as steven covey would say, creation is the mental creation, then the physicals, let's say a product or a service, or you know anything like that. So you know, um, in that respect hopefully that's clear for the, for the listeners is um that there are integral, intimately and intricately connected.

Speaker 1: 3:31

Yeah, yeah, it makes sense because we often think of fitness as just you know, hitting the gym or controlling our diet or, you know, sculpting a good body, but really our mindset can be a make or break factor. So, coach Charik, have you seen a shift in the fitness industry where mental well-being is being prioritized alongside physical health?

Speaker 2: 3:52

yeah, look, it's like to say mental well-being is is quite loaded, you know, like that. It could be that when we say well-being or overall well-being, uh, you know, it is looking at physiologically, psychologically and perhaps emotionally. Another piece that I believe in is the spiritual side, right, but if we focus in on the emotional connection with the psychological and the physiological, you know that's kind of where it all happens. And so when we say mental well-being, it's like you know that that's kind of where it where it all happens.

Speaker 2: 4:26

And so when we say mental well-being, it's it's like you know if, if I took you out for a walk or a jog, on a you know, on a trail, in a national park or a forest, um, that's carved out for those purposes, um, I might say, you know the there are going to be obvious physical outcomes, you know, sweat and increased heart rate and all of the good stuff you know, provided that it's the right dose, you know, relevant to the skill, you know level. But then another level would be well after it. How do you feel, sanar? And you might say, well, you know, you feel so now. And you might say, well, you know, I feel just amazed, I've got this energy, I've, I've, you know, I, I just seem, if you're not overly fatigued, I, I feel a little bit clearer, I, I feel energized, I feel so. You know, there are these outcomes we call positive, um well-being outcomes that attach, attach it to attach itself to a more of a psychological, um well-being outcome, of course.

Speaker 2: 5:29

So you, you, you know, and this, this, oftentimes we go back to the gym environment and then I say to you what are your goals, sanar? And you'll say, well, it's, you know, on the surface is to to lose weight. It's to, you know, have 10 kilos less. Or it could be to to gain more muscle because you're wanting to do a physique contest. Um, you know they're, they're, they're the obvious ones that people know just superficially, right, but then where we go deeper, when we met to that we'll say, well, actually, is that really what you want? Um, like, and then I started to ask you some questions around lifestyle and your family and and and other meaningful things. Then we can start having a deeper conversation about what are your true goals Like, what are your true desired outcomes? And so a lot of times it's it to have more energy, for example. In some contexts it's to be able to literally feel better, be less sick, to have more clarity at work, to be sharper.

Speaker 2: 6:38

So all of these qualities attach themselves, you'd say, to more of a mental outcome. But, however, the, the physiological outcomes are just as important. So that's where kind of goal unearthing, you know, really understanding someone's desired outcome might start with the obvious, um, physical measure, and that's all all good, like. I'm certainly not downplaying that, you know. But there are some greater things that people start to discover along the journey and they can start to pinpoint how they're improving mentally or emotionally, even that they may be reacting less. You know they're less irritated because guess what? Their sleep's improving. You know they've got more of, uh, because guess what they're they're, they're sleeps improving, um, you know they're. They've got more of a let's call it a balanced diet, um, and maybe they're meditating, for example, and they've started to embrace, you know, other other important practices in, in addition to to their movement practice. So the movement practice is vital, but understanding those qualitative outcomes that attach to the mental and emotional are profound.

Speaker 1: 7:55

Yeah, it's such an intricate balance relation between psychological and physiological aspects of us. So now let's take this conversation from men's mental and physical health. So a lot of men, they use fitness as a coping mechanism for stress and mental health struggles. But for stress and mental health struggles. But sometimes it may turn into an unhealthy obsession, you know, like overtraining or using it as an escape route rather than a true form of self-care. So, coach Tariq, how can men find a balanced approach to physical and mental well-being?

Speaker 2: 8:42

um, yeah, interesting question. I think I've. I've had, I ran two gyms, um, I've coached and educated many thousands of of trainers and, you know, enthusiasts of movement and just healthy general um worldwide. So it's interesting because I think it's the different stages of people's lives that that whatever then takes precedence. So, for example, you know, when I was a teenager and into my late teens and early 20s, I was focused on high level football, you know soccer, and I had specific goals around that and training parameters and you know, and then I started switching into some more martial arts and and non-competitive though, and um, and then, you know, I mean into my 20s and early 30s, I was training very hard, you know, high intensity, I was lifting heavy, I was, you know, doing some some extreme stuff to it to a point and into my, you know, 40s.

Speaker 2: 9:46

Now it's shifted. You know, I don't train as intensely. I train intently, yes, but I work on skill. I, you know, enjoy some Arnis and different martial arts, but it's more the enjoyment of that and continual movement. So for me it's longevity, it's my mobility and flexibility and and so I'm able to connect with the mind through, you know, with the mind as well as I when I train, because I'll become more mindful as I as I move, as I shared in one of your other podcasts um. So that allows me to be centered, anchored, um, and just really enjoying that 45 to one hour, 45 minutes to one hour session, not just like treating it like like an outcome of well, you know, I need to do five sets of, you know, 10 repetitions and it becomes very mechanical. So for me, I've moved beyond the mechanical um side of of training for my own purposes yet.

Speaker 2: 10:46

But I understand that mechanical side might serve people well if they're competing in bodybuilding or physique, or maybe they're not competing and they and they, that's how they like to do things and kudos, kudos to them. So I'm not sure as so much as it's an obsession, but it's it's. It's dependent, I believe, in context of where they're at in their life. And again, I don't want to paint everything with a broad brush because there might be some people who continue to do the same thing and do it radically until they can no longer do it. So I think the shift from simply bashing the body or at least realizing at some point in the movement journey for that individual that they just can't do that any longer right.

Speaker 2: 11:31

If you compete, let's say at crossfit, um, for 10 years, you're smashing your tendons and joints and you know it's very high, high, high volume, high intensity, um, and not to say that there's less about recovery, but that that's really what it is, because they they have outcomes for competition, usually, whether it's um recreational or competitive, um at a professional level.

Speaker 2: 11:56

So there are a whole heap of those other factors that need to be considered here. Um, when someone becomes obsessed and thinks it's just you know, here again my point being an obsession of the physical outcome and being at, let's say I don't know, 8% body fat. And again, that could be all well and true, but again it's a superficial way of looking at the movement journey because, like I said earlier, there are all of these other wonderful things that come out of movement practices that aren't just attached to a gym. So we need to look beyond the gym environment and not just go into those conventional practices where I'm on a machine and I'm pushing a chest press or a leg press. It could serve someone at a certain point in time. But I think there's a missing element, if the mind doesn't come into it, meaning some contemplative practice or element of mindfulness or awareness of those two things being intricately linked. Yeah, um, so I hope that sort of in a long-winded way answers your question yeah, and, and I really like that you, you know, went neutral for this.

Speaker 1: 13:24

Uh, I mean, there has to be a balance, but of course it's not a one-size-fits-all approach. And, and also coach tarik, um, I mean, with so much pressure on men to perform, whether it's in work, fitness or personal life, burnout in is becoming a real issue and sometimes, you know, we associate being vulnerable or being too expressive. Uh, it's, it's not, it's a softer side, and men are always kind of systematically asked to be tough. So what advice do you have for men who are struggling with burnout while also trying to maintain their physical and mental health?

Speaker 2: 14:16

Yeah, what you're perhaps alluding to as well is an image-driven element, and that image-driven element is maybe again the, the, the role of, of that male and you know that, let's say, doing yoga like is is only for women, or that attitude, that macho attitude that says, you know, unless you're lifting really, really heavy or doing extreme things, then nothing else matters, right? So I think it's, it's a realization, at some point they broaden their perspective of life in general, but also that they, that they, they consider that let's, they, or that individual you know can considers multiple perspectives and really as a high level of awareness, to say, well, it's okay, maybe I'll try some yoga and I'll then experience the benefits. Right, because not until you've experienced the benefits. And there's this, this change, because of that experience, um, being embodied and being mindful, that all of a sudden, wow, like you know, I've engaged the mind and perhaps the spirit, and all of a sudden I feel so much better, you know, and balanced, so really it's just dropping that guard and going well, that's just a false pretense and coming to that realisation that, okay, well, you can still train and push yourself hard, but then you moderate and you know, you perhaps can become open to trying or trialing things like yoga or Pilates or contemplative practice, tai Chi or you know, and not just be stuck in this conventional macho manner where you know you need to present a certain image, you know, and you need to be tough, right.

Speaker 2: 16:07

So I think, on one hand, that's what you were alluding to and I think that's how I would address that, but not dismiss it, because some people will still crave it. But it's about, like you know, it's the process, not the outcome, and at some point that person might go, yeah, go, yeah, well, let me try that, or something will shift for them, you know, because it really is a, is an individual thing and and phenomena, so it's very subjective. But then it's so collective, right, because, like you said, um, let's call it more generally or or collectively, society, that men show up a certain way or so. You know, kind of without getting into any sort of gender identity thing, this is more focused on that sort of portrayal of that image of being macho, um, and dismissing maybe other practices which would be at the expense of their overall well-being, yeah, and therefore being able to tap into more of the emotional, psychological elements, you know, and when I say emotional, kind of just really being balanced right and being able to access those emotions and moderate them. You know whether it's reacting, you know angrily, but then will suddenly become calmer, right, so there's that degree of calmness that anchors or centers anger itself, centers, anger itself. No-transcript. I think, ultimately, doing a movement practice does bring more confidence. It's just at that level where we're moving beyond that machoism or, you know, not being open to some other practices. So I'll give you an example.

Speaker 2: 18:17

This was both for male and female, but if we let's focus the topic on males, at a gym that ran functional classes, um, you know, initially it was the same thing where people hadn't trained and, and, you know, we needed to find ways to tap into their motivation, right. So, you know, I can't motivate you, right? You, you ultimately need to be an internal driven thing. But what happened was we started seeing, um, male and female participants, members, um, you know, start from one class to two to three, and then they actually started coming like twice a day. So they'll come morning, you know, afternoon, three, four times a week, and we'll, like me, my business partner at the time were like geez, they, you know, they're really enjoying it, which is, on one hand, a good thing but, um, conversely, the the so-called bad thing was that they started getting.

Speaker 2: 19:11

We started noticing more niggly injuries take place and and and some visibility of of mental fatigue and and of course, that's that interconnection there, that fatigue isn't just physical, it's mental, it's emotional. So, as we started seeing that, we then needed to educate them to say, well, let's balance out your training regime, and we introduced more recovery and some stretching and opportunities to do yoga, have massage. Then it became more balanced in that setting, in that space. And so that was where, as a coach, if you're a coach, whether it's a one-on-one client or group class or you're training a sports team, you need to be aware of that, that burnout physically, mentally, emotionally, and really have some strategies in place to, once you've built that trust with that client or that group or that team, you know they'll buy into it to you right and be able to introduce those techniques to sort of balance things out, as it were. So, yeah, that was an example that I thought could could benefit the listeners.

Speaker 1: 20:21

Yeah, of course, of course, and I think examples like this they really give us that. I mean, there is proof out there and really these examples they challenge the conventional norms. So before we wrap up, coach derek, if our listeners would like to get in touch with you and explore more about your resources, your coaching, your programs, how they can do that and also your book, yeah, sure, um, I mean, you may offer them links as well.

Speaker 2: 20:57

So we'd have a functional training institute, which would be the probably best place to review and take a look. And, in terms of the book, you can go onto Amazon and type in Purpose Driven Movement and you can buy a Kindle version or e-book and the hard copy. But, again, happy for you to share the links as well. Sanav to the audience. And then, in terms of social social media, there's at fti global on instagram or at coach dash tarik, um, me personally, and then functional training institute is the handle I have me for, uh, facebook. We handle type me for facebook. We've got a facebook page. We've got a free facebook group called functional fitness concepts and we put a lot of good content out there. It's a free group. So, yeah, there are some of the ways. And, of course, the other one is the youtube channel. So, um, at um, fti global, yeah, we're putting out constantly, I think, solid content.

Speaker 2: 22:04

So, yeah, subscribe, check out the stuff there and yeah, stay, you know hopefully be in touch.

Speaker 1: 22:12

You will have all the links mentioned in the show notes and Coach Tarek, thank you. Thank you so much for this insightful conversation and really I think I am very confident our listeners are taking away a lot of takeaways. To do a bit of self-interest, yeah, and you know, when it comes to, of course, reshaping our approach to health mentally and physically, and thank you to all of our listeners for joining us today. If this episode has resonated with you, please subscribe, leave us a review, let us know how we are doing and share it with someone who needs to hear this message out. And if I would like to say, real strength comes from the inside out. So until next time, take care of your mind and body and see you soon on Mind Over Masculinity. Thank you.