Automatic episode summary
Keith Vance opens episode 10 by explaining how it came about: he saw Vadim Kosevnikov on his social feed, sent a message, met him for coffee, and asked a man with roughly 250,000 Instagram followers to sit down for what Keith calls his little podcast. Kosevnikov is a Latvian weightlifter and coach, thirty-two years old, about four and a half years into life in the United States and living in Sarasota, Florida. Keith introduces him as a four-time Florida Olympic weightlifting champion who runs a company called Train With Brain Academy, coaches hockey and football players, and works in rehabilitation. Kosevnikov speaks Latvian, Russian, English, Spanish and Italian.
The first hour is largely biography. He describes an ordinary village childhood as the youngest of ten children, twenty-one years younger than his eldest sister, on a farm of horses, cows and chickens that both fed the family and earned its living. His father was a construction worker who, by the end of his life, was head of constructors; he drank heavily and died when Vadim was six. Vadim says his memories of him are only good ones. His mother did not remarry, kept the family going off the land, and, he says at thirty-two, gave him the maximum she could. By ten he was expected to be able to do everything. Keith, a father of seven, draws the parallel to his own house, where the first five children grew up under pressure and the youngest two did not.
Asked to compare home with the United States, Kosevnikov keeps returning to one line: a human being is a human being. Discipline and hard work lift a person anywhere, laziness sinks him anywhere; what differs is the system, and doors are simply easier to unlock here. Keith presses on politics and division, and Kosevnikov answers with a story about red and black ants living peacefully in one box until somebody shakes it.
The turn of his life came at thirteen, when a disciplined twenty-four-year-old sports teacher arrived at his school, built a gym out of leftover Soviet equipment and trained about ten boys three days a week. Roughly eight months later Kosevnikov took second at a junior national competition, a first in the school's history. The following February the teacher took him to his own coach in the city and handed him over, saying there was nothing more he could give him. Kosevnikov trained under that second man for eight years: brilliant, able to explain every variable in a program, and a heavy drinker who tore him down in front of the whole gym. Teammates later told him they would have quit, and most of them did. He stayed, he says, because he was not yet halfway.
The second half turns to Kosevnikov's real subject. Work, he argues, is when you give energy away; training is the hour when the body receives. Every job spends a man, and nothing in his day offers to make his bones and ligaments stronger for tomorrow, so the gym is not more output but a refill. From there the conversation widens to everything a man takes in: food, feeds, scrolling, and pornography, which he says reduces testosterone and drains the energy that belongs in a relationship. Keith and Vadim trade Scripture through it, from bread and the word of God to what comes out of a man rather than what goes in.
After a break, Kosevnikov breaks down a heavy lift and finds it almost undramatic: warm up, follow the plan, refuse ego lifts on days you feel strong, and by the time you step onto the platform there is nothing left to prepare. Keith keeps translating that back into faith and fatherhood, including his pastor's line that God grows trees, not potatoes. They close on fear as an imagined world, regret as a past the body keeps re-living, the two shoulder surgeries that taught Kosevnikov to speak up to his own coach, and a last word: reduce pride, lift up love.
Speakers
- Keith Vance host
- Vadim Kosevnikov guest
- Crosstalk other
- Crosstalk other
Chapters
- 1:24 Meeting Vadim: five languages, four titles
Keith explains how a message on social media turned into coffee and then this conversation, and introduces Vadim Kosevnikov: thirty-two, living in Sarasota, four-time Florida Olympic weightlifting champion, and fluent in five languages.
- 6:49 Youngest of ten on the farm
Vadim describes an ordinary village childhood with horses, cows and chickens, the father he lost at six, and a mother who kept ten children fed off the land.
- 11:52 Building children who can carry weight
Keith compares his first five children with his youngest two, and Vadim explains why growing up in the post-Soviet nineties made his older siblings tough.
- 15:08 Home versus here: work, politics, food
Vadim's comparison of home and Florida keeps landing on one idea, that a human being is a human being, while Keith asks about locked doors, division and whether American food is safe to eat.
- 34:53 The teacher who built a gym
At thirteen a new sports teacher turns leftover Soviet equipment into a school gym; about eight months later Vadim places second at a junior national competition, a first for the school.
- 50:29 Eight years with a hard coach
Vadim's second coach could explain every variable in a training plan and was also, in Vadim's words, one of the greatest drunkards. He explains why he stayed when the others quit.
- 1:04:42 Work is giving, training is receiving
Vadim reframes the gym: a job spends your energy all day, and training is the hour that gives something back. Keith realises why his own workouts have always felt like therapy.
- 1:17:25 Everything you feed yourself
Food, feeds and information all count as diet. Vadim argues that what comes in through the eyes and ears matters as much as what is on the plate, and Keith answers with Christ's words about what comes out of a man.
- 1:24:30 Pornography, testosterone and the chain
Vadim describes what habitual viewing does to a man's hormones and to his relationship; Keith brings in Proverbs and a testimony he watched. Both land on choice as the only real lever.
- 1:48:16 Breaking down a heavy lift
Vadim walks through a professional's warm-up, why he refuses to lift heavy on days he feels strong, and how he predicted his 200-kilo clean and jerk two months out.
- 2:18:46 Stick with the plan
Coaching frightened children leads into fear as an imagined world and regret as a past the body keeps re-living. Keith adds his pastor's line about God growing trees, not potatoes.
- 2:41:01 Injury, pride and lifelong training
Two shoulder surgeries and the warning his first coach gave, how long a fifty-year-old can keep lifting, and a closing word on reducing pride and lifting up love.
Key takeaways
- 1:04:42 Vadim's central distinction: work is when you give energy away, training is when the body receives. No workday ever says to a man, you worked hard, let me make your bones and ligaments stronger for tomorrow.
- 2:21:35 Keith's pastor's image, applied to training and to sanctification alike: God is growing trees, not potatoes. Some seasons the rings are tight and it looks like nothing is happening, but the plan is not to be rushed.
- 2:26:18 Vadim on the two thieves: fear is dread of a world that does not exist, and regret puts the body back into the past's hormones again and again. Training, he says, is one of the few things that forces a man into right now.
Pull quotes
"The real man never going to prove that he is a man... He will just do what he has to do." Vadim, responding to Keith's sons wanting to build from nothing rather than take what their father built.
"I have to be honest with you, 98% when I go to the gym, I don't want to go to the gym." He goes anyway, on the plan. His coaches' saying: if you don't have mood to train, train without mood.
Two weeks before this recording Vadim pulled his back on a 245-kilo deadlift, about 540 pounds. He stopped training for roughly a week, rebuilt slowly, and the day before this conversation hit 80 per cent in the snatch and 85 per cent in the clean and jerk.
"The devil is not so powerful as a thing. He is only so powerful as we allow to be him." Keith names three enemies, the flesh, the world and Satan; Vadim names one, ourselves, then inverts it: let us be our own best friend instead.
"Pride destroys relationships. Pride destroys families... But the love of God, oh, it can rebuild wherever you want." Vadim's closing counsel: reduce pride, lift up love, and do everything with love.
Scripture & context
- 8:31 Vadim's father was a construction worker who drank heavily and died when Vadim was six. Vadim says his memories of him are only good ones: "This was the guy who loved me."
- 50:43 Vadim trained eight years under his second coach, whom he calls one of the greatest coaches he ever had and one of the greatest drunkards. Sober, the man could explain every variable in a training plan; drinking, he tore Vadim down in front of the whole gym. Teammates later told Vadim they would have quit, and most of them did.
- 59:06 Vadim: the Bible never tells us to rely on another person, it tells us to rely on God. And relying on God, he says, still means building yourself by daily choice.
- 1:11:19 Vadim reaches for a verse he knows in Russian, that bread is not what feeds you but the word of God, and Keith completes it in English: man shall not live by bread alone, but by the word of God.
- 1:21:16 Keith recalls Christ telling the Pharisees that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him but what comes out, and adds the hinge: what comes out is what has been going in.
- 1:31:14 Keith retells Solomon's warning to his son in Proverbs: the harlot perfumes her bed and makes up her face, but out the back door lie the dead men she has taken. The devil sells the front of the thing and never the result.
- 2:41:24 Vadim has had surgery on both shoulders. His first coach warned the second that the programming would wreck them within half a year and was dismissed; half a year later both shoulders went. Vadim does not blame the coach, saying he should have spoken up himself. Working out how to train himself afterwards is what produced Training Brain, and in the United States Training Brain Academy.
Questions answered
- Who is Vadim Kosevnikov, and how many languages does he speak?
- He is a Latvian weightlifter and coach, thirty-two years old at the time of recording and about four and a half years into living in Sarasota, Florida. Keith introduces him as a four-time Florida Olympic weightlifting champion who runs Train With Brain Academy and works with hockey and football players as well as rehabilitation clients. Vadim lists five languages: Latvian, Russian as his mother language, English, Spanish and Italian, though he says his Italian has gone quiet since he moved to the United States and would take about two weeks to come back. jump · 2:04
- What was his childhood like as the youngest of ten children?
- He calls it an average village childhood, nothing special: a farm with horses, cows and chickens that both fed the family and earned its living, and a great deal of work. Twenty-one years separate him from his eldest sister. His father, a construction worker who by the end of his life was head of constructors, drank heavily and died when Vadim was six, and Vadim says he has only good memories of him. His mother never remarried and kept the farm going, and he says that at thirty-two he understands she gave him the maximum she could. jump · 6:49
- How did he get into weightlifting?
- At thirteen his school received a new sports teacher, a twenty-four-year-old national-level athlete who was strict and disciplined where the previous teachers had been drunk. He built a gym out of leftover Soviet gymnastics and barbell equipment and trained about ten boys three days a week. Roughly eight months in, Vadim took second place at a junior national competition, the first time anyone from that school had done so. A brother of his had already started Olympic weightlifting in the city before him. jump · 34:53
- Why did he not quit when his coach tore him down in front of everyone?
- Vadim says that coach was one of the best he ever had and also one of the heaviest drinkers, and that when he had been drinking he would run Vadim down publicly about his family, his school, everything. Teammates later told him that if the coach had spoken to them that way they would have quit, and most of them did. His own answer is that he was not yet halfway to where he was going, so quitting made no sense. He also says he trained for himself first, because a man who cannot fill himself has nothing to give anyone else. jump · 53:03
- Why does Vadim say your job is not a workout?
- He separates giving from receiving. Work, whether construction, law or medicine, is time spent pouring energy into other people and problems, and nothing in that day tells your body that it worked hard and deserves stronger bones and ligaments. Training is the reverse: the time when the body receives, which is why he says fifteen or thirty minutes still counts and why even a coach on his feet all day at a gym is giving rather than training. Keith says he had felt this for years without being able to name it. jump · 1:04:42
- What does he say pornography does to a man?
- Vadim says it does not destroy testosterone but reduces it, because it is the easy route: the energy goes there instead of into the relationship, and afterwards a man does not want to do anything. He says partners bring him this problem, and that he has heard from men under forty who cannot finish with their own partner without replaying a scene. He frames it as one case of his larger point about intake, and adds that the devil never announces himself but builds toward it room by room. Keith, who reports his own bloodwork at 999 six months ago and 1,038 last week with no replacement therapy, presses the cost to a husband and father. jump · 1:24:50
- How does a professional weightlifter prepare for a max lift?
- Less dramatically than spectators imagine. Vadim warms up for about ten minutes, then a stick, then an empty barbell, then adds weight step by step to whatever the plan calls for that day. The real preparation is weeks or months of sticking to the program and refusing ego lifts on days he feels strong; he says hitting a personal best two days running almost guarantees he will not max out on the planned day. By the time he steps onto the platform there is nothing left to prepare, because in his words the preparation has been done before, and now they just lift. jump · 1:48:16
- What does he say about fear and regret?
- Fear, he says, is being afraid of a world that does not exist: we imagine what if, then dread a thing we have not tried. Regret he considers worse, because living in the past puts the body back into the same hormones and emotions over and over, which is why a man who regrets a night of scrolling often goes back to scrolling. Keith says regret steals more energy from him than fear does and that he can walk around like a zombie replaying decisions that hurt people he loves. Both land on the past being a good book to read and a bad place to live. jump · 2:26:18
- How long can someone keep lifting heavy weight?
- As long as you are alive, Vadim tells Keith, with the qualification that heavy is relative to the person. Fifty kilos would be a disaster on a four-year-old and barely a warm-up for Keith, so the aim is range of movement, flexibility and health rather than a number on the bar. He points to his national team's head coach, around sixty-eight or sixty-nine, who still snatches and squats and is the most disciplined person he has met, and to a man in Sarasota in his sixties who competes in bodybuilding, noting plainly that competing at that level requires hormonal support. jump · 2:44:48
- What is Vadim's closing thought?
- That a coach is not always right, because he is a human being and not a robot, and that a real coach is also mentor, psychologist and therapist; but that ego is never right. He traces ego and arrogance back to pride, which he says destroys relationships and families, while the love of God can rebuild anything. His practical version is to do everything with love and in proportion: eat what your body needs, enjoy what you enjoy, and do not let pride carry you into steps that cost the people around you. jump · 2:49:46
Helpful links
website
- Train With Brain Academy Vadim's coaching and rehabilitation company; Keith says he looked up the website, but no web address is spoken on air.
product
- Frequence "Source" trace minerals The mid-episode sponsor read; Keith calls them his trace minerals and points listeners to the link in the show bio.
- Still Strong Richardson 112 hat The hat Keith gives every guest, handed to Vadim early in the episode.
Full transcript
Keith Vance: I learned the hard way, nothing's overnight, some days you lose, some days you survive. Still Strong, even moving slow, every step counts more than you know. I found gold in the everyday, showing up and staying brave. I found gold in the everyday, showing up and staying brave. I messaged you. You responded. We went for coffee. Correct. I said, hey, you have like 250,000 followers on Instagram and like 50,000 followers on Facebook. I said, but would you be on my little podcast? And you're like, yeah, man, sure, no problem. It sounds like you're just getting new and getting started out. But yeah, absolutely. So I appreciate you spending time to be on here and share your story.
Vadim Kosevnikov: I'm glad to be here, to be honest. Yeah. So yeah, it is interesting to share experience, to talk about things, what's going on in life.
Keith Vance: Yeah. You and I had a good conversation, just right off the bat. It didn't take long for you and I to make a connection. Yeah. And I'm excited about this podcast. So Vadim, let me give you a proper introduction. You were born in Lafayette. Correct. Yeah. The youngest of 10 children. Correct. I want to hear about what life was like as the baby of 10. You speak four languages pretty fluently, five. You said you just told me this morning you also speak Italian.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes, it's Latvian, obviously. Russian, my mother language. English, Spanish, Italian. I used to learn Italian like deeply, but since I'm in the USA, I haven't practiced that. So I practice more Spanish. So obviously, if I hear something, yes, I remember, but I think I need two weeks to get there.
Keith Vance: Maybe more. That's amazing. That's amazing because I know some Spanish, but like tricking my brain to flip to Spanish and here you're tricking your brain to flip to multiple languages. That's got to be a talent. What do you dream in? Do you dream in English?
Vadim Kosevnikov: Actually, different ways. Sometimes in Russian, sometimes in Latvian, sometimes in English, sometimes even Spanish. So, well, like when I dream while I sleep or dream when I'm just thinking. Both. When I'm just thinking, it can be a different language, absolutely, because I can control it. Wow. When I sleep, actually, I don't remember. You don't remember? Yeah.
Keith Vance: You are a coach. You specialize in specific athletic training. So you told me you train hockey players, football players. Like you help people be the best they can be in their setting and what they're going for, right? Yes. You have a lot of knowledge when it comes to the human body and how to make it acute the best you can be. I'm interested. I want to talk about that. You also talk about you specialize in rehab therapy. Yes. Injuries, that type of thing. You and I are going to connect on that because at 50 years old, how long should I rehab? Like what, how long should you rest in between working out and that type of thing? Like interested in that. You have a company, Train With Brain Academy. Yes. And again, I don't know how much I'm going to promote you because you're killing it on social media, but I'm going to promote you. We're going to put in our link of my 500 followers. We're going to put in the link. We're going to hit Train With Brain, man. I looked up that website. Yeah, I'm interested in that. Some of your PRs, man. That was amazing. A 370-pound snatch.
Keith Vance: I'm hoping we can get a workout in the day.
Keith Vance: And you've heard, you know, we just had the Winter Olympics. And you don't really appreciate what those people are doing on TV. And our family has always said, I wish they could just have like a regular guy next to the Olympic athlete so that you could tell like... how good they really are. So I thought maybe we could do that today when you and I train. I could do a snatch like a regular guy could do a snatch, and then you can do your snatch. Or the clean and jerk, man, 465 pounds. That's more than my deadlift. Crazy. I want to see that in person.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Well, today, well, technically I feel we can try, but we're going to see how I'm going to feel. Because yesterday I hit hard. You trained hard yesterday? Yes. So it was a funny story. I took my GoPro so we can record it as well. Oh, good. Yeah.
Keith Vance: You are a four-time Florida Olympic weightlifting champion. Correct. Four times in a row. Yes. And you currently live in Sarasota, Florida, and you are 32 years old, man. Or 32 years young. Yeah. Yeah. But damn, everyone that comes on the podcast gets one of these Still Strong Richardson 112s hats. My kids say that best. So I want to give you that. You can represent us while you're coaching and training and kind of goes along with the vibe.
Crosstalk: It'll fit. That's awesome. That's awesome. That's awesome. That's awesome. That's awesome.
Crosstalk: Perfect. Feel good? Mm-hmm.
Keith Vance: You just got 10% stronger. Hey, you put that on, it's guaranteed 10% stronger. Too wide. Yeah. All right, brother. Well, let's start from the top. What was life like as a boy, home, growing up, being the youngest of 10 children? Describe to me your childhood life.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Just average Russian childhood life. Nothing special. I wasn't beloved one. Because we were 10. Actually, the difference between my older sister and me is 21 years. Wow. Yeah. So we are pretty far away in head. Understood. So to say that it was like fun? No. It was tough? No. It was normal childhood in the village. We had like farm. Farm. Okay. Like we had a lot of animals like horses, cows, chickens, whatever. So that's why there was a lot of work. A lot of work. So nobody were their beloved one. Well, I assume. But it was good life. In my vision, it was good life because we work. We work hard. We know how to work. We, so that's the way how we grew up.
Keith Vance: Was that typical of the area that you lived in to have a farm? And was that typical of your area to have chickens and animals? Was that normal for the area that you lived?
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes. It is typical over there because it was like a, it was like, it wasn't like a neighborhood. It was pretty far away each house from each house because there was a lot of land. And so, yes, all my neighbors had something, most likely cows and chicken, but we had a lot of them. So, yes, it was typical.
Keith Vance: And did you, were they the animals that you had just for fun or did you eat them? Were they to consume? No, it wasn't for fun, of course.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It was the way how we earned, the way what we ate. Okay. It was a lifestyle. Yes. Well, it was lifestyle. Yes. We had a lot of land. We grew up wherever. Got it. Yeah. Your parents, what did your dad do for a living? He was actually a construction worker. Oh, wow. Yes. He was like, in the end of his life, he was head of constructors. Okay. So, but he was a huge drunker. Oh, he drank a lot? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Very bad. He passed away when I was six. When you were six years old? Yes. Oh, wow. From drinking too much? Of course, it caused that, but I think there was different factors. Of course. As usually, it happens. Do you have very many memories of your dad? Oh, yes. Actually, I have only good memories of my dad. Good. This was the guy who loved me. He loved you. Oh, yes. I remember that very well, like it was yesterday.
Keith Vance: Wow. Yeah. So, did your mother ever, did she ever remarry your mom?
Vadim Kosevnikov: No, she wasn't remarried. She made her personal life, of course, but I don't think she was married again.
Keith Vance: She never remarried. No. So, at age of six, your father died. What did your mom do for income to support the children?onteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonte Support the family. We had a huge farm.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's okay.
Keith Vance: So you're self-sustainable.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes, we were fine. So, of course, it could be better. I cannot say we were rich. No, of course, no. We were... It was poor living. Discipline. Lack of discipline. Understood. Yes, lack of discipline. Do what it has to do. You know, with huge resources, we got minimum outcome, you know? I understand. So that's why I think it could be better. But I cannot judge anyone because, first of all, I'm not a judge. Right. The second, I don't know how I would act in that situation. And third, right now, when I'm 32 years of age, I understand that my mom gave me max what she could. Yeah. Yes. So that's why I'm very thankful to her.
Keith Vance: That's amazing. So at six years old, your father died. Your mom is using the resources of the farm to take care of the family, to feed the children. And you are learning responsibility in that environment, right? As a child, you're learning responsibility because I'm sure you have to take care of the animals and you're doing work as well to survive, right?
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes, of course. I was supposed to grow up very early. At the age of 10, I was supposed to be able to do everything. At 10 years old. Yes. So actually, I think it's good, actually. I think so, too. Yes. I think it's good, too. Yes. It's life.
Crosstalk: It's just life. Yeah. Yeah.
Crosstalk: I have seven children.
Keith Vance: And the first five children lived a different life than the last two. And that the first five came along when I was very young, struggling, working. Didn't spend much time with them because I'm working. Then we, when you continue to work hard, at some point, something breaks. And then you're like, okay, we made it. Um, so I kind of hit my stride, built something for myself. And then we had the two little girls that, um, they still experience pressure, but not as much pressure as the first five. My first five children, they're very responsible. Like, um, I feel like anything, any life challenges, my first five, I know they'll handle it because the way that they were built. I sometimes worry about the other two because I feel like their life compared to the first five might have been too easy. And I sometimes worry that they're not as prepared as the first five. And it's not right or wrong. It's just different. It's just different lifestyles. It's not their fault. It's not their fault that they were born in the time of our family when life was easier. Um, but I, I do try to put responsibilities on them to, for them to grow. But I do worry about that sometimes. Like, it's good for children to feel responsibility and to be built at young age. Because when you're an adult, it, you can overcome challenges and adversities, be better equipped to, to overcome those adversities and challenges. Would you agree?
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes. Uh, right now listening to you, I'm thinking about our family. Actually, first five, um, I think they're more tough than second five. Really? Yes. I think so. So, but I cannot say that someone is, isn't prepared for life. I think everyone is prepared pretty well. Again, because of, uh, the way how we lived when we were kids. Just first five day, day growing up time was most likely in the nineties. Hmm. So nineties was very tough time in our, in our countries, post-Soviet countries. Why so? Because of a lot of crime, a lot, a lot of things going on around. So we're supposed to be tough. Yeah.
Crosstalk: So that's why I'm actually glad that I burn, burn in nineties because school life also was interesting. School was? Yes. Yes. It was. How so?
Vadim Kosevnikov: Just, just because, uh, we, we've seen how grow up our, our circle, like the guys who are five, 10 years older than us and of course we, we want to match. Oh, got it. And. We grew up the same way until I got to the sport. Until I got to the... This was a life-changing moment in my life.
Keith Vance: I want to talk about that. Can we... We talked about your childhood growing up, how you had a lot of resources, and your mother used those resources to raise your children. Can you... How long have you been here in the United States? How long have you been here in Florida? Four years, four and a half almost. Four and a half years. So you've been here long enough to... To have a perspective. Can you just... Just for my own... My own curiosity. Can we do some comparisons and contrasts between life at home and life here? Just some big ones. Like some cultural differences. Or religious differences. Even... What about our food? I've always wondered like... Like I feel like the food here is so... Like mass produced. That is not good quality of food. Like other countries that say... Italy. I hear Italy has this really good food. Like... You go to the bread... You go buy bread. And if you don't eat it like... In a couple days it goes moldy. Here you buy bread. And it can sit on the counter for a month. And it still looks the same as what it was. So I'm just curious. Just from my own... Broad perspective. From where you're sitting now. What are some differences in culture between home and here? So it's actually a good question.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So let's start step by step. Yeah. Let's start in general view. Yeah. Let's do it. In general view... Actually people are the same. So I'm going to explain what I mean. Of course cultural differences and blah blah blah. But in general way everything is the same. Again... If somebody is working hard... You will get... Something. Yeah. If something... Someone working smart... You will get something. If somebody is lazy... Sorry for that. Got it. It's only... It's only your choice.
Keith Vance: So there's a universal code... That you've noticed... In both cultures... That if you work hard... You can... You can... You can make it. There's a universal... Dynamic there. Got it.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So that's about... Technical... About business. About market. Now let's talk about market more deeply. In my vision... In my vision here... Market is more huge... And it's like available... Like... Like... Like here. Again. Again. Now we have social media. So now we have a lot of opportunities. And if... If somebody is going to work there... It's also going to work. Just... Different prices. Different market. Different... That's... But... Okay. Here are higher prices. Here are costs. But living expenses are more... Also higher. Here. Yes. Got it. Way higher. Yes.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So... But... To build business... In my vision... It's easier here.
Keith Vance: It is easier. Yes. I was curious because... You hear of immigrants coming over... And just... They see these opportunities... And like... Wow. Like most immigrants that come here... They're very successful. Because they have a work ethic. That's crazy. And it seems like in some other countries... In order to start a business... Or in order to get somewhere... There's all these... Rooms that are locked... That you can't unlock. Where it seems like here... There's no locked doors. You want to do it? Just go. Like it's... It's... Go do it. Is that the case? Does that seem to be the case?
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes. That's what I... That's what I'm trying to say. There... To unlock these doors... As you said... You have to work harder. Here... Easy. Got it. Easy. Some little points... Yes. You have to work harder on that... But technically... It's easier. It's way easier here. In my... From my perspective... It's easier. Again... Here I see people... Who have like... Huge opportunities... Like Americans... Or Floridians... Whatever. They are like... Living into opportunities... And they don't see that. It's absolutely understandable... Because they... They used to live like that... And it's average for them. People who are going... Coming here from... Other countries... Whatever it can be... Doesn't matter. Everyone who came here... Every immigrant... We came here for a reason. Because of something happened... What made us move here. So... Of course we see... Another opportunities... Or we compare opportunities... And we say... Actually it's easier to do. Let's do like that... Bam, bam, bam. And everything works.
Keith Vance: Yes. So it still takes hard work... To make it... But what you're saying is... There's so many... Missed opportunities... Because... We are blind to them... Because it's... It's just the world... Which we live in... As Americans... There's so many opportunities... That we just... We're blind to them all. It is tough...
Vadim Kosevnikov: What you said right now... It's not exactly... What I said, I mean, the general view, everyone is the same. We have two hands, two legs, two eyes. And I don't want to say that Americans, they don't see opportunities. Of course, no. One American is way different than the other American. One Russian is way different than the other Russian. There are so many lazy Russians. Understood. And so many workful Americans, who have discipline and work ethics. Understood. So, that's what I meant. We just came here and compared with the countries where we are from, with the same effort or a little bit more, we just look more successful. Because, for example, if an American grow up here, especially in a good family, it looks like he don't have success compared with his family. I understand what you're saying now. Yes, compared with his family. Okay, I understand what you're saying now. If family is very successful, it is pretty hard for a kid to grow up. I understand. Or if he's going to build something new, then he's going to be successful in the field what he is building. To continue the family's business, I cannot say it is harder, but just from the other view, it looks like, oh, he got just business from his family. Great. Great. It's a great thing. Keep going. You have all opportunities. Awesome thing. No matter what everyone else is going to think. Because it's very hard work to keep family business.
Keith Vance: I'm glad you brought that up because I can speak to that. I have a few different businesses and almost all my children work with me. My boys especially, they struggled with their identity to try to make their own way as a man. They want to be like dad. Well, dad did it. Dad started with nothing, so I need to start with nothing. And they struggled with that. And I respected that. I respected that. But I said, hey, boys, why start from nothing again when you have something to build off of that I started? Just take what I started and go farther with it. Just take what I started. You don't need to start over to prove yourself as a man. You are a man. Just take the cards that you are dealt and go farther with it. But I respected them for that. And I think that's in a lot of men to have to prove to make their own way. But to make your own way doesn't mean you have to start from the bottom again. If you have an opportunity, use that opportunity because that's a gift. It's a gift. So thank you for speaking to that.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Or if it was just a great example, your kids, if they want to start something over or something new, it can be a great addition to the family. Why not? It's a great thing. There is no right way or wrong way. There is a way what is perfect for the exact person. Right. Yes. And if we have ego, ego sometimes can destroy everything. True. You know, we have to be like a conservative maybe. Like to see on the, to look on the things more wider, more wise. So if you have like opportunity in the beginning, great. If your father, if your father, for example, you had that opportunity and you're supposed to build that opportunity. It's great. It does mean your kid's not going to be a man. Yes. Or alpha man or sigma, sigma man. Whatever it calls right now in that bullshit. Social media. Oh, sorry. I did not tell you that. No, you're fine. Because it is. It is. The real man never going to prove that he is a man. You're not going to beat him in chest. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. He will just do what he has to do. Just do it. Yeah. Just do it. And that's it. That's it. Just get up in the morning and do it. Just wake up. Do your routine. Wash. Go to the shower. Pray. Keep going. Keep going. Yes. And that's it. And if your father helps you and gives you like cards to keep playing, use it. It's a great opportunity. If you have something, some idea what to build from the ground, build it. Do it. Both are correct ways.
Keith Vance: Yeah. Yes. Thank you for speaking to that. That was good stuff. Other cultural differences or comparisons.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Of course, politics. Of course, politics. But again, again, after my 30s, I realized I used to do a lot of politics there. Well, it cannot be a little. You know, if you are not working with politics, politics is going to work with you. You know, there's a saying in our country.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Political. Political. Again, if we're going to talk about that. It's like a system, you know, as you spoke about. Thank you. Unlocking doors. So, here is easier to do just because it looks like politics is somewhere away, but actually not. Say, if you know how to handle with all that stuff, with all laws, you know when you build business, you know what I'm talking about.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, yes, maybe like cultural, like let's say like dance style. Of course, we don't have Latinos so much. Yes, of course. But, same. If you're gonna take Latinos, same people. Two hands, two arms. If they work, they get. If they do not work, they do not get. Same there. Just only system and political situation in the country. That's the only difference. Maybe cultural, yes. About what you were asking. Hold on a minute. Yeah.
Keith Vance: Do you think... You keep saying that human beings are just human beings. Like we're all the same.
Crosstalk: And I just had this thought. Do you think that politics can be used or are being used to divide us? Divide.
Keith Vance: Divide. You keep saying we're the same. Hey, we're the same if you work hard, if you're lazy. But do you think politics could be used to divide those things that we're the same in? Hmm. The... It's actually a good question. People that are in power. Because there's something powerful about, hey, I'm the same as you.
Crosstalk: There's something powerful in that camaraderie.
Keith Vance: Right? Yes. But if we maximize the differences between us, then we almost become enemies. And I'm just curious if there's... For instance, for instance, I'll give you an example.
Crosstalk: So, in prison, you...
Keith Vance: There is segregated. The blacks, the whites, the Latinos, and you stick with your kind. If you don't stick with your kind, you get beat up by everybody. And that's a tactic by the... By the... The people that are running the prisons. Because if the blacks and the whites are looking at each other, guess who they're not looking at? The guards. It keeps them preoccupied with color. But if color is a not issue, if we're all human beings, if we're all human beings and we're all the same, there's power in that. So, the people that run the prisons, knowing that, they keep them occupied with their differences. They keep them here so that they don't look at the... They don't cause riots or whatever or look to the guards. And I was just curious if you thought that that could be the same thing with government powers that... That run the show to cause us to look at another... Someone else as different and as my enemy when they're really not. So that they can keep control. I'm just curious. I don't know if there's something to do that or not. I'm just curious.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's a good idea. You know, there is one story about ants, the red and black ants. Yeah. If they say it right. Yeah, ants. Yeah. Ants, yes. Ants. So, if we're gonna put in the one box like black and red ants, they will live a good life. All together. But as soon as we're gonna start shaking that box, the ants start fighting against each other. Yes, because theoretically, the red is gonna think that black caused the problem. Black is gonna think that the red is gonna have that problem. But actually, they both don't know that other thing caused the problem. Someone's shaking that. Yeah. So, if we're gonna start digging into politics, it is maybe not good for this podcast, but who knows? Yeah. So, if we wanna distract someone, we're gonna show them some enemy that can be against that enemy. Mm-hmm. And then these who we're gonna distract, they're not gonna pay attention on us. They're gonna pay attention on the enemy because they will be focused on that. They're gonna put their anger, their emotions, their everything, their energy over there. Understood. Yeah. So, what I wanna say with that. Human being is human being. And I've seen over there many, many successful people. And 100% from 100%. Discipline, hardworking, consistency, lift up very high over there. And lift up very high over here. Luck of this. Unconsistency, laziness, put on the ground over here, like ground, ground, and put on the ground over there. And it's absolutely the same thing. Yes, we can say, yeah, cultural thing, yes, people can pay less, buy more, or for example, whatever, it works. But compare, compare. You work there, you get, you work here. So human being is human being, yes.
Keith Vance: That's what I see. I'm understanding what you're saying. I'm understanding. Because here you said the cost of living is, like the salaries are more, but the cost of living is also more. Yes. Over there, it's cheaper to live, but also, like you're saying, everything is pretty much comparable. Yes. And I was curious, because I've only, I've been to Mexico one or two times. I've never been overseas. I've never been to Europe. I just, I'm curious, for my own curiosity, I'm just asking the question. Yes. What about the food? About the food. You've been eating this food for four years. Is our food okay to eat?
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's okay to eat. Okay. Let's be honest. It is okay to eat. All right. Good. It's not, it's not bad food. It's, it's a myth. It's same like me that Russia, all our, our Russians are, are angry. Okay. Yes. When you're going to go to the Russia, nobody's going to smile just because, oh, hi, how are you? Nobody's going to say that. Maybe very few people, but if you're going to start talking with them or asking for help, oh, they are very kind. They're super kind. They, they, they will help you like 99.9%. Like same like here. Exactly. Just here are people like more free because they actually have more freedom because of the, of the system and politics. But we spoke about that. It's another story. Food. Same like over there. If you're going to go and try to find whatever you want, you will find whatever you want. If you find, if you want to find the quality, you will find quality. Okay. For example, you talk about the bread in Italy. We can find a good bread here. I can show you a few, few stores. Even I can find, I, I do believe I can find Fort Myers as well. As soon as you're going to go to the, to the, some bakery with the, which is homemade bakery or family business, they will get, get very good bread. For example, in North port, I, sometimes I go to the Russian bakery and get some bread, some, some, some cakes. Okay. And if you're not going to eat them in, in one or two days, they will be like, like this table, you know, which is fine, which is good. It's good. If you're going to go to the store and buy a processed, processed milk, you're going to be, you're going to stay in your, without even, even fridge, like forever. If you're going to, if you're going to take a normal milk, going to be done in two days. So, depends what, what you're looking for. Got it. So that's why food is good here. If you, if you find good food, you will, you will have, find good. Here is everything. Here, here you can find everything, what you want. Everything you want. Yes, exactly. Exactly. You can find shitty quality. You can find very good quality. Okay, good.
Keith Vance: That makes me feel better.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Oh yes. It, it is, it is very good country. Yes, of course. No, don't worry about food.
Keith Vance: Yes. Everything is fine. I make, uh, there's so many choices when it comes to your food. Like when you go to the grocery store, there's, I mean, there's so many choices such as organic, bum, bum, bum. And, and packaging can be, can be manipulated. You can think that you're getting something that's good for you. And actually you're not. So you have to become almost like a scientist to read the ingredients and understand what you're getting. Like for instance, Greek yogurt, you know, there was this kick where Greek yogurt was good for you. And then there was these yogurt companies that was, it wasn't actual Greek yogurt. It was, and to eat, it would be to eat what they're calling the Greek yogurt was actually worse than like the, the kid yogurt that they're giving you. So I feel like you gotta do some research to find out what's quality. And then once you find that quality, just stick with it. Right. Just stick with it. Yeah.
Vadim Kosevnikov: If I, if you're going to go to the grocery store with me, you will see how I'm getting just very simple food, but quality. Good. Yeah. Just because I'm turning around and just don't be late to read. Sometimes same. You're going to find our Latvian stores. You can find very good quality or you can find whatever you want. So it's the same system. Okay. Are there any other cultural differences or comparisons that we do to pretty much hit them all? Well, technically no, technically no. So I just want to tell you that you can feel good. Yeah. Yes. It's, it's a good here. Yeah.
Keith Vance: I want to talk about your weightlifting. How did you get into weightlifting? Who, who, who turned you onto that? Was it an older brother? Like, how did you get into that?
Vadim Kosevnikov: No, I'm only one athlete in my family. There was another brother. Who is two years old. He started to train with me. And he actually started Olympic weightlifting also earlier than me. Because he went from our village house to the city. And there was a gym. But everything started with our sports teacher. So when I was 13 years old.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Our school got a new sports teacher. And he was an athlete. He was national champion. And like a good athlete. Very good athlete. And he looked like a bodybuilder. It was tough. And of course we asked him. Maybe we could do something like that in school. Because the teacher before him was also like athlete. It's like average. If a sports teacher goes to the university. Or go to work in school. He used to be an athlete. Okay. For sure. At least national level athlete. Okay. Maybe not international. But national level for sure. You're saying it's a requirement? It's not a requirement. But most likely. Because the level of education is pretty high. Okay. Yes. So for example. For example. If we talk about education. Here when I see how massage therapists. Or physical therapists are working. I was just like. How you cannot know that? Oh. It is like sometimes. You will just destroy this guy. This guy. For sure. Because of liability. Because of they want to just earn money quicker. When I. When I. The place where I used to start. About university. We're going to start. We're going to talk in the future. But the way how we started. It was like. If somebody comes to you for help. You have to do your max. That's what I'm going to show you. That you are true professional. If you don't know how to do that. Better don't start that. That. So. Simple. Simple. But. Workful way. So yes. And. And. That guy before. That. Professional athlete. He made like. Kind of like a gym. In our. In our school. Yeah. But it wasn't serious. It was like. It was nothing. It was full of laziness. Yes. And then. One year after. After that. The new guy. New guy came. Now. Our school. And he's seen like. Oh. We have like. Soviet. Gymnastics. Equipment. Soviet. Like. Barbell. Some place. And he was like. We can build actually gym here. And he built like. Gymnastics gym. He built like. Like a. General. General physical strain. Gym. So we did their. Bench press. Deadlift. Squats. We did different exercise. We did exercise for speed. Obviously gymnastics. And how old are you now. At this point. At that point. Yeah. I was 13. 13 years old. 13. Yes. And we started to train. But I realized. So. Every time when I've seen. Sports teachers. They were like. They. They used to drink a lot. In our school. They were drunk. So bad. So it was. It was so bad. And. And I. I thought that guy. The same. Like lazy. He will drink someday. But he was super disciplined. He was super strict. When it came to training. He was strict. When it came to everything. And we started to train. He made like. Trainings. Like three days. A week. And we started to train. And I started training. With him consistently. And he looked. So we were like. Maybe 10 guys. Who trained there. Maybe more.
Keith Vance: So are you training after school? What are you doing? Yes.
Vadim Kosevnikov: We just finished our classes. And just. Go to the gym. Go to the gym. Got it. Yes. Yes. It was cool. It was cool time. And. When we started to train. And. In one year. He said. Well. Not one year. Maybe. Maybe. Six months. Maybe seven months. He said. We gonna go. Like. Me and him. Gonna go to the competition. My first competition. Other guys. He wasn't took. Because. Because. They. They had so big a result. They wasn't took it seriously. But I were very consistent there. Anyway. Anyway. He trained differently. He was sport teacher. So that's why he built like. System. How to. Make athletics. You know. Like. And guys who were good there. He tried to get them to the competitions. He knew all the science behind it. Yes. He just took it seriously. Got it. Yes. And. He was only. Actually only 24. 24 years of age. At that point. Wow. Yes. And. It was very fun time. And. We got. With the competition. In the end of the. Uh. I'm studying here, and first time in our school history, like ever, I got second place in national level competition between juniors. It was like, wow, it was something crazy.
Keith Vance: And you're telling me this was only like six to seven months worth of training? At that point?
Vadim Kosevnikov: At that point, it was maybe eight months of training. Yes. Wow. Because it wasn't difficult to do that. We just went to the competition. We thought we're not going to get any medal, you know, but guys were, let's say, stupid. Their ego was higher than their actual ability, so that's why they messed up. And we were on top. That's cool. So, it's competition.
Keith Vance: So, that got you hungry?
Vadim Kosevnikov: At that point, no. It was like, yes, I want again competition. But during the summertime, we haven't trained. Okay, so here, when you finish school, around June, somewhere there, in August, you start again.
Keith Vance: Yeah, I think so. I wasn't that good in school, so I don't know. I'll go away, though.
Vadim Kosevnikov: There you start in September, September 1st, and finish in May, in the end of May. Okay. Yeah, so you have three months to do whatever you want. And those three months, we haven't trained. But he writes me a plan. You have to train that, that, that, that. First month, I did. Second month, I was back to laziness. Oh, yeah. So, and we, when, when year started, new year started, we went back to trainings. We, we succeeded very well. And the competition we prepared for, it was in December, was canceled. I remember that time I was upset because I was prepared well. But in January, February, February 15, I remember that day, we just, I just came to the training. And he said, we're not going to train today. That guy told me, just sit and wait for me. So, he did actually a very cool thing. He, he did, he did training opportunities for everyone. For everyone, not only in school, but around that area. And all teachers in our school were training with him.
Crosstalk: He did like, he did his job very cool way.
Vadim Kosevnikov: And so, he trained that, that, ladies, it's another story. It's a very fun story. Because when he started to train them, he was complaining. He said, this, that's weird. I started to train them, they were fat. Now, now I train them half year, they are more fat now.
Crosstalk: How it can be, how it can be, I dare think, right. But I know what happens. Because when they go to the teacher's room, they start eating like sweets, like crazy. Stupid chicks.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, they actually weren't fat. They were just out of the shape. But now they, they, they have like good shape. But they gain more, more weight. That's what, that's what he complained about. Because he looked, he looked very well. He actually looks very good right now. He is 40, 40, maybe three years of age right now. Yes. And he looks good. Well. Now he is doing like, like Ironman competition. Oh, that's cool. Yes. So, he is, Kuma, he have all, his own medical center. We are, we are good friends with him. So, yeah. And we start training. And February 15th, he said, he finished that ladies training. There was actually guys in training. It was like light training, like, like, like Orange Theory, you know. Got it. Yes. Like something, something like that. Like crunch, let's say, group classes, you know, where they do all that. Or rule books or something like that. Something like that. It was cool. It was actually very cool. Smart guy. And he came out from the training and said, okay, let's go with me to my gym where I train at the city. And you're going to train from this day, you're going to train with my coach. Oh, wow. Who trained him. And we came to his gym. He introduced me with his coach, the second coach. And he said, from this point, this guy is going to train you. Because there is nothing I can give you anymore. And I was very upset. Because it was the, one of the best person I met in my life. Oh, wow. Yes. But we started to train and with his coach, I train next eight years, I train with his coach.
Keith Vance: So he, so he saw something in you. I think so. Yes. He saw something in you. He saw that, man, this kid is surpassing me. And then out of your best interest, he put you with someone that could train you even better than him. That says a lot about, that says a lot about your coach. It says a lot about him.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Oh, yes. It is a great person. For sure. I said a lot about him. For sure. He did. He did. did the things what we just, I think about that. For example, at that point, we grew up pretty close.
Keith Vance: That had to have been hard for him too. That had to have been hard for him to do that as well. To stop coaching you, to hand you up to someone else, that had to have been difficult.
Vadim Kosevnikov: I think so. Right now, I think so, yes. But after that, as soon as we started to train in one gym under his coach guidance, there became a very interesting time because we started to compete together. We started to prepare for the competition together, everything together. It was actually a more interesting time.
Keith Vance: At this point in time right now, at this point in time where you're at, that you're describing, do you know this is what you want to do with your life? Is this it? Are you still just having a good time? At this moment in time that you're describing, did it click in your brain to say, hey, there's something here. This is what I want to do.
Vadim Kosevnikov: At that point, yes. I thought this is what I want to do. And I started to introduce myself with the different guys. They were national record holders, the national champions, different international level competition participants, or even winners. So different, different, different types, type of people. And, yes, at that point, I thought I'm going to do that.
Keith Vance: You could see it. You could see it and you felt it.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes. I just, I just did what I should to do. And, I never, again, right now, I understand why I felt like that. Because to me, it was like, it was like too heavy to get some result. But right now, I understand why. Because it was just stupid consistency. Yes. You just do consistently, disciplined way, things what coach said you to do, and just do, do, do, bums, bums. That first guy, he taught me how to be disciplined, how to eat well, how to sleep properly, how to get rid of distractions. So, he did, he put like very good basics. And, one of the greatest thing, what he did actually, right now, what I'm using when I rehab the people, or when I work with my, my kids, I mean my athletes. So, the youngest athlete is three and a half years of age. Wow. So, yes, I'm working with, I can work with different range of people. It's, it's my degree allows that. Right. But, actually, that guy, he put the basic, because, he started to take me to his, like, out of school classes, where he worked with kids, to help him. Understood. Yeah. Right, at that point, I thought I'm doing some stupid things. Can you imagine, like me, 15 years of age guy, next to kids, eight years, seven years, six years, and we are doing same stuff. Doing the same stuff. And, I felt so stupid. Right now, I think it was, one of the greatest things he ever did, because he put it, more knowledge in my head, at that point, than university did. Understood. Wow. Because all his knowledge, what he had in this year, he just, put it in my head, put it in my head, like, I don't know where he got this wisdom, but, he just starts to really invest his knowledge in me.
Keith Vance: You make a good point, because, I'm 50 years old now, and when I look back, at the time, I was oblivious to, the people in my life, that were investing in me. I didn't even realize what they were doing. And now, looking back, at the vantage point that I'm at now, I can look back, and I can see what they were doing. And I'm thankful. I'm thankful that people, invested in me, and at the time, I didn't even know it, and really wasn't even appreciative of it. But they kept investing in me. You know what I mean? They kept investing in me. So, I'm glad to hear you, talk about your old coaches, and how, hey, looking back now, I felt so stupid. I was, at 15 years old, left next to this kid, but, what he was doing was something amazing. I didn't even realize what he was doing. Yeah, that's good. That's good, man.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Now, when I work with those little kids, I just, I know exactly how to work with that kid. So, there is, it's like, you look like fish in the water, you know? Yeah. Yeah. It can be pretty tough to me, to work with the papers, like, with, even with computer, computer, but as soon as I start working in, in my rehabilitation field, with the kids, with, with the people who need help, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, I know exactly what to do, how to do, when to do, when to be results. That's cool. So, it's like math. It's like, game plan. Let's go. If we talk about, like, dealing with business, like, official business, then of course, I have to make an effort, to understand, but also, it's not, it's not difficult to do. Compared with trainings.
Crosstalk: It's easy to... That's why you have to train, because everything looks easy compared with training.
Keith Vance: I want to talk about your training at some point. I want to talk about it. And then I want to have a conversation about what my training does for me, and then your training, because your training is your job. I just want to have a conversation there. So you're with a new coach, and you said you've been with him this, you said, nine years.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Almost nine years. Eight years, yes. It was... For sure, it was one of the greatest coaches ever I had. But he was one of the greatest drunkards as well. Oh my goodness.
Crosstalk: Oh yes, oh yes.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's a common thing in our countries. So I had two very good coaches over there. Actually, I know every coach there, just because of Phil where I am. So yeah, it was... Next eight years was... Actually, when I came to university, after five years training with that coach, I was very well prepared for university. It was super easy to me. Like... Because he did that, when he write a plan, for example, even when he were drunk. When he write a plan, he was able to explain everything. How that works, how that works, how color of the walls works, whatever, how lights were working, how your emotional system was working, how your CNS is working. He was able to explain everything there. And he actually explained. And he actually explained. So... But when he was drunk, better just go, silently do your job, and quickly go away from the gym, because if you got until... His eyes, it was... You are done. It's over with. You are done. You will be... He will talk about you, about how big piece of shit you are. Well, about me, he spoke most of times. About family, about...
Crosstalk: About... About... Brother, sister, father, everything. About university, about your school, about everything. In front of everyone.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Of course, it was in front of everyone. Like, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce. After I became the best athlete in our country, in our city, in our gym, the guys who trained next to me, they... We went to the... Training camp, and once they... Before they quitted their career, they said to me, like, you know, we want to just tell you that... If he would act with us like that, we would quit. We just... We just look at you, and you were like, you are a tough guy. Just the way, how you wanted that result, it was... It was tough. We would quit. That's why most of us were quit.
Keith Vance: That's a good point, because... Quitting... Quitting is just... A moment away.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Listen, I wasn't halfway of my... On halfway of my way. Like, you know, it's stupid to quit. You know, I don't care what everyone tells about me. Okay, you want to talk about some shit? Do it. I don't care. It's not about me. I'm going to do what I have to do, no matter what. That's because I need that. That's good. Yes, even if someone don't need it, I'm not doing that for someone, doing it for myself, first of all. If I'm going to feel good, I will be able to make... Make feel good everyone who's around me. If I'm going to try to hold those... Take those resources from outside to feel myself good, it is, for example, it is for sure way to disaster, way to destroyment. Everything has to go from the outside. If I can fulfill myself, then I'm going to be able to make everyone happy around myself. If I'm going to fulfill myself with shit, I'm going to spread out shit, you know? So, we are who we are. It's like about... We actually dig deep right now. Because it's around, you know, in relationships, especially... Men as well, especially nowadays men, they are like... Sometimes, you know, they have to be sometimes more tough. Not in a stupid way. But, you know, in a relationship, they said, oh, he did not make me happy or she did not make me happy. You know? Complaints in a relationship. She or he should not make you happy. You have to be happy inside of you. If you make yourself happy, you will be able to make happy the partner who you have. Same, actually, why I said about relationships. Same thing happens in my vision in daily life. It's not about relationship. It's about It's about... If I'm happy, I will be able to, if I'm disciplined, I will be able to fix my bed in the morning, wake up at time, do those steps what exactly makes me better. To feel myself more better, more happy, and that energy is going to be emitted around. But if I'm going to start, for example, suck out your resources, his resources, her resources, I want you to fulfill my happiness. Happiness is just, I'm just talking overall, it is about everything in life. But I'm going to try to take your energy, your energy, your energy to feel myself good. It is for sure going to be a disaster.
Crosstalk: Yeah, there's, man, there's a lot here. And I'm feeling, I'm feeling what you're saying.
Crosstalk: It's a process of maturity. As you mature, and you come into your own, and you're comfortable with who you are.
Keith Vance: Once you've been, you've been walking that disciplined life, you know what that feels like. That doesn't matter who sees me, I'm going to do this.
Crosstalk: And then you see the future is where you want to be.
Keith Vance: It helps with your mindset and keep the things in perspective. I'm not doing this for anyone else. I'm doing this for me. Or then, then as you, people come into your life that see your dream or want to be a part of your dream, that's even better, man. Like, you have someone you can have a conversation with, bounce ideas off, that have your same vision, feel that same momentum, that got your back 100%, and be able to have those relationships. But my wife always says, she chooses to love me every day. It's a choice. She chooses to love me. Like, I have no, in my wife's eyes, I have no play.
Crosstalk: I have no role in her love for me.
Keith Vance: She chooses to love me. Yes. She chooses to love me. And then, and when you have that mindset, you just unlock something powerful because no one can control my emotions but me. It may hurt. You may hurt. But when I choose to play that over and over again, or if I choose to, your words, cause me to quit, you have no power to make me quit. Your coach, it might have hurt, but he has no power to make you quit. You quit. Those guys that said, hey, man, so sorry your coach talked to you this way. Like, we would have quit. They need to mature more. They need to mature more, right? So once you have that maturity, you know who you are. You're walking that disciplined life. You know the people that are in your life that got you. They're with you to the end. That's something powerful. And a lot of people never find it. They're chasing these, these next, these dreams, these feelings, these things or whatever. They never find it.
Crosstalk: But something to be said for being in a quiet space and being comfortable with who you are, knowing what you are and who you are.
Keith Vance: And it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. It takes maturity. But that's something powerful. Because once a man gets a hold of that, he's dangerous, right? Exactly. He's dangerous because he can accomplish anything. Yeah. So you came across a good point, man. And I felt that emotion as you were talking. And I hope I communicated it in a clear way.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes. If you're going to look on the Bible or even in Koran or even in whatever, it's most likely it's everywhere same sayings. Like if you're going to look on the Bible, God never told me like, God never told us in the Bible, for example, like, oh, you have to rely on that person. Oh, you have to rely on that person. God always tells you have to rely on God. God. But when you rely on God, you have to build yourself. Yourself. Your choice. Your choice daily. You have to do that. You have to do that. You have to do that. If you're going to do that, that, that, that, you're going to get that, that, that, that. If you're not going to do that, that, that, that, you're not going to get that, that, that, that.
Keith Vance: Very simple. You know what? You bring another good point. Man, this is good. because we are to rely on God. As Christians, we rely on God. As Christians, we realize that everything that comes into my life is not by accident, but God ordained it to happen. And when you have that mindset and you have a coach that's talking to you that way, this must be what I need. I'm going to stay right here. Because God breaks us down. Before he builds us up, what's he do? He breaks us down. He strips us down to we're in a place of humility, a place of neediness. Okay, now you're ready. You ready to train now? Now that you figured out that you are weak, that you are humble, that you are nothing. All right, let's train now. But he has to strip us down of all those things. And I love that process. It's a painful process, but I love that process.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's an amazing process, to be honest. For example, you are working, you are businesses about construction. You know better than me. If you want to build some house or some building, what you have to do first? If you have like a swamp or trees over there on the land. What do we have to do? We have to take out our trees, our land. We have to dig down until the solid land or stones, whatever. And then we're going to start to rebuild exactly what we need to build. Yeah. So you know that better than me. So this is the same way how God is working. So we are realizing that we are God's creator like, as the Bible says, like exactly same as a God. That's what God says. He created us like he is. That means we can do everything what he can do. We can build, we can do, we have all opportunities in this life. And it's only our choice what we're going to choose. It's only our, it's our will. Yeah. So technically, so that's why at this point, there is no wrong way or right way. There is the way what exact person choose. That's it. That's what I see. But it's another story now. We can dig deep here. It can be a 24-7 podcast. I know, right? Yeah. And that's the problem, right? I think we're going to meet with you again.
Keith Vance: Yeah, that's the problem.
Vadim Kosevnikov: No, it's not a problem. It's a great thing. Actually, I haven't thought that we're going to dig so deep because I thought we're going to talk about sports. A little bit about that, about that. We will make fun. But we are digging deep. Getting some good stuff.
Crosstalk: Mm-hmm. I want to, and we can jump back, but I want to jump to, I want to jump to an area. Yeah.
Keith Vance: So my training, the training that I do, and I'll show you my gym when we get done. The training that I do is therapy for me. It's to clear my head. It's my stress release. It's, it is to be strong. I know it's good to move the body and to be physically strong. I'm 50 years old. I got a bunch of kids and grandkids. I want to be around for them. Be honest. I want to be the strongest grandfather in any room that there is. I want to, hey, that's the strong one over there. That's my papa. I mean, that, but there's so much more to that. So when I, when I work out and I want you to speak to this, I don't always feel like it. Some days my energy is, man, I feel strong. Other days I don't feel it. I'm not so motivated, but I still do it every day because I, I associate, I associate, okay, if today's the day that I don't do it, what else am I not going to do? Because I don't feel like it. I associate the discipline to lifting weights and to being physically fit to real life stuff. If I quit this, if I just take an easy choice here, that could be a mechanism where it's easier for me to quit other things I don't feel like doing. So, but your lifting is your job. It's your job. So can we talk for just in this wheelhouse of how do you prepare for a lift mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, your, your diet, like all of that to be the best that you can be? And do you translate those lifts to real life situations in your life when you're seeing a bunch of weight on the bar? Can we, can we speak to this for a little bit? Is that, can you, do you feel this conversation here?
Vadim Kosevnikov: I feel very well this conversation. I'm putting in my head how to make a right and correct and step-by-step answer. Yeah. So first of all, you said, you mentioned that the training is like a therapy to you. And that's right. That's absolutely. You're right, and good stuff. Because yes, even scientifically it's proved that physical trainings, not work. Yes, work is work. Work is the thing when you give something. The training is the time when you take something. Oh man, I didn't realize this. Yes, so we're going to get deep now. So give me some time, some minutes. It's all yours. So, first step, we're going to speak about you. About the person who is coming to me to train. Let's say like that, yes. And you are very well prepared, but you are just doing your stuff just because you feel better. And I'm, as a coach, I'm not necessarily to be your coach, but you are coming to me, the person who is asking me about some advice, about expressing your feelings. And I'm going to tell you, scientifically and from energetic way, let's say like that, like psychology. So, you said absolutely right, that it's like therapy. So, why I usually suggest people to train? Not professional way. Professional way, it is like job. Most likely, you give, you give, you give. But good thing in professional sport that you also, in the same time, you receive. You receive and receive and receive. I mean like you make your body stronger, you make your body more flexible, you make your brain more focused. So, you receive, you make something to build your body like solid. Solid, like skin like that, you know. It's like, for example, like Wolverine and the X-Men, you know, with the metal bones, you know. So, this actually was a good example.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, so yes, you are going to the training and you said, you don't feel like there is, there are some days when you feel you want to go there. Some days you don't want to go there. I have to be honest with you, 98% when I go, go to the gym, I don't want to, I don't want to go to the gym. I don't feel that I want to train. Did you say 98%? 98%, maybe, okay, maybe 97.5. 95. Okay. So, but. You don't want, you don't want to. This is the, if I, if I, if I'm going to tell you I don't want to, it is like clearly I don't want to. Yes. I'm going to tell you it is, I'm thinking or it was like, I'm tired, you know, sometimes, but I'm just going there just because I'm going there. Like a plan I'm doing, I don't even think I'm tired or not. So, let's start from this point. So, when you go to the gym, you said you don't want, sometimes you don't want to train, sometimes you want to train, sometimes you feel that, but you do something and you feel better. There is a good saying what said our coaches. If you have, if you don't have mood to train, train without mood. That's good.
Crosstalk: That's good. That's very simple. Go to train without mood. Yeah. If you, if you have stress, go train. If you, if you have hard times, go train. If you, if you like broke up with your girlfriend, boyfriend, whatever, go train.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's like a joke, of course. And you can add whatever you want. You know, it's like Chuck Norris, you know, Chuck Norris can do everything. You know.
Crosstalk: Yeah. You know that joke. Yes. It's like about that. You can add whatever you want to that, those jokes.
Vadim Kosevnikov: But the point of that is, you said, right, it is like stress release. You get, get rid of that cortisol from your body. And let's say like that, your daily routine. Now we're going to get back about giving and receiving. Yes. I'm going to explain that point right now. So I hope first point I explained you about with that joke. So when you go to the work, different work, it can be construction. It can be, it can be a lawyer. It can be a doctor. Every, every work is stressful work. Why is stressful? Because you are giving, you are giving, you are giving, you are emitting, you're emitting your energy, you know, to different people. Some people can be very annoying. Some things can, for example, you are trying to construct something super cool, but it doesn't fit once and twice another time. And it's normal when we get angry. Angry. Correct. Yes. But you are doing something. You are putting your energy to do that, that stuff. And imagine just daily, daily, daily, you give, give, give, give, give. But there wasn't any day when you said, buddy, you are working so hard. Let me give you something, like do something to you. So, for example, make your bones more strong or more solid. Make your ligaments more stronger. Yes. Because tomorrow you're going to work. I have, I want you to work, to do that job easier.onteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonte Most of people they think, oh if I'm doing construction or if I'm doing like some hard work or I'm walking during my work all the day I'm walking, it's a good workout. No, it's not. No, it's not. No, it's not. Even if coach at The Crunch is training people and he is always with those people, yes, he can be like skinny, but still it's not workout. It is, he is giving his energy to people who is around him. So at this point, that's why people have some injuries, problems, but there is a time when they can, they have to, they have to, let's say like that, to say to their body like, you are my castle. I want to be my castle strong. Yes. Yes. So I want to wake up and to work everything fine inside of my castle. It's whatever you can do. Like reading book, praying, whatever. Yes. Everything what fulfill yourself. Like a Bible says, like I'm going to try to translate it from Russian, like not real bread going to feed you, but the word of God going to feed you. No, we don't want, you know, that, that, that place.
Keith Vance: Man should not live by bread alone, but by the word of God.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes. Thank you so much. I tried to translate from my Russian, from Russian. So this is step number one. So you technically, if we're going to say like in city wise, like your body is your city, you are making the, the city work properly. You know, the system of the city or make, make work properly. The next step is to build walls. Build your castle. Yes. Because you're going to go outside. You're going to, you're going to work with people around. You're going to do your stressful job. Your body, you can, you can, whatever. You can fall. You can, you can injure yourself. Not you, just person. That's, that's why we have, we have training. It's not necessarily to be one and a half, two hours training. 15 minutes a day, 30 minutes a day. It is better than nothing. But in long run, let's say, let's say once a week, 15 minutes a day. It can be 52 trainings a year. Twice a week is two, two, let's say two or five trainings a year. Yes. So it is huge amount. Three times it's, it's almost 165 trainings a week. Okay. 150, 150. But anyway, anyway. So it's, it's a huge amount when, when we look long run and we, as, as time passes, the body became stronger. And the job, what we did, for example, let's your great example, construction work. We do heavy, heavy stuff, heavy, heavy work, but the same, same load in the work. The body is going to be able to handle easier. Yes. That's what I'm talking about.
Crosstalk: Can I interject a couple of things? Yes, sir. Because this is, man. Like.
Crosstalk: Your body gets acclimated to the load.
Keith Vance: As you train the body, it gets acclimated to the load. Why? So that I can carry more load for my family, for everything, everything that my responsibilities are. Mm-hmm.
Crosstalk: So when I look back at myself at 20 years old and the things that kept me up at night, the things that I worried about, I don't even think about them at 50. Because that was lightweight.
Keith Vance: Compared to what I've been through since then, that was lightweight. So what you're talking about, building that resilience, building that strength. Mm-hmm. It carries over into other things. I liked what you said about expending energy. You know, all day long, we're giving away our energy. We're giving away our energy.
Crosstalk: When I'm not fully charged, and I'm giving away energy from a deficit, I'm not a nice person.
Keith Vance: That's when I get mad. That's when I get all these emotions of the flesh come out.
Crosstalk: Welcome to the club. So...
Crosstalk: This body that we're given, it is a vessel.
Keith Vance: It's a tool to do things that God gave us. Mm-hmm. And we are to prepare this body so that we can do the things that we're called to do. But in regard to being charged, you know, that time in God's Word, early in the morning when nobody's... Knocking on my door, my phone's turned off, or I'm listening to God's Word, being charged, my spirit, my mind, everything about me. Communicating to Him in prayer, giving Him my needs. Say, God, I need you today. I'm getting ready to expend energy. May the energy that I expended is coming from a place of His energy that never runs dry. My energy runs dry. His never runs dry. May that energy be a source in me to overflow. And then the body, like what you talked about. The body gets fatigued, man. The body gets tired. But when you can build up that resilience that you're talking about so that I can carry on, I can be what I'm supposed to be. It's important, man. It's important as men, as leaders, caretakers, to be what we're supposed to be. And what you just spoke to, you spoke to it so eloquently, what I've been feeling, but I didn't know how to describe it. I never thought about that. Your work is not a workout. Your work is not a workout. Your work is expending energy. The workout where I'm expending energy, I'm actually recharging myself, and I can feel that recharge by that training. That training. Thank you for sharing that. That was good. I had never made that connection before. I felt it, but I was never able to connect those dots in the way you did.
Vadim Kosevnikov: That's why we are here, and that's what I try to express, like say to people how they should look on their daily life. Because I heard so many times, oh, you know, I work out enough in my life. I work in that business that business is like workout no it's not it is giving energy to receive money receive like connections but as soon as you're going to fulfill your body let's say like that
Vadim Kosevnikov: for audience let's say like that
Vadim Kosevnikov: why do we eat in the morning or why do we eat overall why do we eat it all yes at the end of the day it's fuel correct if you're not going to have fuel in your tank your car not going to run so you have to somehow fulfill with your thoughts with what you're reading so fulfilling and food It's not actually like physical food It's everything Everything what gets inside of your body That's what Jesus spoke about Everything what gets into your body Makes Who you are And it's not about food They're saying like You are what you eat And most of people are getting that like a physical food Technically correct But if you're gonna look Calorie wise So absolutely not correct Yes if you're gonna it's another story I had a few days ago conversation with 25 years of age guy about calories we're gonna talk about about diet we're gonna get back to that everything step by step so everything how you fulfill if you fulfill your your body with wise things wise whatever like information what you can use daily the good quality food i mean like it's not necessarily to be super expensive food it can be like simple but but uh good of energy and good of nutrients food that's what i mean by good quality food even if even if you're gonna say that greek yogurt what what is not actually greek yogurt if you're gonna look around and read protein and we're gonna take meat and read protein it's actually protein the same same molecular you know so just the resource of that Molecular is different That's it But molecular is the same That's why Sometimes we have to be more simple about that If we can be more serious about that Perfect No problem But whatever If we fulfill that energy Not overfill Which is important Yes Because eating is a very well thing It's a great thing But if we overeat Daily It's a very bad thing It lowers down your testosterone lowers down your growing hormone and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And if you're going to look on all things, what happens in your lives with our bodies, we cry, we're loud, we sleep, we don't sleep, we have insomnia, we feel fatigue, we feel like super powerful, we feel motivated, we feel dismotivated. If you're going to look on hormonal system, it is graphically bam, bam, bam. They're working, running like Mustangs. So, that's why if you want to make stable or growing up, we have to fulfill with the right things. We wake up daily, and we have choice to take phone and scroll or to fulfill. It is fulfilling. We are getting from that right in the moment.
Keith Vance: We are getting. But that's, when we talk about food quality, that's cheap food quality.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Exactly. I understand where you're going. Yes, the food is not only actual food. Food is what we are watching, what we are reading, what we are listening, everything that goes inside, through your nose, through your ears, through your eyes. Got it. And sometimes it's more important than actual food. So, that's why I said about protein molecular. Understood. Yes, so, because it will make you emit energy, good energy or bad energy, and the same people you're going to attract around you. That's what I mean. That's what about, in my vision, Jesus talked about that. Maybe in the future, in a couple years or 10 years or 50 years, whatever, the God war is going to be open to me another way. But at this point, that's how I see that.
Keith Vance: Christ talked to, I think it was the Pharisees. He said, it doesn't, he's like, it doesn't matter what goes into a man. He said, what comes out of a man.
Crosstalk: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Keith Vance: But, having said that, what comes out is what you've been putting in. Exactly. What comes out reveals. It's not what you put in the body. He was talking about food. He's talking about diet. Not what you put in your body as far as food. What are you putting, what are you looking at? What are you listening to? What are you ingesting? Because what comes out is going to reveal. Mm-hmm. What do they say? I can tell who you are. Show me your three or four closest friends. They'll tell you who you are. It's actually very wise saying. The people that you hang around with. Mm-hmm. You get a good idea who you are. So, that's, I'm listening to you talk and I'm analyzing my own, my own life, my own, my own self. I have blind spots.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Actually, I'm talking to you right now and I'm talking to myself as well. Yeah. Yes, right now I'm, I understand that I'm reminding to myself, Vadim, you have to be, you have to work on that. Vadim, you have to work on that. That's how life is working. That's how it is. Because, uh, this podcast is not only for you or only for you. Uh, it's for me as well. Sure. Because, was I nervous about that? Yes. Of course. Mm-hmm. Because I didn't know how it's going to go. Uh, I expected so that we're going to be you and me. You introduced me with your family, which I appreciate. Yes. Yes, I was like, wow, that's something awesome. Yeah. Awesome. Something awesome going on. Yeah. Yeah. So that's why we all learn from each other. Can I say that I'm wiser than you? Of course, no. That I know more than you? No. In some field, yes. But the other field, if you're going to start, if you're going to start talking about construction, I will better just close up, close my mouth and listen.
Crosstalk: Yes, we have, there's other Russians saying we have only, we have two eyes and two ears, but only one mouth. That's true. So better, better, more, more observe, more listen, but let's talk about that.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, okay, other part of our podcast is going to be in silence, yes? Yeah, there we go. It's a joke, it's a joke.
Keith Vance: I'm enjoying listening to you break this down. Like this, where we're at right now in this pocket, I'm enjoying this. Like I'm learning so much right now. You say, hey, let's just break this down piece by piece. Hey, food. And you're talking about scrolling, like what comes in, what comes in demand. It's helpful. It's helpful because there's so much stuff out there that is, you eat it expecting to be, have nutrients. And there's nothing there. There's nothing there. Scrolling, like probably most things we do, probably most things we do in life are not nutrient dense.
Vadim Kosevnikov: You know, as we start to talk about scrolling, about all the social media, we have to talk about porn. So, oh, it's very, very painful, painful thing to a lot of men.
Keith Vance: All right, let's do it because from your background, from a scientific standpoint, and you can break this down however you want. But viewing pornography, what does that do to a man? So, not just psychologically, but physically, what does it do to a man?
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, again, I'm going to go from the far away. I'm working with people since maybe 19.onteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonteonte years with men, of course, as well. And I heard many times that some men are complaining about, or some women are complaining their men have some sexual issues. Yes. And the first thing, and I'm listening, and I'm telling, the first thing that I want to ask, do he or she is watching porn? Well, I don't know. I said, talk about that with your partner. Because it is like, if we're going to talk about energy-wise, we don't know, imagine how much energy are inputted there. That's why men, most likely after watching that, he don't want to do anything, actually. Because it is an easier way. Easier way, just scroll, just watch, just blam, bum, bounce, bum, and everything is fine. What if same energy is going to be inputted in his partner? His relationship. Yes, in his relationship. It's not only about sexual relationship. Everything. The relationship is not only physical intimacy. It's emotions. It's conversations. It's about feeling about... Actually, we're going to go back right now. It's about if I'm fulfilling myself with something good, I'm going to give you something good. So, and now let's discuss about that field from more scientific... I'm going to try to explain more without scientific words. So, let's say in hormonal system, it just destroys the testosterone. Even pornography destroys testosterone? Of course. It cannot be destroyed. It just reduces, just because it is easier.
Keith Vance: Well, hey, listen, my wife will be happy about this, because I had my blood work done six months ago. My testosterone is 999. Which is a good one. I had it done last week, and my doctor's like, Keith, I can't freaking believe this. He's like, your testosterone is 1,038 right now. So, that's good for my wife. Like, no pornography for me killing my testosterone. Exactly. And it's all natural. I'm not taking testosterone replacement therapy or anything like that. That's good. So, if men want to boost their testosterone, quit looking at pornography. Is that what you're telling me? Oh, yes. It reduces your testosterone?
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes, exactly. So, some days, sometimes I got like a complaint from one woman that she want to bring her husband to the trainings, or he want to go to the training just because of some problems. Training's going to help you, yes. Because physically, your body is going to start to produce more testosterone because it will need it because of the handling with the pressure. But if you talk about like a relationship, for sure. Because let's say like that. They are trying to show everything super correct, super like a beautiful way, you know. I mean like a beautiful, like a physical way. And then men like became cooperation. Sometimes I heard that some men said when he is like in intimacy with his partner, he cannot like get until the end, until he can remember some scene. And I was like, you are less than 40 years of age.
Keith Vance: So, they have an expectation. Exactly, exactly. Their wife's not living up that expectation, and so they can't finish because… Exactly, exactly.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, yeah, it's a big problem, to be honest. Big problem. It's all about what you're going to fulfill yourself. You're going to expand it. You're not going to have like energy for that anymore.
Keith Vance: So, here's the thing. Pornography is packaged so well. It's packaged perfectly.
Crosstalk: Like to sell it, it's a perfect package.
Crosstalk: It's an assault against men.
Keith Vance: Because as men, leaders, protectors, providers, caretakers, everything that we're supposed to be, if you're bad on these demons and this is consuming you, how good of a dad can you be? How good of a husband can you be? How good of a grandfather can you be? You follow me?
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes, I follow you.
Keith Vance: When you're hormonal. When you're hormonal. When you're battling this kind of stuff, when it's literally sucking the strength out of you, because you said it lowers your testosterone, when it's literally making you a shell of who you're supposed to be.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's like sucking energy, but again, you said it's like you used the word against men. Assault. Assault against, yes. Assault against men Listen
Vadim Kosevnikov: If for example I had a good example I forgot Give me some Couple seconds You know how devil is Working He never gonna tell you Look This is Piece of shit Go there No No, no. It will take long-term relationship. I'm going to do like, show you that, show you that, show you that. And then in the end of the days, you'll see like, piece of shit is actually not a piece of shit. You know? And man, I'm going to work that.
Keith Vance: In Proverbs. Yes. In Proverbs, Solomon is talking to his son. He said, don't go into the harlot. She, you know, she makes her bed ready. She puts perfume on her bed. She makes her face up. She dresses in a way that's everything that you, all your senses want that. He said, but what you don't know is you open the back door, and it's full of dead men that she's killed through lust, which is what you talked about. The devil doesn't show you the result of that. He sells you this thing. And Solomon says, don't buy that thing. Go around back, look out back. Look at all the men before you that have succumbed to her. And they're dead. Yeah, so... How many men are there walking around dead? Oh, I remember... Walking around dead right now.
Vadim Kosevnikov: I remember one Russian song right now. I translate it to one of my friends. So we played guitar. I sang that song. And he said, oh, it's actually a cool song. Can you translate it to me? And I started to translate it. And there was like one of the parts. He was like... There was a saying like... Пока ты жив, не умирай На этот мир взгляни Like, while you are living Don't try to be dead Like, don't make a suicide Suicide, what I mean by suicide In that song, what that means Like, don't do things what makes you dead Right Look around on this world Right Right now, look around You are gonna see, like, a lot of people Who are walking here like they are alive But they are actually dead and they don't know about that so this is the actual thing what you said right now and I was surprised, I was like wow I remember that song so yeah let's go back to our conversation I actually forgot what we spoke about you said testosterone dips down and actually it's not only about pornography it's about everything everything what like everything different information what it's gonna put inside of you for example let's say if you're gonna scroll Instagram or TikTok or whatever just scroll they're gonna show you different things even if there's good things 99.9% of these gold things are actually they are useless they are useless not for everyone specifically for you for me for you, for him for example, if something is very useful to you, it can be absolutely useless to me if you're going to use something like you're going to get this 15 seconds information oh yes, good idea, I'm going to use it I'm going to look at that, I'm just cool, but nothing going to do with it so this means to me it is waste it is like gold I understand. You know, so that's why better to decide what information we're going to choose to input. That's what I said about pornography. It's not only about that. It's about different type of information, what we eat, what we feed ourselves. So, and you said it's assault against men. The point of what I said right now, it is only our choice. it is devil not gonna say oh I'm devil come to me or for example you're gonna put here gun and you said Vadim I'm gonna kill you with this gun come to me right I'm going to tell you no. Nobody is going to do that. If you want to do it, you will be like a hunter. You're going to do some crazy stuff. You will invite me to your house. You're going to go to this room. Let me show you another room. And step by step, you'll get me into that. Not you, just in general. In general. This is a good guy, actually. Okay. So. And all pornography. That's 15 seconds, videos, whatever. Pictures, what you watch. Information, books, what we read. Yes. It is only our choice. That's what I want to say. Yes. The things, what we eat, it's only our choice. If we go back to Bible. And there is no coincidence in the Bible. There is no undisciplined things in the Bible. People sometimes, when we discuss about Bible, say, Oh, it's one of the worst books ever I read. Because there is so much violence and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Correct. Correct. But. If you're going to look carefully. God says that. People did wrong. They get that. They get that. It's very logical system. Right. Very logical. They did choice. Right. Choice after choice. Choice daily. Every hour. Every second. And they did choice. Same like me and you. Same like you. We have choice. And if, for example, today I choose to not watch pornography. Or you choose. Or whoever you choose. Or I choose to not watch scrolling. Or if I'm going to look Instagram, I'm going to exactly use what I need. If I'm going to look YouTube, I'm going to use exactly what I need. I fulfill myself with information what exactly fits to me. I eat as much. Let's say in the food wise. I eat as much as my body consumes. As my body needs. That's it. Then you will see that. Body not going to get. Now we're going to go back to testosterone about pornography and about that information. Body not going to waste too much energy to work on that information. Body not going to get too much information to get rid of empty information. Body not going to use energy to fulfill again. And to look around for new information. You're not going to feel guilt and blah, blah, blah. If you're going to talk about this. All that stuff. I'm going to do this.
Keith Vance: I'm going to do this. I'm going to be focused.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes.
Keith Vance: I'm going to be focused on what I allow to come into my mind. To what I give my time to. Because what you said is when you scroll through. There's so much different stuff. And you can just scroll for. Just get lost. You know. Just scroll through stuff that like you said. May have value to somebody. But not to me. So I'm going to use this tactic. So like I'm going to. I'm going to be focused on. The things that I spend my time on. When I'm supposed to be relaxing. Even that.
Vadim Kosevnikov: For example. You found myself. By scrolling. Yes sir. But 99% of that information was useless. You don't remember even the hugest part of that. Right. But you remember only one video. Right. So technically. Technically it's true. But now we are sitting here and talking about that. Yes. Somebody can say that. That. Oh you see scrolling helps. You said about. You said you watch like different videos about gym. You start to fulfill yourself with some guys who are lifting well. Right. Yes. So you choose. It was your choice to look exact field. There you go. Let's say generally. Yes. It was your choice. And you find out. Oh we can do that actually. Yeah. So that's what I'm talking about. Just a little bit more focus. Not like army discipline. Which is fine actually. Which is a cool thing. But just a little bit. And it's going to be enough. That's helpful. Yeah. Yeah. So why we are talking about that. Because you said that in. Eventually we're going to work. We're going to talk about preparation mentally. To the weight. That's why we. We spoke about that before that. So when we're going to speak about that. We're going to have now reference.
Keith Vance: Yeah.
Crosstalk: The. I listened to.
Crosstalk: A woman.
Keith Vance: Who was in the pornography industry. She came to Christ. And I listened to her. Her interview. Her testimony. And. If anything would stop. Someone from viewing pornography. It would be that video I watched. She said that. She said that.
Crosstalk: Vadim, it was in the 90%. She said that in the 90% of what people are viewing, it's not consensual. What means consensual?
Keith Vance: The woman and the man are there on their own will. If someone is there against their will. They said 90% of what people are viewing is being forced. And you said in the beginning of this podcast, I see what were some cultural differences. You said, hey, human beings are human beings. As a man, if that doesn't stop you from viewing that, that potentially what you're viewing is a rape. And human beings are human beings creating the image of God. That that's someone's daughter. That's someone's sister.
Crosstalk: If they don't cause someone to assess what they're doing, I don't know what will.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Well, it's a huge problem. Yes, it's a good question. I don't have an answer on that question. I'm not the wisest person in this world, you know. But, again, everything in my vision, everything in our lives is like a chain. Circumstances, circumstances, circumstances, chain. Actions, actions, actions. What leads us to something.
Keith Vance: That's a good point, man. So. Yeah, start looking at the links in your chain. What do those links look like? Right? Those patterns. And hold yourself accountable. That's good. When we were in university, we had like a.
Vadim Kosevnikov: I actually got the highest degree without even being on that classes. We just had one conversation with the teacher. I just came to first class and we start to speak about actually consequences. So bad consequence, bad luck, good luck, bad luck. And I said, there is no bad luck and good luck. Right. And I was at that point so deep in God. I just said, I just started to read Bible like more carefully. And my classmates like in university, they said, oh, there is good luck or bad luck. I said, no, there is not. They said, okay, let's imagine. Some guy, some guy came from his house. He just, he's super cool husband, super cool dad and blah, blah, blah. And never ride against law, you know, like on his car. Never, never go over speed limit. Like, and some, some stupid guy just getting into him. It's a bad luck. I said, no, it's not. You told me right now, you told me like, no, exactly like step by step how he get there. Yeah. He said, okay, explain. And I explained him. This is your guy. He is perfect husband, which I don't care right now. We are talking about bad luck in your opinion. And he, I said, he, he decided to sit in the car. He decided to do that. He decided to ride on that, that part of the road. He decided to do that. He decided to do that, that, that, that, that. And, and this, and this time and this moment he were, he were there. Okay. Now let's, let's look on that stupid guy. Maybe he is not stupid, but he wake up in the morning. He, he did that. For example, he was arguing with someone or he was in just in bad mood. Or for example, he did over speed limit. Whatever can be. Step by step. Decision, decision, decision, decision, decision, decision. And, and the same point in one point, they just met. Just because of the, his decision and his, it's very logical system. That's it. So that's why in the beginning of the podcast, you said like, everything, what happens in our lives happens for a reason. Yes. Yes. It's like, it's very, very solid, very good reason in everything what happens in our lives. Bad things or good things.
Keith Vance: Yeah. And who determines if they're bad or good. Mm-hmm. Give it enough time. Maybe that bad thing is a good thing. We don't know. I mean, there's so much, there's so much that we don't know or understand. In time we will. You talk about those links in the chain. You keep on putting those links together. Rather, actions start with thought. Everything starts here. Bible says, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. So, hold yourself accountable. Like, day by day, examine your own thoughts, because that'll tell you the kind of person you are. That's sobering. That's sobering to capture your thoughts, to analyze your thoughts. My thoughts tell me the kind of person I am. And nobody may even know it yet. It may not come out yet. I'm the only one that knows my thoughts but in time what I think about will be manifested and that's the kind of person I am and again it goes by what do we think about we think about those things that we're ingesting those those calories were taken in good calories and bad calories I want good calories brother I got too many people right I got too many people looking at me I got too many people I love like I need to be full I I need to be full so that I can pour out and I can pour a lot out. I want to pour a lot out. When people get around me, I don't want there to be a drop left, man. What do you need? And for that pouring out to not come from myself, from Keith Vance, but to come from Jesus Christ and outflowing from him. Man, thank you for that. It was powerful. Thank you for that, for bringing us along there. Michael where are we at right now
Keith Vance: hour hour 50 we're an hour and 50 minutes almost two hours wow dude you're killing it somebody said that this room feels like a time capsule it's just so quiet and everything it's neat and it provokes thought let's take a break I need to use the restroom When we come back, we can talk about anything else you want to talk about, but I want to talk about what's it do to lift a heavy weight, what happens, the mind, the body, all that stuff. What happens? Walk me through that process. All right, brother, let's take a little break. This part of the podcast is brought to you by Frequence. The product is Source. These are my trace minerals. It's no big secret that the American diet isn't what it used to be. Our food is not nutrient-dense. this helps close the gap for me. Find the link in the bio and let's get back to the show. All right, brother, we're back from the break. I want to talk about, I want you to break down a workout, a heavy lift, a clean and jerk, a snatch, whatever it is. I want you to go through it. Are you mentally prepared for it? The steps for the physical preparation, but also I want to make correlation to the lift to real life, right? To real life, like we've been talking about. We're relating everything to real life. For me, the gym's important. The gym helps me in real life. So let's go through the steps. Say a clean and jerk, whichever lift you want. What's the preparation? Putting the weight on the bar. When does preparation start? Does it start the day before? Does it start like, let's just go through it. To get that weight off the ground, overhead. What's the process? What's the process?
Vadim Kosevnikov: Okay. So, first of all, okay, as usually, we're going to break it down.
Keith Vance: Yeah. And I like how you do this. I like how you break everything down step by step because I can visualize that. So, let's do it. So, step by step.
Vadim Kosevnikov: If you're going to talk about me, it's going to look like I go to the gym, I warm up, and step by step, I just increase weight. Very simple. How long does it take for you to warm up? Until I'm going to get barbell, maybe 10 minutes, like stretching, all that stuff. Okay. Yes. When it's cold, maybe a little bit longer. Okay. Then warming up with stick, warming up with barbell, and then step by step, slowly but surely, increasing weight. until working weight, what is on the plan, or until heavier weight if I feel very good. Like yesterday, for example. You felt good yesterday? Yes, compare. So it was an interesting story. We're going to sell pre-story and then we're going to get back to main thing. So a few weeks ago, like two weeks ago, to be more honest, I did heavy deadlift. It was around maybe... how much it was 245 kilos how much is that in pounds i can chat gpt it you want me to it is around two is for 540 pounds somewhere somewhere there you can chat gpc let's let's compare okay 539 pounds have to be like probably
Vadim Kosevnikov: how many kilos was it 245
Vadim Kosevnikov: How many pounds is 245 kilos?
Crosstalk: We'll see how good you are with your math.
Keith Vance: 540 pounds. 540.13 pounds.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Okay, I said it's going to be like 539 or 540. Okay. Pretty good. Pretty good, yeah. Pretty good.
Crosstalk: Okay. That translates to heavy, all right? That's all that means. Heavy. It's like heavy, heavy, but yes, it was heavy enough to pull my back. Oh, no. So, and I tried, I thought it was like light pulling.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It happens sometimes. But I started training. I feel like worse, worse, worse. And I decided to quit trainings for a couple days. Actually, it was one week. I went to the gym maybe in three days. Did my back extension to start preparing my back. Again, from zero to normal shape. And I fell.
Crosstalk: In two days I walked like that. Oh, no.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, I decided to quit for a little. And three days ago, I restarted my trainings. I started carefully, slowly. First day I felt my back. Just a little, but I did good training. Like maybe 60% or less. Second training I did same way. But back felt better. Yesterday I also started with low weights. And I lifted actually 80%. 80% in snatch and 85% in clean jerk, which is very good. So, that's what I mean by felt good. So, it is good weight after pulled back for sure. So, that's why we'll see if I'm going to be able to do that today.
Keith Vance: Yeah. So. What we're going to do today. And we're going to get some content from it. We're going to get some content for sure. But if you've ever watched the Olympics, we've always, like our family has always said, I wish there was like a normal person next to the Olympic athletes. You could tell like what it's really like. And that's going to happen today. Right? So, we're going to have average Joe next to the Olympic guy here. And you're going to see what that kind of weight really looks like. I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it.
Crosstalk: You've got to get yourself as well the train.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, let's break it down. There are different people who train. Yes. There is a kid who is starting to do weightlifting. Yes. There is like a man, adult who starts to do weightlifting. And there is a professional who is doing weightlifting. And it's everything different. So, let's start with the professional because it's more easy to explain. Let's do it. Yes. Then I'm going to tell you like. And technically is going to be my coaching as well. Like process. Let's do it. Yes. Because as I said, I'm working with different sports athletes. Rehabilitation. But system. System. And basic is the same everywhere. No matter who you are. No matter who I am. Okay. Yes. For example, today in the morning, I did my morning routine. Like morning exercises. But it was about free diving. I do free diving. One day, we're going to introduce you to my coolest community. So, go down. Spare fish. And go up. So, it is awesome. It is extreme. But it is a cool thing. Very amazing. Amazing world. So, and I started to warm up myself. And I realized that I'm warming up until I'm going to get to breathing exercises. It is absolutely the same warming up as I do before my training. Okay. So, nothing changed. So, we're going to get back to that. So, and let's break step one. The professional athlete. Or, let's say I'm half professional right now. I'm not preparing for international competition yet. But we'll see how it goes. So, I'm going to the gym. I'm not waiting like week before. Oh, Friday I'm going to lift heavy weights. No. I can prepare myself one week and wake up Friday and feel like I'm drained out. Yeah. Yes. I'm going to go to the gym and I will see how it's going to go. You're going to live in the moment. Yes. If they're not going to go super well, okay. I will see how my body works and that's fine. But if I have like, for example, weekly plan or monthly plan and I follow this plan right now as a professional, I can say when I'm going to be able to lift. So, I can predict. You can predict. Yes. I can predict. Especially when I'm following plan. If I'm starting following my ego, especially ego or my feelings, then I, for example, I have deficit snatched today. But in... But in... ... ... One week, I'm going to have like classical snatch. And I start lifting and I feel my deficit snatch goes well. And I can do personal best in deficit snatch. And I do my personal best in deficit snatch. 95%, 98% that I'm not going to be able to max out in classical snatch in the end of the week. Because I gave out my energy. You plateaued. Yes. You hit it. Yes, I hit it in that certain programming. And for example, it happens. Tomorrow, I wake up and I feel good. And I did, for example, snatch balance. I felt so good and I did bumps 95% or 100%. For sure, I can guarantee it's not going to be maxed out in Friday. So, in the end of this plan. So, because I, because I did, because it was two days in a row, max.
Keith Vance: Can I, I want to, don't lose your train of thought. But you said that you can predict. You said, based on your training, I can predict. You tie that over to the spiritual warfare that we're in. Where there's an adversary that's watching us. He's observing us. He's observing us daily. Hunting us around. He can make predictions too. Based on how we're acting, how we're living, how we're training. Oh, his training is off today. Oh, he didn't, he didn't do this today. He can make predictions and set little traps for us out in the future to cause us to fall. If you can make predictions for your training. The evil one that's watching us. Wanting us to succumb, wanting us to fall. He knows when we're strong and when we're weak. And he attacks when we're weak. It's just interesting. Anytime you talk about stuff like this, I'm going to make interjections.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It is very good thought. We're going to get back to trainings, but we're going to finish your thoughts. Because we are on the same radio. That thing, you know. My perfect English. If you understand my English.
Keith Vance: My English is great. Listen, your English is 100% better than my Russian.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Oh, I appreciate that. But your Russian is 100%. So that's why it is good. So go ahead. Okay, so. You know who is our worst enemy?
Keith Vance: We have three enemies. We have our flesh. We have this world system. And we have the Satan. The three.
Vadim Kosevnikov: I think you are right. But in my vision, we have only one enemy. Ourselves. I am your enemy.
Crosstalk: Ourselves. I am everyone else's enemy.
Keith Vance: I am like ourselves. Because. The reason why ourselves are our biggest enemy. Because it knows everything you know. It is you. Like you are. Everything that you think. That person inside you. That your enemy. Knows those things. And uses them against you. So that's why we are our own biggest enemy. So go ahead. Finish your thought.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Exactly. That's what I mean.
Vadim Kosevnikov: The devil is not so powerful as a thing. He is only so powerful as we allow to be him. Be powerful. That's it. He don't have any power. But as much we allow it. As much he can do. And if we know that we are doing stupid things. And we can say that. Of course it's going to be easy to put traps. Of course. For sure. There is no need to even put traps. We just put it. For ourselves. There you go. That's what I mean. Let's look on that from the other side. Let's twist it. Let's do it. That's another way. Let's make ourselves to be our best friend. If you love your wife. Or you love your best friend. Well technically your wife. You really love her. She's your best friend as well. Well. In perfect world. You know what I mean? It's true in my case. Yes. It's just. You know. I live in perfect world. I think. So. If you love your best friend. Like really. Really love you. Like your brother. Like your best best friend. You're never going to do something bad for that. Right. You're going to do like. Oh. You know. This is. I can predict that if you're going to step this step. It can lead to that one. It cannot. But it. But it can. Better to step that step. And it's going to be more safe. Right. And you're going to get more. That's what I mean. Understood. So let's be our best friends. Yeah. Like. You are. You are your best friend. I am my best friend. And. It's all about. We are. Can back. Go back there. And talk two hours more. So. Let's continue with trainings. So, I'm coming to the training. Let's say it is day when I start lift heavy weight. So, two ways. I prepare myself following plan without ego lifts or maxing out. I have to focus on my, let's say, two weeks plan or one week plan or one month plan on that day X. Yes? To lift over there. And I'm consistently and disciplined way doing all those training, including like trainings. When I feel that I can lift very heavy, I don't lift heavy. I just keep following plan. Stick with the plan. Stick with the plan like super steady. Super steady. Then, for sure, even if I'm going to train yourself, I will start training. I will see, let's say, in one month we're going to max out. And I will prepare you to max out and push your limit. I will write down your plan. And I will be sure that if you're going to follow this plan, you will max out. So, that's how it works. But about that we're going to discuss a little bit later. So, that means there is like weekly mental preparation, two weeks mental preparation, monthly mental preparation. Or, for example, if that's three months period, three months distance until, for example, national championship, international championship, whatever. How we did in the national team. And you prepare, prepare, prepare, prepare. And you max out in that day. You can max out before, but you have to count. When you're going to rest, how long time you're going to. So, it is absolutely predictable with professional. Because we know exactly where is the limit. And how to reach that limit. And how we felt when we got this limit. So, technically, we have to feel better again. Again, same way, but a little bit better. And then, we have two options. We can break this limit, go higher, or we can stay on this limit. Which is totally fine as well. We just prepare, prepare, prepare, max out and take a rest. That's how I did when I beat those two Florida records. Unofficially. Unofficially. That's important.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, it was like, I competed maybe two months before that. And I competed like, it was one of the worst competitions. So, from the spectator issue, it was, wow, huge weights. From my perspective, it was like, okay. I won. That's good. You know.
Vadim Kosevnikov: But, and I, in that point, I was, I was about to take a little break. A little, I mean, like, not from trainings, but from heavy trainings. Okay. Because I felt that I'm, I stuck. I felt like something goes wrong. A lot of things going on. But then, one of my friends, she is like, like on top position. In Florida State Weightlifting Federation. And she said, oh, you're not going to compete in Jacked? I said, no. She said, why not? You can win a thousand bucks. I said, a thousand bucks? What's up?
Crosstalk: I said, really? Then maybe I have to prepare. And I knew that there is a few guys who are pretty strong as well. Yeah. Which is good.
Keith Vance: But does anybody show up to a competition, see your car in the parking lot and just leave? Because they know there's no chance. No, of course.
Crosstalk: We have a good relationship. We compete anyways.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's actually, last year, that Jacked, I came second. And I haven't prepared for that Jacked. And the guy, of course, it was easy for him to win. Of course, he's a national level athlete. He's seen I lifted like three light weights. Yeah. Just for winning my class. I see. And he said, okay, I'm going to win overall. And get a thousand bucks. Why not? So, and I was totally fine with it. I knew he was going to do that. Yeah. Of course, I would do the same. Of course. Welcome. No problem. So, it's fun. Out of competition, we have very good relationships. Yes, we can compete. We can be like that during competition. But as soon as competition ended, totally fine. Yes. That's a cool part of the sports. And no matter where you are, so no matter who you are, which country, it's everywhere same. Human being. So, and I was like, hmm, that wasn't bad. And I knew that that guy can be good when he's in good shape, when he lives around national record level. So, I have to lift like maybe 95% from my best, then I can like beat him overall, because his weight loss is higher. So, that means there's like a, so, Sinclair points, that's not a story. And I thought, okay, I have two months, am I realistically able to get until 95%? And there was like, not even 10 seconds, yes. I respond to myself, because I know the system, how it works. Got it. Yes. And like next day, I write down, breakdown plan for these two months, all steps, when I'm going to lift that weight, when I'm going to lift that weight, when I'm going to lift that weight, and when I'm going to max out. So, but until when I'm going to max out, I haven't lifted same weights. So, like when I max, when I was in competition, I lift always less, less, less, less.
Keith Vance: Got it. You're saving it for the competition.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes, exactly. And I start preparation. Yeah. It was sound the first time, like some stupid, some light weights, but very statistic, the plan. And one month, I knew that in one month, my body going to be able to lift like a, like a 94%, 93% from my best. And I knew that if I'm going to max out at that, and in the end of the first month, nothing wrong going to happen. I will see realistically what happens. And I did, and I did exactly what I expected. I was like, nice. And like, I kept preparation. And I actually, I, when I prepared, the last week, I just, I just felt so good that I was able to train a little bit harder than actually I needed. So, which wasn't right because I was able to lift. If I would rest, like more, I was able to lift more at the competition. Got it. But at the competition, at the point when I went to the competition, I started warming up. And as soon as I stepped on the platform, it went exactly how I planned. Bumps, bumps, first weight, second weight, third weight, bumps, done, snatch. Then clean and jerk, same way, bumps, bumps, bumps, and 200 kilos. I prepared myself for 200 kilos. I did it. I did it easy. So, so, so it was exactly planned. But after that, I knew that my body is going to require to rest. And I tried to keep training for like heavier hair, but there was nothing I can do with that. My body just said, that's it. You have to train lower. And my went down. So, which is fine. So, it is predictable. Yes, even from now, I'm keeping holding myself in good shape. And I can say, let's say, you're going to make, oh, Vadim, come to Fort Mayers. Let's do competition in my gym, my home gym. Oh, it's a good idea. And 2,000 bucks for every winner. No problem. Let's prepare for that. Let's lift up 200 kilos. And I'm going to do the same way. And can I prepare? Yes, I can prepare for that. Depends when I'm going to be. If the competition is going to be in one week, I can tell you, let's lift up like 410, maybe 415 pounds, not more. Maybe 405. Yes. If you're going to say like, let's do it in two weeks, I can say, oh, 415 is easy. Yeah, so it's predictable. It's predictable. I know how fast my body recovers. So it's easy with the professional, in my vision. To people like you, it looks like we just came there and just lift heavy shit and do everything crazy. Yes. Which is totally fine and understandable. But every professional, what you will see, they warm up, overall warming up, like you, me, him, everyone who goes to the gym who do warming up.
Keith Vance: So it sounds like what you're talking about translates over into real life. If you want to be successful in whatever you want to do, we talked about in the beginning of the podcast, we talked about hard work. It takes hard work. But also, it takes a plan. It takes preparation. You can work hard without a plan or without preparation. You're not going to get it. But you have to have a plan and a strategy in life, in business. Like, whatever you want, you can't just go out there and just work hard. You can. But to hit a certain level of success and be able to make it predictable, you have to have a plan like you're talking about.
Vadim Kosevnikov: You have to have a plan. To plan. You have to stick with that plan. And yes, it's all about discipline. All about discipline and consistent work. Smarter work, not harder work. Because actually, to myself, when I prepared for those 200 kilos, trainings felt way easier than actual trainings. Like I thought that I'm doing half of work and I'm getting more outcome. Wow. So that's how I felt. I felt that I'm doing heavy work only in the days like Friday or Saturday when I did like heavy lifts compared with the other days. Because I felt like I'm just warming up, warming up, and bombs on a lift. Warming up, warming up, and bombs on a lift. That's how I felt. But that's how professionals are preparing. But let's say we are at the point when we have to lift heavy lift, heavy weight. Okay. Let's say today we are going to training and we are lifting probably not going to lift, but let's say like that.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Actually, I don't know any professional who are thinking or mentally preparing himself for lifting that heavy weight. Because professionals always know what exactly they can do. Wow. When they wake up in the morning, they know exactly how their body feels. Wow. Okay. And when they stepped in the gym, the most of professionals, when they're going to train, they say, oh, no, I'm not going to lift heavy today. I feel like. Or I'm going to try like heavy. I feel so good. And sometimes there is like sometimes like when professional feels bad, he start warming up and he just start warming up, bombs, bombs, and get until 95% easy. It happens. But it's not every time. Or when he feels like super good, he trying to beat like 100% and he cannot. Also happens. So, but that's mean somewhere in that plan before he did something like ego lift or he skipped something or he, for example, went out day before. Yes. Can happen like that. Especially with professionals. So, it's predictable. So, but when we're going to, we are coming to the gym right now, right today. We are warming up. We're going to, for example, it's going to be snatch stick, empty barbell, like 45 pounds each side, a little bit more, a little bit more, a little bit more until peak weight at this day. Okay. That's it. It can be 75%. It can be 85%. It can be 100%. Whatever. Yes. It can be 93%. Exactly what body allows lift this day. That's it. Same in clean and jerk. There is no any mental preparation. Maybe at the point when you just lift last weight, you have to like focus. It's like, it, it comes automatically with professional muscle memory. You just do it. You just, no, it's not only muscle. Yes. Muscle memory, of course, preparation. But in the, in the moment you don't, we don't think about like, uh, the preparation has already been done. Yes. The preparation are, yes, correct. Preparation has been done before. It's done. Now we just do it. At this point, we just lift. Got it. Yes. Preparation. All that mental preparation is like way, way, way, way before that. Okay. At that point when we lift heavy weight, we just lift heavy weight. We don't think about preparation.
Crosstalk: Okay. That, um,
Crosstalk: I don't know how to, I don't know how to describe this, but I think that,
Crosstalk: I think I feel like I'm always preparing.
Keith Vance: Like I'm always preparing. I'm always in that preparation mindset. And what you just said, Hey, the preparation is done. Just, just, just lift it. I think that's my mental block. Hmm. You follow me? I'm always in this preparing mindset. I think I just need to say, Hey, Hey Keith, the prep's been done, dude. Just, just pick it up. Just do it. And then, and, and I think that goes in real life also. Just do it. You've been preparing your whole life for this. Just do it. Exactly. Exactly. I have this mindset. I have this mindset. Like, am I supposed to do that? Like, I think about things too much. I think me personally, as we're talking, I think I think too hard. Sometimes I think about it too much instead of just, man, you've been doing this your whole life. You've been preparing your whole life for this. Just go out there and do it.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's actually a good reference to real life. Yes.
Keith Vance: So, yes, you just, how to explain it? When you're competing, you're not thinking about it. You just compete. So you're just doing it. I've been training. Training's over.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Yes. We are focused. Yes, when we compete, of course, for sure. But we cannot focus right now, right here. It has to be focus, focus, focus, focus, focus, focus days before. And when you step on the platform, it looks like we are doing fun, like, ah, yeah, like on the easy way. But actually, it is focus preparation all before that. And in the moment when you step, we are same focused.
Keith Vance: Has there ever been a time when in the moment you're focused, but you lost your focus, a thought of doubt creeping your mind? For sure, yes. Happens for sure and happened many times, yes. How do you reset that? Do you just go for it anyway or do you have to reset?
Vadim Kosevnikov: No, no, you don't have to reset. Again, we had trained at focus, that lifting, yes. To follow the plan and stick with plan, even if that's easy. To stick with plan, it's not about even plan and how heavy you're going to lift. To stick with plan is focus on plan overall. And it's like long-term focus. Okay. Even if we're going to have light weights. Focus, focus, focus, focus. And in the moment when, for example, lift has failed, no problem. Focus, not get lost. In the moment, you can last it. But as soon as you step out from the platform, you have second set or third set, whatever. You just, and again. Wow. No problem. Nothing changes. Same thing. After competition, we can relax. So, for example, again, let's talk about those 200 kilos in the jacked classic in Miami. I mean, preparation, focus was actually more difficult to hold than focus on the competition. Because preparation, for example, in two weeks, three weeks, the CNS gets recovered. And really, body want to max out. But we have to say, like, body stay, stay. And we have to focus on that plan. Focus, focus, focus. And when preparation is done, and we are at the point where our competition is, like, releasing. You are, like, fine. And you're just, you're going to go, like, and it goes well. Got it. Yeah, just do it. You're prepared. You're just doing it. And it looks like you just came to step into that building. You start to conversate, a little small talk with the one guy, other guy, with friends. Bounce, bounce, bounce. And focus, again, on competition, like sleep or whatever you do. Like, watch competition, however. And as soon as you step on the platform, it's not anymore, like, so huge focus. You are just excited to see what you really can. You are releasing. You're finally, you can do it. You're, like, fire. So, and it goes well. Again, if I'm going to release that energy, that fire, during, like, week before, or two weeks before, or day before. Or there is no more fire. You got to time it right. Yes. Yes. It's, it's have to be, like, few days to reset this fire. So, that's basically about, about professionals. So, again, like, conclusion. Warming up, barbell, a little bit weight, a little bit increase in the weight, step by step, step by step, until top weight for exact day. That's it. And it's, in every, it can be, like, five exercises, and same way, all exercises. Bound, bump, especially if that's plan. For example, plan is until 75%, which is light, or 70%. Okay, fine. Same way, until that point, even if that feels super light. Just bump, bump, bump, bump, bump. Next exercise, bump, bump, bump. It's also focus.
Keith Vance: As you're talking, there's two things that come to mind. That, say, that month preparation that you're doing for a competition, say, that one month preparation. The, it doesn't look like that. It's not one straight line. It's, that, that's the trajectory. But the line is, there's room for these. And, and to be okay with, to be okay with the down. Like, it doesn't always have to be up, right? To be okay. And again, in life, the trajectory we're on, we have a plan. We're focused. We're going somewhere. But there might be a down. But you know what? As long as the trajectory is going the right way, there's going to be these little ups and downs. And to not be so rigid or so focused or so hurt that, oh, I'm down today because I'm whatever happened. To just feel, like you said, the professionals, they know their body. Okay, I'm warming up. Okay, I'm a little off today. But still adapting and still doing the work. Sticking with the plan. But understanding that there could be some, some dynamics at work that I'm not 100% today, but that's okay. I'm going the right way. I'm sticking with the plan. That's one thing I appreciated as you were talking. The other thing, you keep going back to the plan, the plan, the plan. You can't rush the plan. You can't rush it. The plan of, in the life of a Christian, of Christ sanctifying us. My pastor said a couple weeks ago, God is growing big, stable trees. You ever look at the rings in a tree? Sometimes the rings are real tight. It looks like there is hardly any growth. He's growing trees, not potatoes. Potatoes grow quick, but a potato only gets a certain size. So that growth, that sticking with the plan, the plan of God to transform us into the image of Christ, to make us what he wants us to be. Sometimes it looks like there's no growth, but there is growth, right? There is growth. Stick with the plan. You can't rush God's plan. You just stick with the plan. And what is God's plan? Every day I seek his face through prayer. Every day I open up his word. God, reveal to me who you are and who I am. Grow me. Make me who I'm supposed to be. And he is doing that work. He is doing that work to make us strong, to make us who we're supposed to be. So I just drew those analogies together, how important it is to be focused on not the lift, but the plan. It sounds like the plan is the recipe to success. Sticking with the plan.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Exactly. That's the point where what I want to say. So, and now we're going to get to kids preparation. Let's say like to prepare kids from how to make kids who is actually afraid to lift heavy weight. Most of kids are afraid. How to prepare that? Same way. There is the plan what kids do not see. Oh, wow. Yes. There is, for example, I actually very like to work with kids. It's like every single person, they're looking on the people like a good person or bad person. That's it. Good lady, bad lady. Good man, bad man. That's it. That's how kids look on that. That's how kids perceive the world is what you're saying? Yes. Good or bad? Yes. What makes them feel bad? They consider this a bad thing. Right. No, they're not going to do it. And usually I have to like make a deal with them. You know, like let's do that, let's do that, a little bit dead. And I very like, for example, when kids are coming to the training with their dads or moms. And for example, the four years of age, that kid came with his dad and he said, dad, I want to go with you. You lift weights. I want to lift with you. He said, oh, you cannot lift. I said, why he cannot? Why not? Stick is going to be his weight, his barbell. And he did not like a stick. He sees his dad lifting weight like barbell and he won't lift barbell. He don't understand that it's too heavy for him. I said, no problem. I have kids' barbell.
Keith Vance: Nice.
Crosstalk: Okay. It's going to be your barbell. Nice. And now, now since like half a year, he is lifting barbell.
Vadim Kosevnikov: He knows what to do exactly. Of course, he do not know what was the plan. He is coming to the training to make some fun, to be like, to think that he is serious. He is doing serious work. But in my vision, I'm preparing his body, no matter if he's going to lift heavy weights or he's going to play hockey. Right. No matter if he's going to lift heavy weights or he's going to play tennis. It doesn't matter to me. But his body is going to be able to resist any load. Wow. Yes. And that's what I'm doing. If he's going to be a weightlifter, a few girls want to train weightlifting. We try different sports. I suggest, for example, tennis, hockey. But they really like to lift weights. And they are very good at that. I said, okay, let's, let's ask the parents. Okay, if we're going to prepare them, I suggest to prepare seriously because I want to make this kid earn from sport. If you input so much resources, you have to get output. And it's going to help in the real life. So that's why let's start preparing them. And they succeed and succeed pretty well. So, but anyway, it is like long-term preparation. Like they're learning how to lift, how to control body. Then step-by-step increase. Then there is the moment when they are afraid of weight. Oh. Yes. And if I'm going to start breaking. Through that, it's for sure going to be the way to the nothing, because the fear is going to be growing up more. And fear is the one more enemy. Fear. Not on success, not anything or thinking. We are thinking about what happens. Now it's about adults. It's not about kids. Kids do not think about that like that. We are talking about real life How we can compare that with real life The fear We are thinking about Things that actually haven't happened We are thinking What if And that if we are Afraid of that Why? So it sounds like A stupid plan You know It's like Imagined world What actually do not exist do not exist and we are afraid of that why? we haven't even tried why we should be afraid of that? fear is an emotion that God says don't have in you so many times fear not don't be afraid it's an emotion that we're commanded to get it out don't be afraid for example wise thoughts if I feel that it's enough for my body to lift and I'm going to keep pushing heavier, it is a very good way to injure yourself. Yes. Or, for example, do a bad set. Yes. In a better scenario. But if you, for example, you really think you can and to be afraid of that, sounds like we imagine some world and we are afraid of that imagined world. And same happens in real life when we start business oh maybe i should do that what if it's not gonna go so you know it's overthinking without but the even worse scenario absolutely disaster when people are regretting past let me explain what i'm thinking about it's we are we are talking about real life and about idols like we're gonna get back to two kids uh uh that if if the future we can change let's say like we can do something to make that future right right then past is past it's not existing anymore right yes it exists only in our heads that's it that's only one thing why we should regret it happened okay fine we are the only time when we are is right now. Right now, right here we are sitting. Right now, not even in this hour, in this minute, in this exact moment. That's the only time. And we're going to get back to what we said before. We have choice. Every single moment we have choice. What we're going to think about, what we're going to talk about, what we're going to say, what response I'm going to give to you, what reaction you're going to receive, how we're going to receive this information and what reaction we're going to give. How we're going to post this podcast, how we're going to share. It's our choice to make something to create the future. But we are not living in the future. We're living right now. Right now, right here. We don't know what's going to happen in the future. But we know what we can do and how we can do that right now. That's only one thing.
Keith Vance: so let's go back to kids hold on a minute before you go to kids I'm rehearsing times that I've been afraid of the future fear of the future sucks energy away from me today that's a very good point and then regret
Keith Vance: regret does the same thing I rehearse it over and over in my mind well if I would have just did this, if I would have just did that, this wouldn't have happened. And I think regret steals more energy from me than fear. Because I play that loop over and over and over and over in my mind. And it just sucks the life out of me. I walk around like a freaking zombie sometimes because I regret I regret decisions I've made in the past that had an impact on people that I love. And if I would have just did this or that.
Crosstalk: But you're right. We can't change it. But we can learn from it.
Keith Vance: And I can be better today from what I learned in the past, right? I can be better today. And to take that, what we learned, and to turn it into fire. today because I can't change. But I get caught in that loop. I'll get caught in a loop sometimes and just walk around with people need me. I got nothing to give you because I'm stuck in the freaking past. That sucks. That sucks.
Vadim Kosevnikov: The past, it's like a book, you know? It's a good to read book, but it is bad to live in that book, in that world. You know, we can read, take a lesson and go ahead. Move ahead. Yes, move ahead. Yes. So you said very right thing about that regret because regret actually, when we are living in the past, we are, how body reacts, the hormonal system and emotions, how they react. You emotionally, energetically and hormonally, you put yourself, like the people are putting, not you, people are putting their body, their life, back to that situation and live it over and over again with all that feelings. That's mean, body can produce same hormones, same level. Try to get mesh, those hormones. For example, if testosterone was low during the watching, after a long time watching porn or whatever they do of their long scrolling and man is regretting that, regretting that, better go and scroll again.
Keith Vance: You know, it has the past, what you felt in the past, reliving it, affects you physically here and now. Exactly. That's what you're telling me. Yes, exactly.
Vadim Kosevnikov: I just haven't finished yet. And that's why their life right now feels like you said, like zombie, you know, because emotionally, emotionally, physically, emotionally, hormonally, we are in the past. We are living over and over that moment. Forget about that. It's easy to say, but it's actually hard work on, yes, with the mindset, of course.
Keith Vance: It's hard work, but we need to do that hard work. Exactly. We need to do it. We've got to figure it out.
Vadim Kosevnikov: And that's why we get back to trainings. Trainings actually train us to focus right now, right here, right in this moment. Release, like, through sweat, through that emotions, release that cortisol, release that, clean up your body, in other words.
Keith Vance: That's why I like training so much and I didn't know that that's what's happening, but that's why I like it so much. Yes. I'm just getting rid of all that.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Exactly. That's what you said. No matter how you feel, when you do your training, you feel that you are like a new person. You mentioned, like, a little bit in other words, but you mentioned somehow like that. You feel better. Yeah. That's why we need trainings. You are getting back to focus. No matter what you did, no matter what happened, no matter what happens right now in life, your training is your time when you fulfill your body again with good energy. That's why so many times we see that people got into prison. They did very bad things in the past. They got into prison, they sit their time, they got their punishment, they get back and some of them get really good life afterwards. Why? Because they change mindset. They make a choice. Some of them get back from prison and they get back to what they did before. It's also their choice. It doesn't mean they are bad or good, yes, or they, oh, they did wrong. No, they did good for them. What they think that someone want to really change life. That's how people go to the Christ. They, they put their lives and they, God, I don't want to live like I lived before and start doing, it was decision. Right. So, came to the God to talk about that. Can they do that without God? Probably, but in my vision with God, it's easier, way easier. Yeah. You know, that's my vision because it's actually hard work. Like in a relationship, you, you mentioned that your wife said that she choose you, choose love you daily. Of course, same like you. Yes, we can say, oh, I love you because I love you. and yes and no. You love her because she's beautiful. You love her because she's that, she's that, she's that, she's that. If you're going to start mentioning why you love her, it's because there's, I'm sure you will find so many good things and, and you will, and you will figure it out. Yes, I choose because I choose to do good things to you. I choose, yes, you are doing because you are loving, but it's, it's work. It's work. It's work. It's work. Unfortunately, I understood that after divorce.
Keith Vance: Well, it takes two people, right?
Crosstalk: Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Keith Vance: That, thank you for walking me through this process. Because, again, when I work out, I'm focused on what I'm doing. So I can't be fearful of the future. And I can't rehearse the regret when I'm in the gym. I'm focused right now. And that's another thing I just realized that I've been doing that helps me. That's why I said my working out is my therapy because I'm focused. It makes me be here in this moment. It makes me be here now. I'm not worried about the future. I'm not worried about the past. I'm right here right now. It's just me in this bar. And I got to get it off the ground. Exactly. Thank you for helping me with that. That's good.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So this is the thing what I'm doing with kids. But with kids, they don't understand what I'm doing with them. Right. I'm just doing like when we are in the training, I said, you have to focus. I don't yell on them. I said, listen, if you're not going to do that, you will do your training. What you can do in 30 minutes, you will do one hour. Why you should do one hour? Don't play another hour. But play fully when you play. Like 100% play. When you train, give me please that time and let train 100%. And step by step, kid is growing up. That's why I like when parents are bringing their kids and train with them. And step by step, kid is growing and seeing daily how they train with parents, their coach train, and it becomes part of their life. And no matter if they're going to be athletes or no, it matters only one thing, how they're going to react on their life in the future. Yeah. That's the most important thing, what's going to happen with them. Because if everyone will be athlete, no one is going to be athlete. That's me. If everyone is going to be athlete, nobody is going to do construction work. Right. Yes. If everyone is going to be Olympic champion, nobody is going to be Olympic champion. That's me. Yes. You're building character. Exactly. You're building character. Exactly. We are character and mindset. Yes. And same, actually, we spoke about that. If you're going to start lifting with me or you said, Vadim, I want to lift like maybe not 400 pounds, but which actually technically, theoretically can be realistic, real work to you. But you're going to have to focus only on that, which is not going to happen. Right. Yes. But to lift as much enough to you and your body, absolutely possible. More than possible. Yes. No matter how old you are or how young you are. You are 18. Other are just numbers. I feel good. I can tell you that. Yes. I feel good. So that's how it happens. But the most important part, what I'm telling to people who are like adults who are training with me, you are doing that not for Olympic sport. Some of them, yes, really want to compete, for example, in bodybuilding, because you can prepare yourself in the bodybuilding easy. Why not? I mean like it's not an Olympic sport. You have to just build your body, build it properly, proper way, and it's going to work. That's why athletes, for example, after injuries, most likely they switch to the bodybuilding. Oh. Yes. Because they cannot perform in Olympic sport or in professional sport, what requires over humans' abilities. Got it. Their injury cannot do that. Got it. Yes. But they still want to be like in that sports field to keep body shape, to compete. And bodybuilding is one of the greatest opportunities. Or CrossFit is pretty traumatic, pretty dangerous. Again, if you recover properly and do exercise properly, it's a very good thing, to be honest.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So when adults are coming to me, that's what I'm trying to do with them. Like you're doing your, for example, construction work, lawyer, you are expanding, like spreading out your energy. This is your time to fulfill yourself. Yeah. So say, say, buddy, buddy, you are awesome. You did so good work. I want you to be healthy. I want to, I want to not spend money to medical stuff. Yes. Let me be thankful to you, like my castle, you know. And when they train, they start like succeed. They succeed even more than they actually need. For example, every man who trained with me, they lift like heavy weights. Some of them are lifting my team leaders level. Wow. So I'm like, like, guys, you have to push because the man who is 40 years of age lifting more than you. That's cool. Crazy. So, you know, he trains less than you. Because when men, adults come to the training, he knows exactly what he wants. Yeah. Most likely. We start again. Now we're going to go, like, overall. Again, the basic is the same. If you're going to build, like, a skyscraper or just a regular house, you put basic. And there, and there. Yes, it's different. Yes, it's different. Like, concrete. But it's basic. It's still basic. Basic there, basic there. Yes, it's basic. So, same with everyone who I train. It's basic. Basic steps. If, for example, somebody is very well prepared and in good shape, there is exceptions. So, we can just, I'm just watching that basic. Basic is fine. We can start working right with the trainings. Again, without overloading. Yes.
Keith Vance: So, it sounds like it's important to keep it simple. Yes, yes. To keep it simple.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Wise things are simple things. Keep it simple. That's what my coach loved. It was actually an interesting thing. After my injury, I had both shoulder surgeries. That's how we created Training Brain. Oh, good. Yes. Then here I made, like, a Training Brain Academy.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, I started to find out how to train myself. And I tried that method, that method, that method. My national team method. National team coach method. And it works, but something needs more. And then I'm checking that, putting that, putting that, putting that, put it back. That's good. And then I figured out that my plans was very similar, very familiar. And then I checked my books, my notes with my coach, who I worked with eight years. Yeah. To try and input me, like, all information what he had. He had the best university. He was a very good massage therapist. He is. He is. He's 70 years of age. 70 years old. And he is a massage therapist, very good massage therapist as well. And I see the plans, they are absolutely the same. Absolutely the same plans like my coach's plans.
Crosstalk: And only then, at the age of 30, 29 or 30, I understood exactly what he wanted to explain to me. Wow.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So, and it was like copy-paste. If I would do copy-paste with understanding, I would be the smartest person in the world, you know. Like, oh, I have smart plans. Well, let's just follow up them. No, I had to do mistakes, of course. I'm a man. I have to lift up my ego, of course. But now I realize why all his athletes never were injured. I got injuries only with my last coach. Oh. Yes. So, and he, when we started training with him, he changed my plans. My first coach, they are friends. He said, you know, if you're going to train this guy like you train, I can guarantee two, one more, like half a year more, and you will mess up his shoulders for sure. And he told him that. Yes. And he said, no, you don't know. I have an Olympic medalist. You don't know. Yes. He said, you have, but all of them are injured. Wow. Yes. And all of them have surgeries. Wow. Don't do it, please, with my athlete. Wow. Of course, he did not listen. And bumps. Exactly half a year. Bounce both shoulders. Wow. Yeah. So, it was, it wasn't a big problem. I do not blame here. I blame him because, again, coach, especially when we are working in professional field, he going to receive awards and I'm going to receive awards. Right. Yes. He is not interested in getting me injured. Right. Yes. The time when I, when I supposed to slow down and said, coach, it's too much to me. I supposed to tell him. Uh-huh. Yes. Not just, oh, coach, I get more, you know. So, that's why I cannot blame.
Keith Vance: This is, this is a good transition. I got one last question for you. And it's maybe a selfish question. When I'm 50 years old. And, and maybe you can answer this question better after we work out together here in a little bit. Um, but how long can I do this for? How long can I lift heavy weight? How long can I be physically active and healthy? If I do it the proper way, like you're talking about. Can I, can I deadlift and squat at 70? 90 and 95.
Vadim Kosevnikov: As long, as long you are alive. Okay. Yes. Again, it's actually a very good and smart question. What I mean by heavy weight? I hope I responded you on the question about if you can lift or no. Yes, you can. Yes. There's going to be preparation for that. And heavyweight enough to you. Yes. Can you lift 400 pounds? I think so. But it's absolutely another work. It's absolutely another work. So you're going to do only just lifting in your case. There is difference. Can you lift to make your body flexible, more coordinated? Yes, for sure. And it's going to work very well. You're going to feel better your tendons. You're going to feel better overall health. Men's health. If there's going to be ladies' health, yes. It doesn't matter. Hormones are hormones. Testosterone, what have men's, have ladies as well. Just a different amount. Way different amount.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So on that question, I responded. So now this thing, what you said. How long you can lift? As long you want. As long you want. Just we have to understand that if for somebody 100 kilos, it is very lightweight. So other person can be super heavyweight, what can actually kill? Yes. If I'm going to give 50 kilos to four years of age boy, it's definitely going to be disaster. Yes. If I'm going to just take it and put it on his back. You know. But if I'm going to give 50 kilos to you, probably going to be nothing. You know. Or you're going to feel like you are warming up, but you can do actually more. You know. There is difference. So keep your range of movement. Like to body hold flexible. Yes. To feel good. Maybe it's going to be a little less weight, but still going to be heavyweight training. Okay. Yes. So because there is difference. For example, our national team main coach. He's right now around 68 or 69. I don't remember exactly how old he is. But it is the one of the most disciplined person I've ever seen. Okay. And he can do snatch. He can show snatch. He can do squats. He can do everything. He's flexible. He's fine. He no martial arts. He looks good in his age. Okay. So that's why he trains. He just decides to not lift heavyweight. Sometimes he can like do leg press just for fun, but he's always working with athletes. He has to be like in a good shape. And he likes that. So that's why this is a great example that you can lift anytime. Another guy here, there in Sarasota. In Sarasota. I know another man. He is around 63, maybe around 65. I don't remember how old he is. He is competing in bodybuilding competition. He looks better than most of 30 years of age guys. Oh, wow. So, of course, he is doing like hormonal stuff. Yes. But it is requirement for bodybuilding. You're not going to compete. You're not going to be the guy. You're not going to be that level. Understood. But anyway, he is doing heavy lifts, heavy trainings, heavy weights, because that's how he's building up his muscles. And he looks great.
Keith Vance: That's good. Yeah. So. That's good because I built this whole brand called Still Strong. You know, I can't have it. I can't change the name when I'm 70. You know, be like, oh, used to be strong. I got to be Still Strong. That's a good one. Still Strong. Used to be strong, but still moving. And listen, that's the whole point, right? Yes. The whole point is to go through life and not talk about what you used to do. The whole point is talk about what you're doing now, what you plan on doing. Stick with the plan. Yes. So, still doing it, right? So, anyway. Yes. Vadim, let's wrap this thing up. I'll go get a workout in with you. I'll leave it to you. Any last thoughts you want to share? If you could speak into someone's life, if you could speak to yourself when you're a kid, like, what would be the last thought you want to end this thing with?
Crosstalk: Let me think. It's a good question.
Vadim Kosevnikov: It's a good question. What would I say? Something to myself, but younger. That's basically what you meant.
Keith Vance: Either to yourself, from what you know now, or to someone else. And it doesn't matter. There's no right or wrong answer. Just a final thought with a two and a half hour conversation we had.
Vadim Kosevnikov: Coach is not every time right. He's the same human as we are.
Vadim Kosevnikov: However, ego is never right. So, basically, if we're going to... dig deep into that, it's actually a lot of things I said right now. And coach, the proper coach, he's never going to be interested in like making something bad to your body or to yourself. Because coach, technically, is not just a person who trained. It is mentor, it is psychologist, it is sometimes physical therapist, massage therapist, sometimes, sometimes no, but physical therapist for sure. It is like a mental therapist. Yes, because a lot of coaches and athletes are speaking about like not feelings, but concerning. Sure. Concerning and fears, you know. But we have to remember that coach is also human. Yes, it's not a robot who knows everything. He will find out for sure if he loves his athletes or love what he's doing. How did my coaches? Always. There wasn't any problem with that. That's how I try to work with my athletes. Maybe not good as my coaches, but I'm trying at least. So, but ego, ego and arrogance destroys everything. Arrogance, it's like a... It's not ego and arrogance. Ego and arrogance, it is next step, like down step from the pride. Pride, probably, yes. Pride. Yes. Bible always talks about that.
Keith Vance: It's pride, yes. They say that pride was probably the original sin because it says, you know, Lucifer rose up with pride in his heart because he wanted the glory that God was getting. So some would say that all sins stem from pride. There's that school of thought that all sin comes from pride. Interesting to think about. But you're talking about ego and you said the pathway of ego is destruction. So it would make sense.
Vadim Kosevnikov: So if we're going to talk about pride, you know, we have to reduce pride. That's what definitely I would sell. I would sell because, as I said, if we're going to make like a conclusion about plans, yes, only when I was almost 30, I figured out that my plans are actually the same like my coach's plans without copy pasting. That's me and he knows something, you know, and a lot of things. When I do massage therapy to my clients, to the people who are coming to me, I realize that I'm doing exactly what was I thought in the university by the best teachers what I had there. When I'm doing physical therapy, it's like a combination like of that knowledge, you know. So but pride, it destroys everything. Because of pride, we lift up our ego. Because of pride, sometimes we fear of something, actually. For example, I'm not going to go and sell popcorn. It's some work, you know. Why not? You're not doing like something like, you know, dirty things, let's say like that. You're not selling drugs. You're not selling like even drug dealers. Some of them I heard say, we are not selling drugs. We are selling happiness. You know how it sounds, yes? Because they don't have pride. Like technically, yes? They get rid of that sin as soon as possible. They get rid of fear, you know. It's not a good thing. I'm not promoting them. Just the way, how they think. The pride makes us lift up higher than our teachers. The pride, for example, if I would be prideful or arrogant, I would sit here and say, you don't know anything, you know. You have longer life experience. And if you're going to start talking about your, actually a lot of things, what you said here, I'm always like, hmm, I have to keep that in mind. So, pride destroys relationships. Pride destroys families. Yes. It's a huge thing. But the love of God, oh, it can rebuild wherever you want. That's a good point. So. Do everything with love. If you are smiling, smile like you cannot even more. If you are loud, loud from the loudest loud and from your heart. If you are eating, eat properly.
Crosstalk: You don't ever eat.
Vadim Kosevnikov: If you are enjoying life, do everything with love. For example, yes, actually about eating. Eat so much as needs your body, as you love your body. If you drink wine, drink what is not enough for your body. Because if you read Bible, everyone drink wine and fine. But there is never said that you can over drink and do, you know. If you are not going to enjoy coffee, not going to enjoy tea, not going to enjoy some sweets, some that, that, that, that. Maybe we shouldn't live, you know. But do it with love, with like actual love. Not, you know, Vadim said, because, because of love, we have to love what we do. And I'm going to, I love to overeat. And I'm going to do that from, from my heart. Yes. No. Pure love never going to makes, makes you do steps. What's going to destroy you. Right. That's what I mean. That's beautiful. If you're going to start to make steps, we're going to destroy you. You're going to make steps, we're going to destroy your partner, your wife, kids, family. And it's, again, we get stepped back to the pride. Because Vadim said, I'm prideful, I'm going to do that. I can do that. Yes, you can. We can do everything. Yes, we have, God gave us choice. That is the point of God. He created us, same, same, like, like he is. We have freedom of choice. Yes, we have, we have rules. We have countries. We have what holds us. Yes, that's fine. But we have choice to break the rules. Yeah. Or, or to follow the rules. To break the rules, sometimes it's good. But to break the rules in a crime way, on the break the rules here. Right. You know, there is difference. So, that's why never, like, use these words, like, directly. We have to think between these, these words. We can, we have to see in here between, like, like Jesus, say, said, like, he never said, like, oh, you have to do that, that, that. Sometimes he did, but you have to do, but most likely he said, like, like, he took examples to explain. Because there's the way how people understand more. Yeah. Yeah. And that works. That works. So pride. Pride, probably, we have to reduce pride and lift up love. Yeah. The love of God.
Keith Vance: You can't go wrong with showing some humility, can you? Mm-hmm. You can't go wrong with showing humility. But, Dean, I appreciate your time. I appreciate you being on here. I, when I saw you on my Facebook feed, I felt a connection with you and never even met you. Yeah. I'm someone who does that kind of stuff. I know I had to have a disciplined life. And I wanted to get to know that person that I saw in that video. And I'm glad I reached out to you. I'm glad we got together. I'm glad that I hope we become friends. I hope this becomes something that we stay connected. But I do appreciate your time. All right, brother. Let's get out of here. Let's go.
Vadim Kosevnikov: And I hope it's going to be like lifelong friendship. Yeah, I think we will. It is something amazing. Yeah. So, actually, pride, pride, is the thing what made me came here. Hmm. Yeah, let me explain to you. I mean, like, if I wouldn't be prideful, or I want, like, well, it was actually self-respect from my side. But from the other side, it was like a pride, you know, that I'm not going to let this coach grow up like me, you know. And this is step, choice, choice, choice. Then my pride started lifting up, you know, and bombs fighting. Yes. Again, if I would start thinking over there like I think here, probably I wouldn't come here. Right. Now I'm here. I'm here. I'm at this point. We are talking about that. Everything in life happens for a reason. Yeah. Everything has its own time to happen. Yeah. And nothing is going to do with that. Nothing is going to do with that. We can change that. So, that's why there is no mistakes. Yeah. There is only choice what you did right now, and it's right choice right now. That's it. That's good stuff.
Keith Vance: All right, brothers, get out of here. I'm going to go shoot some content, lift some heavy weight. ... ... Watch me rise my way. Slow growth turns into real change. I found joy in the simple days. In honest work and faith. Still Strong, no rush, no rush.