Speaker 1: All right, what's up? I'm here with Dan Green from Boss Barbell.
Dan Green: What's up, you guys?
Speaker 1: All right, and we're here at the Record Breakers Meet sponsored by Reebok here in Dublin. So Dan, you are known in the power-lifting world. You've also done some other things. What is your kinda just background in athletics?
Dan Green: I mean, I've been playing sports my entire life. But I think the things that before power-lifting made a difference-
Danny Lehr: Yeah.
Dan Green: ... being a gymnast, that's a big one. Just-
Danny Lehr: Really?
Dan Green: ... all the flexibility and stuff, and shoulder strength. But I played baseball most of my life. So I don't know if that really helps in the power-lifting. But just the mentality I think, of playing competitive sports-
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: ... especially baseball is where, even though it's a team sport, it's really like a one-on-one sport.
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: So that's the biggest one for me.
Danny Lehr: So being a gymnast?
Dan Green: Yeah, I think a gymnast. I think physically that helps a lot.
Danny Lehr: How long did you do gymnastics?
Dan Green: I started when I was a kid.
Danny Lehr: Really?
Dan Green: Yeah. I mean, I did all the way through into my 20s.
Danny Lehr: Nice.
Dan Green: I was actually teaching an adult class when I started as a power-lifter, but-
Danny Lehr: Oh, very cool.
Dan Green: ... once I got above 230 body weight, it was starting to get pretty tough.
Danny Lehr: So gymnastics, and you competed as a gymnast then?
Dan Green: Not so much competing.
Danny Lehr: Just practicing.
Dan Green: Just did it, yeah. Yeah, when I was in college, I was on the cheerleading team at Michigan. So doing the gymnastics was pretty helpful for that.
Danny Lehr: Yeah.
Dan Green: So I mean, not competing in gymnastics pre se, but just the all the flips and the flexibility and stuff from that.
Danny Lehr: So in even doing that, were you doing a lot of strength training at that time for that?
Dan Green: Yeah. I mean, I've always lifted weights since I was 13.
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: With a little crowbar in my room.
Danny Lehr: Yeah.
Dan Green: Just getting a pump in front of the ... Every evening just repping about.
Danny Lehr: What motivated you to start doing that? [inaudible 00:01:42] actor?
Dan Green: Exactly. I think when I was a kid, just you know, you watching Arnold videos.
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: All the movies. That's for sure the motivation when I was young.
Danny Lehr: Arnold?
Dan Green: Just seeing him like, "Awesome." I wanted to lift.
Danny Lehr: Right. And then doing that and the gymnast thing, it all kind of just leads into the right way?
Dan Green: Although the thing too is, once I could go to the gym, it was like independence. So when I was 15 and 16, and I could going to the gym on my own.
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: Yeah, so I was like, "This is way better than just going home and being ... You know, I don't wanna ... " You're at home, it's the parents rules, right?
Danny Lehr: Right. Yeah. [crosstalk 00:02:17]. At the gym, air it out. That's it. What have you done that you're most proud of? Like what accomplishment do you have? It doesn't have to be in athletics, it can be in live work. Or maybe it is. Is there one thing you can think of that stands out that you're most proud of?
Dan Green: I mean, obviously there's like a lot that we've done.
Danny Lehr: Yeah.
Dan Green: Things that I'm proud of besides the lifting would be opening a gym, being married, having a son.
Danny Lehr: Yeah.
Dan Green: All those things. But I think the thing that's important for me is like, just in the process of doing all those things, like not feeling like I had to do something somebody else's way.
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: [inaudible 00:02:48] I'll just do it the right way. 'Cause I think especially opening the gym, it's a way to affect everyone else's lives. And so, Barbell Power is pretty awesome. So if we did that in kind of a compromised or shitty way ... I don't know. I mean, I feel pretty blessed that I'm able to be good at what I do.
Danny Lehr: Yeah.
Dan Green: But to be able to shout-out other people, it's a pretty good opportunity.
Danny Lehr: Oh, awesome.
Dan Green: And I love coaching. So to be able to help people not just with the technique and stuff, but like the mental-
Danny Lehr: Changing lives.
Dan Green: Yeah. I mean, it's just a good way to impact people's lives.
Danny Lehr: And then as far as the actual, the lifting and that type of stuff goes, what's the one thing do you think kinda stands out the most to you? 'Cause sometimes people have had big record, and it not even that.
Dan Green: Yeah.
Danny Lehr: Maybe it's something ... Or maybe it is. Is there something that stands out?
Dan Green: [inaudible 00:03:37] everything is honestly that I've always been my own coach.
Danny Lehr: Yeah.
Dan Green: And so every time I've ... I mean, people always say, "What's your favorite lift."
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: And usually it's the one that is making progress at the moment, right? So sometimes your spot goes up, sometimes its stalled, sometimes the bench. So every time there's a ... I mean, like that it's a challenge, right?
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: So whenever I've been frustrated with something, and I've been able to kind of figure out how do I make good progress from there. That's what's exciting about it to me.
Danny Lehr: Figuring out yourself, and kind of making your own way.
Dan Green: Yeah, exactly. So I mean, I guess you could say that I'm proud that I've pretty much just studied and done everything that I could to figure how to progress on my own.
Danny Lehr: Last thing, if someone wants to get strong, they say, "Hey, I just wanna get ... " What's one tip that you could just ... A kind of across the board one tip someone can do to help get strong?
Dan Green: I mean, first of all, you gotta lift weights. That's gonna be an important part. You gotta get the basics out of the way. But I think the obvious thing's, if you're gonna lift you've gotta just be able to push yourself. That's what it comes down to, 'cause you could lay out all the best training programs on a piece of paper, but if you're not ... I don't think it's cliché to say to get out of your comfort zone. But I think to me that's the biggest thing is, when you're out of your comfort zone, like what are you doing at that point?
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: When you're at the last reps of your set, are you counting the reps to get them over with? Or-
Danny Lehr: Are you mailing it in?
Dan Green: ... are you making those ones really count?
Danny Lehr: Right.
Dan Green: I think people see my training and they are like, "Wow, you grind really hard in your training and stuff." But that's kind of the thing for me is when I'm in that moment where it's uncomfortable, and everything is telling you what should do. But mentally you're in the moment where you say, "I can either make these ones count, or I can ... "
Danny Lehr: Yeah.
Dan Green: So that's always ... I mean, that's what I love about the training the most, is just that ability to push myself.
Danny Lehr: Awesome. Well hey, thanks a lot. Really appreciate your time.
Dan Green: Cool, man. Thank you.
Danny Lehr: All right. Thanks.