Minisode: Getting Fit with Ben Bruno

Summary

---

Dear Chelsea: Minisode — Getting Fit with Ben Bruno (July 31, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this special minisode, comedian Chelsea Handler is joined by her longtime personal trainer, Ben Bruno, to discuss fitness – especially strength training for women – and to answer listener questions on working out, managing fatigue, and balancing family life with fitness. The episode blends humor, personal stories, and expert advice, providing motivation and demystifying "celebrity" workouts.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing Ben Bruno and the Fitness App

(03:39 – 06:53)

• Chelsea introduces Ben Bruno, her personal trainer for 11 years, and notes his strong presence on Instagram (@benbrunotraining).
• Fun banter about Chelsea’s pets and stories about her famous dogs, Chunk and Tammy, set a casual, relatable mood.
• Chelsea asks Ben about his latest workout app — clarifying it's his newest, not his first.

Notable Quote

• “This is my personal trainer, everyone. Ben Bruno. Ben Bruno training. You can follow him on Instagram at Ben Bruno training.”—Chelsea Handler (03:57)

---

2. Behind Ben Bruno’s Training Philosophy

(12:41 – 18:38)

• Ben shares that he started his app three years ago, now with over 25,000 users.
• His background is working with athletes in Massachusetts, not celebrities, and he emphasizes that "celebrity trainer" is just a title—his methods are the same for all, using basic, accessible equipment and slowly progressive programs.
• The workouts Chelsea does are "average" but heavily effective due to consistency and correct progression.

Notable Quotes

• “There’s a perceived expertise that comes from training celebrities. But the training that you do is the exact same training that I did with moms back in Massachusetts.”—Ben Bruno (13:31)
• “Our workouts are very average. But I’m very strong.”—Chelsea Handler (15:36)
• “I’m tin and stronger than I’ve ever been at 51 years old…this whole myth about weightlifting and this idea, this kind of fallacy that it makes you bigger is not true. It makes you smaller.”—Chelsea Handler (15:47)

Timestamps

• [13:19] – Building perceived expertise; origins in hockey training.
• [14:36] – Basic, no-frills workouts and their unexpected effectiveness.
• [16:28] – The app has seven distinct six-week training programs, now with expanded beginner options after learning from the audience.

---

3. What Sets Ben’s App Apart: Focus on Beginners, True Progression

(17:19 – 19:19)

• Ben explains the app’s accessible design: every exercise includes detailed, step-by-step video instruction, addressing the need for safety and gradual advancement for non-experts.
• The fitness world often skips sharing basics; Ben is keen to correct this and ensure all users start where they need to, not where social media “highlights” suggest.
• For Chelsea, initial workouts were as simple as lunges with 5-pound dumbbells.

Notable Quotes

• “The online fitness social media world shafts beginners a little bit…people post the hard stuff, the novelty stuff, the cool-looking move in order to get clicks. But everyone that is doing those moves started with the basics.”—Ben Bruno (17:19)
• “You have to walk before you run. Most women that aren’t lifelong gym heads come into it with fear – either about bulking up or getting hurt.”—Ben Bruno (19:03)

---

4. Listener Question: Working Out with MS & Managing Fatigue

(20:24 – 26:36)

• Caller Carla, a 44-year-old CPA with MS, seeks advice on managing fatigue and starting simple strength training at home.
• Ben’s advice: The “devil’s in the dose”—choose challenging but manageable weights, avoid “failure” reps, and focus on consistency over intensity.
• Small, sustainable increases in strength yield big results over time. Ben cautions against “all or nothing” approaches and the mainstream fitness push for constant heavy progression.
• Chelsea and Ben both stress the importance of flexible routines: even a 10- or 20-minute workout is beneficial. The real progress comes from showing up, even if it’s just for a short session.

Notable Quotes

• “I always say 7 out of 10 hard in each set and 7 out of 10 hard in each workout. You do your set where you could do a few more reps, but you stop short. Consistent workouts two times a week, but not crushing yourself…makes for long-term, sustainable progress.”—Ben Bruno (21:42)
• “Sometimes I'll just do a 20-minute workout—that gives me the energy that I need. You don't have to commit to doing 45 minutes or an hour every single time.”—Chelsea Handler (24:48)

Timestamps

• [21:12] – Carla describes her fitness and MS journey.
• [21:42] – Ben’s specific strategy for lifting with chronic fatigue.
• [24:48] – Chelsea talks about her own experiences with varying workout lengths.

---

5. Listener Question: When a Partner Over-Exercises after a Baby

(30:50 – 36:44)

• Amy writes in about her brother-in-law, who works out excessively and leaves his wife alone with their newborn.
• Ben offers a dual perspective—as a trainer and a new dad: twice-a-day workouts are excessive and likely more about mental health than physical needs.
• Both agree: new parenthood requires sacrifice in personal routines, especially for fathers who may use fitness as a stress-relief outlet.
• Chelsea and Katherine advocate for the sister to speak up and set boundaries, emphasizing that bonding with the baby and supporting the mother are non-negotiable priorities.

Notable Quotes

• “If you’re going to have kids, you have to give up some shit in the beginning. My life got pretty small the last four months…working out twice a day is just silly from a workout perspective.”—Ben Bruno (32:36)
• “You have to sacrifice. You’ve made a sacrifice. You’ve had a child. Now you have to…once you have them, you have to make the sacrifice. Not forever, but for that incremental, important period.”—Chelsea Handler (35:48)
• “Four hours every day is selfish. You're going to probably run into some significant relationship problems.”—Ben Bruno (36:18)

---

6. Final Thoughts and App Details

(36:46 – 38:16)

• Ben plugs his app, “Bruno Strong,” available via his Instagram or benbruno.com, and expresses appreciation for users and listeners.
• Both encourage listeners—especially women—to try weightlifting, promoting its life-changing effects without the intimidation factor.

Notable Quote

• “Exercise for people who haven’t done it before, haven’t done consistently, it’s truly life changing. I know that sounds like hyperbole. I think you (Chelsea) would say it’s changed your life.”—Ben Bruno (37:52)

---

Memorable Moments

• Chelsea’s dog stories (Chunk being recognized at streetlights, and Tammy tumbling down a hill) serve both as comic relief and as metaphors for gradual progress, survival, and resilience. (06:18 – 08:31)
• The dynamic between Chelsea and Ben—bickering about microphones and tech savviness—grounds the conversation in honesty and accessibility.

---

Important Timestamps

• 03:39 – 06:53: Introduction to Ben Bruno and dog stories
• 12:41 – 18:38: Ben’s training philosophy; celebrity vs. everyday client
• 17:19 – 19:19: App design and beginner focus
• 20:24 – 26:36: Listener question on working out with MS
• 30:50 – 36:44: Listener question: Fitness addiction and new parenthood
• 36:46 – 38:16: Wrap up, app info, and motivation

---

Summary Takeaways

• Strength training with proper progression is for everyone—not just celebrities or young people.
• Small, consistent steps are both realistic and transformative, especially for women and beginners.
• Fitness should be adaptable—short workouts can be as impactful as long ones, especially when energy is low.
• New family dynamics demand flexibility; fitness as a “mental outlet” should not become escapism at the expense of relationships.
• Ben’s “Bruno Strong” app is structured to demystify weightlifting and welcome beginners, offering real-life, non-intimidating guidance.

---

How to Connect

• Find Ben Bruno’s app & info: Link in his Instagram bio (@benbrunotraining) or benbruno.com
• Write to Dear Chelsea: [e-mail]

---

This episode is an encouraging, relatable, and laughter-filled take on fitness—and life—that makes starting out with strength training empowering, not overwhelming.

Transcript

[Chelsea Handler]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human the Breakup no One Saw

[Commercial Announcer]

Coming has hit the freezer aisle. Cherry, Orange and Grape Popsicle Ice Pops are going solo now. Fans must pick a side and help crown the flavorfew champion with a chance to earn a long term solo spot on freezer shelves. Pick up the Cherry, Orange and Grape Popsicle Ice Pop variety pack to experience all three iconic flavors and decide where your loyalty lies and then vote by shouting out your favorite on Social and don't forget to follow the flavor Feud drama all summer long on Instagram.

[Chelsea Handler]

Opsicle it is summertime and Ale Eve is here to keep you on the go. Whether it's planes, trains or automobiles, Aleve's got your back with up to 12 hours of back pain relief. With just one dose, you will get to your destination and be ready for your next adventure. So pack your sunscreen, your shades and your leave. No matter where your final stop is. Aleve will keep you moving from sunup to sundown. Aleve's got your back this summer feel Aleve used as directed for minor aches and pains. This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and

[Ben Bruno]

Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Commercial Announcer]

Your home tells a story and scent

[Katherine Lawrence]

is part of it.

[Chelsea Handler]

With Pura's smart Diffusers, every room can

[Ben Bruno]

have its own fragrance, its own feeling,

[Katherine Lawrence]

bright and energizing in the kitchen, calm

[Ben Bruno]

and grounding in the bedroom.

[Katherine Lawrence]

Set schedules, adjust intensity and control every diffuser right from the Pura app.

[Ben Bruno]

Your whole home scented exactly the way you want it.

[Katherine Lawrence]

Visit pura.com wholehome to start building yours.

[Grooms Brand Representative]

Grooms are a convenient, comprehensive formula in one delicious daily pack of gummy bears. This isn't a multivitamin, a greens gummy or prebiotic. It's all of those things and then some at a fraction of the price. And it actually tastes great. With summer travels and hectic schedule, I need something that makes getting my daily nutrients feel easy, convenient and actually enjoyable. Which is why Gruins has become part of my everyday routine. I love that it's just one delicious daily pack of gummy bears. They're vegan, nut free, gluten free, dairy free with no artificial colors or flavors, and they include 6 grams of prebiotic fiber. That's three times the daily fiber of lean greens, powders and even more than two cups of broccoli. They taste genuinely delicious. They're so convenient wherever I am and I love knowing that the ingredients support my energy and overall wellness. Plus, Gruen's ingredients are backed by over 35,000 research publications. Save up to 52% off with Code Cry at Groons co. That's Code Cry at G R U N S DOT co.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay, guys, here are my dates for the High and Mighty tour. In August, you can find me in Red Bank, New Jersey, Montclair, New Jersey, and Calgary. That's Canada. And September, I will be in Santa Barbara, San Diego, New York City, Philly, and New Haven, Connecticut. October is Atlanta, Baltimore, Saginaw, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Boise, Idaho, and Spokane. And then in November, I'll be in San Francisco. I'm coming to Salt Lake City, Austin, Houston, Dallas, babies. I'll be there. And then in December, I am closing out my tour in Denver and Vancouver. So get your [e-mail] for the high and Mighty tour. Come on up. Come on.

[Grooms Brand Representative]

Yes.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, hi. This is it. This is what we're talking about. Oh, Doug. Can you believe how magical. I wish our listeners could see how beautiful you are. But he just. Well, but he blends in with the sofa. You can't really see him ever.

[Commercial Announcer]

Right?

[Katherine Lawrence]

He's just a void.

[Chelsea Handler]

You could never see this beautiful brown eyes that you have.

[Katherine Lawrence]

She'll lay a white blanket over it.

[Chelsea Handler]

Baby is beautiful. Hello, Ben Bruno. Hi, Ben. We're here to talk about Ben's new workout Apple. How many. What number is this?

[Ben Bruno]

What number is what?

[Chelsea Handler]

Of your workout apps. You've done a few before.

[Ben Bruno]

No. So I. I have.

[Chelsea Handler]

You need a microphone, dumbass.

[Ben Bruno]

Oh, I don't.

[Chelsea Handler]

This is my personal trainer, everyone. Ben Bruno. Ben Bruno training. You can follow him on Instagram at Ben Bruno training.

[Ben Bruno]

Ben Bruno training.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay.

[Ben Bruno]

Did I do this right?

[Brandon Dickert]

Dot com.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. If we have to show you how to use a microphone, then we should.

[Ben Bruno]

This is my world. I should wrap this up. This isn't my world. I. Yeah.

[Katherine Lawrence]

Does Doug hang out with you guys when you're working out?

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, Doug. Doug comes with me to the gym. He comes with me wherever I go. He knows. Cause he sees my bowel packing all my medication, so he knows I'm on my way out. That's how he knows. When he sees a lot of prescription bottles, he's like, oh, she's leaving.

[Caller Carla]

Right?

[Ben Bruno]

Should we tell Katherine the story of when Chunk walked down Wilshire two miles?

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is a good story.

[Ben Bruno]

Do you remember Chunk?

[Katherine Lawrence]

I never met Chunk. Chunk was before my time.

[Chelsea Handler]

Chunk is the dog that made me a mother.

[Ben Bruno]

When I met Chelsea, she was the mother to Chunk. We've. I've trained Chelsea through many different dogs, employees, whatever, and also dogs. And the first dog was Chunk. Was that your first dog period?

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Ben Bruno]

Chunk was, like, famous because it was

[Katherine Lawrence]

on your show, right, Stud Muffin?

[Ben Bruno]

Chunk was the best dog when I met you. Your show was not. Was done.

[Chelsea Handler]

Chelsea Lately.

[Ben Bruno]

Chelsea lately was done.

[Katherine Lawrence]

But Chunk was already a celebrity.

[Ben Bruno]

But Chunk, well. So, long story short, we went to this gym that was an underground parking garage, and Chelsea and I got to talking, and Chunk just meandered away at some point. So Chelsea's assistant. This is actually a true story. The gym was between. If anybody knows Beverly Hills, it was in an alley between Roxbury and Linden, right off Wilshire. So smack dab in Beverly Hills. If you don't know Beverly Hills, I don't know how long goes by, but it must have been. Chunk wasn't fast, so it had to be a while. Cause Chunk kind of walked slow. And so we get a call from Karen, her assistant, saying, one of your fans found Chunk two miles down the road on Wilshire. I'm not making this up. I'm not putting anything on this. Chunk just walked out of the garage and walked two miles down Wilshire and was so famous that some random person just spotted Chunk. And so Chelsea just. I was thinking, like, oh, my God, we got to go get him. Chelsea goes, well, I don't want to get him. That's embarrassing. You go get him. And just hung up. And Karen had to go pick up Chunk. I have no clue how Chunk, like, live through that.

[Chelsea Handler]

But, oh, my gosh, what about Chunk was so funny because Chunk was famous. So people would stop at the. At stoplights when we were on our way to the studio, and they would recognize him and people. Because his head would be out the window, and people would be like, oh, my God, is that Chunk? Is that Chunk? Cause he had his bandana, and it was kind of recognizable. And then I would always be like, oh, yeah, come quickly. Take a picture if you want. Get out of the car at the red light. And then one day, after doing this, like, every morning, it would happen pretty frequently, right? And then one day, Chunk, literally a woman was coming over to take a picture, and Chunk just put his paw on the control window controller to put the window up. He had had it.

[Katherine Lawrence]

He said no pictures of the guy.

[Chelsea Handler]

He was like, fuck this shit. I'm sick of this.

[Katherine Lawrence]

I'm with my family.

[Ben Bruno]

What was the dog chronology?

[Chelsea Handler]

It was Chunk, Chunk, and then Tammy, Tammy, Gary at some point. But Gary was turned.

[Ben Bruno]

Gary was a week. Gary was one of the week.

[Chelsea Handler]

He's a return to sender. I think that was before then. I Had Hodor, who Molly, my cousin took because he.

[Ben Bruno]

And then there was Burt and Bernice,

[Chelsea Handler]

and then Burt and Bernice and then Doug and then Ray J short lived. And we're gonna get another one, though.

[Brandon Dickert]

Great.

[Chelsea Handler]

There's one in Mallorca.

[Katherine Lawrence]

Oh, wait, you're bringing it from Mallorca?

[Chelsea Handler]

I think so. That's the plan as of right now. And we'll see.

[Ben Bruno]

Do you remember when Bernice tumbled down that hill?

[Chelsea Handler]

That's Tammy.

[Ben Bruno]

It was Tammy.

[Chelsea Handler]

Tammy would follow me. Bernice would never fucking follow me. She would hide from me.

[Ben Bruno]

Another funny story that I don't know if translates to words, because I think you had to be there, but Chelsea used to live on this giant hill. I'm not not exaggerating. It was huge.

[Chelsea Handler]

And also it was like a 70 degree angle to come down really steep.

[Ben Bruno]

So when Tammy was new and. And Chelsea gets dogs. They don't look the best when she first gets them. I don't know how to say that. She had a good heart, but she had very little hair. She had all these patches of hair and just looked like a hot mess. And so Chelsea and I were gonna go walk to play tennis at the bottom of the her street. And we look up and Tammy had tried to run to meet us, but went on the steep part of the hill. So I'm not putting anything on this. Down this giant hill, through the bushes and everything. And then just kind of like shook it off and walked away. I was just like, yeah. I have no clue how Tammy lived to tell about that.

[Commercial Announcer]

The public breakup no one saw coming has hit the freezer aisle. After decades together, Cherry, Orange and grape Popsicle ice pops are going their separate ways. And the drama is heating up. It started with Cherry Popsicle's shocking decision to strike out on her own. But after years of sharing freezer space, Orange and Gray Popsicle weren't about to let Cherry Popsicle steal the spotlight. Now the Flavor feud is officially on. Cherry Popsicle wants the spotlight all to herself. But Orange and Gray Popsicle aren't giving it up without a fight. All summer long, fans will decide which flavor deserves the crown and the chance to earn a long term solo spot on freezer shelves. Pick a side. Make your voice heard and let the feud begin. Pick up the Cherry, Orange and Grape Popsicle Ice Pop variety pack to experience all three iconic flavors and decide where your loyalty lies. And then shout out your favorite on Social. And don't forget to follow the Flavor Feud drama all summer long on Instagram and at Popsicle.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

This summer there are 250 reasons to join T Mobile Girls.

[Commercial Announcer]

Trip booked and switching to T Mobile

[Ben Bruno]

help make it happen with experience beyond

[T-Mobile Announcer]

switch and get $100 back plus $650 in value in built in plan benefits. That's $750 in your first year guaranteed.

[Commercial Announcer]

And honestly, that hundred dollars back I'm putting it towards the zipline now.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

That's how you do summer.

[Commercial Announcer]

Exactly. Best switch I ever made.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

This is just one reason to join T Mobile this summer. There are 250 reasons. Find yours

[T-Mobile Legal Disclaimer]

savings based on the value of benefits included with experience beyond like entertainment and one year of AAA Classic and DashPass on us. Benefits may require activation CPlan. For details get $100 via virtual prepaid MasterCard with eligible ported, no cash access and expires in six months. Issued by Sunrise Banks and a member FDIC.

[Grooms Brand Representative]

Allow eight weeks grooms are a convenient, comprehensive formula in one delicious daily pack of Gummy Bears. This isn't a multivitamin, a greens gummy or prebiotic. It's all of those things and then some at a fraction of the price and it actually tastes great. With summer travels and hectic schedule, I need something that makes getting my daily nutrients feel easy, convenient and actually enjoyable. Which is why Gruins has become part of my everyday rout. I love that it's just one delicious daily pack of Gummy Bears. They're vegan, nut free, gluten free, dairy free with no artificial colors or flavors and they include 6 grams of prebiotic fiber that's three times the daily fiber of lean greens powders and even more than two cups of broccoli. They taste genuinely delicious. They're so convenient wherever I am and I love knowing that the ingredients support my energy and overall wellness. Plus, Gruen's ingredients are backed by over 35,000 research publications. Save up to 52% off with code CRY@GROONSCO. That's code CRYO.

[Kal Penn]

Hey everyone, it's Kal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project Hail Mary Massive Sci Fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections and it's like, okay, yo yo yo, is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no, at this point, it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that deeply, emotionally affected me. And I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh, my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, me too.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Irsay the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Katherine Lawrence]

Well, I have one caller for us today and I have a couple other little questions, but we could just keep to one caller.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, first we wanna talk about his fitness program. Oh, yeah, that's what he's here to promote. We want this for women.

[Ben Bruno]

Thank you, by the way. This means a lot.

[Brandon Dickert]

Ben Bruno here.

[Ben Bruno]

Quick backstory on my app, but I started it three years ago and then this past week it was a third party app service because I'm a tech moron. And the program, I'm proud of it. We have 25,000 people that do the app. It's a lot of people, which is, you know, and it's really cool because I, you know, since I've known you, I've essentially just seen the same 10 clients in person every time. So it's been a great way to.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do you want to talk about the other people you train? Do you want to mention their names or do you not? Would you rather not?

[Ben Bruno]

I mean, it's going to just make you sound like a douche. Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, do you want me to do it?

[Ben Bruno]

Yeah, you can? Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay. Justin Timberlake, Jesse Beal, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon. You've trained lots of basketball players.

[Ben Bruno]

Well, so the, the interesting thing about that is that's what I like about the app is, you know, when I moved to la, I didn't have a celebrity training background. I trained hockey players in Massachusetts, and then I moved here and got connected to you and some other people. And celebrity is an interesting thing to me as someone who comes from New Hampshire and like, doesn't really. It's kind of funny to me, like, you name dropping that makes me seem like a star. And really I just like watch ESPN all day. But there's a perceived expertise that comes from training celebrities. So, like, thanks for that. But the training is, I feel like training is, I always say it's one of life's equalizers, but the training that you do is the exact same training that I did with moms back in Massachusetts. Is the same training that's on the app because it's like, you know, I think people think I hate the term celebrity trainer because one, I feel like it's just a douchey term. But two, I think they. There's just connotation. Like, we're doing these wild workouts, right? And at every point in the 11 years we've trained.

[Chelsea Handler]

Eleven years, which is the longest relationship I've ever had with any man, including my brothers.

[Ben Bruno]

But think about it. We work out with dumbbells and a bench and very, you know, basic workouts

[Chelsea Handler]

and stuff straight out of New Jersey.

[Ben Bruno]

And the tr. Actors thing is funny to me because, again, you know, I'm sure there's a lot of fields like this. I'm sure your hair people benefit, your makeup people benefit. There just is a perceived expertise with celebrity. But when I think of actors, you know, as somebody who came from an athletic training background, I look at trainers that train the athletes and be like, well, they really know what they're doing. And actors, I'm like, those were like the theater kids that aren't really that athletic. So the training isn't always what it's hyped up to be, as, you know.

[Chelsea Handler]

What is it hyped up to be, though?

[Ben Bruno]

No, I think that a lot of people probably know of me, which is great because I train you and people like you, famous people. But at the same time, I think you would agree with me. This isn't a knock. Our workouts are very average.

[Brandon Dickert]

Average.

[Chelsea Handler]

But I'm very strong.

[Ben Bruno]

Yeah, you're really strong. But I'm strong now.

[Chelsea Handler]

I'm lifting like 35. I'm just squatting with, like 35 pound dumbbells and stuff.

[Ben Bruno]

No, you do 35s.

[Chelsea Handler]

Awesome. And I'm tin and stronger than I've ever been at 51 years old, first of all. So any ladies that are watching this or listening to this, like, just, you know, this whole myth about weightlifting and this idea, this kind of fallacy that it makes you bigger is not true. It makes you smaller.

[Ben Bruno]

But I think what. What I'm trying to do with this app is just basically bring the training that I do with you and my other clients to everyone. And that has the say, you know, because for the people listening, Chelsea works out with dumbbells and a bench at her, you know, and slightly more at my house, but not. Not crazy. And, you know, with good programming and just slow and steady progression, it goes a long way.

[Chelsea Handler]

How long is the course?

[Ben Bruno]

Each program? Six weeks, but there's seven Total programs. And then what I basically did is I, what I created that just came out a week ago, that's new is when I first started my app, it was a test to myself to see if I could do it as a tech moron, but also just see who was interested. And I learned that I overshot my audience a little in the sense I thought they were going to be more gym people like me. But there's a lot of beginners. And so that is not, there's no judgment to that. I think that everyone follows the same process. And when I was scrolling my phone last week with your videos, I realized we didn't do any videos for like the first three years we trained. And I just shared like pictures of you to just say, oh, I trained celebrity, whatever. But your workouts were nothing to even, they weren't even postworthy because you know,

[Chelsea Handler]

whose fault is that? You were the fucking trainer.

[Ben Bruno]

No. Cause you're new to it. And but my point is I think that the online fitness, social media world shafts beginners a little bit because people really like think, you know, people post the hard stuff, the novelty stuff, the cool looking move in order to get clicks. But everyone that is doing those moves started with the basics. But we never share that because it doesn't look cool. And I never share that with my clients because I'm not trying to throw them under the bus and say here's Chelsea lunging with five pound dumbbells. But you did and now you're lunging with 30 pound dumbbells. And I'll show that because that's badass. But you know, the, the thing about it is like if somebody listening to this without a training background tried to do what you do now after training with me for 11 years, they'd hurt themselves. And so it's, it's, it's not just, you know, the, the further along programs are what you're currently doing. The, you know, we have programs. If you've never done it, it's to kind of build up. Because I think, think about how when we, when I met you, I came to your house and you had dumbbells up to £8 and we worked out on a deck and that was it. And so we've come a long way since then. But I think that when enough time goes by, you sort of forget that stage.

[Chelsea Handler]

But so the program instructs people how to like what level to start with, right?

[Ben Bruno]

Yes.

[Chelsea Handler]

For beginners or people who are just

[Ben Bruno]

getting into weightlifting, it totally walks people through. I set out to make it as close to training with me in person as you can get. So each, each exercise from like every warmup move, you would actually hate it because you think I talk too much. But I give a one and a half minute, kind of like right now, tutorial for every single move.

[Katherine Lawrence]

Okay.

[Ben Bruno]

Well, that's how to do it safely, how much weight to do, how to start, whatever. And so you can. Everyone has to walk before they run. And I think most women that aren't lifelong gym heads come into it with fear either about bulking up or getting hurt. And so I think that I really just shoot to meet people where they're at and start slow and then build.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. But also just to know that, like, that is not, first of all, as we get older, we need to be stronger, period.

[Ben Bruno]

Yeah, totally.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's for your bone density. It's so good for your bone density. It's so good for your lean muscle mass. Yeah. Your hormones, everything. Like, if I don't get a workout in for a couple days, I start to get like ornery, which is not a thing I would ever thought I would say, you know, and even when I'm not with him, which is most of the time, because now I'm traveling a lot, but like, I have the same situation.

[Ben Bruno]

You actually tried the app. I know you won't, but like, I'll try it. Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Tell people how they can download the app. What, how do they do it?

[Ben Bruno]

Through the link on my Instagram.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay.

[Ben Bruno]

And they have this. It's cool. I tried to make it very user friendly. I have seven programs and you can select which one you want in the series. And the more programs you buy, it adds like crazy discounts on top of it. It gets progressively cheaper and it's, you know, it's, it's a very cost effective, simple program that we love it. Yeah, we love it.

[Chelsea Handler]

Did you. Do we have fitness questions?

[Katherine Lawrence]

I do. I have fitness questions.

[Chelsea Handler]

We have a couple fitness question callers. Okay. You want to put your headphones on?

[Caller Carla]

Yeah.

[Katherine Lawrence]

So Carla says hi, Chelsea and crew from down Under. I need some help and have nothing in the toolbox for my current situation. I'm a 44 year old professional CPA living independently with multiple sclerosis. It's been about 11 years living with the diagnosis and I've always found refuge in movement and exercise. My Ms. Diagnosis was the best motivation to explore activities that challenge and support my body. I work out around four days a week, walking outdoors, Pilates and swimming. I see a physio who has been life changing with craniosacral therapy, but a sudden onset of fatigue is making it impossible to continue my normal workout schedule. I'm very deliberate and sensible with my workouts, but would like some tips on how to manage fatigue and working out and how I could start simple workouts at home. I'd love to get safely into weights and have no idea where to start.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, perfect.

[Caller Carla]

Yeah.

[Katherine Lawrence]

I have some basic dumbbells and a barbell at home and unsure if I should start at 2kg, 10kg or 20kg. Do you have any tips on where to start? My goal is functional strength. Carla.

[Chelsea Handler]

Hi, Karla.

[Ben Bruno]

Love this. Hello.

[Caller Carla]

Hi, Carla.

[Brandon Dickert]

Good morning.

[Ben Bruno]

Hi.

[Caller Carla]

Hi.

[Chelsea Handler]

This is my personal trainer. So this is Ben Bruno, and he just launched an app that you could. An exercise app. And not just launched. He launched his newest exercise app. So this is a perfect app for you. You can download it that he has. You want to.

[Ben Bruno]

The program that I would recommend for you is called Intro to Strength Training. It's a beginner program, but listening to what Catherine just said, I think it's really important to remember with exercise that the devil's in the dose. And so when you're really struggling with fatigue, I really. I think that exercise gives you energy as long as you don't overdo it. But if you overdo it, it'll suck your energy. So I really recommend people, I always say 7 out of 10 hard in each set and 7 out of 10 hard in each workout. So what that means is you do your set where you could do a few more reps, but you stop short. Because I think going to true failure is where injury happens and that'll zap your energy. And then stopping the workout before you feel crushed will go a long way and you just make long term, sustainable progress. So I would say consistent workouts two times a week, but not crushing yourself. I think that too many people look at a workout program as all or nothing. I'm either just going to go all in or it's not worth doing.

[Chelsea Handler]

I do that. Yeah.

[Caller Carla]

And I think that I've been doing that in the past.

[Ben Bruno]

Yeah.

[Caller Carla]

That hasn't served me very well.

[Ben Bruno]

Yeah. Part of why I'm. I was so grateful that Chelsea had me on here is I think, a lot of the mainstream info to women about strength training. I love it because I love that strength training is becoming more popular. But I think a lot of the advice comes from men and women like me who have worked out hard their whole life and just like it. But they're trying to make those recommendations ubiquitous to everyone. That just is brand new to training and so it doesn't have to be that intense. A lot of the stuff that I see is telling women with no background that you have to go to failure, that you have to do sprints and super heavy weights and yeah, I don't think you need to do any of that. I think it would, wouldn't make sense for a woman just starting out to train like they're training for the NFL combine. So it's sort of a gentle, simple, sustainable program, will go a long way. And also remember the new buzzword that I actually like is called progressive overload. People teach women to progressively increase the weights, but I think the message that gets lost and can actually be defeating for women is that, for example, Chelsea is lifting 35 pound dumbbells now, and we started with 5 or 10 pound dumbbells, so that's only like 5 or 6 weight increases in 11 years. So I think that sometimes when you really break it down like that, if we were able to increase the way, you know, I see a lot of simple recommendations on mainstream women's podcasts telling women to try to bump the weights up five pounds every time. And that sounds good and that works initially, but if that were the case, Chelsea and I have conservatively done 2,000 workouts. She'd be lifting £10,000 on every single exercise.

[Chelsea Handler]

But I also think that something that you're saying is really important, like with your level of energy and everything. Like sometimes you can go in the gym and sometimes I'll just do a 20 minute workout. And that gives me the energy that I need. You don't have to commit to doing 45 minutes or an hour every single time. And if you do download Ben's programs,

[Ben Bruno]

each class is what it's like 30, 40 minutes.

[Chelsea Handler]

30, 40 minutes. But you know, you don't have to finish the whole thing if you're not feeling it. You just kind of want to do a little bit of something when you feel, you know, that's exactly right.

[Ben Bruno]

I think it's also important to know too that when people say social media is a highlight reel, so is fitness. And I'm guilty of that in the sense that I'll show the day that Chelsea lifts 35 pounds because I'm trying to make her look good, I'm trying to make myself look good and whatever, but. But we're not doing that every time, if that makes sense. Some days we might only lift 20 pound dumbbells and live to fight another day when she's tired or feeling sore. You know, whatever.

[Caller Carla]

Oh, a hundred percent. Yeah. I've really been overdoing it in the past probably three months and that sort of led to a bit of burnout. So at the moment I'm just, you know, some days it's only just a walk around the block. But yeah, I think getting into a program and knowing that even if I just do like the 20 minutes, 30 minutes, maybe one day it might be 10 minutes. Like I think I like to keep habit of doing that daily or you know, at least four or five times a week, some sort of movement and exercise because I found in those times where I let it all go well, then you sort of don't want to pick it up again. So it's. Yeah, having another tool to give me a bit of motivation, do something a little bit differently. Sounds really great.

[Ben Bruno]

Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Great.

[Commercial Announcer]

Awesome.

[Chelsea Handler]

Thank you so much for calling in.

[Katherine Lawrence]

Thanks Carla.

[Caller Carla]

Amazing. Thank you.

[Chelsea Handler]

Bye bye.

[Commercial Announcer]

The public breakup no one saw coming has hit the freezer aisle. After decades together, Cherry, Orange and grape Popsicle ice pops are going their separate ways and the drama is heating up. It started with Cherry Popsicle's shocking decision to strike out on her own. But after years of sharing freezer space, Orange and Grape Popsicle weren't about to let Cherry Popsicle steal the spotlight. Now the flavor feud is officially on. Cherry Popsicle wants the spotlight all to herself. But Orange and Gray Popsicle aren't giving it up without a fight. All summer long fans will decide which flavor deserves the crown and the chance to earn a long term solo spot on freezer shelves. Pick a side. Make your voice heard and let the feud begin. Pick up the cherry, orange and Grape Popsicle ice pop variety path to experience all three iconic flavors and decide where your loyalty lies. And then shout out your favorite on social and don't forget to follow the flavorfew drama all summer long on Instagram Opsicle.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

This summer there are 250 reasons to join T Mobile Girls.

[Commercial Announcer]

Trip booked and switching to T Mobile

[Ben Bruno]

help make it happen with experience beyond

[T-Mobile Announcer]

switch and get $100 back plus $650 in value in built in plan benefits. That's $750 in your first year guaranteed.

[Commercial Announcer]

And honestly, that hundred dollars back, I'm putting it towards the zipline now.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

That's how you do summer.

[Commercial Announcer]

Exactly. Best switch I ever made.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

This is just one reason to join T Mobile this summer. There are 2250 reasons. Find yours

[T-Mobile Legal Disclaimer]

savings based on the value of benefits included with experience beyond like entertainment and one year of AAA Classic and DashPass on US benefits may require activation. C Plan for details, get $100 via virtual prepaid MasterCard with eligible ported, no cash access and expires in six months. Issued by Sunrise Banks and a member FDIC. Allow eight weeks.

[Grooms Brand Representative]

Grooms are a convenient, comprehensive formula in one delicious daily pack of Gummy Bears. This isn't a multivitamin, a greens gummy or a prebiotic. It's all of those things and then some at a fraction of the price. And it actually tastes great. With summer travels and hectic schedule, I need something that makes getting my daily nutrients feel easy, convenient and actually enjoyable. Which is why Gruins has become part of my everyday routine. I love that it's just one delicious daily pack of Gummy Bears. They're vegan, nut free, gluten free, dairy free, with no artificial colors or flavors, and they include 6 grams of prebiotic fiber. That's three times the daily fiber of lean greens, powders and even more than two cups of broccoli. They taste genuinely delicious. They're so convenient wherever I am and I love knowing that the ingredients support my energy and overall wellness. Plus, Gruens ingredients are backed by over 35,000 research publications. Save up to 52% off with code Cry at Gruens Co. That's Code Cry at G R U N S Podcast co.

[Kal Penn]

Hey everyone, it's Kal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary Massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections. And it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo, is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that deeply, emotionally affected me. And I left it on the mic.

[Kal Penn]

That's great.

[Ray Porter]

Cause it served the story. People will say like, oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah dude, me too.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Irsay the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Katherine Lawrence]

All right, do we wanna do another question?

[Chelsea Handler]

Sure, yeah, let's do another question.

[Katherine Lawrence]

All right, well I have getting my confidence back as an athlete or my brother in law works out too much.

[Chelsea Handler]

Do your brother in law works out too much?

[Katherine Lawrence]

Okay, so Amy says. Dear Chelsea, my younger sister has been married for two years and has been with him for six years. And six months ago they had a baby. It should be noted that it was him who initiated and pushed to have a baby, not her. My sister has absolutely loved being a mother and she's objectively a fantastic parent. Her husband on the other hand, has been absent ever since the baby was born. He's at the gym. She gave birth on a Thursday, he came home on a Saturday and then Monday morning he began a twice a day workout routine. He works out for an hour before work, then works out and then three times a week meets up with his friends to go rock climbing for several hours. On the weekends he often goes climbing or to the gym or has evening plans with friends. Meanwhile, my sister is home with the baby. Because of all of this, my sister has spent most of these past six months alone with the baby. He seems truly addicted to fitness. He's always been interested in it, but ever since the baby was born it's gone to another level. My sister has talked to him many times, but he always tells her that he loves being at home. But he also loves being social and sees it as his social time with his friends. When she forces him to stay home, he's miserable and constantly checking his phone. I'm not sure what to do as the sister in law. I love my sister and it's obvious to me she isn't very happy. He doesn't see it as a problem because when he is home, he's very present. That being said, I don't know how to help. I have to stop myself from saying things like wow, he sucks. The truth is he is great when he's home. He's just never home. Any help would be appreciated. Sometimes an outside perspective is what's needed.

[Chelsea Handler]

Amy, I have a brother in law who over exercises. Yeah, yeah. He gets home, he works out, then he goes on a bike ride, then he goes dah dah dah. But I mean, yeah, I don't ever. I don't know. I don't know. But depends. A new dad and a trainer.

[Ben Bruno]

Yeah, I mean as a dude I kind of get it. I would imagine that both the guys you're talking about exercise more for mental reasons than physical reasons. I find working out to be a good mental outlet for me and I'm in New Dad, I mean, I think this guy kind of needs to realize if you're going to have kids, you have to give up some shit in the beginning. It's just like very, you know, that's just what it is. My life got pretty small the last four months. And I understand where he's coming from in the sense that sometimes I miss my old life, but I think that it is what it is. But in terms of working out, working out twice a day is just silly from a workout perspective. So I think that's probably more of a mental outlet. And I think within terms of working out, I will tell you, when I get busy, I. I have a gym in my garage, but I just work out for 20 minutes.

[Chelsea Handler]

I would just call him out to his face. As a sister in law, you have every right to do that. As a sister in law, this doesn't

[Ben Bruno]

feel like a workout question to me. If I feel like I just put on, like, my new dad hat and I'm like, dude, you just got to, like, be home.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, it covers two bases, you know, the expertise in two areas now.

[Ben Bruno]

But I will say, as a guy, I feel like men when they deal with stress. For me, a big part of working out is that. But the common emotion I feel like as life comes at me is anger, more so than sadness or stuff. And so for me, working out has always been an outlet. When I'm pissed off, I just lift really heavy. And it's like a lot more socially acceptable than cussing out your partner or cussing out your neighbor or whatever. Actually, I'll tell you, you know, Chelsea and I are pretty close in a lot of ways. I view her kind of like a sister. I think you would probably agree in that way. And three or four days, I view

[Chelsea Handler]

you as a sister also.

[Ben Bruno]

Hey, girl. No, but I.

[Katherine Lawrence]

She.

[Ben Bruno]

She sent me this text and I was just. She caught me in the wrong mood and I just responded like a dick. And then I just had to, like, a couple hours later, I was like, oh, sorry. But I think that I understand where this guy is coming from because, yeah,

[Chelsea Handler]

it's hard for guys with the dead kids.

[Katherine Lawrence]

For the.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's really, really hard. This has been the hardest four months of Ben's life.

[Ben Bruno]

It comes with amazing things, and it's also really hard. And at the same time, I think everyone tells me that these are the times I'll miss. And so I think this dude that's rock climbing with the homies is gonna regret that.

[T-Mobile Legal Disclaimer]

Yeah, well.

[Katherine Lawrence]

And like, I get that it's a Social outlet. But, like, guess what? You had a baby. Like, you don't get to hang out with your friends.

[Chelsea Handler]

You should definitely say something. I would say something. As a sister in law, I would

[Katherine Lawrence]

say something and keep saying something until he, like, comes correct. What would you say is, like, what's acceptable for a new dad for, like, should he just be doing his before work ones?

[Ben Bruno]

Like, I don't know. I mean, I don't want to ever comment on people's relationships. We have a situation. My wife and I both work from home, so it's the other extreme of just we're just both home all day every day. I do think it's important to take space and you time, but definitely not every day and definitely not for four hours.

[Grooms Brand Representative]

Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

And definitely not with a newborn. Like, that's that trigger. Like, you have to, like, acclimate and give up. You have to sacrifice. You've made a sacrifice. You've had a child. Now you have to. This is why many people don't have children, because they don't have room for this kind of sacrifice. But once you have them, you have to make the sacrifice and you have to give up some of the things you love. Not forever, but for the, you know, that incremental, important period of time to make sure that your baby is okay and that you're bonding.

[Ben Bruno]

Totally. And one thing that I've learned, what I was talking before about the devils in the dose, I think when you talk about taking me time, the same things apply. So I know for my wife Nicole and I, our recharging right now might be like just 30 minutes solo, you know, and that seems acceptable. I think four hours every day is selfish. It's not. You know, you're going to probably run into some significant relationship problems.

[Katherine Lawrence]

Okay, well, let's get Ben back to his baby.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay, Ben. All right, Ben, do you want to give your workout program another shout out for our minisode?

[Ben Bruno]

It. Yeah, it's called Bruno Strong. It's strong. It's all through the link on my Instagram, Instagram, and I have a website, benbruno.com and I'm very thankful for you giving me this opportunity because I find that everyone that signs up for the program has really liked it. It's a weird thing delving into the online stuff because, you know, I'm a d. A true tech moron. And, you know, but as I've learned that if I just publish the workouts that I do with my clients and stuff, it. It has really resonated with people. And I appreciate you giving me your platform because a lot of this stuff that I do, I speak to other trainers and it's kind of like an echo chamber where we obviously all think the same. And I think that exercise for people who haven't done it before, haven't done it consistently, it's truly life changing, I think. You know, I know that sounds like hyperbole. I think you would say it's changed your life totally, you know, making it part of your routine. And so I hope to just bring that to more people.

[Chelsea Handler]

Awesome. Thanks for coming in. Ben Bruno, thanks for being here and thanks for showing me for being such a tech idiot. You showed me how to edit a video this morning.

[Brandon Dickert]

I sure did.

[Ben Bruno]

When we were working out, I kind of.

[Chelsea Handler]

I know. He showed me. I was like, hey, I need to get rid of this last part.

[Ben Bruno]

I spent the last three years just swearing at my computer and my phone. But slowly but surely, I'm getting better.

[Caller Carla]

Excellent.

[Chelsea Handler]

All right, everybody, download the app. Start weightlifting, get your shit together. Summer is here, people.

[Katherine Lawrence]

If you want advice from Chelsea, write in to dearchelsea podcastmail.com Dear Chelsea is a production of iHeartMedia. Follow Chelsea on all socials elseehandler and find Katherine on TikTok Flash Cadabra. Dear Chelsea is edited and engineered by Brandon Dickert Executive Producer Katherine Lawrence. Find full video episodes and minisodes now on Netflix and get tickets to see

[Commercial Announcer]

the breakup no one saw coming has hit the freezer aisle. Cherry, Orange and Grape Popsicle Ice Pops are going solo. Now fans must pick a side and help crown the Flavorfew champion with a chance to earn a long term solo spot on freezer shelves. Pick up the Cherry, Orange and Grape Popsicle Ice Pop variety pack to experience all three iconic flavors and decide where your loyalty lies. And then vote by shouting out your favorite on social. And don't forget to follow the flavor feud drama all summer long on Instagram Opsicle.

[Chelsea Handler]

It is summertime and Aleve is here to keep you on the go. Whether it's planes, trains or automobiles, Aleve's got your back. With up to 12 hours of back pain relief. With just one dose, you will get to your destination and be ready for your next adventure. So pack your sunscreen, your shades and your Aleve. No matter where your final stop is, Aleve will keep you moving from sunup to sundown. Aleve's got your back this summer Feel Aleve use as directed for minor aches and pains.

[Ben Bruno]

I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The sound of a Seatbelt it's one of the most important sounds in our car. It means everyone is ready and everyone is safe. The more our kids see us put

[T-Mobile Announcer]

on our seatbelts, the more natural it

[Ben Bruno]

is for them to put theirs on too. Make it a priority. Buckle up every time. Hear the sound. Make it a habit Paid for by

[Katherine Lawrence]

NHTSA

[Brandon Dickert]

Think about it when it comes to your own food, you can walk into a restaurant, see what's being made, and know exactly what you're getting. But with dog food, most brands keep that completely hidden. Just Food for Dogs does the opposite. They've built their entire brand around open kitchens. You can actually walk in and watch them prepare your dog's meals with real human grade ingredients like chicken, beef, carrots and peas cooked right there in front of you. No mystery, no behind the scenes, you're not allowed to see. That kind of transparency is rare in the pet food world, and it's a big reason they've become the number one vet Recommended fresh dog food Earning trust from pet parents who want to feel confident in what they're feeding When a brand is willing to show you exactly how your dog's food is made, it says a lot about the care, quality and standards behind every meal they produce. Nothing to hide. Everything to love. Go to justfoodfordogs.com and get 50% off your first order.

[Chelsea Handler]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.