Chip and Joanna Gaines | Midlife, Marriage & The Dad Bod

Summary

Stronger with Don Saladino: Episode Summary Episode: Chip and Joanna Gaines | Midlife, Marriage & The Dad Bod
Release Date: July 29, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of Stronger with Don Saladino, fitness coach Don Saladino sits down with the renowned power couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, best known for their TV show Fixer Upper and their thriving business ventures. The discussion delves deep into their personal journeys of building physical and mental strength, navigating midlife challenges, and maintaining a harmonious balance between their bustling careers and family life.

Personal Backstories

Don Saladino opens the conversation by reflecting on his unexpected journey into the podcasting world, highlighting his longstanding relationship with Chip and Joanna Gaines. Despite knowing each other for nearly 25 years, they had never worked out together until recently.

Don Saladino [03:28]: “When I got in touch with Joe and I can’t believe we’ve only known each other for five months. It feels like it’s been 50 years.”

Joanna Gaines shares the dynamic of their relationship, emphasizing their teamwork and mutual support.

Joanna Gaines [03:46]: “We are a team. It was three hours of non-stop work, and I told Chip, I wish you were at more of this stuff with me.”

Overcoming Challenges

The conversation shifts to personal challenges they've faced, including injuries and the mental hurdles of maintaining fitness.

Chip Gaines discusses his marathon training while managing parenting responsibilities.

Chip Gaines [05:08]: “I ran a marathon down to the mailbox and back. If I can’t even get to the mailbox without feeling winded, there’s no way I’m running 26.2 miles.”

Joanna Gaines opens up about her struggles with back injuries and past obsessive behaviors related to fitness.

Joanna Gaines [05:48]: “I never wanted to work out again because I was scared of becoming compulsive. Now, with Don’s help, I focus on a healthy approach without obsession.”

Mental Strength and Mindset

A significant portion of the episode explores the importance of mental resilience in achieving long-term fitness and wellness goals.

Don Saladino [09:19]: “The strong part is how do I get my mind strong? The hardest part for me is feeling 25 in my mind but like an 80-year-old woman physically.”

Joanna Gaines emphasizes shifting focus from past achievements to future aspirations.

Joanna Gaines [09:53]: “Now, I cannot wait to be the best version of myself at 50. It’s about moving forward, not looking back.”

Aging and Fitness

The discussion broadens to include societal perceptions of aging and maintaining physical health.

Don Saladino shares a memorable encounter with a 90-year-old fitness enthusiast, illustrating that fitness is achievable at any age.

Don Saladino [18:06]: “I worked out with Jack Lilane at 90 years old, pressing 50+ pounds. That moment snapped my perspective on longevity and strength.”

Chip Gaines reflects on generational differences in work ethic and physical activity.

Chip Gaines [14:05]: “Manual labor, like my granddad’s, builds inherent strength. It checks many boxes for longevity.”

Balancing Work and Family

Chip and Joanna Gaines discuss the intricate balance of managing a successful career while nurturing a large family and prioritizing personal wellness.

Joanna Gaines [35:06]: “We have family and business as our number one priority, but integrating wellness into our lives is a new challenge we’re learning to navigate.”

Don Saladino offers insights on prioritizing self-care to enhance overall performance in work and family life.

Don Saladino [38:24]: “Prioritize yourself a little bit. If you’re not healthy, you can’t be there for your family or your work the way you want to be.”

Q&A Session

The episode features an interactive Q&A segment where listeners’ questions are addressed, providing practical advice and personal anecdotes.

1. Comparing to Past Selves

Listener Question [21:13]: “How do we stop comparing ourselves to our past selves, especially after health issues or injuries?”

Joanna Gaines shares her transformation in mindset from seeking to revert to her youthful self to aspiring to be her best version at 50.

Joanna Gaines [21:48]: “I want to be the best version of myself at 50. It’s about forward motion and not looking back.”

Chip Gaines emphasizes resilience and continuous improvement despite physical changes.

Chip Gaines [25:34]: “When it gets harder, I still show up. Even if I'm competing against my younger self, I focus on leaving the gym feeling better.”

2. Building Muscle Post-Menopause

Listener Question [31:07]: “As a postmenopausal woman, can you suggest a progressive training program for building muscle at home?”

Don Saladino recommends strength training three times a week, focusing on protein intake and building resilience.

Don Saladino [31:30]: “Focus on strength training, protein intake, and building muscle as resilience. Don’t fear getting bulky; aim to be strong and energetic.”

Joanna Gaines underscores shifting focus from weight loss to muscle building and longevity.

Joanna Gaines [33:45]: “As I get older, I’m focused less on weight loss and more on building muscle for a longer, healthier life.”

3. Balancing Busy Careers with Family and Health

Listener Question [34:46]: “How do you balance the demands of your careers with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and strong family bonds?”

Chip and Joanna Gaines highlight their foundational commitment to family and strategic integration of wellness into their schedules.

Chip Gaines [35:23]: “If I had to choose, my marriage and family would instantly take precedence over fame or business success.”

Joanna Gaines discusses the ongoing learning process of integrating wellness without compromising family and business.

Joanna Gaines [35:53]: “Integrating wellness into our lives while managing family and business is something we're continuously figuring out.”

Closing Remarks

As the episode winds down, Don Saladino, along with Chip and Joanna, reflect on the meaningful conversations and the importance of continuous growth and adaptation.

Don Saladino [57:48]: “Life is exciting because new doors keep opening. I never imagined being here five months ago, and that’s what makes it thrilling.”

Chip Gaines reiterates the significance of balancing personal and professional lives through mutual support and prioritization.

Chip Gaines [58:30]: “If we're going to do four months, we're going to do four months. We're going to document it and push each other to succeed.”

The episode concludes with a reaffirmation of their commitment to strength, both physical and mental, as they continue their journey together.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Don Saladino [03:28]: “When I got in touch with Joe and I can’t believe we’ve only known each other for five months. It feels like it’s been 50 years.”
• Joanna Gaines [03:46]: “We are a team. It was three hours of non-stop work, and I told Chip, I wish you were at more of this stuff with me.”
• Chip Gaines [05:08]: “I ran a marathon down to the mailbox and back. If I can’t even get to the mailbox without feeling winded, there’s no way I’m running 26.2 miles.”
• Joanna Gaines [09:53]: “Now, I cannot wait to be the best version of myself at 50. It’s about moving forward, not looking back.”
• Don Saladino [18:06]: “I worked out with Jack Lilane at 90 years old, pressing 50+ pounds. That moment snapped my perspective on longevity and strength.”
• Joanna Gaines [35:06]: “We have family and business as our number one priority, but integrating wellness into our lives is a new challenge we’re learning to navigate.”
• Don Saladino [38:24]: “Prioritize yourself a little bit. If you’re not healthy, you can’t be there for your family or your work the way you want to be.”
• Joanna Gaines [33:45]: “As I get older, I’m focused less on weight loss and more on building muscle for a longer, healthier life.”
• Chip Gaines [35:23]: “If I had to choose, my marriage and family would instantly take precedence over fame or business success.”
• Don Saladino [57:48]: “Life is exciting because new doors keep opening. I never imagined being here five months ago, and that’s what makes it thrilling.”

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Key Takeaways

1. Mindset Over Obsession: Transitioning from an obsessive approach to fitness to a balanced, healthy mindset is crucial for long-term sustainability.
2. Aging Gracefully: Embracing aging by focusing on muscle building and resilience contributes to longevity and overall well-being.
3. Work-Life Balance: Prioritizing family and integrating wellness into daily routines enhances both personal and professional life.
4. Mental Resilience: Building mental strength is as important as physical training, enabling individuals to overcome setbacks and maintain consistency.
5. Support Systems: Mutual support within relationships and having dedicated coaches or mentors can significantly impact one’s fitness journey.

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This episode of Stronger with Don Saladino provides valuable insights into maintaining strength and balance in midlife, emphasizing the interplay between physical fitness, mental resilience, and personal relationships. Chip and Joanna Gaines share their authentic experiences, offering listeners practical advice and inspiration to build a stronger, healthier life.

Transcript

[Don Saladino]

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[Chip Gaines]

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[Don Saladino]

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[Chip Gaines]

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[Don Saladino]

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[Chip Gaines]

Like you know a secret.

[Joanna Gaines]

But if not, it's time to ask.

[Chip Gaines]

Wait, am I sleeping on JCPenney?

[Joanna Gaines]

Shopjcpenney.com Yes, JCPenney.

[Don Saladino]

You say you'll never join the Navy.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Never climb Mount Fuji on a port.

[Don Saladino]

Visit, or break the sound barrier. Joining the Navy sounds crazy. Saying never actually is. Learn [e-mail] America's Navy forged by the sea.

[Joanna Gaines]

Blind Nil Audio.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

How long would it take a guy like you, Don. We call you behind your back Don Bod.

[Don Saladino]

Okay.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

To get a guy like me, dad Bod. To look like cover.

[Don Saladino]

Ready?

[Joanna Gaines]

Would you go? Would you do a cover?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I don't. Maybe.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, I can get. I can get you. I can get you on a cover in the next three to four months.

[Joanna Gaines]

Wait, you think the same.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

The same thought that if I was serious and got after it, four months.

[Don Saladino]

We could do it. You are going to be miserable.

[Joanna Gaines]

What does that mean?

[Don Saladino]

That means, like the training, the diet. It will be. It will. It's gonna be hard. Do I do I believe it can be done? I. I've done it. I've got to the point where you take your shirt off and you have visible abs and you have those nice lines running. Yeah, that's. That's what he's referring to, those nice lines.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

But no at all. I would leave Joe to borrow for you.

[Don Saladino]

Welcome to Stronger. On today's show, we have the one and only Joanna and Chip Gaines. Through being their trainer, I've got see firsthand how they get stronger in every aspect of their lives and they do it together. I'm Don Saladino. Let's get Stronger with Joanna and Chip Gaines. Guys, first off, thank you. Because, you know, it's just. I'm not going to get emotional, but like, it's. It's ironic where life takes you, right? Like, I, I became a Coach back in 1999. My. My dream was to open gyms. Turning back to 1999, if you told me I was going to be shooting a podcast, first off, what's a podcast? Back then, right? We didn't know this whole digital world, the Internet, I'd be like, what, that thing with an ethernet cable? Like, it's it's bizarre, but you remember that whatever that noise is. But when I got in touch with Joe and I can't believe we've only known each other for.

[Joanna Gaines]

It is crazy.

[Don Saladino]

Five months. I feel like it's been 50 years. And that's just a testament to how great you guys are. But, you know, we're here to talk wellness, fitness, nutrition. I don't want this to come off as something tight, something real stiff that people just can't connect with. I think the reality is, is most people out there, they struggle, you know, they struggle to find their groove. They think people that are in shape are always in that lane where totally. They never break off of it or they never have injuries. I'd love to get a little backstory from both of you. I mean, I think that everyone knows you guys as these, like, TV personalities and obviously exceptional at what you do. But, you know, let us in a little bit. I want to hear where this whole. Give us this backstory.

[Joanna Gaines]

Well, I think the Don, when we talked five months ago, we zoomed, right? And I was sitting there going, I don't even know. Is that. Do you say zoomed?

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, but it was a 90 minute call. Remember that? You were like, let's just hop on a call. And we sat there and, oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead.

[Joanna Gaines]

No. So I think what's crazy when I think about our life, we have known each other for almost 25 years, and we've never once worked out together. And I think about everything that we do together. Yeah, we are together every day.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

We do lots and lots of things together. Work out over 25 years. You know, you think at some point that thought would have entered, been introduced to our ecosystem, but instead we. We always worked hard together. We play well together. You know, we're a couple that. And it reminds me of you and your wife in a lot of ways. Like, as I watch you two, it looks like you sincerely enjoy one another.

[Don Saladino]

We're like, we are a team. So it was funny yesterday because we're flying in, we're sitting next to each other, and we're working. We're like handing each other papers.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Totally.

[Don Saladino]

People are looking at us, I think a little annoyed because it literally was three hours of just non stop work. And not to sound corny, but I said it. I said it to her on the way here. I was like, I wish you were at more of this stuff with me, because we are a team. She just doesn't like to be in front of the camera. She likes to be behind the computer. But your dynamic havoc is very interesting because when you guys get together in a gym, there's a lot of you guys try and push each other. And I think what most people don't realize is you're never going to be fully motivated coming in. Listen, don't. They're days you guys don't want to see me. There are days that you guys don't want to go in there. I get it. But you guys always leave there in a better, better place than you did when you. Before you came in.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

True.

[Joanna Gaines]

And I think when. So when we had this conversation, I think I started thinking, how in the world have we never worked out? We never even talked about it. Like, I just think that it's just something that was.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I ran a marathon.

[Joanna Gaines]

Well, so that's. I mean, he trained for a marathon, but I was pregnant. So.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Yeah, my point was, like, you were super supportive, but typically I would take on an assignment, whatever the assignment would be, and same with you. And then I would be like, I want to do that. Let's do that together. You know? But it really never. It wasn't. It was my thing, and I did it. And you supported me through the whole thing. I remember even as we had to modify the food that I was eating, or I tweaked my ankle, and next thing you know, I was kind of injured. To your point, we were talking about those compression sleeves, those boots. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so I had to wear one of those on occasion. And you were just so helpful through the whole thing. But it wasn't like we became. It's not like we started going on long journeys.

[Joanna Gaines]

We have never talked about, oh, let's do this thing together. Let's do this. We've never had.

[Don Saladino]

Because you reached out to me. You didn't really mention Chip doing this in a group with us. And so that's kind of interesting for me to hear how that started.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

She's a rat. You gotta watch her. Because. What, you don't know this, but she actually did that. So you would give her a rate. And then we basically got two.

[Joanna Gaines]

No, I did not.

[Don Saladino]

I was like, she's.

[Joanna Gaines]

Oh, Chip's just gonna come on this.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

You gotta watch it.

[Don Saladino]

It's so smart, by the way, really. I got it now. True. You were wearing boots.

[Joanna Gaines]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

Well, then you came in. You've evolved. You were wearing boots. And then like a couple days later, he came in in sneakers and a T shirt. And I had like, a tear in my eye. Oh, my God, my boy's all grown up already.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

That's true.

[Don Saladino]

Sorry.

[Joanna Gaines]

No, I think this year, seeing our parents, like, especially, like, my dad, he just actually had knee surgery, Knee replacement surgery on Friday, hip replacement a couple months before. Just watching my parents, I keep thinking, okay, I'm now at the age where I need to choose. It's no longer. Oh, I hope I'm healthy for a long time. I actually have to start doing something actively and intentionally. And so I kind of needed, like, a kick in the butt. And I followed you on social forever.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

And I think it's. I think we should know that you hurt your back. You had a real back injury in high school.

[Don Saladino]

True.

[Joanna Gaines]

Yeah.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

You injured your back. You slipped a disc, and then you had to get a real surgery, of which you had a real other surgery here last year.

[Joanna Gaines]

So I've had a couple surgeries. I have two. I don't know, herniated, bulging discs. And this was kind of a. There's no way this is gonna work kind of a thing like you.

[Don Saladino]

Is that what you thought?

[Joanna Gaines]

No. You live in Rhode Island. Long island, where you live.

[Don Saladino]

Five hours.

[Joanna Gaines]

No, no, no. That's another place you live. You don't live here. I've had trainers come for, like a week, and then I'm like, yeah. So I kind of just thought, oh, let's try this long shot of a deal. I assume you even did this training for two of us in Waco, Texas.

[Don Saladino]

Well, I thought it was one, but you found your way in to get a rape.

[Joanna Gaines]

But that's so I. I think I was like, let's try it. If this works, then maybe it's meant to be. But for me, it was. I need something that's motivating, that's stronger than my mind right now. Cause in my mind, I kept thinking, I have got this back injury. I probably shouldn't be working out. Honestly, maybe I should just walk. And that'd be my workout for the rest of my life. Mentally, I mean, I think for me, I used to work out pretty crazily, like, in college. Like, I was a gymnast in high school, grew up as a gymnast. And then when I went to college and I was done with gym gymnastics, if you're not doing that training anymore, your body just is, like, in shock. And so I think for me, mentally, I turned. I'm kind of an all or nothing person. I turned that workout into something that wasn't healthy.

[Don Saladino]

Right.

[Joanna Gaines]

And so all through college, what's an example of that?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

What do you mean by that?

[Joanna Gaines]

Well, I worked out two and a half to three Hours a day.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, probably like where it becomes almost like a little bit of an obsession.

[Joanna Gaines]

For sure. I wasn't really eating right. I remember some of my days it was saltine crackers and a gallon of water. Like, I had a very unhealthy, just body. I mean, I just. The whole body image thing. And so all through college, that was kind of this monster. That was a quiet monster. No one knew about it, but I think then I meet Chip and never talked about it with anybody. But I think in the back of my mind, I always was scared if I ever work out again, am I going to wake that back up? Because I don't want to be compulsive. I don't want to be obsessed. I now have all these children, so I just.

[Don Saladino]

So competitive. I mean, you're in there and you're like. I could see when that flame turned up a little bit. Yeah.

[Joanna Gaines]

But I didn't want to wake up that unhealthy version of myself that I just tucked away after college. And so I've always kind of stayed away from working out because I just knew, am I going to go back to that? And so I think that's where I think our journey has been so helpful is you kind of helped me get out of my mind and like, hey, don't believe that. That's, you know. And so I think it's just been interesting that I. I don't feel like I'm obsessed with it. I almost just have this healthy approach. Like, I'll give myself a year to see if there's change and improvement. Where before it was a week.

[Don Saladino]

No, no, no. I mean, now, I mean, clearly you guys are coming in there. You're keeping the workouts. I mean, face it, what, 45 minutes we're getting in there and we're moving. I was working out this morning and my hip was tight from, you know, it's like bursitis. I'm 47. Like, body's feeling great, but like, you know what was on a plane, two hour car ride, good night's sleep, but woke up early and was. Did not feel 100%. It's like, all right. Like, I'm not going to put myself into a bad place. I'm going to say, this is what I need to do. I know I can work around it. I'm going to be okay. It's more important for me to keep moving than to just give it up or not recognizing that today's not a day. And going in there with everything I got and just saying, oh, well, let me ignore it. No pain, no game. We're going to figure it out. Right. Like you were on a really good path for months, right? And there was a bad day of travel, maybe some stress compiled on top of that common stuff. And then out of nowhere it's like, all right, uncle, uncle. Like, no, like it's too much. And then, you know, your body's back into a bad place and you're like, oh, wow, here we go again. The whole goal is we're going to figure it out. We're going to minimize this feeling that you went through a few weeks ago. Next year it's going to be less. Yeah, you're going to be in a better place. And I'm confident that every year we're going to, you know, force that to be less and less, which is the whole goal.

[Joanna Gaines]

Where in the past, once I feel that back pain, I'm done. I'm like, well, this doesn't work. And I feel like that's the strong part is like, how do I get my mind strong? Because I think the hardest part for me is I feel like I, in my mind, I feel like I'm 25.

[Don Saladino]

Right.

[Joanna Gaines]

And so, but my body at times like today I feel like I'm an 80 year old woman. And so I think that's the thing I'm always battling is like I feel young and I feel like there's so much I get to do and accomplish. But then this thing kind of holds me back. And so the, even the workout thing, I had such a good scent the last couple months and then all of a sudden something hit like you said. And normally that's when I'd call the trainer and be like, I'm done. And see, I'm not, I shouldn't be working.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. But a lot of it's information because this is what you're going through is exactly what most people go through. They're like, oh, I'm hurt. I went to the doctor, he said, lay off it. She said, lay off. And sometimes that's the worst thing. Right. So I think with the more information that we gather and you're going to gain more confidence and you're going to hear from some pts this next week saying, no, you can train around this. We just need to stay away from X and do more of Y. And I think when you hear that, then you're going to know like, okay, starting to act up. Let me do this. It's going to put me into a bad place. It's like information is so important. But there's so much information out there, and people. It's not their fault. They're, like, going on the Internet and they're reading stuff and they're going on WebMD, and suddenly, like, everyone's dying. Yeah, it's terrible. But we're gonna keep working. This is just. Hopefully our journey's just starting is what I'm saying. Chef. Come on, man. So I know. So you were a baseball player, right? You played baseball. You transferred to Baylor. You were always athletic. You're always. I mean, you're super strong.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Oh, look at me.

[Don Saladino]

I mean, you're in there. I mean, every week it's, like, getting better and better. And you are going to be doing a cover with next year.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I believe it. But, yeah, I'm similar in some ways with Joe to where it's just like, once it fell off, I'm kind of an all or nothing person. And Joe and I are similar in the sense that even. Even, like, in the TV era, when, you know, I mean, we're still in it, but. But when we were in it at the max capacity, at least from our little perspective, it's just like, you know, I work really hard, so that felt like a workout to me, even.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, it is.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

You and I were watching a movie the other day, and the guy was mowing the grass, and he's a doctor and he's this great husband, and he's got all these admirable qualities. But she was like, why do you still mow your own grass? We could pay somebody to do this. And he goes, well, because it's that or the gym. And who's got time to go to the gym? And his idea was like, hey, I do this in lieu of that. And I guess. I guess that's kind of me. I've got big hobbies that are not golf, that are not drinking beers with my buddies. And again, I don't mean to belittle either of those hobbies if. If folks are into that thing, but for me, it's literally hauling big, big, you know, bales of hay around, feeding the animals. We're doing hard work on a construction site. You know, it's like when I get done with a hard day's work, you know, I wonder about that sometimes. Like, our granddads, did they need this other thing because they were really doing hard?

[Don Saladino]

I don't think so. I don't think so. I don't think they did. I don't think they needed the gym. I don't think it would have hurt them. But when you're you know, picking up bags of potatoes as, as a, you know, a 12 year old, like my grandfather was working at his father's fruit stand. Totally, you know, doing this at three, four in the morning, falling asleep in class and the teacher's like letting him sleep because he knows he's, you know, my grandfather's working before and after school there was this old school work ethic that I think a lot of us, many of us don't have anymore. But I think when you're doing manual labor like that and what you like, just the amount that you guys are on your feet and the stuff that you're picking up and carrying, like, I think that's gonna check a lot of boxes right there.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Totally. So I think I kind of lulled myself into that, whether it was right or wrong, you know, and then the idea for me, like, even I felt like this when I, when I, when I did the marathon, I ran down to the mailbox and back, right? It was like, I mean, I don't even know. It couldn't have been a couple hundred yards, you know, there and back was the whole thing. But I just was gas, you know, I felt completely winded. I was in a terrible spot. And I just literally was like, there's no way I'm going to be able to run 26.2 miles. I mean, if I can't even get to the mailbox and back without feeling completely, you know, out of gas. So in that vein, it's just like, for me, it's just like instead of reminding myself, it's almost like back to the point about being a baseball player and an athlete when I was at my best. If I can't compete kind of in that realm, then I'm just like, ah, forget it, you know, altogether.

[Don Saladino]

Right.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I think that, I think that is an unhealthy mantra, you know, because it's like, nobody's gonna always be 25, nobody's always gonna be 35, wherever your best was. And so you kind of hit on this if it's 80% of our best now at 50. Because I woke up the other day and I'm 50 fricking years old. I never saw myself as a 50 year old. I joke with my buddies. It was like I took myself more as the he's going to die young type than the I'm now 50. So even if I died tomorrow, nobody would say, quote, he died young. They might argue that it was too early or whatever we would all say about it, but it wouldn't be the guy died young.

[Don Saladino]

50 is young, you think? I think it's young now. I. I don't know. I think about when I was growing up.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I remember my granddad exactly what you just described at 50. And the dude looked like he was 100.

[Joanna Gaines]

That's why I think it just feels different now. You.

[Don Saladino]

You.

[Joanna Gaines]

If you look young, like. Well.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

But no, I don't.

[Joanna Gaines]

You look young, babe.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I've got wrinkles that you could sleep in.

[Don Saladino]

I think everything. I think everything. That's not true. I think everything's moved, like, 10 years. I think, yes. 50 is probably, like, the new 45.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Wherever.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah. And I don't disagree with that. I believe I want to drop a name that's going to have no relevance to you guys. There's a woman who is my neighbor growing up. Her name was Kay Macy. I think she lived to, like, 104.

[Joanna Gaines]

Wow.

[Don Saladino]

For as long as I was alive till I think the day she died, this woman went into her garden from the moment she woke up, and she just was on her hands and knees and she was shoveling. And I remember every year you're like, wow, Kay's 96 now. Kay's 98 now. Kay's 99 at 100. Plus, she's still out there gardening. So listen, is it gonna. Are you gonna turn into a bodybuilder from gardening? No. Like, I'm not gonna argue the science on that. You're not gonna create a lot of hypertrophy or muscle growth from that. But how are we quantifying success here? Like, what's important to you may be different than what's important to me, but at the end, what should be important to all of us is longevity, Right? You know, like, what. Can we. Can we turn around at 90 and still be doing the things that we love? Okay, fine. Maybe I'm not squatting 500 pounds then, right? I know I'm probably not doing it now, but, you know, are we able to get to that age gracefully and are we able to feel good? And, you know, that's. I think that should be the goal for most of us.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

See, and that's where I'm at and why I'm going to be the skeptic in this whole, you know, conversation. It's just like, I don't know any old people that make it look fun to be old at all. And so I have concluded it must not be fun for anybody. And therefore, for me, at 50, I feel great at 50, but I want to die the year I stop feeling like, crap, Crap.

[Don Saladino]

I Worked out with Jacqueline at 90.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Okay.

[Don Saladino]

He was 90 years old. I was blown away. I was like, I think it was like, Gold's Gyms, I'm gonna screw this up. It was like, gold gyms 100th birthday. Or maybe it was Jack's 90th birthday. Wow. And I'm like, you know, I look like this little guido in the gym wearing like my, my sleeveless shirt. I'm working out. Jack comes in with a camera crew and he points at me because I was in shape. And he just said, let me work out with this, with this young guy. And I remember, what an honor being.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Like, what a legend.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, he's a legend. But I remember the moment being like, oh my God, I gotta miss my workout right now and do whatever this guy's doing. So I went, Mr. Lilane, how are you? I'm done. Like, what are you training today? And he was like, I'm doing chest. I'm like, let's do chest.

[Joanna Gaines]

Wow.

[Don Saladino]

And I ended up hitting chest with him. And the guy was 90 years old, pressing 50 plus pounds on incline.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Jeez.

[Don Saladino]

And I remember this guy was like, handsome.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

No body fat.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

Lean. And I just. That right there snapped.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Wow. You were like, I'm going to be.

[Don Saladino]

21, 22 years old probably at that time. And I remember saying to myself, oh my God, like, this is how it needs to look. It doesn't have to look the way that we envisioned it as we were, you know, growing up as you explaining. This episode of Stronger is brought to you by David protein. Packed with 28 grams of protein, only 150 calories and 0 sugar, David Protein bars are great for staying full and hitting your protein goals without added junk. Now, I use David Protein Bars all the time, especially when I'm traveling. So if I have long road trips or I just got off of about six flights in the last week, David Protein bars. I will load them up in my suitcase and every day I will take them out and I'll throw two to three of them in my backpack in case I am in a pinch and I do not have access to high quality food. So David Protein has given me a solution to wear on airplanes, road trips, on the golf course, anytime I am out of pocket and I don't have access to food, you can always find a David Protein bar on me. Right now, David is offering my listeners a deal to buy four cartons and get the fifth free at davidprotein.com stronger that's davidprotein.com stronger to get your fifth carton for free. Humans aren't perfect, but David is. Give this product a try. All right. So in my challenger community, I always get daily questions that I'm unprepared for. And I thought it'd be fun if we threw you guys on the hot seat a little bit. And I have no idea what questions are coming in. Let me be very clear here. So I'm praying that they're good questions, but.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Cool, man. We're going to all in show, man. Like old school.

[Don Saladino]

This. This reminded me of like the Z 100 days. Like, remember Delilah get the calls in and every once in a while I get the crazy person screaming.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

But it was for us. It was Delilah.

[Joanna Gaines]

She remembered.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Romantic lady who literally would come on at like 8 o' clock at night, and Joe and I were driving back and forth from Dallas to Waco to see each other on these dates. And we would listen to. She would call in and she'd give.

[Joanna Gaines]

You, like, relational advice.

[Don Saladino]

Advice. I love it. Yeah.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

So some version of that is.

[Don Saladino]

Let's get Delilah. All right, cool. I'm excited.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Question number one.

[Don Saladino]

Chelsea. Oh, my God. Good to see you.

[Chip Gaines]

Good to see you.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

So the question that I have is we do talk a lot about how we shouldn't compare ourselves to other people in the gym because everybody's on a different place in their fitness journey, whether it's their first day, fifth year. But as someone who suffers from this personally, how do we kind of attack that when we're comparing ourselves to ourselves from the past, Whether it's Covid or a health issue, an injury, how do we kind of change that when we're not comparing ourselves to somebody else but to a different version of ourselves?

[Don Saladino]

It's a good question.

[Joanna Gaines]

Wow.

[Don Saladino]

She's basically asking. So you're basically asking. You're in comparison to yourself at a specific point in your life. And when you go into the gym, if someone's not in that same place. We were talking about it earlier with when we're in high school or totally, we're operating at 22 years old. I'm feeling a little different now than I was. I'm at 47 and then at 22. So that's what Chelsea's asking. So 100. Joe, you want to.

[Joanna Gaines]

I'll give you one of my secrets that it's not the answer, but one thing I got busted with if years ago. I'm not going to say even a few. Maybe a couple. But I used to put this picture of myself when I was 18 in my G. Yeah. In My drawer, in my drawer. And it was when I had a six pack. And it was like when everything was just. I was healthy, everything was good. And my daughters found it one day and said, mom, this is so weird. You're weird, you know? And it was kind of like, oh my gosh. Like I remember having a moment of like, what do I tell them right now? But that's what would motivate me is how do I get back to that? But I think that's such a fascinating question. And for me, especially being married to a Chip Gaines, the way his brain works and the way that it coaches me. And now even working with Don is like forward motion. And the way my mind has always worked is being inspired by what happened. How do I make it better? How do I not ever have that happen? And so the older I get, I've always tried to just say, okay, how do I look forward? Because that's looking backwards, like the old me. And I love even how you say, if you've mastered not comparing yourself to others, then it's okay. Another version of yourself. The way I look at it now is almost a 48 year old woman is like, I now go, okay, when I'm 50, I can't wait to be this. Where in the past it was always, I want to look like I did when I was 20, 30. And now it's like, I cannot wait to be the best version of myself at 50. And so I, I keep my, like little blinders forward now and don't allow myself to go back. But it's a thing. It's a, like Don and I were talking about earlier, it's a mental exercise. Like, it's, it's something that I have to work on so that it's stronger, but it's definitely something I have to be mindful of. And it's. And attack when I feel like it's.

[Don Saladino]

Coming, but it's gotta be. We were talking about things being practiced, right? Practice, like you gotta practice it and it's not gonna be perfect. But I appreciate you sharing that with us.

[Joanna Gaines]

Do you deal with that? Because you.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

That's the only thing I do struggle with. I think the uniqueness to me is that I don't compare myself to other people. When I see Don, I am sincerely proud of him and I'm excited about his success, who he is, what he looks like. All those things are true for me about Don, and they're sincere and they're real. Because there's some people that just fake that and there's some People who really have it. And then there's most of us, I would argue, who don't have that at all. They see you and there's only a jealous filter. There's only a why can't I. This back to the point we were making. It must be really easy for you because I can't get to that stage, whatever. But when I think about it, and this is what I love so much about your question. When I think about me younger, you know, it came easy things. I was just naturally gifted and all these things, and once it became a challenge to do them, I got worse and worse at it, which is not great, because if you can only do it when it comes easy to you, it's not really a thing. It's not really a gift or a talent. It's when it's hard that you then still show up. And so it's just like I'm. I war with myself about that old version of myself. And it makes it hard when you're in there doing. Literally the other day, Don had me doing bands, and I literally thought he was like pulling my leg. I thought he was like. I thought he. I thought he was literally going to videotape this and then use it against me like at my next birthday party or something. And I'm like, bands, Don? What is that?

[Don Saladino]

Like, I feel terrible just to give you, you know, coming from the coach's corner over here, I would say that I think it's normal to be going in there doing and. And thinking the things that you're thinking. But what do I always tell you guys? Focus on going in and leaving there feeling better. That's always been most people back in the day, when I started, you know, as a coach, they were like, well, you have to have a goal in mind. And I never really understood that because my goal in college was to be stronger for baseball. And when that left, I didn't have like one specific thing I wanted to train for. So I just trained to feel good. And then when time went on, feel good and be well rounded and I trained that and I instill that in my head. And it's. It's the most consistent thing in my life. We can get sick. You never know what's going to happen with business. But me leaving the gym feeling a certain way is the most. One of the most consistent things besides the love I have for my family. Obviously we're putting that aside. That's obvious. But I think that's what I want you to focus on. I want you to focus on the things that they talked about, but also just leave their feeling good. And when you do that, pat yourself on the back, rinse and repeat the following day.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

So I actually do have a follow up question for. That is for you guys, when you are trying to practice, like you were saying, not allowing that to come in, what are some tools that you guys specifically use to quiet that mental block?

[Joanna Gaines]

For me, it's saying things that are positive to myself, which is that's. That feels just as hard as, like, when Don's like, Joe, do 15 pushups. That saying that positive thing, like, you are amazing. You've had five kids. Look how strong you. I have to like, turn the tide of my mind and start going the other way to. Until it's natural and until I believe it. But that, that requires like this mental strength that I feel like as I'm working out with dawn and I'm thinking of all these things and I'm spiraling internally, but I'm doing the strong thing externally. I feel like now it's starting to match up to where when I do leave, my mind feels strong and I feel like, oh, Joe, you are killing it. And my body feels strong too. But it just, it starts with that positive, like, just start saying all the things about yourself that you're so proud of. I feel like they just like washes over you and is so good.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Amen. Chelsea, I think you and I are similar in the sense that, you know, I don't even know the answer. I don't have any advice because I really do compete against that younger version of myself. And to be really frank, I've just gotten to where it's just like I don't even know what to do with it. It's not like I've concluded by this positive thing that then I've whooped it. And let me give you some great advice as it relates to this success. I feel it's just like, man, there was a thing that I remembered that was natural. And it just. I woke up and I felt good, I looked good. You know, things were right. And then you get to be 50 and you wake up. And I guess this is the point you're making. Even in my best, Even on my best day, I still look at them in the mirror and I'm like, man, God, I wish I could this, I wish I could that. And I wonder, I really wonder. Do you, out of curiosity, do you have some advice from. From our perspective in the sense of, like, what has worked for you as you've, as you've Debated through this and as you've worked through it in your own. In your own lane.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

So a little history. I came from a bodybuilding background, so I competed as a bikini competitor in 2019. So what I've found is that I forgot how hard it was when I started.

[Joanna Gaines]

Wow.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

And by the time I got to the point where I was in that shape and lifting that much and all of that, I had been working at it for a year and a half. But you kind of forget when you're in the trenches and the slug and when it was hard. So I'm trying really to kind of remind myself when I'm restarting my gym journey and trying to get back into fitness, that it wasn't easy when I started. It was easy when I ended because of COVID But so trying to kind of remember that timeline.

[Don Saladino]

I'm gonna add one thing to that, Chels, and I love that, by the way. Cause I think we all have a tendency to forget, but I think sometimes a lot of the negative is almost what makes us great at times. Use it constructively. I don't want you to obsess to the point where you're getting yourself sick over it, but I want you to, again, feel good. Just. And that starts. That starts one workout. And one day at a time, one meal at a time. Just. And you know what? When you deviate off of that and you go for the holidays and you have a good time, Great. Get back on it the next day. Don't beat yourself up. And when you could do that, more and more and more good things are going to happen.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Yeah. Thank you guys for your time.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Like, at the end of one of your sessions, do you feel like you feel better?

[Don Saladino]

Yeah.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Okay, good. Because I completely agree with that. I go into it wishing I could be who I used to be, but then regardless, at the end of that workout, I feel better than I did before I got there. So maybe there's just hundreds of those that then finally get you to this place to where you're like, I really like the results. I like the way it's ended.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

I will caveat that with. Except when you finish a band workout with Don Saladino.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, Listen, just always a little. A little form of advice here. And I'm going to tell it to them to just blame your coach. It's the best thing to do. At least I'll take the brunt of everything and. And we'll move on. Awesome, Chels, thanks. It's great seeing you.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Nice to meet you.

[Joanna Gaines]

Bye.

[Don Saladino]

Bye. Bye. All right, let's take another one. That was fun.

[Joanna Gaines]

That one made me really think. Stuff just, like, comes up that you.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

For sure.

[Don Saladino]

I think this is good for you, too, to reiterate. Yeah, I just believe that. Marta, how are you?

[Joanna Gaines]

Hi. I'm good. How are you guys?

[Don Saladino]

Good to see you.

[Joanna Gaines]

Thank you so much for allowing me to join in.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Oh, stop. This is incredible. I can't. We can't wait to hear your question. We're kind of nervous. We're scared.

[Joanna Gaines]

I think you're probably okay with this question, Chip. Okay, so as a post menopausal woman, woman who's trying to build muscle, can you suggest a weekly progressive training program that I and. And other women like me perhaps can do at home?

[Don Saladino]

Yes. So, first off, strength training. We. We just had Dr. Gabrielle Lyon on recently. You should look her up. She's phenomenal. But we were talking a lot about getting at least three to four strength days in. I would start with maybe three. They don't have to be long. Probably 30 to 40 minutes. Keep it basic. I offer free programs, so if you just go onto my website, there's a hint. Hint. There's a free program on there that you can take advantage of, but just do that. I don't want to push anything on you, but I would also focus on things like protein. Right. Protein's very important. And putting a lot of weight behind building muscle as we get older. Muscle is our resilience. It's our body armor. It's going to help with our metabolism. And I think that's something that, you know, not to generalize, but a lot of women get afraid of. Right? They're like, oh, I want to do cardio. I don't want to. I don't want to get big and bulky. Like, trust me, try to get strong and bulky. You're not going to. You're going to be just fine. But if you focus on those things, I think you're going to be in a great place.

[Joanna Gaines]

Okay. That's great. Yeah. I found you through Dr. Lyon, actually. I listened to the podcast that you were on and been kind of following you since, so I'm a big fan.

[Don Saladino]

Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. And any. Any way I can help. Just, you know, I. I tried my hardest to. To respond to everyone. So shoot me a dm. I won't forget you.

[Joanna Gaines]

Okay. That sounds great, Marta.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I don't know if this is going to be an encouragement or a discouragement, but just to try to be encouraging. Hopefully this is encouraging. We are all working out in the same way.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

You know, it's just like, wow. As he described what would be good for you? I literally was like, wait, Don just got me on the same work?

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, but. But. But that's. That's the misconception, because every female I've worked with in Hollywood, I'll name drop the, you know, Blake Lively's, the Annie Hathaways, you know, Cindy Crawfords. They. They train the way I train men. It's like, what is it? We want to get them strong. I want them to be able to move. I want them to have high levels of energy. You know, I want you to be able to get good rest and rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. And I think if you focus on that and just don't try and do too much, get in, get out, good things will happen. All right.

[Joanna Gaines]

Right. That's my aim. That's my aim. As I get older, I'm focused much less on weight loss than on building muscle and living a lot, as long and healthy of a life as I can.

[Don Saladino]

Well, you know, totally. We talked about it earlier that if we focus on those basics, those. I call them, like NSVs, non scale victories. If we can just take those NSVs and work on the boring things. It's not the sauna. It's not the cold plunge. It's not the vitamin. Right. It's us doing the monotonous things over and over. And most people look for this different answer. And when I say there's not a different answer, it's totally like the hard things in life. I think when it comes to fitness is doing those monotonous things over and over. And a lot of times, people are always looking for this magic pill, and there really is none. So keep it up. I'm excited to help you through your journey if you allow me to.

[Joanna Gaines]

All right, Absolutely. Thank you so much again. I appreciate it.

[Don Saladino]

Thank you.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Bye, Morta.

[Don Saladino]

Bye. All right, let's take a couple more. Are you guys okay with taking a.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Let's go.

[Don Saladino]

This is exciting. All right. I'm excited. Come on. Hello. What's going on, Sean? What's going on, man? It's good to see you, Don. It's always good to see you. Chip And Joanna, it is wonderful to meet you. My wife and I have been inspired during our own renovations on hashtag team demo Day.

[Joanna Gaines]

Nice.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Looks like I'm looking into a mirror, Sean. I can't tell where I've stopped and you've started.

[Don Saladino]

Awesome. What's up, brother? So my question to you all is, how do you balance the demands of your busy careers with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a strong family bond?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Yeah, we, We. We are honored by that question, to be really frank, because if all hell broke loose tomorrow and I had to choose between fame or success or this business and my wife and my kids. Oh, yeah, the fame and the business and the. And the.

[Don Saladino]

What was the success?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I remember the three that I was debating there. But as I think about fame and success and money, you know, in comparison to my marriage and my family, it would just instantly. All of this would instantly go away, and my wife and my kids would be back on the farm raising animals. We'd be a part of the ffa. I mean, who knows what would happen next, you know, But Joe and I are just like, we believe that if we believe we can have our cake and eat it too, in the sense that I can be successful and I can have a healthy marriage and family. But I will say if I, If I find to be mistaken about that, you know, sort of like hypothesis, then then no problem, I'll have a great marriage and a great family. That'll be sufficient, strong.

[Joanna Gaines]

I think the one thing we're learning. Sean, I like this question because it. I like Chip said, we had these non negotiables from day one, whether we were struggling for the first 12 years of our marriage. Like, every Friday was like, well, is this when we close our doors? Like, every day we showed up, it was like, well, if all this goes away, we still have each other. So that was like the core and the foundation of who we are, who we were. And then now we have these five babies. And so everything he's saying is like, that's the core of who we are. Every decision we make, we say, how will this affect this? I will say the one thing we've never been great at is, okay, we have this business that we love, that we're truly passionate about. We have this family that we like is our number one kind of thing. But then this wellness piece, this. How do I now integrate eating? Well, working out, like what we found. We've known Don for only five months, but it bumps into every schedule because we love, like, work. And. And so now it's like, well, I have a meeting at that time. So now it's like, okay, at this stage in our life, what we're trying to figure out is we've got family, we've got business, like, that's our thing. But now this wellness and health and working out, that is a new thing for Us that we're trying to figure out, how does that just work in this balance of life? And dawn has been very patient with us, but that is a thing that we're trying to figure out because it is hard to do all of it so well. And so what we do understand, though, is when you get that wellness thing down, man, the way that you perform better at work and he isn't, as a parent, like, all of that makes everything better. So it needs to be a priority. But just almost 25 years into our relationship, we're now figuring that out, and it feels like we're just learning.

[Don Saladino]

You and I talk about this a lot. We've had several conversations where we believe that obviously you have. I mean, because you're. You guys are massively successful, but, like, you have the family and you have the success. Mixing in the training now, but not the train. I don't want to use that word because it sounds so, like, militant. Mixing in the wellness component to it. I think we all have to get a little. The word's not selfish. But, like, to most people, they think it is selfish because they're prioritizing ourselves. It's a line I stole from a therapist years ago. Clean your side of the street.

[Joanna Gaines]

Wow.

[Don Saladino]

And if you're. If you're showing up to work every day or your family and you're not healthy, your kids are smart. They're gonna see it.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Come on.

[Don Saladino]

You're not gonna be able to be there for your employees the way you wanna be there. So I think it really. All this stuff, and this is what I try and tell people, is, yeah, okay, if you think it's selfish, get a little selfish. Like, turn around and give yourself a little bit of time, a couple days a week for a walk. Do something that's gonna make yourself feel better. And I think all these other things, like you were talking about earlier, are gonna improve because you're feeling good about yourself. It's very difficult, I think, to be. You know, to be going into the workforce or the workplace or doing the things that you need to do in business and in life. If you're sitting here and you're like, I don't feel good about myself. I'm, you know, I don't feel healthy. My energy level's terrible. And then your kids, like, very common question. People will call me up, well, how did you get your kids to be healthy? I'm like, I didn't get them to do anything. Like, I led by example. Yeah. And they just decided to follow. They still eat pizza they still eat ice cream. They still do the thing kids do. But during the week, I'll come home and my daughter the other day, she's grilling salmon. A seven year old that she's eating like veggies. And I'm like, just looking at her like, like, but like, I'm not telling her to do any of that totally by example. But you, but you got to, you got to prioritize your. Yourself, I think, I think that's fantastic. Thank you guys so much.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Don't run off, Sean. Give us some advice. What works well for you? Yes, we believe that every person has something to, to teach us under almost every circumstance. So thank you for listening to us and we appreciate you implying that the three of us have the answers to the universe. But if we were to flip it back to you, tell us some ways that you're successful in that, in that work, life, balance and that how do you do, how do you manage the family?

[Don Saladino]

Selling himself short, by the way.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Okay.

[Don Saladino]

He's in great shape and he's a good family man and is a hard worker. So Sean's been one of my challengers for a long time. And Sean, you, you lead by example. Trust me, you're someone I've loved.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Come on.

[Don Saladino]

I appreciate it. Yeah. Part of, part of what makes it easy for me is that I, I have to do my, my health and fitness in the morning. Like, I work out first thing in the morning. If I don't do it then, then it's real hard to kind of juggle it into the rest of your life. And you got to be like, you have to have your cornerstones. I guess, like you were all saying, you have to believe in your family, believe in yourself and, and be there for him. And then things just kind of seem to start working out.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Beautiful sentiment.

[Don Saladino]

I love it.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Appreciate that.

[Don Saladino]

Sean, Sean, thanks for being on, man. It's great seeing you as always. Thanks for having me. See you back at the group.

[Joanna Gaines]

Awesome. Nice to meet you.

[Don Saladino]

All right, next up we have Amber. Hey, Amber.

[Joanna Gaines]

Hi, Amber.

[Don Saladino]

How are you?

[Joanna Gaines]

I'm good.

[Chip Gaines]

How are you guys?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Good.

[Don Saladino]

We're excited to have you on.

[Chip Gaines]

You too. So if you had the incredible once in a lifetime opportunity to send your younger self a postcard from the future, knowing all that you do now, what would you give yourself on living an abundant, fit and healthy life?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Oh, my gosh. Mine's going to be so arrogant. So I'm just going to start and I'm going to give you guys lots.

[Joanna Gaines]

Yeah, give me time.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Send myself a Postcard back when I was younger, did you have a specific age or did you just say my younger self? Was there an age?

[Chip Gaines]

Maybe an impressionable age?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Okay, there you go. An impressionable age. I would send a postcard, it'd be amazing. And I've got a. Just an eerie suspicion that Don. Don's and I would be similar. I'd be like, bro, you're right.

[Joanna Gaines]

Maybe we should just in there freaking.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

People that are speaking these things over you definitively are completely mistaken. And just think about the power of that kid getting a note from himself in the future saying that you were right, you were right all along to wonder and to question the circumstances and to wonder if. If this system was really built for you or if it was really just.

[Don Saladino]

A kind of dude, I love you. No, I'm jumping in right now. I love you, man. I listened to a hitting coach last year at I never say right, Louisville.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Oh yeah, we will, slugger.

[Don Saladino]

And he turned around. He goes, one thing that I tell all of my players, and he goes, what? He goes, not prove them wrong. Prove them right. And I go, what do you mean? He goes, don't pay attention to the naysayers in the past. Pay attention to the people that really uplifted you and put you in the right. So why are we always saying prove them wrong. Go back and prove the people who believed in you, who told you you can do it. Prove them right.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Right.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, that gets you amped up. We're doing push ups after this.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Chill, bro. Me too.

[Don Saladino]

Answer your question. I don't think that even answers your question. We're just running right now.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

It's not a great postcard, but my only sentiment behind it is just that I think we're born with innate, real clear visions of life. And then I think it's. It's the world's job to sort of steal that clarity from us. But what would you. What would you.

[Joanna Gaines]

When you said an impressionable age, I went right to.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

What age do you think of yourself?

[Joanna Gaines]

16 years old and I was a sophomore in high school. Transferred. I was private school most of my life. So like 25 kids in my class, so, you know, thrived. 25 kids, you know, everybody, you're best friends with everybody. We moved to Austin, Texas, and my parents put me in a 5A public school in January. It's like right after the holidays. I have never been in a school this big in my life. And I shut down. And for the first. This is one of those things. I've shared this in quieter ways. Well, I say quieter, I put it in a book. But I remember the first couple months I spent my. What is it? Lunch period. Because the first day I went to school, I walked in that cafeteria and saw a sea of people that I felt like none of them saw me or noticed me. And I didn't know what to do. So I walked straight through that cafeteria. I've never been in a room that big with that many people. And went to the bathroom and hid until the bell rang.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

You sat on the toilet?

[Joanna Gaines]

No, I just was. I wasn't on the toilet, but I was in the stall. And then later, I would find every which way to hide. During this, I became a master at. Okay, I'll go to the library. When the library closed. Oh, my stomach hurts. I'd have to go to the nurse. So for, like, three months, I'd have to make up why I wasn't in the lunchroom. But I would tell that girl that one day you will feel seen and you will feel valuable. And what I mean by that isn't because of the faint. None of that. It's because I have a husband who values me in such a way that he calls me up and out. I have these beautiful five children, and I feel the most known when I'm at home. But to think about me at 16, hiding in a stall, feeling completely invisible, like, does anyone even care? Does anyone even care to know my story? And I didn't feel like they did, which is why I hid for three months. To be able to tell myself that one day you will feel seen and noticed and valuable, I think would just be that encouragement I needed at that moment because I felt very alone and. And again, dawn, like you were saying earlier, would I ever erase that? Absolutely not. Because it gives me the empathy for people that are experiencing that at whatever season of life. But I wish I would have known that truth earlier so that I didn't feel the need to hide.

[Don Saladino]

Man, I'm gonna. I mean, there's so many. God, I mean, do you have a box of postcards? Because I'd send it back to so many different ages.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

When she says impressionable, what age comes to mind?

[Don Saladino]

You know what?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

That's interesting.

[Don Saladino]

I'm gonna probably say it was when I opened my first gym at 27, which is later. And trust me, I needed a lot of work before that. But I think the postcard would have said, relax, bro. Like, stop trying to control everything. Yeah. Stop trying to make things out to seem more important than they are or. Or putting things on such a Pedestal where at the end of the day, I was a gym owner, I was a trainer. Wasn't life or death. You know, people aren't going to go home and care about things the way that I cared about it. And when I couldn't control situations internally, I really struggled with that, I think. And looking back on it now, I think it's ridiculous. And, you know, a part of me is. Is. Is happy that I was trying to work hard and do those things. But I think there's just certain things that are out of our power in life. And you can just tell yourself, am I doing everything I can? And if you could honestly say or believe, because the answer is always yes. Can you do. Can you do more? There's always a way you can do more. But you got to ask yourself, with what I have and what God gave me and what I'm going to the table with, am I doing all I can? And a lot of times the answer was really yes. Or at least I felt like it was totally, yeah, that's all I can do. Yeah. So stuff. So relax, bro. That would be. That would be. That would be my line to myself. But those are. I think that those are great questions.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Amber, what would you say to your perfect little, come on, impressionable self?

[Chip Gaines]

Oh, gosh, I've been thinking about this, because I've been thinking about this question. What I would tell myself is, what.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Age do you envision this young version of yourself? How about, how old is she?

[Chip Gaines]

She's about my daughter's age. My daughter's three. But I also, like, I think about her as she gets older and older, and what I'm gonna have to keep on reminding her of and as well as myself as I get older. And what I would tell her and my younger self is to keep on saying, seeking, creating, and going on adventures. When I was little, I used to, like, I was an only child and had a lot of time on my hands. And I would just go outside and make treasure maps and treasure hunts and bury, like, my Crayola box with all of my marbles and couch cushion coins and, like, right underneath the tire swing because that was the only bald spot in the yard. And then I would start at the other end of the yard and I would go all the way. And it was just. It was just so much fun and so much joy. But then I was thinking, as I get older and as people get older, kind of like what you guys were talking about, we forget that we can still create these adventures that X on, like, marks the spot is going to be totally different. It's going to be a totally different goal, a totally different intention, but we still have the opportunity to seek out adventure and goals and.

[Don Saladino]

And.

[Chip Gaines]

And just the thrill of fun. I was thinking also, too, like, not everything has to be attached to an roi. Having fun, enjoy. That's as simple and good of a reason to do it.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Totally great word.

[Don Saladino]

I like it.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Kudos.

[Don Saladino]

Well, listen, thank you for coming on those are. You really made us think there for a second.

[Joanna Gaines]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

That's interesting, but thank you. Listen, well done. Appreciate your question. Thanks again, you guys. Bye.

[Joanna Gaines]

Bye.

[Don Saladino]

So we got some great caller questions. When we're typically working together, we're always like, I think on the go, right? It's, you know, we got a certain amount of time to turn the session around in. Do you guys have anything for me? Anything you want to ask me while we're sitting here in this beautiful room?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Oh, come on. I can't believe this is our first podcast together. I mean, it feels like we've done like, 5 million of these, doesn't it?

[Don Saladino]

Million man. Hopefully many more.

[Joanna Gaines]

Yeah, mine is more. So the question is for myself, dawn, because you are the motivational. Anytime we're working out, I'm like, thank God for Dawn, because you helped me get out of my head.

[Don Saladino]

Thank you.

[Joanna Gaines]

But on days when it is hard and I feel like, like, I do think it's a better choice to just lay flat and not be active. Just like, okay, my back is killing me. Sometimes it's mental, where it's just like, I just feel like crap today. What is the thing that I just need to remember? Like, if you were to say, okay, Joe, you obviously don't live here. You're not. We're not talking to you every day. But knowing, okay, I'm going to work out with dawn today, but is this hard for me? What is the thing? Like, what do I need to tell myself? What is something? That would just be the. I need to.

[Don Saladino]

There are times. There are times where, you know, you got to shut it down.

[Joanna Gaines]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

All right. And I think you know the answer, Joe, are you being lazy or do you really need a day off? Like, are you going to be able to honestly look at me and give that answer? And sometimes it's like, all right, maybe I'm being a little lazy. Maybe I need to get in there and do something. But look at. Look at the last couple days or whatever if you're sick or maybe your kids are up late or maybe you didn't sleep much or something happened Once in a while, taking that additional rest is something that I want you to do. And I'll be the first to tell you, if it's not getting better and you just feel like you're going down this rabbit hole and you just want to, like, shut it down and rest, that's great. But I think we have to be honest with ourselves, and we got to ask. All right. I've been working crazy hard over the last months, weeks. I haven't had a day off. I haven't had time to shut down. You know, we want to just go get lost, lay on the couch for a day, which is something we don't do enough of, right? Like, just taking that day. It's raining out. I want to put some movies on, light a fire, drink some coffee and relax. It's like, that's mental health. Like, if you guys need that, I'll be the first to tell you to do it, right? Please do it. But then there's other times where I think, you know, you got to say to yourself, I got a. I got a busy day. I'm going to be on camera. I am not feeling good today. I need to go move a little bit, because this is going to set me up in a position to be successful when I'm on camera. I know I'm going to feel better. I got to find it today. I need to do this. Because you haven't yet really left a session, being in a worse place mentally. I know you've gone into sessions where you're in pain or something's going on there, but most of the time, we have you leaving, and you're like, all right, I'm in a better place. I still feel like garbage, but I am in a better place. So I think that's something again. That's. That behavior needs to be practiced. It's like that discipline, right?

[Joanna Gaines]

Does motivation come first or discipline? You're saying discipline first. And I said discipline.

[Don Saladino]

I say, because motivation is not going to be there.

[Joanna Gaines]

Okay, so discipline first, irony.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I think it's motivation that gets you to first base, right? Then you build the discipline, and then that's what sustainability sustains you. And then motivation just comes incrementally.

[Don Saladino]

He's right. There's got to be that motivational piece to want to make that change.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Because if you never start with the. I was sparked, I was encouraged, inspired, whatever to do.

[Don Saladino]

But I loved. I loved what Chelsea said. One of our guests, right, she turned around, she said, I was a year and a half in. I was thinking about what it was like, towards the end. Totally. Not the beginning. She said that. I was like, that's a really good point. Like, we don't back track to, like that first practice where maybe you haven't ran right. Even. Like, I remember going to a soccer practice in high school. It's high school. I came from, you know, sports all year long. And I remember going to soccer being like, crazy sore and, like feeling tired that first day. That goes away quick because you're young, but you still feel like junk on that first practice. Totally. It just gets magnified, unfortunately, by 50 when we're getting close to our 50s or in our 50s. But it's a good question. What about you?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

When was it? This isn't my question. I defer my question to my future self. But I am curious. Like, as you were saying, your evolution. Now you're 47. At what point? Like, when you said, I used to be able to do a standing back and now I can't. How have you made little concessions along the way that allowed you to sort of, you know, forgive yourself or be kind to yourself that, hey, you're not this age anymore, it's okay that you don't do whatever the that is. I'm curious.

[Don Saladino]

I'm thinking about learning a standing back again, to be honest. Really?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Well, that's what I wonder.

[Don Saladino]

Because I. Because I. I can. If I wanted to put my mind to it, I could still do it. Okay. The thing that is just unavoidable is that recovery component. There was a time in my life where, like, my training was structured, but I could frivolously, like, oh, you're running 12 miles today. Let's go and train legs the next day. And like, your body would be sore for a few days and it would recover totally. Now it's like those few days extend and it's okay. I can get myself out of it, but you just got to think differently and you're a little more achier, a little more sore. But then there are times of the year, like, where I feel like I did when I'm 20. And then there are times I'm like, wow, I feel 60.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

And it's just so. I feel like there's that volatility, but it's the times I can get my body back to feeling like that, which has been more. And that's even been improving because I'm smarter and more intelligent with my decisions. But I think that's just an example that we can have our cake and eat it too. And we can, we can I'm never going to turn around and say I can't. Whether, if I truly can't do it, I'm still going to be stubborn and find a way to maybe do something a little bit differently. I just, I don't want to turn around. Yes. I'm getting older. Yeah, you're getting. Of course I am. We all are. Like, I don't care which money you have. We're not avoiding that. But there's this mental piece to everything that I think for me, for me is really important to keep trying to improve or strive or.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

So what are you better at at 47 than you were at 37? 27. Pick a, pick an era.

[Don Saladino]

So we want physical.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Yeah, yeah, the physical part of the equation. What are you better at at 47 than you were 10 years?

[Don Saladino]

I think my body composition is better. Like I've, I've shot the COVID of muscle and fitness three times since 2018. I couldn't do that. When I was 21, 22, my body didn't look as good. I needed years. Yeah, I needed time. I needed to learn more, even more about nutrition and training. So I think those things I'm better at, I think my training now is just much smarter. Yeah, but like back then, like I remember being College, running a 452 mile at 220 pounds. I'm like, can't do that right now. It's just like, okay, like I'm okay with it. Like it's all right, but. But there's still something in my head telling me like you really could if you wanted to start working. I don't want to lose that fire.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Sure. I love the, your version of having your cake and eat it too. And it really is a physical component because I think the older Joe and I get, we listen to people who say things like, I would never go back, you know, I would never go back to my 20 year old self.

[Don Saladino]

I don't want to.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Most of these people are like females that I'm thinking of and their point is like, hey, these are hard earned scars. This is hard earned. The way I look, you know, wrinkles in my face, these are harder. And things like the wisdom they gained. They wouldn't go back to that more naive, inexperienced version of themselves. Even though they wouldn't have wrinkles, they wouldn't have a couple of pounds, whatever. The thing is. But I love the way you're kind of defying that, you know, you look.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah, but it's gonna happen body or younger. I actually, I actually want, I think it Was a couple years ago, Mel got me. I was getting grays coming in. So she's like, do you want to try this stuff? I was like, yeah, let me try it. I put on my hair. I looked. I was like, this just doesn't feel right for me. So I said, the hell with it. I just, I was like, all right. Like, my beard's getting white. It's getting gray. Like, it's. I'm just like, I've, you know, I've accepted now what's, what's fun for me, though, is when, when baseball ended for me, I thought I was going to be like, literally, like in my bedroom like this. And because fitness was my right, because fitness was my. And my business of. In the business of fitness in my career was this new. It filled this void for me and it, it spun off. Now I, I'm still everything with training. I love it even more now. But now, like, there's like, I'm here with you guys. Like, I flew out to Texas. We're sitting here. We're two hours into a conversation. Two hours and 15 minutes ago.

[Joanna Gaines]

30 minute conversation.

[Don Saladino]

I didn't think life was going to take me here. That's why I love hearing you guys talk. It's like we didn't think we'd be here. Like, totally. I didn't think Waco, Texas. Like, I'm here five months ago, I wouldn't have imagined being here. So for me, that's what's getting exciting about life, is that all these new doors are opening. I do not want to go back a year. I don't. I really. I'm happy where I am.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Come on. So on that vein, Mike, my real question is how long would it take a guy like you, Don. We call you behind your back, Don Bod.

[Don Saladino]

Okay.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

To get a guy like me, dad Bod. To look like.

[Don Saladino]

Cover ready? Ish. Yeah.

[Joanna Gaines]

Cover ready. Would you go. Would you do a cover?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I don't. Maybe, Yeah, I can get.

[Don Saladino]

I love get you. I can get you on a cover in the next three to four months.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

So you think the same. The same thought that if I was serious and got after it four months.

[Don Saladino]

We could do it. You are going to be miserable.

[Joanna Gaines]

What does that mean?

[Don Saladino]

That means like the training, the diet. It will be. It will. It's going to be hard.

[Joanna Gaines]

Well, then. But you know what about 12 months. What. What is that?

[Don Saladino]

This is. This is the do. I do. I believe it can be done. I. I've done it. I've got to the point where you take your Shirt off. And you have visible abs and you have those nice lines running. Yeah, that's. That's what he's referring to, those nice lines. But no, no, I don't know at all.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

I would leave Joe tomorrow for you.

[Don Saladino]

No, listen to me. I'm trying to be serious here. I don't. I want to retract. I don't think you'd be miserable. I just think it's going to be. Nutritionally, it's a lot. Like, we'd have to dial in your macronutrients. We'd have to know how many protein, carbs and fats. Now, if we were to just clean up your eating, and I was to have you eat three square meals a day and maybe a shake and get your protein up, and we were to spend the next year training, four days a week doing some cardio, doing that stuff. I think I can get you to a point where you take your shirt off and you're like, oh, my God, what the hell happened? Wow, you already look great. But I'm saying that, like, really, like, getting you to a point where you feel like we're reversing 20 years on you. Yeah.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

God, that's cool.

[Don Saladino]

It's four months.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

It's exciting to me because I feel like I could get behind that. When I think about a year, it feels a little too.

[Don Saladino]

If we're going to do four.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

If we're going to do four months.

[Don Saladino]

Listen, if we're going to do four months, we're going to do four months. You and I are going to document it. I'm donating my time to you.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Let's go.

[Don Saladino]

And we're going to get on a call four days a week, and we're going to do it.

[Joanna Gaines]

Okay, Wait, are you saying you want to do this or. No, we're just joking.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

We hadn't made a deal. But I'm like, I want to seriously consider this.

[Don Saladino]

Why don't we get you. I brought this up. Why don't we get you ready for a cover?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Oh, heck, yeah. If I could get on the COVID of Men's magazine.

[Don Saladino]

No, I already. I already spoke, actually. Men's fitness just. Just is starting back up. And there. They just put me on their advisory.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Board because I'd tell them, this is the idea today. We don't know the answer. We're going to show you a before and after, and we're going to do it.

[Don Saladino]

Yeah.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Because that was what was.

[Don Saladino]

So I can get you.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Encouraging to me about.

[Don Saladino]

You can get you on.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

That is. I started at nothing. And four months later, we did a marathon, and I finished it. And I'm just saying, for the population, what sucks about our business? And you know this. You know this to be true. We don't show the results until we've already accomplished them. So then it's like, oh, look at my bank account. Or look at my body.

[Don Saladino]

No, Day one starts. This is day one. Take your shirt off. We have to, like. And there's things nutritionally, like, maybe. Maybe we get you a meal delivery service. Totally simple. Joe, do you really want to do this?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

But that's what's fun about it, because there's a chance that I don't make it. What sucks about me is that there's zero chance I won't make it. And I'll make it. No, you're gonna make a Men's Health scheduled on a calendar on this month. And they're coming and they're showing up. I mean, can you imagine if they showed up and I did mess up?

[Don Saladino]

Well, first off, it's my reputation. It's my reputation, so you're not throwing.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Me under the wall. There you go. That's good.

[Don Saladino]

I gotta get you ready. So I'm going to be, like, spiritual. I want to close on one thing, if you don't mind. And I want to. I want everyone to take this and just really try and absorb it. People come to me and they want timeframes put on things four months a year. Is it 80% nutrition? Oh, it's 80% nutrition. Is it 20% training? Or is it 17% training? Is it 3% supplementation? It's 100% mental. That's it. It's 100% mental. I'm a believer that, you know, unless there's disease or sickness or things that are out of our power, whatever you want to do, you can do. When it comes to changing body composition and stuff like that, whatever you do, if you want it bad enough and you put a plan together, you can make it happen.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Well, ask the Men's Journal. Just say, if we were to play this out.

[Don Saladino]

Men's Fitness, by the way. By the way.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

We'Re gonna play this out in real time. And it's got to happen in real time.

[Don Saladino]

I promise you. I promise you that. I asked them about you on a cover, and they said, that's interesting. That was their answer. We'll let them come. I'll go to Men's Health, who I'm on the board of. And I'm on the advisory board, and Men's Fitness. I'm on the advisory board, and I will. And I will talk to them and I'll say, listen, who. Who wants to cover this?

[Unknown Male Speaker]

All right. Oh, against each other. Yeah. There you go. Yeah.

[Don Saladino]

Awesome. First off, guys, thank you. This is like, you know, this. This definitely is. I mean, being able to do this with you guys, this is definitely a dream. First off, the conversation was amazing. I got to know you guys so much more on a level that I don't think we would ever been able to do at the gym. I know Mel loves you. We. I love you. Thank you. Amazing.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

Some relationships, you know, it's just like some relationships. You got to know somebody for 20 years to feel like you've known him for two weeks.

[Don Saladino]

Awesome.

[Unknown Male Speaker]

With us, we happen to have known you for.

[Don Saladino]

No matter what happens, the episode, I will always be your coach, and I love you guys for that. And thank you for joining, and I hope you guys enjoyed that. Thanks again.

[Joanna Gaines]

The views, information or opinions expressed in the series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Chip and Joanna Gaines. By no audio nor Magnolia.