Reginald Ferguson [00:00:00]: Don't have a plan. They just kinda wing it. So if you're just kinda doing random things, you're gonna get random results or no results. And it's harder to stay motivated and consistent that way because there's no end goal. There's no specific plan catered to your goals other than just staying active. There should be some sort of intention when you're working out and your program should keep you on track and on top of it during the whole course of your journey. Reginald Ferguson [00:00:32]: Hello. I'm Red. And I'm Tiff. And we're the fashion geeks. Trying to make New York. And the world. Well, New York is the world. A little flyer, one outfit And podcast. Reginald Ferguson [00:00:41]: At a time. I like working out, but I hate working out by myself. When COVID first hit, I decided to walk to the grocery store and back once a week, which is a total of 3 miles. Then I started doing the stairs in my building, the true stair master. I got a buddy to join me and we did it with mask on. We went back to work and people in his office either started getting COVID or the presence of someone that had it. So he got nervous about us still working out, which I appreciate. He also had to quarantine. Reginald Ferguson [00:01:22]: I don't want to be a dud, but I don't want to work out by myself. I need options. Yo. This is Reg Ferguson, fashion geek number 1. How are you today? Welcome to the ride. Thank you so much for listening. Please tell your friends about us. Please tell them to subscribe, and please give us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reginald Ferguson [00:01:53]: A special shout goes to our producer, Serge, and everyone down with the Fashion Geeks. If you have a question or a story suggestion, you can email me at podcast@nyfashiongeek.com or hit me up at the insta@newyorkfashiongeek. Today, we're gonna talk with Tim Lou of Tim Lou Fitness, who's in Santa Monica. We're gonna talk about something that the everyday man should be incorporating in their lives. We're gonna talk about working out. Tim Lou in the building. How are you, man? Tim Lou [00:02:26]: I'm doing well, brother. Thanks for having me on. Reginald Ferguson [00:02:29]: Oh, no. No. No. Really my pleasure, man. Particularly because we never really have officially met. Tim Lou [00:02:35]: That it's kinda weird. Right? Reginald Ferguson [00:02:37]: No. No. No. No. It's kinda it's kinda life. Tim Lou [00:02:39]: It's kinda life. Yeah. It's a bit it's been a weird year. So, you you know, it it is what it is, but I'm glad we're we finally connected. Reginald Ferguson [00:02:48]: Oh, no. Absolutely. So so for the audience, I just wanna make clear, I saw Tim do a presentation at an event called Minfluential. Yes. That's a mouthful. And, essentially, it was a confab in Atlanta. And if you think about it, Tim, we were in Atlanta when COVID unofficially started. Tim Lou [00:03:11]: It's crazy looking back at it because that was right before the beginning, before everything locked down. So we were kinda fortunate with the timing of everything. Reginald Ferguson [00:03:22]: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. So that's actually a wonderful segue. You're out there in Santa Monica. Are you keeping safe out there? Tim Lou [00:03:29]: I think so. You know, we're out at the beach. The you know, gyms are open outdoors, able to stay active. You know, restaurants are finally open for outdoor dining. Cases are going down here in LA, so I think we're doing relatively good for given everything. Reginald Ferguson [00:03:47]: Gotcha. Yeah. The outdoor gym, I definitely wanna talk about that. I've I've seen I saw glimpses, I thought, on your Insta, so now you, you affirm that for me. So before we go into our topic, please tell us, so what do you do? Tim Lou [00:04:18]: So I'm an online fitness and nutrition coach. I help busy men and women lose fat and build muscle without having to give up some of their favorite food and drinks. Reginald Ferguson [00:04:27]: Wow. Yeah. That means you're everyone's hero. Tim Lou [00:04:31]: I try to be. Reginald Ferguson [00:04:35]: Now I have to really be honest with you. So when COVID hit here in New York City, I said to myself, I can't be sedentary. I'm naturally not, but because of the quarantining in place, I said to myself, I gotta really figure out what to do for myself, for my body. During COVID, I was I was up for my annual checkup, and my doctor was, like, hey. Everything's fine. Everything's cool. He actually was, like, you're this old? I'm, like, yes. I am. Reginald Ferguson [00:05:12]: But the one thing he said to me, he said, mister Ferguson, really want you to work on weight training. So because when you get older, you know, your bones, you know, you fall, it's gonna be a wrap. But if you're constantly doing strength training, working out And I responded with a grumble, not because I'm adverse to working out. That's not the point at all. My thing, particularly in light of COVID, is I don't like working out by myself. I hate it. I really like the spark of having a partner and challenging each other. It's I don't know. Reginald Ferguson [00:05:55]: It's just it's just it's just how I am. I guess it's the ex jock in me. So you actually you have had an online business pre COVID. Is that correct? Tim Lou [00:06:09]: Yeah. I was coaching clients online before the lockdown, and I think that with everything shut down, gym shut down, everyone's just working out from home. It just expedited all of my business to be fully online. Reginald Ferguson [00:06:23]: So wonderful segue again. How has your brand and business been doing during COVID? Tim Lou [00:06:29]: It's been great. You know, while some industries have been crippled because of it, I've been very fortunate and grateful that I've been able to continue coaching clients, help them get fit, from the comfort of my own home while everything was shut down. It's been really good for me. It I'm very grateful for for my business doing well this past year. Reginald Ferguson [00:06:52]: So when you say well, are we saying that your business increased or maintained? Tim Lou [00:06:57]: Increased? Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:07:00]: Do you have a sense of percentage? Because I know you're very exact. Tim Lou [00:07:04]: At least 40%. Reginald Ferguson [00:07:06]: Oh, holy shmoly. Wow. Good for you. Tim Lou [00:07:11]: Thanks, man. Appreciate that. Reginald Ferguson [00:07:13]: No. No. Seriously, I'm not blowing smoke. So I wanna shout out a friend of mine, Alia Bassat. She is a strength and mobility coach, and, actually, I'll connect you guys on the gram. Oh, nice. Yeah. She currently is in Mexico, and she's like you. Reginald Ferguson [00:07:29]: She's doing some video right now as we speak. I saw something right before we engaged for the pod. I was, like, man, what a what a what a place to do your, your exhibit of your exercises, Alia. Mexico, She's my she's my neighbor. It was across the street from me. So but the point is she got into the online because of COVID. And, again, you were doing online before. My question is, why did you even come up with the idea of doing online? Tim Lou [00:08:02]: The idea I was doing, before COVID, I was wanting to go online because the life, and career of a personal trainer were limited by the amount of hours in the day. So we can only see x amount of people given, you know, how many free time we have. And by working online, I'm able to help more people from across the world so I could have more of an influence and help people improve their lives. Whereas if I'm just doing, you know, in person coaching at a studio, I'm just stuck with you know, there's, like, there's a cap on the amount of people that I can help and the reach that I have outside of that. You know? So it's just a good way for me to scale and to have a bigger audience and do more work. Reginald Ferguson [00:08:49]: Okay. So can you explain for the audience what it would be like to receive an online training from you? Tim Lou [00:09:00]: Okay. So if you do sign up with me, we start off with a initial video fitness assessment. We go over what your current fitness levels are like. We'll take you through a couple of exercises to look at your form. And then based off of how you move and equipment you have available, I'm gonna write your custom training program for you, get you into my training app, and then we'll do a diet coaching call. We'll go over what your eating habits are like, things to tweak, habits to form. So then that way, we can make progress towards your goal, whatever that might be. Reginald Ferguson [00:09:34]: So, you know, you said earlier that with your system, an individual, I'm sure to an extent Tim Lou [00:09:43]: Mhmm. Reginald Ferguson [00:09:44]: Can eat what he or she wants. Tim Lou [00:09:47]: Yes. Within reason. Let's hope that Reginald Ferguson [00:09:49]: No. No. No. Go on, man. I'm not I'm not saying you're, like, hey, Tim. I had 5 pizzas. There's just no results. This is ridiculous. Reginald Ferguson [00:09:57]: Like, what? Something wrong with my computer? Like, what is this? It's just so no. I'm not I'm not, you know, I'm not saying that. I understand within reason. A matter of fact, on your gram this weekend, you went to some cool you know, because you're in California. I'll use this word. I wouldn't use this word in New York. You went to some cool pescatarian spot for a cheat day with a client, I assume. Tim Lou [00:10:23]: It was a, it's a seafood restaurant here in in, Newport Beach, Orange County area, and it was, you know, a free meal that I had. When I say free, I don't mean cost wise, but, you know, an a meal where I can indulge a little bit, and then I get back on track with the next one. So, you know, it's not something you should be doing all the time because most people have been doing cheat meals for for days weeks, and their lives has been a cheat meal, so they shouldn't be doing that. But I think if you've been pretty consistent in building good habits, and off me where you get to enjoy yourself a little bit is good is a good psychological break and helps you stay motivated so you don't feel deprived. So it's more sustainable long term. Reginald Ferguson [00:11:06]: Sure. And again, on your gram, I know you've given really explicit exhibits of showing people that you can have dietary restrictions and the food doesn't have to be boring. Tim Lou [00:11:22]: Correct. Yeah. If if your food is boring during your diet, you're probably not doing it right. There are so many ways to make your food taste good, whether it's seasonings, spices, different prep methods. That's the misconception a lot of people get when it comes to eating healthy. They think you have to do nothing but bland chicken breast and broccoli, but that's not you know, if you like that, more power too. But you don't have to eat that way, you know, 3 to 4 times a day, 7 days a week in order to get results. Reginald Ferguson [00:11:55]: Understood. Now you've got a thing correct me if I'm wrong. You have a thing for sweet potatoes, don't you? Tim Lou [00:12:01]: I do like me some good sweet potatoes. Absolutely. Regular potatoes too. Don't discriminate again. Reginald Ferguson [00:12:07]: You've done. Taking all spuds. Tim Lou [00:12:09]: Yes. Reginald Ferguson [00:12:12]: I never met a starch I didn't like. So but you brought up something that I don't have necessarily any type of dietary regimen, so to speak. I think I normally eat healthy. Certainly, if you did an assessment of me, I'm sure you'd be like, mister Ferguson, we have to talk. But my point is I'm not I'm not overweight Mhmm. And I'm mindful, you know, without instruction. I'm mindful of what I eat. My aunt and I talk about this often because we're both tall and slim, which is, you know, a genetic makeup of a lot of our family, not all of the family, but a lot of the family. Reginald Ferguson [00:12:56]: And and we look good, but my point is, as I share with people, and she and I commiserate, we also are conscious about what we're putting inside of us. Like, we're blessed with good genes, but, you know, you don't put crap inside your body. So I think that's really important. Obviously, you speak to it with a greater intelligence and expertise than I ever will. But just as a lay person who isn't sedentary, but isn't isn't doing the Tim Wu workout. Tim Lou [00:13:30]: Shame. Shame. Reginald Ferguson [00:13:31]: I know. I I don't like working by myself, man. So let me tell you something. So earlier I had mentioned I had said to myself, hey. There are things I need to do. So the first thing I decided to do was since I'm not really taking public transportation anymore, I no longer use what's called in New York City, the Metro card, particularly the monthly MetroCard because it doesn't make any sense for me anymore in light of COVID. So I've been walking once a week. On Saturdays, I do my food shopping, my big food shopping, and that's a mile and a half each way. Reginald Ferguson [00:14:08]: So that's 3 miles round trip. And I walk, I get my groceries, put them in the backpack, and I walk home. No big deal. I'm not looking for a medal. I just figured, hey, this is one thing I could do. But I'll tell you the other thing that I added on, and I had a partner doing it, and now he's falling off, not because he's a slacker, but he's actually concerned for my health. So I live in a high rise, and I've always wanted to do this, and I finally did it during COVID. I used the stairs of my building. Reginald Ferguson [00:14:43]: Go up, go down. Go up, go down. Go up, go down. And I freaking love it, but I can't really get anyone else to love it with me. And I had this partner, like I said, but, unfortunately, he went back to work, and he had a lot of COVID cases around him. We were working out with mask on, to be clear. But because he's so concerned for me, he fell off. And because he fell off, I've kinda fallen off. Tim Lou [00:15:13]: Uh-oh. Reginald Ferguson [00:15:14]: Yeah. I know. I don't like working out by myself. I don't. I hate it. I hate it. I'm just a old school man. I just I like camaraderie. Reginald Ferguson [00:15:28]: I like a partner. I've never been about a trainer per se, and I'm not I have nothing against trainers. I wanna be clear. That's why you're on. Mhmm. But I just like the motivation of, hey. We're doing it together. We're accountable to one another. Reginald Ferguson [00:15:42]: So I don't think I'm seeking absolution from you, Tim, but I just I just wanted to share that because I think the audience would find that would find that important, and I think they're probably doing the same thing. But I know in doing research with you or about you specifically, you talk about solitary workouts. So would you like to elaborate on that, particularly for someone like me who clearly doesn't have the consistent self motivation? Tim Lou [00:16:11]: Yeah. When when you're trying to, you know, maintain your healthy habits, it takes a certain personality to continuously do it by yourself because people need accountability or some sort of support during the weather their fitness journey. That's why communities are huge or working with a coach or a workout buddy is like, you know, your workout partner. But, a lot of the times people don't have a plan. They just kinda wing it. So if you're just kinda doing random things, you're gonna get random results or no results. Reginald Ferguson [00:16:50]: Mhmm. Tim Lou [00:16:50]: And it's harder to stay motivated and consistent that way because there's no end goal. There's no specific plan catered to your goals other than just staying active. There should be some sort of intention when you're working out, and your program should keep you on track and on top of it during the whole course of your journey. So, you know, maybe for you, have I know you hate working out by yourself. It sucks. I understand a lot of my I understand a lot of my clients feel the same way, but having a plan and having somebody to keep them on track makes the whole journey way better. So, Reginald Ferguson [00:17:32]: you know, like, mhmm. Understood. So getting back to what a client would receive, do you actually have module you know, modulars? Oh. Oh, boy. I botched that. But do you have a modular approach to your videos? Meaning, does a person download, you know, 1 through 5? Or you're not doing this live because you talked about hours of the day being finite. Tim Lou [00:17:57]: Mhmm. Reginald Ferguson [00:17:57]: So so how does, you know, how does a new client how does the process work? Just elaborate a little further. Tim Lou [00:18:05]: Okay. So during the fitness assessment, we'll see where the fitness levels are at. And for a lot of people who've started working with me, we needed to build a base. So we'll start off with a beginner phase program where we're where we're learning the fundamentals, and I get them more confident and comfortable with doing movement patterns. Because whenever you start exercising, anything you do is gonna you wanna imagine it as learning a new skill. And it takes time for to build a coordination. It takes time to feel the right muscles working and to establish that habit. So I kinda break it up into into phases. Tim Lou [00:18:46]: So the first block would be, you know, focusing on basic movement patterns, let's say, squats, push ups, rows, or pull, if they don't have the strength to do some pull ups like rows, and then some lunges. And our next phase, we would progress that. Like, we'll do squats with heavier weight, whether it's with dumbbells or barbell if they have it, kettlebells, push ups with your feet elevated, bench presses, and then, you know, weighted lunges, progress them to teach teach them how to deadlift, things like that. So there is a progression, and there is a method to my madness with my with my programming for my clients, but it's all based off of where they're at with their fitness levels, and we just scale it up from there. Reginald Ferguson [00:19:30]: Sure. But, again, is it an actual video download? Is it a live? Tim Lou [00:19:36]: So it's, it's mapped out in my training app. All the workouts are there. The videos are there if you need to watch it. So all I have to do is, watch the videos if you need to. Okay. That's what a proper squat looks like. Cool. I'll do my set, then you'll log your sets, reps, and wait you so then we can track your progress throughout the weeks. Reginald Ferguson [00:19:57]: Okay. So you have an actual app? Tim Lou [00:20:00]: It, it's a it's a platform for coaches. I had I didn't develop it myself, but I filmed, like, 90% of the videos. Reginald Ferguson [00:20:07]: Wow. That's really cool. I did I didn't know that. That slipped by me. I didn't realize you had a app. It's pretty slick. I don't think I ever met anyone who had a app. Tim Lou [00:20:19]: Thanks. Reginald Ferguson [00:20:20]: No. For real. I'm like, oh, that's cool. I mean, I understand it's a platform for people of your ilk, but still, I mean, that's that's pretty cool, and it's convenient, obviously, in terms of a distribution, to your clientele. So, obviously, standard, you wanna work out 3 to 4 days a week. Everyone talks about steps now. I have friends that are step freaks. It drives me crazy, to be honest. Reginald Ferguson [00:20:46]: They're like, hey. I did so. I did 300 I did 4th out. I'm like, okay. Fine. Because, listen, I didn't grow up that way. I'm like steps? You mean you mean life? Because that's what it means to me. You know, throughout the course of your day, that's what you did. Reginald Ferguson [00:21:04]: But now you literally are accounting for it. But you stress that an individual should do 5,000 steps a day. So can you literally explain beyond the actual number the importance of having so many steps, which I make an equivalence to aerobic activity? Tim Lou [00:21:23]: Sure. So, you know, with the lockdown and everything, everyone's staying at home. Reginald Ferguson [00:21:29]: Right. Tim Lou [00:21:30]: You know, they're not moving. They're at their desk all day, just sedentary in front of a computer. Nothing's really changed except you're in their they're in their home instead of being in their office. So they're just as sedentary, if not more than they were before because they can't they're not getting up out of their out of their desk and walking around. There are some of my clients, when we started working, the only activity they got was from their chair in their office to their living room to their bedroom, and then a couple kitchens, kitchen runs just to snack on random stuff. So, yeah, like, one of my friends, yeah. So one of my friends, well, during the initial, part of the lockdown, she's in a small tiny apartment in San Francisco, and she tracked her steps. One of the days, she only got, like, 300 steps. Tim Lou [00:22:17]: Like, can you imagine not moving that much during the course of a day to be that I Reginald Ferguson [00:22:23]: can. Yeah. Because because of COVID. I mean, I don't have one of those counters, but I bet you and my apartment is big, but I bet you I bet you I do just as few steps as she does. Tim Lou [00:22:38]: Right. And if you want to, you know, take the calorie burn and and all that out of it. If you're not moving, you know, if you're that sedentary, it's just not good for you for your health because you're just wasting away for a lack of a better term. And I like having step goals because it it forces you to be conscious of how much movement you get throughout the day. And, you know, people say 10,000, which is, you know, which is great. It's an it sounds official. It's a great number. But I think for most people, when they're starting off, I think just hitting 5,000, it feels achievable for them, and then they can they can progress from there. Tim Lou [00:23:17]: And if you're trying to lose fat, you know, even though you might be getting in your workouts, if you're sitting at your desk for 8 hours of the, of the day, you're still considered sedentary. So you need to get in as much movement as you can, especially for for fat loss. There's something called NEAT. It's basically, the non exercise, you know, activity that you get, whether it's, you know, walking your dog, doing the dishes, your everyday life movement. We wanna maximize that in order to to burn more calories so we can keep our metabolism doing okay and burn burn some fuel so we're not gaining weight. Reginald Ferguson [00:24:01]: So you mentioned that acronym. Mhmm. Isn't there another acronym that you guys use? I think it's I think it's labeled SAID, s a I d. Is that correct? Tim Lou [00:24:11]: SAID. Reginald Ferguson [00:24:13]: S Tim Lou [00:24:13]: a I I know I know NSAIDs, but not SAID. But, Reginald Ferguson [00:24:18]: Maybe it was NSAID. Alright. I'm going down a rabbit hole. Tim Lou [00:24:21]: It's okay. Reginald Ferguson [00:24:24]: I've I heard this acronym recently, and it's supposed to be in the in the in the training community. And I guess the whole premise and, again, I know I botched the acronym, so I apologize. But the whole point was that your muscles are able to do they're able to adapt, so I think that's the a in the said. They're able to Oh, Tim Lou [00:24:44]: sad. Standard, adaptation. Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:24:48]: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Come on. Okay. There you go. Reginald Ferguson [00:24:50]: I knew I knew it. Yeah. I knew you knew it. So you better know it. You're licensed. Tim Lou [00:24:56]: Sure. Reginald Ferguson [00:24:58]: So, yeah, I just like I said, I just learned that term just around 2 weeks ago. And, I mean, to me, it makes sense because essential to paraphrase what it's what it's stating is that the body can do whatever you put it through. It's going to adapt. So it's going to make the adjustments if you put the body through the adjustments. The Fashion Geeks are hosted and powered by Blueberry. That's Blueberry, b l u b r r y. Thinking of launching a podcast? Want your episodes to be deployed smoothly? Go to blueberry.com, type in the word fashion, and get a deal on us. Just put in the word fashion. Reginald Ferguson [00:25:36]: Blueberry always host fly. So you talking about your process. Now correct me if I'm wrong. You have SITS Fundamentals, a key movement, and that's push, pull, hinge, squat, carry, rotation. Is that correct? Tim Lou [00:25:56]: Correct. Those are basic movement patterns that everybody should master. Reginald Ferguson [00:26:02]: And you're really into this pushing versus pulling. Can you elaborate on that? Tim Lou [00:26:07]: Yeah. So going back to, you know, being at a desk all day, a lot of us have forward slouched posture, like our shoulders are all forward, our neck is sticking forward as we're grinding away on our computer. Oh, that's me. Did you just correct your posture as I was No. Reginald Ferguson [00:26:25]: Not no. My posture is at it at its worst with these recordings. That's the story. Okay. It's what I have to do. Blame Pedro Mendez. Tim Lou [00:26:32]: Yeah. Thanks, Pedro. So when you have that forward posture, people tend to get neck pain, back pain, all that, you know, shoulder pain, all that fun stuff. And if your training program is nothing but, you know, bench presses and push ups, that's gonna make that even worse. So we wanna balance out our pushing and pulling muscles, our strength ratio for healthy shoulders, for good posture, you know, for general upper back health. So I recommend at least a 2 to 1 pull to push ratio. So for every bench press or push up that you do, you wanna do 2 rows to even that out as an example. Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:27:18]: Okay. So ratio 2 to 1, pushing to pulling. Is that correct? Or is it pulling Tim Lou [00:27:23]: the pull? You wanna do 2 pulls for every push you do. Reginald Ferguson [00:27:26]: Oh, okay. I'm writing that down. Okay. So push and pull. I'm just laughing because it just sounds funny to me. So because, you know, in life, there's push and pull, Reg. So I saw, and I have to tell you I'm intrigued, so I'd like you to elaborate on this. These TRX cables. Reginald Ferguson [00:27:53]: What's the deal, man? That seems really interesting. No. No. I saw your gram. Ah. I'm like, oh, I think I I could do that. Tim Lou [00:28:01]: Yeah. TRX is dope. It's it's basically a suspension strap with 2 handles where you could do a bunch of bodyweight exercises. You could do, you know, single leg lunges. You could do rows. You could do push ups. You could do arms and shoulder exercises, core exercises where you hook your feet up and you do, you know, planks and knee tucks and leg lifts and and things like that. You can get a full body, body weight workout doing those. Tim Lou [00:28:29]: And if you if you live in a facility or a home where you don't have a lot of space and you're limited with what kind of setup you can do for free workouts, TRX is awesome. Reginald Ferguson [00:28:41]: Yeah. I I was looking at it, man, because I could do that in my park. Tim Lou [00:28:47]: Yeah. All you have to do is, like, hook hook it over and then just do your thing. Reginald Ferguson [00:28:52]: And it's safe. It's like it's not gonna slip on me. Tim Lou [00:28:55]: No. Yeah. Once you're anchored, you're you're hooked and you're locked in, man. You're good. Reginald Ferguson [00:29:01]: I like it, man, but I I'm not that guy, meaning I'm not gonna have it, and I'm not gonna use it, but I'm intrigued. Now on your gram, you had other cables, but but lately, you you've had the TRX. So you're ride or die for the TRX versus the other ones that you demonstrated? Tim Lou [00:29:21]: I think we wanna use every tool available to us. I don't wanna get caught up in just using one method. You know, you can get in shape using whatever you have available to you, whether it's dumbbells, whether it's, you know, a barbell, whether it's some kettlebells, some bands, a TRX. You don't wanna limit yourself to just one training equipment modality. You wanna be pretty well rounded. Mhmm. So it's good to stay open minded with, your training when it comes to fitness. Plus, it keeps things interested, interesting, and motivated the whole time. Reginald Ferguson [00:29:55]: Good answer, mister Lou. Good answer. Tim Lou [00:30:00]: Thank you. Reginald Ferguson [00:30:02]: No. I'm I'm intrigued by the cables. Mhmm. You'll be happy to know I have a wheel. Tim Lou [00:30:07]: Oh, you have an ab wheel? Reginald Ferguson [00:30:09]: Absolutely, man. I've had a wheel since since school. Like, the tank, man. Oh, wow. Absolutely. I've had a wheel for decades. Like, for real. So Do Tim Lou [00:30:20]: you do you still use it, though? That's the question. No. Reginald Ferguson [00:30:26]: But but I have it. Tim Lou [00:30:28]: Right. That's step 1. Having the equipment is step 1. Reginald Ferguson [00:30:30]: So Right. But I wanna be clear. I'm not that particularly because I'm an apartment dweller. So I'm not the person who's got, you know, a bike and a bench and, you know, all this stuff, and they never use it, and their clothes are on top of it. Right. I'm not that I'm not that person. So really, because I'm an apartment dweller. And that's why the TRX cables and I'm not gonna lie. Reginald Ferguson [00:30:54]: I did some research on them, and I guess they have 2 sets, but the one set I'm intrigued with is the, you know, the the portable set that, you know, you could just take anywhere. Yep. I'm like, oh, I like that. I just walk out my house, you know, got the little TRX fanny pack. I'm not a fanny pack guy. I have it in my hand because I'm cool. And then, you know, go to my park and hook it up on the fence and go to town. I'm like, oh, man. Reginald Ferguson [00:31:19]: So I'm I'm I'm inching towards that. But, yes, I do have a wheel, And, yes, technically, it's gathering dust, but I literally know where it is. And after doing research on you, I said to myself, yeah. I I like to get back with the wheel. I love the wheel, to be honest. Always have. Tim Lou [00:31:37]: Do it. It's great for your abs, especially one nice looking abs on a strong core. Roll out. Do it. Reginald Ferguson [00:31:43]: I need I need the core. I'm not I'm not concerned about abs. I'm not that vain. I'm vain. I'm not that vain, Which actually It's a wonderful a wonderful segue. So like I said earlier, you and I met at Menfluential, which essentially is was is was a menswear emporium seminar blah blah blah blah. We talk about WFH. We talk about being sedentary. Reginald Ferguson [00:32:09]: Lord knows I understand that. But I guess my question is, how do you view all of this relating to men being able to still wear their clothes or put a sport jacket on or put a suit back on? So I think maybe for some people, an immediate cop out is, well, if I bulk up, then I'm not gonna be able to fit my clothes right, I'm gonna have to get a whole new wardrobe. So would you care to, chime in on that? Tim Lou [00:32:38]: Yeah. You know, in the men's wear field, a lot of guys have customized tailored shirts, shoe, trousers, suit jackets, and things like that. You know, it sucks to gain a little too much weight or lose a lot of weight to where, oh, I need to either take it back to get it tailored again or have to buy all new clothes, and it's expensive and adds up real fast. But the thing is you're not gonna get huge or super slim overnight. And as long as you figure out what your goals are and you eat accordingly, you should be able to get to a point to where, okay, this is I like where I'm at. I'm gonna stay here and maintain so then that way, I don't bust out of my my seams because I'm so jacked, or I'm so skinny that I'm swimming in my, you know, shirt and trousers. So there there's a delicate balance between that, and, it's very doable, but I think it you shouldn't use it as an excuse not to focus on your health and fitness. A a lot of guys, you know, use menswear as a way to accentuate their their personality and everything like that. Tim Lou [00:34:00]: But you also have to get your body right too because that's an extension of who you are. And Sure. And you need both of those, for for the right image, for the image that you wanna portray it out in the world. Reginald Ferguson [00:34:14]: Well played again, mister Lou. Seem to have all the right answers. You've been doing this for a while. Because you have. You launched your business, what, 2012? Tim Lou [00:34:25]: Yeah. I started coaching as, you know, shortly after I graduated college, so it's been it's been my field ever since. Love it. Reginald Ferguson [00:34:34]: It's great that you found your passion so early. Tim Lou [00:34:37]: Yeah. I'm very very fortunate that I didn't have to bounce around different fields or gigs to to figure out what I what I wanted to do. What what about you? How did you, get into the menswear game? Reginald Ferguson [00:34:50]: Oh. Oh, you're asking the interviewer questions. I see. Yeah. Yeah. No one does that. Alright, mister Lu. Well, to be honest, and it's very clear particularly on my website, I have always been interested in men's fashion. Reginald Ferguson [00:35:07]: And the reason why is because that importance was stressed in my family, through my mom, and in short order, then my late grandparents. So amongst the 3 of them, it just always was expressed upon being well dressed, the importance of style and fashion, keeping up your clothes, maintaining your appearance. And it was like a mantra for me. And probably from junior high to high school on, I've advised friends on helping them with their looks. And just a few years ago, I was helping out a good friend of mine. Big shout out to Ben Rosenfeld. And I helped him change his look. And at that stage, how I was doing it, meaning into adulthood, was, hey. Reginald Ferguson [00:35:59]: Buy me lunch. Buy me dinner. You know, that's it. That's that's your fee, so to speak. And he got engaged to get married, and then I helped him with his his wedding stuff, his tuxedo, blah blah blah blah blah. I won't bore you with that adventurous story because I I threw a Hail Mary fashion wise to hook him up. But the point is we were having some Thai food after per my agreement, and he said to me, hey, if you could do this for real, would you do it? And I said, what do you mean? He said, like, if you did this, like, as a job. And I said, yeah, I guess. Reginald Ferguson [00:36:36]: He said, well, if you decide to do it, I'll do your website. And that's how I started. Tim Lou [00:36:41]: That's pretty cool. Reginald Ferguson [00:36:43]: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it's still a young business. And unlike yourself, COVID, candidly, has taken a while to my business. So what I have focused on, really is my podcast, which is a spin off of the business. Right on there. Reginald Ferguson [00:37:01]: Because to me, as someone again, all this gym stuff, you know, translates to sports and activity for me from growing up. And to me, it's kinda like shooting hoops. If your shot's not going in, then you gotta work on your defense. So this is this is my pivot, so to speak. I've I've had a pod for a while, but I've been really working on it. And that's when I teased with the shout out with Pedro because he's served as a mentor to me in this podcast space, so I've leveled up recently. And part of that was, hey. You can't go to the studio? An absorption blanket, that's your home studio. Reginald Ferguson [00:37:36]: You know? Some people do it in a closet. I don't have any walk ins. So and I have a I have a very tall ceiling unit. So sound to his discerning ear bounces all around. So so that's why now it looks like with my LED light that I'm having a sleepaway camp in my living room. That's that's why we're not on video, Tim. Oh, yeah. I wanna see you. Reginald Ferguson [00:38:02]: I'm like, no. No. You don't. But the sound is amazing, but now you you don't wanna see me right now. Tim Lou [00:38:09]: That's all that matters, you know. See you I'll see you soon. Reginald Ferguson [00:38:13]: That's about that's all that's all that's all that matters for here. So so yeah. So that's that's how I get into it. I've enjoyed it. I like helping people no different than yourself. And, really, when you think about it, heck, we should try to figure out how to collab because, particularly, if you have East Coast people and New York people, specifically, or tristate area people Tim Lou [00:38:35]: Mhmm. Reginald Ferguson [00:38:35]: You know, you hit on something, and that's why I really I I fed you that way with the questioning. So working out, dressing well, classic menswear, they all tie into one another. So, yeah, I think I'm gonna be pitching you after this pod. Okay. Cool. Yeah. That's that's how it started, and I love doing the pod because I have an opportunity to have individuals like yourself tell tell your story. Because I think one of the things podcasting is about is storytelling. Reginald Ferguson [00:39:05]: So and yours really and this would always be an important topic, but, again, in light of WFH, in light of this pandemic, you readily acknowledge, and, fortunately, to your credit, it's been a boom to your business, that people are scratching their heads trying to figure out what to do. Certainly, the activity that you offer and the training that you provide really helps individuals keep their mind right as well, something that we haven't talked about. So because if you're someone like myself who's strictly solo and don't have any friends or family or loved one in my abode, you have to really figure out ways to keep your mind right. And one could argue that having, to your point, a set ritual of physical activity aids in that. Tim Lou [00:39:58]: Absolutely. You have to stay active. You can't just sit all day and be confined to the walls of your apartment. You're gonna go crazy. You're gonna you're gonna drive yourself mad. You need some sort of physical outlet, and it all ties together. You know? Mind, body, spirit. Reginald Ferguson [00:40:15]: Right. In my research, it seems like you are the number one fan of the push up. Tim Lou [00:40:23]: Yeah. Push up push ups are great, and it's something that every guy should be able to do. No problem. At least 20 clean push ups, chest to the floor. It's the most basic upper body exercise you can do, and it's free. You don't need any equipment. And it's good for shoulder stability, working out your pecs, your shoulders, triceps, keep your core strong. I'm about to push up. Reginald Ferguson [00:40:51]: Yeah. I like push ups. All all this now, you know, the term is was it body Tim Lou [00:40:56]: weight? Mhmm. So calisthenics. Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:40:59]: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, even jumping jacks. I was doing jumping jacks with my boy with the steps, and I hadn't done a jumping jack since since I was in school. So and then doing research on you, reading that, hey. The jumping jack is amazing. I'm like, oh my god. My my boy, Matt, he was he he knew what he was talking about. Reginald Ferguson [00:41:20]: And, Matt, if you're listening, which you probably are, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, but using COVID as an excuse for us not doing steps anymore just breaks my heart. Tim Lou [00:41:29]: Come on, man. Run a couple flights. It's fine. Reginald Ferguson [00:41:31]: I freaking love the steps. I can't I can't he was the only person who's willing to do it. I can't convince anyone else to do them. Tim Lou [00:41:38]: Yeah. Why don't for the next time, if he's really concerned about COVID, why don't you start 1 Reginald Ferguson [00:41:44]: Yeah. Like above? You know, I thought about that, and I never because I I was gonna offer that when we first started. Tim Lou [00:41:51]: Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:41:52]: But he was like, hey. Let's go. We both had mask on and, you know, we were literally, you know, 2 steps behind each other. You know what? I'm gonna text him right after this. Because I had told him I was interviewing you yesterday. So yeah. Yeah. That's right, Tim. Reginald Ferguson [00:42:08]: Like how you're saying that. I just I Tim Lou [00:42:10]: hate doing it by myself. You know, make make it a game. Have him chase you, and you gotta it'll force you to be faster. Reginald Ferguson [00:42:18]: Yeah. Well, he doesn't look like me, so that'd be a weird game. That's all I'm saying. Chase me. Chase me, please. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:42:29]: I don't know about that. Okay. Let's talk about hydration. I grew up in a household in which other than fashion, one of the things stressed, drink lots of water. Drink lots of water. And and doing research on you again, you're all about that daily an individual should be drinking half their body weight in ounces. So I'm 2 bills. Tim Lou [00:43:01]: Mhmm. Reginald Ferguson [00:43:01]: So, essentially, we're I'm 622 bills. So, essentially, we're talking about how many bottles, how many glasses, how many gallons of water? And I think I drink a decent amount of water per day. Mhmm. But what does that translate for you? And why is it so important? I I know it's important, but I'd like to hear a licensed individual's take on why it's important. Tim Lou [00:43:26]: Sure. You know, most of us are pretty dehydrated whether we know it or not. We do need to be drinking more water. When we do, our metabolism's healthier. We have better mental focus. It helps things move in our body. It keeps our, you know, our kidneys okay and flushes out toxins, when we drink enough water, and, you know, it it just feels good to be hydrated. It's better for your skin as well. Tim Lou [00:43:52]: Yep. Yeah. If you care about your skin, guys, drink up. So for a hunt for you, if you weigh to build a 100 ounces, I mean, I have, one of those canteens, and they're they're forties, a 40 ouncer. Reginald Ferguson [00:44:05]: Yep. Tim Lou [00:44:06]: And that's for you just drink 2 and a half of those, and you're good for the whole day. It it doesn't take that much. It just takes a conscious effort to to drink more water. If you struggle with, you know, drinking enough water, you can have your container of choice. Let's say, the the 40 ounce canteen that I drink, I'll put 2 rubber bands on there. So every time I finish drinking a whole serving of 40 40 ounce water, I'll take a rubber band off, and then I drink up until both rubber bands are gone. So it's a good reminder for you to to get hydrated. One of my clients, he bought he likes to gamify things. Tim Lou [00:44:48]: He's a gamer. So he bought a water bottle, that tells you how much more water you need to drink for the whole day. So yeah. So there are ways to to remind you to to drink enough water. But for most people, half your body weight ounces is is enough. And if you don't have anything to measure it by, drink enough to where your your pee is slightly clear. Reginald Ferguson [00:45:13]: I drink water out of a liter bottle. So how many liter bottles do I need to be knocking out a day? Tim Lou [00:45:18]: Liter? Shoot. I I gotta do the math on that. If, 1 liter to ounces let's see. Alright. One liter is 33.8 ounces, so 3 liters is good for you. Reginald Ferguson [00:45:32]: Oh, I'm the man. Oh, yeah? Oh, heck yeah. I told you. I grew up I grew up drinking water. Like, I love water. And the words of my late grandfather is the best thing for you. Absolutely. I love drinking it, and it's so weird to me. Reginald Ferguson [00:45:46]: I have friends who hate it, and, obviously, we're all different. I understand that. But, you know, for me, I'm like, oh, how could you? Like, it's the best. And And then that's usually when they're into it. It's odorless colors. I'm like, stop. It's great. So I'm a I'm a walking ad. Reginald Ferguson [00:46:02]: I love I love water. So okay. I'm doing that already. So okay. That's very cool. You mentioned earlier outdoor gyms. Mhmm. So you're in sunny California. Reginald Ferguson [00:46:16]: I'm in New York. We're still in winter. So and again, you do stuff remotely online, but I think the audience would be interested and intrigued. So out there, outdoor gyms I mean, it probably is a rhetorical question to you, but, you know, how is that how is that bet how how is it? Why don't you just just talk us through it? How how does the outdoor gym thing work? Tim Lou [00:46:45]: It's different. You know? You we I'm very fortunate to where my gym has taken all their equipment outside, and we're just lifting. Wow. Yeah. It's it's crazy, man. Reginald Ferguson [00:46:56]: That was fun. Yeah. Tim Lou [00:46:57]: Only in the in in the West Coast. No. But Reginald Ferguson [00:47:03]: and Just take it outside. Tim Lou [00:47:06]: Seriously. It's a different it's a different feel. You know? Instead of being in a building, you're out in fresh air. Well, it also the experience depends on the weather. So some days we've had rain. Some days it's been super cold, LA cold, not New York cold, to where, you know, it's like it's like 50 degrees and with a big breeze. It gets a little chilly here Sure. In California. Tim Lou [00:47:30]: And it takes a lot away. It takes a lot to warm up. But it you're just out out in the open space. You you're lifting, and you get to see different scenery rather than a mirror. It feels very different to lift, have a different stimulus to be looking at rather than, you know, the inside of and some mirrors. I think it's cool. It's it's different for a change. It's great especially when it's sunny. Tim Lou [00:47:58]: You can walk around, get a tan. You know? A big fan of I I joke that sometimes in my stories, I'll put, like, gym tan laundry. You know? Shout out to Jersey Shore. That's the, that's how it is in the outdoor gyms in California right now. Reginald Ferguson [00:48:16]: And is that an indefinite setup? Tim Lou [00:48:19]: Well, until our governor and mayor decide that it's somewhat and then it's okay again, we're kind of stuck with it. But, I just got notice from, the fitness studio that I work out at that. Because we're in a 20,000 square foot facility, we are now allowed to have personal training indoors, but only 2 people in the building at at once, max. Reginald Ferguson [00:48:41]: Gotcha. That makes sense. Tim Lou [00:48:42]: 2 people in a 20,000 square foot facility. Cool. Alright. It is. Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:48:47]: It's what it is. Hey. You'd be safe. That makes sense to me. I'm no scientist. So, Tim, I like to ask this of all my guests. So what does always be fly mean to you? Tim Lou [00:49:05]: What does always be fly mean to me? So, you know, as someone who cares about aesthetics and having a good image, you You don't wanna be sloppy with your appearance. You wanna look good wherever you may be, especially if you're outside because first impressions are everything, and your appearance does matter as much as people like to say otherwise. You don't wanna be, you know, a bum when you're out and about because you never know who you might meet. You know? You might meet somebody who may be a good influence in your life and your social circle, somebody who might help you level up in your life, and you don't wanna be a schlub when you meet this person. So you always wanna have some care about how you present yourself out in the world because people are quick to judge you based off of your appearance. So you gotta look good. Even if it's a t shirt and jeans, you know, you can still make that look good. Reginald Ferguson [00:50:02]: Absolutely. Alright. Tim Lou [00:50:07]: Yeah.