General Hospital’s Maurice Benard welcomed Fitness Expert and Best-selling author Clark Bartram to the latest episode of his video podcast, State Of Mind. It didn’t take long for viewers to understand why Bartram had something valuable to add to Benard’s mental health series.
Maurice Benard & Clark Bartram: An Inspiration
Bartram, a well-known fitness model and former marine, has been inspiring millions with his fitness regime for over two decades, but that didn’t mean that he was immune to mental health challenges. “I never knew what depression was. That wasn’t even in my vocabulary,” he explained. “You were happy, or you were sad. You were playing, or you weren’t. It was just life. And you never really judged a day based upon a feeling. It wasn’t until recently, honestly, that I knew what depression was. I never felt like I had got depressed or had issues with anxiety until I got depressed and had issues with anxiety.”
It was a fateful flight when returning from a successful Home Shopping Network experience that inspired one of his greatest achievements. “That book was born from the darkest moment in my life.” [Benard holds up Clark Bartram’s book, Where Your Mind Goes, You Go: A Mental Journal Toward a Healthy Body and a Successful Life, Volume 1.]
“I will give you a little backstory on the book,” shared the International Sports Sciences Association Master Trainer. “So I was on Home Shopping Network selling products. It did really well. I made a bunch of money. Flying home and watching Million Dollar Baby on the airplane.
“Out of nowhere, my whole body started to tingle,” he said. “My hands started sweating.” He had all the symptoms of a full-on anxiety attack. “My feet were sweating. My tongue felt like it was swelling in my head. My heart started to race. And I thought, ‘I’m dying,’ or ‘I’m going crazy,’ or ‘I am going to go crazy and then die.’ Then I had this idea that I was going to jump out. I literally was going to get up and jump out of the airplane.”
He didn’t act on his fearful response, but he did begin therapy when he got back home. By tackling his fear and changing his mindset, inspiration was born. During a spiritual program hosted by Joyce Meyer, ideas began to take shape, and the idea for the book began formulating in his mind.
“I get up and walk to my computer, and it started pouring out of me.” The author-to-be described the moment it took shape: “Like out of the overpour of the heart, the mouth speaks. All of this knowledge I gained through this moment of my life that was horrible started to come out. And it ended up being that book.”
Two Men, A Lot Of Ground To Cover
Bartram dipped into growing up in Ohio, early fitness routines, how he found what works, and put it to practice. The two men discussed everything from workouts, diets, Bulletproof coffee, and the benefits and detriments of pharmaceuticals. The 59-year-old with a can-do attitude tapped into the secrets of his personal success.
The top fitness professional spoke of others who have inspired him along the way, like bodybuilders such as Frank Zane, Robby Robinson, Mike O’Hearn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bartram discussed the method he created and lives by: mindset, meals, movement, community, and integrity. He shared with Benard his candid thoughts on the male version of menopause, called andropause, and how it can be addressed naturally as opposed to exogenous hormones. Ladies may want to invite their significant others to view this testosterone-packed episode.
There seemed to be so much more that could be covered that Benard promised a part two on State Of Mind. For the full episode, click here. For more information on Clark Bartram, fans can check out his official website or follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Follow Maurice Benard on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. To follow State Of Mind and subscribe, go to YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.
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