Published: Friday - December 21, 2007
Words by Arnold T. Pants
Bone Crusher (Photo: Vainglorious Entertainment)
Amidst the fast pace of contemporary life, it is easy to get pulled into the ease of prepackaged and fast service foods. But, with the simplicity, there comes a risk. One man taking charge and making sure people are aware of healthy options is Bone Crusher.
With his new DVD, "The Battle Of The Bulge," Bone Crusher gets people excited about fitness with a sense of humor, and the perspective "of a fat guy." A refreshing approach to fitness videos and a positive, simple spin on living a healthy lifestyle. With hip-hop acts, like Timbaland suddenly muscling up, Bone Crusher's down to earth advice about eating right and getting in shape is a great antidote to quick fix diet and exercise programs.
He is a man on a new mission, but still has the same "Never Scared" attitude that serves him well behind the mic. Talking to Bone Crusher about his new project, Ballerstatus learned that eating right is about portion control, and that animals should think twice before trying to find a space in this man's house.
BallerStatus.com: When did you come to the decision to start thinking about your own physical fitness? I know you were on "Celebrity Fit Club," but was there a moment before that?
Bone Crusher: The first time I started thinking about it was when they called me. I'm from the South; I wasn't really trying to think about losing weight. They called me, and I thought, why not let's do it. I'm a competitive guy, so I just did it. Felt like I had to lose a lot of weight, so I did.
BallerStatus.com: Are there any foods you have had to give up in your quest for fitness?
Bone Crusher: Yeah, there are a few. But, what a lot of people don't understand is when you say "diet," you end up breaking it. I never really gave up the food that I ate, I just ate a lot less of it. When you lose weight the right way, you don't have to give up foods, just eat less than you normally would. Instead of eating two hamburgers, eat one, and eat a smaller hamburger. If you eat fried chicken, eat one piece, you can't eat four pieces of chicken. A lot of things you could do, you just have to do less of.
BallerStatus.com: What I liked about the trailer for "The Battle Of The Bulge" was the sense of humor you bring to healthy living. Like you say, people view diets negatively, and it was refreshing to see the fun...
Bone Crusher: Yes, yes.
BallerStatus.com: Is that sense of humor an indication of your personality?
Bone Crusher: That's just me, man. I don't really try to do things I can't do. I'm just naturally crazy, and really off the rocker. Everybody say that about me. They say, "Fat boy, you're off the deep end," and I say, "Yes, I am."
BallerStatus.com: I know you're "Never Scared" of anything, but were you really not afraid about trying to lose some weight?
Bone Crusher: Nah, I ain't scared of nothing. I'll tell you what, man; I'll tell you a nice story. There was a huge possum where I used to stay at. I used to stay in the woods, had about 2-3 acres. My wife, one day, she opened the door to take the trash out and a big possum walked in the house. I was downstairs and she was like, "Oh my God, there's a possum in the house." And, you know, possums are very dangerous. She was like, "Oh my God, we got to call animal control." I said, "F--- that," and went and killed that possum in my house, with a stick. Me and the possum went to war. And, I destroyed the possum.
BallerStatus.com: Animal rights activists might get at you for that.
Bone Crusher: I don't care. It was me or the possum. I got to do what I got to do. It's like anything, you come at me, I'm going to do what I got to do, and I'm going to win.
BallerStatus.com: Were there any challenges you considered while making the DVD about getting people excited about living a healthy lifestyle?
Bone Crusher: You know, the whole thing about this "Battle Of The Bulge" DVD, is that it is going to be an amazing adventure. The thing about it, when I thought about I was trying my best to think about big people and how they perceive exercise as a chore or a job. Most of the time, when you see people working out, you see the end result -- they are already small and most people see that and think, "I'll never get to that size, I'll never look that way, so f--- it, I'm going to keep eating my hamburgers and chicken and fries." I think the whole purpose of "Battle Of The Bulge" is to show people that you can still work out and be healthy. Just look at me, we're working out together. When you see someone like you when you are working out, it makes things easier than seeing Susan Summers looking sexy, doing an abs workout. What she got? The leg cruncher thing? It's kind of hard for a lady 200 pounds to look at Susan Summers and be like, "Yeah, that's where I'm going to be at in a little while." And, you know, it takes a long time to get there. The whole thing about "Battle Of The Bulge" was to show big people that we can work out together, and get in shape together.
BallerStatus.com: It seems the hip-hop world is on a little bit of a fitness craze at the moment. People like Timbaland hitting the weights. Do you think it's a generational thing for some of the older folks in the industry to start being concerned about health?
Bone Crusher: I think we are in a situation where the food is really bad. And, when food is bad, you got to watch what you eat. It causes cancer, it's serious. This generation has seen more cancer than any generation that has come before because of the latch key children, with both parents working. It isn't like it used to be with my mother or grandmother was coming up. The mom would cook at home, the kids would grow up healthy and there wasn't much cancer. It has a lot to do with the food, and the additives and preservatives they put in the food. I think that's something to look out for. In this lifestyle, as a musician or entertainer, and even if you work a 9-5, it's easy to ride home, you're tired and stressed out, and stop by a KFC and grab a bucket and feed your kids that. You keep doing that, week after week, and before you know it someone in the family has cancer. You have to start, as a person and a generation, eating healthy foods. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I don't drink, and I don't smoke. You have to put yourself in a situation where you take care of your body, because if you don't you are going to die. A good friend of mine just died. He smoked heavily, and ate whatever he wanted to eat. He lived the lifestyle of a musician, and then he died, not even a week ago. The thing is you have to look out for yourself and take care of yourself. And, that's something more and more people are figuring out. I've seen cancer commercials, cancer research centers, recently than I've seen since I've been alive. The food is bad, and kids need to look out for themselves.
BallerStatus.com: Are there any lessons on the DVD about how to shop wisely?
Bone Crusher: Right. What I am doing right now is putting together a cook book that will go along with the DVD. Also, Dr. Ian Smith, from "Celebrity Fit Club," is giving his little testimony on it. There are a lot of things on it that will teach people what to eat, how to eat and when to eat. The thing is, people think diet, and they think stop eating. No, you eat more. More meals, smaller portions, increase your metabolism. I haven't gained a pound since I've been on the show. I've lost a few more, but it's a slow process. It's a lot different than when I was on the show. Then I was in competition, now I'm just trying to lose a few pounds, maybe 5 pounds, every few weeks. Back then, I was losing 10 pounds every two weeks. I was losing a lot of weight because I was trying to win some money. When you do it a little healthier, like I'm doing, it's a bit harder. People need to realize they need to eat to live, but they need to eat wisely. Eat lean meats, stay away from a lot of bread. I eat sugar too, and other things, but if I do that I have to hit the gym and the treadmill. I ride my bicycle three miles a day. I try to keep myself together.
BallerStatus.com: Were you expecting the show to have lasting effects, or is that a pleasant surprise?
Bone Crusher: I certainly am surprised. I thought I would go on the show, do what I had to, and get off it. But, when you have camaraderie and good people around you, and people are genuinely concerned about your health, it's hard not to get into it. I tried to figure out how to get everything right. I was really impressed with the staff quality and it was a great experience for me.
BallerStatus.com: You mentioned bike riding already, did you discover other exercises you now really enjoy?
Bone Crusher: I like the treadmill, but I hurt my foot playing basketball, and I've been off it for a month or two. I play basketball, get on the treadmill. That's what I love, things that don't feel like exercise to me. But, that's a personal thing. Whatever you could do that doesn't feel like exercise to you, that's what you should do. I play basketball, full court or half-court, that's fun. You're losing weight and burning calories. You can burn 700-800 calories playing basketball, if you play a couple hours. You use all your muscles, you run up and down, up and down. People like swimming, water aerobics. Stuff that works! Whatever you got to do to get at your heart.
BallerStatus.com: Did you play any sports growing up?
Bone Crusher: Yup, I played football.
BallerStatus.com: How long did you play for?
Bone Crusher: I played all through highschool. Was supposed to play college... but, I just didn't.
BallerStatus.com: Did you watch any other fitness videos, like say Jane Fonda, to get inspiration for yours?
Bone Crusher: No, I didn't. My wife and I thought about the exercises, and that was it. You know, watching them over the years, you get something from each one, but I didn't focus on one particular one.
BallerStatus.com: What kind of music do you listen to when you work out?
Bone Crusher: Hardcore! Moving music, energy. It's got to have energy that drives you.
BallerStatus.com: Did you write any songs about working out?
Bone Crusher: Yeah, there is going to be a bonus disk, I did music for the DVD.
BallerStatus.com: Any features on it, or all you?
Bone Crusher: All me. All the tracks done by Rhythm B.
BallerStatus.com: What else is new for you on the music side?
Bone Crusher: I got a new album dropping in early '08, it's called Planet Crusher.
BallerStatus.com: What can we expect from it?
Bone Crusher: It will drop early February, and it's going to be insane, one of the hottest records ever.
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