You may all be familiar with Pro D also known as ChickenBreastTV. His videos are awe-some! And over the last 18 months in following him I have learned a ton.
His real name is, Alex Dieck and he is by and far one of my favorite YouTubers when it comes to health and fitness.
Alex aka Pro D is a pretty well-rounded person. He is a competitive bodybuilder, street workout athlete, and calisthenics expert. He is also the owner of his own fitness gym called, Trux Gym in Miami, Florida.
When I recently was given the enormous opportunity of interviewing him and I was super-excited.
I wanted to learn what makes this guy tick, what is behind all the hard work and freaking hilarious videos..A good portion of his videos are not all funny, many of them are incredibly useful packed with pearls of wisdom.
What I most appreciate about his channel is that he gives a no-nonsense no @#$&^%$ (an 8 letter word for excrement) perspective. He is one of the few that calls it like he sees it and is not afraid to tell the truth.
In the times that we are all living today, it’s quite refreshing to meet someone who tell it like it is.
So, it is my complete and utter privilege to welcome Alex aka Pro D from ChickenBreastTV….(He’s Pro D and your watching, well reading, ChickenBreastTV)….Thanks Pro D, to begin…
Could you tell us a little bit about how you got into Calisthenics?
Well, basically I got into calisthenics when I moved to Miami. I never really did calisthenics when I lived in Illinois, I trained a 100% bodybuilding style of training. But when I moved to Miami I lived by this beautiful park and I noticed they had these pull up and dip bars.
So I figured I’d switch up my training for a month and do calisthenics only, then go back to weights after that month.
I loved it, but fell even more in love with it the first time I saw someone do a bar hop in South Beach. I was like WTF! After that I was hooked.
You have inspired people all around the world, who has inspired you in your life?
With Calisthenics… at this point all my friends pretty much do calisthenics so I’m surrounded by inspiration. But who has inspired me in my life? My father. If it wasn’t for him I’d be nothing and no where. In general my family.
I try not to idolize people, because that puts someone on a pedestal and makes reaching their level less likely than if you were to see them as an equal or a future reflection of oneself. I’m inspired by doers, loners, rebels, people who aren’t afraid to roll the dice.
If you could thank three people in your life who would they be and what would you say to each of them?
That’s a tough one, but I’d thank my father, Id tell him, “Dad without you I doubt I’d even be alive still, you never gave up on me and because of that I’m still here. I promise I’m here for a reason and I’m gonna make you proud. I just hope you’re around to see it.”
I’d thank my old trainer Brooks of B Fitness, Id say, “I don’t know if you even realize how much life guidance you’ve given me but thank you for being a mentor and giving me direction in life, training, and business”
And last but not least, at the risk of sounding like a cliché rap video, “I’d like to thank all the haters and people who have hurt me because my negative experiences in life have fueled my fire a lot more than my positive ones at times”
What’s the most important lesson you have learned in life either personally or professionally?
Oh wow, there are so many life lessons but maybe… You can be anything you want to be, you create your reality. Literally everything that happens is somehow a result of a decision you’ve made at some point.
It’s cliché but really REALLY actually think about it hard, you can literally be anything, everybody that’s at the top of anything; business, bodybuilding, whatever was once not there and made a decision to be there and just started working.
In one sentence or phrase how would you define success?
Money doesn’t make you rich… having balance, life experiences, strong relationships, and inner peace makes you rich.
What was the best decision you have made?
Every decision I’ve ever made has brought me to where I am today, even the bad ones, but I guess I’d have to say picking up a weight for the first time or that first bodybuilding magazine I bought because I didn’t know it at the time but It pretty much shaped my character and made me the person I am today.
What was the most challenging or difficult decision you had to make?
The most challenging and difficult decision I’ve ever made was quitting drugs, I was a terrible person and I knew I needed to change to be happy, but it took a long time before I was able to find the courage to do that. It’s wasn’t easy but it was worth it.
As an inspirational and motivational fitness star, what pearls of wisdom or words of advice would you have for those chasing their dreams?
OMG I don’t know if I’d consider myself inspirational, motivational, or a fitness star LOL but I do appreciate the kind words, my advice would be: the more you’re willing to sacrifice the further you’ll be and when you reach a sticking point give it more, give your dreams more, sacrifice more.
There is literally a “you” on another plane of existence that has everything you dream of, EVERYTHING, and you deserve that experience, allow it be you.
You’re gonna question yourself along the way like, “Why am I doing this?” or “Is it even worth it?” its worth it, its gonna hurt, but its worth it trust me.
Looking over your accomplishments thus far, is there anything you would have done differently or that you possibly regret?
There are things that I say I would change if I could, but honestly I don’t know if I regret anything because I don’t know what my future looks like, so If I end up where I believe I will then I will have everything right to get there.
If I don’t end up where I believe I will then I will probably say that I should have worked harder, started younger, and sacrificed more because sometimes I feel as though I may have started too late in life.
There are 18 year olds who run successful businesses and some that are champions at their craft at young ages. Don’t worry about trivial things likes the social life and the dramas, girls and being cool, you can do fun stuff once you’re successful.
What question should I have asked you that I didn’t ask? Why is that question important and what is the answer?
These questions were great, I loved all of them, they brought out very thoughtful answers from me, and I appreciate you asking them.
On a less profound note a good question could be, “Why did I became a YouTuber?”
This way the readers can have a better understanding of what my channel is really all about.
My goal was never to inspire and motivate, but rather to teach and entertain. I always wanted to be heard by the world and I thought it would be amazing that at the click of a button the whole world could hear me.
Also we live in an incredible time where you don’t need to be on TV or in movies to reach people, you can make yourself somebody using free media like YouTube, you don’t need to sell out, you can be raw and real and people dig that.
Thank you so much for the interview.
Thank you Pro D….great interview.
Words to live by….You can be anything you want to be, you create your reality. Literally everything that happens is somehow a result of a decision you’ve made at some point.
