SLIDIS | From Alcohol Abuse to winning the Nationals | The Athlete Insider Podcast #5

View the interview here: 

The text of the interview (translated automatically): 

But did you also have injuries in calisthenics since your start? - Yes, all of them. That's because I did everything with not a good form. Welcome gorillas to the fifth episode of the "athlete insider" podcast by gornation my name is Phil and today we are with a special guest from Greece, Slidis, who is for me a really really inspiring athlete because, yeah, he's, you probably know him from his viral videos from Instagram. Maybe you know him from, yeah, you also were a finalist at "Greece got Talent", I guess. And yeah I'm just really really happy to have you here today and to spend time with you and ask you some stuff about your workout, your life. Welcome Slidis. - Happy to be here. Awesome! So you're on a birthday party and somebody approaches you and comes towards you and asks you, yeah man, what do you do, like, who are you? How do you present yourself to somebody you don't know? - I tell him my name, that I do calisthenics, weighted calisthenics, thats it. - Okay. The person asks what is calisthenics. How do you describe it? - I would tell him, like, you can check my Insta. I will show him something like that. Oh no, I'll just tell him that it's, like, pull-ups and dips with weight. That's kind of how i describe what i do. When i say i'm a champion at something, they say what is this? I'm just telling them, that it's pull-ups, dips and squats with weight. - Okay. They kind of get the idea, you know. - Okay and, yeah, you have, like, a quite special workout type. On the one hand you do like the usual, I would say, like, weighted calisthenics. Weight, like Street lifting, or however you call it and on the other hand you do, like, a lot of crazy stuff. You experiment a lot, like, how do you put these two together? - To be honest, that's half part what I do because we focus on one thing only, like only pull-ups and dips. It's much easier to program yourself, to progress. But if you put, like, the crazy stuff with push-ups with front levers, with skills and weighted calisthenics, too, then it's kind of more complicated. I am doing each week at least one weighted push training, weighted pull training, at least one leg day, of course, and then I focus on skills and maybe crazy ideas i can do, because i like, maybe I'll be at work and just begin brainstorming about what can I do the next time I go outside or I go train skills. That's when I I think about them, i write them down and then i perform. - Okay. So, like the, I think, people would ask themselves, do you really work out how you do in these these crazy videos? Where you do crazy neck hangs or like just the crazy stuff everybody knows from you? - I couldn't hear the question. - Is it really your workout when you, when you post these crazy videos is it really how you work out or are these just tests? - I will just, I have some days which are just for fun, just for crazy skills, like, I go and do those skills that I post alongside with other crazy stuff. But that comes of course with a little warm-up and maybe I can even do a workout and then after my workout I will do all the crazy stuff. That's how it most of the times goes. - Okay. So what does your, your normal training look like? I guess it's weighted workout, like, weighted training? Yes, the base is the weighted stuff. That's the base and the secondly, the second one goes to Front Lever, like skills training, Planche and the skill I want to focus on at the moment. - Okay. - And now its Planche because I have neglected it for years and I want to improve that. - And is it difficult for you on the one hand to squat really heavy, like you do heavy squats and on the other hand do the planche? - Yes I can, even the Front Lever it's much much harder right now. I cant even sit in my two years of, like, heavy weighting. My legs got bigger and the Front Lever three years ago was like nothing and now it became much much harder to hold. So if you're training legs, like, and have a lot of training, then it's gonna be, it's gonna make this case much much harder. But it's doable, you know. If you want it, you can do it. You can do both. - Okay. How tall and heavy are you? right now I'm at 90 kilos but I have got some fat which I'm gonna shred and we'll see. Maybe I'll, if i get to 87 I will feel like light weight. - on what height, and height are you? How tall are you? - 181cm. - Even for your height, like, really quite heavy for a Calisthenics athlete. - It's physics, it's just physics. - That's true. And how is it possible for you to maintain such a physique, like, how is your nutrition? Do you follow a strict plan? - No, right now I got, like, two months ago I was at 92 kilos, something like that, maybe even more, but I got, like, chubby. I got lots of fat. Look, I gain fat really really easily if I eat like some shit or a week or so I will see a difference in my body and even in my scale and then to shred that I will have to be very strict, like, to cut the carbs, like minimize them and what I do to shred mostly is intermediate fasting. And i even workout fasting. if I really want to shred, like, fast like I did this month I also do Hiit-Workouts. Fast on it and then one banana and then continue to my workout. So just an additional Hiit-work out in front of your your normal work out. - Yes, yes. and that' also a warming-up really good for the workout. Okay. And what does your normal day, like, like, how is it structured with work, with work out, how do you plan your day? - Goes basically after my work so at Monday and Tuesday I work from 12 o'clock until 10 o'clock and I wake up and then I go to work and from the perspective of the work and on the other days like Wednesday Thursday Friday I work night shifts so Wednesday is my best day because I wake up like pretty fresh and I can do anything that's all my personal mostly on Wednesdays and then I go to work and then I wake up with the beaten up like feel like do anything still opposed to God eat and then go to work so that's me money crazy so where do you take the motivation to work out even like to push through the tyrannous or like the lack of motivation after after a night shift because I know what kind of people work in night shifts and it's really it's exhausting for the body it's like the people who work there they really have a hard time sometimes so how do you push through your work then I which is like you just like I think about them at my yes the night shifts if you know they will tell you that you wake up beaten up I'm motivated do anything your body 18 so it's another job it's like sleep depravation and more sleep sleep quality sleep when you sleep up B so it kinda mess mess you up but you can do anything yeah that's crazy like it's not the lifestyle of that's why I think you're really really inspiring because you don't you're not like the typical calisthenics athletes who lives from social media from personal training a little bit and like who has a lot of time to work out and to achieve his goals but you're a person like who works hard who has like circumstances like the night shift which don't make it so easy to achieve high high achievements but you still do like I just remember your performance at the world of bar heroes 2018 I guess where you crushed everything times you say we tie them but I say it's it was it's impressive to see you're competing and to see your videos so yeah but the five-second rule is a good thing like it's it's a good habit you have do you like you still have some yeah you still have sometimes the lack of motivation and think about quitting or never I think everyone has those days like the big taste but then I just maybe those really really with anything I put some motivational and I think about people like David buildings and and even think about my past stop the stuff that I have done which were in when I was in much worse situation making my games all bad games when I competed I don't bust games I finished at 8 o'clock 8 or 9 o'clock and then the flight was delayed we go to France five hours later I was with no sleep at all for hours so tickly I went from a night shift with no sleep at all and then when we go to sleep at night tough to come hard to complete at Finn o'clock the other day in the morning so basically I completed a bit all it took second place what it was really hard times those times when a good friend what the hell push myself and then everything asks you can do it so I think everyone has some times to recall when I would be interested in how did you get like how did you become this person what what kind of past did you have to to have this self-discipline to have this motivation and then everything else was going upwards from that point because it was like depression and alcohol it continues I was working I was doing good I know just just living just breathing like not kind of guided to depression along with some family issues some economy issues I had no job then the work I had no goals broke up with my girlfriend I was myself smiling sober there was some low points I would really fought because of alcohol you know my health was shit I was couldn't take the stairs without getting out of breath because of the smoking because of smoke like two packs a day when I woke up the only thing I was looking forward those days to hot drink again to smiling everything feels like empty with no purpose and then one day I just kicked out with myself I didn't like but I saw what I was doing with my life and I said I quit at the same time smoking I quit at the same time drinking while all my friends was else's water to be honest it was really hard and I quit the eating excessively like anything I wanted so I quit three things like at the same time it was really hard but working out every day that was a celebration because working out I kinda took the place to be a place for decoding so kids kind of save me save me Oh crazy and how did you start to work out like because I discovered I was playing that B and then I was still smoking just like started stacking and then I discovered the epileptics it's it's something like a way something like CrossFit but you can do at home because like 15 weeks so I saw some transformation don't hit you and started doing it was hard but then when it's covered with a friend of mine Eric calisthenics and that was it the first glance video so we want to do everything and that's how I started working out Nellie first earnings was the first year of my trade each product home basically so it was like just me my computer music and that's it in the workout so it was that was the Hollis year first year because I was doing everything by myself it took terms of mental willpower was really hard to start working out at those days but I push through each single day and got where I am today it's so like you for rugby where did you get the fitness fitness to start with rocky just learning and it was just start but I wasn't hooked so much when I was going to that be I was doing calisthenics at the same time afterwards okay and then freeletics is like high-intensity workouts without without weights a lot of reps like yeah and then the this I I think it's interesting to do the switch from high-intensity workout like freeletics to wait it like did you start out with weighted directly at home with weight with or something or was it first motivator I was doing bodyweight first but I was doing everything with another good form everything was all steps to be honest but I got something and then I just never saw anything from other people to be honest I wasn't watching in clouds I got it I know what I'm doing and I was just taking dumbbells and putting them like in my heavy bug on my bug bug all I was just holding them in two squads and do pull-ups and do dips things like that yeah but then still I was doing everything with bad form at that time even weighted stuff but that's how I began okay and since then what was your biggest success in your career success like in my championships I was kind of and because I because I had to my biggest win over loan I believe is biggest achievement is messages I get from people that have been motivated by me and can change their lives because maybe something I said or because of some videos so that's the biggest thing biggest achievement yeah like I can totally imagine even with your story because you also also shares parts of your story on Instagram that you inspire people who are really also at the bottom of their lives and get out because they see there is leaders there so he knows who did it as well so I can do it as well maybe yeah that's exactly okay and yeah like I can imagine you also get a lot of messages how do I progress faster how do I begin with calisthenics what is your advice to some what it someone being at at the beginning of his calisthenics career how can he progress and what should he think of em should just focus on the basics in the beginning that's the base as well as it could be call them basics this is focus on basic strength pull-ups dips push-ups squats don't let them legs and core strength that's it and they can focus after they get some this in the amount of push-ups have some strong some stronger shoulders I can focus on constants too that's the beginning the beginning must aim for at least 10 perfect form pull-ups 15 dips 20 push-ups I would say let's say 15 minutes 2025 squats and maybe 8 to 10 nearest mister chest that's it for the for that okay and like I would be interested what is your the most difficult move you've ever learned must be the I haven't learned it yet because I can do a perfect phone foot plans but I believe that Lance is the hardest one to coordinate the strength the nervous system it's more complicated move run everyone names because lots of people do it with proper form so my but the most difficult which I have learned if even the squat is difficult the back squat because it needs lots of lots of work and open technique if it is not some of the valuations of my flume level where is like hard to begin with okay so I can say but the straddle planche York right quite secure in it right yes and well I could hold it like from seven second state but I don't like the phone then let's let's say let's take the your your signature move the the front level with the rings like somebody who wants to learn this move how does he begin with it you can do anything else you just focus on balance just put the filicide believe it's ten toes first thing just to believe that you can do it I had haven't seen anyone do it so it's kinda hard to believe that it was achievable especially I remember the two limbs from level well no one has even done it haven't even tried it thought about it and I was at the part I was like let's let's see if it's possible my friend self will be behind was like no what the fuck I was like when the first I did I was like no that's and then I put myself like no you said that with one ring so let's did there was a shitty phone with no a bit like on milliseconds hold that gives you the power to believe that you can do it you just work on is wasn't work on your chip so that's how they can approach the normally link just find the right place of the link that balance right place on their list because you play with us a lot just go for it go for guys you want even if you fall it's not a big fish okay and you talked about injuries and in rugby but did you also have injuries in calisthenics since since your starts because I did not a good form those mistakes and right now I know what I should avoid what I should do so those mistakes like a lesson which I will teach to people so they won't go through those like ID and biking the davidon had a name you know someone to tell us things like things to avoid like diagnose and stone so information arts in YouTube Instagram everywhere that people can search and see what they shouldn't do like in the day even the best ones the best athletes so this has progressed and the information that is out there is really rich now people can learn everything from England from even if they talk to a guy and he gives them some tips on even personal I did about your injuries like did you have some injuries because of those mistakes I got like tons of injuries I got indignities tennis elbow good my wrists fucked up like really badly especially when I did one deep call them truck I still have like you can see it's possible you know why I couldn't do even to shop for like eight months my shoulders because I did pull-ups with weighted pull-ups I was progressing with really really fast in the past it was my strongest ones I got three years ago I got 70 kilos not easy but I was doing them not a good form I was doing them dead hunk without scapular retraction and basically I fucked up my shoulders and I was I was also doing without warm-up one envelopes because I got strong and that forgot my shoulders - I did one chin-ups basically fuck the muscle is my pull-ups went to hell so hot broken bones in the past its plays a role true biceps I often told my bicep life that baby's got talent in the show okay now in the I haven't got any serious ones because right now I know what and what are the mistakes like when you say now you know what to do what are the mistakes that beginners in calisthenics too often like often do the biggest mistake I see is basically some of the guys beginners they don't even know what I was doing I was doing the same also they have a lack of nobility in many lack of ability for many exercises including given pull ups push ups like dips everything and they continue the procedure boom most complicated moves they think the thing that simple they add some way to and that's how they get injured much much quicker even if they don't realize it now like if they feel alright like have no pain at all eventually they will pay the price like all of us did we do the same mistake so that's the biggest mistake everyone does no warm-up okay okay nice what is easier for you to gain weight or to lose weight it's easier to gain fun okay so what I already talked about how to how you shred like doing doing a hit workout in front of your normal workout with with a banana with some sugar in between but in general what are your what is your advice you lose fat or to shred how it works so when you consume more calories and burn he didn't fall if you consume less calories than you burn process they have to understand that at first and they have to afterwards I had to see the diet like you what I was doing all these years it was really simple but it works for me I was only focusing on my not any intake I was only eating food which is rich in protein and I was focusing towards eat with each day at least 180 grams of protein so I was choosing food like chicken I was measuring how many grams when I saw how many protein isn't sitting and shit that's how I I was sitting every day in still to this day to be honest I am doing kind of the same thing I'm focusing and of course are not eating chips and chocolates in there I'm only trying to eat food which is rich in protein alongside with Cubs like rice maybe some pasta and that's it so I focus to Gateway that leave at least 2 grams of protein of my each body kilogram of body weight so if I'm 90 today at least once I reach that I stopped how I was doing with all these years Wow so how often per per month you eat chocolate or something sweet this past those past months upsetting like that's a good snack that's like okay nice so I have some quick questions with some quick answers from you before we come to an end of this this interview so what do you prefer Pizza or Broga Pizza Pizza are you a dog or a cat person what do you prefer though but and recently I'm in love with cats - what was your best holiday location until now from point of memories maybe stealthily Thailand okay yeah what is your dream job like what is your maybe go for the next five to ten years to work from home then maybe see with people for like four hours and then focus on why they like workouts and stuff have a passive income and to communicate with and like in personal thing against do you have a favorite calisthenics athlete be honest no not one haven't got anyone who is my favorite don't even have had motivation I had mine lots of athletes and I ate something has something special to give they have some muffins in my mind which I feel like wow she's deep is really great I see I was like oh great she had like he squatted and he's even doing plans you know it I think something little bit from each other okay what was the best calisthenics event you've ever been at must be Callie games and football and the last question what do you prefer statics or waiters that's a hand one enjoy both but stop exercise I can get more creative so move maybe because I can get more yeah perfect so last question for you how do how can people get in touch for you maybe for like coaching maybe just for work how can they reach you and talk to you because my perfect souls leaders thanks a lot for your time thanks for being here thanks for sharing your advice your story and yeah I'm really really happy that you were here just short hint for the viewers before you can end the episode and say whatever you want at the end thanks for watching everyone thanks for watching until the end I really really appreciate it because these are some long interviews but I guess it's really valuable input Thanks firstly Davis for being here yeah put your questions put your questions into the comments if you have any questions it is maybe we will do a second episode with them and also comment your the next workout the next interview guest sorry the next you guess you're wishing so yeah you can end the episode thanks for being here and thanks everyone thanks a lot my friend we'll talk again we'll be in touch