VADYM OLEYNIK | My CrossFit and Calisthenics Journey | Interview | The Athlete Insider Podcast #17

View the interview here: 

Or listen to the interview here:

The text of the interview (translated automatically): 

it was a really stupid decision you know to move to the crossfit you know This interview will be honestly one of the craziest ones that we've ever done so the first part of the interview is recorded three weeks ago. The interview is already crazy but the second part gets even crazier so like after laying in hospital for two weeks because of really serious stuff he decided to throw around everything and yeah explains why. All the questions that we handled in this interview are in the description so you can just click on the time mark and then you can go to the topic that interests you. Now enjoy the interview, stay tuned till the end and see you gorillas! Yo Gorillas! Welcome to the next episode of the athlete insider podcast by GORNATION! my name is Phil and today we have our special guest, a really special guest somebody who I know since 2015. I saw you at the King of the Bar competition at the FIBO in Cologne and you totally destroyed everyone! - Haha yeah it was good times, good times, you know -  and it was a freestyle competition even, so like most of you and most of the people out there the listeners will probably know you for like your sets your weighted skills like stuff like that but like back, back then you were like doing freestyle and it's, it's like crazy. We will get into this topic afterwards but somebody who really inspires one hundreds of thousands of people online, like a Ukrainian workout beast, a legend for a lot of people and I'm really happy to have you here: Vadym Oleynik from Ukraine. Thank you, brother! I really appreciate it to join a podcast with you, you know, so it's pleasure to answer some, some interesting questions for GORNATION community so I'm up everything! Nice let's go! So how do you present yourself to somebody who doesn't know you? Like do you say "yeah hi I'm 50 kilo muscle-up man" or like how do you present yourself? - I never, you know, I never represent myself as a big guy, you know, I don't know, as a popular, as a star, as strong whatever, you know, never. I don't like it, you know, I always stay humble. Those who want to know me, they can they can just write down my name in YouTube or whatever they want, you know, and then they can check like all the information, you know. I never represent myself like, you know, like, you know, like like a star, you know, like I'm the best or whatever, you know, never! Because there is no, there's, there's, there's no point for me when I'm rich everything, you know, like in calisthenic. I think I rich, all I want all I was wishing before at my beginning you know because right now I'm like I I'm moving more into the CrossFit, you know, because it's something it's more challenging for me, you know, because in calisthenics I was able to do all, you know, like all not all the stuff that the people want me to do. All the stuff that I was wishing before, you know, so and that's actually why I decided. I decided to try something new, you know, because it become so boring, you know, like you have thousand variation of pull-ups, thousand variation of push-ups, dips whatever, you know, but still it's pull, it's pull up and it's push-ups and it's dips. It doesn't matter how you do it, you know, still the same movement, you know, so it become a bit boring for me, you know, and when I was able to do like all I want so then I decide okay I think it's enough and I have to try something new and it was CrossFit because CrossFit was made for the Special Forces, you know, like for the people that was working in a special force to have like a good condition, a good strength, a good entrance, power like to be able to do everything, you know. So what can I say about the CrossFit? It makes me stronger in total, you know, so because I am receiving a lot of messages from the people: Why you are moving to the CrossFit? Why you're making kipping muscle-ups, if you were able to do 50 kg muscle-ups or whatever, you know, and like to be honest I won't say anything anything bad about those people, you know, but these people they're stupid as f**k, you know. You know why? Because they they don't understand why I'm doing this kind of things. For example you have a metcon, you know, like in CrossFit you call it metcon complex like whatever and you have to complete it in time as fast as possible. It's impossible to complete it with the strict form, you know. You have to do it with the kipping, you know, so that's like, of course I have also weighted trainings, weighted sessions, strict form like everything and the main thing the CrossFit makes me stronger even in calisthenics so like the stuff I was doing before, only in calisthenics. Right now I can make it like this! Much easier, you know, because my body is recovering from the, from the stuff I was doing for many years, you know, so let's say for 17 years I was doing Muscle-Ups, Pull-Ups, Front Lever like all the stuff you know and right now like I'm working to be more complete, you know, like so I'm doing everything like everything running, swimming, I don't know, roping like I don't know, I don't know like whatever like everything, you know, and it really helps me, you know, so I would like to say I representing myself as just Vadym Oleynik, you know, and that's it, you know. Nothing else just Vadym Oleynik, you know, so if you know me so then you know me. If you don't know me so then you can check me, you know, so that's it, you know, but I think the people that are representing their yourself as the best, the strongest, the I don't know like the stars whatever, it's not humble. It's it's not good, you know, I mean I'm not judging anyone, you know, it's their life, their decision, you know, but it's not for me, you know. - Okay like something that jumps into my mind: In your bio, in your Instagram bio there's written "strongest calisthenics athlete in the world" - Yes. - How does it fit together for you? It was more like marketing, you know, it was like more for the social media to make more sales to make more like, just just marketing, you know, but I cannot say it's not true. So if somebody has something to say to me about it you know to discuss it with me, so if I come wherever, you know, to the people that the saying sh*t about it, so then they can prove it you know there is the people that, of course that can pull more than me, you know, because I'm not working more than 80 kg for the dips, for the pull-ups, you know, but I'm doing for, but I'm doing this weight for the two for the three hundred reps, you know, they can say like, you know, that I'm not the strongest but I'm able to do everything, you know, I'm calling myself the strongest because I'm the most complete athlete in Calisthenics right now. Even right now without training the calisthenics. The level I was putting in the supersets plus 20 kg, the muscle ups plus 50 kg, I don't know like whatever, you know, the people can check my Instagram, you know, there's everything that I did you know and nobody reach it till now, nobody, nobody! I won't say like that I am the best, you know. Just go and reach it. Prove it that you're better than me, you know, so that's it, you know. Just prove it that you're better than me, you know, then then it's over, you know ,so heads heads off, you know, hands up, you know, and that's it, you know, so like because I was doing everything, you know, I was able to do, I don't know, one-arm pull-ups, I don't know, front lever pull-ups like like everything, you know, it's not because I was training the elements, you know, where I was completely training weighted sets or just weight, no I was training everything, you know. That's actually why it took me 17 years to reach my level, you know, and like in total my training experiences 22 years, you know, so like since four years old, you know, like it's a part of my life and if somebody have something to say to me, so they, they can say and I can prove. This is the thing. I can prove my words, you know, so if, you know, nobody was writing me something about it, you know, nobody, They just saying behind my back: "Vadym is using steroids!", "Vadym is piece of sh*t!", Vadym is this, this, this, this, this, this, bro! You know, there is a one short meaning that dogs are barking and the caravan is still moving. They can bark behind my back, I give a f**k about it, you know, I give a f**k about it, you know why? Because I know what I'm doing and I know why I'm doing it! You know, at my beginning calisthenics everyone was against me, everyone was saying sh*t about me, everyone was saying that "Vadym, you will never be something." This sh*t is sport, you know, because this sport is not Olympic sport, is not professional sport, it's from the street, you know, it just like underground sh*t, you know, and everyone was against me and right now all the people that was against me they come and they say "Vadym, bro, how did you reach it? How did you get there, bro? Like wtf its crazy" blablabla. I say yeah of course. It's just hard work, you know, hard work pays off, you know, that's it. So I give a f**k about the people and they will watch this video. I know they're gonna watch this video, bro for sure, because there watch everything and they hate it but they not gonna hate it like into my face into my eyes, you know, they gonna hate it behind my back, you know, this is the main thing. I never had anybody bro, anybody in calisthenics in the world calisthenics community, you know, because if you spread like like in a second, you know, "Vadym is talking sh*t about everyone!", you know, so "He is a piece of sh*t!", you know, so it's like Bam! One second, you know, so that's actually why like I think: Alright, I have my people. I have my people around the world like I think they are the best athletes, you know, they're for real they're the best athletes and I really respect them, you know, for example it's Ruslan Saibov, Max True, Vitaly Feschuk, Evgeny Scherbina, Adam Raw like kind of like I know everyone, you know, and everyone knows me, you know. So we're trying to support each other, you know, we're trying to motivate each other. We're trying to do something together. We're trying to organize some events which are like that's actually why I'm traveling and making the workshop, I'm judging the competition and making that master class like everything to show people what is the real way to train calisthenics. It's not just static, it's not just dynamic, it's not just trends. You have to be complete, you know, you have to be complete. You have to work on everything. That's actually why I was moving to the CrossFit, you know, because it's something new that will makes me more strong, you know. Because I was not moving from calisthenics for example, I don't know, to dancing or just to running, you know, I was moving, moving from the hardest sh*t to the hardest sh*t, you know, so that's it, you know, yeah so like this. Like something that I really admire about you is your mindset because like everybody who has seen you doing a set, you you see that you really, that you bite through the pain, that you really, like you have a, you must have an incredible mindset and it shows for me also like when you talk about your haters that it, when you talk about like negative comments etc. Like how did you develop to this mindset? Was it always like this? - It was from my, from i can say it from childhood, you know, because my grandfather was growing me as a man, you know, like you have to go through everything because you have to know how to protect your family, how to protect your girlfriend, how to protect your ,your friends. You have to be a man, you know, you have to be a man like how the f**k you can call it yourself as a man, if you're giving up when you get in pain, you know? When you get into the pain in your trainings, but bro if you're not getting into the pain in your trainings, how the f**k you wanna reach a progress like how the f**k you want? I don't know, you want to be the best for example, you know. Every day right now I die like in the morning I die on my training then I go to the doctor then I die on my doctor because he's making me like some so f**king strange sh*t, you know, that it's f**king painful, you know. Then I back to my training again then I have a stretching with a girl that that make me a stretching and I'm dying from the fact is stretching and mobility and then I go home then I have to do any action you know for my joints for my tendons for everything because I'm recovering right now because like in Ukraine is quarantine and I don't know when it when it's it will be over and also like I deciding if I'm not traveling right now so like I will focusing to recover myself you know because I never did some massages you know like therapy like whatever you know so right now focusing more on the recovering myself and yeah it like you know you just I always saying one thing to everyone: if you giving up once you will give up till the rest of your life! like you know for me my mind never stopped you know like my body died for that other people the body is dying before their, before their minds die so what it means for example you did 10 pull-ups and your mind say to yourself you know maybe I am tired you know and then your body is getting the signal from your mind: okay I'm tired so it's over. My mind is not working like this until I'm done with everything doesn't matter how I feel, doesn't matter how I died but mostly of the time my body is dying before my mind. like I'm getting cramps, I'm getting like you know like like I'm getting f**ked after the training you know like everyday like six days a week and in a rest day on the Sunday I'm doing some I don't know like cardio like an active recovery you know like it looks like this like you just have to, to prove, to prove not to others, you know you have to prove to yourself first because the only competitor that you, that you have it's yourself. Every day you have to wake up, every day you have to cook, every day you have to train, every day you have to work, every day you have to do the stuff, you know and if you're not motivated you know ,so it's impossible to do. It's possible but you're not going to enjoy the journey, you know and the main thing in calisthenics, in every sports, its to love what you do you know because if you are not loving what you do so then it's over you know then it's over for real but because like how the f**k you can do the thing that you really hate, you know? like you came to the training and said: F**k, f**k if you know I want to train I don't like it I don't want like whatever, you know, so you're not gonna train, you're not gonna get the progress you know but if you really like it you know I'm still fighting with the one thing because I cannot control it you know I cannot control the pain. When I will reach the level when I be able to control the pain then it will be like something like something something huge you know because after this you know you can do like incredible stuff. You can go through the pain. I mean I can go through the pain right now but it hurts as f**k you know like you know it hurt but when you will enjoy the pain, when you can control the pain then it's like something new you know. - Okay. And do you sometimes have trainings where you're not motivated? Like do you also have these moments where you don't want to work out you know like to be honest bro I'm not motivated at all for my trainings you know like right now I'm not motivated at all like if I, if I have a chance you know to do like something else right now you know I don't know if I do, if I change or not but mostly of the time I'm not motivated you know. Of course there's the days when I feel good when I am like enjoying you know but most of the time like I just know that I have to do it you know and that it I just have to go and I just have to do the stuff and then I have to go out you know and then like I'm even if I'm not completing the training like for 100 percent you know because if you have some problems, if you have some sh*t in your mind you cannot train for 100 percent. And you know your mind has to be totally clean, you know, without any sh*t inside because if you got some sh*t inside your mind you know like it's hard you know. When my father died like one year ago, bro, for the, like to be honest for the four months I was out of everything. Every day like every day I was training but you can imagine how hard it was for me like it was almost it was impossible you know I just came I had no power, had no strength, I had nothing you know and I was continuing training because here somewhere like somewhere in my mind I was understanding there's two ways: I can drink, i can use some drugs, I can smoke, I can like you know whatever because was so hard you know family for me mean like it means everything. Maybe for some people they giving a f**k about their family, you know, but for me family is everything you know it always was everything for me, and like when my father died like I understand: oh my god it's like, it's, it's really hard for real you know like I cannot handle it you know. And it was the moment when I deciding if my father's looking, look at me right from the upstairs you know so he was like, he would like to say you have to continue to grow yourself you know, to not go down you know, to not get into the depression you know, to not get into the some sh*t. You have to continue grinding you know and that's actually what I did and that's actually what I'm doing right now you know. People, people, I mean they'll always have a choice you know to go to train or to drink a beer you know, for example, whatever, you know. To make the money or to work for somebody till the rest of their life, you know. So the people they always, they always have a choice the only thing the choice is up on you, you know. Wow, crazy! That's like intense and like something that I would be interested in how does your day look? Like like you you like we talked today you today you did two workouts as I understood like... - look like in the morning when I'm awake so I'm like I'm doing like my morning start for example i'm doing i'm i warm like I make a boiled wat.. like not boiled, just warm water with a piece of lemon with the one spoon of honey so I mix it drinking to activate my body after the night after the sleeping then I'm making the coffee with the lemon with the honey also maybe with the coconut oil, if I have it, if not so just lemon and and honey then I'm eating a piece of ginger. Then, then I swallow the piece of garlic and then I'm eating 2 small spoons of B-bread and then and then I'm yeah and then I'm cooking the breakfast like oatmeal with a different kind of seeds with the honey with the peanut butter yeah then I'm doing all the vitamins then I'm going to my first training so like one hour it's my like I'm doing from rolling warm up like a bit of mobility then I start my first training. Then, then I'm going to the doctor like to do my therapist like in as a therapist so for one hour. And then I'm going to eat then I'm going to the second training then I'm trained and the girl that makes me a stretching and mobility so I'm doing the stretch and mobility then I'm going home then I'm making that all they're all the things like before I'm going to sleep to sleep so like any action to recover my joints, to recover my tendons, to recover like all my injuries because I have a lot of trigger points on my body I mean also I'm doing, I have some work I have some stuff to do, so like you know I mean but most of the time from the morning till till the evening it's a hard time for me you know, so wild and crazy, you know, like i will say. So you put yourself through a lot of pain during the day? - I'm just start enjoying it, you know. - And what is your goal right now? Like what what is your goal for for this year for example? - For this year I just want to recover myself from all the injuries that I've got before in my past you know and just you know just to continue training, just to improving myself you know like this is the main goal. I hope the quarantine go over soon so I can travel again you know but right now till the 31 of July like there's the quarantine in Ukraine because the amount of the sick people with coronavirus is growing in Ukraine you know. - Okay, nice, like so What is your job right now? Like how do you what do you say to someone what is your job? - Actually, bro, i have different words, you know. - Okay. - Yeah like different one but most of the people they know that I'm just yeah I have an app. I have a my I have my manager that are managing all the stuff for me like workshops, like the money from the app. Right now we're opening our clothing shop, we are, we're putting more adverts into our app to make it bigger so like, I mean this is the thing that the people should know you know. The rest of the stuff they don't need to know you know. - Okay. - They just don't need to know. - Okay.- I'm just a simple Vadym Oleynik you know that's it you know. - Okay. Nice! like something that the community asked: What are the questions that you, are the mistakes that you see other people doing in calisthenics? - You know I'm like while my traveling the workshop that they did they did before you know like trying to explain people they have to focusing to be more complete you know. Of course it will take more time to gain muscles, to gain strength, to gain like whatever you know they want, but they have to, they have to focus to be more complete because the biggest problem right now: They make a circus from the Calisthenics, you know, before like for example back to 2015 on the King of the Bar, bro, you remember there was the so much f**king strength you know there was a lot of strength there was a lot of power like brutal power you know and right now they're just f**king flying you know they just making the acrobatic they just making dynamic you know and just statics. There is no power. The guys that are competing on the world championship, bro, they're not able to do straight muscle-ups with a strict form you know, bro how the f**k like what's going on you know for me it's just impossible, you know like how the f**k you can like if you don't know how to do the perfect muscle up how the f**k you can complete on the world championship in the calisthenics you know. So right now the biggest mistake of the people because they are focusing not on the strengths. They are focusing on the fly, on the static and That's it you know. That's actually why 95% of the people that are competing on the competition right now they are tiny as f**k without any muscles and short you know like so this is I mean I won't say anything bad about those people you know they are good, they're like they don't crazy crazy crazy sh*t you know but it's not it's not the way I did it you know and I don't like this way know. Like for me the the biggest point it was to be strong and big you know when you go to compete and the people they just check bro when I was competing on the King of the Bar, bro, I was f**king 90 kg bro f**king 90kg. Can you imagine? F**k, bro. I was yeah in back to that time I was giving a f**k about the diet I was eating everything you know and as much as I want you know and I was like this, if you remember me, I was like this for real you know and the people you know like for the people it's more interesting if you're huge if you're big and you're strong you know then then it's more interesting and right now from like right now I'm not going to compete in calisthenics you know because it makes no sense for me. And like the thing I'm watching like the competitions around the world. I don't like it you know like you compete the world championship and you get just a f**king cup and a pair of socks bro like what the hell? you know you have to pay for your flight, you have to pay for your hotel, you have to pay for to compete and then like you have to prepare yourself for the competition you know and for me I'm not preparing myself just to go to compete and to lose. I'm preparing myself to win and if I wanna win so I have to hold my diet so it's expensive food, it's expensive supplements, it's my time, it's my like dedication, my passion my like everything you know I have to put a lot of effort, effort in it to make it happen you know and then I have to f**king pay for it you know and then I'm only receiving a f**king Cup and the f**king pair of socks. What the hell bro? like real what the hell you know they they're just kidding on me you know. when they was inviting me: Vadym bro come compete you know we really love you you know come! I say like: bro if you want me to see.. if you want to see me competing then like I have to understand why I am competing and what what I can get from the competition you know because bro I get a lot of injuries and right now I pay a lot of money to recover myself from it you know. And if I'm not getting everything and I'm just get injured from the competition the pair of socks, of course I can wear socks and I can say: you know you know bro I get these socks from the world championship you know they are so f**king cool you know and probably they cost like 10,000 dollars you know but I'm not sure you know you can check them in the store and they will cost like f**king 10 euros you know and then it's like over you know. So back to 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, no 2016. Sixteen it was already bullsh*t you know because we did the bar wars with the ... you now yeah but eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen it was cool you know they was taking care of the athletes you know. At least they cover everything you know and you come and you competing you know and when you win so you get sponsored for example for the next trip or whatever you know so it, .., it had some sense but right now nothing at all. For example I have a coach from the CrossFit you know like I really respect him and for me he is the best I mean he's the best in Ukraine and he is one of the of the top athletes from around all over the world. He was the first guy that was representing Ukraine on the CrossFit Games you know. So and he's saying you have to start competing in Ukraine and, and I'm saying for me it make no sense to kill myself just I don't know to win hundred bucks bro like f**k I'm spending more in a f**king day you know without the therapist, like the doctors the food like everything you know. So like right now like the main goal for me, I really would like to compete on the CrossFit Games now but I know it's not easy and I have to take to take off my glasses you know that: all right one year and I'm going to be on the CrossFit Games! No! It's not gonna work like this. You have to work hard consistently you know. You have to improving yourself, you have to work hard you know to get results you know and it takes some time. So right now I'm focusing on my health to improving all the problems that they've got before and to recover myself to improving myself and I'm still continuing making a lot of workshops around the world you know because I'm still able to do everything you know that they did before even much better. So because the if I'm not posting the videos about the calisthenics you know or whatever because they last the last months it was so busy so I'm I was not posting anything on my social medias you know but doesn't mean that I'm stopped training that I'm not improving myself, bro i work hard as hell. The people cannot even imagine how hard I'm working right now you know because if I'm not posting that they think I stopped and then I will get f**ked it up bro I'm still improving myself and when quarantine is over and when I go travel like when I be able to travel again they will see. I won't say anything you know. I won't say anything. I never said anything I just showed the results you know. Before everyone saying me: bro 50 kg muscle up you're f**king stupid? You f**king, f**king b*stard you know like how the f**k it's possible? but when I did 30 minutes mo with the 30 reps of 50 kg muscle everyone said: bro you're using steroids! you know but they're not paying attention that I was training like bro from four years old from f**king four years old. Right now I'm 25 you know in 21 of July I will cross 26 you know but bro 22 years I was training. Show me like even seth .. how long he training? And I was not training only calisthenics. First i was training some but then was training then I was mixing calisthenics and some and I went out for some and I was focusing on calisthenics and then I was adding the powerlifting I mean back squats front squat dead lift like whatever. Then there was like more training with the rubles, with the bikes, with the swimming, with the running, with everything like for me it was like to kill myself it become an habit you know like a daily habit you know so like to die yeah that's like the motto, like my motto you know people always using I live to die and they die to feel a life you know so you die on your training and after you feel alive and then you wanna die again you know because it makes you alive. So this is how it works for me you know. - Wow! Wow! So like you're talking about the topic that also like the community asked like Sally asked on YouTube: Did you ever take steroids? And you already said it like two times that it's something that people often ask you. Do you know where it comes from and do you have an answer to these people? Yeah of course firstly it was like like guinea Kumasi from my right chest. I've got it from 12 years old because of the of the disbalance of my hormones you know of the estrogen and testosterone and I went to the doctor and he saying me like when you crossed 18 or 20 if you went like if you go out you know but it doesn't and I have to make a surgery. It's not because I was using steroids like at 12 years old you know... we're back from the last interview. I think three weeks passed since then. Different location, different setting right now and I think a lot of stuff happened in your life like weird stuff like maybe the people saw on social media and I'm happy to have you here back Vadym so yeah do you want to tell us: What happened? What's your current state? - Yeah so because of my high intensity trainings in CrossFit I went into overtraining. My muscles get into the over, to overuse and it stopped working so even basic moves like pull-ups push-ups like everything become so complicated for me because my muscles it's not working you know. I mean in that moment. So then I went to my to my therapist and he said oh you have a lot of triggers, you have a lot of problems with your muscles but he cannot check my health from the inside and then I went to like to the to the best sport doctor that are providing like professional boxers, like professional athletes in Ukraine and she based in Odessa so I went there and she said you have to do a blood test we have to like the whole test of your body, heart, your internal organs and like everything so I went to the to the hospital. I did like the whole test of my body, of my blood, of my organs, of everything and the situation was really really bad so I stay in the hospital for almost two weeks with a very bad health, with a very bad health position because like I was killing myself for many years. It's already more more than twenty one year, almost 22 because tomorrow I will I have a birthday so tomorrow I have like 26 years and since four years old I was training so hard and I had no trainers and I had no coaches, I had no doctors, I had not therapist like nothing so I I was just killing myself you know and everyone like in everyone in the world they, in calisthenics community, everyone knows how hard I work. I just died on my trainings you know and why everything was happening to me because of my, of my stupid mentality you know. I said to myself I can I will and it doesn't matter how hard it is, how long it's going to take me like whatever I just going to do it you know and it was the problem because here I was ready. I was ready for whatever you know but my body is not you know. As I said before in the last hour talking I said firstly for most of the people bodies die, your muscles die and then it's it send you, it sends you a signal to your mind: it's over I'm tired, I cannot continue anymore like and then like it's over so you stop training because firstly your muscles stop working for most of the people. For me my muscles, I mean my mind is never stopped working and my muscles continue because because my mind is going to continue you know. So here if you're not tired here, if you're strong mentally, so your body will follow you you know and that's actually why, if you have this kind of mentality, you have to take a rest, you should have a team of smart people that will providing your health like everything what you're doing it has to be provided by professional people, by therapists by doctor, by your team you know and I didn't have a team like till now you know till now when I went to hospital and they say: if you will continue for the next six months like this you can die like you can die. Bro like can you imagine? The people they say me you know if you will continue training with this high intensity like for another six months you're like you can die because the sh*t the sh*t that I've got it calls Rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdo. This is the problem of CrossFit athletes because you just doing a lot a lot a lot a lot a lot you know without any rest you know and I went to the level for in one year bro. For other people it takes years, years! 5, 10, 15, 20 like years you know. It is the same thing if I said to somebody you know you have to reach my level in a one year you know. So like it's kind of weird you know because I went there no to the level but I was living at the gym bro from the morning till the evening I was training for example in the morning it was weightlifting session some cardio metcons, then I took some rest for the two, three hours and then there was for example another two three metcons you know and between you have to stretch, you have to roll, you have to do mobility, you have to do stretching, you have to recover yourself, you have to visit the therapist, you have to eat clean you know like there is so so so so many things you know and the problem was everything was new for me because CrossFit was new for me you know it took me some time to adapt myself to this kind of training you know because it's a high-intensity work you have to you have to breathe you know you have to breathe you have to do everything so fast you're sweating a lot so everything is going out of your body with the sweat you know and so everything went out of my body you know that's why god I've got the cramp from my internal organs and also like like I cannot stand I cannot I can do anything I cannot eat I can't drink I cannot do anything because of the cramps from the inside like sometimes you get the cramps from your core if you overuse you know with some core exercises but it was like another sh*t you know it was something it was it was worse you know and after, after the whole the whole test of my body I decide, it was hard decision for me you know because I said to myself I want to compete at the CrossFit Games I want to become like a good athlete and all that stuff but right now I understand why it was a really stupid decision you know to move to the CrossFit  you know because I won't say that I'm the best or whatever no I just want to say that calisthenics it's my life. this is the things that gives me everything in my life. Traveling, friends, body, strength. I don't know I met a lot of good people you know I have an amazing team I working with right now you know I have like I have everything in my life because of calisthenics and I don't know why I moved to the crossfit. I mean I kind I know why because I said to myself why I can't? I can like I always can. there is nothing that I can't you know and that and it was the reason why I moved there and I stopped trying calisthenics you know but right now I understand. this is my life this is the point that i really love to do you know. I'm not gonna move to the crossfit, I'm not gonna compete at the crossfit, I'm not gonna do crossfit anymore because the main priority in my life is to stay healthy you know because I want to have a family I want to have the kids I want to I want to travel I want to enjoy my life you know and I was training calisthenics for many years you know so nothing is stuck because the people already a lot of messages, I've received a lot of messages from the people they're saying you know Vadym I think it's over with you but like you're gone with the with the with the calisthenics you know right now from today bro from today my power today is like a big day for me you know because the power is back to me you know my power like everything is back to me you know and I'm so f**king proud of it you know because I after I went from the hospital you know so I decided to go to my training you know to try to do at least something you know and I couldn't do even like muscle-up plus 10kg bro like one muscle.up plus 10kg like mentally I was die like you can imagine how hard it was for me when I was doing like 30 minutes plus 50 kg you know like just nothing you know like everything was like the strength was unbelievable you know and back to the time where they was at the gym and I couldn't do you know even one muscle-up plus 10kg it was like went like to depression you know because that's why I like I was not but like I was not available my social on my social media you know I was not posting anything you know because I was it was really really bad and hard times you know and I was alone and it every day it was just killing me you know because I understood that if I'm if I go continue training so everything becomes worse and a lot of doctors they're saying: Vadym you cannot train it's over you have to understand you have to find another passion you have to find another things to train it after I don't know find the girlfriend, build the family, work on your business like whatever but you cannot train! bro like I said you know the life can take everything from me house money clothing friends everything but nobody can take my passion out of me! nobody never! I can stay naked outside on the street but I'm gonna rise like thousand times if it needed you know and like no one can take it from me like it's impossible and right now I'm training you know every day I'm training, every day i work on myself, every day pulling myself you know and I give a f**k I give a f**k what they saying with the Vadym you cannot train it's over bro I give a f**k to all of them you know I will never stop doing the things that I really love that I really enjoyed that gives me everything in my life you know yes I understand that a did mistake for the people that are following me you know for the my community for the my people is saying sorry because I did mistake and I take it you know and I take it like a man that I did it but I understand and right now I changed everything you know I mean start doing calisthenics again, the way I did it before and again I will I will make the workshop so I will go to the competitions I will train people I will teach them and I will give everything to my community because my community was staying with me when I did the biggest mistake in my life you know they are not leaving me my people are staying with me and they saying but if I didn't went to the crossfit so it's his life and his decision you know they was supporting me you know even when I was out of calisthenics for almost one year it's September, October in October like it's supposed to be one year of crossfit you know without calisthenics but right now I'm back and they are mad you know because the haters they was happy that I that I out and they can reach every day and then and they can become stronger than me like whatever but bro I'm back and I'm back you can imagine how hard I work right now like only he's only he is watching me you know only he is watching me and only he knows how hard I work I kicking my ass every f**king day right now you know to get back everything what I everything that I had before and even to reach more you know so There was not even one injury in my life that was putting me on my knees that i cannot stand on my legs you know not even one I was laying on my bed for two months that I cannot that I cannot stand my father put me on his shoulder and he brings me to the toilet because I couldn't walk you know and there was so many and right now it's just a new chapter in my life you know and I'm ready to take it and I will improve myself because right now I will take care of my health much more than before because I'm able to do everything but it's not true. no one is a machine and everyone has a limit, has a limit of their like energy you know it's like a battery you know if you're not gonna charge your phone it's not gonna work you know I for example I put my phone just into the water you know and it get it gets even worse you know so this is what this is what they did to myself you know I just kill myself like I just kill myself without no there there was no doubts I just kill myself you know and when I was laying at the hospital I understood there that right now I have to change something in my life because if I will continue the way I did before I'm not gonna cross 30 you know I'm not gonna cross 30 years. What are your learnings? Like what what can you give to the community as an advice? - To train smart. to Train smart to not killing yourself you know because like I'm gonna do this this this, I'm not tired or whatever you know it it was I was representing representing myself like like psycho but it make at the end it makes no sense you have to train smart for example one week you're training hard another week you've got the lower it, then for example you train at the 50% you know like every time you have to change you cannot work like a hundred precent every day it's impossible. I mean it is possible but then you will get the sh*t that I've got you know right now and guys you have to you have to think about your future, not about tomorrow, about your future you know because you have to stay healthy. you have to stay, you have to feel good you know and you have to train till rest of your life if you really like it you know and you have to do it and if you and if you have to do it so then you have to rethinking about the stuff you are doing you know because everyone has their battery you know and battery can like the battery can over you know if you're not going to charge it and then you will get a lot of problems with your health you know and some of these problems you cannot recover you know even with a lot of money so just think about it and implement some recovery things in your life like therapies like swimming I don't know like do some blood tests every I don't know every two three months, try to eat healthy because it's very very important right now my diet looks totally different. I'm eating perfectly clean, only good food like nothing bad at all like I was sitting clean even before you know but right now eating clean it's it's like a different level for me you know like complete and i continue training but smart. It totally changed my training system right now you know and I'm working on it so probably it'll take me another maybe one month you know but I will share it with the people. We will implementing it into our app so the new system will, be should be available like maybe in the next months so this system will give to the people a lot of new benefits to stay healthy them ... to improve their self like their muscles I mean their their physical, their strength, endurance like everything you know but from the healthy position you know not just with the killing their self you know the way I did it before I mean you can kill yourself but if you kill yourself smartly then it will give you much more benefit you know if if you will have like stupid mentality and you do do do do do do do a lot of a lot of things we have to do it smart because we have only one life and the god give us only life, one health and I understand you know when when your health is f**ked and you can do anything you know no one is with you no one, brother, no one everyone gives a f**k about you and I and I really understand it you know and it's really really it's really really bad you know and it's so so f**king sad. when I was laying there bro no one is calling me to ask me: Vadym, how are youß what's going on? what's happening? you know only my team my team they are Julian, my manager, my team mate, they was asking me Vadym bro what's happening do you need helpB do you need this this this? my team only two people you know I understand that the only the only option is is is to train hard but smart to stay healthy because if you will kill yourself then everything is over and for me my health it's everything for me it's my travels, it's my workshops, it's my for example masterclass, judging whatever I mean everything is connected to my health and if my health is f**ked so my life is f**ked you know it's over and when they were saying me Vadym you know like with Rhabdomyolysis, with the rhabdo, you cannot train hard you cannot train like with the high intensity you cannot you cannot use you cannot you cannot use a lot of a lot of stuff in your life like for example bicycle, swimming like you know to enjoy in my life and I understand I had to recover myself. I have to recover myself and I will recover myself you know there is no doubts about it you know you. Not even one you know so the only the only thing I want I will ensure to the people they have to understand they have only one life and they should have a family, they should have kids, they have to travel, they have to enjoy their life and they have to train but right now of course I'm going to do 60 kg muscle-up, I'm going to reach like new goals like everything but right now it will be much smarter you know with the so many changing in my life. - Crazy! so yeah let's let's talk about your goals like do you already know where you want to go? or are you just like in the recovery phase and like finding to yourself or do you like already know what is your goal for 2020 now with with the experience that you had in the last weeks? -  right now recovery it's a part of my life you know it's not just right now it's it become a part of my life. I will train, I will recover, I will train, I will recover. so it's like 50/50 you know because without recovery you kinda try without training you don't need to recover so it's like 50/50 you know and it's it's like people saying you know the six-pack are made in the kitchen you know the same thing with the training you cannot improve if you are not recovering you know because your battery is going to like it will be like lower lower lower if you not charge it you know so recovery it's like right from now it's a part of my life and about the goals you know. my goals about the travelings for 2020 there is no goals because I don't know when I'll be able to travel outside of my country you know and actually right now it's it's the longest time when I when I when I am staying in Ukraine you know because like every time I was traveling like every months every second month I was traveling everywhere you know but right now I cannot. I'm just staying in Ukraine drink home Beach like whatever you know but still you know it become a bit boring so about traveling there is no goals. I hope like this sh*t is is going it's going to be over like very soon and I'll be able to travel about the trainings I don't want to rush anything you know I don't want to rush anything and I will share my progress I go share my trainings with the people on my social media how I'm recovering, what I'm doing, what I am eating, how I training like everything just to give some knowledge to the people and I want to do like 60 kg muscle-up, want to do I have like some things in my mind you know but I don't want to write the process you know. No more, no more bro like 22 years I was killing myself like every day and my mom she saying she saying me you know you have to understand you was killing yourself for many years without the doctor, without the therapist, without the recovery, without anything and your body has your limit. your battery is over. that's why everything and what's happening to yourself because I was so I was in it so bad like depression you know like you can't even imagine you know I felt so bad you know and I was so down you know and I and I just recognize that oh my god like what's going on what I'm doing to myself like oh like where I am you know. right now finally I'm recovering you know like I can train. I I cannot train like with the high intensity but I I can use weights because my doctor like he provides me with all my trainings I sending him what I'm doing, what i want to do, how I'm doing like everything you know so everything is under the control and yeah we will see you know the time you put everything in the correct places you know and I will I will show to the people the limit is only here from 2015 you know from King of the Bar because they are asking me where is your limit? the limit is only here you know only in your mind and I will rise and I will rise again and I'm on the way you know I'm on the way and the people that were saying sh*t about me and they they say Vadym is gone from calisthenics they're gonna watch my back again bro and I swear I swear to God you know I swear to God I just need a bit more time you know I just need a bit more time to beat my sh*t that I did that not others my sh*t that I was like when I was at the top level of my strength you know I will beat it you know and Bro the thing is I'm so angry from the inside and it burned me you know it burns it burns me because when I was laying no one was with me you know no one was me no one even was contact contacting me to ask how I am you know no one brother my mom, my my team and that's it, for real, bro that's it. no one else you know and I don't I don't want to say anything about about the people from all over the world for my friends nothing I have nothing nothing to say to them you know I love them I will support them I will help them I'll be glad with them. probably it was it was the time to understand some things you know and I understand them. - Yeah sounds like yeah bad times but like that you took a lot of things with you from these times and that you you can do a restart now so yeah and you already answered like the question from Nikita from the community if you will beat your 50 kg muscle up? and yeah so you so the goal is to do 60 kilos you just don't know when because you don't rush yourself anymore. Soon! - Soon, okay. - I don't want to say anything you know. I never said something you know. I just did. - Okay. - I'm going to do it. then I'm going to share it and then the people will understand and I'm on the way, trust me brother, I'm on the way and if I'm on the way I'm on the way you know. - Nice! That's good! Another community question that we received from Sallie and it's actually a question that we received quite often when we asked what question we should ask Vadym it is: Did you ever take steroids? And last time in the last interview you started like talking about it but then like the the connection.. - I know why people are thinking about why I'm taking steroids because of the .. in the right side. I have it from since 12 years old because of the hormone disbalance and the doctor saying me it will gone when he will cross 18 because then your your hormones will be stable you know but wasn't and I have it like till now but it's not because I was taking steroids you know. I never took steroids in my life. I was using I was using fat fat burners like t5 is the hardest one I was using when I was in Poland when I was working so I did go classes and personal training that I had like no power for the training so that's why I was doing some some stuff from the outside like pre-workout, fat burnings and all that and all that stuff so t5 includes caffeine, caffeine aspirin and ephedrine so different pre workouts and all this stuff but then my my nervous system get f**ked you know because of because I understood that I cannot train without you know so it took me another two years to go out of this sh*t you know because right now I like I'm not taking anything you know no pre workouts, no fat burners like just the cup of coffee and I'm good you know so no steroids so I never you know I was thinking to take to take the hormone you know to recrover my injuries you know but my spot doctor she's saying she's saying that there's like a salty lake yesterday I did the story you know I'm on my therapy know so it's like a salty water with the dirty sh*t so you have to put it on yourself on the injured places you know and then you have to lay to lay on your lay on your, in this lake you know and has to be like 10 or 15 sessions and then like you feel much better so it's supposed to recover my all my injuries you know. I hope so. so like probably I'm not gonna take any any any any sh*t from outside you know because if if you take it from the beginning so you know then it it makes sense to continue you know. if you never took it so then it makes no sense to you know to broke yourself you know with the with some sh*t from outside and a that sh*t on my on my right on my right side like you know ...  it's like from 12 years old you know and I'm not doing a surgery because it will take me like some let's say one month to recover from it you know and right now it's not the time to stop you know like to go out of my training for one moth you know i can't. so that's why like I'm not doing it right now you know and my doctor she gives me a medicine that will bring bring it down you know so probably maybe that sh*t maybe it will remove that sh*t you know some I hope so. If not, then I will do the surgery I don't know maybe next year or whatever. - Okay well okay yeah then I think we already covered like crazy crazy topics we had like yeah I'm really like I really have to say thank you that you took the time and that you shared so much stuff even though like it's it's personal stuff. it's of course it's your job on the one side but it's like showing weakness showing, sharing stuff about your personal life about your health etc. so I'm thankful that you share this because I think people can learn from it as you say. - I hope so because you know they they have to understand they have to enjoy their life you know. they have to enjoy their life but they're so like, I understand it just now so late there are so many things you have to do in your life because at 50 you're not gonna train that hard like at 25 you know or even at 30. At 50 you would like to travel around the world you would like to eat good you like to enjoy your life. You would like to drive a good car, you would like to have a good business, you would like to not go to the work from 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. you know so there are so many things you have to work on you know until you can because there is a time when everyone will die you know so before we die we have to we have to enjoy our whole life and try to do with rest of my life. I say I would prefer to die on my training you know with the passion in my heart with the fire in my heart you know because I love it so that's why I totally changed everything in my life from now everything in my life. I will improve and going I'm going to improve myself but smart. Nice so yeah we're coming to quick questions with quick answers before we end this episode um and we end the interview so first question: pizza or burger, what do you prefer? I'm not eating both of them. - Never? - Like bro I don't remember the last time when I was eating pizza or burger you know sometimes it happens but it's not like i go to KFC, but say like a good Italian pizza or a good like like a really good healthy burger you know with the good bread with the good meat, like with a good vegetables with the good sauce and not like a piece of sh*t just to eat something just to put something in yourself you know so that's why. - Okay. Both, I mean, I love both of them you know it's definitely worth, i mean here in Ukraine it's hard to find like I mean there is like a really really good restaurants you know that i really really like but I'd rather for example eat pizza in taly you know, like for real you know. - Yeah, get it. Okay. What is your favorite food? wait It's a hard question, I don’t have a favorite like for real i dont have a favorite food that i like. like I am eating like homemade food or like or in a restaurants like something healthy you know just that's my favorite food like a healthy food like my that's it like I there's no there's no like some favorite meal or like recipe or whatever you know. - Okay. when you eat is it more important for you that it tastes good or that it's healthy what is the focus on? ah both. - okay. ok nice because like I know the bodybuilding quote that people say: food doesn't have to taste good ,it has to work out you know it has to work for my body. - Bro I cannot eat the food that I don't like you know if it smells bad I'm not going to eat it, if it tastes bad I'm not gonna eat it you know I have to love it you know to eat it you know so for me the things are really important that you know I'm not gonna eat like piece of sh*t just because it's healthy you know, it's f**ked up. - Nice. What is your favorite country in the world? where would you like for holiday ,for traveling in generally? - Italy. - Italy? it's my like my soul and my heart is there people food atmosphere weather sea beach fruits kitchen oh I love all bro like I've been in many countries you know but migh you know I have so many like countries that I really like like Guatemala, like Mexico like Colombia like like some countries from Asia like there's so many you know for real there are so many but the favorite one is Italy you know every time I come there for the four three days you know I always staying there for two or three months you know I don't know how the f**k it's happening you know but every time It's happening you know I just like broke my ticket you know in the front of camera and I say okay guys I'm just staying here in Italy just because I already low and I have a lot of friends there in a different regions you know many different countries in different cities you know so i just like I go there for one week then i fly there then i go there so you know it's like Italy is my favorite country. - Nice. do you have a favorite favourite calisthenics athlete or somebody like a hero, an Idol like somebody you like. I never had it and I don't have till today. Okay . - I was just watching on myself you know I was you know I don't understand. I really appreciated that the people watching me that the people, I won't say my fans, they are my community they are my people you know it's not my fans I won't say my fans I never say my fans you know this is the this is my community this is my people that are supporting me from all over the globe you know and I am really grateful for it you know they are supporting me because I was working so f**king hard to reach the level that that I have like till today you know right now and they're supporting me because I'm because I'm kicking my ass you know not because of something just because of the hard work you know and I really appreciate each of them and I really would like to shake a hand of each of them around the world you know it will be a pleasure for me and not for them for me because they are supporting me you know and no Idol bro you don't need to have an idol you have you have to become an idol you don't need to you don't need to have an idol you have to become an idol. it was my goal at my beginning. I don't have like any like no one like either like guys that I was watching them okay I want to be like him I want to reach his level no never, bro! like never and I'm not going to have it like later you know. -  Yeah, interesting! Okay. do you have a favorite skill like from freestyle from statics something yours your favorite skill? - you know like I'm able to do freestyle like like a good one like mine that I'm creating you know on the deep bars, I mean on the p-bars, on the bar like .. whatever. I love everything! if you're asking about calisthenics I love all like everything for example weighted muscle-ups I don't know like weighted calisthenics, freestyle, calisthenics just body weight you know I really like. I don't like flying like 360 if this sh*t like I really hate it you know it makes more sense you're skinny as f**k you know you just flying around the bar without like like you cannot do one clean muscle-up but you're flying you know for me it's like it's f**ked up you know but right now all the championships you know they are based on it you know and other people like to do it so I'm like I'm going to support them but I'm not gonna do it you know. -  Okay, get it. What was the best calisthenics event you've ever been at? Oh bro there was so many, so many, bro! oh my god bro like like I provide like more than hundreds of workshops like judging I don't know how many like oh I don't know like well to be honest I I don't know like so many different events so many different like emotions it was so different so many different memories you know like so many so many events you know I cannot say I have a like it I I have my favorite one no! like I but in my heart there is a piece of each event you know like in my heart in my soul in my mind right from each event I took something for myself you know. I learned something, I met new people, I got new experience, like ever like I learned a lot from each trip you know so there is there is no my favorite or the biggest all right whatever from each events when there was like six people on my workshop alone I really enjoyed you know and they take it like as a lesson you know I take it like as experience you know and when there was like 450 people in my workshop and I was providing the workshop with the microphone so it was another lesson in my life you know so I take everything as a lesson you know and everything take a part in my heart you know each event, each person, each each minute, you know so like it means really a lot for me the traveling to make the workshops to share my experience to share to share the knowledge that they've got through many years it's a pleasure for me you know because I don't want people go through through the same mistakes you know that I did in my past you know I want people grow I want people I want people to become better than me this is my goal. I am teaching people the stuff that they learn through many years and through many mistakes you know so I want them to go without it you know to go properly. if I know how so why should I not share it to the people? that's actually why I really love to share to share to the people that's why it's like traveling its a part of my life. I will travel till the rest of my life like if I don't have ... you know I'm going to travel and to teach people i swear to god if I'm not gonna die before so I like im going to do it. - Nice, nice, that's a good attitude. if you have to decide between weighted like endurance and body weight or skills which which training method would you do like if you have to if you are just allowed to use one? - No right now my system are based only on the weight that I have some some trainings like with the skills you know but it's only like once a month you know once in a few weeks like something like that but no more. weighted, skills or body weight? - weighted brother weighted because right now like everything is based on the weighted calisthenics so for example one day and doing lower body another one I'm doing like weighted muscle ups, dragon flex, some handstand push-ups on the next day I'm doing again legs then again weighted but super sets then rest stretching like swimming whatever sauna then again like some skills one arm front lever raises on like whatever then again legs so like weighted you know but I'm doing everything you know sometimes if I have no equipment then i have like just a simple bar so end up being body weight you know so it's like favorite of course it's weighted you know because you can become stronger you know but I work not on one rep I mean I also work on one rep but not on the pull-ups and on the dips, only muscle-ups i working on the one rep and other stuff I'm doing for example four reps with the 60, with the 80kg, with the 20kg supersets or something like that you know. - Okay nice. If people want to reach you if people want to get in touch with you how can they contact you like can they write to you on instagram? - Yeah they can write me on instagram i always answer if it's like some smart questions you know. - "Can i get a shoutout" that's the typical question. - oh shoutout aaaah. like people people who write to you can i get a shout out like i guess i I bet that people also ask you that. - why not? - Okay, nice. so yeah we will put all the links of Vadym in the description like YouTube Instagram Facebook you are not that active right? - it's active, it's active. - Okay. - I will send you the links for my social media I mean I don't know how to sell the link from my Instagram so you have to do that by yourself.- Yeah we will do that! It's all good. People who wants to find me, they will find me you know. - That's true, nice, so we're coming to.. - I'm not living in the shadow you know. - that's true, that's true, so we're coming to an end of the interview, the interviews even and before you can end the episode Vadym I want to say thank you to everybody listening to this till the end because I think now it's around two hours this interview so it's crazy crazy long and so yeah everybody who listens to this till the end it's it's crazy and yeah if you have any questions to Vadym you can send him an Instagram message, follow him do whatever you want but yeah thanks a lot for following thanks a lot for your time Vadym, it's it's really a pleasure to talk to you and thanks a lot for time. - Thank you for you all so much thank you so much and yeah so like shaking your hand bro, goodnight well thank you once again for the interview was a pleasure for me and thank you guys for watching us I hope you learned something and yeah I'm gonna rise! So hard you know!