LA FITNESS SCENE
Chocolate Rocks By Tierra Jones
SINCE VENICE BEACH IS A LEGENDARY FITNESS MECCA THAT DRAWS ATHLETES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF HISTORY? That all started back with Arnold himself. Arnold Schwarzenegger [was] going down to Gold’s Gym and that kind of became the hub for bodybuilders. It was like Venice Gold’s Gym. And anybody who is anybody who lifts weight goes down to Venice Beach, to Muscle Beach to lift weight there. It’s changed now to kind of be more about influencers, but it used to be just like, tried and true. Just like you’re going there to lift weight. And you’re going to be standing with the great … giants in the industry who’ve been consistently doing it. And what’s so fascinating about the sport of bodybuilding, like I’m not necessarily a bodybuilder, but I appreciate the amount of effort and work that they do. Where you can push your limits on your body, and it becomes a very humbling experience. But there’s a lot of support. Because everyone starts at the beginning. You know, you don’t just miraculously have muscles, so everyone knows what it was like to be a beginner. People are more than willing to be friendly and helpful. And the reason that community keeps growing is because they keep welcoming in new people and encouraging them through. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO STRUGGLES IN THE GYM AND STRUGGLES WITH EATING HEALTHILY? Two things: one, never be afraid to ask for help. No one wants anyone to get hurt. Everyone remembers what it’s like to first start off lifting weight. There is no judgment. Be honest with your priorities. If you genuinely want to get healthier, then you have to prioritize that. And it helps to surround yourself with people who are also like-minded. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? My only goal, in a nutshell, [is] I want to be rich and famous so that I can be a teacher at an inner city school. Growing up, I never had friends, I was always the oddball, I was always a loner. And teachers were my greatest influence [growing] up. My goal is to consistently keep increasing my circle of influence, so that my story can impact and help more and more people. That’s my five- year goal, to grow in influence, so that I can be a voice to so many who can resonate with what I’ve been doing.
Chocolate Channing Tatum
And so there was nothing physical there, the only thing physical we had was ballet. My doctor was like, you either need to change or you’re going to die. Like, I was too overweight to even play football. So then, basically, I had to start teaching myself about fitness. In college a friend of mine was sexually assaulted. And so I was wanting to learn how to protect her and other people. So I started doing self-defense and teaching women self-defense. THAT’S AN ADMIRABLE INTRODUC -
C hocolate Channing Tatum is one of the top fit- ness trainers at world renowned Barry’s Gym in Venice Beach, California. Georgia Hollywood Review sat down with Chocolate to learn more about his world and the Venice Beach fitness culture. GHR: LET’S JUMP RIGHT IN. TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO THE PINNACLE OF FITNESS TRAINING. CCT: I was morbidly obese as a child, so I was 300 pounds when I was 14. And I went to a performing arts school. oddball, I was always a loner. And teachers were my greatest influence. ” “ Growing up, I never had friends, I was always the
TION TO FITNESS. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIALTY TODAY? My whole brand now is all about working out to look good naked. I don’t play sports, I don’t need to run faster and jump higher. I just want to feel comfortable in my skin, again from being morbidly obese my entire life. But now that I have abs and a six pack … I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. And it’s my goal, what I focus on now is kind of like the concept of bodybuilding. So just working out to shape your body so that you feel comfortable with it aesthetically.
@chocolatechanningtatum
10 | THE GEORGIA HOLLYWOOD REVIEW | FALL 2022
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