Episode 504: Shaun T.: Motivation, Confidence, and the Power of Fun in Fitness

0:01Hi, guys. It's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits & Hustle. Crush it. Hey, friends, you're listening to Fitness Friday on the Habits and Hustle podcast, where myself and my friends share quick and very actionable advice for you becoming your healthiest self. So stay tuned and let me know how you leveled up.

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1:52when people find a way to stay motivated they find a way to stay motivated by having fun and not being overwhelmed or intimidated and that's what i agree that's why people don't that's why the people who don't go to the gym don't go to the gym well i'm not fit enough yet to go to the gym i'm too big i'm for for a lot of women it's you know i need to lose weight for a lot of men, it's just like, well, I'm going to be intimidated by the guys with muscle. It's insecurity. You don't feel confident in that way. Do you play tennis? Oh God, don't you tell me that. Are we recording? Oh yes. I played tennis.

2:29Um, I started playing tennis a little over 11 years ago. I crashed my husband and his mom and dad's vacation two months after I met him, uh, to Australia. I had no idea about tennis. I played football, track and field and basketball like they were my sports and when i got down there they were like oh we're gonna go to the australian open and i remember sitting in the western hotel in melbourne and i was like i have no idea what i'm about to watch i didn't know how to score tennis they go from 15 to 30 to 40 love you know advantage this and all this stuff and i remember going to the match and i saw the guys playing and i was like this is so fucking like like i would be a professional tennis player Like I was talking all kinds of trash.

3:15And then so for Valentine's Day, 2011, Scott bought me a tennis lesson at the National Tennis Center in Queens, New York. I got the first ball over. I thought I was a shit. And I think I hit every other ball over the curtains and everything. And so I, for the last 11 years, have been like obsessed with tennis. I did use it as my cardio for a while because I just got sick of doing fitness. I totally understand that. So I got sick of doing fitness. Anyway, from that, Scott told me, he gets so mad when I tell this story, but he was like, you'll never be able to hit a professional tennis player. And I'm like, do you know who the fuck I am?

4:04What do you mean? And I was mad at him for it. I had a grudge for a few years after him saying that. And so two things happened. One, we met Serena. I got to play against Serena. You know, we played doubles. My team, me and my partner beat Serena. No way. And she was so mad. Like when we were playing, she's so competitive in a good way. She was bombing these balls at me. She was just like, there were a couple of them. I was like, holy shit. Like if I was playing her one-on-one, she would whoop my ass. But anyway, so I had to play. And then like maybe a year and a half ago, I remember Scott saying to me, like, I just want to let you know, I think you can beat me in tennis now.

4:45But I'll never admit that in public. Oh, well, I feel like anything you do, though, you become good at. Just from the podcast we did on your podcast, like you have a lot of like hidden talents that people either don't know about or you just don't talk about. Is that true? Like, are you the kind of person that if you put your mind to it, you can become good? Exceptional, I should say, at a lot of things. I think that I am a life's decathlete. Meaning, you know, if I went to the Olympics, the only thing I could probably, the only thing I would win a gold medal in if it were an Olympic sport would be fitness.

5:23Like, if it was like, you have to like, do a live class. Like, I feel like that's the thing I excel at the most, right? Like, I would be on a medal stand. you know, first, second, and third, you know, probably gold. But I'm down to lose to really good people. But for me, it's about the trying. Like if I find that I'm capable of doing something, if my mind tells me I can do it, I can do it. I can sing. I'm not the best singer in the world, but I can definitely be the lead in a Broadway show, which I really want to be the lead in Kinky Boots. It just came out. I want to be Lola so fucking bad. But anyway.

5:59Can you really sing that well? But I can sing really good. I'm not Mariah Carey or Craig David or Brian McKnight. But I can sing. I can dance really well as a professional dancer. So I do a lot of things really, really well. But the secret is, if I don't do it well, you're not going to see me doing it. I mean, there are things that I'm not really great at. Like what? Name me one thing that you've tried and that you aren't great at. Writing a book was really tough for me because I'm not a good writer. I express really well my voice. So even when I write posts, Chip will look at my posts. Chip is my everything in my business, I should say.

6:45But Chip will look at my posts and be like, yeah, you made some errors. Grammatical errors and just run on sentences. There's sometimes grammatical. or, you know, but I'm very, I don't think I'm ADHD because I know my friend Shaleen Johnson talks about that all the time, but I'm definitely, I'm just, I'm not good at organizing my life necessarily. That's why I have really good people around me. Um, and that's a, that's a true statement for a lot of people who are extraordinary at a high level at certain things. So that's not that that's not that unique right it's not that abnormal you know but you know i'm in therapy because i'm going to therapy i know and my therapist you know he calls it a high achiever because i was just like you know one time i was telling him to your point about the question of like you're good at a lot of things i have this thing in my head where if i'm not doing anything i think i'm lazy and he said a lot of high achievers have that totally mindset and so um Yeah, so I mean, you know, there's a lot going on in his brain.

7:49Most of what comes out now is the messiness and always the real. But before it was just, it was really tough, you know. And I wasn't at this level of like confidence and belief in myself always, you know, now being 44 is just a different story. When did it start? Like, what was like, so walk me through this, right? So how did you even become the Shanti that we know from Insanity and from all the mega programs? Like, becoming that, like, were you naturally very, very talented with, like, even talking to a camera? People don't even know how difficult that is to be on cue and to be doing that and to be engaging while also doing the moves.

8:26Like, did you audition for it? Like, what was the evolution? First of all, can I just tell you, I love you. Like, I know we just met, but it's so great talking to you. Like, it's amazing. That is so nice. I feel the same way towards you. It's so true. It's so true. Like, I just, like, you're wonderful. Oh, you're wonderful, too. Thank you. Like my grandfather used to say, we're fearfully and wonderfully made. I just wish most people would, like, actually believe that they're wonderful, but that's a whole other story. That's a whole other podcast, actually. I do like the fact that you asked me, like, how did you become Shanti from what people already knew?

9:03Because most people ask the question, like, how did it happen? But I love how you ask, like, the evolution because we know what we see on TV. And when you see actors and you see people that are, you know, on TV or, you know, somewhat famous if you have. No, but you are in the fitness space. Like, there's not there's like very few names that are household names. Right. Very few. You could be a really successful fitness person, but there's a handful, and you are one of those people. Maybe not my mom because she's 80, but most other people, if you say Shanti, people automatically, oh, yeah, Insanity, Beachbody, oh, yeah, that guy, Hip Hop Abs.

9:41You've been part of the DNA in the fitness space for so many years that people at some level will know who you are. It's funny you say so many years because somebody said to me the other day, they were like, yeah, I've been doing your tapes since 2001. And I'm like, no, you haven't because I was still in college. But to answer your question, which is a really good question, I'll tell you a really interesting story. So I used to teach at Equinox in West Hollywood when I first moved to Los Angeles. Was that your, really? So, yeah, I used to teach there and people used to wait like an hour for my class.

10:13And it was always packed, especially my Saturday class. And it was a dance class. I told 10 classes a week or 12. And there were all kinds of fitness classes from BOSU to BOSU Step to, you know, everything. But my most popular class is my hip hop dance class. And so people wait. And so there was a producer that worked at Beachbody that came to my class, two of them with like, she would always look from outside the window of my class when they came in. Anyway, she got in touch with a trainer who then reached out to me and said, hey, this woman wants to meet you. Her name is Lara Ross, who's one of my great friends to this day.

10:48But they had me coming in audition. And I remember the director, Andrea Amandos, who I love to death, she said, now I just want to let you know you have to be yourself when the camera comes on. And she used her hand. She was like, so this is the camera. And you have to try not to act like anything else. And in my head, I'm like, bitch, know who the fuck I am. Like, she and my relationship are very bad. Like, you know. I think she's very tough, actually. She's super tough, but I'm literally her favorite. Yeah. Well, of course you are. I know that sounds really funny. No, it's perfect sense to me.

11:21And she's like, she's just wonderful. But so I just remember, I was like, okay. And in my head, I'm like, I've literally taught on every continent almost in different languages. Like, you know, this isn't my first rodeo. I'm saying that in my head. Yeah, in your head, yeah. And literally that day, I told about like maybe 15 minutes like for them. And I walked out of Beachbody with my contract that day. Like there was no like wait. Are you serious? Yeah. They gave it to you on the spot? They walked me to the lawyer's office. What did you do in that audition? So funny story is I called all my dancer friends to my house.

12:05Wow. To my house. So I was renting a room out of a really good friend of mine's house. And so I called them over. It was like six of them. And I was like, hey, meet me at my garage at like nine o 'clock. And they all came to the garage. And I pulled the sliding glass mirrors from my closet in my bedroom and took them downstairs. And I put them in the garage. And I made up a routine of like what we were going to do at this audition. and I walked in there and that's what I did. I just taught a dance and they were just really impressed with my cueing. They were just like, wow, like you cue really well.

12:41Like for like if I'm doing a move that goes boom, boom, bop, I go go up, down, out, take it down, flip around, boom, boom. Cause like my thing is I want people to know what I'm doing before I do it. But that also, you know, I'm also, I also put my personality into it. So. So it was exactly what, I guess, Beachbody needed at the time. Well, you had two things. Teaching an actual class day in, day out, that many, it gave you the skill set. So you knew what you were doing. Because cueing is super difficult. People don't realize that. And because of the choreography stuff, you were already a professional by the time you got to that place.

13:20Yeah, I mean, I was a professional dancer. But the cueing, the choreography, being on beat is a great thing. Oh, yeah, the choreography. And I had taught, I had taught, you know how they say it takes 10 ,000 hours to be, I had taught probably, I mean, I started teaching when I was 20, almost 21. And I taught like, I remember teaching 25, 30 classes a week just in college. Wow. So by the time I left college and then like traveled around the world, I mean, I had, I just was all over the place, you know.

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15:46okay so at that time it's obviously different when it is now with fitness influencers and all that but were you considered a fitness like because you had that equinox class were you like a nike trainer and all those other kind of fitness influencey things before social media at that point yeah it's so funny when people come up to me they're like oh my god you're like a social media influencer and I'm like oh my gosh no I'm not exactly I'm not but um yeah like fitness back then was very different and I'm sure you know there were all the conventions and like people don't even know names like Calvin Wiley, Patrick Godot, Tony Stone, Angie Bunch, Patricia Moreno, rest in peace you know there's so many of these incredible people that I learned under that that taught queuing, that was able to build a class.

16:33Every class was an experience. And so from that, then I had to work my way up to be able to teach at one of these conventions. And so I taught at those conventions for a while. And one day I would teach and I would still take like six classes a day. And one day I was in a back row of a class. I was just like, because I like to support people. And I always was like, I'm going to soak up anything that they do. Totally. And I was in the back of the class and there was a guy from Turkey that was just like, hey, you want to come to Turkey and help me open up a gym and like create, you know, this like fitness programming and personal training also.

17:08So he did all this stuff and it was just like, I went to Istanbul and I, you know, I was like, where am I? I don't speak this language, but the guys are hot and I'm here for it. That's awesome. You don't lose my mind in my 20s. A hundred percent. No shade. No, it's amazing. So then did you come up with hip? Was your first program Hip Hop Abs, though? Yes, my first program was Hip Hop Abs. Did you do it or did they give it to you? How does it work? Like, give me the skinny, you know, excuse the pun, on like what happens inside. So you get the job, then what happens? Yeah, so get the job. And it literally is we go into a boardroom with the producers, with Carl Dykler, who's the CEO.

17:50And then we just kind of ideate on what it is that we want to do. At least that's how every experience of mine has been. So they knew that they had just come out with P90X was before Insanity. Yeah. And then the most amazing Shaleen Johnson had just come out with Turbo Jam. I remember that too. Right. So she had come out with Turbo Jam. And so really, so what happened was they were just like, we want, Turbo Jam did so good. It was like rhythmic. It was kind of like, I don't want to say it's like Taibo, but it was like the rhythmic boxing for people who don't really understand it. And then so they wanted something that was like they felt like movement was really good.

18:30So and I was really popular to dance. Right. And so that's what you're known for. Yeah. But the way we came up with hip hop abs was I'm actually going to shout out these people, these two women. Their names are Gillian and T. They had yoga booty ballet. I don't know if you remember that. Of course I do. Yes. But they had one workout in yoga booty ballet called hip hop abs. It was just like one little, it was just like where we would do like buns and butt or whatever, buns and thighs. It was hip hop abs. But anyway, the way we came out with hip hop abs was actually really cool because I was a hip hop dancer.

19:03And one day we were just ideating on choreography in this room. And so I took off my shirt. And they're like, oh, my gosh, you have, like, really great abs. And I was like, thank you. So I was like, I don't know who said it, but they were like, oh, my gosh, like, what if we focus, like, did an ab program. And so I breathed in and I made my belly really big. And I was like, you know, all you got to do is tilt, tuck, and tighten. And it went from my abs. And they were like, holy shit. And because they were like, what do you do for abs? And I was like, I don't do abs. Like, at the time, I did not get down on the floor.

19:43I literally danced. And they were like, well, show us how you move. I was like, well, in hip-hop, you know, you got to stay low. You got to keep your core tight, you know, all this stuff. And so that's how we came up with hip-hop abs. It went from, like, hip-hot abs to, like, hot hip abs. It was like all these things. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're like, okay, we have to use this name because hip-hop abs is great. So then that's how we came up with hip-hop abs. And was everyone shocked at the popularity of the, like, how it became, like, massive? Yeah, it was a phenomenon at the time. It was huge. I think what was really great about it, it was, you know, it was just like all the ingredients of a great fitness program came into one.

20:24And this is going to sound really funny, but you have dance, you have low impact, and you have a gay black man. I know that sounds really, really crazy, and I can say it because I'm black. Right, right, right, right. But like, you know, I believe people are probably going to roll their eyes at this. But I just believe that gay black men in fitness is like, is not intimidating. Because some people can be intimidated by really, you know, super ripped other women. Top women, for sure. Or like beefy guys, kind of like I am now. You're super beefy now. But you were back then. I wasn't back then. Who's the kid out there?

21:00That's my kid. Oh my God, he's so cute. Thank you. That's Dylan. he's probably like well yeah he's probably he's used to oh my god he has great hair sorry thank you i love that yeah he's he's delicious um so i don't know what i was like looking at him but so what was he saying about your hip you were telling me not not dylan no i was gonna say something about the hip oh yeah people and i don't know if this is like politically incorrect also but the gay uh teachers always like who are at the clubs are always the most popular like women flock to these classes. And if you're like a pretty girl or like, it could be intimidating.

21:38Yeah. Like they like the personality that comes with it. I think that if I can like, if I can just even take sexuality out of it for a second, I think what happens is, you know, gay people in general, like we live a life of being suppressed for mostly a quarter or more of our lives. You know, I didn't come out to I was 21. Most people don't come out till they're 18. You know, so you have these people who are suppressed for the youngest years of their lives. And so now you take somebody who actually loves fitness, who loves to dance, who wants to be expressive, and you put them in front of a room and it's not intimidating and people are having a good ass time.

22:16Totally. People do not care about, I don't want to say they don't care about fitness. Yes, people want to lose weight. They want to, but people, when When people find a way to stay motivated, they find a way to stay motivated by having fun and not being overwhelmed or intimidated. And that's why the people who don't go to the gym don't go to the gym. Well, I'm not fit enough yet to go to the gym. I'm too big. For a lot of women, I need to lose weight. For a lot of men, it's just like, well, I'm going to be intimidated by the guys with muscle. It's insecurity. You don't feel confident in that way.

22:54So you have a gay black man or a Chip because Chip is a really good gay teacher. Oh, you are too? He's not a gay teacher, but he's a fitness instructor. Are you? Where do you teach? Equinox too? He used to. I'm on a little pause right now. You're on a little pause right now with the schedule. I mean, he was teaching even while working with us for Transform 20 when it had a certification program. But he doesn't know. He's my favorite instructor. But anyway, so not anyway. So just like when you have like a gay guy teaching, it's just not intimidating, especially for like being in public. You're going into a room.

23:31And I really believe like no one talks about that. But I'm like, it's very, very, very true. If you go to fitness conventions, like the gay guys are like they have like these really popular, super fun classes. They also have a cult following. Yeah. They have a cult following because they make it fun. And I think at the end of the day, no matter what, people want to feel inspired and they want to have fun. They don't want to feel like it's like a chore to do it. But you said something that was interesting. So when you were 21, you came out. But so how old were you when you did Insanity? What was?

24:03I was, I was 2009. So I was 31. I was born in 1978. Was I 31? Almost 31. I was 30. So I remember, now I don't know why, I remember when people said to me, oh, Sean T came out. But that was like already, this was like back when we were like, this was like in 2005? Were you keeping it a secret? It was 2012. Do you know what I'm talking about? I do. And it's really funny because I was never in public. That's the thing. I'm like, have you done hip hop abs? I'm literally like, I don't got no hair. You know, I'm like, I was never in my public, in my professional life. I was never in the class. I came out 21 to everybody.

24:53So why did people think that? I'll tell you why. Okay. So one, because you have hip hop abs where I'm like cutting up and rocking body. They were my first two programs where they were dance programs. You know, I'm at the motherfucking club. You know, I'm having a good ass time. But then insanity comes out and it is, there's no time. in a program where it wasn't live at the time. Like if it was, if Insanity was a live class, I would have been acting crazy because I'm like, cool. But you know, it's a package program where people have to come and have to redo the workouts. So I don't tell jokes. I'm just like, boom, like we're going to hit it.

25:29Right. And I took on, when I, I created Insanity because I wanted people to feel how I felt at the end of a track practice, which is terrible. And so I feel good at the end, but it's terrible. And I'm like, this is like, I need people to feel this way. So they saw Shanti from Insanity, Shanti from T25, Asylum, like these programs that are hardcore. So then when my husband and I get married and my assistant at the time tweets, oh my gosh, she put something like, I'm so happy to celebrate this love. Everyone, like the blogs went crazy. And I'm like, who was in? Oh, right. So everyone just assumed that you were coming out.