Martin Binning is a health and healthcare genius. I recently had the pleasure of spending some time with the professional fitness expert in person while I was “on vacation”, visiting him at his home in Las Vegas. We spent 4 days together and I’ll never forget the uplifting and educational experience. This intelligent strong man has a gritty story, a big personality, and his grind is relentless. He is now a force to be reckoned with in a city where people told him he’d be “eaten alive”.
I stayed at mi amigo’s casa near Chinatown. He was an incredible host and I love that about Martin. He gave me gifts when I arrived, cooked me a meal, smoked me up, and then we went out on the town. He’s considerate but ready to roll at any time. We did little workouts in his living room between our planned items on the itinerary, took time to brainstorm content ideas in our ringbound notebooks, and made some room for a few trips to the hot tub. We talked about life, relaxed, and worked out of this collaborative condo. I was more than comfortable couching it.
On Wednesday, the first night, we hit up the Ghost Bar at Palms Casino Resort for its gorgeous 3 side view of the city. Tough to beat all those lights. Shout out to the bouncers for letting us up with tee shirts and shorts on. Then we changed up the vibe. We visited one of Martin’s favorite spots to study and collect his thoughts at Gold Coast Hotel & Casino. There was just enough going on in the background to create a comfortable environment. The character of the room reminded me of Swingers. I appreciate him for showing me some of his intimate spaces.
We were matched with a Class A party pooper Uber driver that night. It was a strange vibe to start out the trip. This guy was supposed to pick us up at Planet Hollywood. We got in the car. Then this driver, with 3 lanes of cars flying by, said he needed to take a piss, got out of the vehicle and ran inside to go peepee. We were just sitting there, so we canceled the ride. Then he came out and asked us what’s up. This dude didn’t plan his potty break ahead of time, and even though that pissed me off in the moment, we were rolling when we came back to the story later on.
Cliff and Martin also went to a comedy show at Westgate Comedy Cabaret that night. We talked about how tough it would be to come up with crowdwork material every performance, as the intro act warmed up the audience. Martin knew the second act. She talked a lot of shit about her family and then ended on a clit piercing joke. The headliner Rosie Tran was hilarious. “Are you guys Asian?” She said concerned to the group of Asians sitting in the front row. “Why didn’t you clap for stop Asian hate?” She said. We giggled at that until we were able to hold in our laughs.
The next day started with a life changing hike at Gold Strike Hot Springs Trail in Boulder City. It was a challenging path but the end was so sweet. There were a few parts where we had to use ropes. You have to be in decent shape to get it done. But when we got to the bottom, we waded in the Colorado River for a few minutes, feeling the strong flow of precious water that makes Las Vegas possible, and then we made our way to lay down in the nearby natural hot spring. I let the warm water cover my body and relieve my stresses. Martin pushed me to run some of the way back up. My legs were pumped for days after this trip. The fitness coach says, “Simplicity is Grandiose”, speaking to his desire to return to nature to find peace. We were able to achieve that state of mind on this workout.
A lot of walking on Thursday. Both of us find peace of mind and body on our walks. This form of exercise is great for clearing your mind, and burning fat. Martin drove us around some but we still hit 30k steps on this leg intensive day. We got our cardio in. This was not your typical yeehaw party boy trip to Las Vegas. I came back to Wisconsin in better shape than when I left. I feel like I saw the hidden side of Vegas, or the anti culture side. It pushed me to go harder, and think deeper, knowing that I was in a city filled with so much of what is considered sin in America. Martin likes showing that you can live in Vegas sober too. The irony of Martin coming to terms with fitness in “Sin City” is something like a tragic comedy.
Later, after we ate and shot an interview, we caught the incredible “Absinthe” show at Caesars Palace. Martin has many connections around town, so we were able to save money that way. He got us in to the show through a friend. Thank you, friend. The show was young and sexy. It was highflying and acrobatic. There was singing, dancing, climbing, flipping, throwing, crude jokes. This was the type of show that I dreamt about seeing in Vegas. The show is different every time. Martin has seen it 6 times. Our show featured more dudes stripping than non-dudes, but I wasn’t in Vegas for nudity. It’s fun in a show. Nudity is goofy on stage. It’s immature to put your sexual preferences over the quality of a show, especially if you agreed to see it. I recommend checking it out if you have a chance.
We were booming for the colorful performance. That took my mind to an elevated state of consciousness for this type of entertainment. The hues popped and lines vibrated on every person and stage prop. I had a phenomenal trip. This was after Martin’s dog Jack hopped up on the counter and took a share of magical mushrooms for himself. That stressed us for a while, and scared Martin. He cares a lot for his buddy. The dog was freaking out for a while, whimpering, crossing his eyes, and rolling around in strange ways. It was sad but we were going through it together.
Martin takes his relationship with his dog very seriously. Jack has been his close companion and partner on his journey out west. I could see how loving a bond Martin had formed with his furry friend. I was the first person to visit him from Wisconsin and I’m glad I did. I was able to see the hustle, the toughness, but also the caring and compassionate person that Martin is in person. He and Jack share a loving friendship. The dog was the one who messed up but we forgave him for being a silly little Scooby Doo.
We were both experienced with shrooming and don’t take the practice lightly. I’ve never haphazardly taken a dose and wandered around. Always controlled and planned. Martin made sure that we were prepared prior to psilocybin use this time. We had our phones charged. I had his address written on paper in my pocket. We had ample water intake. Before we left, we delivered positive affirmations to each other. Powerful phrases such as, “We are handsome. Confident. Unstoppable. Indestructible.” Martin knew the route we took well. We took an appropriate dose, did not consume other drugs, and did not drive.
I saw some prostitution on this journey through Vegas. Yea. There are many pros in Vegas, I’m certain of that. That being said, the only time I was solicited was by a couple innocent looking moms in their 40s-50s. We were chilling, tripping a lil bit, standing outside the impressive Caesars Palace campus, looking good of course. These fit house wife looking women in semi formal clothes with big bright smiles came up to us and asked out of the blue, “Do you have any extra tickets to the show?” I told them, “No.” Then one of them said, “I didn’t think so,” and they walked away. She shoulda just asked me for my number if she wanted to have sex.
On this natural medicine, I felt like I was seeing the world in front of me in a broader sense. The route we took included many casinos. I thought about the Ho-Chunk casinos back home, and all those I visited across the states when I was traveling the country on my moving jobs. Those in Vegas are not Native-owned, they are bigger and brighter, but I saw plenty similarities too — the type of food, games, people, conversation. I thought while we were walking around, “Do they know that we are not here to get fucked up and make terrible decisions? Did we figure something monumental out here?”
We mutually decided to avoid our phones for the trip. Martin and I were bouncing from one place to the next, weaving between crowds of belligerent partiers. It felt like we’d realized some kind of life lesson. Where were we literally going? Didn’t matter. It was a vibe. We weren’t spending all this money like they were but we were still enjoying ourselves in the same venues. I have never been a big gambler, and I don’t drink, so it wasn’t difficult to avoid those things. I did play a little blackjack, but the $15 tables were a bit much, so I played for 20 minutes or so and cashed out when I got back to even.
My focus was on enjoying the moment but I couldn’t help but think about writing, music, the podcast, and my site. I was thinking, “What are the next steps that I need to take in my professional life so that I can one day have the option to blow stacks in Las Vegas if I so choose?” I don’t need to make it rain or anything like that. That’s not the mission. I was reminded under the influence of the power I have to live with little money, find happiness, avoid drinking and other destructive drugs, stay fit, and create content that reaches across the world. It was an incredible night.
Friday was gym day. We pulled up on two of Martin’s gyms and put in some light work. It was arms for the most part, targeting those critical areas. First we hit a workout at the Las Vegas Athletic Club central location. That was filled with intriguing machines. Some of them seemed old school but there’s nothing wrong with a healthy throwback lift. We need to snap out of thoughts that prevent us from being our best selves. The place reminded me of the YMCA. Then we went to Yak’s Fitness at the Town Square. That was a more modern, smaller space. Martin gave me some fiy tips to incorporate in my workouts.
Martin gave health hacks for my day to day diet too. The former basketball coach and current fitness trainer is a phenomenal teacher and I’ve learned a lot already. Martin insisted upon the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric. Since incorporating it into my diet, I’ve felt more spry and lively throughout the day. He speaks to the powers of onion, garlic, and ginger, and I’ve felt surprisingly more hardy since making a point to increase my consumption of those stinky superfoods. Sea salt too. I eat it like candy now, and it’s helping me retain more water in my muscles. I look and feel sexy as ever.
Brazil nuts are a natural testosterone booster. I was already eating various types of nuts for protein, but not Brazil nuts, and I didn’t know that about them until Martin told me. They were the buttery nuts from the Brazilian buffet was all I knew. Brazil nuts are a little more difficult to find, but if you look hard enough, or online, you can find them for a decent price. I’ve been taking my daily dose of about 5 nuts for about a month now. That energy boost goes everywhere with me. Guys, boosting T levels is not just for sex. It’s for general wellbeing. I strive to jerk off as little as possible and maintain a healthy manhood through my diet and exercise. Eat your watermelon too.
Labels affect our perception, like Aspartame does when replacing sugar on a can. Martin delivered an awesome story to me at his kitchen table, which included a farmer eating rat poison, a drug called Warfarin, as a blood thinner. Vaccinations came into the limelight during COVID, and many, including Martin, question their legitimacy. He explained that if we are fit and eat right, and take medications that make sense, like the horse labeled antiparasitic Ivermectin, every once in a while, we will be healthy. Martin told me that drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens are allied with big pharma, and they strive to make money off people by keeping them sick. He said we have to look out for ourselves, especially as Paul Ryan effectively ended medicare as we know it.
After some diet and exercise, we hit Fremont Street during a huge block party. We laughed because the entrance was the top of the party. So we entered through the front. Who planned that? It was something to see, though. There were people dancing everywhere, pigging out, stumbling around hammered, flying overhead on ziplines, doing tricks in the street. We didn’t have to go in any of the venues to enjoy the sight. A giant grasshopper that shot out flames to the beat of hip hop songs grabbed our attention. Also, a restaurant that allowed anyone over the weight of 350 pounds to eat free. We didn’t make the cut, but we did shoot another video.
On Saturday, we admired the structures at the legendary Egyptian themed Luxor, and caught a National Lacrosse League game at Michelob ULTRA Arena in the Mandalay Bay Resort. I was there on 4/20 but this wasn’t a smoking trip. We don’t really celebrate the holiday either. I support full legalization but this wasn’t Harold & Kumar or something. We were originally going to go to the Ryan Garcia fight, but it turned out to be too expensive, and then it moved to New York. Then we talked about going to Willie Nelson, but that was also too pricey. This wasn’t a balling out and wasting money type vacation. No big deal. We found plenty to do.
My favorite meal was the delicious and nutritious welcome plate that Martin made for me. Otherwise, the food around town was kinda dry and bland. We were eating what we could afford of course, but still, the basic street level quality reminded me of LA eats. I maxed a burrito after our hike at Southwest Diner in Boulder City, we grabbed some burgers at Sickies when we were in Town Square, I downed some wings at Miz Lola’s Pizzeria, and went in on some tacos on Fremont. It’s not that I didn’t try, and I dislike the idea of foodies in general, but the food outside Martin’s home was very meh.
I can tell Martin has worked with a wide range of people in an array of difficult situations. He has a special uplifting way of analyzing problems and I respect that. It takes a person with morals and tenacity to live this way. There can be no breaks. You have to truly believe in yourself and be motivated to succeed by the power of your spirit and will. Martin Binning has a way about him. He’s an entertainer and it comes out naturally. He has some quality content on his Youtube and Instagram, but I think that he has much bigger things coming for him on camera — on the big screen. He’s a speaker. You’ll see it in the interviews. I just shut up and let him go for the most part.
The trip was a vivid tour of Las Vegas. It was a beautiful collaboration between two Wisconsinites who reconnected over fitness and entertainment. Martin sometimes tells people he’s “on vacation” because he’s still feeling the city out. He’s not entirely sold on the city yet. I was checking it out too. Madison is my hometown but I’m not going to be here forever. We talked about our cities, art, business, tech, women, life. Where are we going to work together next? Is it Portland, Oregon or Buffalo, New York? Travel can be expensive, but it’s well worth it if you fly Spirit and kick it with Martin Binning. The trip only cost me $600 in cash, but it was worth much more than that.
