When physical fitness is at the top of your list, how hard do you go? How much time do you put into your body? Are you happy with the results of your personal labor? What if I told you that there is a whole other level that you could reach if you only put your mind to it; would you dedicate yourself to the challenge?

 

Say hello to Hassan “Giant” Yasin, CEO and founder of Giant Thinking, and home of the Bar-tendaz.

 

Giant is a philanthropist through his teachings in physical fitness. The talk in the barbershops and on the net is simmering over the athletic capabilities shown by Giant’s Bar-tendaz brand.

 

One simple web search will not only impress you, for some, you will rush to your local gym to slap your personal trainer in the mouth and demand a refund. And that’s before you even realize that there is so much more to pulling off amazing maneuvers than sheer strength. Giant suggests that you “Mind Up.”

 

Giant spoke with us about the groundbreaking program based around calisthenics that even the Godfather of Physical Fitness, Jack LaLanne couldn’t deny as being revolutionary. You’ll also find out about the words that Giant had for a certain popular cable station when they approached him with an opportunity to be a star.

 

AllHipHop.com: For those that aren’t familiar, fill them in on what defines Bar-tendaz.

 

Hassan “Giant” Yasin: Bar-tendaz is a physical fitness and self-empowerment program, which was created around Calisthenics for the high schools and public schools. This is a calisthenics program designed specifically for “at risk” students. The trainers in this course focus primarily on the pull-up and chin-up bars in order to inspire students towards improved physical fitness without the use of potentially dangerous weights. We have trained professionals that inspire healthy images of self and share lessons about the realities of “street life” that build moral and rational muscles in the mind.

 

AllHipHop.com: I’ve watched the Bar-tendaz in action and it was simply amazing to see the level of positivity and unity that is shown between the trainers and participants. It must take a lot of discipline to do the things that you do. Discipline that I wish I had. I work hard for two weeks, then, well, I’m hardly working.

 

Giant: I’ve learned from being at 60 schools and 13 buildings on Rikers [Island] that we have the ability to mesh with different personalities. And I feel that one of our biggest struggles is consistency. For example, we are phenomenal for three days, but after that, we fall short. I feel that many of us are getting caught up on our image, so that others could be pleased with it; when we aren’t even pleased with ourselves and the energy that we are putting into our image.

 

Once we are able to change the metaphor of how we see ourselves and we do it as an appreciation, as a form of discipline to build body and mind, we can take a different approach to how we work out. It’s not about trying to look good for the opposite sex or to outshine the person that you work out with. So with Bar-tendaz, one of our concepts is to become a pragmatic practitioner. Don’t say that you’re phenomenal today, but then you’re not tomorrow. Because if you’re phenomenal, then show me five people that are phenomenal like you.

 

This is what separates the Bar-tendaz from, well, you see so many other people popping up promoting physical fitness all of a sudden. And I’m honored to a certain extent, but I’m really going at these brothers because they are not paying homage. This is why values and morals pay a major effect and influence on what we do in being disciplined. Who are you teaching, or are you just building your own body? You will be more disciplined when you are trying to empower somebody other than yourself.

 

AllHipHop.com: I remember before we began this conversation that you were elated about something that happened to you recently. Can you talk about it?

 

Giant: Yes I can. Jack LaLanne gave me a call. That was incredible for me. Jack LaLanne!? The guy that created jumping jacks, gave us a call! He said, “Health is wealth,” to me and I couldn’t believe it. Wow, at 88, this man was doing 500 Jumping Jacks straight while smiling. He told me that I was onto something bigger than creation right now - there’s nothing after calisthenics. And I know that. I have a curriculum with it.

Jack LaLanne doing fingertip pushups

 

Now I’m challenging rappers with it. I can ask a rapper if he is a pimp. He can answer yes to that. And then I’ll tell him, yes you are a pimp, a Poor Image of a Man’s Personality. I have them like, “Wow, this kid can think; he looks like us, but he is on some real empowerment, values and morals stuff.” It’s working, and I see it working.

 

AllHipHop.com: You brought up the fact that you’ve taken your program to Rikers Island. Talk to us that experience.

 

Giant: We made history there. In the history of Riker’s Island, there has never been a program that was held in the Yard. It might happen in the Chapel, it might happen in the visiting room, but it never happens in the Yard with the inmates. [Giant Thinking] is prophetic, and not just because it’s mine. But I have never scene pull-ups change a persons’ life until I placed language on it.

 

There’s a brother that came home recently that done 28 years. He told me, no disrespect, but he had to challenge me. People told him about me. I touched the bar, and he told me that I was in a different place, on another level with what I was doing; so he’ll give me 150 pull-ups straight up, that he couldn’t mess with me. And he did 150, straight-up.

 

People believe that this movement was started in jail, so I want to clear this up. Out of the 250 people that are a part of this program, only two were actually incarcerated. Nobody beyond those two even has misdemeanors, and I’m proud of that. People are saying that this is a jail thing, when they aren’t doing this in jail. So I wanted to make it clear that these moves that are being simulated weren’t started there.

 

AllHipHop.com: You are extremely forthright about what you believe in. How do you feel that people perceive you?

 

Giant: People tell me that I’m a strong Black man. I tell them that I am a strong human. People at BET told me that I’ll be their next star. No I’m not! I see what they do to their stars! They must got me confused. They finally ran into a man that has values and morals.

 

AllHipHop.com: And with those morals and values, you also have your own language used by Bar-tendaz participants. Speak on it.

 

Giant: For example, we created something in the schools called “HIT Squad” which is an acronym for Heroes In Training. We wanted for the young, more street oriented youth with all of the say-so and influence to step up and run the program while we just shadow it. Once we’ve done that, it just took off. So now we had Bushwick High School that wanted to go up against Bronx Collegiate High School in push-ups and pull-ups. And you couldn’t be a part of the program if your grades weren’t exceptional and you don’t have a CAP, which is an acronym for Character, Attitude and Personality.

 

Before we knew it, students were getting Physical Education credits for it. Also, the acronym for GIANT THINKING: Growing Is A Noble Thing - To Help Introduce Nationwide Knowledge Involving Natural Guidance.

 

AllHipHop.com: Beautiful. Finally, our readers of this section loves it when our feature leaves them with a workout regimen to explore. So if you can, leave us with a basic and advanced Bar-tendaz workout.

 

Giant: The park is a prime location due to excellent breathing. Gym is secondary!

 

Basic workout

 

Preparation before all workouts, stretching (5-7mins), arm circles (frontwards, 15 and backwards 15 large and small circles), Bar-tendaz Jumping jacks (during jumping jack go over head and then across chest 15-20)

11-15 push-ups: 15 sets

5-8 pull-ups: 9-11 sets

6-8 dips: 9-11 sets

 

Advanced workout

 

30-50 push-ups - 20-30 sets

15-20 pull-ups - 20 sets minimum

13-15 dips - 15 sets minimum

 

Sometime stretching is better after workouts. More important than anything I just gave you breathing, inhale, exhale. Seven out of 10 people don’t breathe properly when they work out, and worse, they don’t even think of the muscles their working them just move the physical and wonder why they don’t get results.

 

Find out more about the BAR-tendaz movement at www.BartendazNYC.com and

www.MySpace.com/BarTendaz