Fitness
Tales From The Heart: What My Mother Means to Me
This article was produced in partnership with Pandora
In honor of Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, three celebrities open up to Men’s Journal about the irreplaceable roles their moms have played in their lives.
Chase Rice Mike Lerner
Chase Rice
Chase Rice, 36, a singer and songwriter based in Nashville, leans on his mom in good times and bad, and has immense gratitude for all she does for him.
“My mom is such an important part of my life, because she’s the only parent I’ve got left. I lost my dad when I was 22 and that changes a relationship permanently,” says Rice. “We’d always go to her for things, but now as my brothers and I are all getting older, it’s also our duty as her sons to check in on her and make sure that she’s taken care of, too.”
The steadfast devotion goes both ways. The “If I Were Rock & Roll” singer credits his mom, Connie Rice, for standing by him throughout the rollercoaster journey to success. “My mom has been there for me from the beginning of my music career—from the album that I made in college,” says Rice, noting that his mom would show up at some rough and tumble honky tonks where Rice played early in his career. “Trust me, they weren’t exactly the nicest and cleanest venues a mom could step into.”
Chase Rice and his mom, Connie. Courtesy of Chase Rice
They weren’t the arena or stadium shows that Rice now plays, but his mom didn’t care about that. “She was just fully supporting her son and that means the world to me,” says Rice.
Rice attributes his rock-solid bond with his mom to her letting him grow as a man—giving him both the support and the space he needed to evolve from a college grad trying to figure out life after losing his father to the man he’s become. “She’s helped me along the way. She’s steered me when I was headed in wrong directions. And she’s been there to support my crazy music dreams,” he says. “A lot of parents would say, ‘Don’t do that—that’s a crazy dream.’ She fully supported me—and that builds an unbelievable relationship.”
Chasing that dream has since paid its dividends. To date, Rice has sold more than 2.2 million albums and his music has over 2.1 billion streams. Rice still reminisces about the first time he played at the famed Grand Ole Opry venue and in a radio broadcast in Nashville in 2014 with his mom cheering him on.
“It was kind of eerie but also kind of awesome seeing my mom right there in the front row—with this empty seat next to her,” he recalls. “Obviously I wish my dad would’ve filled that seat, but my mom had the biggest smile on her face watching me play the Opry for the first time.”
Another priceless memory happened in March 2020—just before the world shut down amid the Covid-19 pandemic—when Rice played with Garth Brooks at Ford Field in Detroit.
“I looked out and saw my whole family, from my aunt to my brothers and my niece and nephew, with my mom standing right there in the middle of them,” he says. “It’s hard to explain how much that support means when you’re in front of 70,000 people. It was pretty special.”
JJ Julius Son Steve Thrasher
JJ Julius Son
JJ Julius Son is the frontman and songwriter for Icelandic rock band KALEO, a group that’s amassed more than 1 billion streams and 39 international music recording certifications to date. The 32-year-old, who hails from Mosfellsbaer, Iceland, is currently based in Nashville. He couldn’t have catapulted his way to selling out headline shows here without the love and loyalty of his mom, Thorlaug Sveinsdottir.
“My mother has always been one of my role models and still is,” says Son, describing his mom as an incredibly strong and independent woman who raised him to be kind and honest, with a rock solid set of values. “I can always trust her, and she’s always there for me,” he says.
Son finds it hard to express his relationship with his mother in words, but shares one quote that stands out to him. “I read this beautiful thing the other day that goes, ‘A mother is a son’s first true love. A son, especially their first son, is a mother’s last true love.’”
JJ Julius Son and his mom, Thorlaug Sveinsdottir Courtesy Image
Recently, Son penned his own beautiful missive to his mom—in lyrical form, of course. The song “Into My Mother’s Arms,” from KALEO’s 2021 album Surface Sounds, is a touching tribute to the woman who did so much for him. “The song is my gift to my mother and to honor her,” says Son. “It’s about that feeling and the security your mother provides for you—even in the darkest times.”
Before the album came out, Son surprised his mother by giving her the song on vinyl, along with a music box that plays the intro of the song. “I also had a painting made with a photo of the two of us from when I was young. It was a beautiful moment, like so many other memories with her,” he says.
For the beloved woman who’s ingrained in Son the importance of being kind, honest, and true to oneself, the lyrics are the most fitting gift of all: “Say, hush child, lay your worries all aside, ’cause you rest into your mother’s arms.”
Formative years. A young Blaise Ffrench and his mom Kym Irby. Courtesy Image
Blaise Ffrench
Morrie Schwartz’s quote: “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” rings true for Blaise Ffrench. The 32-year-old Los Angeles-based actor, model, entrepreneur, and marketing manager for BODY ARMOR Sports Drink lost his mom, Kym Irby, when he was a teenager, but she continues to imprint upon him in big ways.
“My mom means the world to me. She sacrificed so much of her life so I could have a better one,” says Ffrench, whose single mom raised him while working long hours to support his every need. “That kind of commitment makes you go so hard at life to pay her back for everything she has done,” adds Ffrench, who was 15 when his mom passed away. “I cannot let her name and everything she did go in vain—so every day I strive my hardest to make her proud and keep her name alive.”
Ffrench traces his love of basketball directly to his mom, a huge Knicks fan, who would attend all of Ffrench’s games and practices when his own basketball journey began. “There was a point where she quit her job and focused solely on me, my schoolwork, and basketball,” he recalls, noting that his school grades soared as a result—something even more important to Irby than her son’s hoops talents. Later in life, Ffrench was able to parlay this into a scholarship for undergraduate and master’s degrees.
As Mother’s Day approaches, Ffrench takes comfort in some of his happiest memories with his beloved mother. “One year I told my mom to wear something nice, and I took her out to our favorite restaurant at the time, Red Lobster—paying with my own money,” he says. “The smile on her face was so unmatched…I’ll never forget it.”
Ffrench also emphasizes his mom wasn’t only a very special woman to him, but to everyone with whom she came into contact. Even people who never met her are moved by the sacrifices Irby made for her son. “I give credit and respect to all moms out there,” says Ffrench, “especially single moms raising young boys in today’s world.” His career path is also a testament to his inspiring mother, who pushed entrepreneurship on him from a young age. “I’m so grateful to her for giving me that mindset—letting me know what I needed to do to be successful on my own terms,” he says. “I owe her the world and can’t wait to see her again.”
Every day, their deep bond endures. “My mom and I have an unbreakable bond because of the blood, sweat, and tears she put into making sure I have a better life than she did,” says Ffrench. “That kind of offering can only be reciprocated with loyalty and an obsessiveness to not let her down.”
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
