Dan Nitro Clark

    I wanted to share three books that changed my life when I was a young impressionable teenager.  My parents split apart when I was 5 years-old and I bounced around from relatives to relative, parent to parent, making it really tough for me to find my way. The biggest problem was  - I didn’t know how to feel good about myself.  I hadn’t yet done anything in my life for me to be proud of.  I hadn’t yet had any success which to build upon. I hadn’t yet formed an identity. 

These 3 books pointed me in the right direction. 

The first book Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz was the beginning of a new belief system for me.  This book is one of the very first books on "creative visualization."  It taught me to see a better future for myself that I never thought was possible or could even exist.  My dad’s friend, a hypnotherapist, recommended the book when I was in the ninth grade.  My life was a mess.  I was on the verge of dropping out of school.  I had very few friends and had just quit the football team because I wasn’t getting ANY playing time. 

After reading Psycho-Cybernetics how dramatic was the change?

In one year I went from a quitter to MVP of my team.  That’s right.  I did a COMPLETE 360 by doing one simple thing on a daily basis.  I VISUALIZED.  I imagined in vivid detail the things I wanted to accomplish.  It was that simple. I did this and my life changed.

I saw it. I believed it. I made it happen.  

Since then, I’ve continued to visualize on a daily basis with great success.  I encourage all to get Psycho-Cybernetics, practice what it says, and begin to create the life you’ve always wanted.  If I can do it, any one can!

The second book that really helped shape my life was Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins. This powerful book picked up right where Psycho-Cybernetics left off and gave me an introduction into NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) which taught me to manage my emotional states through my physicality and many other tools too numerous to list.  It really helped me take charge of my life and create a life that was worth living.  If haven’t read Tony Robbins and think of him only as the giant, excitable guy from the informercials — you don’t know what you’re missing. Read this book.  It will change your life. 

The last book I want to share with you is The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman.  This book is one of the first in a long line of books that helped me make the transition from athlete to human being.  It helped me identify, connect and get in touch with the spiritual part of myself.   It taught me to lead with my heart and intellect instead of fist and the threat of violence.  It taught me how to find love and adulation in those closest to me instead of the roar of the crowd. (I highly recommend this book to young men who are open to having a spiritual experience)

There have been so many more books that have helped shape and better my life and continue to do so every day.  I’m eternally grateful to all the authors for the their blood, sweat and tears, and their wisdom.  I hope one day to enter the Pantheon of writers who change, impact, and empower peoples lives.  My humble attempt is Gladiator – A True Story of Roids, Rage and Redemption.  

Click on any of the links and it will take you to the books Amazon page.  If you do read any of the books, circle back, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  I hope you enjoy. And pay it forward!

It’s funny how when I supposed to be writing… I find myself doing anything but writing.  Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started.  Staring at the ominous blank page can be intimidating.  Part of taunts me to write and fill its borders.  The other intimidates me… because there is so much space to fill.   Procrastination won the battle  today… so I started to flip through my photo album and thought I’d share a couple of photos.  

 Me on the set of ESPN hosting ESPN’s Gladiator Marathon! 

"Nitro is Coming for You!"

 Photo Shoot for FLAUNT magazine.  WTF!  I don’t even know what to say about these two pics??

I don’t care what anyone says — I think Jessica Simpson is hot!

Dan and Jessica Simpson backstage:

Kid Rock was awesome!!  I just got done asking him to BOX!

Kid Rock & Dan Clark backstage:

I had the Matt & Amy Roloff of "Little People Big World" over my house for a party.  I know, I know from Kid Rock to "Little People Big World."  But it’s one of my fav shows and my gf produces it!

Bull Riding!  What the hell is wrong with me?  Never again.  Well, unless they offer me a lot of $$$!

Dan Nitro Clark on Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding

The alternate cover of my book "Gladiator – A True Story of Roids, Rage and Redemption" I wished they used.   If you haven’t got it yet… you can still pick  it up here:  

Gladiator – A True Story of Roids, Rage and Redemption.    If you do read it, circle back and give me your feedback.  I’d love to hear from you!

Lastly, I leave you with an "old school" picture of me as a junior in 1980 at Saddleback High school in Santa Ana, California.  "Man, did I think I was too cool for school!"

Every enjoy the last weekend of summer!  

Be well!

Dan Clark

BTW — Everyone ask me about supplements and products I love.  I’m still on the Sun Warrior Protein powder kick.  It’s a little bit pricey but worth it as I haven’t found anything better!  It’s organic, from brown rice (makes the Asian side of me happy) and has the highest assimilation rate of any protein on the market!!!

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Cheers Tyra for winning the Emmy!!  Now if readers ever wonder what it’s like to be on the Tyra Banks Show, in this post I’ll take you through a step by step description of the process of getting on her show — from the initial phone call to hugging her goodbye after our segment.  I was on recently and love to give you the 411.

The first thing you need to know about Tyra is that she works her tail off and has a great, hard working staff. It’s her vision, but they make it happen.  A special shout-out to exec producer John Redmann.  The next thing you need to do is be ready and bring your "A" game ’cause it all happens fast. I got the call from Tyra’s staff asking me if I would be interested in coming on the show on a Friday to talk about my memoir "Gladiator – A True Story of ‘Roids, Rage and Redemption."  Then Saturday I did the pre-interview.  

Monday I’m on a plane from Los Angeles to New York. Tuesday I’m on the Tyra Banks show.  The reason the pre-interview you is because the want to make sure you’re lively and great on the phone — meaning you will make a great guest.  The pre-interview was new experience for me.  Most of the talk shows I’ve done were for the American Gladiators.  There have been numerous — from Good Morning American to the Tonight Show — and I simply showed up on set and talked about Gladiators — talked about being Nitro.  

Being on as an author was definitely new territory.  I knew I couldn’t go on and be that cocky-guy who lead with his fist — but I also wanted to be exciting, interesting with a touch of salaciousness.  The pre-interview went on for nearly 90 minutes.  Even though I knew I was going to be on the show, I was a tad bit nervous, thinking I was going to screw it up somehow.  I guess the biggest thing is being true to yourself and your message and not pushing or forcing to try and be something you’re not, so they’ll think you’re great. 

I arrived in New York late Monday night for my appearance the next day.  I won’t bore you with my nightly rituals, except to say — I called my girlfriend, told her I missed her, then drifted off to sleep.   My publicists and I arrived at the studio in the early afternoon and were immediately buffeted into a dressing room.   No sooner had I put my bag down, when a bouncy producer walked in and handed me my script and asked me if I wanted to run through it once.  Huh?  Remember that pre-interview?   Well, they take all of the good stuff, put it into a question answer format, and basically hand you an outline of the show.  This is what Tyra is going to ask you.  This is how you’re going to respond, or at least did in the pre-interview.  Hint- hint.  Wink-wink.  

Bouncy, cute producer tells me she’s going to be Tyra and I’m going to be me, and wants to run through it once to see how it plays. Alrighty, then.  We go through it once and I’m disappointed because all the questions are geared around sensationalizing the side-effects of steroids.   I’m more then disappointed, I’m disheartened.  Because I know my memoir goes miles deeper and at the heart of it, it’s about: identity, love, family, addiction and survivorship told through the prism of celebrity. I also know that to connect and really resonate with Tyra’s female audience I had to find a way to work in the "human" side of the story into my segments. I had to let her audience know this book was an emotional journey — about a little boy whose parents we’re divorced when he was 5 years old and who was crying inconsolably until a man told him "big boys don’t cry."   That boy took those words to heart and didn’t cry when he was ten years old — and his older brother die in his arms — then spent the rest of the life trying to become whole again, trying be human, trying to feel.

Yes, this journey involved drugs,women, celebrity — but I also knew even at the darkest points my humanity shined through in my life and on the page.  Suddenly a producer popped in — whisked me down the hallway to the stage area — all I can think about is how to get the story I want tell across while still satisfying the producer’s needs. Now, I’m standing behind a curtain at the back of the stage while they are doing my introduction and it’s really something.  "Most famous Gladiator, huge hunk, every women’s fantasy."  I feel myself swell up with pride until — the announcers says — "Who grew breast from steroids.  Welcome Dan Nitro Clark!"   The stage manager pulled back the curtain and tells me to "Go, Go!"  I stumbled on stage feeling awkward as hell, not sure whether to smile and wave, or hang my head down in shame and embarrassment.   I kinda did both.  I think.  You’ll have to watch my entrance and let me know. 

So, I’m sitting next to Tyra, still a little thrown by the introduction — being in front a live audience staring, by having three cameras targeted toward at me like canons.   But now, I’m more determined then ever to tell the story I want to tell and not get caught up in this whirlwind of sensationalism about steroids.  I make up my mind right then and there that no matter what she asks me — I’m going to answer her question then start talking about "human" aspect of the journey.  Tyra asks me the first question, "When did you start taking steroids?" I give her the one sentence answer and dive into, "But what I really want to talk about is how we stereotype boys and girls at a young age."  

I could see Tyra look at me a little funny.  I keep going and tell the story about my parents being divorced, being inconsolable, the words big boys don’t cry, and how it affected me.  I tell her about my brother dying in my arms, and how I didn’t cry.  I tell her about how I spent the rest of my life building this huge body, all to protect that kid inside.   And I’m talking FAST.  Really fast, just trying to get the story out.  And I’m aware that I’m talking hyper-fast which makes me even talk faster!  I keep thinking at any moment they are going to "Gong me" and stop shooting and tell me to get the hell back to the script.  As the words keep spilling out of my mouth, I see Tyra keep eyes shoot down to her script then back at me with a glare that says, "What the hell are you talking about?"   I now realize I’ve been talking non-stop for close to a few minutes when Tyra suddenly looks at me and says: "Oh my God, how did your brother die?"  Her question is sincere and her eyes are full of compassion.  I take a deep breath in and tell her the story. Then we took the interview from there moment by moment.  

Kudos to Tyra for letting me have that moment and being such a pro that she knew a better story when she heard it, and for trusting herself and me to go with it.   That being said, I haven’t seen the show as of writing this.  It airs today, Thursday the 16th of April. For all I know… they could introduce me "Nitro — the man who grew boobs" and cut the rest! As for the producers?  They all rock!  And we all slugged back margarita’s later that night in a little Mexican bar in the meat packing district.   And yes, I bought.  How could I not?  After all they told me it was one of the best segments of the year!  Let me know what you think after watching it. 

Be brilliant!

Dan "Nitro" Clark

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Man, do I have a lot to say about A-Rod.  So much I posted a blog on the HuffingtonPost.com.  

It starts like this…

Alex Rodriguez came clean this week, but there’s still some dirty business going on. It’s a little tough for me to swallow A-Rod saying, “To be quite honest I don’t know exactly what substance I was guilty of using…” The same way he was lying when 15 months ago he told CBS’s Katie Couric that he never used performance-enhancing drugs.

Alex is the highest paid player in baseball. His body is his business. At his level, I’m sure everything he does is microscopically analyzed. His swing, his workouts, his diet — to mold him into most perfect baseball machine ever. As a steroid abuser for 20 years, I can assure you he knew exactly what he was taking. Each and every time I took a steroid, I always knew EXACTLY what I was taking. In reality I became my very own science project. Here’s what I know…  

To read the rest click here…  and it will take you to the post.   Please comment if you like. 

Also Inside Edition ran a piece on me and the book.  I was surprised about how much they cut it and how they cut it.  But again, I guess I’ve been doing this long enough and should never be surprised.  Overall, people tell me it was a good piece and effective of getting the message across.

  Yesterday was a day that was full tilt with publicity and my kick-off book signing at "Book Soup" on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood for my book "Gladiator – A True Story of Roids, Rage and Redemption."  The turn out was off the hook and they sold out of books — which I hear is amazing.  I want to thank everyone for their support and will be posting a video and some pictures of the event!  I supplied plenty of booze and food so even though I didn’t get to hang with everyone as much as I’d like to, it was still a blast.  Thanks everyone for showing up!!! A Men’s Health Article came out today that I rather like.   It starts out:

    When he wasn’t bashing the brains of weekend warriors with a giant Q-tip or laying vicious hits on spandex-wearing guys in Powerball, Dan Clark—“Nitro” of the original American Gladiators—was slamming needles into his glutes. The former San Jose State linebacker and reality TV megastar abused steroids for more than 2 decades to build his formidable frame.

Clark details his steroid use, rise to fame, terrifying bouts of ‘roid rage, and his life after the drugs—including relapses and daily pains—in his frank new book, Gladiator. MensHealth.com got an early look at the manuscript, and the chance to ask Nitro some questions about steroids, their lasting effects, and his workouts today.

Did 20 radio interviews back to back this morning starting at 5 AM.  For the most part I feel great, but I’m going to get a little rest and wait for my segment "INSIDE EDITION" tonight.

 Be well!

Dan "Nitro" Clark

Technorati Tags: Men’s Health, Steroid, Nitro, Dan Clark, Steroids questions, American Gladiators, Gladiator a True Story of, Inside edition, Dan Nitro Clark, San Jose State, memoir, book, Book Soup

I just received my first official review.  And it’s a good one.  I guess that means I’m actually on author now. The Associated Press Review of GLADIATOR by Dan Scheraga gets the dubious honor of being my first.   It begins…

February the 9th 2009 is the official publication of my Memoir – GLADIATOR: A True Story of ‘Roids, Rage and Redemption.  There’s a couple of things you need to know about the book.  First of all, you need to know that I wrote the book.  There was no co-writer or ghost writer.  It was important to me that the words flowed from me straight to the page, in my voice, as a way authenticate the experience.  That being said, if it sucks… there is no one to blame but me, but that is a risk I take gladly.

Secondly, I didn’t write this book to “Pimp My Roid.”  If you’re looking for me to incriminate and throw people under the bus don’t read Gladiator.  Go read Jose Canseco’s book “Juiced.”  He throws everyone under the bus. But if you’re fascinated by an “insider” look or… What was it like to be a Gladiator? This book will be a revelation. There are parts (steroids) that are gut-wrenching, others that are gut-busting funny, and still others that are horrifying.  But most of all the book will be honest.  I felt the only way for me to really do justice to the subject matter was to really dig deep and open the vein.  So expect an powerful, honest, cathartic, frank, highly charged, emotional, experience.  It’ll be like a train wreck.  You won’t be able to look away!

Thirdly, the book is about so much more than Gladiators, and even though I take you on a dark journey in the book, my hope is that my humanity shines through. 

Lastly, I invite you to read a small excerpt of the book.  I really think you’ll be stunned. Thanks!

Read an excerpt now…