JuicyTalk
For Rashad McCants, the gym has never just been about building muscle—it’s been about building resilience. After his time as professional basketball player came to a close, McCants didn’t spiral—he recalibrated. In the weightroom, he found clarity. The repetition of each rep served as a reminder: strength is something you earn each day. What began as a competitive edge in his youth has transformed into a lifelong practice of self-mastery. The goal being not to impress, but to evolve.
After stepping away from the game, McCants didn’t spiral—but he did struggle. “When you’re in a dark place, when you lose everything—financially, character assassination—everything,” he says, “It weighs on you so heavy, and it’s not too many other places to go but to the gym.” The weightroom became more than a training ground. It became a sanctuary—where reps replaced frustration, and he finally could build his body up to his standards and not the requirement of his profession. In many ways, it saved him.
Unlike many former athletes who drift from structure once the final buzzer sounds, McCants leaned into routine. He redefined strength—less about aesthetics, more about awareness. “It was always wanting to get my body in a place where I’ve always wanted it to be,” he says. That pursuit has become a foundation, fueling every chapter that followed—from his no-filter insights on Gil’s Arena to building Myndset, a wellness platform focused on mindset mastery, mental resilience, and emotional literacy. “The strength in the mind, the strength in the body—it’s a special combination,” he says. For McCants, that’s the real work. And it’s only just beginning.
McCants spoke with Muscle & Fitness about the evolution of his relationship with training, the healing power of the gym, how he’s redefining strength through mindset and recovery, and why his next chapter is rooted in purpose-driven discipline.
McCants Has Always Felt At Home In The Gym
Long before McCants became a national champion at North Carolina, before the NBA and the headlines, there was the gym. It wasn’t about the spotlight, but about the grind. “It started in sixth grade,” he recalls. “We had this bench press contest for gym class—and it just felt good to be strong. From that point, being in the gym meant everything. It gave me an advantage—speed, strength, explosiveness.” That pursuit of strength became a steady undercurrent through every phase of his career, even when he had to dial it back to preserve his shooting mechanics or meet the physical demands of the league.
But when the whistle blew on his playing days, McCants finally had the freedom to go all in. The gym became less of a necessity and more of a sanctuary. “Once I finished, I was able to get right into the gym and create that physique for myself, and feel good about it,” he says. “It was never a vanity thing. I always wanted to get my body to the place I envisioned it—strong, functional, prepared.” With no more restrictions on size or mobility, he built the frame he always imagined, on his terms.
Still, McCants’ relationship with the weightroom evolved. After taking an intentional eight-month break to recalibrate, he was surprised at how his body responded. “I thought I’d lose a lot of my mass, but I didn’t,” he says. “I focused on eating cleaner, stretching, hydration—and when I got back in, it was smoother. I could stay longer without the strain. No burnout. Just joy.” That recalibration wasn’t about pushing harder—it was about pushing smarter. Full-body workouts, strategic recovery, steam room sessions, and stretching have all become staples in his blueprint for longevity.
Today, the iron is still therapy, but it’s also something more: a way to show up for himself and for those watching. “You pass the look test, people wanna talk to you,” McCants says. “You become an example of what the human body should look like, how it should function, and how we should thrive.” He’s not just maintaining a physique—he’s building a philosophy. One that connects strength to resilience, discipline to clarity, and the gym to something much bigger than a barbell.
Fitness As Therapy
For McCants, fitness is therapy. Each workout is a form of transformation—rage into reps, anxiety into output, pain into purpose. “That’s why so many men are in the gym,” he says. “We hold things in. That’s the one place we can let it out. Punch the heavy bag, push weight, curl, squat—it’s energy leaving the body.” But he’s quick to draw a line between healthy release and ego-fueled obsession. “If you’re in there just trying to be seen, trying to chase validation, it can backfire,” he warns. “You’ve got to know why you’re in there. Let the gym stay the gym. Leave the stress there.”
That clarity didn’t happen overnight. It took realigning how he viewed discipline, rest, and mental resilience. “Recovery and rest are the most important,” he emphasizes. “People forget that. They go every day, burn out, chase the mirror. Sometimes you gotta just take time off and recalibrate.” He’s learned to trust stillness as much as sweat—to let silence do its own kind of heavy lifting. It’s a discipline he says more people should lean into, especially in a world that glamorizes grind culture without context.
What McCants has built isn’t just physical strength—it’s a mental framework for weathering storms. “You never know what you’re going to need your strength for,” he says.” For him, fitness isn’t a supplement to his healing. It’s the heartbeat of it. And as he continues to evolve—as a thinker, a builder, a voice—he’s showing others that wellness isn’t just about looking the part. It’s about showing up for yourself when no one else will.
Resilience Beyond the Physical
After exploring his own personal growth in “Bum to Billionaire,” McCants has taken the same principles of emotional intelligence, mental wellness, and intentional living and incorporating it
into Myndset. It’s his way of giving form to philosophy. “There’s mentality, and then there’s your mindset,” he explains. “And I believe that everybody that has a mindset that aligns with their frequency and what they want for their lives, everything can change for them.” He’s quick to point out that mindset isn’t about just staying positive. It’s about self-check-in, identifying patters, and knowing when to reset.
The transition from concept to action is a labor of love. Through his own experiences as an athlete and being in the spotlight, McCants observed the disconnect between potential and preparation—especially in young athletes. He understands fully on how often physical discipline can be prioritized while mental and emotional development are inconsequential. Myndset is to help this imbalance.
In a lot of ways, the brand mirrors McCants’ own evolution. His focus on recovery, mediation, and training isn’t just physical anymore—it’s holistic. Currently, he’s laying the groundwork to launch Myndset through a mobile platform, starting with student-athletes. The app will feature emotional support coaches, mentors, and mental health resources tailored for those facing high-performance pressure. “We want to reach them early,” he says. “We want to see it through an athlete as our first phase and see how it does.”
Writing The Next Chapter
For years, McCants was defined by highlight reels and headlines. Now, he’s fully stepping into the power of his voice—unfiltered, reflectional, and irreverent. As a prominent regular on Gilbert Arenas’ Gil’s Arena, McCants has carved out a space not just to share hot takes, but to also be vulnerable, and give people a better understanding of himself. “Before Gil’s Arena, nobody really knew my personality,” he says. “They always knew the name, and that was connected to North Carolina, or Khloe Kardashian. I never had the opportunity to show them who I was.”
His opinions are authentic, as they are his truth. The show mirrors the practices McCants practice in his personal life: clarity, intention and internal discipline. There are no rehearsals or do overs on the show. Certain topics can sometimes get fiery, which is to be expected when alphas are sharing their opinions within the same space. “It’s never anything where anybody’s over happy or over sad,” he says. “It’s like when we used all used to practice. You never know whose going to go at each other on a given day.”
For the layers McCants has chosen to peel back publicly, the one thing he’s careful not to do is dwell on the past. When asked what advice he’d give to his younger self, he elects not to rewrite any part of his story. “He did a good job,” McCants says matter of factly. “He led the way.” He credits his younger self for helping to lay a foundation he still stands on today. Perceived setbacks or failures—he views through the lens of perspective, and not regret. “We can’t go back. We can’t chase the past,” he says. “And that can be tough because that’s he conversations we all have when we get around each other. We all kind of pull each other back into the past.”
You can only move forward and that what makes McCants evolution one that is grounded. The work, the growth—it’s all ongoing. Whether giving takes that spark emotions and debates across social, working to provide a platform for the next generation of athletes, or just showing up for himself in the gym, his focus is forward. He’s found that life isn’t about chasing who he used to be, but to be fully present and aware of who he’s becoming.
