Clark Bartram is a celebrated fitness expert, former US Marine, and accomplished fitness model, writer, and trainer. He has established himself as one of the world’s top online trainers and previously hosted a TV fitness show. Bartram’s passion for sports led him to pursue bodybuilding, and then became a personal trainer, earning the prestigious title of ISSA Master Trainer. Bartram continues to offer online fitness coaching, focusing on men over 50. He is also the founder and host of ‘Maximized Man’ Podcast.
Bartram has made it his personal mission to use his fame and following to educate his large community and
men of all ages about prostate cancer and urge them to proactively “check it like a man” and get their
PSA checked and have an exam to ensure they’re cancer-free.
Alt Med: Please share a little more about your personal background.
Mr. Bartram: I am a marine, because once a marine, always a marine. At the age of 17, I decided that was the route I wanted to go, because what I saw represented in the Marine Corps was what I felt like was inside of me that had not yet been birthed as this young kid from Canton, Ohio. So, I joined the Marine Corps, went to Paris Island, South Carolina, and that’s really where my life began in boot camp with regards to the discipline that I still carry today with me. Once I got out of the Marine Corps, I got into the gym business. I worked for the Family Fitness Center gym chain which is now 24-Hour Fitness.
Alt Med: You’re now living in San Diego. Were you based in San Diego for a while as a marine?
Mr. Bartram: Camp Pendleton was my last duty station, and that was my goal. In addition to being
one of the best in the world as a United States marine, I needed to get out of Canton, Ohio, because I didn’t
see myself working in the steel industry. I appreciate the blue-collar workers and everybody there has done that. It’s very hard work. But that wasn’t what I felt I was meant to do, and I didn’t feel like that was the
place that I needed to stay. I’m still tethered there. I still appreciate the roots and where I came
from. But with respect to knowing something was more for me it wasn’t in Canton.
When I came to Camp Pendleton, I knew this was where I’m going to stay. That’s when I got the job at
the fitness center, found an apartment, and have just been gradually working my way up. Oddly enough, I never thought that I would live in the town that I reside now. I remember the first time I was passing through here it was in the middle of the summer, and it was hot. It was easily over 100 degrees. You could see the heat coming off the pavement, and I said to myself, I will never live in this town. Now, I’m thinking about running for Mayor. I love it here so much.
Alt Med: After working at the fitness center your career started to take off.
Mr. Bartram: From there I went into bodybuilding. Bodybuilding did well for me. I got into various publications and ended up on a bunch of magazine covers that transitioned into television. I had my own TV show that aired on ESPN for a long time, and then from there I got into acting. I was Batman in a short film called Batman Dead End and did some other things in the film industry. It’s been a steppingstone process of being a physical guy from the day I was born, literally, and I’ve not stopped running since. And as I look back on my life, retrospectively, that’s what I can clearly see as a young, energetic kid playing at the side of the house. I have maintained that energy throughout my life through a series of decisions that have led me to the place that I’m at today.
Alt Med: You refer to yourself as a high energy and charismatic person. How did you know you had some type of medical issue?
Mr. Bartram: Through a simple PSA test. That’s what I’m really encouraging men to do now. A simple PSA test can be done while you’re at the doctor’s office and getting your cholesterol checked, or whatever other test they’re conducting. Just ask your doctor to include a PSA test. We need to take control of our health.
My concierge doctor suggested I go to my urologist to look at my PSA, because it’s 9.8. So, that’s what I did. It’s how I ended up on this course, sitting in my office on a zoom call and hearing my doctor say we found cancer.
Here’s a quick, anecdotal story. My best friend in Canton, Ohio, recently had triple bypass surgery, and went for his follow up exam six months later. He’s doing well now. They did his blood work looking at his testosterone but did not check his PSA. That makes no sense whatsoever for a doctor who’s already doing blood work to not check a 60-year-old man’s PSA. We need to say, Doc, I want this checked and if they ask why, simply respond, because you want it. That’s really what it was for me when I was looking at my
testosterone blood work.
Alt Med: We’ve got a lot of well-known men being diagnosed with prostate cancer and we’ve lost several in the last few months. Millions of American men have prostate issues, but there are also many survivors. Do you now have any understanding of how it can affect an individual?
Mr. Bartram: I have a very detailed understanding of how it can affect an individual, because I’m a person that’s been affected. My life has changed completely. I remember going to appointments randomly thinking, I never want to be one of those people who is constantly at the doctor’s office doing some sort of reactive or proactive treatment, regardless of what the intention was. My goal was to never have to be there. Well, here I am in the doctor’s office, doing MRIs, and other things that I never imagined would be
a part of my life at 60 years old, given what I’ve accomplished helping people stay fit and healthy. Part of what I do is help men boost their testosterone naturally.
I just happen to be one in seven, and we know those are the statistics that show us how many men will eventually be given the similar diagnosis that I received. As a result, I’ve been on a quest to learn more and understand why I got this symptom. Prostate cancer, like any other cancer, is a symptom. It’s not the issue. The issue is underlying. What I’m doing now is trying to do a complete diagnostic to determine exactly what it is that caused my situation. I’m trying to understand it a whole lot more than I ever thought I would.
Alt Med: What stage were you at that time?
Mr. Bartram: I was unfavorable and had intermediate risk. Type 2B which is a whole lot of words to say
that standard of care wants to do certain treatments which are very general in the scope of how they
look at each individual. But what I’m doing is pushing back, regardless of the diagnosis. That doesn’t matter to me, because it’s a lump word that they just throw in for everybody. I’m an individual and I am responsible for the treatment of this more than my urologist, oncologist, radiologist, or anybody else who is running a business that is looking at my situation. I’m just another guy walking in the door. For me and my family I am Clark Bartram. I am the father of two children, the husband of Anita, and the owner of a business. I have a duty and a requirement to take a different approach to my life, regardless of what title they want to put on it. And that’s part of the problem. Men hear something, and they automatically respond to the normal condition, thinking that what we believe is the right way to go, because we’re trusting in a doctor with a white coat and a stethoscope around their neck. And that isn’t always the right way to proceed.
Alt Med: How do doctors normally suggest treating prostate cancer?
Mr. Bartram: The basic treatment in all honesty is whatever a patient’s urologist specializes in. If your urologist is a surgeon, they’re probably going to recommend surgery. A radiologist is going to give you the data that was cherry picked, for example, why radiation is so good, and surgery isn’t. But there are different radiologists and various types of radiology treatments within the prostate cancer universe. If you go to the photon doctor, they’re going tell you why the protons are no good, and if you go to a brachytherapy doctor they may tell you all the reasons that brachytherapy is so much more superior. It all revolves around what
the quality of life will be. You have two issues that you need to be concerned with, incontinence and erectile
dysfunction, and no man wants either one of those. I don’t want to go around peeing in my pants, and I
certainly don’t want to have any issues with sex.
Even when your urologist and surgeon explain it so beautifully and shows you the data to prove that 80
percent of men won’t have any issues, they’re still cutting into nerve bundles that are very delicate, whether it’s with the da Vinci robot or by human hands. They’re suggesting that the da Vinci system is better. I don’t agree with that. The difference between the two is internists are now being taught to use robotic arms instead of old school surgery. It’s just a sales pitch. When you understand that when you’re sitting
with whomever it is and whatever modality they use, it’s up to you to understand that this is a business. Yes
they care. And yes, they believe they’re the best. And you want someone who believes that what they’re doing is the best. But you don’t want to be told that you have to do this right now, and this is the only way to do it.
Alt Med: What treatment did you go through?
Mr. Bartram: I’ve done none of the basic treatment. I’m monitoring where I’m at by looking at my PSA
every week. With respect to that, I understand the value that allopathic medicine brings. But I’m not
overlooking other modalities that look outside of what is traditional and we’re used in our Western culture. So currently, what I’m doing is a deep diagnostic to find out what is in my body. My belief is cancer as a whole is a metabolic disease. It’s not a genetic situation. It is something that is caused by environmental and emotional stress, the food we eat, the endocrine disruptors that are surrounded by all of the toxins and different things that are coming in, whether they’re emotional or physical, or a combination of everything. I’m searching in my body right now. We’re focused on and in my gut. There are things that we found in the way of bacteria and we’re eliminating the bacteria that’s not in proper portions and getting rid of it so I can check it off the list. We’re looking at heavy metal exposure. As a marine, I was exposed to a lot of chemicals
such as jet fuel. There was a recent article that was recently released in a Marine Corps magazine that has proven based upon their data in research looking into toxins in jet fuel. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I was soaked from head to toe with jet fuel. If I had my prostate radically removed I would still have those toxins, heavy metals and all of the things that may have caused the symptom of cancer. I would not
have dealt with the underlying cause, stress being one of them. You’re not really doing yourself any service if you just instantly cut your prostate out or radiate it or have your hormones zapped down to 0. This is what I want men to understand.
Alt Med: Was your doctor optimistic that you would overcome your medical issue?
Mr. Bartram: I don’t listen to what my doctor says in the sense of whether he’s optimistic or not, because his optimism or his pessimism, if I allow it to, doesn’t drive my energy. I’m becoming a part of the herd. What I do is sit here and show them the data when I got the diagnosis. I leveled up. I told them it is blessing for me, and I want people to understand that I’m talking about myself and having prostate cancer
helped me understand that I now have an opportunity to affect more people in a positive way. I can’t let my doctor say what I’m doing is not going work, we don’t have data to back that up, or that’s not the data we’re looking for.
The data that those doctors are looking for is the data that will prove that their modality is what’s going
work. If they’re a surgeon, they’re looking for the data behind surgery. If they’re a radiologist, it’s the data
behind radiology. They’re not looking at exercise, supplementation or modifications and diet. They’re not
looking at any of these things that aren’t in line with their standard of care model.
Alt Med: A large percentage of men don’t take immediate medical action when they have a health issue.
Mr. Bartram: Men will be men. I understand how men think. I coach men every day. I’ve heard everything that you could possibly hear as it relates to reasons and excuses. They’re afraid. I had a friend
recently die from metastasized skin cancer that went into his brain, and I sat with his son after I watched this man pass into the next existence. His son said I wish my dad would have got checked. He just didn’t want to know. He was exposed to radiation on a continual basis because he flew 777s and the 787. Going through airports and being in that elevation is adding all of this radiation. I don’t know if elevation does it or not, but I’ve heard at some point that it did. Just going through the radiation that he went through for 30 years as a pilot was enough exposure. Then being in the sun and fair skinned added to the situation. It’s all of those things collectively. If I were helping someone lose weight it’s not just getting on the treadmill.
It’s what you’re eating and where your mindset is. It’s what community you’re surrounded by and how
you’re living your life. All of these different factors converge into one outcome.
Alt Med: I reviewed information about the Pectasol study. Your thoughts.
Mr. Bartram: There have been several studies about pectin. The timing was so great when I connected with
EcoNugenics on that product, because I was looking for a natural remedy to help me lower my PSA. During this journey of eliminating all of the toxins and chemicals and all of the things that I mentioned earlier, I conducted my own product research. I talked to their scientists. I am quite comfortable that modified citrus pectin is something that will benefit men.
I have orange trees in the front of my house. I eat the entire orange peel and people freak out. I’ve always said to people that within the peel is where the nutrients are found. As bitter as it might be the nutrients in the peel will help support prostate health. What do we do? We peel and throw it away. But what Pectasol does is maintain the integrity of the nutrient value that’s found in something that’s grown from the earth and we can consume even though it has no taste, but it can be flavored.
It’s a single product ingredient, derived from the peel and pulp of citrus fruit that has data to back up
the claims that are made about what I’m experiencing – PSA lowering. I’m also not getting up at night and peeing multiple times as a man who’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer might do. I don’t pee all day long. I know men without this diagnosis that wake up three or four times. Some men are getting on Flomax or Finasteride when they could get on Pectasol and in my opinion and not be on these drugs, and not have the adverse side effects. People need to understand the value of natural products.
Alt Med: Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer in men. Does that surprise you?
Mr. Bartram: No. But if you look at the numbers, it’s certainly not the most nefarious cancer that’s out there. Lung cancer tops the list.
Nevertheless, the number of men that get prostate cancer makes my message so much more important. According to the CDC, over 200,000 prostate cancers were reported in 2020. I tell men to pay attention because this is probably the most important message that I’ve ever
shared – they need to get their PSA check-up.
Why not eliminate that from the list of things we are concerned about in life as it relates to our health, and we can just check that off the list. It’s simple to do. And why not be proactive rather than be reactive. Being on a product like Pectasol even if you don’t have BPH Prostatitis or prostate cancer is a great product to use because there are no side effects.
Alt Med: To be clear you are a paid spokesperson for EcoNugenics?
Mr. Bartram: Yes. But even if I wasn’t, I would have said the exact same thing because of the benefit that I get from that product. I want to be fully transparent. Cancer has no respect for anyone. I’m the last guy anyone would have ever thought would been given this diagnosis.
Alt Med: Thank you for clarifying that matter.
Mr. Bartram: I’m the perfect guy to have been given this diagnosis because the way I’m approaching it is
thoughtful with respect to the way I’m treating it, and it’s also on brand for me, and perfect because I have this burning desire within me that vibrates in every cell of who I am to share this message of being healthy, fit, having muscle on my body, and having a great attitude,
Alt Med: Exactly how are you using your celebrity status to educate men about prostate health?
Mr. Bartram: I’m doing it right here. Yesterday I flew to Northern California to address a group. I post on Instagram. I did a post the other day that got a lot of attention. I said if you go into any public men’s bathroom and you see a man put his hand up on the wall to get ready to urinate it’s a sign, to me, that
he has prostate issues. He’s settling in for the long haul by putting his hand up there because something’s going on down there. I’m using my public persona to share this message. I’m also doing public service announcements.
Alt Med: Anything would you like to share with men and families who will be reading this interview.
Mr. Bartram: I have five principles that I teach men – mindset, meals, movement, community, and integrity. The mindset piece is very important. When a man gets a diagnosis, my encouragement would be don’t drop your head and put your tail between your legs. Put your chest up and your shoulders back, take a deep breath, put a smile on your face, look at your wife and kids, get an agreement, and go forward. You got this. You can do it if I can do it, and the way I’m doing it. You can do it the way I am doing it and in a
positive way.
Too many men are afraid, and that shuts them down. It’s about really marching forward with
an understanding that this is a slow-moving cancer. There’s time most of these cancers, if they’re lower than a four plus three on the Gleason score. If there are three plus three, it’s not even really considered cancer. But men are being over treated. Men are reacting too soon. Take a breath, take your time, and relax. You’re going to be okay.
Alt Med: At the end of day go get a PSA blood test.
Mr. Bartram: That’s it. The action I took was creating my own screening kit that I ship to men. It’s six drops of blood on the card, you let it dry and ship it back. We send you the results. I have a lab in San Diego that provides the highest certification you can get. I am creating the protocol and methodology so men can eliminate all their excuses – my doctor won’t approve it, I don’t have time, money, or insurance. I’ve heard it all.
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