The Thread - Tested by Neen Williams

Neen Williams is the definition of Stitched Different. Pro Skateboarder with the best heelflip in the game, one of the fitness industry’s leading minds in exercise and nutrition, elite burger builder and restaurant owner (Not a Damn Chance) father and family man, and so much more. There is no limit to his versatility. For Neen, it’s all about finding strength and balance while testing his limits so he can show up for himself and those around him in the best way possible.

We went to visit Neen at home in Fort Worth, Texas, to see what a day with the pro looks like. Our schedule looked like this:

✅ Hit the gym for a big lift

✅ ”Relaxing” ice bath 🥶🥶🥶

✅ Skate session

✅ Backyard burgers

✅ Family time

Neen, talk to us a little bit about your strength training mindset.

Strength is always going to be king. I'm not in competition with anybody to lift the heaviest. It's just my own personal goals. I always have to check the ego. First you have to acknowledge your goals, and then you have to just start small. It’s simple. I really just want to do the things that I love for as long as I can, and I want to help as many people as I can as well. That's really the goal, at the end of the day. My main assessment with my goals and my strength goals and my fitness goals is, "How do I feel on my skateboard? How do I feel on my day-to-day? Do I feel weak when I'm holding my son and carrying all the luggage and my son somewhere? Is my back hurting?"

Neen wearing Stance performance quarter socks

Where did this interest in fitness first come from?

Growing up I had a little bench press, and I’d do pull-ups and push-ups, the normal bro stuff. Then through injuries from skateboarding, I grew an interest in fitness to help me be the best I can be and have longevity in skateboarding. Little by little I started picking it up. I asked a lot of questions. I've read a bunch of books. I took a few certifications as well. I listen to a lot of podcasts with professionals and experts in different things like bodybuilding and strength. I'm always learning and just trying to soak in knowledge.

WHEN I’M ON MY SKATEBOARD, IT’S JUST ME AND MY BOARD...AND THEN IT’S TIME TO CREATE.

Neen Williams

It seems like you have a solid amount of outlets to express yourself. Talk to us a little bit about your interests and how they relate.

When I get into the gym, that's just me and the weights. When I'm on my skateboard, it's me and my board, and it's time to create. When I'm cooking food, it's just me and the food, and we're just getting it done. So yeah, it's different forms of therapy. I don't meditate on the daily. My meditation is when I go in the gym, because when I go in the gym, it's just me and the weights. Also, training is in a way, similar to skateboarding where it's like a community thing. It's so much better with a partner or a friend. Whereas that's the same as skateboarding. Going to skate by yourself is not fun. But if you have a friend or two friends with you, it's so much better.

What state of mind were you in as you began this transition to living a more health conscious lifestyle?

When I started promoting my switch in skateboarding from drinking and partying and shit, and started doing more health conscious stuff, really what went through my mind was like I never grew up and saw a skater that was healthy, or took care of his body, or worked out and tried to do stuff for the long run. Everyone just kind of lived for the day and it was like a lot of drinking, a lot of smoking and whatever else. There was never a skateboarder that I could look up to that was doing the opposite. So I figured that I might as well be that person for everyone else.

Neen wearing Stance compount pants in Khaki

Neen holding a red and green skateboard, smiling

Lastly, what’s it like being a dad and having a family?

It's a huge learning process. Every little part of it. I have to be in bed at nine and I need to be going to sleep by 10. Because the kids up at 7:00, wide awake, sitting there in his bed, yelling, looking for us. Then that's it. As soon as those eyes open up, it's showtime. He's running around throwing shit. He's hungry. You got to make him breakfast. You're still waiting for the water to boil for your Chemex. The water's dripping all slow. You're just like, one second bro. Give me a second.

Neen: Nothing can get you ready for having a kid, other than having a kid. People could tell you a million things, but you don't know what you're about to get into until you get into it. My life definitely has changed a lot. Just structuring out my days. I follow a certain regiment every single day and now having Rocco around, it definitely has me moving things around, sacrificing certain things. You gotta make it work. With your kid, you want to be there and give him as much time as possible to watch him grow, and help guide him and help him build a strong will for the future. Because obviously his peers are going to help lead him in different ways, but you want to give him a good foundation to build off of.