November 5, 2008
If you are like me you have had fitness failures tooooo many times to count. Now I define fitness as 
anything that requires your body to move at a rate that is benefiting you, fitness-wise.
Maybe running, walking, playing soccer, baseball, working with weights, the bike…quick game of checkers, (just making sure you are paying attention).
When I was growing up I was not a super athlete, I was average…not the last picked, and certainly not the first. And what I figured out at an early age was is what I LIKED (as I tried as much as I could) because if I liked what I was doing, I was more apt to do it. Take baseball for example…
I tried out for baseball and made the team, at a late age compared to all of my friends. I was 14, everyone else had been playing since t-ball, when they were 5 or 6. So, I had a mental disadvantage because I internally told myself that I was going to SUCK at this because I had never been on a team or had a coach and I never really liked baseball, but it was important to at least try it once, just so I would know.
On my first game at my first up to bat I hit the ball. Granted, I swung with my eyes closed, but I hit the ball and made it to first! I was so excited! I was so excited I struck up a conversation with the first baseman, like he was my buddy or something, so I wasn’t paying total attention at that time to my surroundings. Next thing I noticed was that the pitcher was starting to slowly wind up…so I thought, Matthew, you can steal this base (I was still feeling a bit cocky from actually hitting the ball and was thinking that this “baseball thing” really wasn’t that hard). So, I took many many side steps as I stared down the pitcher, kinda like a cat stalking it’s prey. Step by step I was slowly further out…He wound up and pitched the ball…AND…I ran like a bat out of hell! I was going to steal this base no matter what. As I approached second I decided to ice my move and slide head first, hands out…superman style. PERFECT! PERFECT! PERFECT! I thought as I claimed by base and dusted myself off. As I slowly looked around and awaited cheers from the crowd, I heard silence. Then I heard…(and this is verbatum), “Hey asshole, get back to first, the pitcher was warming up…what an asshole, can you believe this guy?”
As I slowly walked back and realized that I had not been paying attention, talking to the first baseman, that they had switched pitchers and the new pitcher was just warming up. I took my time getting back to first. When I arrived, the first baseman was doing everything he could to not bust up laughing in my face. I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “Hey, if he can warm up…so can I.”
I finished out the season and never “got” the game. And I made a deal with myself -I was going to do what I like fitness-wise. I knew that exercise was a very important role in life, I just needed to find what worked for me.
I found exercising in a health club was very fun and easy for me to commit to and learn about. I encourage you to do somthing that you like and be passionate about it. I’m passionate about general exercise and fitness. I am not passionate about baseball. What are you passionate about?
Posted in 
4 Comments »
October 28, 2008
I fought the MRSA and, I WON…I fought the MRSA and, I WON!
Yes, I had MRSA…not a fun experience…and I had MRSA when MRSA wasn’t cool…or at least it wasn’t talked about in the media as it is now.
What is MRSA? Well if you do not know, this is cut directly from www.mayoclinic.com
MRSA infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria — often called “staph.” MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It’s a strain of staph that’s resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat it. MRSA can be fatal
Did you notice the last part…yes fatal…
Now this picture was taken by my wife’s camera phone, just before she made me go to the ER, for having what I thought was a “runaway zit” that just needed some time…It had popped it’s lovely head only about 48 hours previous, FYI.
Now like I said, I had MRSA before it was in the media so often, this November will make it 2 years ago.
The ER just scratched their head…they thought I just got bit by something…and gave me a shot in the arm…my own doctor (who I saw later that AM) however flipped out a bit, mostly because of the “closeness” to my all important brain. He got out his trusty scalpel (just like a kid in a candy shop) and cut me and squeezed me, repeat, repeat…repeat…then a shot in the ass!
So my point of this story is to ALL of the arrogant individuals out there (including myself) that think that they are above catching things like MRSA…and then ignoring the symptons…kind of like my face swelling symptoms, which, BTW, I would have kept my nose to the grind stone, pardon the pun, and “fixed” myself…which more than likely would have deleted my existance. I would explain more about MRSA, but just google it to find out more….wash your hands…MRSA is very common is hospitals and HEALTH CLUBS…
I fought the MRSA and, I WON…I fought the MRSA and, I WON! But I did not do it by myself…
If you had a curious bump, scratch or twitch and had a possible life saving experience, please do share. And hats off to my wife for constantly checking all of my parts…when she is on a hunt, I just leave her be.
Cheers to your Continued Health & Fitness!
Matthew
Posted in 9 Comments »
October 23, 2008
Hello All!
- Matthew & Cash
I do not have much to say…about fitness…and I do not care, I JUST HAD A BABY BOY! What an experience the last two weeks have been. I did not realize how tough my wife was, I knew it…but WOW, she is a machine on a mission to raise one healthy baby boy…Thanks babe!
I will be back soon, mark my word, my child has given me one endless pot of inspiration to pass on….
Be well EVERYONE, be well….
Cheers to your Health and Fitness!
Matthew
Posted in 5 Comments »
October 7, 2008
Hi Everyone! Here is a last minute interview I just did for mom-going-organic-sensibly.com. I hope it is helpful…and I say last minute as I will be a papa tomorrow!
For those of you that want a sensible approach to fitness, Matthew Perry is your man with the know-how.
Matthew has experience as a health club owner. But, more than that he brings a down-to-earth perspective to healthy eating and fitness through his website 3rd Chance Fitness and blog.
Matthew Perry is also the creator of Muscle Memory™ a proprietary protein powder supplement.
And here is the interview:
1. Hi Matthew, thank you for taking time out today and sharing your fitness and healthy eating expertise. Please tell us briefly about yourself, the services you have to offer, and the websites that you write for.
I’ve been a fitness enthusiast since childhood and got to live out my passion daily by running two health clubs in Tucson for 8 years. When I left the health club industry, there was a gap in my life that I knew I needed to fill. My passion is helping people live healthier lives and that’s why I started 3rd Chance Fitness. Our website offers free information on healthy eating, healthy living and working out. We also offer our proprietary whey protein called Muscle Memory™. We’ve also just started a blog to help us create an interactive community of people who share the same goals.
2. While most of our readers don’t have gym membership or exercise equipment, many of them are interested in fitness.Your Lean Muscle Makeover Routine™ can get a beginner started with only a three day a week commitment. What would realistic expectations be for the beginner who uses this routine?
The great thing about making a commitment to a healthy lifestyle is that it doesn’t take any special equipment. I’ve always worked out in a health club but my wife prefers working out at home. Most of the exercises I show can be modified for a home workout. The great thing about being a beginner is that just getting moving is going to make you feel better right away! Many beginners take on too much, too soon and give up because they get themselves too sore or expect themselves to do it perfectly. I often tell people to just think about eating well and working out for the first week. Then, progress to doing some form of physical activity for 5-10 minutes 3 days a week. It’s important to learn your limits before increasing your activity. It’s ok to start slow!
3. You talk about your early morning exercise habits on your blog, as part of being flexible to fit things into your life. Many of our readers are on the go all day caring for their children. How can these readers involve their kids in exercise for a short period each day?
With small children, dancing is one of the best ways you can both get some exercise. Put on some fun music and just start moving and shaking! You can even put on an exercise tape and do it with your child. They can mimic the movements with you (minus weights). Of course, pushing a stroller is great exercise as well, along with bicycling with a child seat attached and hiking with a baby pack if you have the time for it. It’s important to set an example early for your kids so that they see that physical activity is a normal part of life.
4. Your experience as a co-owner of a gym provides you with insight into why people fail at sticking to exercise. You have also had the opportunity to see people that started and 5 years later, still have fitness a part of their lives. Can you share with our readers your insight into what those that succeed are doing?
I’ve certainly seen my share of people who purchase a gym membership and come to the club only a few times before stopping altogether. One way people sabotage themselves is by expecting themselves to do it perfectly or not do it at all. They set unrealistic expectations like coming to the gym 5 days a week and when that doesn’t happen, they stop coming altogether.
A better approach is to be honest with yourself about your limitations. If you’re not a morning person, don’t workout in the morning. Workout when you have most energy and only when you have time to really commit to it. Your goal should be to incorporate healthy lifestyle changes slowly over time, not to make a bunch of changes all at once.
The people who are still working out 5 years later went through a lot of ups and downs to get there. Finding the balance between discipline and going easy on yourself is a challenge. Start by doing an honest inventory of what you’re willing to invest into yourself. Are you willing to choose a piece of fruit over a candy bar? Are you willing to take the stairs instead of the elevator? Are you willing to go to the park to walk a mile after work instead of going home and sitting on the couch? Face these choices head on everyday and that’s how you start to build a healthy lifestyle.
5. One of the benefits of being fit is an awareness of when things aren’t right. You provided the example on your blog, of your father-in-law who was able to be diagnosed early for cancer. He had an awareness that something just wasn’t right. How does your fitness provide benefit to you and your family?
My wife and I live a healthy lifestyle so that we feel good enough to do the things we enjoy doing. Life for us is about experiencing all that we can with the time we’re given. The older we get, the more likely we are to be faced with health challenges. My goal is to do everything I can to not sabotage my recovery. There is simply no substitute for physical activity. It makes you feel good and increases confidence.
6. Congratulations on your soon to be new hat as father. Having had an exercise routine since you were 13, how do you plan to adjust and still get in exercise time?
I don’t know…but I am committed to making it so…life will be more realistic after a “schedule” is constructed, that is my first goal, to get a routine set, then I can fill in the gaps with exercise.
7. This brings us to our last question. You and your wife created Muscle Memory™, a whey based protein supplement. With umpteen protein drinks already available, can you tell us how you discovered that there was a need for this product? And what sets Muscle Memory™ apart from your competitors?
Protein is vital for muscle growth and repair. I wanted to create a simple meal replacement for people trying to get into shape as well as a supplement for seasoned workout enthusiasts like myself. I’ve used countless protein powders over the years so I know what I like and what I don’t like. When I decided to create my own protein powder, it was important for me to keep it pure and simple. You shouldn’t have to be a scientist to understand what you’re consuming. And, it needed to taste great. Muscle Memory™ has it all. With 3rdChanceFitness.com, I also wanted to be able to share my knowledge and offer support to people trying reach their goals. It’s not just about protein powder but about creating a community and sharing ideas and information.
Thanks so much for the interview Doris! Your site is very informative and I highly recommend it to all of our readers.
Posted in 2 Comments »
October 1, 2008
Okay, this is the time of year I start to stresssss just a bit…because I DO NOT want to do that dance come New Years…where I pack on a few extra and then have to burn it off. If you can remember to stick to these 8 simple healthy eating tips…especially during the holiday cheer, then you just might end up being ahead of the game come January 1st…or 2nd. Start planning now EVERYONE…
Healthy Eating Tip # 1:
Keep Track of What You Eat — Initially, you may find it helpful to write down what you eat each day to see where there’s room for improvement. You may not realize how many wasted calories you consume on a daily basis (sugary sodas, butter, salad dressing, etc). When you eliminate the wasted calories, you create room for more food in your diet! 100 calories from butter does nothing to make you feel full. 100 calories from a serving of vegetables or protein will.
Healthy Eating Tip # 2:
Control Your Portion Sizes — Learn to visualize the recommended portions of each food group. For example, 3 ounces of meat is about the size of a small bar of soap or a deck of cards. Half a cup of pasta, rice or potatoes is about the size of a baseball. Make a habit of reading package labels so that you know what a single portion is. Try scaling back on high fat condiments by cutting your normal portion in half (butter, sour cream, salad dressing, mayonnaise, etc.).
Healthy Eating Tip # 3:
Eat Frequently & Snack Wisely — Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast! If you’re too busy to make breakfast, a Muscle Memory protein shake is a fast and easy option. Plan ahead how frequently you’re going to eat and make sure to have healthy snacks on hand. If you don’t allow for snacks, you may end up overeating at your next meal. Healthy snacks include whole-grain crackers, fruits, vegetables, small portions of nuts and seeds and low-fat dairy products.
Healthy Eating Tip # 4:
Introduce Variety Into Your Diet — Eating healthy will be very boring if you’re not open to trying new types of foods. One of the best ways to eliminate fat in your cooking is to use more herbs and spices. Never tried curry? Don’t know what to do with a jalapeno? The world of interesting food awaits you! Try something new tonight. Check out some of my favorite recipes now!
Healthy Eating Tip # 5:
Know Your Weaknesses — Life would barely be worth living if I didn’t have ice cream once in awhile. That doesn’t mean I’m going to keep it around the house. If you have no willpower and cookies are your weakness, don’t buy them at the grocery store. If you don’t buy the bag of cookies, you won’t have the opportunity to eat them. Sounds simple, huh?
Healthy Eating Tip # 6:
Exercise — People always say, “working out makes me hungry.” That’s a good thing. Your body needs fuel to become and stay healthy. As you increase your physical activity, you’ll not only feel better, you’ll want to take better care of yourself. The food and lifestyle choices you make will get easier and clearer as you commit to frequent physical activity.
Healthy Eating Tip # 7:
Make Changes Gradually Over Time — Don’t go from eating Whoppers every day to eating nothing but brown rice and chicken breasts. Incorporate healthier options over time and you will eventually develop new habits.
Healthy Eating Tip # 8:
Learn To Cook — If you rely on restaurants to feed you, you will always be at the mercy of what other people think you should eat. Preparing healthy meals doesn’t have to be complicated. There are a ton of resources to help you learn the basics.
What are some of your best healthy eating tips?
Posted in 7 Comments »
September 25, 2008
EVERYONE has ABS…it’s just that some peoples abs can be seen by the human eye and others not so much…but they’re still there.
So what does one do to see their abs? Exercise them two times a week…five times a week? Everyday??? Buy this machine by that infomercial? Buy this book by that fitness guru? Do this exercise because it’s better than that.
JUST STOP-
REMEMBER AND KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A SIX PACK…WE ALL DO, RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE. AND DOING CERTAIN EXERCISES TO GET THE ABS THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE IS A BUNCH OF BS.
NOW GO-
If you cannot see your abs this very moment, then doing exercises to SEE THEM is a waste of time. Now do not get me wrong, exercising your abdominals is very good for you…it strengthens your core which will help with lower back pain and proper posture…but exercising them will not make them appear…no matter what.
Having a six pack has to do with what you put in your face…because if you cannot see your abs, it’s because of the body fat that’s covering them. Muscle and fat are two separate things…you must reduce your body fat to see the muscle. This might be old news to you…but it’s not to everybody or the 6-minute abdominal gurus would be out of biz.
So if you really want that six pack, then concentrate on your diet…take baby steps day by day. Once you get your diet under control and start to see a little something something down there…then tackle that abdominal routine. And yes of course you can do diet and abs at the same time, just set yourself up for success and not failure…sometimes too much on ones plate can get overwhelming.
And yes doing cardio and strength exercises are very important too with seeing your abs…but your exercise routine will never be able to keep up with a poor diet…been there, done that.
Cheers to your Health & Fitness!
Matthew
Click HERE to see our exercise routine.
Click HERE to see our healthy recipes.
Posted in 5 Comments »
September 10, 2008
As with any disease, there are several colon cancer warning signs, and, again, as with any disease, you should never ignore them.
My father-in-law is a pretty cool cat!
He’s 62 years old and has been jogging 20 miles or so a week for years…now I am not a runner, so I have much respect. Last December he decided it was just too cold, in the morning, to jog, so he decided to take a break.
In March, when it started warming up, he went back to his morning runs. But, it just didn’t feel the same. At first, he could go about 5 miles and then he was just exhausted. He kept trying, but was feeling increasingly short of breath and just didn’t have the same energy as before.
His beloved dog, Emma, who used to get a run for her money was now running circles around him.
He wasn’t overly concerned at first…
Colon Cancer Warning Signs
Maybe he was just getting old? Maybe taking that time off really knocked out his endurance, even though he had done it in the past and bounced back much quicker…?
Another 4 months of feeling winded and drained and he said “uncle” and called his doctor.
It turns out, he HAD stage 2 colon cancer and was severely anemic from internal bleeding.
The moral of the story?
If he was sedentary to begin with, he probably never would’ve even noticed that he was short of breath and lacking in energy. If he didn’t exercise, he wouldn’t have been in tune to his body enough to know that something was amiss.
Not everyone exercises to look like a super model or have 6-pack abs. The real benefit of staying physically active is to feel good and know when you don’t!
AND I am very happy to say that he cheated this disease and is having a full recovery!
So, please, do the same: Watch out for colon cancer warning signs, or any other symptoms you have that don’t feel quite right, because your body may be trying to tell you something.
Posted in 1 Comment »
September 3, 2008
Now this is a true story, about me when I was in the 2nd grade…and any of you that grew up in the late ‘70s early ‘80s will most likely remember this TV ad.
I was in the school spelling bee. I was standing in the line of kids, palms sweating, heart pounding…praying that I would get one that I knew, as I wasn’t the best speller and making it to the final 5 or 6 was a true accomplishment for me. Anyw
ay, the teacher looked me in the eye and said…
“Matthew, how do you spell relief?”
Ohhhh I was ecstatic…I got this one!
I replied “R-O-L-A-I-D-S.”
And I was shocked when the teacher said “wrong”…I was positive that I had spelled it right…absolutely POSITIVE! The correct spelling had been BURNED into my head by the TV set…so how could I be wrong? The TV taught me this…and the TV is not wrong!
Even though I lost the spelling bee, the teacher found it so funny that she called our local radio station and they told the story for the rest of the day. Ah, my brief brush with fame. My mom likes to tell the story every now and again…30 something years later…And, there was a time when I was embarrassed by this, but it is also my reminder.
So what does this story have to do with a fitness blog? It’s just a warning…to pay attention to the marketing of products. Especially now days…the companies are clever and are in our face from all angles. And, yes it is justified to say that of course a kid would be very literal and take advertising in its black and white state…and that adults do not. But we all know that is not true.
There is no magic pills. There is no magic machine. There is no magic exercise program.
DO NOT FALL FOR IT.
There is nothing but eating healthy and exercising consistently…if you do that the rest just falls into place…
And btw…the pic is my bro, not just some random clip art…it was taken after tooooooo many red peppers on his pizza!
What marketing traps do you fall into?
Cheers to your Health & Fitness!
Matthew
Posted in 1 Comment »
August 26, 2008
Exercise is hard enough for most people, but what about pregnant exercise? And it’s not just Mommy, Daddy is affected too!
I was hanging out last weekend and…
My wife said that painting her toes was starting to be a real bitch…!!
Well, by this picture (and yes, this is her) I couldn’t disagree one bit…but it made me think of myself…That exercise right now was starting to be a real bitch. Now I know her challenge, she’s preggo! She was painting her toes whenever she felt like it. Now she paints her toes when she feels good, when the baby isn’t kicking too much, etc. etc. But she is still painting her toes, because it is important to her…
Pregnant Exercise
And exercise is important to me.
And her being pregnant is no excuse to let myself go. My mother in law said that I was going to gain weight just because my wife was pregnant…so I took that as a personal challenge to be in BETTER shape when he is born, compared to when he was conceived. And no it has not been easy, even being a “fitness nerd” my whole life, LIFE still gets in the way. If I am not in better shape, then so be it, but I will NOT be in worse!
So my challenge right now, the road block if you will, is that my wife is pregnant and life has been slowly changing, taking me out of my comfort zone and in turn challenging my eating habits and my exercise routine…So what do I do?
Well, just ADJUST to the situation, because you always have time to do what you want to do. Period.
I would NORMALLY exercise 5 days a week without fail with maybe a 6th day if I wanted to. I would NORMALLY do 30 minutes of weights and 30-45 minutes on the bike. And this is at my local health club. I would get up at 4:15am and be at the gym by 5, home by 6:30, at work by 7:30…Good grief just typing this out is making me tired.
I would NORMALLY go grocery shopping on Sunday and have my whole week of meals planned out, from my morning shake to my dinner and all the nutritional snacks in between.
And since I do not have the same time, I am ADJUSTING to it, not giving in to it, knowing that it will just get more challenging as time passes.
So now I have taken my exercise routine down to 3 days a week, what I would normally call my “beginners program”, and I also purchased an exercise bike to have at home. I ADJUSTED.
My meals are still planned out for the week, except now they are cooked all at once and frozen. I ADJUSTED.
So as this process of my little dude grows and soon will be a helpless creature in my hands, even more of my time will be donated…and I will ADJUST!
Making time to exercise is not easy, life isn’t easy, but your body must be exercised and fed good, nutritional things. YOU MUST ADJUST TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
So my question to you is, what is your road block and how are you adjusting? A little inspiration by you might just be what some stranger needs…
Cheers to your Health & Fitness!
Matthew
This article was also guest posted on www.johnisfit.com
What are your thoughts on pregnant exercise from both the male and female perspective?
Technorati Tags fitness, pregnant
Posted in 7 Comments »
August 20, 2008
We all wish we had good eating habits, but it’s hard. The good news is it’s also largely mental, and the following mindset will set you in the right direction.
I am one of those “visual” people…meaning, if you are going to try to explain something to me you better bring a pen and paper or make sure that I already have some props stored in my memory bank. And no, drawing with your hands in the air does not work either.
So to make a point about how YOU can change your food consumption and exercise program, try to picture this:
Picture the last time you were cruising down the highway at let’s say 80 miles an hour, and it had been a while, maybe a good 30-40 minutes. Then someone pulled out in front of you bringing your speed down to 60 miles an hour…(what a jerk!). That horrible feeling, that feeling of just barely moving starts to set in. You are stuck behind this person and it is just agonizing, you cannot even imagine driving this slow…who drives this slow!
So now you’re stuck for a while going 60 miles an hour. Once you’re over the piss off, you actually get used to the speed and conform and then it just feels normal.
YES, NORMAL!
What does driving down the highway have to do with exercise and good eating habits?
Well really not much or anything at all…except the feeling of change.
When you first start an exercise program it can feel awkward. But after you stick with it, it feels NORMAL. The trick is getting through that period of “change”. Once you give into the change and accept the new routine it feels great…like, how did I never do this before?!
Good Eating Habits
And food intake is the exact same way. You might go from eating ice-cream every night to only once a week. Wholly crap…that would be like going from 100 mph to maybe 20…but after you get used to 20, it just feels NORMAL…
If you want to get ahead in life with this exercise and diet stuff, then pay attention to your reaction to change.
What are your some of the tips you use to form and maintain good eating habits?
Posted in 4 Comments »
anything that requires your body to move at a rate that is benefiting you, fitness-wise.
content rss
Recent Comments