Matthew Pryor's Blog: Body Tithe, page 4

Is Your Sleep Making You Fat?

When trying to lose fat, people rarely think about their sleep. They think about needing to exercise more or eat healthier. These are both good things, but they’re not the complete picture.

Since the beginning, I’ve been trying to teach people this equation:

EXERCISE + NUTRITION + SLEEP = FITNESS

I recently mentioned this equation on Solid Steps radio and was hoping to talk about it on Compass Radio, but we ran out of time. You see, while exercise and nutrition get all the attention, sleep fl...

The 6 Phases of a Fitness Journey

NOTE: This post was adapted from the “Introduction” of the book The Body Tithe Devotional: Spiritual Encouragement for Your Fitness Journey .

Whenever somebody starts a new fitness regimen, be it a running program, rehab, home fitness workouts, you name it, they are going on a journey of sorts.

In my book “The Body Tithe Devotional,” I talk about the phases one encounters on the journey.

These phases are part physical, based on the strength you are gaining or stamina that’s increasing, weight...

EXERCISE MISTAKES: HOW TO DO 5 COMMON EXERCISES CORRECTLY

Exercise mistakes are the rule, not the exception. As a trainer, I would know. I have spent more than my fair share of time in the gym. Oh, the stories I could tell.

Unfortunately,exercise mistakes aren’t confined to advanced exercises either. Even with common, basic exercise moves, people botch the form all… the… time.

I understand though. Exercise and proper form isn’t exactly something that comes naturally to everyone. Unless you’ve specifically been taught good form, it’s easy to make mis...

5 Lessons We Can Learn From Abraham

The dramatic story of God testing Abraham’s faith is ripe with lessons we can apply to our lives. Those lessons are easy to miss because the premise of the story is so compelling.

Let’s hit rewind and see what God can teach us. We pick up the story in Genesis 22:2:

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love— Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’”

Stop! Hold on a second. I’m not one to question God, but...

Fats Are Your Friend

Healthy fats help us in so many ways. Yet often times, when people decide it’s time to get skinny, they want to to give up fats, even the good kind. In an effort to be healthy and lose some weight, they go on a “diet”.

I hate the word “diet.” It has a negative connotation. It brings thoughts of starving yourself by consuming rice cakes and water all day. Meanwhile, your stomach growls and you can’t help dreaming about all the foods you can’t have. It’s cruel and unusual punishment.

Fats area...

The Truth About Gluten

The truth about gluten can be hard to discern. Gluten certainly has a bad rap these days as one of the latest health trends is to “go gluten-free.” One 2013 survey shows that a third of Americans are actively trying to eliminate gluten from their diets. It seems that every person has a different reason for jumping on to the gluten-free bandwagon. Gluten has been associated with conditions such as celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergies.

It has also been blamed to exacerbate br...

Pregnancy Fitness Tips

*Disclaimer: Though I am a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, it is of the utmost importance that you consult your doctor before embarking upon ANY fitness program.*

Pregnancy fitness tips are popping up everywhere and for good reason. More and more women are realizing the importance of keeping up with their fitness throughout their pregnancies. There are several benefits in doing so:

1) Pregnancy is tough enough on your mood and emotions. Keeping your workouts involved in your dai...

If God says “No,” will you still say “Yes”?

The Lord loves you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You know thisfull well.

He wants the best for you and His plans are better than yours. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to be obedient to His voice.

Sometimes though, if we’re really being honest with ourselves, it’s hard to see it that way. During these times it’s tempting to only be obedient when there’s something in it for us.

I’ll love my neighbor as myself because she can get me a discount at Macy’s.

Or we are obedient aft...

Strength Training for Endurance Athletes – Part II

If you read “Benefits of Strength Training for Endurance Athletes Part I,” welcome back. If not, do it. Right now. Seriously. I’m not going anywhere.

Okay, now that you’re caught up on why strength training for endurance athletes is so important, here are some exercises you can do to get started.

Strength Training Exercises for Endurance Athletes: Planks

WHY?Planks are an amazing way to increase your core strength and your core plays a big role duringallyour workouts. In fact, I’ll even say t...

Strength Training for Endurance Athletes – Part I

Do you run? Bike? Swim? On your own? In races? Both?

If you answered YES to ANY of these questions congratulations, YOU are an endurance athlete!

One more question for you: Are you strength training?

If you said “no,” I have to ask, “Why not?”

If you said “yes,” how do you know if you are doing the best exercises to increase your endurance training?

I went from running 360 minutes a week to running roughly 120 minutes a week… that’s a 67% DECREASE!

Strength training is absolutely necessary fo...