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"You've got to be pleased!" there was Matt again with his wise knowledge, confident tone and a very pleased smile. That comment had just been said for the very first time and it could only mean goodness. That day set the tone for the next level of training I thought I would never see.
Only 4 months have gone by since my last posting and so much has happened to me since then. By the end of July my weight dropped to 133 Lbs. My size 2 clothes fit me a lot better; some of them are even loose now. My whole body has shrunk somehow that it makes me look lighter than my own weight, not to mention all the comments and looks that I get from people I don't even know.
There have been numbers of comments about my arms and my shoulders and some others from people who know me talk about my "flabby-bye-bye arms" gone for good! Another comment sounded like this: "but honey look at her legs, it is a total transformation"! I could only feel proud since my legs have traumatized me all my life for being so thick and unshaped. My worst judge in my home town in Mexico (he has always criticized me for gaining so much weight) was very impressed by my new look that he even said I look much better...
 Judith Galvan
 I started proprioceptive training with Matt Eyde in November of 2006. When I walked into his studio I weighed almost 300 pounds. The weigh-in was a shock to me as I had been an athlete in High School and had rigorous physical training at Tisch School of the Arts while obtaining my Acting Degree. Years of neglect had left my body, and to an extent my spirit, sedentary.
Matt saw my expression at the news of my condition and gave me a big grin - "We can get this done," he told me. Though I didn't believe it at the time, he was right. I have lost 46 pounds and feel better than I have at any other point in
my life.
And I'm just getting warmed up.
Making this transformation hasn't always been easy. When I started I was so embarrassed by my weight, I dreaded going to the gym. Matt kept me calm and focused until I found my rhythm. I now look forward to going to the gym, and as Matt promised, my consistency has made all the difference.
I didn't really know what to expect from a trainer when I started with Matt. I had worked with personal trainers on and off through the years, and they always seemed bored and disinterested in the work. By the time they were insisting I buy an energy drink at the gym's juice bar, I was deciding to put off getting back in shape another year. Matt is unlike any of those guys. He is so enthusiastic about me and my goals. He is fully engaged while we work together, and even checks in on me mid-week to make sure I stay on track. Matt's genuine and easy-going style makes working with him a pleasure.
I wasn't really sure what a "plateau" was when I started training at Threshold, but Matt was preparing me for them mentally from the very beginning. So when I lost my first ten pounds and then stopped losing weight for two or three weeks, I understood what he had been preparing me for. Discouraged, Matt smiled and said "I told you so. This is what a plateau looks like. You have two options right here. You can give up, and cross this plateau the next time you decide to get in shape, or you can stay consistent and we will be to the other side in no time." About one more week of consistency, and I had lost another five pounds. I hate to say this where he can read it, but Matt is pretty much always right.
He seems to always be one step ahead. He prepares you for the challenges that come with physical training and he equips you with strategies to succeed. The discipline Matt has helped me bring into my life has changed me in profound ways. I find myself eager to tackle obstacles in front of me, whereas four months ago I would have put them off for another day.
Matt's help has also made a significant impact on my career. Every casting office I go into now flips out when they see how transformed I am physically, and they are calling me in for bigger parts. I booked a recurring role on a hit show, and the presence of my new physique was a key element in getting that plumb job.
As I said, I'm just getting warmed up, Matt Eyde has giving me so much already, but the most important thing is I now believe Matt's comment on the day I started training with him - "We can get this done."
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I believe Matt is the best in the business, and I am proud to be one of his first clients at his new gym. I cannot recommend this man highly enough.
Thank you Matt, for everything. I'll see you for the weigh-in on Wednesday.
Benjamin Byron Davis
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I am 65 years old, and I've been training with Matt for almost two years. I've seen a significant improvement in my flexibility, balance, and especially in overall strength. I seem to be getting stronger each week. During a recent session, I was able to do a bench press set with my age, in weight, in each hand.
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Matt has a very balanced approach to strength training and conditioning. He keeps it interesting by regularly varying my routines.
Art Cragnotti
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I was a scrawny little weakling before I met Matt Eyde. It took me a while to work up the nerve to approach him to be my trainer. I saw how he worked other clients and knew that he would expect me to stay committed. That was two years ago.
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Since then my workouts have had their highs and their lows. Days when I've felt invincible and days when I've wanted to throw in the towel. It's the latter that are the worst, when you hit a plateau (mine was 150 lbs on the bench press) and you think you're never going to move up that's when Matt's at his best. He keeps you motivated and switches things up, reinventing the routine so it doesn't become, well, routine. He keeps you climbing despite your own self-doubt. If I ever get an award for something, I'll be thanking Matt Eyde for keeping my in shape and feeling good.
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Chris Cragnotti |
As a child, I did not have an understanding of exercise. All of my friends joined soccer and basketball. It all seemed pointless to me. I used to be 5 feet tall and 210lbs, which is hard to believe to this day. I started to grow older (I was 14) and I realized that being overweight became embarrassing. My mother saw that I was getting lazy. It was time to lose some fat and get off of the computer. She decided to take action and hire a fitness coach.
I am now 17, 165lbs, and 10% body fat. Since I have a fondness for cars, I will use this example. In three years, I have been able to transform myself from a Ford Festiva to a Ferrari 360. I eat more than I did when I was younger and I don’t gain a pound because I’ve been able to maintain a high anaerobic threshold. Working with Matt is the highlight of my day because, not only do I get to better myself as a whole, I also have a better time than I thought I would ever have. After training, I find myself in a state which is undescribable, unlike any high that I could feel. Exercising helps me to cross plateaus, and helps me feel like I bring out my full potential. I work out religiously now because it points me in the right direction in every way. When my conditioning level is high, I can feel a difference when I eat poorly. I could compare it to putting 87 octane gasoline in a high performance engine like a Ferrari or Lambourghini. The car will operate at only 60-70% efficiency.
Working out at the intensity that I do feels like I can have all of the good and bad choices laid out in front of me. I can choose to point myself in the right direction. In a way, I feel that it helps me to strive to be a successful human being because it allows me to concentrate on what is most important and let go of the bad influences.
I remember when I had suffered from mononucleosis. I remember coughing chronically and not quite feeling 100% for a long time. There was just something missing. When I went back to Matt, I wasn’t firing on all cylinders. After
watching me through a pattern of average workouts, he decided to jump in and pace me to show that I had another gear that I hadn’t been using (the 6th gear). I now do these high intensity routines which get the most out of me, but has left me more healthy than I have ever been. I haven’t been sick in over a year and I feel like a Sherman Tank. The toxins have been pushed out of my body. He was right in saying that my body would operate like a finely tuned machine.
I have also noticed that my sleep patterns have improved. I no longer wake up late and go to sleep late. I now feel like I am on time and get three times more done on a given day than I would have before I started exercising. And since I found my 6th gear, I am able to give 100% to everything I set out to do.
Having a Strong Body and a Sound Mind has enabled me to enjoy the simple things in life, such as Sunsets, relationships, and people. It’s just a few hours out of the week, which is very little. It makes a difference in my life, and that makes me proud of myself. It makes me want to go for the best in everything. After giving 100% in the exercise room, I feel the difference between myself and others who seem uncertain about what they want to accomplish.
In conclusion, we all seem to be missing our opportunity to be our best in many different ways. With just a few hours a week, and with the right routine, we could all be Ferrari’s. Quick, rare, and highly appreciated in society for being unique and above standard.
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Arthur Karapetian |
 Luis Guzman
I’m the type of person that enjoys challenges and welcomes change. A spark went off regarding my exercise routine with Matt. I started re-thinking my exercise routine, which was: cardio warm up, weight lifting, cardio wrap up. I thought there had to be a positive and safe way to combine these three exercise elements and also incorporate one of my all-time favorite exercises, step! I explained to Matt that I wanted to combine balance and breathing (think Thai Chi), speed and coordination (think Step) with my weight training (think Hercules – LOL). I gave Matt a challenge of coming up with a routine that would make me sweat, use stability, engage my core, keep me focus and make me stronger…and regain some of my mobility I had recently lost due to a lower back injury…and age.
Turns out that what I was seeking is called PLYOMETRICS! Matt introduced me to plyometrics, which one of its key elements is the use of the BOSU ball. With plyometrics, my flexibility has increased, eye-to-hand coordination has improved, my breathing and concentration are relaxed and my over strength has increased – upper and lower body. After a 60-minute workout incorporating plyometrics and other “sport type” of exercises – I’m focused, refreshed, stronger and definitely sweaty!
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