Finding Motivation to Bring His Best

In all aspects of life, Matt Litfin feels motivated by testing his ability to do his best. “Working out at Rise forces me to bring my best just to keep up,” says Matt. “It’s basically a room full of high-achievers and that motivates me to try harder.”

The RISE Instructors see Matt’s effort to push himself each time he walks into RISE. And this June’s RISER of the Month isn’t afraid to take on a variety of classes to continually change up his workouts for best results. “I feel great after Rachel Beard’s boxing class, and the intensity of Allison Billingsley’s TRX class is always a challenge,” he says. “Trying to keep up with Lauren Buell in her H.I.I.T. class is forcing me to up my game. Carin Fanter’s enthusiasm for life is always on display in her bootcamp. And Katelyn Kaese’s energy in spin class, with her bumping EDM playlists, gets me amped up. Every now and then I accidentally wander into a barre class … it looks easy, but time under tension working all those tiny muscles is the hardest of all!"

In addition to enjoying RISE’s positive environment, Matt, a Wheaton resident, has been welcomed by the RISE community and always enjoys meeting new people and making fellow RISERs new acquaintances and friends. So, next time you see Matt in class, tell him congrats on being this month’s RISER.

Here’s how else Matt plans to keep bringing his best at RISE and in life.

What are your short and long-term workout goals?

Short term, don’t we all just want to be ready for beach season? Long term I want to strive for optimal performance for my age, in areas like cardiovascular, muscle mass, body fat percentage, and overall wellness. Basically I want people to mistake me for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (ha!).

What specifically, other than format or schedule, do you like about RISE?

I enjoy the events that RISE hosts occasionally, and I find that the nutritional/health challenges help build community. Mostly I just enjoy knowing and learning from others who exude positive energy, make fitness a priority and are actively interested in health.

What’s your biggest challenge in getting to class?

Living north of the train tracks helps me be on time. So, nothing!

What's your athletic background?

I learned athletic discipline playing high school football, and for a long time after college I just ran and lifted weights a few times per week. About ten years ago I raised my fitness intensity and got into more functional training. At the end of 2019, I had total knee replacement surgery, so I modify some of the higher-impact exercises. But I definitely work out for 45-60 minutes every day, no exceptions!

What’s your best healthy living tip?

For me, daily servings of collagen, protein with BCAA’s (to maintain muscle mass), and milk thistle (for the liver) are a starting point. But my most important tip for healthy living would be to build exercise into your calendar, using a variety of workout types, with like-minded people. That way, working out becomes a question of when, not if, throughout the week. Your fitness community will motivate you, and workout variety helps “trick” your body and forces it to adjust. Your diet will also improve as you start seeing results and because you don’t want to spoil all the work you are putting in. I believe that RISE brings all these things together for me in one positive and high-performing place.