Tag: Fitness

WHY

WHY we do anything is a million times more important than what we do. 

WHY is the driving force behind what anyone does, whether they are conscious of it or not. Whether they like what they do or not. 

There is a reason WHY they set out for that path and the more conscious we become of our decisions, the more we can navigate to the lives we want. 

Find what you want to do in life and be conscious to your WHY. It will help navigate your path to success and keep you motivated in times of doubt. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

Stop Complaining

Whether you believe you can or can’t, you’re 100% correct. You determine the possibilities for your life. No one or thing can do that but you. No excuses. Stop with the excuses that keep you from taking action and putting the work in.

 

I’m sick of people complaining when they don’t have it bad. They just look around at “what is” rather than what they want. They focus on what they don’t have rather than ways to obtain what they want. STOP IT! 

Your life could always be worse. You’re alive if you can’t think of how it could be worse. Maybe travel to a new country to gain perspective. Maybe do something risky to gain perspective. MAYBE, get the hell off social media and comparing your life to others?

 

Just because someone suggests you can or can’t doesn’t mean it’s fact. Your beliefs and actions determine the outcome. The power of suggestion is powerful but only if you allow it to be so. Good or bad. You choose your outcome. F all the noise. Do YOU!

 

-Josh P.

Thanks To My Health

Gratitude is, in my opinion, the single most crucial aspect of life.

With the holidays coming, it seems to be the one time of the year everyone, for the most part, agrees on gratitude being so important.

I disagree, though.

Not with celebrating gratitude, or with my first statement, but the fact we dedicate one time a year to be grateful.

It’s great and all, but I believe it’s a facade concealing a business. But that’s a whole other topic.

Back to gratitude. Gratitude has been a game changer for who I am, how I live my life, the relationships I have built, the career I have developed, the health I maintain, how others perceive me, and how I move forward with my life and set goals. See, I used to be ungrateful. Very ungrateful.

Then one day my life was threatened. Then again and again. AND, still.

When you’re 21 and told “you are going to die” if you do not go into risky cranial surgery to remove a massive brain tumor taking up the lef portion of your brain and may die, even so, your perspective on life and what really matters shifts.

Then when it happens two more times, you get serious about this change of perspective. All the petty drama and negativity, we seem to let grab our attention and focus easily, goes right out the window. Why? Because it doesn’t matter at the end of the day and has no real affect on our lives when we stop and give it thought.

Once we shift our perspective in life and focus on the things that matter to us most, our health, family, friends, happiness, fulfillment, etc., gratitude starts to manifest itself every day in new ways. That is precisely what happened to me eight years ago and then again six years ago, and recently earlier this year.

No one thinks they are going to run into major health concerns or even having to face death at an early age. Or at least they don’t consciously think about the possibility. Why? Because we are all so focused on living but, not in this current moment. We are worried about the future and what we are going to do after school, what we are going to do for a career, how much money we “need” to make, what others will think of us, what happens if we take a risk on what we truly want rather than what we are told to want, etc. I was wrapped up in this.

When we are living in this state, it creates dis-ease, which creates “disease.”

Although I was pursuing my dream with massive success, I was still in a state of fear, worry, lack, and judgment. Once I began to shift my perspectives, I saw massive improvements in my life and those around me. This included taking my health into my own hands regarding nutrition, fitness, and mindset, and focusing on doing the things I loved, and what I think is the second most important thing in life, WHY we do anything.

Today I live, ride, train, and coach with 4 brain tumors in my skull and I wouldn’t have it any other way. No, honestly. People say “that’s gotta be the worst thing that ever happened to you.” No way! It changed my life around 180 and all for the best. It took that moment to show me what was important in life and teach me what gratitude truly is. Things could always be worse in our lives, and I don’t think people give that statement the credit it deserves. Don’t agree? Well, the fact that you have an opinion on this backs my statement. YOU ARE ALIVE!

Thanks, to my health, I can continue living my dream, develop new passions, and what I think is the greatest, I can share my experiences, beliefs, love, and support with others around the world in an effort for us all to live as healthy and happy as possible. It starts with gratitude, and it begins with us, then it spreads throughout the lives we lead.

 

-Josh P.

Can’t Have Abundance Without Gratitude

There isn’t a single thing anyone wants.

Just the emotional response that “thing” triggers and the emotional state you’re living in once that “thing” is obtained. What would it take to live in that state of happiness, gratitude, ease, love, high energy, & optimism….now?

People and things don’t make you happy. YOU make you happy. It’s a choice. You either choose to be happy, or you choose to be happy because of this or that.

When you let go of the resistance to what you think will make you happy…”I’ll be happy when…fill in the blank…..” and choose to be happy because you’re grateful to be alive, then and only then will you find yourself feeling prospered in all the interests of your life. The universe provides you with your desires, “good” or “bad”. That’s only determined by your state of being and what you are focusing on.

Are you focusing on what you don’t have and living in lack? Hence, “I’ll be happy when I get that job, get that house, make that money, buy that car, find that significant other, etc, etc.”. Or are you living in gratitude for what you have, and because you know what you don’t enjoy/what, you do know what you enjoy and desire in life?

That’s the goal and that’s when the things we want and desire appear in our lives. When we let go of the lack, stress, worry, fear, judgment, anger, and suffering, and focus on what we do enjoy and are grateful for, the rest comes easy. It’s our choice.

Can’t have abundance without gratitude. 💚✌️

 

-Josh P.

Go All In On Plan A

You can always get a “job” if things don’t work out. F a “plan b”. Go all in on plan A. You can never turn back time to a younger age and opportunity to go all in on a dream. I dropped out of high school, moved 14 hours away from my family, and pursued my dream of becoming a BMX athlete.

 

I suffered injuries, depression, anxiety, fear, brain tumors, concussions, being broke, living on a couch, living out of my car, and many other challenges to make my dream happen. I had those who supported me and those who doubted me. The most important things I did was believe in myself and take action while never giving up! If I can do it, a kid from Cape Cod with all the odds against him, so can you. Just believe in yourself and know fear is just a thought that can be changed. 💚✌️

 

Josh P.

You Make The Choice

If it were easy then everyone would do it. Do what others won’t today so you can do what others can’t tomorrow. It’s all a matter of perspective, belief, and choice. 

You choose what to believe whether it’s the haters or the supporters. You choose your perceptive, glass half full or glass half empty. You choose to take action towards what you want in life.

Your reality is a reflection of your beliefs, perspectives, choices, actions and only yours. No one else’s. Take your reality into your own hands and hold yourself accountable.

Don’t complain about what you don’t have because we all have a choice to act in a manner that’s going to help us succeed in life or help us regress and stay where we’re unhappy. Rather than reacting to what you observe and “know to be true”, focus on the desired outcome and what that reality is like. Speak, think, feel, and act in that energy to help attract that into your life. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

Let Go Pt. 2

These are great lessons I’ve learned over the years and continue to bring amazing people, experiences, and opportunities into my life. 2 years ago I met Jackie for the first time and she worked her athletic-training magic on me. Little did I know that we would become best friends with so much more in common than I’ve ever experienced with someone from the opposite sex. From fitness and nutrition to sports, to universal energy and alien talks, she gets me and the way my brain works and vice versa.

Lesson 1: what’s done is done and the only thing you can do now is choose how you want to move forward. Don’t let your past define who you are or sway you from happiness.

Lesson 2: be grateful for what you have and to be alive. It’s easy to compare our lives to others without knowing the whole story and then feel discouraged or that we lack things. It’s ok to strive for more, but how can you expect to obtain more when you’re not coming from a place of gratitude?

Lesson 3: again, strive for more. That is not greedy or selfish. That’s progression. Life is full of that. Just look around and think about how life was even 5 years ago. Don’t worry about the past or the future, be present and set goals for the future. Don’t get married to an idea or a “plan”. Plan and set goals, of course, but don’t stress it when things don’t go to plan or they change. That’s the journey at its finest. Embrace it. Embrace the unknown, the fear, the uncomfortable, and the changes that will take place. It’s all about the journey, never the destination. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

What’s Luck?

People say I’m “lucky” but, am I? Or am I not afraid to go after what most won’t? Am I not afraid to NOT give up? It’s all perspective and mine is to take action for what I want and to live the life I want.

I’m not “lucky”. I work, HARD. I don’t believe in luck, I believe in taking action.  I may not have a “9-5” but I work harder than if and when I did. I bust my ass on and off my bike to live the life I have. I wasn’t gifted with anything unless you look at both positive and negative experiences as gifts, which I do.

It’s the lessons and skills I’ve learned and acquired from all the experiences in my life that have allowed me to navigate through life how I want and only how I want. I have begun to trust the process, trust and enjoy the journey, and embrace every moment as an opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.

I have also surrounded myself with people that are encouraging, positive, loving, in the same energy as I am, and motivated. I encourage you all to change your perspective on life and try to see the good and the opportunity in every situation you come across.

There is no “bad” unless you allow it to be true. Would you rather be right or would you rather succeed?

-Josh P.

📸 @jciake

How to ACL Strength & BMX | JP Weeklies 017

Having gone through ACL reconstructive surgery and returning to BMX riding better than I imaged, I get asked what I did a lot. My new video walks you through some knee/ ACL exercises you can do.

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Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/JoshPerryBMX

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Steps for ACL Prevention and Rehab:

1. Stability (single leg squats, single lead deadlifts, split stance squats, walking lunges

2. Landing mechanics (stable box jumps with no knees inward on landing, straight hurdle hope, sideways hurdle hops, anti-rotational split stance press holds with a band.

3. Bilateral strength ( back squat, revenge lunge from back squat stance, deadlift.

4. Mobility, stretching, foam rolling, and remember to lift/exercise safely. Don’t push too hard. Start light and work your way up. Especially after recovering from an injury.

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-Josh P.

 

Athletic Lab Member of the Month: Josh Perry

I am honored to have been picked for the member of the month for the sports performance gym I train at in Cary, NC, Atheltic Lab. I have been attending for the last 9 months in order to strengthen my mind, body, and my riding.

 

Training isn’t a very common practice for the sport of BMX freestyle and is fairly new to me in the last 2 years after suffering an ACL tear. It’s becoming more well-known of its importance and benefits, though, and I think we will start to see new levels of athleticism in the sport of BMX.

 

Here is an interview I responded to for the athletic website:

 

“For the month of June, we’ve selected Josh Perry as our member of the month. Josh has been an inspirational member of our community for the past year. Josh is one of our many professional athletes but his story goes beyond high-level sport. Check out his story and read about our previous members of the month here.” 

  • Name: Josh Perry
  • Age: 28
  • What city were you born in? Cape Cod, Massachusetts

 

  • What do you do when you’re not working out at Athletic Lab (occupation, hobbies, etc)? I ride BMX bikes professionally, enjoy hiking and playing golf. I am starting a non-profit geared towards financially supporting brain tumor, brain injury, and other brain disorder patients through BMX, entertainment, and education, in the process of writing a book sharing my story of overcoming brain tumors, BMX, etc., and am working on a longer-term goal of creating an online webinar based nutrition coaching program.

 

  • What’s your favorite exercise? Least favorite? Honestly, I love everything I am doing in The Lab as it’s all so new to me. If I had to pick one exercise that is my favorite, I would say either the K-Box or any ring workout due to the difficulty of strength you put into the workouts and have to counterbalance back. Least favorite would have to be the assault bikes. Haha, they always kick my butt, but it’s so worth it.

 

  • What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment since you started training at Athletic Lab? My greatest accomplishment would have to be getting my arms to bend more on power cleans. Sounds funny but when I started, it was such a mission to get them to bend enough to raise my elbows up in the air. I love getting into the Olympic weightlifting exercises because it’s so new and a skill I can practice.

 

  • What motivates you? My goal to protect my health and prevent injuries in my sport is what motivates me. I want to perform the best I can on my bike while also being as healthy and fit as possible. I also want to be a positive role model to the kids in my sport, as well and children and adults elsewhere. I believe in leading by example and do my best to walk my talk.

 

  • How long have you been riding? How long have you been a professional? I have been on a bike since I was about 3 or 4 years old. I started riding BMX freestyle at the age of 13 where I wandered into a park with it. I have been fortunate enough to make a living off riding my bike for about 11 years now.

 

  • What started you on learning more about health, nutrition, and fitness? I fell one day in 2010, from about 10 feet, attempting a new trick for the first time. I over rotated the spin and hit my head off the ground, which led to an MRI to make sure there was so no TBI (traumatic brain injury). I never imaged the news they would give me resulting in a brain tumor 8cm long by 2 cm wide and 2 cm deep, taking up a good portion of the left side of my brain. This was a turning point in my life to seek out what I could be doing differently with my lifestyle choices to prevent it from coming back and becoming resilient as possible to other health issues.

 

  • What are your goals? (fitness related or otherwise?) My goals within the fitness world are to protect my knee after having ACL surgery in November of 2015, stay as strong as possible so tricks become easier, I don’t get fatigued as easy, and to prevent injuries as best as I can, and I also want to lower my heart rate while still riding as hard as I do in order to recover quicker in between tricks and runs.

 

-Josh P.