Hello all! I'm Matt. It's fiction, philosophy, and fitness amateur hour over here.

Hello Steemit,

I'm Matt. I'm a 32 year old husband and father from ultra-rural Southwest Virginia. I was introduced to the platform by @rhondak. Thanks Rhonda!

I own a web design business and also work full time as an online business developer for a wholesale company I created a website for several years ago. I'm passionate about psychology, philosophy, politics, fitness, natural bodybuilding, powerlifting, nutrition, supplements, gaming, writing, etc. Yes, there's redundancy there, but if you've ever accidentally called a powerlifting purist a bodybuilder, you know it's warranted. The one passion that ties all the others together for me is what I most hope to explore here: writing. Writing fiction, and non-fiction related to all the topics above, less, or more depending on what the market dictates.

I am very much a recluse by nature. We're not talking a little introverted here, we're talking something closer to that old hermit who never leaves his isolated cabin in the woods outside the village in that story you read that one time. The hero had to seek him out to recover the ancient weapon capable of killing the monster, which he's kept hidden since that day long ago when he tried to defeat it himself but failed. He put on his old rusty armor and rode out shortly after failing to convince the hero he shouldn't risk fighting the monster, helping the hero save the day when things looked bleak. He died from his wounds after the battle and gave a pretty great speech to the hero that no one else got to hear. You know the guy. I bet that guy probably had a small fortune stashed away somewhere though, because some of us actually have to work for a living. Ahem. That being said, I make it a point to always push myself out of my comfort zone and try new things. I have my wife to thank for giving me the extra push that it takes sometimes. 

A couple of years ago I became a bit of a fatty. That's the problem with comfortable office chairs and excessive pizza. I decided I wanted to do something about it, and I did. I took up lifting and learned far more than I realistically needed to about nutrition and the science behind hypertrophy. The photo below is after my first cut. Since then I've focused primarily on strength, and gained about ten pounds more muscle. When I finish my current cut I'll post another comparison photo along with a summary of the experience. This cut has been a lot more difficult than the last. My bench press is 180 pounds, squat is 295, deadlift is 390, and overhead press is 125. Just shy of the “1,000 pound club”.

“What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength which his body is capable.”

-Socrates

Speaking of Socrates, he and Aristotle are my favorite philosophers. Socrates was known for bringing philosophy to the people rather than hoarding it among the elite. He purposely avoided big unnecessary words and pedantry. His goal was to improve people's lives, not demonstrate to them how enlightened and educated he was. When I discuss philosophy, I try to emulate Socrates' humility. Not that I could ever compare to Socrates or Aristotle.

I look forward to contributing anything of value that I can, and learning as much as I can from others. In the short time I've been here, I've already been given great advice from the Writers' Block on my writing. Hands down the best I've ever gotten.

Here's to the future.