We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Morris Metz IV. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Morris below.

Hi Morris, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Three years ago I had just gotten out of a relationship, I had a job that was barely filling my gas tank, and my therapist had transferred to another location several hours away. I was failing courses for my degree (BS in Kinesiology) after I had shifted from a Computer Science program (Complete tonal shift). My creative outlets (Twitch streaming, YouTube channel, and cosplay crafting) gained little to no traction and my original friends involved presented far less effort due to their own lives or simply lack of motivation (At least that’s what I told myself). The semester had ended and my life felt like it was in shambles. For a time I even had to sell off some of my prized possessions to pay rent. But there was something deep in me that knew I still was meant for more. Call it fate, a ghost, or even [insert deity here] and I decided to try another semester of college. I told myself that this was it and there was no turning back. I applied for a new job, I tried harder to make friends on campus (being 30+ in college is tricky), and I doubled down on the things I love. I gave it everything I had left and then some and I have a degree in Kinesiology, my streaming and channel are coming together, and I got the job. There was growing pain but well worth it.

Morris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve always had a passion for both exercise and gaming. My first video game was DOOM in 1993 and outside of your typical 90s/00s PE class, I started lifting weights in Highschool my sophomore year. During that time there was a push for schools to change Physical Education courses, to alter lunch menu options, and completely remove snack/soda machines. Of course being a teenager I thought it was a bad idea initially because all of that stuff was tasty or ridiculous because most of us left campus to eat pizza anyway. At the time I was coming into my own within my town’s martial arts scene, having started taking Muay Thai classes with close friends, traveling to Kansas City for seminars, and even fighting and cornering in amateur matches. With the initial boom of internet meme culture spawned a negative view of gamers. Always downing a bag of doritos, living in their mothers basement in a trashy room, and drinking away their sorrows with their soft drink of choice (most of the time being Mountain Dew). I hated that viewpoint because I was in shape, I had a healthy social life, and I loved the hobby.

Fast forward to a few years ago, in college I started to see movements regarding “Exercise is Medicine” and started to ponder the possibility of using the social ecological model and my own nerdyness to push gamers to move more. My channel on YouTube is called “Games, Gains, and Energy Drinks”. The goal is to provide a sort of educated VLOG view of how to continue to play video games, workout, and occasionally taste protein bars, energy drinks, and other foods in the fitness space. Video clips displaying movements, exercises, and stretches for gaming are coming soon as well.

I love creating this because it combines everything I love: Working out, Gaming, general nerd culture, and sometimes food! I want viewers to understand that having those hobbies together is okay as they aren’t mutally exclusive and to cherish and explore what they do to grow!

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Books:

Talent is Overrated – Geoff Colvin
Functional Training and Beyond – Adam Sinicki
Exercised: The Science of Physical Activity, Rest, and Health – Daniel Lieberman

Videos:

Just about anything Brett Bartholomew (Art of Coaching) and/or Dr. Mike Israetel (Renaissance Periodization)

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Being able to unapologetically be myself. Understanding that happiness is not the goal but a byproduct of accomplishing things I set out to do. Crafting armor out of foam, helping gamers get strong and healthy, and continuing to learn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.twitch.tv/official_gge
• Instagram: @Plus1AightSword (personal) or @theofficialgge (channel specific)
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gaming/GamesGainsAndEnergyDrinks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GamesGainsandEnergyDrinks
• Other: Threads – PlusOneAightSword

Image Credits
Red shirt portrait and Cosplay armor portrait were taken by McKayla Gonzalez (@mckaylagphoto)