Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt James.Photo:Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
“Rachael is my favorite cook,” James told PEOPLE on Wednesday atSamsung 837in New York City. “She makes the best everything. I love to eat out, but there’s nothing more I love than a home-cooked meal. A lot of the times I’m eating leftovers.”
Matt James.Samsung
Samsung
The reality star said Kirkconnell, 27, recently made a “delicious”Philly cheesesteak pasta, but he especially loves when she whips up breakfast for dinner.
“That’s my omakase,” James quipped. “I’ll take that over anything. She knows I like the waffle crispy with the butter on there and the syrup warmed up. It’s that touch that you don’t get going out.”
While they might be on the same page about food, “we have different ideas of exercise,” said James, who’s training for the TCS London Marathon in April.
Matt James (left) and The Bachelorette’s Tyler Cameron.Matt James/Instagram
He prefers running, whereas Kirkconnell likes pilates, which James hasn’t gotten into just yet.
“It’s just frustrating to me because I like to be good at everything,” he laughed. “When I see her on the reformers so effortlessly and I’m struggling, it’s a reality check for anytime that I’m trying to convince her to do something that is foreign to her. It’s a good workout, but it’s frustrating for someone who is unfamiliar with it.
“But I’m a proponent of anybody doing anything to sweat,” he added.
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Should Kirkconnell, who James met on his season ofThe Bachelor,ever want to take up running, “I’d be her biggest fan and coach and do anything I could to get her across that finish line,” he said.
“I wasn’t doing a lot of strength training and I feel like my hamstrings kind of gave out towards the end,” James admitted. “So having access to strength training programs through Samsung Health has made it easy. I could start my day or my run with a nice warm-up or workout, and it’s going to help me achieve that goal. It’s an easy thing to work into my routines from my house.”
Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt James.Ethan Miller - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty
Ethan Miller - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty
“When I stopped playing organized sports, I tried to do everything willy-nilly, and I didn’t get anything done. So having a routine is the only way that I can get anything done,” the ex-college football player said. “It’s prioritizing things. When I travel, I prioritize fitness over anything. There’s time to do whatever you want to do, it’s just a matter of what you prioritize. If you want to scroll on TikTok, then that becomes a priority for you.”
Right now, James called his priorities “a lot of training and working on some fitness programming for our students” whom he works with in New York City through hisABC Food Tourscharity. “It’s eye-opening when you go into some of these public schools and you see how little exposure these students who love sports have access to them,” he said. “So [ABC Food Tours is] trying to find ways to bridge those gaps.”
source: people.com
