AND YET HE DIED...

April 2, 2010Read: Luke 23

"And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him saying, today, you will be with me in paradise."   --Luke 23:42-43

"You and I are tiny. Miniscule. Transient. Microscopic. A momentary and infinitesimal blip on the timeline of the universe. A seemingly undetectable alliance of dust particles held together by the breath of God.

The sum of our days is like a vapor -- our accumulated efforts like chaff in the wind. Among us, even the richest of the rich owns nothing. The strongest of the strong can be felled in one faltering heartbeat. We are fleeting mortals. Frail flesh. Little specks. Phantoms.

If this fact makes you just a tad bit uncomfortable, you're not alone. Invariably, when I talk about the vastness of God and the cosmos, someone will say, 'You're making me feel bad about myself and making me feel really, really small,' as if that's the worst thing that could happen. But the point is not to make you feel small, rather to help you see and embrace the reality that you are small...

Really, really small."

--Louie Giglio, excerpt from I Am Not But I Know I Am

We talk a lot at PrayFit about embracing our smallness, but of course, it's not about how small we are but all about how big God is...really, really big. And yet despite how tiny we are relative to the cosmos, God, who can line up every planet of every galaxy in the palm of His hand, sent His son to willingly die on the cross as penalty for my mistakes -- and for yours. All because a great, big God loves us.

All we have to do is accept the free gift of salvation by believing that Jesus was exactly who He said He was, and by asking Him to forgive us of our sins. On this Friday, this good Friday, will you make that decision? If you haven't already, let today be the day you accept Jesus into your heart and life. Then you can begin living like heaven is just around the corner, because you never know -- it just might be.

THE PELOTON EFFECT

April 1, 2010Read: Roman 15 "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” --Romans 15:5-6

In the Tour de France, the most grueling bike race in the world, there’s almost always a small handful of riders who will break away from the pack early in the day. On a typical stage of over 120 miles, they may even get more than 15 minutes ahead of the rest of the riders!

That’s why the rest of the riders form a large pack called a peloton. The riders group together for the primary purpose of saving energy so they will be strong to the finish. The reduction in wind resistance, or drag, is dramatic with riders in the middle of the pack saving up to 40% of their energy.

According to studies done by Nike, a bike racer consumes almost 80 percent of his energy cutting through the air and only 20 percent moving his bike.  The peloton effect is similar to what birds experience when they fly in formation. It helps them fly much farther than they could alone.

Conserving energy by sticking together is the only way for a racer to survive the brutal physical strain of a Tour de France – the metabolic equivalent of running 21 marathons in 23 days.

And the same is true for our life as Christians. We are much better together. We are designed to work together as a team, to bear one another’s burdens, and to push each other to do great things.  When we are united by the love of Jesus and our mission to share His truth with others, we accomplish much more than we could on our own.

Sounds like a great way to compete and to live!

Pastor Jimmy Page serves as the Vice President of Field Ministry and National Director of Wellness for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). For nearly 20 years, he has been a leader in the medical fitness industry, operating wellness facilities affiliated with Sinai Hospital and Johns Hopkins. He currently hosts a daily radio segment and podcast called Fit Life Today, offering a blend of spiritual and physical health principles that promote abundant life. In 2010, Jimmy published Wisdom Walks: 40 Life-Changing Principles to Live and Give. Wisdom Walks is a field manual for mentoring the next generation and can be found soon at www.wisdomwalks.org.

UP IN ARMS So far we've touched on how to hit the long heads of both the biceps and triceps. Today we move to the lateral head of the triceps and the inner head of the biceps.

All this talk of "target" training makes me want to remind everyone of what we said earlier in the week -- that it's virtually impossible to completely isolate any one particular muscle, but you can emphasize parts of your arm depending on the angle of your arm and/or th grip of your hands.

So, on to the triceps lateral head. This is the most visible part of the triceps since it lays on the outside of your arm. Keeping your arms in front of your body, as in triceps pushdowns (arguably the most popular triceps move) will help target that lateral head with the most success. Anytime you keep your arms at your sides or slightly out in front you, that's the muscle that absorbs most of the work. But while we're at the triceps pushdown station, we might as well discuss the medial head of the triceps. The medial head lies underneath the other two muscles, and is responsible for helping balance and manage most all triceps exercises. However, it is most active whenever you flip your grip on the bar, say, during the pushdown, and any other triceps move where you reverse your grip.

The inner head of the biceps -- the one you see when you flex your biceps in the mirror -- is emphasized whenever your arms are high or out in front of the body, as in preacher curls or high cable curls. Surprisingly, it's because the tension on the long head is lessened during those moves, forcing much of the work to the short, inner head. It's not necessarily because the two muscles fight for superiority and the short head wins, but in reality, the biomechanics of the exercises lessen or heighten one over the other.

So if you wanted a blitz of both the lateral and medial triceps heads while also blasting the short head of the biceps, try this workout on for size (or tone).

You'll go back and forth between triceps exercises and biceps moves:

Exercise Triceps pressdown Dumbbell preacher curl Reverse grip pressdown High cable curl Lying triceps extension Wide-grip barbell curl

--Do 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps of each exercise and rest one minute between sets.

IS IT IN YOU?

March 31, 2010Read: Romans 8

"You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” -- Romans 8:9

I love watching the Gatorade© commercials.  They show athletes giving everything they have to either train for sport or in the heat of competition.  And, you can actually see the neon green or orange Gatorade© pouring out of them as they sweat!

The commercials always end with their tag line, “Is it in you?”  The implication is that somehow this drink is going to make you perform better on the field.  Do you have what it takes to be a champion?  Do you drink Gatorade©?  Is it in you?

As a Christian, God tells us that the Spirit of God, the very essence of Christ, is in you! The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead comes to dwell in you. And this isn’t some kind of temporary thing. When you give your heart to Jesus, the Holy Spirit breathes life into your spirit. He literally brings you back from the dead – spiritually that is. Sin brings death, but the Spirit brings life.

And the really cool thing is that the Spirit gives you power! Power to choose God’s road over the road of sin – to perform better in life! He makes you a champion over sin!

Every day you are given a choice. Will you be led by the sinful nature or will you be led by the Spirit of the Living God. And when you choose God’s way, it will be obvious to everyone that there is something different about you!

Is it in you?

Pastor Jimmy Page serves as the VP of Field Ministry and National Director of Wellness for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). For nearly 20 years, he has been a leader in the medical fitness industry, operating wellness facilities affiliated with Sinai Hospital and Johns Hopkins. He currently hosts a daily radio segment and podcast called Fit Life Today, offering a blend of spiritual and physical health principles that promote abundant life. In 2010, Jimmy published "Wisdom Walks: 40 Life-Changing Principles to Live and Give." Wisdom Walks is a field manual for mentoring the next generation and can be found soon at www.wisdomwalks.org.

LONG-ING FOR BETTER ARMS How to target the outer head of the biceps

Yesterday we focused on the long head of the triceps, the one most responsible for the shape (and size) of the back of the arm. Today, we move to the other side and work the long (outer) head of the biceps.

This particular muscle of the arm is at work most when the arm is stretched backward, behind the body. Imagine sitting on an incline bench with your arms hanging straight down to the floor. By having your arms in that position, it puts a pre-stretch on that head of the biceps.

Incline cable curls, close-grip barbell curls, incline dumbbell curls and drag curls are all good examples of moves that will help target that particular muscle. And for a frame of reference, if you flex your biceps, the muscle at the very peak of the biceps musculature is today's long head. So, in essence, this muscle is the one most responsible for how high a biceps looks in its flexed position.

Next time you're at the gym, try this peak-focused workout which will highly stress the long head.

Do 2-3 sets of each exercise, performing 10-15 reps each set. Rest as little as 30 seconds and no more than 2 mintues between each set. Try taking your last set to absolute failure. Barbell Curl Close-grip barbell curl Incline Cable Curl Smith Drag Curl Preacher Curl

CULTURE WARS

March 30, 2010Read: Daniel 1

“Then the King ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.  The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table.  They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.” --Daniel 1:3-5

One of the most effective ways to capture an enemy is to surround them. This gives them no viable way of escape. If you have ever seen a SWAT team in action, you know that they will generally secure the perimeter before they go in. When Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were brought into Babylon by Ashpenaz, they were literally surrounded by the culture of Babylon. They were to be immersed and indoctrinated into the ways and beliefs of Babylon at the height of its economic influence and power!

We are surrounded by a Babylonian Culture of our own. And at the core of this culture is Self; it is relentlessly hammering the ideology of self-indulgence, success, sensuality, and status. It appeals to the very core of our fleshly nature – our desire to be the center of attention, to be important, to be noticed.

We are bombarded with images that make us think that we are entitled to a life of comfort and ease; that we deserve it.

The enemy always wants to put us back into the bondage of sin. He hates the freedom we have in Christ so he will try to lure us back to our old, self-centered ways. And he will use the temptations of the culture around us to bring us down. Daniel shows us how we can remain free to influence our “Babylon” with lives of discipline, devotion, and integrity.

Pastor Jimmy Page serves as the VP of Field Ministry and National Director of Wellness for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). For nearly 20 years, he has been a leader in the medical fitness industry, operating wellness facilities affiliated with Sinai Hospital and Johns Hopkins. He currently hosts a daily radio segment and podcast called Fit Life Today, offering a blend of spiritual and physical health principles that promote abundant life. In 2010, Jimmy published "Wisdom Walks: 40 Life-Changing Principles to Live and Give." Wisdom Walks is a field manual for mentoring the next generation and can be found soon at www.wisdomwalks.org.

GO LONG FOR BETTER TRICEPS Raise your hands if you want to tax this meaty part of your arm

The triceps represents the majority of your upper arm musculature. This three-headed muscle includes a lateral head, a medial head and a long head. And of those three, it's the long head that takes up the most real estate.

This head, when it's not in shape, is the one most responsible for that jiggle when you wave. To put the long head in its strongest position means putting your arm overhead. Anytime you do overhead exercises, such as overhead extensions, that longer head is maximally involved. Not sure what an overhead extension is? Reach up and back as if you're trying to scratch your upper back, right at the base of the neck. That arm angle will help engage that long head to the greatest degree.

No weights? No problem. Next time you're in your kitchen, grab a soup can with one hand, then raise your arm up, directly overhead. Then, bending only from your elbow, try and lower the soup can to your upper back/base of your neck, then back up the arm straight overhead position. Once you feel tired in that arm, switch arms and repeat on the other side.

If you hit the gym regularly, the overhead extension can be done with dumbbells, cables and bands. You can do these one arm at a time or with both simultaneously. By doing them single-arm, you'll use your core musculature a bit more as you work to maintain your balance.

THE LORD NEVER PANICS

March 29, 2010Read: Isaiah 55

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” --Isaiah 55:9

Things on the ground look pretty small from 35,000 feet. I know, because that’s where this entry was written. Halfway through a five-hour trip cross country, the flight attendant announced, “If there is a physician on board, please come to the back of the aircraft.” She repeated it three times.

Immediately two young men, including a man sitting in my row, jumped from their seats and rushed to help. The rest of us simply sat and watched as a huddle formed in the back of the plane. After maybe a minute, a grey haired man from the front of the plane walked passed us, almost casually, and joined the effort at which time, the man from my row returned to his seat and explained that a young lady had suffered a panic attack.

Curious, I asked him if he was a physician. “No," he said. “There was only one doctor among us back there. Two of us were firemen, another had some medical training, but only one doctor -- an older man. When he showed up, we all stepped back to let him work.”

Get me a laptop, stat.

In life, we tend to panic, and the world responds will all sorts of solutions. But like today, I know I can’t run to the rescue. Only God can. Isn't it assuring to know that He is never rattled or stressed? He's always in control and is never late. And the problems that find us, even at 35,000 feet, are well under His.

Now I think I’ll sit back and relax. We still have a ways to go.

--J.P.

ARMED FOR THE WEEK

This week we will be working on something everyone wants: better arms. Whether you're a student wanting to better fill out your shirts, or you're trying to firm up your arms for a favorite summer dress, this week's focus will be biceps and triceps and how best to work them.

Anatomy Biceps: So named for the two muscles that make up the front of the upper arm. The long (outer) head and the short (inner) head. Triceps: Named for the three muscles that make up the back of the upper arm. The long, lateral and medial heads.

Each muscle of the arm, either biceps or triceps, are optimally worked depending on the angle of the arm to the body. That's why we train them with so many different exercises. Some might think it's for variety, which is a valid reason, but angles put stretch on the muscles differently, allowing for a slightly modified response.

So get ready for a week of angles, grips and exercises, along with how heavy or light you should be working your arms in each session depending on your goals.

APART FROM ANY OTHER

Read: Ephesians 2 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” --Ephesians 2:8-9

The greatest thing about Christianity, the thing that sets it totally apart from every other religious system, is grace. Jesus is the only God we can serve who offers us salvation apart from our own efforts  -- the only one who views us individually as though we have already achieved our full potential, rather than looking for flaws and reasons to discount us. The only One Who invites us to cross the bridge into perfection He already laid down, rather than requiring us to build one ourselves. The only One Who invites us to rest in the knowledge that He already did it -- and all that’s left for us is to trust and obey.

–Karla Dial

PrayFit guest writer Karla Dial is a freelance journalist based in Colorado Springs, Colo., and has been an avid fitness enthusiast for 10 years. You can check out her PrayFit workout journal by clicking here.

HIGH INTENSITY FOR BETTER RUNS It may be time to swap out your old running routine for this time saving approach

American ultramarathoner Josh Cox, when asked what the best approach is for people who want to start running races, said to "just get out and run." Can't deny that game plan. After all, no one wins 10Ks or marathons from their couch. But once you muster the ambition to get out and pound the pavement, what works best? Simply aiming for max mileage or taking a more "scientific" approach?

A recent study performed by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, runners cut their 10K times by a full minute by reducing their total weekly mileage and incorporating high-intensity intervals.

In the study, runners cut their average weekly mileage down from 34.2 to 20.6 miles. Then, 2-3 times per week, they performed 8-12 sprints at 95% effort, resting 3 minutes between sprints. The study author attributes the drastic improvements in their 10K times to the rise in a protein that regulates the endurance-sapping potassium that builds up around muscle fibers during intense exercise.

So regardless of whether you're just running to get in shape or to compete, you'd be best served by trying some sort of high-intensity interval training a few times per week. You'll save time while improving your overall athleticism.

Source: Men's Health (04/10)

RUN FOR FUN: Share your running tips, thoughts, goals and experiences in the official PrayFit Runners Forum.

STAND UP, HOOK UP AND JUMP

March 18, 2010Read: Matthew 16 "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." --Matthew 16:25

I recently watched a documentary about the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, also known as Easy Company -- arguably one of the most elite group of soldiers of World War II. Those who didn't lose their lives shared their stories of bravery, battles and brotherhood, the likes of which had this weak shell of a writer in a flood of tears.

But prior to D-Day and long before the beaches of Omaha, Utah, Juno, Gold and Sword, the group of men who would come to be known as the angels from the sky had to first prove their readiness. After months of testing and training, only those left standing were given their wings. Interestingly, while their worries were few, the one common fear they all had was whether their chutes would open correctly -- as they were responsible for packing their own parachute the day before each jump.

Please forgive the comparison, but if you and I were responsible for providing a safe landing from our fall, we'd live in fear too. But since God's love reaches lower than our worst mistakes and higher than our greatest accomplishments, we have a green light to stand up, hook up and jump.

Which reminds me, once those boys boarded the plane, despite it all, they couldn't wait to hit the ground and fight. That took uncommon valor. But when Jesus took our place on the cross, it took a miracle of love and grace.

--J.P.

3 STEPS TO A BETTER STRIDE Protect your feet, run easier and conserve energy with these tips

I'll leave more testimonials to the avid runners, but in grad school, we spent semesters studying the mechanics of a running stride. Pretty detailed stuff. Maybe that's why I headed to the weight room. But if you feel you're running inefficiently and a bit out of control, your entire body could need adjusting. Your best plan should be to have an experienced runner or fitness professional examine your gait. Have them watch you and give you credible advice. A few things he or she will be looking for are:

Foot Plant One of the most important phases of running mechanics is the position of your foot when it lands on the ground. When your foot strikes the ground it will land toes first, ball of the foot first, flat footed or heel first. Many runners make the mistake of reaching out in front of their body and landing heel first. Your most efficient foot plant is one in which your foot lands directly under your hips or your center of gravity. You may land on the ball of your foot or flat footed. The ideal landing position is slightly toward the outside edge of your foot, just behind your little toe.

Posture Keep your hips pressed forward and your butt tucked in. Visualize standing face first against a wall. Press your hips forward so that the bones of your hip touches the wall. Running with your hips forward will help your knee lift higher, with less effort.

Arms The main purpose of an arm swing is to provide balance and coordination with the legs. The arms should hang loose and relaxed, close to the body. Avoid excessive movement. You want to avoid any tenseness in the shoulders. Also, allowing your arms to cross in front of your body even slightly can cause excessive and unnecessary twisting of your spine, forcing you to work harder -- futher incentive to keep them close to your sides.

Source: www.runningplanet.com

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

March 15, 2010Read: Psalm 32 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." --Psalm 32:8

Not sure if you've seen this guy, Bear Grylls, in The Discovery Channel's Man vs. Wild series, but he's a former military guy with some serious survival skills. Each show begins with a helicopter dropping him in the middle of some uncharted land where his mission is simple but brutal: Get through the dangerous, unfamiliar territory until he's lifted to safety. And while each episode finds him in a different death trap, his advice always has a familiar theme: stay nourished, use the sun as your guide, look for shelter before the weather hits, and seek the higher ground.

I particularly enjoyed one segment when he revealed what keeps him going when the going gets rough; before each journey, he hides a laminated photo of his loved ones in the sole of his shoe. Hmm...love in his sole. (Sometimes the Lord just tees it up  for us, doesn't he?)

When our days are like the jungle, I say we take Bear's advice. Let's stay nourished with God's word, allowing the Son to guide us. He's our shelter in the storms of life and one day, if we seek His higher ways, He'll be back to lift us all to safety.

--J.P.

RUNNING MAN

Any runners out there? Bikers? Well, this week we'll discuss all kinds of great things about endurance training. We'll share a few programs for you to try, including some fat-burning sessions of both the long and short variety, as well as how to incorporate them into your normal routine. But today, let's just share a quick overview of this thing called cardio.

Aerobic fitness or cardiovascular fitness is the ability of the body to perform exercise over an extended period of time in the presence of oxygen. Such activities rely heavily on slow twitch muscle fibers and include activities such as distance cycling and marathon running. These activities help increase the red blood cells as well as make the heart stronger and more able to deliver blood to the various organs.

Of course, a training program which combines cardiovascular fitness and muscular fitness allows more oxygenated blood to be delivered per beat and increases the amount of myoglobin, an oxygen-mover, in the muscle so that it can take up more amounts of oxygen, allowing more work to be done.

Source: American Heart Association

FILL IN THE ________

March 12, 2010Read: Hebrews 9 "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin." --Hebrews 9:22

My dad once told me to never give God anything that costs me nothing. In effect, Dad was telling me that we have to give out of our heart's sacrifice and not what's easy or convenient. Otherwise, we can't call it giving.

When I think about God offering Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins, well, it gives giving meaning. So let's try something. Speak your name in each space, and I'll see you when we're done:

God saw ____________ and loved ___________ so much that He sent His only son, Jesus, to die for ____________. The sins ___________ committed and the shame and struggles _________ faces, God completely forgives and forgets. Does _________ deserve it? Has _________ ever done anything good enough to earn heaven? Could ________ ever? Despite of ________, when God sees _________, He sees Jesus.

It sure isn't easy to hear our names in those blanks, but because each name fits, someone had to die. So instead of _________ dying forever, Jesus died once and for all.

--J.P.

RUNNING AHEAD This week we've focused on breaking tough habits, but next week is all about creating new ones. Calling all road warriors. Any runners, walkers or bikers (road or mountain, of course) in the room? We want to hear from you and learn from you. Share with us your workouts, your routines, your routes and since spring is in the air, want your enthusiasm and commitment to be the spring in our step.

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRAYFIT RUNNERS' FORUM

>> PRAYER REQUESTS: As you close the week, take a moment to stop in the prayer requests forum to see what needs others in the PrayFit community have this week.

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