October 25, 2010Read: Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things- Philippians 4:8

What does "fit" look like?

That was the question that came to mind as I delivered a message to Tyler's Fit City Challenge back in Texas this weekend. The great people of Tyler are reaching deep within themselves and are hitting the obesity epidemic head on. Their mission statement says it all: Making Tyler a "Fit City" one step, one bite and one health-conscious decision at a time. Someday, the city of Tyler will be the standard against which the surrounding communities will be judged. Amen, Tyler?

On my way back to the airport, we passed by Bergfeld Park where the challenge was held. And while all the booths, vendors and guest speakers were long gone, there were a couple of families enjoying the park. One family was throwing a ball around, and the other was on the swings. I wondered if it was part of their weekly routine or a brand new tradition; either would be fine with me.

Tyler...may God help us follow your lead in our homes and communities. You're the answer to my question.

--J.P.

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: 10-Minute Abs & Core

Like we've said before, it's impossible to completely isolate any one portion of the abs or core musculature, but you can emphasize a section over another depending on the exercise. Today's 10-minute workout will hit your upper and lower abs, your obliques as well as your deep transverse abdominis with accuracy. We'll begin by hitting a common weakness, the lower abs. Then we'll move to the obliques and upper abs and close-out today's workout with the plank.

Exercise (emphasis)

Reverse Crunch (lower abs) Crossover Crunch (obliques) Standard Crunch (upper abs) Plank (transverse abdominis/core)

--Do a set to failure of each exercise, moving through the circuit without rest. Repeat the sequence for 10 minutes. Log the number of reps you get on each exercise as well as the number of times you are able to complete the sequence. Try this workout twice per week, aiming to beat the number of reps and total trips through the circuit each time. Remember that consistently challenging yourself to do better than you did last time is the only way to ensure progress -- something to think about if a stronger-looking midsection is your goal.

>> FIT CITY CHALLENGE: Check out the post-event coverage of the Fit City Challenge on the Tyler Paper.