It's Friday

"Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the skull (in Hebrew, Golgatha)." --John 19:17

Friday. Today we'll do like the angels and stay silent.

Friday. Like the criminal on the cross -- despite the miracle in our hearts -- we can't move.

It's Friday. No hitting the gym to lift or taking to the road to run. Call me old fashioned or sentimental, but there's something about the day Jesus was on the cross. If we were there that day, I doubt we'd be focused on our bodies. I think we'd be focused on Him. Let's go to the cross. It's Friday.

--Jimmy Peña

Self-Made

"Do you not know I have the power to have you crucified?" --John 19:10

Read: John 19

You can't pick up a newspaper, click on a website, or in many cases, look in the mirror without seeing someone claiming to be "self-made." Look to any industry, and there's someone who claims that they got to the top on their own; the Captain of a solo flight from rags to riches. Truth is, thinking we've made it to the top of anything alone is not only tough to swallow, it's dangerous to digest. Like someone once said, "A self-made man runs the risk of worshiping their creator."

Pilate took that risk. He raised his resume in the face of Jesus and beat his own chest. "Do you not know I have the power to have you crucified?" 

Folks, of all weeks, this is one that should remind us that we are nothing without Him. Alone, you and I are self-made messes. And when it comes to our health, if we're blessed to have it, it's a gift. Even the motivation to maintain it is a gift. We can't boast. You and I can't generate any of it alone. So as we recalibrate our souls this holy week, be sure to embrace the real meaning of fitness; service. Let's not get so caught up in the process of health that we forget about the purpose of it. As fitness-minded believers, we'll make the greatest impact when we look in the mirror and see only God's hands and feet.

--Jimmy Peña

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Arugula Pesto

Enliven your pasta repertoire with this healthier summer sauce from PrayFit and Food Network contributor Dana Angelo White. For the recipe, click here.

>> SOCIAL NETWORKS: Now you can "like," "join," "tweet" and "watch" PrayFit. Click the links below to get plugged in with the rest of the PrayFit community. Facebook HeavenUp Twitter YouTube

STRENGTH IN SPLINTERS

"Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."— John 19:30

Playing baseball with wooden bats is the purest form of the game there is. The bat doesn't lie -- hitters' weaknesses are routinely exposed and hitters' strengths are more easily neutralized. These athletic implements, usually carved out of Northern Ash, are easily broken -- sometimes splintering dramatically -- either as a result of a bad swing, a good pitch, or some combination of the two.

Wood composites offer a stronger, albeit significantly more expensive option, for hitters looking to prolong the life of their lumber. These modernized bats are comprised of various woods and synthetic internal supports that allow them to perform like natural wooden bats but with a significantly longer lifespan. They provide a durability that typical wooden bats simply cannot. Still, the use of these repurposed trees for sport pales in comparison to the most notable, or notorious, wood in history -- the crudely fashioned posts used by the Romans to crucify Jesus. Two thousand years later, the image of the cross at Golgotha remains both evocative and empowering, a reminder that our fragility is divinely and miraculously reinforced by His.

It may be a technological triumph that composite bats offer the resilience needed to endure the rigors of constant wear on the ball field. But the strength to persevere in this life may be found in the simple, collective durability of the splinters of a cross.

--Eric Velazquez

COMPOUND MOVES If you are looking to build strength, devote your energy to multi-joint moves

The three most popular, widely-used lifts in the gym are the bench press, deadlift and squat. Referred to as “The Big Three,” these moves fall into a category of exercises called compound, or multi-joint, lifts. These exercises require movement at more than one joint, which means that more total muscles have to get involved to complete each rep. And the more muscle you work, the more muscle and strength you stand to gain. As a bonus, the more muscle you recruit on a given exercise, the more calories you burn. Finally, any measure of muscle gain will improve your metabolism since muscle is calorie-eating tissue.

Anyone looking to gain strength would be best served by doing compound moves, almost exclusively at first. Isolation, or single-joint, moves like curls, pressdowns, leg extensions or leg curls have their place in physique building, but they are secondary exercises that should only be implemented once you have built an adequate base of strength from which to work.

But The Big Three don’t stand alone in the strength-gain column. Here are a few more exercises that make you stronger in a hurry:

Barbell row Pull-up Dip Bodyweight squat Lunge Push-up

>> For exercise descriptions and videos, click here.

>> For more workouts and exercise tips, click here.

33-DAY TOTAL BODY CHALLENGE: Looking for a complete workout that includes compound movements? Pick up the PrayFit 33-Day Total Body Challenge, available now at Amazon. This at-home program provides everything you'll need to start training for faster results while honoring the One who made you. "We don't strive to be healthy in order to be loved by God," says PrayFit founder Jimmy Pena. "We strive to be healthy because we are."

>> View the trailer here.

SELF MADE?

November 4, 2010Read: John 19 "Do you not know I have the power to have you crucified?" --John 19:10

You can't pick up a newspaper, click on a website, or in many cases, look in the mirror without seeing someone claiming to be "self-made." Look to any industry, and there's someone who claims they got to the top on their own; the Captain of a solo flight from rags to riches. Well, thinking we've made it to the top of anything alone is not only tough to swallow, it's dangerous to digest. Like someone once said, "A self-made man runs the risk of worshiping their creator."

Pilate took that risk. He raised his resume in the face of Jesus and beat his own chest. "Don't you know?...I have the power? ...To have you crucified? And yet Jesus answered without saying a word. After all, He 1) was all-knowing 2) gave power to the sun and 3) willingly climbed on the cross.

So really, Pilate had no grounds to question, no room to boast and no evidence to presume. And neither do we.

--J.P.

FIGHT THE FOG Reduce your risk of depression with exercise

Everyone knows that a good sweat is good medicine but new research is showing that it may actually combat actual depression. Scientists at King's College (London) found that those who exercise regularly are far less likely to be depressed. They did cite a condition for this finding, however: exercising as a leisure activity, rather than as part of your work day.

Read the full story here: Exercise vs. Depression