Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
Love Stepped In
"It comes freely unto us, but Christ bought it and paid the price." --Romans 3:22 Read: Romans 3
Yesterday the boxing world received a staggering blow when it learned that the great boxing trainer Emanuel Steward passed away at the age of 68. Our prayers go out to his family and friends, including PrayFit endorser and boxing champion Robert Guerrero. You know, something Emanuel said while calling a fight last year was something I'll never forget. It came on the night of the much-anticipated fight between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley.
In one of the night's earlier bouts, a fighter in the late rounds was taking too many blows, unable to defend himself. His corner didn't wait for the ref to stop it, but instead threw in the towel knowing their fighter had enough. Come to find out, the fighter's cornerman was also his dad. And then Emanuel Steward simply said, "Love stepped in. He just couldn't bear to see his son endure such a beating."
Friends, in the fight for our future, God could have stopped the fight. But since He knew that you and I could never defend ourselves, He let Jesus go the distance. I guess you could say, "love stepped in," until our fight was over.
--Jimmy Peña
NETWORK, SHOP, CHAT, SOW Take advantage of the many outlets and resources available to the PrayFit Nation
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"Being a big believer in Jesus Christ, PrayFit gets me on track to start my day off in the right direction. In boxing there is no room for error. You have to be not only be physically prepared but spiritually strong as well." — Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero, 6-Time Boxing World Champion
CORNERMAN
April 5, 2011Read: Matthew 11
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened and I'll give you rest." --Matthew 11:28
We've all heard the phrase "God is in your corner." Sounds comforting, no? But if you've ever seen a cornerman at work (like you will this Saturday when Robert Guerrero steps into the ring), the phrase takes on new meaning. If you compare what he does to what we know of God, the similarities are striking.
Let's see:
He has his fighter's best interest in mind.
He knows what he can handle.
He never takes his eyes off his fighter.
He knows his strengths and weaknesses.
He knows the opponent's strengths and weaknesses.
He treats his fighter's wounds.
He gives wise advice on how to win the fight.
He knows when his fighter's had enough.
Win or lose, he's always there to pick him up.
Now, compare all that to what a cornerman does.
Come to think of it, have you ever seen a fighter avoid his corner between rounds? Me neither.
IN HIS CORNER
This weekend (Saturday, April 9), boxer and PrayFit endorser Robert Guerrero steps into the ring against Michael Katsidis on the highly touted "Action Heroes" fight card on HBO Pay-Per-View. Guerrero, a loving husband and father of two, will be wearing PrayFit.com on the back of his trunks as he looks to capture the interim lightweight (135-pound) titles for the WBA and WBO. For more on this weekend's fight, visit HBO Boxing. For ordering information, contact your local cable provider.
>> GEAR UP! As you cozy up in front of the flat screen this weekend before the big fight, make sure you're geared up right. Click here to purchase our newly designed PrayFit hats and shirts.
CORNERMAN
July 28, 2010Read: Matthew 11
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened and I'll give you rest." --Matthew 11:28
We've all heard the phrase "God is in your corner." Sounds comforting, no? But if you've ever seen a cornerman at work, the phrase takes on new meaning. Especially if you compare what he does to what we know of God, the similarities are striking.
Let's see: He has his fighter's best interest in mind. He knows what his fighter can handle. He never takes his eyes off his fighter. He knows his fighter's strengths and weaknesses. He knows the opponent's strengths and weaknesses. He treats his fighter's wounds. He gives wise advice on how to win the fight. He knows when his fighter's had enough. Win or lose, he's always there to pick him up.
(Now, compare all that to what a cornerman does.)
Come to think of it, have you ever seen a fighter avoid his corner between rounds? Me neither.
--J.P.
PRAYFIT TIP: THE TIMING OF IT ALL You need your abs and core fresh during your entire training session, especially during bent-over moves like Romanian or stiff-legged deadlifts, and during all types of squatting moves. And that goes for both men and women!
Many of you might be working with a trainer who has you going from an abs move into a bent-over move or squat-type of exercise in superset fashion, and I realize he or she is doing it to keep your heart rate up, to keep it fun with lots of variety, etc. But realize that you could be putting yourself at risk of injury by doing so.
During squatting moves or bent-over moves, your core and abs work to stabilize your spine -- think of them as an inner weightlifting belt -- but if they’re weak and fatigued, you won’t be able to generate the necessary pressure inside to hold your spine in perfect alignment. The result: a weaker lift and a more unstable core.
Please don’t buy into the notion that you “fire up” the abs and core by training them first. That makes no sense and it won’t help you achieve your goals and, it bears repeating, could be promoting injury.
Finally, why put anything in a situation where you won’t be at your very best? By sacrificing your strength on multi-joint lifts that involve more muscle, you are working with less strength and building less muscle. You can always fatigue your abs last, when the need to have a stable core is not imperative.
>> CORE QUESTIONS?: Drop your thoughts and questions on core training in our forums by clicking here.