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THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
Your Top Three
"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." --1 Thessalonians 5:18
Do you like lists? I love lists. My wife and I can be on our daily walk, and all I have to say to her is, "Give me your top three" and she knows I'm asking her to name me the three people she would love to have over for dinner. Without hesitation, Dr. Charles Stanley, Jimmy Fallon and Savannah Guthrie are scooting their chairs under our table. We've done things like that for years. And don't get me started about New Year's resolutions. We've saved every list of resolutions for 18 years. Not only that, we witness, sign and ratify them. (I wish I were kidding). What can I say? I love lists. Especially thankful ones.
Do you have one? A list of things so far this year of which you're the most thankful? Could be your relationship with the Lord, or a new job, or maybe your health has improved. Take a minute to think of, or better yet, jot some things down. Use our comment section if you'd be so bold. What are you the most thankful for as we start a new week? Give me your top three.
--Jimmy Peña
P.S. In case you were wondering about my top three for dinner: Max Lucado, Brian Williams, and of course, Derek Jeter. Let's eat.
WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Dumbbell Complex
Dumbbells are some of the best fitness equipment ever invented. Simple and effective, dumbbells can help you to recruit additional muscle by forcing your body to activate stabilizers to balance your body during exercise. They can also be used to develop tremendous strength and to burn tons of fat. Dumbbells are just plain good for ya. One way to put them to work for you is via complex training, which calls for you to use the same set of dumbbells for multiple exercises. Click below for more detail on complex training and a head-to-toe workout to get you started.
Moved to Move
"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever." --Psalm 30:10-12
Read: Psalm 30
This morning, during worship service at church, I fell victim to the rhythm. Without making a conscious decision to do so, I found myself air-drumming the bench in front of me, tapping my foot to the beat and gently bobbing my head as I sang along with the choir. Sometimes, a song -- whether by melody, message or miracle -- just takes hold of your body and compels you to move. Isn't it as amazing that something as simple as a song can inspire you to the point where God's love within you is left with no choice but to expressed through movement?
But long after we're dismissed from service, our bodies are still crying out to move for the Lord -- to run, jump, lift, climb and ride in perfect step to a song that He so meticulously composed on our hearts so long ago. All we have to do is tune in and listen and let the music do its work. This Master's magnum opus was written to evoke a particular response -- to move you to move.
--Eric Velazquez
WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Arms This week's workout focuses on your biceps and triceps. Contrary to what some may think, training your arms is not simply a matter of vanity. Strong bi's aid on all pulling activities and well-trained triceps generate more force on all your pushes. Though smaller by comparison, these muscles play a crucial role in how much weight you can lift on other exercises such as bench presses and rows. So training them regularly does more than just help you look better in sleeveless tees. This routine requires the use of dumbbells and can be done at home or the gym.
This is a form of training known as German Volume Training, or GVT, and simply calls you on you to perform 10 sets of a single exercise in order to fully and effectively target the muscles. The quick-training wrinkle? You'll be supersetting, or alternating between biceps and triceps exercises. And because you'll be targeting arms, you can keep rest periods short -- biceps and triceps recover fairly quickly -- to keep the intensity level high. Choose a weight that you can safely complete 20 reps with but perform only 10. Continue alternating exercises until you have performed 10 sets of each exercise.
Exercise Sets/Reps Dumbbell Curl 10/10 -superset with- Lying Dumbbell Extension --Rest only 30-60 seconds between supersets. --Perform this routine at least once per week and no more than twice. If you train arms twice, allow at least 3-4 days between sessions for recovery. --Perform a few light sets of curls and extensions before beginning your 10 working sets.
SOWN UP WITH LOVE
September 13, 2011Read: Colossians 1
"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." --Colossians 1:17
To imagine God carefully knitting our souls together is, well, tough to imagine. It's easier to picture Him forming mountains than it is to see him fashioning hearts. But nothing in all creation was created with more care. Compared to you, Everest is a mole hill and the Sahara is a single grain of sand. Are the heavens amazing? Absolutely. Does the earth pronounce His splendor? Without a doubt. But only you and I were sown up with one distinguishing trait and something no star above can claim: choice.
And much like an artist puts a signature on his work, God signed us. That's right. In our very cells, God made His mark. But first, remember those goosebumps we talked about yesterday? I think He made them for times like this. This is the actual structure of the protein molecule that binds all of our cells together: Scientists call it laminin, but let's just call it love. --J.P.
Question: Isn't it amazing how we're held together? From Heaven down to earth, it's all about the Cross. What will you do today to protect what protects you?
Laminin source: Louie Giglio's How Great is Our God STRONG SIDE Boost strength instantly by training one limb at a time
While the benefits of using dumbbells are many, there is one that stands out for those looking to get stronger. Research shows that one-limb (unilateral) training allows you to recruit more total muscle fibers, making you approximately 20% stronger on each rep.
For example, if you were able to curl a 50-pound barbell for 10 reps, you could reasonably expect to curl 30-pound dumbbells (or 60 pounds total) for as many reps. As a bonus, if you should fail before that 10th rep, you can use a free hand to spot yourself through a few forced reps.
Unilateral training is also safer, since there is no risk of getting pinned beneath a barbell. Using dumbbells allows you to recruit more total muscle fibers in order to stabilize your body through each rep, which makes for better gains in overall body composition in the long run.
LOVE STEPPED IN
May 9th, 2011Read: Romans 3
"It comes freely unto us, but Christ bought it and paid the price." --Romans 3:22
This last Saturday night, the much-anticipated fight between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosely came and went with the expected outcome. But there was another fight that night that caught my attention. In one of the undercard 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 threw in the towel knowing their fighter had enough. Come to find out, the fighter's cornerman was also his dad. As one announcer said, "Love stepped in." He just couldn't bear to see his son endure such a beating.
In the fight for our future, Jesus went the distance. While He could have stopped the fight, God knew we could never defend ourselves, so He let the battle rage. I guess you could say, "love stepped in," until our fight was over.
--J.P.
WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Dumbbell Complex
So many of us have to take our workout time where we can get it -- before work, at lunch or after work. There's a reason they call it "rush hour" at the gym. Unfortunately, time efficiency can be difficult during these times and a good, full-body workout that takes you from one station to the next might just be out of the question (unless you have two hours to spare). No problem. This week's workout is right up your alley, as it has you working the entire body, in one spot, at the same time.
The complex, which can be performed with dumbbells or a barbell, allows you to train multiple muscle groups in succession without adjusting the weight. The order of the exercises can be altered to suit particular training goals. Your goal here? A solid, full-body workout that helps you build or maintain strength, while also keeping your fat-fighting furnace adequately stoked.
What you're going to do is pick a light-to-moderate set of dumbbells -- one that allows you to do around 20 reps on most isolation moves like lateral raises and curls. The reason we're going lighter is because we're going to begin each round of exercises with isolation moves. After we've hit certain bodyparts with laser-like accuracy, we'll move to a few exercises that require multiple joints and muscle groups, which allows you to raise the intensity without increasing the weight. By the end of the set, what once felt light will actually feel heavy.
Don't let lack of space or time ever stand in your way for a tough, proven workout.
For this workout, do 20 reps of each exercise, resting only as long as it takes to get into position for the next move. At the end of the last exercise, rest 1-2 minutes and repeat the sequence. Three total trips through the complex, 2-3 times per week is plenty. You'll have trained your entire body in a fraction of the time it would have taken otherwise.
Bent-Over Lateral Raise | Target: Shoulders (emphasis: rear delts) Lateral Raise | Target: Shoulders (emphasis: middle delts) Standing Dumbbell Overhead Press | Target: Shoulders (emphases: front, middle delts) Bent-Over Dumbbell Row (two-hand) | Target: Back (emphasis: lower lats) Biceps Curl (simultaneously) | Target: Biceps Dumbbell Squat | Target: Legs (emphases: quads, glutes, hamstrings)
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