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THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION

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Rescue. Shelter.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." --2 Corinthians 5:21

Read: 2 Corinthians 5

In case you missed this story, former New Jersey Governor Richard Codey went undercover last week as a homeless man. He was cold, hungry and plagued with hip problems in the middle of the night. Governor Codey noted that he thought the best way to relate to the homeless was to become homeless himself. In the end, he was rejected by 22 shelters. Imagine...a former governor leaving his mansion to spend a night among the paupers.

Isn't it easy to think of Jesus right about now? Sure it is. Although, Jesus didn't just stay the night did He? He could have, but He didn't. No, He spent a lifetime here. And because He did, we can relate to Him in so many ways. Are you ignored at work? He understands. Rejected by neighbors? So was He. Hurting physically? Jesus knows your pain. But Jesus did more than dress up like us. Note the verse: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us..." See, He does more than relate. He rescues.

Divine irony. He became homeless...so we could follow Him home.

--Jimmy Peña

EXERCISE IN FOCUS: UPRIGHT ROW

One of the key exercises in yesterday's workout of the week was the dumbbell upright row. This multi-joint movement effectively targets your middle deltoid head but it also engages your trapezius, rear delts and albeit to a much lesser degree your forearms and biceps. Because so many muscle groups are involved in this movement, you are able to use significantly more weight than you would be on isolation moves in the routine such as lateral raises. For an exercise demonstration and a deeper analysis of the physiology, click here.

>> COFFEE DRINKERS REJOICE: People give you grief for your insistence on a tall cup of java before you can chat in the morning? Tell them you're enhancing your DNA with each sip. Get the full story on coffee's new benefits by clicking here.

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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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AN ATHLETE'S FAITH

January 10, 2010Read: 1 Corinthians 9

"All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.: --1 Corinthians 9:25

PRAYFIT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"It doesn't take faith to be physically fit, but if we have faith, we should try to be." --Jimmy Pena

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Shoulders

Building stronger, better looking shoulders is a good goal whether you're a hardcore lap swimmer or a desk jockey. Anyone who has ever had a shoulder injury will attest to that. Because of how critical your shoulders are to any exercise or everyday life activity, it is important to train them to be fit and functional. This short workout works provides a dose of both.

If you have set of two-pound dumbbells, soup cans or other handheld object in that weight range, you can do this workout. But don't let the light weight nature of this routine fool you -- done right, a deeply effective burn awaits. By working without rest, you will stress both slow- and fast-twitch fibers to the point of complete exhaustion. Do as many rounds as you have time for, or as much as your shoulder can handle, performing each exercise to failure.

Bent-over lateral raise Lateral raise Front raise Overhead press Straight punches

TRAINER PLUS: For those who are curious, the order of exercises is strategic in that each move puts you in a position that is stronger than the previous. So when you fail at the bent-over lateral raises for example, when you stand up, you gain a mechanical advantage and are able to continue without rest. After the last exercise, rest anywhere from 30-60 seconds -- but no longer. This will add a cardio element to your workout, providing an extra dose of physique-friendly calorie burning.

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