THAT'S THE ONE

February 24, 2011Read: 1 Samuel 17

"Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the stream." --1 Samuel 17:40

Before David hurled the stone at his giant, I picture him down at the stream, tossing them up one-by-one in his hand. See, I have a feeling he measured a few before finding just the right one for this particular overgrown nuisance. Did you notice the verse? He "chose" five stones. He made decisions based on his needs and abilities. "Too light.” Toss. "Too small." Toss. "That’s the one!” After all, David knew what he was up against and planned accordingly.

What about you? In the area of health, you might be facing some big issues. Is it your diet? Your training consistency? Maybe you can’t find the right routine? Well, whatever the case, take a stroll down to the stream with David. Kneel down with him and gather some ammo. If the pebbles you’ve been flinging at your giant-size goals aren’t making a dent, then reload. You know what you’re up against. The key is to do like David did and find it. Remember, His fight was worth it and so is yours.

--J.P.

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM What are the main causes of the obesity epidemic?

--Weight gain occurs when people eat too much food and get too little physical activity.

--Societal and community changes have accompanied the rise in obesity.

• People eat differently:
  • Some Americans have less access to stores and markets that provide healthy, affordable food such as fruits and vegetables, especially in rural, minority and lower-income neighborhoods. Restaurants, snack shops, and vending machines provide food that is often higher in calories and fat than food made at home.
  • There is too much sugar in our diet. Six out of 10 adults drink at least 1 sugary drink per day.
  • It is often easier and cheaper to get less healthy foods and beverages.
  • Foods high in sugar, fat, and salt are highly advertised and marketed.
• Many communities are built in ways that make it difficult or unsafe to be physically active:
  • Access to parks and recreation centers may be difficult or lacking and public transportation may not available.
  • Safe routes for walking or biking to school, work, or play may not exist.Too few students get quality, daily physical education in school.
  • Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

SPECIAL FORCES

January 17, 2011Read: Psalm 18

"He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me." --Psalm 18:17

During a recent trip, I met an incredible individual. Today he's a successful businessman, but years ago he was invisible. A former member of the elite Delta Special Forces, he was trained in the dark arts of hostage rescue. They had one primary mission: To get behind enemy lines, set captives free and bring them home.

He explained that just to be considered for Delta, he was dropped into unfamiliar territory and instructed to get from point A to B as fast as possible which often took days. At each checkpoint, he had no idea if he had reached it in time or how many more days were left in the test. Along with discouragement to continue, all he was given was a new destination and the opportunity to quit.

As he talked, my mind wandered. Our life can sometimes feel like that selection process. We're dropped into unfamiliar territory, discouraged daily, without knowing when it all will end. But we'd be wise to remember that with Jesus in our hearts, we've already been rescued. Unnoticed and disguised as a human, He stepped onto foreign soil to set us captives free. Because He did, we don't quit.

--J.P.

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Full-Body Dumbbell Blast

While bodybuilders tend to specialize, training individual bodyparts on certain days of the week, there are a great many people who are forced to multi-task. Short on time but high on motivation, some prefer to get as much done as they can, in as little time possible. This short, full-body workout, which requires little more than a set of dumbbells and some floor space, will call your entire musculature into play in 10-15 minutes.

Using the same light-moderate pair of dumbbells, go from one exercise to the next without rest. Simply do as many reps as you can of each exercise. After the last exercise on the list, go ahead and rest 2-3 minutes then go through the circuit again, for a total of three times maximum. You can perform this workout 2-4 times per week, depending on experience.

Dumbbell Squat to Overhead Press Dumbbell Squat to Upright Row Two-hand Bent-Over Dumbbell Row Dumbbell Curl Floor Dumbbell Chest Press * Weighted (Dumbbell) Crunch

* Feel free to substitute dumbbell bench press if you have a bench available.

>> FEATURED WORKOUT JOURNAL: TrooperG | Running + PrayFit