"YA GOTTA HAVE GANAS"

November 29, 2010Read: 1 Samuel 16

“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” –1 Samuel 16:7

Earlier this year, I had the honor of spending some time with the leaders of the Boys and Girls Clubs of El Paso – an amazing group of people that I promise you’ll hear more about in the months ahead. And while touring one of the facilities, a teenager’s t-shirt caught my attention. It read, “Hay Que Tener Ganas.” As I read it out loud, I was given a shrug and a head tilt, “Ya gotta have heart.” (And mine stopped). To say the moment motivated me would be like saying Picasso painted or Mozart made music; an understatement to say the least. And as it turns out, it’s their motto.

So because of those kids, that’s our focus today. How we take care of the bodies God gave us is a heart issue, is it not? At PrayFit, we believe how the body responds in weight loss is merely a byproduct of obedience. It’s the daily diligence to eat right and exercise that takes true desire and guts. The kind of guts Omar, David and Clutch showed me this year. “They’re the true dreamers” — something I think their director, Mrs. Maldonado, would be the first to point out.

--J.P.

PRAYFIT IN EL PASO DEC. 2: If you’re in the El Paso area on December 2, please visit us at the El Paso Museum of Art for their 3rd Annual Fund Raising Gala. PrayFit will be on hand to support their efforts and also to begin the PrayFit book tour. If you’re unable to attend, please visit the El Paso Boys and Girls Clubs to donate to a great cause.

PRAYFIT WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Push-Ups & Sit-Ups Herschel Walker, the famed NFL running back, would be proud of today's workout. He was notorious for training using just his bodyweight to craft his strong, lean physique. This week's workout is an upper body-and-abs thrasher. Just 10 minutes of work is all you'll need for this one. Perform one minute of each exercise then move to the next one, resting only as long as it takes to get into position. Try to get as many reps of each move as you can each minute, logging your total reps and striving to beat that number in each workout this week. Newbies should try two workouts, 3-4 days apart. Intermediates can try an every-other-day approach for three or four workouts total and advanced trainers can perform this mini routine five days straight.

Decline Push-Up (feet elevated on a chair, sofa or bench) Reverse Crunch Standard Push-Up Standard Crunch Incline Push-Up (hands on a bench, chair, sofa or wall) Double Crunch Decline Push-Up Double Crunch Standard Push-Up Reverse Crunch