L4 Athletics

As a good steward, it’s important to share the views of others that speak to me. A great friend of mine, Chris Barbour, works for an amazing company (TCG Services) & they have a Corporate Chaplain. What a blessing to have on staff! Chris recently sent me one of Wade’s morning thoughts & I knew I wanted to share it, which Wade was open to. Side note: I’m open to any of you being contributors too (DM me). As Wade stated, his heart is to share the message & for God to ge...t maximum glory from our lives. I want to share that Graber Ministries works w/ 3rd world countries & has developed a ministry of giving to others. They’re on Facebook & have resources (books & CDs) available to support their mission. This soon-to-be friendship is a massive gain for me & now for Wade’s message: Can loss be gain, or gain be loss? I was late to work this morning b/c of the loss of power. My brand new 13 day old battery would not start my truck. It appeared to be totally dead. But, actually, it revealed a different faulty part, & all is repaired. 3 football teams I was cheering for this weekend lost their games. In the loss, they gained the reality of weaknesses & strengths, opponent weaknesses & strengths, & some gained experience b/c of the loss of injured starters. Sometimes the teams took a 5 yard loss to gain a better position for punting. The whole thing of gain & loss can be quite a paradox. Some people lose weight to gain health. Others stop habits to gain health, relationships, jobs, etc. Ultimately, is it a loss or a gain? Paul wrote, But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, & count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. (Phil. 3:7-8) Jesus posed the questions, For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, & loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt. 8:36-37) What do you have to lose? What do you have to gain? #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose #GainsAndLosses

I’m good. I’m doing fine. Those are very real answers given every day. But could you be doing better? I’m a person who struggles w/ wanting things to always be better. Yet too often I’m searching for the better and I overlook what God has me intentionally working through. It is subjective. What is the better you are comparing? You can always be better. The gap between what we say or do & what God knows is a large gap. The Israelites said to them, "If only we... had died by the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat & ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!" In Exodus 16, the Israelites complained about Moses & Aaron because they didn’t have enough food. Their complaints were valid, but they did not see the bigger picture. They couldn’t see where God was taking them. They only saw the present struggle and had selective memories of their past. They remembered the better times of being a slave. If only we could see where we all came from. Our family trees, our mistakes, thoughts we didn’t act on, or the temptations we’ve resisted. Too often we hold on to what we thought was better instead of loosening our grip to let God take control. Grip is important when lifting. Where do you position your hands? When starting out, it is difficult to know the correct spacing & tension. You need guidance & patience. As you gain experience & understand the movements, the more in tune you are to how the placement of your grip hands affects the outcome. However, too many times we want to go back to our old ways, what we used to think of as ‘better’ & what feels comfortable versus what is right. Like the Israelites, we struggle with doing it the new way or the old way. We can’t go back, we have to move forward to better. Let’s not measure with our eyes, but with our faith and loosen our grip to put our hands together in prayer. This is a season when God is fixing your grip to show you better things. #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose #BetterThings #FixYourGrip

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20 L4 Athletics is Personal Training with a Higher Purpose. If you are ready to start your fitness journey, we are committed to walking with you to become better mentally, physically, and spiritually. We have open spots for individual or small group training. Do not hesitate to take that first step today. There are roughly 90 days until 2020. Why wait to make that new start? Get a jumpstart, by taking a leap of faith. #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose

When your life is built on the foundation of His word, there is nothing that can shake you. I met the woman in the picture last week. Katie is 80 years young & taking command of life. What you don’t see is the front of her shirt says: BAD ASS ROCK STAR. No lie. Katie wanted to reclaim her health & mobility. She’s preparing for knee surgery & decided to get stronger for an easier recovery & faster path back to the gym. She worked on balance & flexibility, & it was inspi...ring to see her determination. It reminded me of Ecclesiastes 11:4. 4 One who watches the wind will not sow, & the one who looks at the clouds will not reap. Katie’s not wallowing in self-pity about an ailment or letting an upcoming procedure detract her from living her best life. She’s sowing into her health & will reap the benefits. Her kids were worried she might get hurt, but soon realized how much stronger she was b/c of her faith in her trainer & the process. She’s making sure her next steps will be on a solid foundation. How often do we let other people’s worries or opinions determine our next steps? Solomon talks about watching the wind above & we see the effects of the wind below in Matthew 14:28-30. 28 Lord, if it’s you, Peter answered him, command me to come to you on the water. 29 He said, Come. And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water & came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, & beginning to sink he cried out, Lord, save me! Peter walked on the word of Jesus. One word. Even though it made no sense, he did what Jesus said. It was when he took his focus off Jesus that he saw the strength of the wind & sank. Which is stronger, the wind or His Word? It depends on where our focus is. We need to look for Jesus & keep looking to Him. When He commands you, obey Him. Faith is simply taking the next step. Fear will sink you, but faith can unleash the supernatural. My next steps are on faith, just like Katie, just like Peter. What next step do you need to take? #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose #NextSteps #StepOutOnFaith #WordOverWind #RockStar

Sometimes training requires external motivation before becoming a lifestyle. We get in shape for an event (vacation/wedding) or it’s a call to action due to poor health. I won’t argue w/ anyone’s reason for getting started, but we need to find the sustainable, underlying reason to lead a lifetime of health & fitness. What is your why? is my go-to question for clients, so we have something to draw back to when it becomes difficult or you don’t want to train. Our Monsignor... spoke about motivation this week & asked the congregation, What is your motivation for attending church? It was met w/ silence as expected, b/c we’re all afraid of being judged or sharing openly our real motivations. Maybe it’s guilt, satisfying a loved one, or setting an example for the family. It’s good we’re attending church, but these reasons don’t get you to where God wants you. Jesus questioned others’ motivations throughout the New Testament. In John 6, Jesus breaks it down for his followers in Capernaum after feeding the 5,000 the day before: 26 Jesus answered, Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not b/c you saw the signs, but b/c you ate the loaves & were filled. He goes on to tell them He’s the Bread of Life & they must eat his flesh & drink his blood. The strong message was too much for many & they turned back, missing the real meaning. Their short-sided motivation relied on the physical. Again, in Luke 14:25-33, great crowds are traveling w/ Jesus when he turns to them & outlines the cost of following him. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross & come after me cannot be my disciple. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to die. The crowd of people were followers, not disciples. They thought Jesus was bringing a revolution to overthrow the Romans. Our motivation should be discipleship by following him, "carrying our cross", & giving up self-interest. No relationship lasts w/o faithful commitments & actions. When our Redeemer calls us to follow Him, what will your motivation be? #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose #Motivation #WhatIsYourWhy #CarryYourCross #BeADisciple

Merry Christmas from L4 Athletics! #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #HigherPurpose #ReasonForTheSeason

I had the privilege over the last week to help close friends prepare for a dream. They’re taking steps to move back home & pursue what they’ve considered for years. You’re thinking that no one likes moving & I partially agree. I consider it a blessing to help others. If it includes physical labor replacing a workout & dually serving, I’m in. Squats, Deadlifts, OH Presses, Curls & lots of Core work. My body’s telling me yesterday was a tough workout. Moving can take a... toll physically & mentally, but as we loaded the truck, I felt blessed for many reasons: 1. Being fit to be able to help 2. Being the one called for the heavy lifting 3. Irreplaceable quality time together 4. God’s presence It was amazing to hear my friend’s testimony. Each time he spoke of uncertainty, it was followed by faith. We talked about question marks, the unknown, & right decisions. But countered with words like Hope, Family, Goals, & God. It made me think of how we can Press On at any time in life. We don’t need all the answers to make moves. This reminds me of Philippians 3:12-14: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers & sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind & straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. We’re called to be like Christ, but past experiences make us question if what we’re doing is right. We haven’t arrived yet, but God uses our imperfections to grow us in faith. Even as an elder, Paul emphasized forgetting the past & pursuing what lies ahead. My friends do amazing things, b/c of who they are & God covering them. I’m excited for them & we’ll miss them when their dream is reality. Don’t sweat the little things or worry about handling things alone, we’re here. Listen to the God-spoken things of your heart and PRESS ON! And thanks again brother for the amazing workout! #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose #PressOn

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, & he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but w/ the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13 Distractions are everywhere in today’s world. We have electronic notifications, alerts, texts, & apps. We also have worries, stress, family, children, & work. I experienced this firsthand over the last week, delaying this post.... This time of the year seems to carry exponentially greater distractions w/ the holiday hustle & bustle. Distractions are typically caused by our lack of ability to pay attention, hold interest, or being more attracted to something else. Distractions are both external & internal. Our attention often runs to what’s important to us & can reveal what we love. However, this can be dangerous as it can distract us from God. We need to take note if we are distracted consistently by the same things. But I say, walk by the Spirit, & you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, & the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. - Galatians 5:16-17 This happened to Jesus’s friend Martha in Luke 10:41-42. She was busy in the kitchen & complained that her sister, Mary, wasn’t helping. To which, Jesus replied: Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried & upset about many things, but few things are neededor indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, & it will not be taken away from her. Martha was distracted from Jesus. But why? It took him helping her see her heart & shift her attention to what was of greater importance. God is not nearly as interested in our efficiency as he is in our faith. We need to ask ourselves: - What is the real distraction? - What does our heart desire? - Are we seeking His face? In this time of busyness, we need to set time aside for faith every day. Find some interference free space. Read the Word, Pray, & Reflect. #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s servant, & cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) John 18:10 Every great boxer has even better Corner Men around him. Corner Men fall into the roles of Coach, Trainer, or Cut Man. All critical to a fighter’s success. Muhammad Ali’s cut man, Angelo Dundee, was admired for his ability to limit the damage done during the Champ’s reign. Simon Peter gives a new definition to a Cu...t Man, but he was ready to fight for Jesus & look out for his well-being. In our daily fight, our Corner Men ensure we’re positioned to win mentally, physically, & spiritually. We were not designed to fight alone. Even though Jesus had 12 Disciples, he had a special relationship w/ his inner circle, his Corner Men: Peter, Andrew, James & John. I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for Corner Men giving me simple instructions, tending injuries & coming to my aid when needed. We need certain qualities & characteristics in our Corner Men to prepare us to win: 1. Disciples - Someone to teach us how to be more like God, help w/ spiritual maturity, & knowledge of how our enemy fights. 2. Accountable - Someone w/ the authority to tell us when we’re messing things up, sees us losing & calls us out. 3. Challenges - Someone who calls us to do the difficult & impossible, asking Why haven’t you ____? & push us beyond where we are. 4. Guides - Someone to advise when we stumble & lean on for their priceless experience. 5. Sees Potential Someone who doesn’t see our past, but our future ahead, & sees what we can’t. 6. Rallies - Andy Frisella calls them the Gas Man, the hype man. We all lose & at times need someone to tell us to get up and keep fighting. Life can seem to be an individual sport, but all fighters enter a battle supported by a team and good Corner Men make all the difference. When things are going well, it’s easy, but when life’s twisted, it’s won or lost during those between round breaks. So will you go the distance or throw in the towel? #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose #PressOn #CornerMen #GoTheDistance #Support

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." - 1 Chronicles 16:34 As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them John F. Kennedy

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 Each workout, you have the goal to get stronger. The goal isn’t for it to get easier, b/c when it starts to get easier....you’re supposed to add, switch & flip the script, whether that’s altering weight, reps, sets or tempo. You will stay at the same levels w/o doing this & your results will s...uffer. I haven’t met anyone yet who can do less & expect more. We grow when we challenge ourselves daily. The purpose of walking w/ Jesus isn’t for life to get easier over time, but for our faith to be strengthened. Most likely, our lives will face more difficulties with time. However, while the trials may be hard, we have the strength of past provision to build towards our future hope. Walking w/ Jesus guarantees us the power of His Spirit to persevere. Suffering is the path to glory. We share in God's glory as much as we share in His suffering. A burden that would’ve previously been unbearable is now a heavy, but manageable weight in our spiritual strength training regimen. Sometimes we’re resistant to the training, b/c of past failures & fears. Our God is trustworthy & He always gives us what we need as we press into Him. We don't have to fear challenges, b/c Christ is strength in our weakness. God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, but you might only be aware of three of them. Even the disciples missed the point of miracles & messages delivered right in front of them. So let us pray: Lord, I confess I often prefer the easy way out w/ no struggle or suffering. I recognize on the cross, you didn’t take the easy way out. You suffered for us, w/ your heart fixed on the love of your people and sacrificed your life. I surrender to the ways you are working out your glory in my life. I trust you in the midst of the suffering, & declare that you are trustworthy. Amen. #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose #PressOn #ExpectMore #Strengthened #Persevere

High-intensity interval training (HIIT), is a form of interval training alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise w/ less intense recovery periods. There’s no universal standard, but most workouts are roughly 30 minutes, varying on one's fitness & intensity levels. HIIT can be a very effective & efficient method for results if done right. You can burn calories & fat, while building muscle & strength, & improve your endurance. Workouts use short bursts (20-90 se...conds) of pushing yourself before a brief rest period. Routines can include a wide variety of exercises for endless possibilities using body weight, kettlebells, medicine balls, or dumbbells. Even w/ short rest periods, recovery before the next interval & round are essential, as you’re forcing your body to repeatedly acclimate between two very different states. So how does this correlate to our spiritual life? How often do you run from one thing to the next? How many times do we load our schedules w/ work or events? We’re constantly on the go w/ these rapid bursts & little time to rest between. Where is our focus & when do we recover? When do we give God time & foster the relationship He so wants to have w/ us. In Philippians 4:6, Paul writes: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, & thank him for all he has done. Paul gives some worthy advice in just one verse: -Don’t worry about anything: This is a command that tell us all things belong to God. -Pray about everything (prayer & supplication depending on the version): Everything is the proper subject of prayer. All areas of our lives are of concern to God. Prayer is broader & can mean all of our communication w/ God, but supplication directly asks God to do something. -Tell God what you need: God invites us to make our requests known. He wants to know. He already knows our requests before we pray them, but wants our participation many times before giving the blessing. -Thank him for all he has done: We have to approach Him w/ thanksgiving & a loving spirit. #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose #HIIT #Intensity #Pray

Time Under Tension (TUT) is commonly used in strength and conditioning. It refers to how long muscle is under strain during a set and reps. Here are some points for achieving its maximum benefits. Avoid spending long periods at the easiest portion of an exercise, it presents the least amount of stress on your muscles. Keep a steady tempo try a count of 2/0/4/0 or 3/1/3/1 (seconds for lifting/pause/lowering/pause). The entire rep is the TUT. Spend more time on the... eccentric portion of the movement (the lowering part when your muscle is slowly elongating). Focus on form. Breaking it will compromise the intent. Use drop sets. If the weight becomes difficult, lower it to get those last reps and keep form. Maintain a high intensity. The weight and exercise need to be challenging enough to cause muscle fatigue when finished. Crazy how those points so easily translate to other aspects of our life and more importantly our relationship with God. Avoid the easy. Nothing easy was ever worthwhile. Stay consistent. Have faith, because you will spend more time in trial (eccentric) than on the come up (concentric). When challenged (TUT), that is where you experience the most growth. When things become difficult, figure out what you can do to lighten the load while staying true to form, but keep pressing forward to break those plateaus. Time =Things I Must Experience. What a blessing that we have today to learn, to grow, and to be given another opportunity. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds James 1:2 Even Paul rejoiced despite being in prison. He faced many Times Under Tension in his lifetime, but he still kept a heart of joy. What areas in your life can you turn your TUT into joy? #L4Athletics #FaithAndFitness #Love #Live #Lift #Lead #PersonalTrainer #StrengthTraining #HigherPurpose #TimeUnderTension #TUT #AvoidTheEasy