Training

For just over a month, I have been training.  Not for anything in particular, but working on shaping and sculpting my body.

It all began with the purchase of my Halloween Costume: Thor.

I wanted to actually fill it out like Chris Hemsworth in the movie, but I fell a little short.  I did manage to increase my bicep size about an inch and lose a couple of inches in the waist, but as far as getting to where I really stood out: no dice.

But, that made me even more determined for next year.  See, I'm a superhero freak, and I want to do Captain America next year.  Captain America is pretty buff too, so I am training.

I discovered through a Yahoo! News Story a rather good cardio/toning routine that I have implemented three days a week.  Start with one squat (no weights) and then do 10 push ups.  Begin increasing squats and decreasing push ups by one until you do 10 squats and one push up.  It's tougher than you think and good cardio and toning.  But personally, I know it's not going to get me where I need to go.  So, I'm also working arm curls heavily three days a week as well to build the biceps.  That's fun stuff right there.

And I know by working on toning and sculpting and increasing my protein intake and reducing my carbohydrate intake, things will eventually happen.  But, I don't want to wait forever.  I want to get rid of that little spare tire that is a persistent booger around my midsection.

So, I'm working cardio five days a week.  First, I started with simply walking three miles a day.  But, I know that doing that will only get me so far.  It will only increase my metabolism so much.  To really get the heart going and the fat melting, I knew I had to do more, even though it pained me to think about it.  I knew I needed to incorporate some running/jogging.  And so I have.  For just about a month now, I've been incorporating interval running for a mile and a half of my workout.  Now, some who read this might scoff at that, but for someone like me who absolutely hates running, it's a big deal.  And every time I think about passing on the running part, I remember my goals.  I press on.  I know in order to get where I am going, it's going to cause me pain and hurt.  In order to transform my body, there will be pain associated with it.

In many ways, this is also teaching me a lesson in discipleship.  For to be a disciple of Jesus involves further transformation of the body, soul, and mind.  There are activities that are done to strenthen one's ability to be a disicple, and they too come with pain.  Fasting brings hunger.  Confession brings the pain of admitting one's wrongs and shortcomings.  Walking away from those things we would like to do but we know are not healthy causes emotional pain.  But is it worth it?

At least one person thought so:

²⁴Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. ²⁵Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. ²⁶So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; ²⁷but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.  1 Cointhians 9: 24-27