Simplicity & Strength

Welcome to this week's Fit Tip Friday!I like to have as much data and information as possible before making a decision.  

There's wisdom in understanding before leaping. Whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way (Proverbs 19:2), and with an abundance of counselors, there is safety (Proverbs 11:14). But there's also folly in just researching without acting. The Sluggard craves, desires, and wants, but because he doesn't move or act he doesn't get anything (Proverbs 13:4). Conversely, the diligent man steadily acts and chops through a project, and is thus richly supplied (Proverbs 13:4). When it comes to an exercise routine, you can spend hours, days, weeks, and even months researching to find one that fits your goals, schedule, and skillset. Which one is the latest and greatest? Which one can help me lose weight? Which one will help me build muscle? Which one can I do at home? Which one costs the less? Even when I design programs, I fall into the same trap. I want to design a program that can hit every goal and every schedule. And thus my planning can turn into an endless journey into endless data. 

I'm learning that effective routines that actually build strength are most often very simple. These routines pick a handful of compound exercises and scale up in weight incrementally over time.For the last month, I have been working through Pavel Tsatsouline's Simple & Sinister kettlebell program. Pavel is often credited with popularizing the kettlebell in the U.S., and his research and programming has heavily influenced how I think about building strength. His Simple & Sinister program uses only 2 exercises:

• Kettlebell Swings

• Turkish Get-Ups

The Simple goal is to be able to use a 32kg kettlebell, and complete 100 1-hand KB swings in 5 minutes, take a 1-minute rest, then complete 10 KB Get-Ups in 10 minutes.The Sinister goal is to be able to use a 48kg kettlebell, and complete 100 1-hand KB swings in 5 minutes, take a 1-minute rest, then complete 10 KB Get-Ups in 10 minutes. And his training program? 100 KB swings and 10 get-ups (5 on each side, 2x), 5-6 days a week. Honestly, I bought the Simple & Sinister book in February, read it, saw this programming, and laughed it off for being too basic. I ended up picking another one of Pavel's programs.In June, after writing, trying, and scrapping what I felt like was the 10th iteration of my own kettlebell program, I realized that I was trying to incorporate too many exercises into a program. I need to recalibrate. I needed something simple. And maybe even something a little sinister.  

So I picked up the Simple & Sinister program and tried it. And it has not disappointed. A month into it, I can rep 32kg get-ups, which is something I have never been able to do. It's not flashy. It's not complex. But it's simple, it's sinister, and it applies the biblical principle of diligence. Regular activity (5-6 days a week), rhythmic motion (100 swings and 10 get-ups), and relentless commitment (until you can complete the simple, and then sinister challenge).A plan that uses diligence as its most basic principle will be effective. Diligence, or ḥārûṣ in Hebrew, carries the idea of incision. Like the use of a sharp tool to split wood, dig a trench, mine for gold, or thresh out train. No shortcuts or quick fixes. Just persistent and focused work. And if diligence is the goal, it will be the result. Proverbs on the diligent worker:

• A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich (Proverbs 10:4)

• The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor (Proverbs 12:24)

• Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth (Proverbs 12:27

• The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied (Proverbs 13:4)

• The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty (Proverbs 21:5)

Swoll With Conceit

A month ago, I shared this content in a past Fit Tip Friday. Since then, I have added to it and posted it in an article, which can be read here. “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self… treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…” – 2 Timothy 3:1-2, 4Summary:The physical results of stewarding your body well are both natural and good. Building muscle and strength through exercise wasn’t an accidental design flaw. This is how our good God created the body.But sin’s pattern is to distort the natural and the good. With conceit, strength is redirected away from the love of God and love of neighbor and is aimed toward love of self.Conceit’s use of strength is actually a neutered version of strength; it no longer serves the productive purpose it was designed for. It might look impressive, but it lacks true efficacy. It looks swoll, but it’s just swoll with conceit.