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This week, we take a look at a very underrated movement pattern and some classic words from the father of the Methodist Church. Enjoy this week’s Power Devo!

I’m in Durham, NC with my dad who is undergoing chemotherapy on his left forearm.  Max has battled skin cancer for almost 10 years and is one tough guy.  As I watch him rest in the bed beside my chair, I’m reminded of how beneficial it is to be strong.  Max farmed his whole life and worked a full-time job at a paper mill.  He was also a US Marine right out of high school and could hunt and fish with the best of them.  These thoughts come to mind when the doctors come in and see him moving around the room and recovering much quicker than anticipated.  He will still have swelling and have to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but I am certain that the toughness he developed over years of just living a challenging life, have prepared him for days like these.

Another random thought is about aging.  It’s rough seeing someone you love get older and struggle.  How did those guys in the Bible live for hundreds of years?  I know that our over-processed burrito pockets are going to kill us, but are we really only capable of living 10% of the capacity of guys who were basically nomads?  Maybe there is something to the Mediterranean diet…

Finally, I can’t believe what doctors eat!  In the cafeteria today, everyone with a white coat had sodas and pizzas.  I know that if I worked in this environment it would only reinforce the need for a clean diet.  Charlotte has a hospital with a Chic-Fil-A in it!  Maybe it’s just to ensure that you will be a repeat customer

Live with Strength,
Jason

What’s a Power Devo, you ask?

Simply a cool 3-4 minute video coming to you each week with a great exercise and a prayer, scripture, thought, or anecdote to inspire you. Check out the first Power Devotion:

- in my name, there I am with them.” (Matthew 18:20)

This is a classic scripture that reminds me of the communal aspect to worship.  We are social creatures and often in order to be held accountable, or for comfort, for support, or just to feel like we belong, we need to be with others when worshipping, praying, or experiencing God.

Training can be the same.  We have made a transition in our personal training business to more of a bootcamp model than one-on-one personal training.  People like sharing the cost and sharing the experience of working hard and getting fit.  It is just more fun to endure something together.

I mentioned my KB Chaos workout and how I exceeded my original goals and got 10 sets of various swings, snatches, clean and presses, and other full-body challenges.  I kept going because I was working out with a friend.  I have this awesome client/friend who demands that I work out with him.  When I ran this program idea by him, he was excited and we had a great time pushing each other during the 90 second sets.  Thanks Scott for your willingness to try something new and explore strength and endurance work with me.  It makes it a lot easier when you have a partner.

If a Rhymer Fitness bootcamp sounds interesting to you, respond to this post.  I encourage you to find some like-minded fitness friends to share with you the journey of health and strength.

God bless,
Jason

My “Kettlebell Chaos” workout went great…but more about that later. I offered an idea about how to stay motivated for your training sessions.  Dedicate your workouts!  Think of someone, something, an anniversary, a special day, an experience that shaped you, or anything else that means a lot to you and dedicate every grunt, sweat bead, and grimace to that one thing.  Your sessions may become a spiritual and emotional experience.

I got that idea 5 years when Tuck Sutton died.  William “Tuck” Sutton (Tuck was short for Kentucky…a nickname he got in the Navy) cussed like a sailor and smoked cigars non-stop, but he had more love in his pinky finger than most men have in their whole bodies.  Tuck was a neighbor to my grandmother and after my parents divorced when I was two, he became an important role model in my life.  He bought me my first ball glove and bicycle.  Later, we watched Braves games together and I could talk to him about everything from how to ask a girl out to where I should go to college.  His opinions on all of life’s tricky decisons were always fair and honest.  You could hear Tuck whistling as soon as he got out of his pick-up and I honestly never saw him sad or depressed.  Most of the people skills I have today I attribute to him.

Tuck passed away in 2003 and during that time I had been doing Pavel Tsatsouline’s Ladder Program with push-ups and pull-ups.  I would set the timer for 20 minutes and perform 1 pull-up then 3 push-ups, 2 pull-ups and 6 push-ups, 3 pull-ups and 9 push-ups ( I think you get the idea).  When you “climb the ladder” as far as you can, start back at 1 and 3; 2 and 6, etc.  My PR (personal record) up to that point was 64 pull-ups and 192 push-ups.  But this day would be different.

I started the session with a prayer thanking God for Tuck’s life and what he meant to me.  Tears were already rolling, but I started the timer and got busy.  I started thinking about how he had shown me God’s love without ever preaching to me or judging me.  Pull-up…push-up.  I remembered how he taught me to whittle a skinny tree limb and put a little apple that had fallen off the tree on the end of the stick and launch them across the open pasture behind his house.  Wipe the tears…and the sweat.  I remembered how he took me into the local dime store and “broke my shyness” by asking the young cashiers if they would give me a hug.  Pull-up…push-up.  I remembered how he was always there for me with the right words at the right time.  Keep going…one more rep for Tuck!

When the timer beeped and I tallied the numbers, I hit 72 pull-ups and 216 push-ups in 20 minutes.   But more than that, I said good-bye to a friend in a very healing and healthy way for me.

Dedicate your workouts and let me know how they go.

By the way…I planned on 5-8 sets for the “KB Chaos” yesterday…I got 10!  Actually, “we” got 10 and I’ll tell you more tomorrow…

Jason