Welcome to Day 5 of the Faith and Fitness Challenge!
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Hello Challenger -
I can't believe today is the last day of the Challenge! This has been a total blessing to me and so many others taking this Challenge. Like I mentioned, it doesn't have to end here, "Spirit and Muscle Academy" picks up where the Challenge leaves off. I promise to tell you all about it later, but right now let's jump into today's Challenge!
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Faith Challenge: Romans 12:12
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Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.
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Day 5 Devotional: Have you ever noticed how a good fitness program resembles the Christian life? First you hear the good news that your life can be transformed. Your coach beckons, "Follow me and you will have a healthy life." After counting the costs you say yes to your coach, you put your faith in your coach and the program. You pick up your cross, make sacrifices, and follow his example and instructions. Your life begins to change, you look and feel better. Pretty soon you want to tell everyone the good news that their lives can be transformed too. There are challenges along the way, in fitness and in life. But you press on, joyful in hope of reaching your fitness goals AND the hope of eternal life. Patient in affliction of working out hard AND afflictions in your life. Persistent in following your program AND following your Lord.
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Going deeper: Go to Bible Hub and type this verse in the search bar. You will see different translations, cross references and commentaries to give you deeper insight on how you can apply this verse to your life.
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Day 5 Prayer Focus: What prayer is God calling you to be persistent in? Be persistent in it, ask and keep asking, knock and keep knocking, seek and keep seeking. And thank you for praying for this Challenge and all the participants.
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Day 5 - The Triangle of Success - Strategy, Mindset and Community
On today's last live session, I'll show you how to implement these three ingredients into your life to make it nearly impossible to fail in reaching your fitness goals AND your life goals in general!
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Exercise Challenge: Day 5 Legs and Shoulders Focus
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Legs and shoulders, the two large muscle groups we have not hit yet this week. If you are a beginner (have been working out consistently one year or less) after the Challenge I would recommend a full-body workout routine, meaning you would exercise all the major muscle groups in one session. Once you learn all the moves, you can complete a full body workout in an hour or less. In the meantime let's hit legs and shoulders!
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If you have access to a gym or basic workout equipment: Leg Press and Lateral Raises. If you are working out at home: Bodyweight Squats and Soup Can Lateral Raises (skip ahead)
Leg Press: The leg press is a gym machine variation of the squat which uses similar mechanics but is a safer alternative. Load the machine with weight, Sit down and position your feet on the platform about shoulder width apart. Extend your legs and unlock the safeties. Lower the weight until your legs are about 45 degrees, then exhale as you drive the weight back to the starting position by extending the knees. After your last rep re-lock the safeties back into position.
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Beginners: Choose a weight you can do 10-15 reps using slow-and-controlled form. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps. (If you can't do 10 reps, lower the weight. If you can do over 15 reps add weight.) Rest 1-2 minutes between sets.
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Intermediate: Perform one warm up set approximately 75-80% of your working weight, then 2 or 3 work sets of 6-12 reps using slow-and-controlled form. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets. Feel free to add more sets or exercises if you want!
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Advanced: Continue with your regular workout routine for today.
Lateral Raises: This exercise is an effective shoulder strengthening movement. Stand with dumbbells in both hands, feet roughly hip-distance apart. Raise your arms out to each side with your arms almost completely straight. Stop when your arms reach shoulder height, then lower the weight back to the starting position.
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Beginners: Choose a weight you can do 10-15 reps using slow-and-controlled form. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps. (If you can't do 10 reps, lower the weight. If you can do over 15 reps add weight.) Rest 1-2 minutes between sets.
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Intermediate: Perform one warm up set approximately 75-80% of your working weight, then 2 or 3 work sets of 6-12 reps using slow-and-controlled form. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets. Feel free to add more sets or exercises if you want!
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Advanced: Continue with your regular workout routine for today.
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If you are working out at home: Bodyweight Squats and Soup Can Lateral Raises
Bodyweight Squats: The bodyweight squat is just what it sounds like - stand with feet about shoulder width apart, toes slightly pointed out. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hands can be grasped in front of you as you lower. Pause at the bottom, then return to the starting position as you exhale.
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Beginners: Perform 10-15 reps using slow-and-controlled form. Perform 3 sets. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets.
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Intermediate: Perform one warm up set of 10-15 with your body weight, then 2 or 3 work sets using water bottles or equivalent to add a little extra resistance, 10-15 reps using slow-and-controlled form. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets. Feel free to add more sets or exercises if you want!
Soup Can Lateral Raises: This exercise is lateral raises using soup cans (or equivalent) instead of dumbbells. Stand with dumbbells in both hands, feet roughly hip-distance apart. Raise your arms out to each side with your arms almost completely straight. Stop when your arms reach shoulder height, then lower the can back to the starting position.
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Beginners: Perform 10-15 reps using slow-and-controlled form. Perform 3 sets. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets.
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Intermediate: Perform one warm up set of 10-15 reps with soup cans, then 2 or 3 work sets of 10-15 reps using 1 liter water bottles or something a little heavier than soup cans. Use slow-and-controlled form. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets. Feel free to add more sets or exercises if you want!
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Day 5 - Core: The Plank (last time I promise) and The Floor Bridge
It's been about 48 hours since you last did the plank. Your body has recovered and adapted so this time you'll be able to do it for yet 5 or 10 or maybe 15 seconds longer! Remember, your elbows are directly below your shoulders and your forearms are facing forward. Engage your abdominal muscles, drawing your navel toward your spine. Keep your torso straight.
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Beginners: Aim for 5-10 seconds longer than you did last time. Rest 1-2 minutes then repeat.
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Intermediate: Plank for 10-15 seconds longer than you did last time, up to 2 minutes total. Rest 60-90 seconds. Repeat.
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Advanced: Continue with your regular workout routine.
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The Floor Bridge
It's been about 48 hours since you last did the floor bridge. Your body has recovered and adapted so this time you'll be able to do it for 15 or 30 seconds longer! Lie on your back with bent knees and your hands by your side. With your weight on your shoulders and heels, lift up your hips till your torso is straight from your shoulders to your knees.
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Beginners: Aim for 15-30 seconds longer than you did last time, up to 2 minutes total. Rest 1-2 minutes then repeat.
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Intermediate: Do the floor bridge for 15-30 seconds longer than you did last time, up to 2 minutes total. Rest 60-90 seconds. Repeat.
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Advanced: Continue with your regular workout routine.
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Day 5 - Stretching: Legs, Shoulders, Back, Core
Refer to the "Spirit & Muscle Safe Stretching Guide" (pages 3-4 in your Challenge Workbook) for the benefits of stretching and the proper and safe way to stretch.
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Beginners and Intermediate: Since we worked out back and core today, do the following stretches:
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Shoulder Stretch
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Knee-to-Chest Lower Back Stretch
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Cat Back Stretch
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Cobra Abdominal Stretch
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Standing Calf Stretch
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Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
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Standing Quadricep Stretch
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Butterfly Stretch
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Hamstring Stretch
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Advanced: Continue with your regular stretching routine.
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Nutrition Challenge: Day 5 - Plan Ahead - Part 2
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In today's nutrition challenge we're going to take planning what you eat to the next level; meal planning for a whole week! Now don't get overwhelmed, it's more like tentative meal planning with a whole lot of flexibility built in. I just want you to think ahead and be more intentional about what you put into your body, and make sure you have lots of healthy food choices readily available. Some people like to cook all their meals at once and refrigerate or freeze everything. Some cook a few times a week. Others like to cook daily. ALL of these options work! It's completely up to you and your preferences and style.
Day 5 Nutrition Challenge Activity:
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Using the "Weekly Tentative Meal Planning Worksheet" (page 13) from your Challenge Workbook, spend a little time brainstorming and write down some meal ideas for the coming week. To inspire you there's also a list of "Healthy Meal Planning Ideas" in your Workbook (page 14).
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As you jot down your meal ideas, also write down the ingredients that make up that food at the bottom of the Worksheet. For example: if one idea is healthy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, you'd write down: whole grain bread, natural peanut butter, and maybe low-sugar strawberry preserves.
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Once you've completed your tentative meal planning ideas and their ingredients, go through what you already have on hand and what you will need to buy. Transfer the ingredients you need to buy onto the "Shopping List" portion of the Worksheet.
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Now you're ready to go to the market and prepare for a healthy delicious week ahead! Keep your completed Worksheet around for reference during the week (maybe on the refrigerator).
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***When Complete***
When you complete the exercise and nutrition challenges today, don't forget to mark it off in your Challenge Workbook. Share your successes and struggles and pics if you want with the community in our Facebook group!
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Congratulations - Challenge Complete!
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Congratulations you have completed the entire Faith and Fitness Challenge! I trust you have been challenged and encouraged and you now have a positive healthy momentum going! The good news is: it doesn't have to end here! "Spirit and Muscle Academy" picks up where the Challenge leaves off. To learn more click the link below.
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