God has spoken the following to me, and I pass it on to you, "The punishment of America has been decreed. It cannot be turned back. Privation and hunger are determined. America the proud will be debased. And with the church which calls itself by My name, I am especially furious. The earthly church which has cast its lot with those who cried out for the crucifixion of My Son will be burned as stubble. This is only the first punishment. Repent not, and the trumpets of Revelation will sound." (December 29, 2006)
A few minutes every other day is all you need to build strength and endurance, add vitality to your life, and sculpt a good muscular physique. A streamlined three-day routine, and a sensible nutrition regimen, will lift you up. The exercises can be performed at home with a minimum of equipment. They will strengthen all your major muscle groups, exercise your heart, and give you more zest for the rest of your day. It will make you look better, feel healthier, and give you a more radiant quality. In fact, you will begin noticing changes in your physique within only a week or two. Pure aerobic training does little for the way you look except to make you thinner. Whereas this combination of muscle building, aerobic training, and healthy nutrition, will drastically improve your appearance.
This routine is based on the philosophy that the body needs hard, vigorous exercise. But the body doesn't need a lot. It's a form of high intensity training. An hour and a half of exercise a week is plenty to help make you strong and healthy.
It is very important to remember a few basic principles when performing this streamlined routine:
First, you only need to do one set of each exercise. Supersets are OK if you're into heavy training, but are generally unnecessary for most people. But do each exercise until exhaustion. Doing one set of pushups until your arms won’t lift you one more time, is nearly as effective for muscle development as performing multiple sets of pushups. Now, if you are like me, and you get addicted to the endorphin high which comes from going for the burn, go ahead and do that second set. But normally stop after that. Too many sets will totally drain you and could cause injury.
Second, go from exercise to exercise fairly quickly to keep your heart beating fast. The Day 1 and Day 2 routines are designed to develop muscular endurance and aerobic capacity as well as strength.
Third, be very careful with your joints when exercising. Use nice smooth motions. Don’t jerk or bounce. If you feel your knees or elbows hurting, stop immediately. You want your joints to serve you well into old age. Don’t tear them up.
Fourth, don't overtrain. If you're worn out for the rest of the day, you've overdone it. Overtraining tears you down. It weakens your immune system and can cause you to get one cold after another. Too much training gives poorer results than more moderate training. Overtraining takes energy away from your other pursuits. And the constant fatigue reduces the quality of your life. Plus, if you overtrain, there's a good chance you'll get sick of working out, and you'll just quit for good.
To avoid overtraining, take enough rest days. A day of rest between each exercise day is a good idea. Your muscles grow when they recuperate. If not allowed to recuperate, they may cease growing. Three days of exercise each week may seem like too little to some. But God did not design our bodies to be stressed day in and day out without rest. You need a balance of work and rest.
Fifth, you don’t always need a huge amount of weight. Most exercises in the Balanced Way routine rely solely on your body weight. For those requiring dumbbells, don't pack on plate after plate. By using less weight, you can do more repetitions, and get a good aerobic benefit from your workout. Training your muscles to lift medium weights for about eight to 30 reps will increase endurance and serve you better during work and play.
On the other hand, training your muscles to lift a large weight one or two times has less practical value. And using too much weight greatly increases the chance of serious injury. Especially for those of us who are middle aged. In fact, powerlifting can be dangerous if not done correctly. For instance, heavy deadlifts done with perfect form may never hurt you. But slip once and use bad form; you may damage your back for life. And the constant strain of lifting too much can wear down your joints over time.
You may at times wish to place more emphasis on strength than on muscular endurance. When you do so, you can do one-arm pushups rather than two-arm pushups. You can add extra weight to the dumbbells. You can strap weight to youself when doing dips, pullups, etc. Be careful, though, to avoid injury. And don't get away from muscular endurance and aerobic training for too long. I've heard of extremely powerful men who become fatigued just mowing their lawn because they have no endurance. You want effective strength you can use in everyday life. For instance, say some neocons come to arrest you because you use your website to criticize them. You want to be able pounce on them in an instant and beat them up.
Sixth, generally perform any exercise movement fairly fast, as long as you don’t start bouncing, and as long as you are still getting a full range of motion. Train your muscles the way you want to use them during work and play. For instance, if you were lifting and carrying 50 pound bags of landscape rock or beating up neocons, you would not lift the bags in slow motion, nor would you punch in slow motion. Therefore, don’t do slow motion exercises. Do them fairly fast. (There is an alternative method which many find effective: Lift the weight quickly, and let it down slowly.)
Seventh, a strong word of caution: Never stop breathing while lifting, you could literally pass out and drop a weight on yourself. Many years ago, when I was in high school, I stopped breathing as I strained to do one more military press. Fortunately, I was using a weight machine and not free weights, because I blacked out, fell to my knees, and pounded my head against the floor as I convulsed. Being only 17 at the time, I thought it was funny. But it could have been serious.
Above all else, use common sense. If you are out of shape, don’t do the exercises to exhaustion. Wait until you are ready. And if need be, don’t do the entire routine; just part of it until you feel yourself getting back into shape. And, definitely, consult your doctor first if you have any medical conditions or concerns.
Day 1 - Upper Body
(Note: The Upper Body routine is geared towards men. Women should pare down the number of upper body exercises and do only those which they are comfortable with. And for men as well, don't feel compelled to do all the exercises. There are a large number listed. Pick the ones you like best and do the others as you wish.)
Pushups
Pushups are one of the best all around exercises for you arms, shoulders and chest. Place your hands about two feet apart, give or take a few inches, and keep your back and legs straight, while lowering and lifting yourself with nice, smooth motions. Get down far enough for your stomach to almost touch the floor. To work your forearms, do pushups on your fists rather than your palms. Note: If you cannot do a regular pushup, rest the weight of your lower body on your knees instead of your toes.
If you wish to further challenge yourself, do elevated pushups in which you place your toes on a chair or step. Even more difficult is the one-arm pushup. You may need to place your feet a little farther apart to balance yourself, but not any wider than absolutely necessary. The one arm you are using will need to be brought in a little towards the middle of your body. But be careful that you are not placing too much pressure on your spine as you lift yourself. If you are, it is because you are reverting to bad form to complete the pushup. This may be an indication that you are not quite ready for this exercise.
Chair Pushups
Place two identical chairs a comfortable distance apart. Place each hand on a chair and your feet on the floor. Let yourself down as far as you can, and then raise yourself up until your arms are fully extended. This type of pushup will increase the definition of your pecs and triceps.
Side Bent Arm Lifts with a Dumbbell
If there is one piece of exercise equipment you should buy, it is a set of dumbbells. You can use them to exercise almost any muscle in the body. They don’t take up much room. And they are relatively inexpensive.
For the side bent arm lift, hold the dumbbell to one side, with the weight resting against your thigh, while you are in a standing position. Then lift the dumbbell towards your armpit. Lower the weight, and repeat as many times as you can. When you are done, switch to the other arm.
Shoulder Shrugs
Stand in the same position as the side bent arm lift. But keep your arm straight, and lift the weight by shrugging your shoulder. Shoulder shrugs will develop your deltoids.
Bent Over Shoulder Shrugs
Lean forward with one hand against a chair or bench to keep your balance. Grab a dumbbell with the other hand and lift it by shrugging your shoulder back. Keep your elbow locked and your arm straight. Do it as many times as you can. Switch off and work your other arm.
Bicep Curls
Hold a dumbbell in front of you with one hand and your palm facing up. Lift the weight toward your chest and shoulder, and then lower it. As you tire, take caution not to bounce the weight, or to twist your back in an awkward position in an effort to keep lifting the dumbbell. For variety, try hammer curls. Hold the dumbbell at your side, with the palm of your hand facing your thigh. As your curl the weight, keep your palm facing your body. Don't turn your palm up as you would with a regular bicep curl.
Pullups
If you have a pullup bar available, pullups are great for developing the triceps and lats. (I use the underside of the unfinished steps to my basement for pullups.) If you can’t do a regular pullup, let your feet rest on the floor or a chair to absorb some of your weight.
Dips
Dips develop your triceps and chest. If you have parallel bars available, lift yourself off the ground with one hand on each bar. Then lower yourself as far as you can without stressing your elbows, and then lift yourself back up. If no parallel bars are available, take two identical chairs and set them up so that they are about two feel apart and facing each other. Sit between them and place one hand on each chair. Lift yourself up and down as many times as you can. Let your outstretched feet rest on the floor for balance.
Single Chair Dips
Place your hands behind you on the edge of a chair and lower yourself to the floor and lift yourself back up. This is excellect for the triceps.
Tricep Pushups
Place your hands close together on a step or a chair which is positioned in front of you. Your hands will be positioned a few inches in front of your head. Your legs will be extended out straight and your toes will be resting on the floor as with a regular pushup. Lower yourself down as far as you can comfortably. The pressure should be on your triceps, not your chest and shoulders.
Seated Dumbbell Presses
Either straddle a weight bench, or sit on the floor with your back resting against a bed or sofa for support. Lift the dumbbell overhead with one arm as many times as you can. Then switch to the other side.
Seated dumbbell presses are better than standing presses. You can’t cheat by bouncing your legs, and seated presses avoid the strain on your spine which can occur with standing presses.
Bent Over Rows
Lean forward with one hand against a chair or bench to keep your balance. Grab a dumbbell with the other hand and lift it towards your chest and stomach as many times as you can. Switch off and work your other arm.
Forearm Exercises
There are a wide variety of exercises for the grip and forearm. Take a dumbbell in your hand and rest your arm on your knee, with your hand facing down. Then raise and lower the dumbbell by moving your wrist. (This is called a wrist curl.) Now do the same, but with your hand facing up. (This is called a wrist extension.) You can then strengthen your hand by using a V-shaped grip exerciser. You could also try reverse curls in which you curl a dumbbell with your palm facing down. And as mentioned earlier, pushups done on the the fists, work the forearms. Doing pushups on your fingertips will strengthen the digits themselves.
Indian club-style exercises for the forearms: An Indian club looks like a big bowling pin. You grab the clubs by the neck and swing them around in various directions. I personally use dumbbells in place of Indian clubs. I have a pair of high-quality dumbbells with self-locking collars. These dumbbells have extra thick handles which make them well suited for forearm work. I place a plate at the very end of each dumbbell and leave the other end free of any plates. I grab the free ends of the dumbbells, one in each hand. (Don't try this with a cheap pair of dumbbells. The end plate may go flying off the bar.)
To peform the exercise, hold your arms fairly straight. Swing both arms at once in a huge circular motion while holding the free end of each dumbbell. Then reverse direction. These movements work the forearms, shoulders, traps and upper back. Next, with your arms straight, swing the dumbbells up and over your head. Then let them drop down behind your head towards your shoulders by bending your elbows. Repeat multiple times.
You can also work your wrists by holding the two dumbbells at your sides. In this exercise, hold the free end of each dumbbell with the weighted end dangling downward. Use wrist motions to twist the dumbbells forward, backwards and to the side. This is a great forearm workout.
Finally, you can strengthen your pinching strength by holding one or more smooth barbell plates between your fingers and thumb. While holding the plates from the top, lift them up and down, swing them back and forth, etc., as long as you don't drop them.
If developing hand and forearm strength is an important goal for you, you may choose to add a fourth day to your weekly workout routine in which you do nothing but forearm work.
Handstand Pushups
Handstand pushups is an advanced exercise. It is one of the most powerful and effective exercises you can do for your upper body. I normally make it the first exercise in my routine. And since I do handstand pushups, I normally dispense with seated dumbbell presses. In the easier version, simply stand on your hands with your feet balanced against a wall. Raise yourself up and down, touching the top of your head against the floor.
- If you cannot do a handstand pushup, try jackknife pushups. Get in a regular pushup position, but walk your hands down closer to your feet, with your rear high in the air. With your knees locked, do pushups by lowering the top of your head to the floor. -
Once you have mastered the easier version of handstand pushups, try elevated handstand pushups. You will need two objects of equal height to place your hands on while doing the handstand pushups. Two chairs placed about 18 inches apart will do. But make sure that the two chairs or whatever objects you choose are completely secure. Any objects which might tip over or slip out of position could result in falling and severe injury. As you lower yourself, go down as far as you are able. You will find that elevated handstand pushups are far more difficult than the easier version because they allow for a much fuller range of motion.
You could also experiment with forearm-stand pushups. Instead of standing on your hands, balance yourself on your forearms. While still on your forearms, push yourself up until your head is off the floor. Alternately move your head and shoulders towards your elbows and then back towards your hands.
Day 2 - Lower Body
(Note: Women may choose to do the Lower Body routine twice a week and do only a shortened version of the Upper Body routine.)
Deep Knee Bends
Stand with your hands on your hips and place your feet a comfortable distance apart. Squat down and then stand back up until you reach muscle failure. Each time, lower yourself as far as you can go, but don't bounce since you don’t want to put any undue stress on your knees. A full range of motion, though, I believe is actually good for the knees, and can relieve stiffness and pain.
Also, since the three-day routine contains more upper body exercises than lower body, lets hit different parts of your quadriceps by bringing your feet closer together until your knees are touching, and then by moving your feet much farther apart and pointing your toes outward. In all, you will do three sets of deep knee bends, each time doing them to the point of fatigue.
Calf Raises
Lean against a wall for balance and lift yourself up on your toes for as many reps as you can. Like knee bends, hit the different parts of the muscle by pointing your toes in different directions.
Reverse Calf Raises
This is another calf exercise. Position yourself on the edge of a step. Your heels will be on the step while the front of your foot will extend beyond the step. Repeatedly raise your toes as high as you can while keeping your heels on the step.
Leg Pullups
Lie on your back with your knees tucked in and your feet position on top of a sofa or chair. Use your legs to lift your butt as high off the ground as you can. This exercise will strengthen your butt and hamstrings.
One-Leg Deep Knee Bends
This an advanced exercise. Hold onto a chair for balance, and do deep knee bends on one leg at a time. The leg not being exercised should be held out in front of you.
Glutes
Women wanting to emphasize the posterior can use variations of the leg pullups. Do them with your feet propped up high and also with your feet flat on the floor. Do them with your feet close together and far apart. The whole while, contract your glutes as much as possible. In fact, to get the maximum glute workout, contract your glutes during every lower body exercise.
Women can also do back leg extensions for the glutes. Hold onto a chair or other object while standing straight. Stretch your right leg back and upwards as far as you can while contracting your glutes. Do the same for the left leg. These can also be done while laying face down on the floor.
Abs
(To be done at least three times a week.)
Note: Contract your abdominals during all three exercises to get the maximum benefit.
Reverse Crunches
Hold your hands behind your head and hold your legs up, knees bent, with your feet hanging down, a few inches off the floor. Then draw your elbows and knees together while contracting your abs.
Vertical Crunches
Lie on your back with your feet extended straight up in the air, your ankles crossed and your kees slightly bent. Alternatively, you can cross your legs Indian style and prop them up on a sofa or chair. Place your hands on your stomach or behind your head or on your knees, whichever feels more comfortable, and lift your head and shoulders a few inches off the ground by bending towards your knees. (Your lower back, though, will never leave the ground.) Squeeze your abs as you perform the exercise.
Spring-Ups
This is a great exercise which I devised myself. It may be a little awkward until you get the hang of it, but it will really work your abs.
Sit on the ground and place a pillow immediately behind you. Lie down on your back, with the pillow underneath your hips. Roll back onto your upper back and shoulders as you extend your feet straight into the air toward the ceiling. Your hips will be raised off the ground. At the same time, extend your elbows outward, and hold onto the pillow for support. Now, here is the ab exercise: spring up a couple of inches or so as you aim your feet toward the ceiling. Do this repeatedly until you tire. If you are doing it correctly, you will get a burning sensation in your abs.
Day 3 - Interval Training
Wait until you are in good shape to start the interval training. This is demanding, and if you are not ready for it, it could give you a heart attack. Work up to it. Once you are ready, interval training will take you to a higher level of fitness. Interval training can take many forms. But, basically, it is akin to doing wind sprints.
Here is a form of interval training which I like. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Begin marching with your knees coming almost chest high. At the same time, press the dumbbells overhead in an explosive manner. Trust me, if you are using heavy enough dumbbells, after about thirty seconds, you'll be hurting bad.
Take a rest. Now this time, with a dumbbell in each hand, do fairly fast squats. Squat down, but not so far that you hurt your knees. You can swing the dumbbells forward and slightly upward to put additional pressure on your quads. Then spring up until your legs are extended and you are on the tips of your toes. (Don't jump. If you do, you will end up with some sore knees.) When you come up, pull the dumbbells up towards your armpits. Again, after about thirty seconds, you'll be hurting. Don't be surprised if you are rolling on the floor groaning in pain between sets. These are designed to hurt. But will they ever get you into shape.
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These are a few basic exercises which will hit all the major muscle groups. You can add more variations with the dumbbells if you wish to fine tune your workout.
- As a side point while on the subject of muscularity, the Shroud of Turin shows that Jesus was a very muscular man. He had long, thick arms and a powerful chest. His muscularity was the result of a lifetime of hard physical labor. He was also very lean due to a simple diet of fish, unleavened bread, wine, figs, olives and various other fruits and vegetables. (The Mediterranean diet) Being a poor man from the Jewish peasant class, He did not eat beef, cakes and candies. And, obviously, He did not eat pork.-
It is also important to add stretching to your workout regimen. In Balanced Way Fitness, use what I call "yawn stretching." This isn't the kind of hard stretching you may have done for high school sports. It is more gentle and less likely to damage a muscle, but just as effective for healthy living. In essence, stretch the same way you do when taking a big yawn. Stretch out your arms, neck, shoulders, torso and legs nice and gently. Hold the position a few seconds, and then leg go. Yawn stretching helps to prevent injuries, reduce back pain and improve circulation.
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Now, a word about diet. Good nutrition is key to getting the best results from your workout program. Eat a well-balanced diet, consisting heavily of protein sources such as lean meat and skim milk. If you are going to build muscle, you need protein. I like to drink a whey protein shake after each workout. I mix the protein powder in a blender with skim milk, a banana or two, and two raw eggs.
You also need to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, plus whole wheat breads and pastas. And avoid fad diets like the plague, whether it be a vegetarian regime or some all-meat diet. In my opinion, you should stay away from the Atkins diet. You need carbs for energy. If you don't get enough carbs, you're going to be weak, mean and cranky.
A healthy well-balanced diet will improve the way you look and feel, as well as enhance your health. And with any well-balanced diet, you will limit your intake of saturated fat. But remember that you still need fat in your diet. Just make sure it is the right kind of fat; the unsaturated kind. To get this good kind of fat in your diet, use extra virgin olive oil in place of butter and margerine. The unsaturated fat of olive oil is good for you, helping to reduce LDL (the bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (the good cholesterol). Whereas, a diet too low in fat can actually lead to high cholesteral and blood triglyceride levels. Essential fats are also important for the absorption of various vitamins. Other good sources of fat include peanuts, cashews, mayonnaise, canola oil, oil-based salad dressings and avocados.
And it's a good idea to take a one-a-day multi-vitamin. It can be tough getting all the vitamins and minerals you need from your diet alone. Additional mega-doses of the antioxidant vitamins C, E, and the Bs may help protect you against cancer, heart disease and strokes. You can also get strong antioxidants from both green and black tea.
Also, go easy on fried foods and sugar. And, importantly, make water your drink of choice. Your kidneys and liver function better when well-hydrated. And a well-functioning liver helps you burn fat more efficiently. Don't drown yourself with water. But make sure you don't go without and drink too little.
If your goal is to lose weight, there is one word you must remember, and that is "patience". You cannot lose fat quickly. So don't try to starve yourself. Your body will just fight back by going into starvation mode whereby it slows down its fat-burning metabolism.
Here is the best way to lose weight. Increase your metabolism through exercise. As you put on muscle, your metabolism will speed up. Reduce your calories moderately, primarily by cutting out all junk food - but do not starve yourself. Eat several times a day in smaller amounts, starting with breakfast. Eating several small meals will help keep your metabolism higher. Drink plenty of water. If you're patient, you will slim down over the course of weeks and months. And remember, you may be losing fat even if you are not losing weight. If you are building muscle, but not gaining weight, then the new muscle is coming at the expense of fat.
Above all, eat sensibly. The problem with yo-yo dieters is that they adopt self-tormenting, hermit in the wilderness diets which they cannot possibly stick with. After losing weight, they binge out, and gain it all back. Instead, adopt a healthy diet you can live with for life. Don't become an ascetic. Don't keep a calorie journal and become obsessive-compulsive about food. That's no way to live. Don't listen to magical thinkers who propose weird food combinations as a means of quick weight loss or who tell you that you can't eat carbs and proteins together. Just eat sensibly.
By the way, if you are diabetic or have other health concerns, please follow the advice of your doctor.
The place of the body in spirituality must also be considered. God created us to be spiritual/physical beings. We are not like the angels who were created as "ministering spirits". The body is part of our total being. That is why the Bible teaches the resurrection. If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then your soul goes to be with Christ at the time of the death of your body. (2 Corinthians 5:8) However, it is not our destiny to remain as ghosts throughout eternity. The body will be reclaimed and reunited with the soul at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
"So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15: 42-44)
The spiritual body will be a body free of the sin nature and the curse of death. These bodies will be perfect in all ways, as was the body of the Lord Jesus after His Resurrection from the tomb. God the Father does not have a body. God the Holy Spirit does not have a body. But God the Son does have a body. And if we are saved, we will know Jesus Christ face to face forever.
Knowing that our bodies are holy, we must treat them with respect. The Apostle Paul said:
"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make [them] the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (I Corinthians 6:15-20)
If you are in Christ, the Lord has not only claimed your soul. He has also claimed your body as holy. Therefore, live a clean life and do nothing to dishonor the body which God gave you. Paul wrote his friend Timothy, "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." (I Timothy 4:8)
But what if you are not in Christ? The Apostle Paul said:
"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:8-10)
God created you to live for Him. You can never be a complete and fulfilled human being apart from Jesus Christ. Confess Him as Lord and ask Him into your heart. If you do, He will save you, and give you the gift of eternal life.
Luke 22:36 Then said He [the Lord Jesus] unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
The Lord so commanded. Therefore, do not argue. Every Christian man, and even woman, should own a gun and know how to use it. Gun control laws do not matter. In Christ's day, the Romans made it illegal for subject peoples to own swords. But, yet, Christ commanded His followers to be prepared for their own self-defense. And it is He Who must be obeyed, not man.
Are you a ready to fight for Christian Civilization?
