You’ve been disciplined, you’ve trained, strategically planned, sacrificed, traveled and now you’re standing at the beginning of the course as you’re introduced (on national television no less) to run the race of your life. You know where you failed last time but you want it bad and you’re not just a ninja warrior – you’re THE ninja warrior with a firm grip on giving all your anxiety to God. Watch this video to see – is it enough to get your first buzzer?

HOLD ON

What’s it like to have victory slip through your fingers? More importantly, what do you do about it? Ninja Addy Herman from Massachusetts shares, “One season was very rough. I had trained harder than ever and I was getting second place at every single competition. It was at that time that my identity shifted. My identity was so into my sport that when I failed I considered myself a failure. I wrote down a prayer: God, win or lose, this is for your glory. Help me be a light to other people, bring joy to other people, and have true peace because this is a gift and platform you’ve given me. This is now my mindset at every competition and in life. God doesn’t want our perfection. He want’s us to come to him at any time with our flaws. He wants us to persist, hold on to him and make him our identity.”

LISTEN TO OUR FULL INTERVIEW WITH ADDY HERMAN

WHEN PICTURE PERFECT LEADS TO QUESTIONS

Herman had what many may think would be the perfect start to a good life. She was raised in a loving Christian home from birth. But, we’re all human and human nature causes us to question God. By age 12 that’s what she was doing. However she learned that God would use her questioning, “I learned it’s OK to question God.” Through her questioning, she found one Bible verse from the book of Job that really shifted things for her spiritually. It says, I’ve heard of you [God] by the hearing of the ear but now my eyes see you. Now I know you. When she read that she really started to understand that she had heard a lot of the Bible and gained a lot of Bible knowledge but what God wanted for her was to experience the deeper relationship of Him being her loving father.

HOW WELL DO YOU SPEAK ‘NINJA’?

The ninja culture, like many sports and the fitness culture too, is filled with terms that might leave you wondering, “What are they saying?” If you’re going to be a ninja then you might want to get familiar with these 5 terms and a whole lot more. Addy gives you the definition and then provides you with a bonus for each – a Christian faith context for the term. Get these down and you’ll be on your way to swinging with the best of them – or at least you’ll be speaking the same language! [Just tap the + to expand each term and reveal the definition and faith context. Tap again to collapse.]

GOD NEVER FAILS AND ALWAYS CALLS YOU TO MORE

That more isn’t more for you it is more for others. Listen to our full interview with Addy and hear how her passion for the sport of ninja has opened doors for her to fulfill the greater purpose of being obedient to God’s calling in her life. She looks for opportunities to minister to others. That can be with other ninja competitors through conversation, mentoring, encouragement and prayer. And she’s also finding God open doors for her to serve along others among those who would otherwise never get to experience the joys of the sport.

She worked with New Hope Initiative and traveled to Sierra Leone in West Africa to build a ninja course for children at a mission there. As much as she is passionate about doing ninja herself, it is when she gets to minister to others that she discovers a richer vision for her life and a greater purpose. You’ll want to subscribe to her YouTube channel so you can watch even more of her videos as she adds them.

THE MANY ELEMENTS OF PERSISTENCE

Think about it. A ninja course is just a single course with many different elements. In much the same way God takes a concept like persistence and works in you many different ways to live a full lifestyle in Him. Take a look at just some of the ways the Bible can speak to you about persistence. Dig deeper into the Bible regularly and we’re confident you’ll find even more.

PERSISTENCE IS BUILT IN THE ‘PRESS ON’: I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. When you watch a ninja compete one of the most compelling aspects of the course is that it has multiple different obstacles back to back. Finishing one part is accomplished by pressing into the next one. The successful ninja knows what is ahead, anticipates what is needed and moves accordingly. It’s not just strength and endurance it is also knowledge. This is true for living life. Having knowledge and wisdom from God is critical to press on in life.

PERSISTENCE ACCESSES EXTRAORDINARY POWER: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Ask Addy and she’ll tell you that every ninja is highly motivated and driven to succeed. So, what’s the difference for a ninja who has Christ in the center of her or his life? It’s God’s Spirit. That’s not some mystical presence and it’s certainly not a self-manufactured mindset. Living in tune with God’s Spirit is THE game changer to not just be hopeful but to abound in hope. Hope in God has no limits.

PERSISTENCE HUMBLY CELEBRATES THAT EYES ARE ON YOU: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. One of the strengths the show American Ninja Warrior has leveraged to become a successful television show is to show the connection the athlete has to others. When Addy competes you’ll see close ups of her family in the stands cheering her with all they have. She has a fan base too AND an even larger television audience. While we see family, fans and audience, God’s sees “so great a cloud of witnesses” and wants you to see that too. It’s why persistence in faithfulness to Christ is important. They’re not just watching what you do and how you do it, they’re being shaped by your personal living testimony – your example. They are gaining faith in God as they witness you persistently holding fast to God.

PERSISTENCE MEANS RESILIENCE: We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. We all need resilience to get up, brush off the fail, refocus on God and move forward to the fullness of what God has for each of us. Recognize that you’re in the world but not of it. That means you’ll go through life like everyone else, no exemptions from the challenges and failures. But your resilience is empowered with more than your own self-determination. It can be strong on a solid foundation of God’s grace and wisdom. With that you can persist like no other!

WANT MORE?

Here is Addy’s Get To Know Me video and a song on how God sees perfection.

The post Persistence > Perfection appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

Music in this recording: You by LiQWYD | https://www.liqwydmusic.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

The post Addy Herman – Persistence>Perfection AUDIO appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

You’ll want to watch the video above BUT if you’re on the way to the gym or CrossFit box, prepping a meal, doing cardio, or simply chilling then we have this AUDIO version just for you.

Be sure to check out her full feature story in Faith & Fitness Magazine.

The post Muscle Up With Rebecca Shingledecker – AUDIO appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

OK, ‘we got it’ your garage is that place where you throw everything and forget about it. We want to help you finally clean out that garage and make it the space you never knew it could be.  Beyond making space for extra storage, a spare room, and man cave or she shed, garage gym owners are training more than muscles. They’re building spiritual strength to be warriors for Christ.

I WANT ONE OF THOSE

Garage gyms are nothing new but how they look and feel and what you do in them have really evolved.

In the SuburbanMen article, 17 Amazing Garage Gym Ideas, Gregory Baugher says, “The garage gym has set the new standard in turning an old (and often unused) space into nothing short of a luxury sports club.” Truly the designs are impressive. They underscore how more people than ever before are embracing their personal space (and heavily investing in it) to transform it into what they enjoy doing and value most.

While you may want to convert your fixer-upper garage into a state of the art gym, like many, you may find it comes with a hefty price tag. The good news is that you don’t have to dump a ton of money into designing and equipping your garage gym. Beyond basic body weight and core training that require no equipment you can use existing home garage items as alternative gym gear. Beyond that you can gradually grow the equipment you have beginning with basic and affordable items.

Even better news is that as you create a space where family, friends, neighbors, co-workers (and everyone else who hears about it) can gather to workout, zone out, talk, chill and find sanctuary from all life throws at them, it naturally becomes a place of fellowship, learning, encouragement, worship and celebration – all things people identify as what they want in a church.

GARAGE GYM CHURCH – IS THAT REALLY A THING?

Yeah! And if you build it not only will they come but guess who may be the “ordained” priest of your iron pit temple? You! If you’re thinking there’s no way that’ll happen at least consider this: it’s your place and your passion. It needs your vision and your stewardship. God can give you both AND also give you the attitude to make it work righteously (both literally and figuratively).

Mitch Muller, founder of Kingdom Fit Academy and contributor to Faith & Fitness Magazine in this video describesthat attitude this way:

How can I be powerful when I’m just an average man? I go through the training, I put in the time, but I can’t help but thinking that maybe there’s something more. Maybe this is a sign that I can become greater than this puddle of sweat on the gym floor.

YOU WANT ME TO DO A BIBLE STUDY?

Well heck, try it. It’s not that hard to do. But if you need some help, Brian Tome, Pastor of Crossroads Church and Founder of Man Camp has Garage Bible Study videos already made that you can use.

The post It’s In The Garage appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

We visited Jungle Gym, spoke with founder Jason Bergstrom and his team and not only tried out the gear but learned how the Christian faith is central to all they do. Below is the video interview we did with them. Watch it to get immersed in the full ecosystem of Jungle Gym.

It’s a welcoming environment that’s fun for everyone! Release your inner Ninja and get swinging with beginners all the way to pro-level athletes. Jump into the world of Parkour and learn to leap beyond the limits you think you have. Stretch yourself with kick-boxing and strike against the ordinary. Even the weight training goes beyond tame with a whole range of multidimensional exercises.

And – if you think that learning to navigate obstacles, gaining technique to overcome challenges and pushing your limits is only about how you swing, jump, kick and train you’ll be pleased to discover that this jungle is a safe place to build friendships. Here you can get coaching for life and a community where your spirit can thrive. In fact if you want to find a church community where people are active spiritually every bit as much as they are physically, Jungle Gym is it.

Jungle Gym in Pinellas Park, Florida is a 14,600 Square foot air conditioned facility with training for both kids and adults. Programs include:

• Kid and adult ninja classes
• Parkour
• weight training classes
• OCR (Obstacle Course Racing)
• Ninja competitions
• Personal training
• Kickboxing

Looking for the traditional functional fitness equipment? Jungle Gym Untamed has free weights, benches, bands, balls, mats, TRX … yep, all the stuff you expect in a gym and more. But Jungle Gym also has a ‘few’ ways to train that may be new to you: Warped Walls, Cliffhanger, Unstable Bridge, Flywheels, Battering Rams, Windchimes, Floating Monkey Bars, Shelf Grab, Waverunner, Lightening Bolts, Cannonball Alley and more — quite a few!

Take a tour and see for yourself how this gym has something for everyone.

Jungle Gym started in Jason and Kathy Bergstrom’s back yard. He was inspired by the show American Ninja Warrior for Jason and his son to train. They watched some videos to learn how to build a few obstacles . The fun they had training led to them starting a Meetup group so that others could come and train. That led to training plus breakfast and as you may imagine the community that formed all kept growing from there.

This wasn’t just a cool idea that gained momentum and flourished beyond a wild adventure. This community happened as they desired to be faithful and pursued the unique way God wanted to be part of their family’s daily lifestyle.

Jason and Kathy share all about how it started and grew in this video:

EVERYONE WANTS AND NEEDS COMMUNITY

Ministry at Jungle Gym starts with community, creating relationships and then sharing faith through a common interest which is fitness. Jason Bergstrom shares, “Ninja is lower on the priority of what we do even though that is our bread and butter. We just love seeing people come together and that has enabled us to have a lot of faith conversations as well.”

Often parents bring their children to do Ninja training. While there and casual dialogue can become meaningful discussions. In some instances that can lead to people getting to know God and families coming to the gym for church. The Jungle Gym team knows that when people come together opportunities naturally arise for conversations related to faith. They share that passion.

SEEK GOD TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS ON A DEEPER LEVEL THROUGH FITNESS

Before Jungle Gym, volunteer youth worker Ian Pastor already had experience working with high school aged students. In 2020 he and Kiahley Bergstrom developed a youth program for Jungle Gym Untamed (the weight room). Ian actually paid for some of the students’ strength training memberships. Why? Ian explains, “I wanted them committed. I wanted them to know the Lord.” Then, when gyms had to close because of Covid they took the program and the youth to a local park. Their heart for the youth was much more than coaching good physical skills, they we’re being used by God to grow a deeper level of connectedness.

It’s not rocket science to connect with others more deeply. Seek God to see opportunities and then connect in relevant, helpful and meaningful ways:

– Engage in conversations, ask questions and listen.

– Offer assistance and tips for the exercise, sport or activity being done.

– Meet a specific and practical need like a meal, membership assistance, or helping with a task.

– Take time to pray with the person.

PEOPLE VALUE WISE INSTRUCTION. USE THE BIBLE AS A KEY RESOURCE.

What many saw as a devastating challenge (the Covid shutdown) they saw as an incredible opportunity for ministry. Kiahley Bergstrom and Ian wanted the youth to continue to have a community. They did the training in the park for free. But the training wasn’t the only thing free. They always offered something about Jesus. It might be a short message or a conversation about some issue. Often though they simply shared a Bible verse – instruction that the youth found valuable.

Kiahley notes, “Through that we wanted them to have just a taste of what we are about. They were coming to us for sports not church. [But] we let them know, ‘if you have questions we want to talk to you.’”

That offer led to a lot of talking that was undeniably genuine and heartfelt.

PATIENCE AND FAITHFULNESS BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS

Nicholi Idzinski says, “We would always have questions like our personal struggles and personal issues.” Kiahley and Ian became more than role models – they were mentors.

He continues, “They would always use their knowledge about God and use their faith to explain to us how to go about it. It really started planting seeds. At first I was going [just] to build my physical stature. But they were growing us in wisdom weather we knew it or not.”

Fitness ministry is often a very personal interaction. The often highly regarded measurable results of a ‘salvation experience’ leading to a profession of faith and then baptism (the potential outcome) can’t be prioritized over the patient and faithful journey of building relationships.

FAMILIARITY CREATES FRIENDSHIPS THAT FOSTER TRUST

Working out, being active or at least moving in some way or another is a very familiar thing to just about everyone. From childhood through to adulthood we move. Exercise is part of the God design for humans – without it we experience atrophy. On the other hand a relationship with God is often not perceived as equally necessary. For many in fact it’s strange.

Grady Idzinski candidly admits, “I really wasn’t interested [in God].” But, he was interested in having a community of friends and at Jungle Gym Untamed he experienced community and became part of it. Grady recalls, “I figured out that this was about a lot more than just working out. Once I received that love and felt true friendship for the first time, that’s where things started really turning around for me.”

#whatsNEXTisbetter

Fitness today is evolving. More than ever before everyone realizes that a good workout is the one that works best for you. That could be swimming, group exercise, meditation, running or playing a team sport. It could be Ninja training, Parkour, kickboxing or strength training – that just can’t be tamed. While fitness can often be enjoyed as a solitary activity – especially as dynamic communion in the presence of God, it is a powerful way to build friendships, grow a robust community and experience the rich essence of church.

Look for the “jungle gym” kind of environment in your community. It’s the place that builds skills and strength and fosters the development and maturing of real relationships. If you’re fortunate it will be more than a gym in the midst of your jungle it’ll be the church where you worship – a community committed to others and to God.

If one doesn’t exist then it’s time for you, a church or gym in your community or a community group or entrepreneur to look a lot closer at Jason and Kathy Bergstrom, their family and team AND the community God has built at Jungle Gym. Let what they are doing be an example for what’s next that God wants to do in your community.

The post The Jungle Where Everyone Can Swing, Jump, Kick And Train appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

His latest Im’possible Tour, is sponsored by UHSM Health Share, a faith-based health care nonprofit founded on Christian beliefs and values, and Mercedes-Benz Vans, USA. It took Lottering through the California mountains for a 700-mile, almost non-stop traverse, climbing 63,000 feet.

To mark the completion of the inaugural USA Im’possible Tour, UHSM and Fitbod, partnered to develop the “Grant Lottering High Endurance Training.” The workout offers the opportunity for Fitbod users and UHSM members to train with one of cycling’s most elite athletes. Fitbod is a personalized fitness app that leverages health data enabling users to develop and nurture weekly fitness habits.

As an ambassador for UHSM, president Christopher Jin emphasized the organization’s support for Lottering, expressing, “We couldn’t think of anyone more inspirational and encouraging to lead our valued members in an intense workout than Grant, one of our own incredible UHSM ambassadors.”

For every workout downloaded and completed during the period of June 1 to 4, 2022 Fitbod donated $1 to Laureus Sport for Good USA. Krystian Michalak, head of sales and partnership at Fitbod, was thrilled to support the two organizations, saying, “Both organizations have fantastic initiatives that truly make a difference in the world and peoples’ lives.”

While the donation cycle has concluded, the workout can still be enjoyed via the Fitbod app.

The post Train With Extreme Endurance Cyclist Grant Lottering appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

ISI Elite Training is a Charlotte-based boutique fitness concept that is driving more people who want community and accountability to the gym for that “sports team camaraderie” feel.  Optimize your physical capacity, regardless of your fitness level and age. The proven ISI® method of burning up to 1,000 calories per workout combined with clean eating habits ensures the results you deserve! Sessions are systematically programmed so that 50 minutes is all you need to get a heart pumping session. Find an ISI near you.

A STRONG AND SHARP PLATFORM

We don’t want to be an exclusive club. We want to be an open platform for everybody. We use the Gospel in the platform we are creating in the decisions that we make. It is leaning on the Gospel and what it says for how to run our business and how to lead. Through their experience with our company we want them to see what it looks like to love people and to experience what our company is founded on, which is [the Bible passage] Proverbs 27:17, “iron sharpens iron”.

LISTEN NOW!

This 30-minute conversation offers you more detail as personally told by ISI Elite Training Founder and President, Adam Rice. You’ll learn about his family and faith, the culture of this growing fitness studio business and much more. Share it with a friend.

The name [for our business] came about because I was at church and heard a sermon based on iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another. It was [about] this level of accountability. Essentially you are equal to the 5 people you hang around the most. Where most people don’t look through the lens of that Proverb is that to sharpen iron it requires friction. Most people when they read that they’re going to tend to go toward the accountability piece – the feel good piece. The reality is if we want to go to the next level in life then ultimately there’s going to be friction. I knew this is what we want in our community and in our environment.

GO AS DEEP AS YOU WANT – 4 AND MORE

We hold our members accountable. When people sign up, we communicate that our expectation, for you to get the results you want, is that you are here 4 times per week. I call it, “The Gap”. When people come to us, when they start a fitness journey, their relationship with fitness is poor. They don’t have any energy. They lack self-confidence for the most part. They have started over a million times. They don’t view fitness as a “get to” they view it through the lens of,“I have to do this”. So most people are coming to us in some sort of pain; emotional, mental, physical – whatever it is. Our job is to get them into a relationship with fitness that says, “I get to do this”. By doing that it all comes through usage.

If we can just simply focus on holding them accountable and getting them through the door then they’re coming 4 days a week, getting results, finding value, staying longer, creating friends and community, sharing on social media — It just makes sense.

YOU GET A COACH – A REAL GOOD COACH

Any [member] that has 2 or less visits [in a] prior week is going to get reached out to by email, Facebook, Instagram, or text. [We do that] to encourage them and remind them of their vision and their goals. Sometimes they need a kick in the butt. But it is also teaching our coaches to have enough emotional intelligence to understand how each person is intrinsically motivated.

Our head coaches come through a week long training here at Iron U. in Charlotte. For all other coaches there is a full virtual training pathway. [In the typical training of a personal trainer] the exercise and kinesiology component, in my opinion, is always over utilized and the social component is under utilized. So, we actually flip that upside down. All of our coaches are nationally certified. So they understand the kinesiology aspect of this [vocation].

But really what we’re focused on is the social element because people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. [We focus on] that piece and how to motivate people to go from A to B because everybody’s different. That plays into impact and results and that goes back to accountability and usage.

FAITH WITHOUT FEAR IS DEAD

We’ve grown into a national company. So, every decision is a big decision. When I look back at the pivotal moments in this business thus far it is really understanding what the vision is that God has given me. It is not knowing how it’s going to happen but trusting that I am going to sew and plant and going to do the work that is required. I think a lot of times people maybe don’t know how and then they just pray about it and they don’t follow that up with the work that is required.

God wants us to go and move in a healthy way. [Along the way] we check the status and ask, “Does this bring us closer to our vision of where we see God utilizing ISI”? If it does then fundamentally we move forward and we have faith. Is it scary? Yes! But, without fear there is no faith. I think the bigger the fear the more faith that is going to be required.

BUT THERE’S MORE…

People go to a gym because they want to escape the chaos of what our world is right now. It’s refreshing for them to be in an atmosphere that is family friendly with high values.

The ripple effect of what is happening is unbelievable. That is probably the best part of the brand is seeing the stories that we get to hear. One example of that is down in St. Pete. I was doing training about how if we don’t get a person signed up [to be a member] then we don’t have the ability to impact their life.

Then I went on to share the story of how Tim Johnson [who is now] one of our franchise owners was an immigrant to the U.S. about 20 years ago. He was obese and diabetic when he joined our St. Pete facility as a founding member along with his wife and three kids. Now, their lives are radically changed to where health is at the forefront. It inspired and impacted their lives so much that now he is almost off of all of his medication for diabetes and he is opening his own ISI location. There will be stories like that coming out of his location.

WHAT YOU GET

• 50 Minute Session.
• Always greeted by your first name with a high five
• High energy that transitions from the lobby to the session facility.
• Another high five from your coach who leads a workout based on what day it is. Monday is leg day. Tuesday is upper body. Wednesday is core cardio. Then the cycle repeats.
• We do a 5 minute dynamic warmup, then the bulk of the session with a cool down, stretch and announcements. Then the front of the house comes through with a tea-tree oil infused cold towel for all of the 28-30 members participating in that session.
• It’s athletic training for those who want to sweat and work hard. It’s intense but for all fitness levels.

WHAT ELSE YOU GET

When I founded ISI Elite Training I asked, “How do I take the camaraderie of an athletic team – the getting to the field early, getting in the weight room with your team, being on the bus with team mates, and bring that to the general population?” You’ll see different components of that inside our sessions. So for example we always end with Team on 3.Everyone comes to the middle, hands up, and the coach brings us out, “Team on 3, Team on 3 — 1,2,3, Team!”

We call it high five fives. We’re high fiving people as much as we can during the workouts. When you walk into the facility you’re like, “Man, these people high five a lot!” It’s part of our culture. It’s part of our identity. We do a ton of stuff outside of the facility. It’s about creating a space that is more than a gym. People will quit a gym but they won’t quit people.

Members serve their community by pitching in together for a food drive, working with Habitat For Humanity, and during hurricanes I can’t tell you how many times we’ve got together to cut down trees. It’s who we are. We see it first hand – This is where people come for fellowship and connection.

MAKE IT A WEEKEND IN CHARLOTTE, NC

Plan a trip and travel to Charlotte for a great weekend of faith and fitness. Charlotte is not only a vibrant city that offers great food and accommodations it is the headquarters to ISI Elite Training. That means you can go to one of their original facilities to get in your 50 minute session (perhaps with Adam Rice!) and discover for yourself the higher five experience of iron sharpens iron.

Charlotte is home to great parks, NASCAR and the U.S. National Whitewater Center so you’ll find there’s plenty of outdoor fun to be had while you’re there. Plan to do it all over the weekend so you can be sure to be part of the fellowship at a service at Elevation Church where Adam attends.

BONUS MUSIC – PUBLISHER’S PICK

This song from the band Glad has a distinctive early 80’s vibe. The music is driving and good for your workout and the lyrics do a great job of helping you expand your understanding of what God means by Iron Sharpens Iron.

This story is in our Intense Intents department. Find more feature stories about intense forms of exercise with an intentional faith component in Faith & Fitness Magazine’s INTENSE INTENTS department.

The post A Higher Five At ISI Elite Training appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

In everyone’s life there are times when you’re upside down and falling. When your life is up in the air nothing is certain – nothing is guaranteed. All the hard work, the investment and hope may still not land you the promotion, the finances, health, happiness or purpose – for you and those you love.

Ever wondered what’s spinning around in the mind of an Olympic gymnast? Medalist and former member of Team USA, Jonathan Horton has a simple but powerful message to share with you. Here, you can view, hear or read his conversation with Faith & Fitness Magazine. Feel the pain and know the glory when you let God show you – How To Fall.

Questions for personal reflection and group discussion are at the bottom along with a place for you to post a comment.

Busy driving, cooking, doing cardio or working out? Maybe your eating breakfast or relaxing before bedtime.

THE AUDIO CONVERSATION of How To Fall with Jonathan Horton is just for you!

HOW TO FALL PROPERLY

(preparation and practice for the sport of gymnastics)

One of the first things we teach in gymnastics is how to fall properly. You teach that to little kids from day 1 because in a sport as precision based as [gymnastics] you’re going to fall a lot in the process of learning and even in competition.

If you crash wrong you can definitely hurt yourself. That is why the mats and technology and everything we use is becoming better. Safety is a priority.

As the sport advances it is becoming more like the X-Games. It’s a very extreme sport. People are doing crazy things that we hadn’t seen 10 to 20 years ago.

HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR DESTINY

(the nature of your calling, paying attention to it and cultivating it)

I was the first in my family [to be in gymnastics]. I was kind of a wild child. I had a ton of energy. I probably would have been diagnosed as having ADHD or something as a kid. I was bouncing off the walls.

When I was 4 years old the reason I got into gymnastics was because of an incident that happened in the middle of a Target department store. My mom took me shopping. She was looking at some clothes.

She turned around and I was gone. She started to panic and she’s looking all over the store. 10 minutes goes by and she still can’t find me and now the whole store is searching.

The manager spotted me and came up to my mom and said, “Mam I found your son. You can calm down.” He pointed to the ceiling and said, “He’s way up there!” There was a 25 foot [high] support beam in the middle of the store that I had wrapped my arms and legs around and climbed all the way up to the top.

She said it was one of the craziest days of her life seeing me at the top and then sliding down like it was no big deal. She told my dad about it when he got home from work that night and my dad’s exact words were, “Wow, our son’s a freak! Maybe we should try gymnastics.” They booked me into a gymnastics facility the very next day and the rest is history. They had no idea what they were getting into. They knew nothing about the sport. And – What do you know, 18 years later I’m competing in the Olympic games.

When I got into gymnastics at 4, I did fall in love with it. It was a perfect fit. But it took me a really long time to find my niche in the sport. I can think of so many competitions I left with nothing; no ribbons, no trophies, just tears in my eyes wondering, “Why am I in this sport?” I wasn’t the most gifted and talented but I loved it too much to quit. The Word [of God] says that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. I believe that talent the size of a mustard seed, when the work is put into it, can move mountains.

HOW TO FALL GRACIOUSLY

(the strength, perseverance and payoff of a generously giving spirit)

We weren’t wealthy people. It [gymnastics] got expensive and became a sacrifice very early on for them [my parents]. My mom specifically had to sacrifice a lot to keep me in the sport. Every dolor she made as a teacher went to gymnastics. They saw that I loved it and they didn’t want to keep me out of it. My mom worked so that we [my sister and I] could have this recreation. I’m so thankful for that.

I’d come home crying from a bad workout and they’d jokingly ask, “Soooo, do you want to find another sport?” I was like, “Nope! This is the one I want to do.”

They’ll tell you now it was worth every sacrifice and every penny. I had sponsors at the Olympics that paid my whole family’s way to go to the Olympics and watch me compete. To them that was the greatest reward ever. My dad is not a big cryer. But, I saw my dad with tears in his eyes because of how proud he was. That’s an amazing thing for me as his son.

I’m very fortunate to be from a family who is ‘all in’ for Jesus. Beyond church on Sunday we engulfed our lives in the Gospel and how to live for Christ. I talk about following Jesus – about Christ being our Lord and Savior. Everybody wants heaven someday but not everybody wants a Lord. That hit me. I knew Jesus died for me but I need Him to Lord over my life. [That] took a lot of accountability.

My life has changed dramatically. I grew up as a believer but I found my faith by chasing God and Jesus. The last thing Christ told us to do was to go and make disciples of all nations. I feel so emboldened these days in my life to share the Gospel with people.

GET THE BOOKS + MORE

Jonathan’s books, Falling Forward and If I Had Known along with other merchandise are available from his online store. Get 1 copy for you and another as a gift.

While at his site you can also use the contact link to learn more about him speaking at your church, gym or event.

HOW TO FALL INTENTIONALLY

(the vision to hit it big by falling faithfully for God)

I’ve been speaking for over 10 years. You never know who is battling in their faith, they hear your story and because of you they come to Christ. That’s something I want to do in terms of ministry.

I was never afraid to share with people what I truly felt in my heart – knowing the truth of who Jesus is. I’ve never shied away from that. If I were to loose everything I have because of my faith, that’s alright. We’re told that we’ll be persecuted for our faith. You don’t have to look far to see the persecution that is going on in the world. People that speak up [for Christ] these days get ‘canceled’. It’s tough but [Christians] have to recognize that is part of it. That suffering is for the glory of God.

The thing that has happened almost every single time is I’ve had people I don’t know say, “Thank you so much for standing up for the faith.” People I didn’t expect say, “We’re with you.” That opens up more doors and new conversations. It’s amazing the way God works. There have been times in my life where I stood strong in my love for Jesus. It didn’t go the way I wanted but something even better came from it.

It’s not guaranteed, right?! It doesn’t mean there’s not going to be more challenges. We just have to grow in our faith and accept that God’s plan is perfect and bigger than our plan.

No matter what it is in life: work, family, faith… sports, I don’t want to have a single regret for the work I put in[to all of it]. We have our days we give it everything. Then there are other days we fall short. Sometimes I fall short. But when I use the gifts that the Lord gave me to the best of my ability — I don’t think it’s risky at all [to go big]. You’re going to hit and hit it big. Someone will find God. It can be scary but we have to be willing to fall.

QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION AND GROUP DISCUSSION

1. In a world culture that is increasingly averse to personal challenges and danger what can gymnast teach us? Recall and be able to share with others a time when you “crashed wrong” and “definitely hurt yourself”. What did you learn? How did you get better? As your life advances how do you feel it is becoming more extreme AND in what ways do you feel God will prepare you for the thing you’ve never done before?

2. For Jonathan, climbing to the top of a 25 foot support beam in Target was the compelling moment that set him on a future course he and his family couldn’t have imagined. What’s yours? What’s NEXT? Describe your own personal experience with mustard seed sized talent and faith. How have you practiced taking the limits off?

3. How do you personally measure generosity? What are the nuances between Olympic sponsorship and parental sacrifice? How do you feel God would have you fall graciously into the situations and opportunities you have in life? Describe the grandness of tenderness – the profound experience of a moment when you found yourself in the midst of God’s gracious spirit.

4. How certain are you that avoiding being canceled is worth not being faithful? If you we’re spinning on the high bar like Jonathan would you be more afraid of letting go to do the flip or grabbing hold of the bar after the rotation? Why is sticking the landing so hard (literally and more importantly figuratively)? Your coach, God, has told you that you’re going to fall. If you intend to go big anyway (or not) talk about what’s spinning around in your mind.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE: I like to train with kettlebells from time to time as a way to add some variety to my usual weight lifting. It’s helpful to expand my range of motion, strengthen balance and improve stability. So, when James Woodall first told me about mace training I was like, “Say what? Let’s do it!” This training lets you do workouts differently with an abundance of motion and even rhythm. It’s just outright fun and wonderfully challenging. Read this article, watch the videos and then CONTACT James to get scheduled with him to do some training that’s in your mace!

Mace and Indian Club training is nothing new to the world at large. It is an old form of training used primarily for killing or maiming your opponent in battle. [It dates back to 10^th century and Medieval times. The closest account of anything like it being used in the Bible is the story of Sampson using a donkey’s jawbone to kill 1000 men.] As long as the sword has been invented, Mace training has existed. Although most maces back then had steel spikes on the end and often shifted the balance of the battle.

AT THIS ‘CLUB’ YOU’RE NEVER ALONE

My first interest in Club training was 10 years ago. I bought a pair of 1 pound Indian Clubs, was provided a DVD and was left to my own devices on how to use the clubs. At this time there were no club or mace instructors in my area and I lost interest.

Then in 2018 a friend and mentor of mine, Frank Dimeo, approached me about a program he had started called Mace Fit. I was intrigued because it involved using clubs and mace. Also at this time in my life I was working my body back into shape from chemo and radiation treatment for Leukemia. Needless to say my joints and tendons had become very tight during the course of cancer treatment. So, naturally I was intrigued at Frank’s suggestion to look into his Mace Fit program.

During this time my company, Woodall’s Fitness and Performance, hosted a Level 1 Mace Fit certification. I attended looking forward to using the mace and clubs, and discovering how using the movements will help with my overall joint mobility.

GET THE GOOD GEAR

There are several mace manufacturers producing a variety of designs and styles.  Certainly, some people have used a sledge hammer just to get started.  James doesn’t recommend that for the long run.

Woodall recommends a mace designed with good balance and grip qualities.  For example the ADEX brand offers an adjustable steel mace.

Personalize your mace workout! US Army Reserve Combat Engineer Pake McNally is owner of Become Stronger Industries where he designs custom loadable maces and clubs. He says, “My mission is to take raw, real material and create Maces and Clubs that are stronger than any other workout mace or club on the market. Instead of using cast iron, which is brittle and nearly impossible to repair if broken, I use mild steel, welding the handle 360 degrees in two different places, making it the most durable workout mace available. Not to mention with my customizable plates, you can add a word or quote that inspires you to work harder.”

Get one of these and you can take it and do your own personal training session wherever you go.

The certification and learning how to use the mace and clubs was amazing! Since that time I have used the mace and clubs on a daily basis and have continued my education. My shoulder and hip mobility have increased and overall strength and stamina have improved as well.

Since I am still dealing with cancer related issues, my blood pressure, resting heart rate and joint mobility are constantly being assessed and tested. My doctors are very pleased with my recovery and how I am able to move in a more productive manner than the rest of their patients. I atribute this to my faith and strength with GOD, surrounding myself with family, friends, coworkers who are of a positive mindset and using exercise tools like the mace, clubs, kettlebells, any odd object-lifting to keep improving or maintaining strength and mobility.

BATTLE TOOL? YES!

Since the mace was originally created for battle, I have embraced this methodology with my training, business practices and life in general. As a Christian I am constantly on the attack from Satan. I know the more physically stronger that I am and feel, the more I am able to withstand the attacks. Physical strength is only a part of my training. There is also mental and spiritual strength. All three of these attributes are connected. You cannot be amazing in one area and lacking in the other two. You need to develop all three in order to achieve balance in your life. If you don’t you are constantly on an uphill battle, which will eventually wear you down, and cause you to feel weak. Once this happens the enemy will attack while your defenses are down.

Think of it this way. In every sport, and business there is a strong push to be strong, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Although the world might call spirituality “the energy of the universe”, that’s ok. Once you or your client, student, athlete, business associate, customer, sees this in you and how you run your life and business, they will trust and motivate themselves to also improve and support your company.

Training with the mace and clubs helps to provide that overall strength in such a way that while you are training with these implements it doesn’t feel like a workout or training session, but a better way to move.

Everyone one of my clients has a 100% compliance rate using the mace and clubs. Meaning they all look forward to using the mace and clubs. They do it not because I recommend it, but because once they’ve held the mace in their hands and use the movements they start to feel better. Once you feel better you want to improve other aspects in your life, including [spiritual development, what Christians call] your walk with Christ.

IT’S NOT ‘JESUS IN YOUR FACE’, IT’S BEING WARRIOR STRONG

It’s not uncommon for me to pray with a client right in the middle of a training session. Prayer is a tool, like the mace, that can be developed. I have a certain group of people in my life that I call prayer warriors. Just like mace training is preparing you [physically] for the battles in your daily life, prayer prepares you for spiritual battle.

Everyday we all face trials and tribulations. That’s part of living life on this planet. Everyone has to face adversity, but are you prepared when it comes? Have you trained your body, mind and spirit to adapt and overcome when this happens?

Another part of my training philosophy with my clientele is to remind them that they are an athlete. They are capable of performing feats of strength and having the mental resolve to go to the next level. Once the client accepts that they can move and perform like an athlete the results are remarkable! That’s when GOD enters and everyone of my client’s will ask me about my relationship with Christ and my battle with cancer. It’s an awesome moment to share my testimony and allow GOD to work in their lives along with the training they are receiving.

TIME TO GET INTO THE SWING OF IT

I regularly conduct the Mace Fit Level 1 certification at Woodall’s Fitness and Performance. The first one for 2021 is January 16-17, 2021. Registration is open. You can learn more, connect with me and register through my website. I want to help you get equipped with the mace and skills you need to get into the swing of this incredible way to train. I also offer online training to client’s anywhere throughout the world.

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