Saturday Coaching And Your Garage Gym

Over the weekend, a friend of mine invited me out to help him coach a small group of athletes at Bronc Fitness in Edinburg on the positioning and dynamics of the clean and power clean. If you’re unfamiliar with these barbell movements, check them out here and here.

Needless to say, I was pretty thrilled at the opportunity. It’s been a little more than two years since I have coached any group of athletes or ran anything Bear Stout related. Unsurprisingly, I missed being in a strength and conditioning gym and I missed having a group of athletes eager to learn a few nuggets here and there for their pursuit of a personal record.

In 2017, I brought all things strength and conditioning to an abrupt halt in order to focus and give all of my attention to replanting Storehouse McAllen and caring for my family in the midst of a new season. I really wanted to figure out a way to continue Bear Stout, but something had to give and it wasn’t going to be my family and the Lord had made it very clear to me through His word to lead our church by serving them.

Perhaps, some day in the future, the doors will open again for Bear Stout and I’ll have another small group of athletes that I’ll be privileged to coach. I love seeing the light bulb turn on for an athlete or seeing them achieve their goals—big or small. I love the grunt work the barbell forces upon a person and the spin on a good bar is one of the most pleasant sounds to my ear.

Nowadays, I get to satisfy my coaching itch when friends come over and workout with me in my garage gym which is one of my favorite places. It also seems as if the trend of a garage gym is gaining more popularity and I’m often asked what should be the “must have” pieces of equipment. So, in honor of this weekend’s clinic. Here are my top 5 pieces of equipment you must have in your garage gym:

GARAGE GYM ESSENTIALS

1. SQUAT RACK

In my opinion, the best kind of squat rack you can purchase is a yoke. A yoke is going to be one of the most, if not the most, versatile pieces of equipment you can get. On a yoke, here are some of the things you can accomplish:

1. Carries (you’re looking at 3-4 variations);

2. Squats, Bench (any press, really) and Deads: The yoke can be setup for your squatting preference, variations of the bench press, and rack deadlifts;

3. Sled: The yoke already has ski’s at the bottom so you can push or pull it like a sled;

4. Pull Ups: depending on your height and the height of the yoke, you can bust out some nasty fat-bar pull ups;

5. Accessories: You’ll need to purchase j-cups for squatting or pressing (not expensive), but you can always add rings to the yoke to get ring dips or rows in;

6. Storage: If you’re limited on space (or cash), it’s a great piece of equipment that can store your bumpers;

If you have the cash or can save a little extra, I would seriously consider buying a yoke. A general squat rack is great, but you may be limited on what you can do.

2. BUMPERS

I love the sound of metal plates clanging and banging, but for some they’re not as optimal because you’re going to drop some good money and the last thing you want to do is drop some metal plates from the overhead position and see them crack. Additionally and depending on the brand, metal plates can rust. So, in my opinion, you should purchase a set of bumper plates.

There’s so much competition out there that you can find some really good deals off of places like Fringe Sport or Titan Fitness. Further, bumpers were made to be dropped and they may (depending on the brand) last you longer.

3. A GOOD BARBELL

Because you’re keeping it simple, you’re going to want to purchase a good bar. You want a bar that can take a hit, spins well, and is designed for a variety of lifts and lifting styles. One of the very first bars I bought was the Wonder Bar from Fringe Sport and I love it. It’s one of the more economic bars, but it does such a great job and is a versatile bar. A good barbell is going to run you a little over $200, but if this garage gym is going to be your jam, then you want to load it with good equipment.

I’m not saying everything in your gym needs to be top of the line, but there must be a few pieces of equipment that are special buys and a good barbell is definitely one of them.

4. STRENGTH BANDS

Strength bands are amazing because like everything else I’ve listed, they’re versatile. Strength bands help you with everything from assistance exercises, accessory movements, dynamic warm-ups, therapy, and mobility. Go buy some.

5. ACCESSORY ESSENTIALS

I actually struggled to think of the 5th essential because the yoke takes care of so many of your needs. However, here are a couple of accessory pieces of equipment I would consider:

1. J-Cups: You’re going to need these for setting up your squats or presses on a yoke;

2. Rings: Buy wooden rings (they’ll last longer); rings can hang from your pull-up bar and serve a multitude of exercises;

3. Pull-Up Bar: If you’re unable to purchase a yoke, then be sure to get a good pull-up bar;

4. Dumbells or Kettle Bells A good pair of dumbells can go a long way;

5. Chalk: Don’t be the person that doesn’t have good chalk in their gym;

6. Sleeves: Knee sleeves, elbow sleeves, etc.

7. Mobility Equipment: If you’re mobility sucks, invest in some good rollers

There are a ton of accessories that you can purchase, it just depends what you’re going for and how simple you’d like to start off.

COST

If all of this is intimidating and sounds pretty expensive, that’s because it is. BUT in the long run, you’re actually saving a great deal of money. And since I love data, here’s an infographic from Garage Gym Reviews to help give you a rough breakdown of owning a garage gym verses paying for a monthly membership at a local gym:

A garage gym, I think, is the best way to go especially if you have that busy life-style. It’s really convenient and best of all, it’s yours. You make whatever you want out of it with the music set at “11.” I hope this helps you with your strength and conditioning needs. And one last thing I would encourage: be diligent in your research; don’t just listen to what I’ve written here or even the infographic. Find out what you want to do and what’s going to work for your goals.

And if you have any questions on the garage gym life, I’d love to chat. If you need help with a couple of recommendations on equipment, then I’d love to chat there too.

God At Work In The Ordinary

Later this Spring, we’re starting a new sermon series called Revival: Renewal In The Ordinary. While I’m certainly loving our 1 Peter series, I’m really excited to be studying the many topics that this new series is going to cover. More than anything, I’m looking forward to this series because I believe our church communities are in need of revival.

In my opinion, many churches in the United States have boxed “church” to only on Sunday’s and have further boxed God to an entity who provides creative inspiration through clever uses of social media and attractional preaching where people can get their fix of daily or weekly goodness. I think, in many ways, the gospel of Jesus Christ has become water downed in our churches and assumed in our families and communities.

WHAT IS REVIVAL?

I’m going to define “revival” as a work of God in the people of God through the ordinary means of life. When we look back at church history, particularly during the Great Awakening, revival broke out in church communities all over New England and it wasn’t that pastors and preachers were doing anything spectacular or new, but simply faithfully preaching the word of God and shepherding their congregations.

Through the ordinary means of daily life, God convicted the hearts of His people and they cried out to Him, people came to know Him, and the church thrived.

If you’re like me, when you hear the word “revival,” you may think of large tents that are set up on the fringes of a city where people gathered and preachers created a revival through special events. This is not revival. When men try to manufacture revival through techniques, tactics, and wonder, they are relying on the power of persuasion and manufactured emotion.

In revival, God the Holy Spirit is the primary agent; awakening His people through faith and repentance. In revival, it is the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer that produces renewal, not technique or tactic.

MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM

In their 2005 book, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, sociologists Chad Smith and Melinda Denton coin the term “moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD)” to define the spiritual condition of teenagers in America. They argue that our teenagers have actually been listening well and have adopted moralistic values, but with the absence of God. Additionally, this view has bled into other “Christian organizations and institutions” .

In short, the American church has reduced the depth and beauty of the gospel and Sunday’s have become self-therapy.

Here’s a breakdown MTD:

1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.

2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.

3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.

4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.

5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

So, what’s the problem with MTD? If our churches have embraced MTD (even if they don’t call it that), then we will have sacrificed theological conviction for individualism. Revival is necessary because it begins with faith and repentance not moralistic therapy. Revival is a transformational work of God through the Holy Spirit that compels us to make much of the person and work of Jesus so that more can come to know and worship Him.

And rather than the pursuit of moral therapy, the church seeks and pursues holiness that is deeply rooted in what God has done for us and who He says we are.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

When we embrace MTD, we end up redirecting our sin and not repenting of it. And when the cultural value is individualism, we end up counseling our sin and not mortifying it.

Church, we need revival.

RECOMMENDED READING

• Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism 1750-1858 by Ian Murray

• Moralistic Therapeutic Deism: The New American Religion by Albert Mohler Jr.

Libraries, Hope, and New Pencils (Volume 811)

Earlier this week, I received the latest Blackwing Volume pencils, Volume 811 and I am very excited! In many other posts, I’ve written about my use of pencils and journaling and why you should have both. I’m certainly not trying to be vintage, but both writing in pencil (writing in general) and journaling force you to slow down and complete your thoughts in a manner that, I think, it more beneficial for an individual. I think we don’t slow down enough. Rather, we complain about not slowing down and then, ironically, speed things up in hopes to slow things down later on.

In short, grab yourself a couple of pencils and a moleskin and get to writing. If you don’t know where to start, check out my list of pencils and journals. Moving on to the Volume 811 pencil by Blackwing, as I mentioned, I’m excited because I love the back stories of inspiration behind all of these special edition pencils.

VOLUME 811

The Volume 811 pencil is a tribute to all libraries and their representation of hope. Blackwing goes on to quote Dr. Maya Angelou when she said that the library is a “rainbow in the clouds” so that “in the worst of times, in the meanest of times, in the dreariest of times…at all times the view can see a possibility of hope.” I think that’s a wonderful statement by the good doctor.

Libraries are certainly a beacon of hope in a variety of aspects; educational and relational. But before I jump in to talking about our beautiful libraries, the 811 has a unique design and color compared to other special edition volume pencils in that it has an emerald finish, a color that pays homage to the green desk lamps accompanying many study tables at libraries. Additionally, it has a special coating so that when you turn off the light, the emerald finish is visible in the dark, reminding you of all of those wonderful all-nighters.

Additionally, according to Blackwing (and I think this is great), the number 811 is a reference number to the Dewy Decimal System:

“The model number 811 is a reference to the section of the Dewey Decimal System that contains some of Dr. Angelou’s most famous works, along with the works of countless other inspirational writers.”

I’m very excited about this pencil and looking forward to covering my journals with memories of thoughts, confessions, and literary processing. Check it out and I hope you enjoy it.

All of this being said (or written), here are a couple of reasons as to why libraries are wonderful…

BEACONS OF HOPE

1.) Librarians
I’ll never forget my elementary librarians’ name—Mrs. Ziegler. She was also our public library librarian in the summer too. Mrs. Ziegler was such an inspiration to me growing up because she always challenged me with different books and showered my friends and i with encouragement. While she didn’t have to, she always set time aside for us in the summer when we visited and taught us about the wonderful world of books. She was the female version of Mr. Rogers. Librarians are a well of knowledge and if you find yourself visiting your public library or if you take your kids regularly, be sure to pick your librarians’ brains. They know a thing or two.

2.) Historical Books
in libraries, those who may have been forgotten in history are still alive and well. Further, books of the past are not simply informative, but transformative. Reading books from many who have gone before us is like studying the roots of a tree. Ernest Hemingway once say that “there is no friend as loyal as a book.”

3.) Community Development
I think one of the greatest thing about our libraries is the programs that they provide for the community. Programs are not necessarily designed to entertain (though there is some of that), but to educate. You should check out what your local library has available because chances are, there are a variety of programs that you could benefit from or that your kids could participate in.

4.) Free Resources
I LOVE the bar scene in Good Will Hunting where Matt Damon defends Ben Affleck by challenging a Harvard student’s intellecut (that he tried using to belittle Affleck’s character) by quoting the same book that he read in a library! Knowledge is power. I thought that was such a baller move:

“You dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a f**in' education you coulda got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library.”

it’s what you do with that brain that matters, not where you drop the cash.

I’m sure that I could come up with more reasons, but I’d love to hear what you think about our libraries. Do you still hang out there regularly? Here’s a cool story that I’ll share: our public library closed in 2013 and was moved to what used to be Wal-Mart. Today, it’s considered, I could be wrong, the largest single floor library in the country. That’s really cool. But what I think is cooler is that our old library was later taken by our local Chamber of Commerce and converted into a incubator for artists, musicians, and start-ups. The church I pastor now worships at the Incubator (old library) on Sunday mornings, our offices are located there, and we offer a variety of programs along with our tenant neighbors. How cool is that!?

More importantly, Mrs. Ziegler’s desk is still right at the front.

Recovery Groups

There are seasons of life when it simply feels like you’re fighting sin and losing a lot; it’s discouraging and exhausting. In John Owen’s book, The Mortification of Sin, he writes that mortifying sin is not a “one and done” task, but an ongoing battle. The good news is that God has enabled us to fight sin and fight for our identity in Him through the power of the Holy Spirit; God dwells in you if you’re a Christian. This means that fighting sin isn’t the pursuit of morality, but the pursuit of holiness.

In addition to the Holy Spirit, God calls us to be in community with one another so that we devote ourselves to one another (Acts 2:42), confess our sin to one another (James 5:16), and to encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13). At Storehouse McAllen, we try to emphasis gospel community as much as possible through a variety of avenues. When we read Acts 2:42-47, it’s not simply a description of the local church, but a prescription of what life together is meant to be like and while our main avenue of discipleship and mission is our community groups, we do have other groups that are seasonal such as Recovery Groups.

We’re launching this new ministry of groups next month and I’m super pumped!

RECOVERY GROUPS

The most common question that we’ve received for these groups is how are they different from our normal-rhythm of community groups. And for us, Recovery Groups are designed to be intensive seasons of discipleship (about 10 weeks). Recovery Groups are for those who are battling addiction and habitual sin. We want to help people find redemption in Christ through recovery and community. And we do this by diving into God’s word, a confidential community, and addressing matters of the heart and patterns of sin; idolatry.

These groups aren’t lead by licensed therapists or certified counselors, but by faithful teachers and facilitators who want to see faith and repentance strengthened and produced as individuals fight their sin and fight for their identities in Christ.

This is the first time we will be doing Recovery Groups and while we’ve been white boarding ideas and walking through content for months, I’d love to hear if your church does anything similar and how it works for you.

If you’d like to learn more information about Recovery Groups at Storehouse McAllen, then visit our website and get hooked up!

RECOMMENDED READING

• Redemption: Freed By Jesus By The Idols We Worship and The Wounds We Carry by Mike Wilkerson

• Christian Recovery: A Twelve Step Approach To Discipleship

Books: Wretched Saints (Review)

I love a good book. More, I’m a sucker for good books with good theology, especially the kind that makes me tear up. One of the things I often preach to my congregation is that we are so quick to forget who God say we are and default to who we once were. This is something that plagues me and certainly plagues those in my church and as a result, I think, that often times we place an enormous amount of pressure on ourselves to fall back into the good grace of God. It is here that we, especially myself, begin to rely on my moral or religious performance to try and remind God that I’m not too terrible, but utterly forget about what grace is.

Yesterday, I was meeting with a member of our church and as she began to tell me about the amount of fear she has about failing, I shared with her that we often do one of two things with grace: we assume it or reserve it. In other words, when we assume grace, we believe that it’s a safety net. We don’t value and forget that grace is costly and it’s designed to conform us into the image of Christ (Romans 12:2). When we reserve grace, I think we beleve that grace is only something God give on special occasion rather than something He’s actually pouring out on to you at this very moment; grace is not conditional.

This is where Heikkinen’s book comes in. Wretched Saints is a beautifully written book about the relentless grace of God towards sinners. Heikkinen says it best, “The truth of the gospel is this: I am nothing more than a wretch and so much more than a saint.” Heikkinen’s love for Scripture throughout his book is evident and refreshing. He’s funny, honest, and transparent about himself and what God has revealed to him as a husband, father, and pastor. Additionally, he does a great job at capturing cultural awareness and leads you to saturate yourself everyday gospel rhythms.

Heikkinen’s patience in leading you through this wonderful paradox of being both a sinner and a saint comes with great encouragement and compelling exhortations wrapped in the gift of God’s word. My favorite quote from this book is his personal definition on grace:

“Grace is the ridiculously unwarranted and outrageously favorable posture of God that transforms wretched sinners into wretched saints and keeps at it until they look like Jesus.”

I love that! Grace is a gift of underserving favor from God toward sinners and it is continual. In a culture where truth is subjective and the church fights to hold fast to the truth of the gospel and who God says we are, Wretched Saints is a breath of fresh air.

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“Let me say it another way: you are meant to be a wretched saint. This is so that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can transform your wretchedness into the likeness of Jesus, until all that is left is the saint part. When you are tempted to think God isn’t pleased with you, remember that you are right where He wants you.”

“It’s not grace if the person deserves it.”

“You see, the more we experience grace, and the more it is injected into the crustiest parts of our souls, the more it alters our posture toward those who most desperately need it.”

“Our journey toward experiencing the liberating power of the gospel and extending it to others leads straight through the minefield of our own massive need for grace. Our ability to transfer grace to others is commiserate with the level to which we’ve been transformed by grace.”

“That’s the funny thing about grace: it’s a disruptive little bugger. It contains a unique power that destroys our finely tuned plans and carefully constructed facades. It exposes the faulty sensors we’ve believed and leads us back to eternal truth…the grace of God is so magnanimous that it even allows us to trample it underfoot, and yet it keeps coming at us anyway.”

RECOMMENDED READS

• Wretched Saints by Noel Heikkinen