Secrets I'd Share with You over Coffee

Let's pretend we're hanging out over a cup of coffee. If we were enjoying a cup of coffee together, I'd tell you that I just got back from the gym. 

I feel like I just had one of the best workouts of my life. The best upper body exercise is the pull up.

Pull ups aren't just another back exercise. They are the king of back exercises. A proper pull up is the single best muscle builder for your entire upper body, including your lats, upper back, rear delts, biceps, forearms, and even your core. This isn't just about looking good. It's about building the kind of functional strength that actually matters in daily life while packing on real muscle mass. The pull up is a vertical movement that loads your muscle through a full range of motion without any compressive force on your spine. Pull ups force every muscle to work maximally while your spine stays neutral and decompressed. Pull ups create incredible tension on your arms without destroying your joints. They also improve bone density on your arms and shoulders through natural loading patterns. Pull your chest to the bar, pause at the top, and then lower with control. Even of you can do only one good pull up, that's your starting point. 

The other exercise I LOVE doing is the biceps curl. 

Curls are just insane for me. I love them. Just be sure to control the weight all the way down. Eat plenty of protein, and get good fats. Get good rest. And listen to your body when you need sleep. 

If we were having a cup of coffee together, I'd also tell you that I've been revelling of late in the pics of my grandkids I've been getting. 

I mean, is there anything better in life than watching your grandkiddos being raised by their fantastic parents? 

If we had a cup of coffee together today, I would tell you that a verse of Scripture really spoke to me this morning during my daily devotions. 

The verse I have in mind is Eph. 6:10, which I'm committing to memory today in Greek. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that the verb endunamousthe is in the middle voice, not the passive. The idea isn't "Be strengthened in the Lord" as much as it is "strengthen yourselves in the Lord." Think of a gym. When you arrive there, you are "in the gym." But what good does that do for you if you don't avail yourself of its equipment? Likewise, as believers we are "in the Lord." Yet what good does that do if we don't take advantage of all we have in Christ? Yes, it's the Lord's strength we are after. But we have to appropriate it. Every privilege in the Christian life brings with it a corresponding duty to do our part. True strength cannot exist outside of Christ. But we become strong in him when we arm ourselves with his weapons. He is the true fountain of vitality, but we must "abide in him" (John 15:4-7). Hence my paraphrase of Eph. 6:10:

"In conclusion, draw your strength constantly and consistently not from yourself but from the Lord. Be empowered by the strength of his boundless might. Receive your power from him!"

If we were having a cup of coffee together this evening, I'd tell you, finally, about what I cooked for supper tonight. 

My meal had 75 grams of protein in it. Like everyone else, lifters need plenty of protein for optimal health and maximum performance. Consuming protein may also help you lose fat. If you don't get at least 15 percent of your calories from protein each day, you will eat more and more until you do get that amount of calories. In other words, your body is programmed to eat more calories if you haven't reached your daily protein requirement. Besides, when you consume protein, you'll be more satisfied after one meal and less hungry at the next. 

All this to say: If we were enjoying a cup of coffee together, I would tell you that as the spring semester approaches, I am eager to see what God has in store for me and my family. Life is never easy, but hardships are temporary, and for that I am grateful.