The following is a transcript of our podcast broadcast on 6 May 2021.
Mark: Hello and welcome to God’s Gym, the podcast where we consider how we can reach our full potential as human beings, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Jesus said he had come that we might have life in abundance, and we ask, what is abundant life and how can we live it?
I am Mark, and Army Chaplain and with me is Paul, an Army Scripture reader and today we are talking about setting up a home gym.
In the bible God says, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made!” so let us begin there! You are amazing, but a little maintenance doesn’t do anyone any harm does it? Actively training our bodies throughout our lives can help with so many aspects of life. To name a few, relieving stress, improving cardio-vascular circulation, improving sleep patterns, better endurance for every area of life and so on.
But let me paint a scenario, imagine you wake up or you get home from a long day in the office, school, or wherever you spend your day: you grab your bag with your gym kit, jump in the car, hit the rush hour traffic, arrive at the gym 30 minutes later, get changed and walk into the gym. And the running machines are all full or the weights are all in the wrong place. You finally get into your groove and two hours later get back into the car for a sweaty, scary drive home and some food and ready for the next day! What a mess!
How about you break free of the rat race, embrace your primitive side, and consider a home gym!
Paul: Mark you’ve painted what I know to be a true picture of belonging to a gym, but here’s some other reminders......what about the cost of gym membership (it can be pretty expensive), or sharing changing rooms with others (the smells, the damp towels) the discarded plasters clogging up the shower drains, and of course the athlete’s foot!.....Why go through all that when you can embrace a home gym of your own making. And of course, the last several months, due to the lockdown the question arose ‘what do we do now the gyms have closed’ and the emergence of the home gym has not only been great for support through the pandemic but also just convenient.
Mark: The Best home gym is your own body!
Walking
Running
Push ups
Burpees
Pull ups
Sits ups
A lot of positive up movements! But actually, being able to lift your own body weight repeatedly is the most basic and important fitness that any of us need!
Paul: Body weight exercises are great and cost you nothing but sweat and pain, and are handy to pack up and put away (well, it’s your body Afterall) but if you want to go further and challenge yourself a little bit harder then invest in some gym equipment. Some of it can be put away in a cupboard afterwards and not take up much space at all but the results can be amazing. And gym equipment does not have to be expensive.
Push up bars are a must for good wrist position
Chin up or pull up bar is a great thing that can sit in a cupboard until needed
Weights or even heavy bags of shopping
Heavy bag
Skipping rope
Rubber training bands
Mark: Of course, you can begin to spend a bit of money and get some proper weights or Kettlebells, maybe even a folding bench. I love Slam balls for endurance. If you have the space and money then Stations, Bike or treadmill works wonders. If money is no limit, then you can get better equipment than your local gym!
Paul: For a home setup your options are effectively limitless but basically you are your own gym, or you and a mat and you can have endless routines. A really important piece of equipment we’d recommend for those looking to start a budget home gym is a skipping rope. This may sound kind of silly to those that haven’t used a skipping rope since primary school, but it is a killer conditioning and coordination device that can be used for both long and short duration intervals. In addition to running, sprinting, and jumping, the simple rope will provide you with a way to warm up and increase your stamina and endurance.
Mark: And didn’t Rocky Balboa use one to good effect? So Paul, if it is good enough for Rocky, why are we not all skipping?
Paul: During my days of boxing our boxing coach introduced us to speed skipping and if you want to see the weight fall off, go ahead and start skipping but be prepared for a lot of sweat and a lung busting experience.
Mark: I think the main point is this: go for a walk, lift some weights and your life will improve and you don’t have to pay for a gym subscription or invest in high quality stuff unless you really want to!
Paul: We are without excuse when it comes to training routines and even setting up a home gym, there are endless free ideas and lots of encouragement on YouTube!
Setting up a home gym doesn’t have to be done overnight, but gradually add items to your gym as and when your pocket and motivation allows.
Mark: let me say something about purchasing equipment though. How many people rush out and buy fitness equipment and then it sits in the garage collecting dust. Like gym memberships there are a lot of un-used rowing machines or stationary bikes rusting away in people’s lofts. Don’t be impulsive, and don’t waste your hard-earned cash. God calls us to be good stewards of everything we have.
Paul:
Know your budget and be sensible. I have seen some weird devices sold on tv adverts that promise all kinds of success, like those old vibration machines that you attach yourself to and they shake the fat off. Do a bit of research and be careful with your well-earned cash.
If you buy cheap you may end up buying twice. Get the best quality stuff you can afford. It will last you longer!
Think long term, what would the ideal setup look like, how large or small can it be. Get what you need but also what fits in with an overall plan.
Mark: be careful if something is too cheap, it may not last, or worse may fail when you are using it and injure you. Those cheap rubber training bands may snap at the wrong moment and wow, that will hurt.
Paul: According to a survey of those living in America by MyProtein, an average American spends around £120 a month on health and fitness: not just on gym membership, but supplements, clothing and personal trainers. If you have a home gym, you save on all these things!
No membership fee
You wear whatever clothes you want, or none!
You don’t need supplements because you have real food in the fridge (Tuna , chicken & Porridge)
And who needs a personal trainer when you have YouTube
Oh, and think of all the fuel it used to take to drive to the gym!
So hold onto the money you save, or reinvest in new equipment for your personal gym.
Mark: We all look at the people lifting massive weights and we know we don’t have the space, money or courage to create such a setup but that is ok. You can do 90% of stuff at home then go to a full gym for the extra stuff but really a home gym is the way ahead! The suggestion we would make is this: start with the essentials, and then set a goal, such as working out four days a week for three months in a row; once you achieve this goal, reward yourself with a new equipment purchase. This increases the likelihood of you completing the goal and gives you a reward that will motivate you to keep up the exercise habit!
Paul: Your home workouts don’t have to be complicated. Decide what your goal is, lose weight, build muscle, tone up and then either create your own program or choose from the many thousands that our available on line. Some people train their full body 3 times a week others target upper body one day with lower body the next, and others have days set aside for certain muscle areas, chest one day, legs the next, then arms and so on.
But the home gym is only as good and beneficial as the motivation you bring to your exercises.
Mark: it is. I am sure we all have times when we just do not want to do anything demanding. Or worse, we try something and struggle and eventually give up. Imagine the number of rowing machines or bikes sat in the corner of people’s houses and gathering dust because the person of TV looked ripped and toned but we just end up sweaty and in pain.
Paul: Results take time, we grow in stages.
Mark: Measure yourself but not too often and write it down. Take a photo of yourself before you begin and then once a month and see the difference. Persevere with a routine and you will see results.
Paul: Training will not always be a barrel of laughs, sometimes our expectations are that we will always have a steady upward curve in our progress, but when that appears to stop or decline, we become disappointed, disillusioned and discouraged, and our attitude that was so strong at the beginning becomes weary, full of doubt and boredom and down we go like a lead balloon.
But here’s the thing Mark, when we hit these sticking points, we should just press on, give our workouts plenty of time to work, of course the time may come when change is needed or a boost along the way reignites your motivation, but don’t give up.
Mark: one of the challenges is eating, for me at least! When I have a great run or a great workout, I am naturally more hungry afterward because my body is looking for fuel to replace what I have used.
Paul: Mark, there are plenty of fitness food guides out there to advise and instruct you, but in layman's terms, ‘Good nutrition is like good training, keep it simple, learn the basics and practise them consistently. Here’s one simple rule ‘the most important ingredient in your body is plain water’, so keep hydrated.
Mark: Again, have a plan: is it weight loss, or toning? Or is it strength? And count your calories. Be purposeful with your food and don’t just eat without thinking.
Paul: Here is the thing: weight alone is not a great measure of fitness. An athlete may weight more than someone who is tied to a desk all day long because muscle has greater mass. Let your clothes be your guide and count the notches on your belt as you pull it tighter.
Mark: as with so much of life, have a plan, be patient and persevere and you will see the results as you look back. Look after your future self. If I stay up late at night just watching trash tv who am I thinking of?
Paul: yourself?
Mark: My present self. My future self, tomorrow morning is going to be tired, grumpy and have no energy for the day! But if I aim to get a good nights sleep, and before I go to bed I lay out my clothes for the morning, get my porridge ready in the bowl and fill the kettle for my morning coffee, who am I thinking of?
Paul: your future self!
Mark: exactly, my present self is making sacrifices, that my future self will appreciate! It is true of so many things, a bit of preparation, planning and patience and my life begins to take shape!
Paul: and Perseverance!
Mark: Preparation, planning, patience and perseverance!
Paul: And push-ups!
Mark: you got it!
Mark: Let’s talk a bit about spiritual fitness.
Paul: Well, it is all connected, isn’t it? Physical fitness helps in every other area of life
Breath better
More energy
Better sleep
Serve God better in every way.
Mark: That is so important, isn’t it? Seeing life in the whole, physically, mentally and spiritually. The Apostle John writes in his third letter and says:
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as it goes well with your soul. (3 John 1:2)
Paul: Well, that is a good place to finish: enjoy good health even as it goes well with your soul! And don’t forget the words of Isaiah the Prophet:
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. (Isaiah 40:29)
Mark: Well, there is so much more we could say about this and all the subjects we discuss. If you are listening and want to think let us know what you think then do get in contact either via twitter or Instagram, or our new website: Godsgym.co.uk On the new website you can read the transcript of this talk, mark our spelling and leave comments anytime you like. But please be gentle. Overtime we will be adding more content and our aim as always, is to be helpful and encouraging. Your comments are always welcome, and if there are topics or issues you would like us to address, we are always open to suggestions.
Until next time, thank you for listening and remember that you are capable of so much, God tells us so, so keep striving to reach your full potential as God made you.
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