YHC began his journey of getting into shape about two-and-a-half years ago with the goal of changing how he viewed and interacted with the world. The medium for that became fitness. Since that time, YHC has been a huge fan of long, brutal mental workouts that push the mind into a dark place. It is there that a man discovers that he can endure and persevere through difficult circumstances.

With that in mind, 4 (and a half) pax decided they wanted to test themselves with the intensity of Fury. YHC attempted to explain that Fury was not more difficult than other AOs physically. The difference is mental. At Fury, you have to have the attitude that you are going to slay the entire workout as opposed to looking to just cruise through the allotted time. Anyone can do it. You just have to be able to push past that limit your mind has set.

Disclaimer given and warm-up forsaken. Too much to do to goof off with a few (100?) SSH.

Partner up. Partner one works while partner two runs a 400m loop around the grassy knoll where legend has it the government practiced the JFK assassination before taking the show on the road to Dallas, Texas. All work is cumulative.

• 25 Knees to Elbow
• 50 Burpee pull-ups
• 75 Tire Flips
• 100 KB Swings
• 150 Thrusters
• 175 Lunge Steps
• 200 Dips
• 225 Merkins
• 250 Squats

We made it through some of the dips and everyone ran 2.25 miles during the workout. That’s a lot of work, men. Great job.

Count, Name

Devo:

At a workout, we are training. Training for what? Glad you asked! How we move during a workout dictates how we will move in life. If we train ourselves to move well at a workout, then we will move well in life. The best example – and poorest movement pattern – is the squat. People keep their weight out on their toes or balls of their feet, their knees ride out in front of their toes putting undue stress on a fragile joint, and disengage our core muscles putting undie stress on our backs. If we practice squatting well at workouts then we will improve the way we feel overall because we will squat well in life.

The same is true of our spiritual lives. We haphazardly pray with no real purpose other than to offer up our wish list to the God of all creation. “Lord, I need some new shoes.” Cool. Jesus wore cheap sandals and walked all over the Middle East. “But, Lord, I need those new Lebrons?” Really? I saw you playing ball the other night and, let me tell you, it AIN’T the shoes!

We even ask God to change other people. “Lord, you have got to do something about [insert name of person who gets on your nerves, most likely YHC]. He drives me crazy and he just does all these things that I KNOW you don’t like.” Really? Did you know he is also my child? I love him the same as I do you and he is a work in progress – just like you. “Yea, but…” No buts. Everyone has a butt. And they all stink.

Maybe we search out passages of Scripture to fit what we want God to be. Scripture can be chopped dissected and mutilated to defend just about anything man’s heart desires. And that is exactly how we read it. We pick out the parts we like and discard the parts we don’t. We force our beliefs on Scripture rather than letting Scripture dictate our beliefs.

We workout our spiritual muscles poorly – if at all. Then we wonder why we can’t resist the enemy when he attacks. Wonder no more.

YHC gets a little grief for being a stickler for form and range of motion at workouts. But I think of it like this: If I cheat a little bit on this rep by not going full range of motion, I create a toehold. The toehold WILL become a foothold which WILL become a stronghold. If I cheat a rep a little now, then I will cheat more and more as time goes along until I am no longer effective.

The same holds true with spiritual training. If I start taking little shortcuts (it’s not a big deal, right?) then I will start taking bigger and bigger shortcuts until they are no longer shortcuts, but habits. Then we become highly vulnerable to attacks of the enemy or, worse, complacency.

Think about that today, men. Don’t take any shortcuts today. Train how you want to live.

Aye.