Every Day

Every day, my body takes an absolute beating. Today, it finally caught up with me a little bit. Due to the intense lack of sleep I got this weekend, I was completely exhausted when I went to the gym today. Honestly, the only thing that got me through was the Super Pump Max. My entire body is sore and with every step, I feel as though I'm going to fall asleep standing. During my workout today, there were four times I can distinctly remember nearly walking out and giving up for the day. Something kept pushing me though. I knew that if I would just do one more rep or one more set that I would be one step closer to finishing. That was my mindset today. Just take one step. Just do one thing. Just focus and get through 15 seconds of pain to accomplish an ultimate goal. Don't worry about making it all the way through, just focus on the next thing. That's it. Just one more step. Just one more. Then you're that much closer to being finished. It took a long time, and it was frustrating and extremely difficult at times, but I made it. I made it one step at a time, but I made it. And I'm glad I did. I didn't have to go home regretting what I'd missed out on or believing I could have done more. 

I think that far too many times when we're thinking about God, we desire to know the final steps rather than taking time to notice that God has revealed the very next thing He wants us to do. I'm not going to lie to you. At times, that is very frustrating. We want to know what all the tiny steps are leading to, but can't see it. But nevertheless, God keeps revealing the next tiny step. Then the next one, then the next one. If we focus on the end, we may never get anywhere or we may take the worst route ever to make it to the end. But if we step out in faith and just take the next step, then the next one, then one more, then another...

We will get there. And we will get there in God's timing - which is the best timing. 

I encourage you to not worry about the end. Just keep taking the next steps. Just like Abram (later Father Abraham) in the Bible, God told him to go to the land he WOULD reveal. Get up, leave everything, and start walking. One step at a time, Abraham made it. He made it in God's timing and was eternally blessed for it. 

Don't worry about the end. Take the next step and know that whatever is waiting for you at the end is well worth all the steps you took to get there. 

"The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. ² I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. ³ I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

⁴ So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran." (Genesis 12:1-3 NLT)

Workout:
Alternating chest press: 90 pound dumbbells
Bent over Row: 145 pounds
Plyo push ups: 10 x 5
Back extension: 65 pounds
Dips: 100 pounds on waist
Shallow Grip Pull ups: 30 pounds on waist
Fly machine: 175 pounds
Back fly machine: 135 pounds
TRX push ups: 10
TRX rows: 12

Best Songs of the Workout:
1. Numb by Usher
2. If You Do, If You Don't by Cartel
3. Banner of Love by Luminate

Till next time party people...
Peace and much love

The Only Thing That Matters

I have been dreading today for quite some time. Trying to figure out how to have a sufficient workout while you're away from any professional equipment or real motivation and having a lack of sleep has all been on my mind leading up to today. I knew that today would bring its challenges for my ultimate goal, and I am afraid to lose any days of my schedule. But today taught me about something.

This morning as I was leaving, one of my students asked if he could run with me. To be quite honest, I was not excited to hear that question. I knew that my pace would be slower and I would have to worry about taking care of that student while I was running. Working out is a relaxing time for me, and so to worry about someone else takes away a distinct piece of its purpose in my life. Though I was hesitant, I allowed the student to run with me. We started off, and I was right. The pace was less than desirable.

We were running and the student also began to complain of ankle hurting as well. So here I am, outside on a road with a student who wasn't running as fast as I wanted and who was hurting. In that moment, I had only one thought. And the thought was quite surprising to me.

That thought was this: There is no place I would rather be than right now than right here with this guy.

See, what I had failed to remember was that only one thing in this life really matters, and that's love. I can say with 100% confidence that I love my students. They are absolutely incredible and though he was hurting and slower than what I wanted, I loved being around him. I loved being able to spend time with him. Why? Because I love the kid.

In light of all the hope of my future success, I sometimes forget to keep the truly important things important. That is really sad to me. In the end, if I get huge like Bane and accomplish every goal I want, but have no one to share that success with and be excited with about it all, then what good is it?

Think about this in your own life. If you gain everything, but you lose everyone, is it worth it? I hope you would answer that question with a definite "No!".

Just remember that in this life, only one thing will remain. Only one thing can withstand all of the trials and tribulations and downfalls of this world - love.

Never give up on love. The fight is well worth it.

"Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT)

Workout:
TRX Band Workout
MAX Reps of each
TRX Push Ups
TRX Rows
TRX Shoulder Raises
TRX Curls
TRX Tricep Extensions
TRX Back Flies

Not enough hours in the day...

I don't have a lot of time to make this post, which proves the point of my blog today:
Everyone has time for what they want to make time for.

Today was just not the day for me to make time for this blog. As stated before, I'm a youth pastor. Today is the beginning of our youth retreat for the weekend and these kids are amazing. Without a doubt, they are the coolest students I've ever been able to work with. Today, I chose to make time for these students rather than this blog. And boy, am I glad I made that decision!

We were able to play games together, worship together, and talk about how incredible God is together. I'm glad I made time for them.

Think about this as it relates to your Christian life. People claim all the time they don't have time to read the Bible or pray or go to church or grow in their relationship with God. I'd tell people in that situation this: If you wanted to do those things, you'd find the time.

Remember to keep your priorities in order and keep the important things in perspective.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19, 20 NLT)

Workout:
Curls: 50 pound dumbbells
Overhead triceps extension single: 45 pound dumbbell
Barbell curl: 100 pounds
TRX triceps extensions: 5x8
Forearms rope: 27.5 pounds
TRX curls: 4x8 1x7
Forearm barbell curl: 105 pounds
Two way tricep kickbacks: 36 pound dumbbells
Hammer curls: 55 pound dumbbells
Forearm db curls: 30 pound dumbbell
Overhead triceps extension (both arms at once): 100 pound dumbbell
Tricep hold: 10 dips followed by 30 second hold (3 sets)
Bicep bungee hold: 20 seconds of pump followed by 30 second hold. (3 sets) in the final set, I could only accomplish 15 seconds of pump
Forearm twists: 30 pound dumbbell

Never Back Down

So I went to the gym three times today. Two times were planned, once was out of anger. This morning I went to a cardio cycling class taught by Jill at the YMCA again. It is one of my favorite classes (and I recommend it HIGHLY to anyone who is looking to up their cardio!!!) It was a blast. I then ran a few errands and afterwards returned to the gym to do my workout.

I was feeling so hyped, doing great, an even texted one of my friends (Jesse) and told him that today was gonna be a heavy dancing day at the gym. I walked down to the weights and started warming up and dancing and lifting when I realized something terrible...I was doing really poorly at bench press today.

It was my first chest exercise. There was no reason for fatigue or exhaustion whatsoever. I just couldn't lift the bar. I had Toni (the awesome trainer at the YMCA who I've mentioned before) spot me. I just couldn't seem to lift the weight. It sucked. It was an absolutely awful feeling. I finished my workout, going up in weight for every single exercise - except bench press. It didn't make sense. It couldn't be this way!

Now I know this isn't very "Bane" of me, but I teach a drama class for 6-8 year old kids on Thursdays. I went and taught the class, but the entire time, I couldn't get out of my head that I had failed on the bench press. Right after class, I returned to the gym to settle the score with that barbell.

I got hyped. My friends Joseph and RJ were there and they commented on how hard I was dancing. It was time to lift the weight. I put 205 on the bar, and I pushed with all my might. I had my best song in the best moment of the song pumping through my headphones. I was able to get the weight for my 5 reps.

I was so psyched. All of my anger turned to joy and I couldn't stop smiling and dancing for the rest of the time I was at the gym.

I didn't give up. Now, I'm not saying this is a good thing. It actually proves how stubborn I am. But the results remain the same. Because I didn't give up, I was able to grow and do what I'd never done before.

A lot of times, our lives are filled with things and situations that make us want to give up. We get frustrated with God and decide that this lifestyle is no longer for us. Don't let it be that way! God will never give up on you, so please don't be the one to give up on Him. Keep pushing through the hard times and realize you're not alone. He's right there with you, carrying you through it all. Be strong and know that you have the same power that conquered the grave living inside you. Never give up. Never back down.

"The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:11 NLT)

Workout:
Bench: 205 pounds
Pull down: 130 pounds
Db incline: 80 pound dumbbells
Row: 160 pounds
Seated back fly: 35 pound dumbbells
Db decline: 80 pound dumbbells
Deadlift: 210 pounds
Lying pullover: 80 pound dumbbell
TRX push-ups: 4x5 1x9 (feet elevated)
TRX rows: 4x5 1x10 (feet elevated)

Best Songs of the Workout:
1. Great I Am by New Life Worship
2. As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber
3. If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickelback

Thanks so much everyone for reading!
Till next time, peace and much love.

Rejuvenation

Soreness doesn't even explain how I felt this morning. Every muscle in my entire body ached. But it was great to know that I could take the entire day to relax. I really needed that. After you put your body through so much torture, it's nice to take the time to just lay around, be lazy, and eat a bunch of food. I was ready to seize these moments and completely chill. All of that is thanks to my friend, Mitch.

Mitch is just awesome. I've talked about him before in the blog, but he really is just a great guy. Last night, Mitch and I were having a discussion about life and we were reminded that happiness is a choice.  See, every day, we can worry or we can live life to the fullest. Either of those is a choice we make. It doesn't just happen to us. We choose it. Today, I chose to live. I chose to relax. I chose to not worry. 

In our lives, we are beaten up every day. There's stress, sadness, grades, jobs, work, _____________ that are all bogging us down. But we can choose to either live life to the fullest, or worry about it all.

Which will it be for you? God is waiting to just hold you in His arms and let you rest and be rejuvenated. You have to make the choice to run to Him. When you do, life can shake you up, but you will be held safely in His arms. While everyone else is drained, you will be rejuvenated. Let Him hold you today.

"I have told you all these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NLT).

Be rejuvenated my friends.

Till next time, peace and much love. 

Join In!

Since beginning the challenge, it has been overwhelming for me to see how it has inspired others to take on a fitness challenge as well. Some people who have talked to me want to gain weight, others to lose weight, and some to begin fitness for the first time. It's been really cool to see how my small story has been able to reach out and relate to people wherever they are and in different ways. Today was a great reminder of that because a lot of you who have taken on challenges of your own gave me updates on how you're doing. Thanks so much for that encouragement to know we're all working in this together.

That's how our Christian lives should be also. We should never have to face this life alone. I know I've touched on this in a previous post, but think about this: How is the way you're living inspiring someone else to do the same as you are?

As Christians, we shouldn't just be different, we should be different in a good way - contagious even. Our lives should reflect what we feel and know is true and the rest of the world should look on and be excited to join in. Is your life that way? If not, how can you become contagious and make others desire to join in?

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - Jesus speaking (John 10:10 NIV)

Military press: 65 pound dumbbells
Front raise: 30 pound dumbbells
Side raise: 30 pound dumbbells
Preacher Bar raise: 110 pounds
Smith Machine Shrug: 210 pounds

Back squat: 350 pounds
Front squat: 135 pounds
Leg extension: 185 pounds
Leg curl: 165 pounds (maxed out the machine!)
Leg press: 600 pounds

Base plate overhead uphill lunge: 20 steps with a 45 pound base plate

Till next time,
Peace and much love

High Five!

I got some fantastic news today. In the past week, I have gained five pounds. Now, I know the question you're all thinking...is that a good five pounds or a fatty, gross, disgusting five pounds? And I have to admit, I didn't check. As stated in a previous post, I get a bit freaked out when I see my fat levels rise any at all. And this time, I know they have because of the tremendous amounts of fatty foods I've been eating. However, I think this five pounds is mostly good. Here's three reasons why:
1. My abs are still abby, not flabby.
2. I received two compliments today from personal trainers on the growth of my arms.
3. I received a compliment from Adam Crane (a high school student) who saw me last week and said today that he can tell my chest is getting much bigger. And his brother, Wes, didn't even recognize me because he hasn't seen me in about two months.

All of that combined is very encouraging and lets me know that these five pounds are good pounds, not gross, disgusting pounds.

I can't say though that today was a great day all around. Before I went to the gym, I was feeling lazy and somewhat disconnected from the world. I haven't talked to some of my best friends in what seems like forever (though it's only been a few days, but remember that I'm an addict and it's hard for me to go even a day without talking to them) and that thought has weighed heavily on my mind today. So I decided to take some alone time and really spend it talking to God. He revealed something to me as I was talking.

He told me that it's time for me to grow even more close to Him. I've been spending a lot of time in the gym trying to get big and worrying a lot about my physical body, but have I been doing the same with my spiritual life? I can honestly say that for the longest time, I was not trying to grow at all in my faith, but in the past two years, I have reconnected with God in big ways and have really been growing close to Him on a daily basis. But have I been doing EVERYTHING I can to get closer to Him? Have I spent as much time studying the Bible as I have studying workouts online? Have I been talking to my spiritual mentors as much as my physical mentors? Have I spent time seeking God and listening to Him as much as I have sought advice to become Bane? God told me today that I have not been working as hard as I should. So, today that changes.

A famous theologian once said, "Everyone is as close to God as they want to be." And I can say that I've been doing good, but it's time to grow and do even more to get closer to Him. I need to work my spiritual life just as hard, if not harder, than my physical. After all, which one lasts forever?

"When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11 NLT)

Workout:
Biceps:
Negative chin ups: 5x5 SLOW
Spider curl: 70 pound preacher bar
Wide dumbbell curls: 40 pound dumbbells
Curl up/hammer down: 45 pound dumbbells
Strip hammer curls: Started with 45 pound dumbbells and did sets of five with every weight down to 3 pounds

Triceps:
Body weight triceps extension: 5x5
Close grip bench press: 145 pounds
Single arm overhead dumbbell extension: 40 pound dumbbells
Triceps press machine: 165 (maxed out the machine :) )
Two way triceps kickback: 30 pound dumbbells

Forearms:
Reverse cable curl: 105 pounds
Barbell wrist curl: Bar
Downward reverse cable curl: 115 pounds
Dumbbell twists: 30 pound dumbbells

Best Songs of the Workout:
1. Over My Head by A Day to Remember (Recommended by Derek Sword)
2. You Are I Am by MercyMe
3. One Thing Remains by Kristian Stanfill


Thanks for reading. Till next time homies, peace and much love...

Follow the Plan

At church this morning, our Associate Pastor, Richard Mosqueda, spoke. He talked all about how God's plan for our lives is awesome, but it won't work if you just know the plan. You have to apply it to your life. There's a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is just understanding the facts. Wisdom is applying all of it to your life.

There have been quite a few people who have been very speculative about the plan I'm undergoing. They have said there's no way it's going to work or that all the advice I'm getting is crap (I discussed all of this and these people in length in one of my earlier posts). I could not disagree more with their opinion.

The people I have around me contributing to this plan are the best I know. They have supported me through a lot and have also proved to me time and again they know what they're talking about. To me, any "outsiders" giving suggestions have to be run through this team for approval. Why? Because a lot of people think they understand me and what I'm doing when in reality they're just regurgitating what they've heard before from others. I want to follow the plan and I feel that if I do, I really will gain the best results possible.

Isn't our regular life that same way? There are so many people and organizations and things who tell us what's best for our lives. Why don't we trust the One who designed us and knows what's best? Why do we listen to all the "outsiders" who are just regurgitating what they've heard from others or think will work for us? It should not be this way!

Listen to the Expert. He made you. He loves you. He won't steer you wrong. You've got to follow His plan.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)

Workout:
Weighted dips: 95 pounds
Bent over row: 160 pounds
Alternating chest press: 85 pound dumbbells
Barbell bent over row underhand: 155 pounds
Cable flies incline: 95 on each side
Back extension: 55 pounds
Cable flies decline: 65 on each side
Weighted pull ups: 25 pound dumbbell
Dumbbell flies/10 push-ups: 80 pound dumbbells
Elbows out lawnmowers: 80 pound dumbbells

Best Songs of the Workout:
1. Our God's Alive by Andy Cherry
2. Great I Am by New Life Worship
3. When We Stand Together by Nickelback (go ahead and hate on them. I don't care. I think they're a good band.)

Till next time,
Peace and much love homies...

My Heart Is Gonna Explode

This morning I went to Boot Camp, which is one of my absolute favorite workouts of the week, every week. This morning was no different in that sense, but it was different in another sense.

Typically in every Boot Camp class I have little, if any, trouble. But this morning was a different story. This morning as I was jumping rope, doing push ups, and running, it felt like my heart was about to explode out of my chest. See, I've been focused on other things.

I've been trying to get bigger and stronger, not focusing on being faster. My body has gotten used to the 5x5 routine which has my body settled at doing intense weights, but for an EXTREMELY brief period of time with each lift. When you go to a Boot Camp class that is non-stop for an hour and 15 minutes, it's hard for your body (or at least my body) to adjust. I made it through. And I've come up with some ways that I'm going to focus on keeping my speed and endurance as well as gaining strength and bulk. It's different. I've got to adjust and figure it all out, but I'll get there.

Adjusting our spiritual battles can be the same way. We'll focus on one thing for a long time, put all of our effort into conquering some sin, we conquer it, and then a new one pops up. We work on fixing that, and then the old sin comes back up. We're constantly flip-flopping back and forth just trying to keep ourselves from falling apart.

Life doesn't have to be that way.

In my life, I flip-flipped for so long. It wasn't until I really let God take over that I don't have to worry about it any more. I'm not perfect. I'm still in a battle every single day, but I know now that with God in control, I don't have to flip flop.

What is it in your life that you keep flip-flopping about? How can you let God take over completely so you don't have to face that any more?

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (James 1:27 NLT)

Workout:
Boot Camp class woot woot!

Young Jedi

Two years ago, I was 250 pounds and 30% body fat. I was lazy and afraid of treadmills. Today, I am happy to say all of that has changed. It's so weird to me now that my body has gone through all of these changes. I mean, sure, I've worked hard. But even that doesn't seem like it should be enough. The weirdest thing for me though is when people ask me for my advice about their fitness.

Today, I was joined in the gym by a high school senior named Jesse. Jesse is a really cool guy who asked me to help him bulk up a little bit. I'm always really confused when people ask me to help them. "Really? Me?" There are so many more people who are so much more qualified for this job than I am. But lo and behold, Jesse showed up today and we had a really good workout. I can't say I really did much. I just did what I normally do and Jesse followed suit. It was cool though to have somebody look up to me for something I never would have dreamt of (if you would have asked me two years ago). 

I feel like there are so many times when we feel completely unqualified in this life. Whether it's for a job or a sport or a promotion or a relationship or a gift or whatever else, we often feel unqualified. The world today is a "dog-eat-dog" style competition where we are constantly comparing ourselves to everyone around us and it's very rare we can ever match up. What I want you to know today is that you are qualified. 

In the Old Testament, God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses protested and said there was no way he could do it. He said he wasn't a good speaker and, because he stuttered, there's no way anyone would listen to him. God knew all that about Moses. God handcrafted Moses, of course He knew Moses stuttered. By the world's standards and by Moses' comparison of himself to others, he was not going to make a good leader. God thought differently. 

Moses had the right heart. God knew that Moses was willing to show up and do whatever he was led to do. That's was really Moses' only assignment - show up and let God take care of the rest. In this life, God has so many "assignments" for each of us. We need to quit comparing ourselves to others and coming up with excuses why we can't fulfill our calling. God will never lead us to a place and leave us there alone. He will be right beside us, working through us. All we have to do is show up.

What is God leading you to do? What are your excuses? Are you willing to show up? 

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

Workout:

Barbell curl: 95 pounds

Skull crusher: 95 pounds

Forearm barbell curl: 95 pounds

Dumbbell triceps overhead extension: 100 pounds

Dumbbell hammer curl: 50 pounds

Dumbbell forearm curl: 20 pounds

Dumbbell forearm twist curl: 55 pounds

Triceps cable push down: 120 pounds

Dumbbell inward hammer curl: 60 pounds

Triceps bench dips: 10 slow dips x 5 sets

Forearm rope: 22.5 pounds

Bungee biceps: 3 rounds of 15 seconds fast curls followed immediately by 30 second isometric hold

Triceps weighed captains chair dips: 35 pounds - 3 sets of 10 fast paced dips followed by one dip to the floor achieved as slowly as possible

Best Songs of the Workout:

***I actually only got to listen to about 3 songs the entire workout because Jesse was with me and we were talking as we were doing the workout rather than me just listening to music. So this time, I'm only gonna choose one "Best Song". Otherwise, all 3 songs would be listed here.***

1. Bois ! by Max Boublil (recommended by my little brother, Ethan Perry. It's a weird French song about water, but I can't help but get pumped up by it and this song definitely would be on this list even if I'd gotten to listen to 20 songs during my workout. It's a winner.)

Till next time party people,

Peace and much love. 

Haters Gonna Hate

What I know for sure is this: Absolutely nothing is impossible.

I have been through too much in my life to believe that there is anything impossible in this world. I may not be able to do many things alone, but I can guarantee you that when you and I team up with God on our side, there is nothing we can't accomplish. There's one thing that has really been bothering me all day today and that's the haters.

In the past week, I've received quite a few messages or face-to-face chats with people who hear my story and then tell me there is absolutely no way I'll be able to do this. It's not like they just say that it's improbable or they've never seen it done before, they literally tell me it's impossible. Those are the people I can't wait to prove wrong. I'd like to say it doesn't affect me at all, but if I'm completely honest with you, it hurts when people downplay my goal or make it out to be this unachievable task. As I thought about it more though, I realize they just don't understand.

See, alone, I am completely incapable of doing this. There is absolutely no way that Stu Perry on his own has the knowledge or commitment to make this happen, but the great thing is that I am not alone. I have so many people surrounding me who have helped me through so much and have committed to continuing to help me throughout this process. Not only that, but I really do feel like God is on my side. I think this blog is being used in incredible ways to reach out to people who wouldn't ever have listened to God's messages. I pray that's the case. I pray that someone will find something meaningful here and really be able to understand God a little bit more because of it. I am not alone. No one should be alone.

What I realized today is that we can really affect someone by the things we say. We have absolutely no idea what people are going through at the moment our lives intersect with theirs. We could be the best or worst thing to happen to them at that exact moment. We can encourage or discourage. We can make them feel like they are connected or we can make them feel alone. We can make them feel as though this life is possible or as if there's no way to continue. I challenge you today to always be a person who is an encourager. Help people throw off the burdens they have and run this race we call life with everything they've got. Run next to them through good times and bad and pick them up when they fall down. Be there for people in real, tangible ways. There's no way I would be where I am today without people who did the same for me.

You can do it. Just reach out.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us." Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

Thank you to all those of you who have helped me "strip off my weight" and "run".

I was going to end the post there, but I decided to thank those of you who have really meant a lot to me on this journey exclusively. There are so many more people who have encouraged me in other ways, but in my attempt to "Become Bane" there are some key people who I can't not mention. Feel free to skip right over this section if you're not interested, but to those of you who have helped me, I just need to say thank you.

First, my parents. They are just awesome. They've been there for me through everything and have encouraged me and oohed and awwwwed at my muscles when nobody else thought they were anything.

Buddy Howard, my pastor, who has just been an unbelievable encouragement to me in my faith. Without him, there is absolutely no way I would be here today doing this.

My friend, Brad Kurnick, who is just a 16 year old "kid" but has been there for me more than tons of people my own age.

Mitch Lyon, Derek Sword, RJ Graziul, Mike Forte, Daniel Pulliam, and Jacob Sword who have encouraged me every step of the way with my fitness and with my life. They are awesome at just shooting me a text message or giving me a phone call or talking to me face-to-face and encouraging me in the little ways that other people don't think are important.

Jill McClay who has been a great friend and trainer for me since day one. I want to mention all of the trainers at the YMCA below, but Jill has been there for me since the beginning. I can remember being scared to go into her class because it was the first I'd ever taken at the YMCA, and she welcomed me in and made me feel awesome for being there. She has encouraged me, given me tips, and told me to never give up. Even just this morning, I was in her cycling class and she told everyone about this blog and then encouraged me and told me it was possible. She has just been an amazing encouragement to me and I can say there is no way I would be able to be where I am today in my fitness unless it was for her. Thank you.

Heidi Molinari who makes me feel awesome every time I walk in and out of the YMCA. She always has a smile on her face and reminds me that happiness is a choice. She has believed in me from the beginning and is such an incredible encourager. She talks with me about real life and also tells me to keep going even when I'm tired and don't feel like it. She makes fun of me when I miss a day or when I make excuses, and I couldn't thank her more for that. She's a great lady (not snippy at all).

To John, Toni, and all the rest of the trainers at the YMCA, thank you for taking time whenever you see me to just walk over, encourage me, and help me through whatever I'm doing. Thank you for believing in me and for helping me accomplish everything I've ever wanted.

To Kathy and those in the Saturday morning boot camp class, thank you for encouraging me both spiritually and physically. Thank you for not letting me make excuses and for making me feel like a part of something greater than myself.

To all those of you (too many to mention) who have made a Facebook post, comment, tweet, text, phone call, or face-to-face encouragement you will never know what that really means to me.

I hope I can mean as much to you in your lives as you have meant to me in mine.

Workout:
Today's workout again followed the 5x5 plan explained in day one's post. I have recorded it here as I did the first workout I recorded.

Barbell bench press: 200 pounds
Single arm dumbbell row: 70 pounds
Dumbbell incline bench press: 75 pound dumbbells
Lat pull-down wide grip: 125 pounds
Lying chest pullover: 75 pounds
Seated back flies: 35 pounds
Deadlift: 205 pounds
Dumbbell decline bench press: 75 pound dumbbells
Wide grip weighted pull ups: 20 pound dumbbell strapped to my waist
Slow plyo push up: 5x5
90 second weighted plank: 25 pounds

Best Songs of the Workout:
1. Feels So Numb by Rob Zombie (Recommended by Andy Wood. It was one of the first and best songs of my workout today. Thanks man!)
2. Gonna Be Alright by Rhett Walker Band (Recommended by Bonnie Lawrence. Thanks so much for the recommendation. You were right, the timing is perfect for lifting!)
3. One Thing Remains the Kristian Stanfill/Passion Version

Thanks so much everyone. Over 600 views in 5 days. WOW!!!

Till next time, peace and much love.

Rest

I went on a run today and I absolutely sucked. It's the day after legs day, and that was just terrible planning on my part. I was trying to pick up speed and I just couldn't do it. My legs were aching and my body is just tired. I was a bit bummed that I didn't do too well today, I'm not gonna lie about that, but it caused me to think about something that's been weighing heavily on my mind.

People need to rest.

In our society today, we are always going. We're going to work, going to dinner, going to practice, going to school, going to rehearsal, going to church, going to hang out, going, going, going. And I'm not saying that going to any of those places/things is necessarily wrong. But we HAVE to rest.

What I've found in my life is that the times that I am least satisfied with myself are the times where I keep on going. I have to sit and think and be alone. If I can't do that, it means I have a serious problem I don't want to think about, so I stay "going".

That's not how we were designed to be. God says this, "Be still and know I am God." (Psalm 46:10). One of my favorite people in the entire world is my pastor, Buddy Howard. He says that one of the best ways to find out what the Bible is saying is to think about what it doesn't say.

This verse DOESN'T say:
Go be in a worship band and know that I am God.
Go on a mission trip and know that I am God.
Go be around all your friends and know that I am God.
Go (fill in the blank) and know that I am God.

This verse says BE STILL: STOP GOING! And know that I am God.

My day of rest from lifting was great for my body. It needs time to recover. I hope you'll take time for a day of rest today as well and recover from all the going we've been doing.

Workout:
2 mile run
8 tabata sprints (20 seconds on/10 off)

Best Workout Songs of the Day:
I didn't use music today. Check back tomorrow to see if your song pumped me up!!

Feeling it!

My music was incredible in the gym today. I just signed up for Spotify premium (which I highly recommend to anyone who is thinking about it) and I was able to listen to TONS of new songs and some old favorites as well.

If you don't know me, what you need to understand is that music fuels my life. I can't say I enjoy all music, but the music I do enjoy gets me more amped than I think you could imagine. When I'm feeling it, I'm REALLY feeling it.

The second thing you need to know about me is that I care very little what people think of me - so long as I'm not hurting anyone in any way. A lot of times this means I end up dancing in public. And when I say dancing in public, I don't just mean a nice little head-bob, I mean that my entire body is gyrating and taking up large amounts of space as I glide from one space to another. I do this a lot in the gym. Especially when I'm feeling it.

Today, I was feeling it!

I was listening to "Your Name" by Phil Wickham and Paul Baloche. Yes, this is a Christian worship song, but I was going nuts. I was dancing around and lifting weights and jumping and literally skipping around the gym. A gentleman (who is much stronger than I am) saw me and started staring. At this same moment, he picked up the weights I was about to use. I looked over at him and his face immediately shifted to an expression of horror and at that moment I was inside his head.

This is what he was thinking:
'This kid has been dancing around the gym. He's obviously insane. If he comes at me for taking his weights, I'm gonna have to kill him. That will be the only way to stop someone who is clinically insane.'

I immediately grabbed another weight, and I could see him take a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to be responsible for my death. That got me thinking though...do people see me as crazy in other aspects of my life?

As a Christian, I'm called to be set apart from the rest of the world. With Jesus in my heart, I shouldn't look like everyone else looks. Not just physically, but in the way I act, talk, even think - I should be different. Am I? Does the world think I'm crazy? I hope so.

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (James 1:27 NLT)

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:2 NLT)

Workout:
Today was a legs and shoulders day, and those two muscle groups are a bit of a different animal. I did the 5x5 as much as possible, but in some cases had to up the reps in order to feel the muscle fatigue I'm aiming for. If there's just a weight listed with an exercise, it was part of the 5x5. Anything I did differently, I'll explain.

***Note: DB = dumbbell***

Wall ball: 25x10x3 - for this exercise, I used a 10 pound medicine ball and threw it up 25 reps for 3 sets.

Db 3 way calf raises: 60x10x2 - for this exercise, I did 3 sets of 20 reps. The first set I did was with my toes facing out, the second set parallel and the third set toes facing in. I would do 10 reps slowly and then 10 "pulses" to get my 20 overall reps. I did all three sets with no break I between.

Preacher bar shoulder raise: 110
Calf raise: 225
Alternating db shoulder press: 55
Dumbbell step up (18" step): 55

Front/side db raise: 25 - I did 5 sets of 10 reps for this exercise. I would alternate front raise, side raise for 10 reps.

Leg extension: 180
Leg curl: 150

Shoulder alphabet: 35 (A-M, N-Z) - I used a 35 pound weight and wrote the alphabet in the air in front of me. It took me two sets. In the first set, I did A-M. In the second, I did N-Z.

Back Squat: 325

Overhead uphill lunge: 45x16 - I took a 45 pound base plate and held it arms completely extended above my head and took 16 lunge steps up a slanted ramp.

Nutrition:
A friend of mine, Derek Sword, who is a 4th year medical student and also working with me as a consultant for this project, gave me some advice that I'd like to pass on to you.
If you take protein, research shows its better to take the protein throughout your workout rather than at the end.
Immediately after your workout, the best thing you can drink is 8oz. of chocolate milk. Then, 30 minutes later, another 8oz. is good.
The sugars in the chocolate milk help replenish the depleted glucose levels and the body can only absorb around 25g of protein within a few hours. Everything else is excreted and useless.

Today, I drank my protein (just one scoop this time) in the middle of my workout and followed my workout with one pint of chocolate whole milk.

Best Songs of the Workout:
1. Our God's Alive by Andy Cherry
2. I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness (recommended by Sam Cochran. Thanks so much Sam!!! This song got me through some heavy lifts!!!)
3. Great I Am - Bethel Live ft. Jeremy Riddle

Any questions or comments, feel free to let me know.

Till next time,
Peace and much love!

Sore

Today I woke up and I could barely move. As I laid in bed, I was squirming around trying to find which part of me hurt the worst. When I moved my arms, my chest singed with pain and when I twisted my torso, my back and neck surged. It is, without a doubt, the most sore I have been from exercise. And I couldn't be happier.

Waking up feeling sore means that I actually did something yesterday. I wasn't sore in the sense of an injury. I was sore in the sense that a lot of work had been put into my muscles and because of that they are growing and changing. Yeah, it's painful, but it's good in the end.

Isn't that how God is with us? A lot of times we will go through things that are pretty painful, but they can really help us grow. We might be sore for quite a while after we go through all those things, but He will always be there to heal us. From my soreness today, I used a muscle-shocking system called the TENS 3000. It sends electrical pulses through your muscles to make them tense and relax (kind of like a taser). Even that hurts, but it helps heal in the end.

Today, whatever you're facing, remember that God is the ultimate healer. He may put you through some tough things, but it's all to help your "muscles grow". Know that He loves you and would never want to hurt you. He just wants to see you "bulk up".

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (James 1:2-4 NLT)

Below, I have some stuff I should have posted earlier, along with my workout from the day and my "Best Workout Songs of the Day".

Pre-measurements:
I am happy to announce I have my official measurements.

Here are my measurements:
Waist: 36 inches
Biceps: 14 inches
Neck: 16 inches
Chest: 42 inches
Shoulders: 21 inches
Forearms: 11 inches

Here are my statistics:
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 183.8 pounds
Fat content: 11.3%
(Tom Hardy, who plays Bane, is around 5' 9" and he weighed around 196 pounds for the role.)

Workout:
The workout follows the same format as yesterday, and I'm reporting it here in the same fashion as yesterday's workout.

Single arm rotating dumbbell curl: 50
Single arm tricep dumbbell overhead: 35
Forearm rope twist: 25
Preacher bar skull crusher: 90
Barbell curl: 90
Dumbbell hammer curl: 45
Tricep cable pull down: 120
Forearm dumbbell curls (both ways): 25
Single arm cable curl: 50
Forearm cable push: 60
Single arm tricep cable pull down: 65
Single arm forearm cable reverse curl: 40
Preacher curl static hold: 70
Tricep weighted dip static hold: 40

Best Songs of the Workout:
1. Heartbeat by The Fray
2. White Flag by Chris Tomlin
3. Love Me by Justin Bieber (go ahead and judge me)

Food:
I ate a lot of eggs and then Moe's steak burrito today. I won't bore you with details.

***A note on supplements***
A lot of people have asked me if I'm taking nutritional supplements since I'm not using steroids. The answer is yes. My pre-workout is Super Pump Max in Fruit Punch flavor (2 scoops approximately 20 minutes before my workout) and my protein is the chocolate Muscle Milk (2 scoops immediately following my workout).

You all have been great about giving me feedback. A lot of your questions are things I posted about this time. Keep all the questions and comments coming!

Till next time,
Peace and much love.

Day One: Even Evil Super Villains Need a "Save"

Becoming an evil super villain is quite the enjoyable experience for me. Today in the gym, I felt completely alive and new. With a clear vision and goal in mind, I was absolutely driven to lift as much weight as possible to become who I want to be. Below, you will find my workout for the day as well as "Best Songs of the Workout" (The top 3 songs that got me pumped up.) Before I get to that though, I feel it's necessary to give thanks and credit where it is due. 

Todays was a chest and back lift day and as stated before, I wanted to lift as much weight as was physically possible for me. My workout was going great. I was lifting more weight than ever before and I could feel my muscles cringing and struggling to push through. It was the ultimate feeling of achievement for me. The feeling of soreness helped me to feel my muscles being pushed to their limit. I had completed a few exercises and it was time to do incline on the bench. I was feeling good, had good music pumping through my head, and was ready to lift the world. I laid down and completed one set using 135 pounds. That's not great, but it's not horrible either. I finished the set and decided that it was time to go for it.

I put twenty more pounds on the bar, raising the total weight to 155 pounds. I lifted the bar off and started my reps. One...it went great. I felt like I could throw the bar through the ceiling as I pushed it upward. Two...still feeling good. I started to feel my muscles strain, but in a good way. Three...starting to feel some fatigue, but that's to be expected. Four...my right arm quivered as I pushed the weight up. At the top of the rep, I held for a second, took a deep breath, breathed it out with a loud "PUFF" and then dropped the weight back down for my fifth rep. I started to push up, but then the unthinkable happened...

My arms faltered and I couldn't get the weight up. 

With no spotter, I panicked. I started breathing in deep breaths, trying to get the strength to push the bar up higher, but my right arm just couldn't do it. I looked at both sides and hooked the bar onto the bench unevenly with the left side on the top rung of the bench and the right side on the second to last one from the top. Just as I got it situated, I saw another hand grip the bar. It was of a fit African American woman who had a very serious face, but chuckled as soon as I got the bar safely on the rungs. I pulled a headphone out of my ear and heard her say, "Don't worry. I was watching you. I wasn't gonna let anything happen."

At that moment I was both embarrassed and encouraged. Just moments before, while lifting the bar, I had been thinking about God's love and how it protects us in all situations. It was like God wanted me to know He really was right there with me. He is always watching, and he won't let anything ultimately happen to us. We might falter and get a scare, but His hand will be right there to grab the bar for us when we need it. He will share our burden and will make sure it's never too much. 

Even evil super villains need a save. Sometimes it's a physical save like the one I needed today in the gym. Other times, it's a reminder that there really are caring people in this world and that the Lord of the universe is right there with us. 

Today, think about how you're responding to the "save" that has been offered to you freely. Have you finally realized the weight is too much for you to handle on your own? If so, take the save. 

(Just so you know...I did finish all five sets of the incline bench press and eventually moved back up to 155 pounds and completed all five reps. I just had to take a little breather first.)

See below for the actual workout I completed today along with a sample of my meals and the "Best Songs of the Workout".

Workout:

I'm following a 5x5x5 plan. For every muscle group, I do five different exercises. For each exercise, I do five sets of five reps with maximum weight I can lift. Below are the weights I used in my fifth set. I move up in weight for each set as much as is possible, so the fifth set should also be the heaviest set of each exercise. Let me know if you have any questions/comments/concerns about this workout. 

Alternating dumbbell bench press: 75 pound dumbbells

Bent over rows: 135 pounds

Chest flies: 70 pound dumbbells

Back flies: 45 pound dumbbells

Incline barbell bench press: 155 pounds

Row: 145 pounds

Decline barbell bench press: 170 pounds

Straight leg dead-lift: 235 pounds

Pull ups: 20 pound dumbbell chained to my waist (only 3 sets of 5 reps)

Chest dips: 90 pound dumbbell chained to my waist (only 3 sets of 5 reps)

Best Songs of the Workout:

1. Change My Life by Ashes Remain

2. Furious by Bethel Live ft. Jeremy Riddle

3. What I Know by Parachute

Meals:

Breakfast

• Two eggs + 4 egg whites
• Chicken breast
• Slice of swiss cheese
• Strawberry, banana, blueberry, orange juice smoothie

Lunch

• One pound bag of shrimp
• Salad
• Banana with two tablespoons of peanut butter
• Orange

Dinner

• Chinese buffet utilizing mostly high protein, low fat meat. (Yes, it was delicious.)

There ya go. Let me know if you have any questions/comments/concerns. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Tomorrow I will be completing a weigh-in and fat content check. 

Till then, 

Peace and much love!

Step 1

So I'm not a huge person. If you don't know me, my name is Stu Perry and I'm a youth minister. (If you'd like to know more about that side of my life, visit www.biggodlittlestu.tk ) But while I may not be physically huge, I am a HUGE, larger than life even, Batman fan. I've been a fan of him since I can remember.

When I was younger, I would go to a theme park where there was a Batman stunt show. I would nearly cry from excitement every time he took the stage, chasing the joker through flames and on his dirt bike. Watching him fly through the air, I just knew I wanted to be him, so I started having friends refer to me as Stunt Stu.

Now, 12 years later and still obsessed, I work part-time at a foster care where I was given the biggest compliment when a resident told me I reminded him of Batman. I will always remember that day. Out of the blue he walked up to me and said, "Mr. Stu, you know who you remind me of?" I thought he was going to make a rude comment, but he paused and said, "Batman". At that moment, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. Now, all of the residents who know me call me Batman. It's the greatest compliment to get every time I work.

So why become the villain when you're the hero?

Simple...Bane is much bigger and more intimidating than Batman. I'm already Batman, now it's time to try my hand at being Bane.

Two years ago I began a fitness journey. I weighed 250 pounds and 30% of that was fat. Within one year, after a ton of sweat and all of my friends rallying around me, I lost 80 pounds and was down to 7% body far. There was a problem though. I looked a little sickly. So I decided to bulk up a bit. I went through and completed P90X, which added 15 pounds of muscle to me. After all of that, I am proud to say that today I sit at a comfortable 180 pounds and around 10% body fat. (I don't check my fat content as much now because trainers at the gym warned against it as I was becoming obsessed and depressed whenever I would have a minor disappointment.)

But now, after everything, I decided it's time to get huge. I got skinny, which was cool. Then I got to the point where I can withstand any amount of cardio, and that was fun. After that, I learned how to really train my muscles and got quite fit and cut. So my next venture is to explode with muscle, just like Bane from Batman The Dark Knight Rises.

So today, I'm taking step one in my process. It's really the same step one I take to achieve any goal...set the goal. I want it to be clearly defined, so here it is:
By January 2013, I will look as much as possible like Bane from Batman The Dark Knight Rises, but I will not use steroids.

That's the goal here people. It's going to be tough, and there are days where I'm sure I will want to quit, but I will not give in. By January, you will see a completely different me.

So keep on checking back in. We can learn together different "tricks of the trade" to gaining muscle and making it look right on our bodies. I'm by noeans an expert, so this is a journey we can take together. I hope you'll join me as I am "Becoming Bane".

Till next time,
Peace and much love.