New numbers

Worthy Fam,

Now that we are four weeks away from assessment week, our newer clients are discovering what it feels like to have "new numbers". Those new numbers can certainly make the workouts feel a bit different when you have made significant forward progress.

What some people don't realize is that we also reset numbers for people that need or want to back down their weight a bit. Sometimes, we have veteran clients that have missed some significant amount of time for one reason or another, maybe have some nagging aches and pains, and don't feel they are able to do what they once could safely in the strength sessions. We had a few long-time clients re-test to a point that they felt safely challenged and we are now using that number in selecting their weights.

I wanted to take a minute to help everyone understand the purpose and importance of the assessments and testing max capabilities. In strength sessions, in order for us to choose the right amount of weight for you to be lifting, we must first know your capability. For example, science tells us that if you want to exercise for muscle endurance, you should do 12+ reps with less than 67% of your 1RM. If you want to build muscle, you should do 67-80ish% of 1RM for 6-12 reps. If you want to work on strength you should work with 80% 1RM and higher for 1-5 reps. At Worthy we like to work on all of these things so that we are well rounded in our training. If we do not know your max number, we cannot figure out what to give you for 10 reps at 70% in order for you to build muscle.

No matter what part of the journey you are currently in, these numbers help us to understand where you currently stand so that we can customize the workout appropriately for each individual person.

Murray here, on the note of assessments, we have heard that assessment week brings many different types of emotions for each of you. In the beginning, it was such an exciting time. Seeing the gains and witnessing progress is so encouraging and exhilarating. With time, these gains may not come as fast, or not even at all. I was anxious and discouraged leading up to assessment week, to the point that I was even in tears. Some of you can relate to this. I had to remember that I had to celebrate the victories. Now, I continue to show up, encourage others, and remind myself that even though I may not be the strongest or the fastest, I am strong and WORTHY.

Our anchor verse in the gym is Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua needed to courageously trust that God was in control. Next time you feel discouraged, try holding this in your heart and mind.

Now go VOTE and have a good week!

There is None Righteous, No, Not One

WORTHY FAM! Mark and Murray here!

It's been a bit since we've sent out an email like this.  Busy is not an excuse, but it is our reason.  We have had time here and there and of course, we admit, something else calls for our attention.  If you're new to Worthy, we like to send out monthly devotionals.  You can also follow our Facebook page or Instagram at Worthy Total Fitness where we share pics of your fellow Worthy Fam.  Since it's been a while, we wanted to take this opportunity to reintroduce ourselves.

Mark here, I've been working in the fitness world since 2007.  I began at Wright State University, then LA Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, and the YMCA. In 2015, we decided to take a shot at building our own business. We had just moved to Columbus, Murray was teaching, and I was at home with 1 year old Mila day in and day out.  We started with a simple Mom and child workout at Friendship park. For the next 4 years I worked with clients in our basement, at parks, and other gyms only dreaming of getting to where we are today. I am beyond thankful to now have a team of trainers working by my side.  Our coaches have helped Worthy go to a level I never believed it would get to, and they have pushed me to be better in ways I never would have without them.  There were many times during those "basement years" that I was on the verge of quitting this dream, but Murray was always there to encourage me to keep moving forward and eventually take a big leap to our current location. Thank God she did because we may still be stuck in the basement if not!  When outside of the gym, I'm likely on my computer still working on gym related things, spending time with Murray and kids, watching sports or trying to do something competitive.  I am a competition junky and can turn basically anything into a game.  

I'm Murray, full-time mom to our 3 children, Makenzie, Mila, and Malakai (and a pup, Max). I've been a licensed P&C and Life insurance agent here at Creekside Gahanna, with Lew Griffin Insurance for the past 5 years.  We also have a new side hustle as actors! As for my involvement with Worthy, I'm the business side and behind the scenes bathroom cleaner, social media gal, paperwork pusher, and I'm often challenging and pushing Mark with new ideas for growth, change, and innovation.  He likes comfort and I like chaos.  I'm faith filled, yet known to make many conversations inappropriate.  Trust me, I'm working on it.. and I've come a long way.  

I hang on to the verse Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."  In the flesh, I have a terrible self-image, and these words bring me to have grace upon myself.  Meeting Mark has changed my life.  He has helped me to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  I've learned it doesn't mean that food is evil and that deprivation is not the answer.  If this is you, I'm open to chat!

As for the foundation of our gym, faith is at the core.  We strive to be a light within the community.  Sometimes lights go dark, sometimes they go dim, sometimes they are the only light and flood darkness with LIFE.  We, as people, are not perfect.  BUT, we strive every day to have a place in the gym and in our hearts to be authentic, so you will or have seen us at our best or worst.  If you have found Worthy to be your place, we are thankful for you.  This is on our hearts, so we will leave you with this...

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one..." Romans 3:10 

We believe salvation is not based on a person’s goodness; if it were, no one would be saved, since there is none who does good.  From this point forward, we WILL continue on with devotionals! We love you WORTHY FAM!

Narrow is the Path of Success

Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only few find it.  Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

When your faith is built on shortcuts and "quick fix" formulas, you are on a broad path leading to a lukewarm, unfulfilling, whimpering faith.  It's weak.  When you decide to put in the work, develop the good habits and kill the old habits - you will find unbelievable satisfaction in your life of faith and walk with God.  God deserves your best everyday, every hour.  You can do it - stay focused.  Get to that narrow gate!  Talk to god about the old habits.  -Live Bold-

Millions of people each year start down the broad road of reaching their fitness goals. Most of those people use shortcuts and quick fix formulas.   Most will also fall short of their goals and end up at that wide gate of destruction.  In the world of fitness it comes in the form of injuries and yo-yo dieting failures.  True success requires a steady lifestyle change over time.  One positive eating habit at a time must replace 1 negative eating habit.  Workouts need to slowly build in intensity to build a strong foundation of form and skill in order to avoid overuse injuries.  These are not quick fixes, but they work extremely well when people are patient and consistent in their efforts. 

Spiritual health and physical health are lifetime goals and we shouldn't ever stop working on them.  Even when we feel we have reached our physical peak, it's important we do our best to maintain those good habits to remain healthy as we age.  Spiritual health on the other hand can constantly be improved all the way to our final day. 

Whether you are working on your spiritual health or physical health, take your time and work on improving one area at a time to build a strong foundation without becoming overwhelmed trying to achieve perfection.  Yes, trust the process.

Mark

What Are You Doing for Others?

Worthy Fam,

Cindy (aka Mama Cindy) has been part of the Worthy Family Since August of 2019.  She sent this the other night, and with her permission we are sharing this with you. 

We love you all and are grateful for the amazing community you have all created.  Happy Valentine's Day!!

"As we are halfway through Black History Month, I want to recognize & honor the staff & members of Worthy Total Fitness for creating such a welcoming, diverse, friendly gym open to all. I often sit on my rower or the wretched treadmill and look around - I see people of all ages, fitness levels, white, black & brown people, Jews, Muslims, & Christians, all sharing life together.

I am an elderly :) lady with not a molecule of athleticism in me, just a desire/need to get my long-neglected body into shape. I didn’t know a squat from a plank - I didn’t own any fancy workout wear - I was terrified I would get the stink-eye from all the “real athletes!” Instead, I found helpful, encouraging, caring, fun people who help me “tolerate” each workout!

Jesus told us the greatest commandments are to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. If every one of us seeks to intentionally LOVE our neighbors - help others, give of our time & talents, stand up for the oppressed & those in need, get to know people outside our own culture & comfort zone- our community will prosper! 

Reach across the aisle & focus on our commonalities as children of God. What a wonderful world that would be! As MLK encouraged us,

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

Thanks & blessings to our Worthy Family! Mama Cindy

Be STRONG and Courageous

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go"  Joshua 1:9

When our desire to honor God grows greater than our desire to shelter ourselves, fear becomes a lever for our courage.  This is when courage overcomes fear, and we become bold in our faith and life.  So, when you face that "thing", ask God to show you the well of courage which flows from His strength and presence.  Then move out of the shadows and into action.    -Live Bold- 

Three years ago, Worthy was still operating in the basement of our home. Up until three years ago, because of a sense of security, I was still attempting to pursue a career other than fitness, even though I had been working in gyms/fitness for about 12 years at that point. I had explored several other career paths throughout those 12 years because working in the fitness industry isn't exactly safe and secure.  But no matter what I tried, doors continued to close and personal training always seemed to be where I ended up.  

I have seen far more personal trainers fail than I have seen be successful.  I have watched gym after gym go out of business over the years, as well.  The fear of failure was keeping me from stepping out of the safety of our basement and trying to genuinely pursue what God wanted me to do.  Once the final door closed on a different career path in January of 2019, Murray made her strongest push at me to get out of the basement.  She has great faith, and knew that it was time to push me out of my comfort zone.  Three months later we were moving into our current location.  Now, fast forward to three years later, we are surviving a pandemic that many gyms haven't.  In addition to that, we are taking another courageous step and are in contract to buy our current building so we can make it our permanent home.  It was unimaginable that Worthy would be where it is today back in the basement days.  It was a dream, but seemed very unrealistic quite honestly.    

Don't let fear overshadow your courage, step out of your comfort zone, have faith, and do not fear! Joshua 1:9 has been our anchor verse since the beginning.

I also want to give an extra big THANK YOU to all the OBC (Original Basement Crew) who have been loyal, waited for us to take that big step forward, and have continued to stick with us.

Mark

Miracles in the Mundane

Hello Worthy family!

The New Year is upon us! 2022!!

So many wonderful “firsts” just waiting to be uncovered and discovered! But maybe not. Maybe you are looking at this coming year as “same old, same old.” A new year might bring with it the same stuff of your daily routine, same school headaches, same financial drain, and same stresses of family, health and wellness.

But what if we look at the coming year with anticipation and eagerness? What if we look for miracles in the mundane in 2022!

In the book of Luke in the Bible, chapter 12, verses 27-28, we are reminded that “if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, how much more will He care for you.” He does care for you in the midst of the stress or mundane, because you are far more important to Him than flowers, no matter how beautiful and rare they might be. 

There is so much to look forward to in the year 2022: new PR’s to set, new goals to meet, new relationships to build, new victories to cheer, and so much more. The miracles meet us expectantly in the small and routine as well. We just have to look for them, keeping our eyes open and hearts soft.

And as we open our eyes and heart to His care for us, there will be joy, and peace. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

You can chose to find joy in the everyday routine, which brings with it hope and eager anticipation, looking for the miracles.

I’m excited to see you all in the New Year, and to hear about the way you have found miracles in the mundane.

Happy New Year!!

Love to you all!!

Coach Mary

Warsan Strong!

Good morning Worthy Family! Coach Syl here. If I could describe this year in one word I would use the word strength. We have 18 days left in the year and I didn’t want the year to finish without Coach Warsan sharing her story. Seeing her battle cancer all while being a mom, working full time and also getting her workouts in consistently has been inspiring. She is a true testament to   what it means to have strength in this season.  In her words, here is Coach Warsan and her story.

“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.”

-Khalil Gibran

This quote has been my mantra for the past 9 months. Sometime back in March, I decided that no matter what life would give to me, I was going to show up for myself every morning and do my 5am workouts at worthy. A few years before my diagnosis, I could easily come up with excuses for why it would be easier to sleep in, then to wake up at 4am and go workout. But making that small choice to push through no matter how tired and yucky I was feeling, felt like a daily win.

Last week I got to ring the bell at my last radiation treatment. As I closed another chapter, It finally hit me! All the emotions of what I went through the past 9 months flooded in. When I first decided to continue to workout through treatment, my family thought I was nuts they didn’t understand why i was pushing myself this hard.  People often said to me “I don’t know how you still continue to workout everyday.” But you see, resilience is born from practice of mental toughness and pushing through adversity. I took it one day at a time. I showed up most mornings tired and sleepy and with no pre-workout (if you know…..you know lol) insight! I continued to just push through and in doing so, I realized I bounced back better after each treatment. I handled set backs better because I had already laid the foundation to handle the challenges life threw at me. This was how I decided to show up for myself.

So as we get ready for another great week, think about how you want to show up for yourself? What choices will you make this week to build resilience and push through the challenges life throws your way.

Have a great week!

Continue Giving Thanks

Don’t Let the Thanksgiving End

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!! 1 Chronicles 16:34

The verse above is repeated multiple times throughout the Bible and not once are we told to give thanks only during a certain season of life.  Chances are, many of us thought a bit more about what we are thankful for during the past week and maybe, around the dinner table, we even voiced our thankfulness in front of others for the first time this year.  

Right now, make a list of the top 10 things you are thankful for and then, in the quiet of where you are, pray...yes, pray.  Maybe you are not in the habit of praying or speaking to God, but give it a try today.  Just take a moment and give thanks to the Lord for those 10 things.  

Thanksgiving doesn’t have to end when the turkey is gone.  It can continue on daily. Maybe add to this list daily. 

Also, did you know that thankfulness is the enemy of anxiety?  Scripture also tells us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and asking God, WITH THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6,7

It seems to me that whenever a worry pops up in our hearts and minds, we need to pray, but mix in with that prayer a whole bunch of thanksgiving.  Think about it...what might happen to your mindset and how might you begin to feel if you simply started listing everything you are thankful for and every blessing you have been given every time you were worried?  It is not a magic cure for all anxiety, but it is part of the recipe to help.  The verse above says that when you pray with thanksgiving, the peace of God will come upon you.  Who wouldn’t want that?

One last thing.  Many people put a lot of thought into what God might want them to do with their lives.  That is an excellent thing to think about, but what if God has already told us what he wants us to do?  1st Thessalonians 5:17,18 tells us to “Be joyful always, pray without ceasing and GIVE THANKS in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

There it is...God’s will...what He wants you to do...GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.  Notice he doesn’t say to give thanks FOR all circumstances, but in the midst of them.  God knows that thankfulness makes everything more manageable and palatable; and life, with all of its twists and turns and difficult circumstances, can be lived in a more peaceful way when we begin to be more thankful.

So how about it?  Don’t let thanksgiving end, but let today be the beginning of a daily life filled with thankfulness to God whose steadfast love FOR YOU endures forever.

Coach Brett

Iron Sharpens Iron

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another  - Proverbs 27:17 
"Evil loves to isolate us, cut us off from friends, and beg us to keep secrets about ourselves. In order to find strength and grow as people, we must be held accountable.  Alone we can grow dull, but together we sharpen our skills and fortify our resolve."  -Live Bold-

2020 was the year of isolation, right?  Even the most introverted people began seeking others once the world began to open back up.  We are made to be in community with one another.  

The question is, what community do you choose to be with? Businessman and motivational speaker Jim Rohn says, "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with."  Who you are, and who you want to become, is massively impacted by the community of influence you keep. 

My family is blessed to have such a strong community within our gym.  I know that my kids are growing up with great influences available to them.  Murray and I have access to people with much more wisdom than ourselves.  I know I have grown and continue to grow as a person simply by walking in our gym everyday and being around the influences of our great coaches, and great people within our gym community.  

If you feel isolated,  please reach out to one of us.  We want everyone within our gym to feel connected and part of the community that we have.  

Looking forward to seeing you in the gym!

Mark