January 2005/February 2005: PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

“Ye shall know them by their fruits…Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

 [Matthew 7:16, 20]

The Lord has been good to me over the past year.  I have gone from 160 pounds with 9.5% bodyfat to 180 pounds with 8.5% bodyfat.  That means the Lord blessed me with about 20 pounds of muscle but allowed me to keep the same 15 pounds of fat that I am carrying!  Now this is not as good as in 1989 when I was 3.3% bodyfat [hence only 5 pounds of fat on me], but of course I weighed 145 pounds at that time!

Not only can I determine these results using conventional devises [e.g. skin fold calipers], but I also have another means of confirming this.  There is an old bodybuilding saying that has some truth to it: You cannot flex fat!  One of the best objective testing devises you have for checking your percent bodyfat is a mirror and your eyes, especially since you are your worst enemy.  Here is a common way to tell how much bodyfat you have.

1.  Smooth: Over 10% - you may have mass and symmetry, but you have no muscular definition and no vascular demonstrations.

2.  Cut: 9-10% - can see the brief outlines of your abdominal muscles; start to see muscular definition in arms and/or shoulders.

3.  Ripped: 7-8% - can see the upper abdominal muscles without flexing; starts to have muscular separation in larger muscle groups.

4.  Shredded: 5-6% - can see the middle abdominal and some of the oblique muscles without flexing; able to flex and bring out muscular separation and vasculartiy.

5.  Sliced: 3-4% - can see all the abdominal and oblique muscles without flexing; body looks like Gray’s Anatomy Chart without flexing!

6.  Striated: 2% or less - can watch the actual muscle fibers in the jaw as the person chews food!

So what does this have to do with powerlifting or lifting in general?  Fat does not lift weights – only muscles do!  If you have two lifters who are both 240 pounds, but one is 20% bodyfat and the other is 10%.  They both lift with correct form for the competition lifts and they both have the same amount of experience with training.  The general rule is that the leaner lifter will lift more weight.  Yes, there are some exceptions to this rule [e.g. genetics, illness, injury], but this is what will generally happen.  What you see will generally predict the outcome.

The same is true spiritually.  You can look at Christian’s actions and behavior to determine their spiritual “bodyfat” by their activity level.  Let me try to redo this chart with a spiritual twist.  Remember to judge according to the “fruit” or actions that are brought forth.  You are not scripturally allowed to judge motives or intentions.

1.  Smooth: this is the Christian who can only give a testimony of what God has done in his or her life years ago [e.g. salvation]; usually only attends church on holidays out of sense of duty.

2.  Cut: dutifully attends church on Sunday morning, prays daily, and may read Bible once a week.

3.  Ripped: respectfully attends church on both Sunday services, tithes, prays three times daily, and reads the Bible a few times during the week.

4.  Shredded: happily attends every church service, tithes and gives offering, prays hourly, reads the Bible daily, and hands out Gospel tracts on a regular basis.

5.  Sliced: joyfully attends church every time the doors are open, tithes and gives offering, prays constantly, studies Bible daily, and is obedient to Biblical separation, standards, and soul winning.

6.  Striated: this is the believer who you see come excited to church every Sunday with a testimony of what God has done in his/her life over the past week and usually comes with a new believer to be baptized!

Which of these describe you?

So how are you doing spiritually and physically?  Are you prayerfully trying to heft the heavier pound?   Try staying lean and watch your strength levels go up.  Are you trying to stay lean spiritually?  Remember to allow God to do the work through you.  All obedience should be out of loving and grateful submission to the Holy Spirit rather than a sense of duty.  Until next time, keep lifting heavy and serving God.

Your Servant in Christ,

Bryan S. Kimble, Evangelist

God’s Pitbulls Strength Ministry

Acts 20:24

Are you sure that when you die that you will go to Heaven?  God’s Word says that you can be 100% sure. [1 John 5:10-13]  If you want to make sure that you are on your way to Heaven, all you have to do is obey John 3:16-18, Acts 4:12, and Romans 10:9-13.