Since starting this site around six months ago, I realized I have a growing number of articles on preaching, productivity, and avoiding pastoral burnout, but haven’t said much yet on health and fitness. With my background of having received certifications in sports nutrition and personal training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, I decided I’d better remedy that quickly, and hopefully inspire you with the testimony of another pastor, which is why I want to encourage you to read Andy Naselli’s article How I Got Stronger with Strength Training (with Advice for Beginners). Naselli is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament for Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis and lead pastor of Christ the King Church.
Paul shares that “bodily training is of some value” (1 Timothy 4:8). He doesn’t say exercise is irrelevant. But there’s a time limit on the benefits of physical fitness because in the New Creation, you’ll get a transformed, perfect body. Exercise is not more important than godliness, but working out consistently makes life more enjoyable and bearable. It has some value.
My aim in this post is to re-hash part of Naselli's testimony while adding my thoughts along the way.
Andy Naselli’s Fitness Testimony (Along with Personal Thoughts)
Naselli starts by sharing how he entered the 1,000-pound club, which is measured by the total one-rep max number of each exercise: bench press, deadlift, and squat. His health changes were motivated by a disease he got while teaching a theology course to pastors overseas. Too often, men don’t start taking fitness seriously until they have a health scare. Deciding to get serious about your fitness in light of a health scare is proof a good thing can come out of a bad situation, but you want to get serious about your health before you have the health scare.
Four Big Changes
Naselli made the following four big changes.
1. Eat well.
Sticking within a calorie range, Naselli prioritized eating protein using a macronutrient calculator. Most people don’t use a calculator; they use an App. MyFitnessPal is used by many people, but I didn’t like it. I use Nutritionix.
When people think of eating well, they think of suffering through a plate of vegetables. Get these images out of your mind. Eating well, in fitness terms, generally has two criteria: (1) Eating an adequate amount of protein per day. You typically want around 0.8-1g of protein per body weight per day (so if you weigh 170 pounds, you’d want to eat around 170g of protein daily). (2) Proper energy balance. This relates to calories. For those who desire to lose fat, you must burn more calories than you consume. Getting enough protein and knowing how many calories you should be eating are the two best places to start when putting together a diet.
2. Do strength training.
The second thing Naselli did was lift weights 4-5 days a week in the morning, turning his basement into his home gym of sorts. Those of us who live in Florida can’t do that, since we don’t have basements, but we can buy gym memberships or turn our garage into a gym (something I hope to start soon). Naselli chooses to train in the mornings, which is wise for productivity, but I personally feel stronger after having one or two meals in me, which is why I train in the early afternoons, usually.
Lifting weights, or strength training, is important. Don’t just do cardio; also lift weights. Muscle is important. You might think, “I’m married and secure in my marriage, I don’t need muscle. Muscle is only for athletes. I can get by just by doing cardio.” But building muscle is not just about ascetics, but is surprisingly linked to longevity.
3. Do cardio.
Naselii mentions doing murphs for cardio, and explains what they are: “There are three parts to a Murph: the first part is to run one mile; the second part is to do 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats (I usually break this up into twenty sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats); and the third and final part is to run one mile.”
Too complicated for me. And maybe not ideal for your joints long-term. This is the beauty of fitness: you don’t have to uncritically copy what other people do; you have a myriad of options to figure out a fitness schedule that works with your personality and schedule.
For many years, I avoided running because I believed running burns muscle. I do believe long runs can burn some muscle, but others have encouraged me to run and I have loved the results. Perhaps I am slightly not as strong as I could be, but running gives me great mental clarity, helps me shred the calories, and makes me feel good.
4. Sleep 8+ hours.
This is crucial for life and ministry. I will emphasize that you should focus on quality over quantity, but you need a bare minimum of 6 hours (not preferred), but preferably 7 hours. You want to track your REM and Deep sleep. I use the Fitbit Charge 6 and view my sleep score every day. I make adjustments to my sleep based on my score.
Start Today
Naselli’s article is not only inspiring but filled with recommendations. I hope you read it and get inspired. In the fitness world, people are keen on saying “I’ll start Monday.” But don’t wait until a new day or year to begin. Just start now. Get a gym membership, buy running shoes, lift some weights, and start getting serious about your health today. Focus on eating well, strength training, doing cardio, and getting enough sleep.
I'm always surprised when people say they can't imagine sleeping 8 hours. When I was a PhD student I was one of those people. My body was unhealthy because of it. I now prioritize sleep because my mental clarity depends on it. I can be much more productive at work and the gym with 8 hours of sleep.
Great write-up!
There was one point in life where I was overcommitted: 60+ hours of work each week, FT MDiv student, bivocational pastor, etc. I got insufficient sleep and my diet was one of convenience rather than health. It took a toll.
I've recently gotten back into exercise (primarily bodyweight via an app, Freelethics) and getting decent sleep. Absolutely a game changer, especially in my doctoral studies.