I'm 39 years old. I started doing CrossFit when I was 36 and BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu) when I was 37. Before that, I spent years at a fairly standard gym, but I was looking for a change. Currently, a normal week for me is going to the gym about 5 times (sometimes 6, sometimes 4): 2 to 3 days at the standard gym, 1 or 2 days at CrossFit, and 1 day at BJJ. There are a number of potential criticisms of this- "You'll never really progress at BJJ going only once a week," or "You'll miss out on the intentional programming at CrossFit if you don't go more often," or "You're targeting muscle groups so infrequently with random days at a regular gym," among others. As time goes on, I'm less confident those criticisms are accurate, but even if they are, this more varied routine is something I'm really enjoying. Some weeks, due to work and other factors, I miss going to CrossFit and/or BJJ. My days at the standard gym involve usually a barbell movement initially (squats, front squats, deadlifts, or romanian deadlifts), followed by a variety of movements, 4 or 5 sets for each, not really planned in advance. Each day, I usually do just one and at most two movements for a given muscle group- avoiding the "chest day, arm day," etc. mindset which often leads to diminishing returns on a given day due to "junk volume" for a muscle group as I learned from a great coach. There's a lot more I could say about CrossFit, but overall, it's the best combination of strength and cardio I've ever found. For BJJ- it was something which was way outside my prior experiences and comfort zone. It also incorporates a lot of mobility and core strength in ways I didn't anticipate. There can definitely be value in following a more consistent and specific fitness program/routine. But there can also be value in mixing things up. What do you think? What has worked or hasn't worked for you?

I offered my ju jitsu class to God and he rewarded me with a blue belt. Blessed he allows me to do it. Shout out to my teachers and teammates.

I'm a big fan of Pints with Aquinas, so I'll let you guys know if any cool episodes come out. Check this one out where Christopher West discusses his new book "Eating the Sunrise", delving into meditations on the liturgy and our hunger for beauty. He gives insights on topics like love, beauty, earthly pleasures, eros, and self-reliance. He also talks about the impact of the sexual revolution, the need for healing, and how to purify the pornified. Him and Matt cover the themes in St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body and how they apply to our modern world. Worth a listen 📚🌅

A lot of people seem to think that when you pray you're somehow changing God or what he was going to do But in reality prayer doesn't change God ❌ Prayer changes you ✅ It forces you to stop what you're doing and focus on love. And if you focus on love DEEPLY, day in and day out for years on end without missing...you become a completely different human.A much BETTER human. And even outside of religion, any self-help guru will tell you that the keys to improving yourself include: 🟢 Meditation 🟢 Affirmations, and 🟢 Saying your gratitudes... Which are all aspects of traditional Christian prayer. So if you hate how you look, feel anxious in public or just want to improve in whatever way possible...Start with prayer 💪🙏

I'm married and have 4 kids ranging in age from almost 8 years to 2.5 weeks. I work as a doctor in the emergency department and intensive care unit, and I also spend about 40% of my time at work doing research. I run the instagram page "Catholicfitfatherhood" where I share mostly Catholic devotional content and about fatherhood/brotherhood and virtuous masculinity, but also some about fitness. I don't have any plans to coach people or design fitness plans, etc., but I'm interested in the related topics. Looking forward to seeing what is shared here!