When you’re getting started with a new workout routine, there is often a set pattern of events that tends to occur:

1. You set up a plan.
2. You get excited, pumped, and ready for action.
3. The workouts begin and you start to see some results.
4. You wake up one morning to realize you can’t walk due to knee pain.
5. The doctor tells you to rest for 6-8 weeks to let your knee recover before reengaging in strenuous exercise.
6. After 6-8 weeks, you’re in worse shape than when you started.

Have you ever felt this way? For me, this always seems to happen when I decide I’m actually going to work myself up to running a marathon (this is only one of my many lifetime fitness goals). I’m ready to go, dedicated, and then injured. It really doesn’t seem to matter how slowly I build or or how careful I am, something always seems to go wrong.

When it comes to getting into great shape, very little can be more discouraging. So, what are your options? Well, you could just give up your hopes and dreams of physical greatness, or you could actually take the time you need to recover and develop a plan that has a better chance of success.

My most recent bout with injury, especially on the running realm, is with a stress fracture in my left shin. If you’ve never had a stress fracture, do whatever you can to avoid them! As the name implies, they are simply a hairline bone fracture. While not as painful as a full bone fracture, the dull ache that you feel when you have one is certainly not pleasant and will keep you from engaging in any sort of meaningful exercise. The only option? Well, just like the doctor says, you have to stay off it and allow it to heal.

For me, however, it just never seemed to matter how long I allowed my stress fracture to heal, the injury would always come back within a few weeks of recommencing my running routine. I became very frustrated and was ready to give up on getting back into shape.

So, what was my solution? I had to try something completely different. Rather than starting back up with another running plan when I thought I had healed enough, I started another, completely different plan called P90X. Now, P90X is a great program. I love it and would recommend it to anyone.

The reason why I had so much success with it, however, is solely due to the fact that I made it through injury free! The routine was just different enough that I didn’t run the risk of re-injuring my shin and aggravating my stress fracture yet again. By changing up my workout routine in a significant way, I was able to get into great shape and remain healthy. It meant that I wouldn’t be running for 3 months, but it was ok. I was still accomplishing some major physical goals without the risk of falling into the same injury traps I had in the past.

So, if you’re struggling due to a reoccurring injury in your workout routine, do what I did: Switch it up. Try something new for a while. You might just be amazed at the results!

Photo by mellyjean.

I don’t know about you, but I know a lot of people who aren’t sure that focusing on attaining wealth is a good thing to do. This seems to be especially true of Christians and other people who are socially minded. Hopefully, we all at least agree that a budget is necessary, but how far should we go? Some of the questions/arguments I’ve heard include:

I’m already so much better off that 90% of the world, isn’t that good enough?

Isn’t it just selfish to want to be rich?

The Bible tells us that we can’t serve God and money; isn’t this the same thing?

If I were to be rich, I would just feel guilty about it.

I think it’s more important that I donate my money than it is to invest.

The list could go on.

To be honest, I have certainly struggled with many of these same questions at one point or another. After all, rich people are often viewed as being primarily selfish in our community. Everyone wants to be rich, but many people still seem to think that being rich is just a little too dirty. They would prefer to settle for the mediocre. It’s easier, in any case.

An important question

Do you want to be wealthy? Why?

Answering the first question is, for me, very easy. Yes, I want to be wealthy. Answering why is a little harder to quantify. However, let me give you an example:

The other day, I was talking to someone I see on a regular basis. She’s going through a rough time financially, not because of bad choices, but because her husband has been without a job for a while. Know anyone like her? Unsurprisingly, even in times of joblessness, bills still come due.

Sure, you could make the argument that she is only in this situation because she and her husband failed to set up an adequate emergency fund. They could have been more prepared. I didn’t care about those details. Hearing about her situation, my first thought was an overwhelming desire to provide for the immediate needs of her family. This is a temporary setback for them, so there is no fear of enabling a pattern of behavior or anything. A one-time gift could make all the difference in the world while her husband continues to very actively seek employment.

The good news is that I can probably afford to give a one time gift. The bad news is that the gift I can afford is far less than the amount I would like to give. There just isn’t enough room in my budget. Sure, I have some money set aside for other purposes, but I’ve learned that giving to the point that it puts your own family’s financial stability in trouble is not a good idea either.

This is why I want to be wealthy. I want to spend a lifetime saving money so I can give it away in perpetuity. I want to be able to, after hearing about a need, provide the funds necessary for the situation. I want money to cease to matter in the sense that no 1 (or 10!) extra expenditure can damage my family’s financial stability.

So, now what?

I’m going to continue saving and investing so that, one day, I will be wealthy enough to give to my heart’s content. In the meantime, however, I’m going to discuss with my wife how much we can afford to give; it won’t be much, but it just might be enough. Then I’m going to send a gift to someone who needs it.

Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a financial gift in a time of need? Please share about your experiences in the comments!

Photo by mag3737.

This is a review of the Ab Ripper X workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here.

Ab Ripper X: I hate it, but I love it! – Tony Horton

This phrase greets you three times per week as you begin the Ab Ripper X workout of the P90X program. Of all the workouts in the program, Ab Ripper is the most unique. Rather than functioning as its own stand-alone routine, it is designed to be done immediately following Chest and Back, Shoulders and Arms, Legs and Back, Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps, or Back and Biceps. In other words, just when the exhaustion from one of those workouts is setting in, it’s time for Ab Ripper X!

Be that as it may, this workout is pretty straightforward and not very long. It totals about 16 minutes, but it is intense! If you follow what Tony does exactly, you will complete 349 Ab movements in this time period!

Not a single traditional movement

My favorite part of this workout is that you never once do a traditional crunch or sit-up. You know, the kinds that make your back hurt more than your abs? Everything you do here targets your abs and you know it! Just like Tony says, this workout “gives you the opportunity to get the most ripped abdominal area you have ever had.” If it seems like I’m quoting Tony Horton a lot on this workout, it is only because he throws out so many quotable moments in 16 minutes.

As with any other workout in P90X, this one gets some great results. Seeing the definition in your abs definitely helps provide the motivation you will need to continue to push yourself throughout the rest of the program.

Don’t forget to take a look at other workouts in the program.

Photo by davco9200.

In my recent quest for new financial knowledge, I have noticed a trend that just astounds me: There are a lot of people who claim that paying off your house is a bad financial move because you will lose the tax deduction from the interest you pay.

Most recently, I have been reading “The Last Chance Millionaire” by Douglas R. Andrew, and, according to him, budgeting to pay extra principal on your house is one of the biggest financial mistakes you could make. The alternative? You should, instead, invest the money you would have paid on your house and, in addition, borrow every penny you possibly can from your home equity and invest that as well.

This is an investing method known as leveraging. Essentially, you’re taking money that people in the financial biz call OPM (Other People’s Money) and using it to gain a higher rate of return than what you are paying in interest on your house or other debts.

The problem with this, especially when it comes to the home mortgage, is that the math just doesn’t add up. Yes, it is true that the interest you pay for your mortgage is tax deductible. But that doesn’t make it worth it to continue making payments. Let’s take a look at the numbers:

Pretend you have a $200,000 mortgage. On average, this means that you will pay $10,000 dollars per year in interest, all of which is tax deductible. It is important, here, that you remember that a tax deduction is very different from a tax credit. Where a tax credit is a direct decrease in the taxes you owe, a tax deduction just means that an amount is not taxable. Hence, your $10,000 tax deduction will mean you save about $2,500 off your tax bill.

Sure, it’s nice to save $2,500, but what about the other $7,500? If you were to pay off your mortgage and no longer pay interest on it, you would be paying some extra money on your taxes, but you would be saving three times that much overall. This just doesn’t make sense.

And all of this is in addition to the fact that you would no longer have a house payment. In our above scenario, you wouldn’t just save $7,500 per year because of interest, you would also no longer be required to pay the other $700 per month in principal amounts. That means somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000 per year in liquid funds for your use.

Still convinced that it’s dumb to pay off your mortgage? Please, tell me why. It sure doesn’t seem like something most millionaires would do.

Photo by woodleywonderworks.

Do you ever find yourself wishing there were more hours in the day? Sometimes it seems like there is simply too much to do in the amount of time we are given. If your days look like mine, they can be filled with up to 19 hours of working. Yep, I said 19 hours. Those days are really rough, not because I work so long or that my work is particularly overwhelming, but because I don’t have the time to engage in other activities I would like to. I would far rather spend more time out doing something with my wife.

What about when a project or an assignment comes due? Sure, you’ve had plenty of time to work on it, but maybe you haven’t given it all the thought and time it deserved and now you’re struggling to get finished in time. Your laziness has put you in a situation where time is a luxury not to be squandered.

On the long term basis, have you ever met (or are you) someone who knows they are nearing the age of retirement? I can tell you that those who I have met definitely feel like there is not enough time to get their finances in order to live out the remainder of their days with dignity.

Maybe you’ve been meaning to get in shape for that marathon you’re planning on running. The problem? The marathon is next week and you’ve only worked your way up to running 5 or 6 miles. This is another case where you haven’t used the time you have had, so now what?

Let me offer one more example: Imagine it is the end of your life and you know you haven’t given all that you are to your Creator. Opportunities have presented themselves to you on countless occasions, but you have ignored them and it is too late to grow in, let alone share, the love of God. What could be more tragic? When God asks you why you haven’t responded to his invitations, what will you say? What do you say right now?

The sad reality of all these thoughts is that time is finite. Once a minute is gone, it cannot be taken back.

And might I point out that today is a special day. It is the changing of daylight savings time. While time is finite, most of you have been given an extra hour to live today. How did you use it? Did you squander it watching another hour of TV or did you make it count. My use of the hour, while not exciting, was very valuable. I used it to sleep and rest in preparation for the week ahead.

So take a moment, enjoy where you are, and look to the future. Be decisive and take action. Don’t let your time slip away and live to regret your decisions.

Photo by TonyVC.

This is a review of the X Stretch workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here.

The X Stretch, unsurprisingly, involves a lot of stretching. In fact, it’s the only non-workout in P90X. Designed to be done on your resting day each week (and also during the recovery weeks), it is a great way to give your muscles the care they need to recover from the prior week and get ready for the upcoming one

No hard work here

Other than the fact that I, personally, do not really enjoy stretching that much, this workout is a really nice change of pace in the program. Since I specifically don’t enjoy hamstring stretches, it is nice that most of the stretches work on other areas of the body.

What this means is that there are stretches here that target every major (and maybe every minor) muscle you have, from your neck to your toes. The entire time is really pretty relaxing and you finish up feeling refreshed and better for it.

How long does it take?

Well, probably longer than you’ve ever spent stretching at one time. This routine is just under an hour and well worth the time investment. If you’re considering doing P90X and see that, one day per week, you have the option of doing X Stretch or nothing, realize that stretching and flexibility really are key to your athleticism. If you are flexible, you are less likely to get injured and have more range of motion available to you during physical activity.

It really could be argued that this is the most important part of P90X. Just make sure you actually do treat the day you do X Stretch as a rest day. Don’t go out and do another workout. Your body needs rest and recovery time to repair muscles. If you don’t have it, your results will be severely diminished.

Don’t forget to take a look at other workouts in the program.

Photo by twenty_questions.

Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard

If you’re a regular reader, I like to make it clear to you that I enjoy reading and learning. The advantage to this blog is that I also have the opportunity to share with you what I learn while engaged in my reading. A few days ago, I finished a book entitled “Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the SEARCH for the AMERICAN DREAM” by Adam Shepard. This is a truly intriguing book that, I feel, is definitely worth a read if you want to be inspired by one man’s determination to succeed no matter what the circumstances.

This book is an autobiography of a time in Adam Shepard’s life. After graduating from college, Adam was feeling disillusioned with the state of American poverty. He had been told for years that the poor would only get poorer while the rich only got richer. He was told that the American dream was dead and that those in poverty didn’t have a way out.

This idea really didn’t sit well in Adam’s mind, so he looked for a way to test it. His solution? Take a train ride to a random city carrying only a sleeping bag, the clothes on his back, and $25 cash and see if he could make something of himself. His only real rules were that he was not allowed to use either his previous contacts or his college education to help him out in this process.

His goal was, after a year, to have a furnished living space, an operating vehicle, and $2500 saved up.

While I won’t spoil the whole story for you, let me just tell you that it is engaging. Adam has experiences that most will never have and walks away from the experience not only meeting his goals, but exceeding them by a significant amount.

Adam Shepard on tour for his book

The most inspiring portion of this story, for me, is the drive, ambition, and optimism Adam approached nearly every situation with. By working really, really hard, he truly showed that it is possible to, with a lot of hard work, make your way out of the grind of survival into a better situation.

If you’re looking for a good read, I would recommend Scratch Beginnings. Do, however, note that the book uses a plethora of swear words (all in contextual, direct quotes from those Adam met along his way). If this offends you too much, you will likely not enjoy the book. Otherwise, you should be able to catch the encouraging meaning laced throughout this candid portrayal of one year of Adam’s life.

Photo by Chrontourage.

This is a review of the Cardio X workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here.

In the world of P90X workouts, Cardio X is quite unique. In fact, many people working through the program will never even do this workout; it is not a part of the regular program. Why then, is it even included? Well, there are two main purposes for this workout in the P90X plan.

The replacement workout

This guy has the right attitude

For a lot of people, the Plyo X workout in this program is just a bit too difficult. In fact, for me, it is pretty much the hardest workout I have ever done. So, Tony Horton has offered a sort of mini version of that workout here. In other words, if you just aren’t quite up to completing Plyo X, you have the option of replacing it with this workout.

The supplemental workout

Rather than using Cardio X to replace another workout, you also have the option of simply adding Cardio X to your workout routine. Yep, that means doing more than just the basic routine. Specifically, this is called the Doubles option for the program. If you choose to do the doubles plan instead of the standard plan, you will typically do this workout on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, and either do Chest and Back, Shoulders and Arms, Legs and Back, Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps, or Back and Biceps in the evening. By choosing this option, you will burn more calories and achieve greater results throughout the program. Note that, with the doubles option, you will do this workout 3 times per week beginning in Phase II (the second month) and 4 times per week during Phase III (the last 5 weeks).

A blend of all things P90X

Like I already mentioned, this workout is unique. Unlike every other workout in the program, it doesn’t just target a few specific muscle groups and doesn’t really introduce any new moves. Instead, it combines elements of Yoga, Plyometrics, Kenpo, and Core Synergistics together into a comprehensive, shorter workout. By shorter, I mean that it is only 45 minutes.

Be that as it may, if you push yourself during this workout, you will definitely do a significant amount of work, keep up a decent heart rate, and improve your balance and flexibility all at the same time.

In summary

This workout, while probably the easiest part of P90X, is still a P90X workout. You’ll still get a lot of benefit from waking up early in the morning to get this one done. Whether you choose to use it as a replacement for Plyo X or as a supplemental workout in the doubles option, it’s a good time and won’t leave you disappointed.

Don’t forget to take a look at other workouts in the program.

Photo by lululemon athletica.

For those of you who are interested, I wrote an article that is featured today as a guest post at ChristianPF and I’m pretty stoked about it. Feel free to go check it out and let me know what you think.

If you read the article there and are visiting this site for the first time, welcome! I invite you to take a look around, see what you can see, and give me any feedback you would like about my blog here at FaithFitnessFinance.

Marty, a regular reader of this blog and a blogger in his own right at Coffee With Marty, recently asked,

So, in the past, I have tried to come up with a budget and always failed. Is there some kind of guidelines out there for a 20 year old college student?

Well, my first thought when I ponder this question is: it depends. Creating a budget that works for you can be a pretty intimidating proposition. Like Marty, many people try to come up with a budget that just doesn’t work for them. My personal budget is pretty meticulous. I have very specific amounts that I set up for a lot of different categories. This works for me because most of my expenditures are automated and I check my accounts on a daily basis.

What I’m trying to say here is that, if Marty were to follow my plan, he would probably fail again.

There are some things, however, that everyone will need to do to create a successful budget.

1. Figure out how much money you make. It seems obvious, but you would be surprised how many people only look at the amount of money left in their checking account and ignore how much money goes in. Let’s face it: without income, budgeting is impossible. If you don’t know how much money you make on an annual (or at least per paycheck) basis, start here.

2. Take a look at your expenses. The next step is to understand where your money is going. The good news is that, assuming you use a debit or credit card for most of your purchases, this is very easy to do. All it takes is a piece of financial software like mint.com, which will automatically track and organize your expenditures. In fact, once you connect your account information with mint, there is very little you will need to do. It will categorize every transaction and provide you with up-to-date graphics and tables to help you analyze your spending patterns. Once you know how you’re spending your money, you’ll be ready for the next step.

3. Determine whether or not your income exceeds your expenses. If you consistently spend more money than you earn, you will quickly pile on a lot of debt. Once again, this seems obvious, but most people who wind up in financial trouble skip this step in their money planning (or, more accurately, the lack thereof).

4. Notice what you could do without. When analyzing your spending, did you notice that you spent $400 on dining out at restaurants last month? What about that candy bar habit that you justify because it is “only” a buck? No matter what you find yourself spending money on, it is likely that there are some things you could cut back on to save money.

5. Find a plan. The plan you use for your budget should be easy to implement and manage. The more your are able to automate your budget, the better. This means that your paycheck should be on a direct deposit (assuming your employer offers it). You should sign up for the free bill pay your bank offers but you never figured out how to use. If you need some more help here, take a look at the following simple budget plans.

The balanced money formula

With the balanced money formula, your goal is to use no more than 50% of your income on items you need. This includes your mortgage or rent, car insurance, groceries, utilities, and other things you are required to pay for whether you like it or not. The next 20% of your income should be used for saving and investing.

If you passed 5th grade math, you’ll recognize that you have 30% left over. This amount is to be used for discretionary items and wants. This could include your cable, restaurant budget, and video game fund.

Note that the balanced money formula is intentionally very basic. It will not help every person to achieve their financial goals and it may need to be adapted to your specific needs. It is, however, a good place to start as it guarantees that you are at least living below your means and contributing to savings.

The envelope system

This budget plan is a little bit more complicated than the balanced money formula, although the two could actually be used in conjunction. You will need to do a little more planning to get it set up, but it is very easy to use once it is in place.

To get started, you will need to determine how much you would like to spend in whatever areas you feel are the most important. Note that the envelope system is not typically used for larger, necessary items that are typically the same amount no matter what you do, but rather should be used for categories where overspending can be problematic. Categories might include: groceries, dining out, Starbucks, play money, or clothing.

Each month (or paycheck), you head to the bank and take out enough CASH (as in, if you don’t have cash, you don’t spend money) to cover all of your budgeted expenses. You then divide that cash up into the amounts for each category in your budget and place it into a physical envelope. When you go to the grocery store, you only pay with money out of your grocery envelope. Once you run out of money in your envelope, you are done spending in that category until the next budget period.

I like this system because it forces you to only spend money you have. I don’t like it because I prefer to let software track my expenses for me. Although I have never used it, there is another piece of software called Mvelopes that allows you to create virtual envelopes that track your digital dollars. It is the same concept, but avoids the trip to the bank and the difficulty of carrying around a bunch of envelopes.

Get started

I hope that gives you a few ideas of where to start with your budget. Remember, keep it as simple as possible. Otherwise, you are destined to fail. Whatever system you choose to manage your budget, get started as soon as you can. The sooner you start, the sooner you are to being on your way to achieving financial freedom.

Do you have any other advice for Marty? What strategies do you use in your own budgeting?

Photo by _ES.