Delores Liesner
Activating Faith in everyday life
Shapely Girls Final Report
Shapely Girls Fitness Week 4
I’m one of the 27 Shapely Girls Fitness Crew. While exercising with Debra Mazda’s shapely Girls Cardio with Weights DVD, I’ve been following John 15 – the story of the vine.
I found the scriptures extremely fitting and meaningful each day of our month-long experiment to reintroduce exercise into our lives.
Here are the verses: The topic is evident: Fruit of the vine. Fruit is also the topic of the Shapely Girls fitness month – searching for physical fruit.
22nd – Fruit Doesn’t Lie – John 15:22 If I hadn’t come and told them all this in plain language, it wouldn’t be so bad. As it is, they have no excuse. I have no excuse, I know what I should be doing, and to not do it is sin.
23rd – Fruit and Seeds – John 15:23 Hate me, hate my Father—it’s all the same. Whichever one I hold to, cling to, I’m despising the other. Daily choosing the master.
24th – No Harvest? – John 15:24 If I hadn’t done what I have done among them, works no one has ever done, they wouldn’t be to blame. But they saw the God-signs and hated anyway, both me and my Father. Do I only run to the master only when succeeding? Have I not believed, despite all the God-signs in my life?
25th – Don’t Stop Growing – John 15:25 … ‘They hated me for no good reason.’ When we show God’s fruit, the enemy will hate the Christ in us, and try to discourage us.
26th – Fading Glory – John 15:26 “—the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father—he will confirm everything about me. Only when I focus on the Truth about God and not my feelings about me can I come out of the funk of depression.
27th – The Colder the Better – John 15:27 You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence, since you are in this with me from the start. I must choose daily to walk with expectation that God will work in me, and to share others’ victories too.
28th – Pruned –John 15:2 – “…every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. The more I grow, the more I must be pruned inwardly to enable more than a one-time wonder.
29th – Tied to the Wire – I Corinthians 9:25 – And everyone who competes … exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. The only way I can exercise self-control is to remain tied to Christ and His promises. I am way too weak on my own.
These 4 weeks have been an uphill battle, asking why I committed to this, and answering because I knew I needed it. The first week was a shock because I hadn’t faced how weak my muscles and lungs had become.I’d been focusing only on walking prior to being part of the Shapely Girls Fitness Crew. But…the increase in circulation in my legs, the improvement in breathing and the commitment kept me going. The second and third weeks were also exercise in perseverance, and Debra’s chants of “keep going” “you can do it” and the timely reminder at the end of each routine “even when you don’t feel like it, just do it anyway” were very encouraging.
I often find myself wanting an overnight change from something that has built up for years. This commitment was for a month, and though I struggled with obedience (so much to do, so little time, the perseverance paid off. Gradually over the weeks, I felt it easier to raise my arms in some of the exercises, and to finish the 28-minute exercise without my legs trembling.
The Shapely Girls video program is nicely done. It shows Debra and two other women exercising, one wearing optional ankle weights. There is a lot of marching to get the heart rate up, and that was relaxing between lifting, but challenging for me when doing combination movements. Coordinating march with both legs lift with one arm was hilarious at first, and I found I improved if I turned away and listened rather than watching the instructions. I also switched to only a single weight when lifting the weight up and down behind my head. The 3 pound weights suggested were more than enough as there are many repeated movements.
I got greater results (lasting longer through two sets of repetitions)- and less pain – when I stretched on alternate days, and used a foam roller to relieve tightening on the thighs.
Combining the Shapely Girls workout with increased water and tea intake did result in change outwardly (loss of
11” total when combining waist, hips, tummy, thighs and arms!). I’ve changed inwardly too – better breathing, better posture, and a determination to keep on keeping on.
Thanks Debra Masda and all the encouraging members of the CWA Review Crew.
I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.
Be the Miracle! – with journaling pages
Delores Liesner: Author
American Christian Fiction Writers Association
Delores Liesner 