by Danica Sauder

A 600-pound wall of ice, a 300-pound log, a bed of nails and a hot water bottle. Some people might use these things to build a cozy igloo. But for the Stand Strength Team, these are tools for reaching out with God's love.

The team uses feats of strength to point families to the ultimate power source: God. So when team members bend steel horseshoes, lift an 800-pound tire, rip a phone book in half or roll a frying pan into a burrito, they give all the credit to God.

“Working out is like serving the Lord,” Tom “Big Buck” Balabuch says. “You're not going to grow as a bodybuilder if you sit there and look at the weights. And as a Christian, you have to stay in God's Word.”

Being consistent in exercise can lead to being consistent in other areas of your life, specifically your faith. It takes discipline and hard work to achieve something in athletics. The same thing is true in your relationship with the Lord.

“God has created you with more potential, with more ability and with more talent than you'll ever use in a lifetime,” Stand Strength founder Terry “Shredder” Nalian says. “You just have to choose Him. He's not looking for ability. He's looking for dependability. He's looking for faithfulness.”

Temple Building

God's Word says your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. That means you should stay away from harmful things-drugs, cigarettes, and objectionable movies and video games. But it also means you should spend time strengthening your temple so you can do God's work.

Bryan “Ironman” Dorsey is a three-time Mr. USA Bodybuilding contender. He says kids shouldn't lift weights until well into their teen years, but he adds that there are numerous ways to stay strong.

“Too many kids spend way too much time on the computer or watching TV,” Ironman says. “During this time in your life, your body is still growing. Try doing sit- ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, jumping rope, walking on a treadmill or jogging on a track. As you grow and decide the sports you like, you can talk with your coach, parents or a trainer about more specific exercises.”

Another important area for building a strong body is nutrition. For most kids eating three meals a day is healthiest. It's also a good idea to eat foods such as whole grain bread, meat, fruits and vegetables, and to have consistent times for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

John “the Mountain” Penley knows something about food. As a competitor in the strongest-man competitions, he has to eat six meals a day to keep his body at peak performance.

“I'm not talking about four or five bowls of ice cream a day,” Mountain says. “You need the right amount of proteins and the right amount of carbohydrates. Learn about the food pyramid and get the right kind of vitamins and fuel for the day.” (Check out page 10 for more nutrition information.)

Remember: Physical fitness isn't just about wanting to look and feel better. It's about having respect for your body-God's temple-and keeping it healthy.

	Q: What kind of phone does a turtle use? A: A shell-ular phone. Andy B., 10, Wisconsin Clubhouse Jr. Click here to subscribe