Hey all new here! Recent convert looking to find male Catholic community.. coming from a Protestant background the Catholic community is.. well sparse. Looking to grow in fitness and faith with you all!

Just curious how many of you all train BJJ / MMA or any combat sports?

I recently had a 1-on-1 coaching call with a client who was struggling with life purpose. It got me thinking... A lot of us spend time discerning the priesthood, and once we figure out we're not meant to be priests, we dive headfirst into the workforce. But how many of us really think about what we should be doing with our work? 🤔 You can tell when a guy hasn’t put much thought into it—stuck in a job that feels like it’s draining the life out of him, maybe even disconnected from his Faith, and wondering if he’s actually doing what God put him here to do. Here’s the deal: your work should be more than just a paycheck—it should be a mission. When I help men figure this out, there's 4 pillars we look to find what he's meant to do: 1️⃣ What you love – What gets you fired up? What work excites you? 2️⃣ What the world needs – Look around—what’s a need in the world that your work can fill? 3️⃣ What you can be paid for – Can this thing you love also sustain you financially? 4️⃣ What you’re good at – What are the talents God gave you, and how can you use them in your labor? It’s simple: when these four things line up, you’re on the right path. God doesn’t want you grinding away in a job that drains your soul—He wants you to work with purpose. So, take a minute today. Think about where your work fits into these four pillars. If it's time to make a change, go for it—God's got you 😎

He joined RCIA and lost 50lbs... @Levi Machovec has lost 50 pounds after taking his fitness seriously last year 😎 He ALSO joined RCIA, and became Catholic on Easter Levi had gotten up to 210 pounds, and hated the way he felt. He said he felt fat, he hated his body, and he had to wake up every day KNOWING he hated his body.He tried severely cutting calories…but at the end of the day, nothing was working. Finally, Levi came to me and asked for help 🙏 I told him "the reason you're not losing weight is because you're not eating enough. He actually had to eat MORE food, and more whole, healthy meals to lose weight. So we got to work 💪I had him eat 5 meals a day and 2300 calories. I also put him on a workout regimen.But the biggest thing we changed was his mindset, I made it a non-negotiable for him to remind himself that it's selfish to not practice what you preach. I reminded him that people are less likely to listen to us about our worldview if we're out of shape, and so it serves others if we are fit since we can be more influential in sharing the Word.Levi is now under 160 and has lost 50 POUNDS, and feels better than ever 💯 Drop some "🔥" in the comments to celebrate @Levi Machovec and his transformation 😎

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?