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Seven Sundays: A Faith, Fitness, and Food Plan for Lasting Spiritual and Physical Change
A Biblically grounded, six-week plan to lead you on the path toward losing weight and getting healthier by focusing on the connections between spiritual and physical health—“ Seven Sundays is a powerful tool that will enlighten you to see wellness and spirituality with a fresh perspective” (Kathie Lee Gifford).
In Seven Sundays , celebrity trainer and devoted follower of Christ Alec Penix explains the connection between faith and fitness, and shares both his own and his clients’ success stories. When our spiritual and physical bodies are built up simultaneously, we find ourselves more likely to stick with healthier, life-changing habits, appreciate what we have, be thankful for what we’ve gained (and lost), and feel content with how far we’ve traveled.
Seven Sundays is a six-week program that shows you how easy it is to undergo your own total transformation. The book is organized as a day-by-day journey in the same manner as a daily devotional. Over the course of each week, you will work on the “6 Pillars of Purpose” that build up this strength. You will also enjoy “Faith-Full” foods and explore a new spiritual theme each week. Ultimately, you’ll undertake a meaningful journey that will finally connect your body and spirit.
Seven Sundays is sure to “inspire people to become the best version of themselves, through strengthening their body, mind, and spirit” (Roma Downey, actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author of Box of Butterflies ). You’ll learn to embrace the fact that you deserve to exercise, eat right, and be healthy, and recognize your body as a spiritual vessel.
In Seven Sundays , celebrity trainer and devoted follower of Christ Alec Penix explains the connection between faith and fitness, and shares both his own and his clients’ success stories. When our spiritual and physical bodies are built up simultaneously, we find ourselves more likely to stick with healthier, life-changing habits, appreciate what we have, be thankful for what we’ve gained (and lost), and feel content with how far we’ve traveled.
Seven Sundays is a six-week program that shows you how easy it is to undergo your own total transformation. The book is organized as a day-by-day journey in the same manner as a daily devotional. Over the course of each week, you will work on the “6 Pillars of Purpose” that build up this strength. You will also enjoy “Faith-Full” foods and explore a new spiritual theme each week. Ultimately, you’ll undertake a meaningful journey that will finally connect your body and spirit.
Seven Sundays is sure to “inspire people to become the best version of themselves, through strengthening their body, mind, and spirit” (Roma Downey, actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author of Box of Butterflies ). You’ll learn to embrace the fact that you deserve to exercise, eat right, and be healthy, and recognize your body as a spiritual vessel.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published December 4, 2018
43 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Alec Penix
1 bookAlec Penix has trained celebrities like Olympian Gabby Douglas, singer/songwriter Natasha Bedingfield, and actor/singer Aaron Tveit. Alec works on international band tours, in studios, backstage at musical productions, on TV sets, and on movie locations to prepare his clients for their roles. As a celebrity trainer, he overcomes a variety of challenges to achieve complex fitness goals and ensure his clients are ready to go on stage or on camera. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 3, 2019
I found the book a little misleading. It is a very Christian book and centers Christ and not the general “spirituality” that’s on the cover. It is specifically directed towards believers of Jesus. Some of the advice is good, but I was off put but the intense religious exclusion.
January 8, 2019
January is the time of year when many of us think about making changes to our current lifestyle, either adding a fitness routine, eating more vegetables, or joining a gym. This book approaches this idea with the notion that in order to have lasting change you need to look at your whole well-being not just your fitness or eating. Alec Penix is a celebrity trainer and believes there is a connection to faith and fitness. He believes, and many of his famous clients can vouch for him, that when you combine fitness with life-changing habits and Biblical support, you are more likely to see long-term changes in all areas of your life. Olympian Gabby Douglas, singer Shawn Mendes, actress Roma Downey, and performer Derek Hough are just a few of the celebrities praising his program.
Through a six-week program including seven Sundays, Penix hopes that you will be transformed not only on the outside but more importantly, on the inside. Right away Penix tackles all the myths and things we tell ourselves that we can't do or the stumbling blocks to success that we have likely experienced before. He believes by putting God at the center of your new routine will help everything else fall into place. Each week focuses on a theme within the "6 Pillars of Purpose". Even though each week has a theme, each day is different so that you can't get bored with the program. Sundays are a day of rest, recovery, and reflection, as well as preparing for the week ahead. The first week is mostly introspective and a slow introduction to exercise, getting adequate sleep, and watching for triggers related to your eating. By the third Sunday, your nutrition is more specific as well as the exercise. Each day's reading is around 5-7 pages and offers a prayer, Bible verses, and then suggestions related to personal goals, nutrition, and physical exercise.
Since this book takes the reader day by day with specifics on what to do, I think that people who need things in a step-by-step format will really appreciate this program. If you also have a goal of connecting with your faith or reading the Bible more, then this will help you achieve that as well. Because this is a day-to-day plan, I do suggest you read ahead for each week so you are prepared with ingredients needed for meals and set aside the time needed for exercise. My schedule is much too erratic to start reading each day's plan that morning. Plus I don't live near a store so just running out to by raw nuts and fruit for a day's snack wouldn't work for me. I would have to know that a week ahead of time.
I do like that Penix gets at the emotional issues that may also be holding you back. He spends time talking about forgiveness, holding on to possessions, finding balance, and sharing your time and talents with others just to name a few. He is definitely looking at a whole body and mind transformation by the time you complete the seven Sundays.
I appreciated that the exercises offered a "forgiving option" and an "aspiring option". For those of us who may need to start slow, we can make some exercises easier until we get into the program or feel more comfortable trying out the "aspiring option". There are not any photos of how to specifically do each exercise, but he does give pretty clear explanations and thankfully, most of the exercises would be familiar to everyone.
The layout and plan for each day couldn't be in a simpler format, but as with any program, there is planning involved both in your mind and in your kitchen. So, I suggest reading all the way through the book so you know what to expect (which could be done in a few hours) and then starting with Day 1 and making a trip to the store with supplies that you need. All the exercises are mostly done with body weight and only dumbbells are needed if you want to choose the "aspiring options". So, this is definitely a manageable plan for those of us who don't want to create a gym in our home or buy a bunch of exercise equipment.
Overall, I think this is a promising program for people who are looking for more than just changing their eating habits or adding exercise. If you are looking for more fulfillment in your life, getting better sleep, becoming a well-rounded person, or increasing your faith, then this might be the program for you. Even though it is a six-week course, you can continue to do that plan as long as you'd like, starting over again after some reflection on what worked best for you.
Through a six-week program including seven Sundays, Penix hopes that you will be transformed not only on the outside but more importantly, on the inside. Right away Penix tackles all the myths and things we tell ourselves that we can't do or the stumbling blocks to success that we have likely experienced before. He believes by putting God at the center of your new routine will help everything else fall into place. Each week focuses on a theme within the "6 Pillars of Purpose". Even though each week has a theme, each day is different so that you can't get bored with the program. Sundays are a day of rest, recovery, and reflection, as well as preparing for the week ahead. The first week is mostly introspective and a slow introduction to exercise, getting adequate sleep, and watching for triggers related to your eating. By the third Sunday, your nutrition is more specific as well as the exercise. Each day's reading is around 5-7 pages and offers a prayer, Bible verses, and then suggestions related to personal goals, nutrition, and physical exercise.
Since this book takes the reader day by day with specifics on what to do, I think that people who need things in a step-by-step format will really appreciate this program. If you also have a goal of connecting with your faith or reading the Bible more, then this will help you achieve that as well. Because this is a day-to-day plan, I do suggest you read ahead for each week so you are prepared with ingredients needed for meals and set aside the time needed for exercise. My schedule is much too erratic to start reading each day's plan that morning. Plus I don't live near a store so just running out to by raw nuts and fruit for a day's snack wouldn't work for me. I would have to know that a week ahead of time.
I do like that Penix gets at the emotional issues that may also be holding you back. He spends time talking about forgiveness, holding on to possessions, finding balance, and sharing your time and talents with others just to name a few. He is definitely looking at a whole body and mind transformation by the time you complete the seven Sundays.
I appreciated that the exercises offered a "forgiving option" and an "aspiring option". For those of us who may need to start slow, we can make some exercises easier until we get into the program or feel more comfortable trying out the "aspiring option". There are not any photos of how to specifically do each exercise, but he does give pretty clear explanations and thankfully, most of the exercises would be familiar to everyone.
The layout and plan for each day couldn't be in a simpler format, but as with any program, there is planning involved both in your mind and in your kitchen. So, I suggest reading all the way through the book so you know what to expect (which could be done in a few hours) and then starting with Day 1 and making a trip to the store with supplies that you need. All the exercises are mostly done with body weight and only dumbbells are needed if you want to choose the "aspiring options". So, this is definitely a manageable plan for those of us who don't want to create a gym in our home or buy a bunch of exercise equipment.
Overall, I think this is a promising program for people who are looking for more than just changing their eating habits or adding exercise. If you are looking for more fulfillment in your life, getting better sleep, becoming a well-rounded person, or increasing your faith, then this might be the program for you. Even though it is a six-week course, you can continue to do that plan as long as you'd like, starting over again after some reflection on what worked best for you.
September 16, 2021
This book is a Christian twist on the fitness/diet book. It combines Bible verses and spiritual motivation with a laid out fitness and nutrition plan that lasts the titular seven weeks. Each day starts on Sunday and includes "walks with God", diet challenges and an increasingly difficult strength training regimen.
I think this book can be helpful to many people, but it didn't appeal to me. I found the spiritual notions and Bible verses to be watered down and made to fit the author's approach to fitness. I think it just didn't match up with my Lutheran Christian beliefs. And I think it shrank down the magnificent messages in the Bible to fit a fitness routine.
People who have a different approach to Christianity may find this approach to fitness and nutrition helpful and may like the spiritual connections made. It's not a bad book and it seems to be a workable program. It just didn't jibe with my approach to fitness and nutrition.
Thank you to NetGalley for the electronic review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Rating:: Three stars
I think this book can be helpful to many people, but it didn't appeal to me. I found the spiritual notions and Bible verses to be watered down and made to fit the author's approach to fitness. I think it just didn't match up with my Lutheran Christian beliefs. And I think it shrank down the magnificent messages in the Bible to fit a fitness routine.
People who have a different approach to Christianity may find this approach to fitness and nutrition helpful and may like the spiritual connections made. It's not a bad book and it seems to be a workable program. It just didn't jibe with my approach to fitness and nutrition.
Thank you to NetGalley for the electronic review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Rating:: Three stars
July 21, 2020
I really loved this book! I picked it up at a time in my life during which I was having a hard time getting motivated and getting myself healthy. I personally found Alec's story of self discovery and self improvement to be highly relatable and inspiring, and it truly helped me become what I am today: a much healthier and happier person than I was when I picked up the book. While other reviewers seem to have found the religious aspect of the book to be a little heavy handed, I did not feel that way at all, and I don't consider myself a religious person in the least.
July 21, 2020
Amazing read! Whatever your beliefs are you can still take something away from this book. The greater idea is that there is a deeper meaning besides outward appearance to our wellness. Thank you for the inspiration!
December 20, 2021
The concept of this book is great and most of the content. I also like how it is broken up to read a small section per day. Just make sure if you read this book that you set it up when the weather will be tolerable for you because there is some walking outside.
February 24, 2019
Good ideas, but too stringent for my schedule
March 20, 2019
This was an interesting concept. I liked how to covers both religion and health over a 6 week period.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews