“The body is a perfect machine, only limited by the head,” my old high school weightlifting coach used to say. I laugh at it now, but when I was younger I would imagine myself as a Terminator T-800. )Shout out to the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of my first big influences in weight training.)
The deeper I got into lifting, and the more I started seeing results, the more I begin to understand that saying. There are similarities between man and machine. Like most machines the body is made to work, perform and complete tasks — and requires just as much maintenance.
Like a mad scientist, I stayed in the lab trying to create this monster. Repeatedly lifting, pushing and pulling these difficult and heavy objects around. But after a while, I wasn’t seeing much in the way of results for all that effort.
Then it happened! I realized I wasn’t tracking the progress I had made.
Just like all things, whether you’re bodybuilding or playing sports or just trying to lose a few pounds for beach season, there are measurables to it and as I’ve said before, what gets measured can be improved. There is a science to it — an input and an output.
Unfortunately, most people treat their machines such as their cars and their fancy new iPad better than they treat their own bodies. Here is where your head becomes a limitation. You can’t remember what you did yesterday much less what you did last week. So keeping up with your progress is much easier if you just write it down.
Tracking your progress is important for many different reasons. First, it keeps you on task. Second, you track your progress. Third, you can ensure that you have a fitness balance. Finally, you can challenge yourself by identifying your weaknesses.
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. You need the right mindset and a willingness to set and obtain any goal in life, and your health and well-being are no different. In fact, they should be your most important priority because your body is by far your most important and powerful machine.
Like all machines, the body also needs regular check ups and maintenance for optimal use. Eating right, working out, regular checkups and tracking your progress are some of the ways to ensure a healthy life and maximum results from your workouts. The body is a machine, and a wonderfully made machine it is, so get your mind right and treat it like it’s the only one you’ll get… because it is.
Power up!
