Build Muscle and Lose Fat

Ever heard the song that goes:

“Your toe bone connected to your foot bone,
Your foot bone connected to your ankle bone…”

This is an old spiritual song whose chorus is used to teach children about the human skeleton. It can also remind us workout fiends that everything in your body is connected, and if just one of those bones, or organs, or systems gets sick, it can throw off the whole body. If any one function on your body is not working correctly, it will affect the rest of your body. For instance:

1. Get your teeth checked. If you neglect your teeth and gums you could end up swallowing harmful bacteria that could negatively impact your digestive system, so always brush your teeth 2-3 times a day and try to remember to floss once a day.
2. Shower regularly after workouts. If you neglect your skin, you will end up with infections and sores. So always shower after a workout and keep that nastiness out of your pores. By the way, showering by repeatedly alternating hot and cold water for about 10 minutes each, can help improve recovery from an intense workout.
3. Wash your hands after working out. Similarly, do not touch your face or any other sensitive area of your body after training at a gym without first washing your hands. There is some nasty stuff on that equipment and you want to be sure to sanitize first.
4. Get your eyes checked. If you neglect your vision, you could be sabotaging your balance when training. Make sure to get your vision checked regularly by an eye doctor so that you can get glasses or contact lenses.
5. Yearly physicals. Regular physicals will insure that your body is holding up as you grow older. Always get checked for various tumors and deficiencies once a year by your doctor. Men should also get their testosterone levels tested after they enter their 30’s so they will have a baseline reading in case t-levels drop over the years. This could result in a prescription for either HGH or replacement level testosterone to combat some of the effects of old age including muscle loss, fat storage, depression, etc…
6. Drink water. Sure, this isn’t really related to medical procedures or checkups, but drinking lots of water is a sure way to boost your metabolism, flush out toxins, provide your cells with proper hydration, and decrease appetite. Performance during training will surely suffer if you don’t drink enough water.

If you follow these 6 rules, you will be taking good medical care of yourself. You will be able to better avoid skin diseases, tooth decay, loss of vision and balance issues, and major medical issues such as tumors and hormone deficiencies. Each of these steps is also directly or indirectly related to performance or limitations when training. You will therefore be able to prioritize your health to improve your training.