Your Body Is Your First System

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Let’s talk about it.

I saw a geezer recently talk about how you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat their own body.

I agree with this to an extent.

Your body can be a true reflection of your standards in life. But that doesn’t mean you might have the right ideas in every aspect.

By building your body you might have a higher confidence level than most, where you look down on others or judge their methods.

I can tell you that some people might have good physical habits but bad traits towards how they treat others.

As a Muslim I try to see the good in everyone, but the way I treat myself should be mirrored.

Becoming 1% better daily is greatness pending, but it’s only half the rule.

I also believe in lifting others up and helping them to become 1% better too.

True strength is improving yourself and others, and that’s how we all rise to new levels.

So that being said, I believe I don’t talk about my fitness routine as much as I should. It’s a long game that is played but building muscle doesn’t require a complicated plan.

Just a bit of consistency, common sense and 3-4 sessions a week.

So let’s get into how I treat my own body and how it gives me purpose out of fitness, feeding into other areas of my life.

From someone who’s living the dream, you don’t need to be shredded.

Yeah it looks cool and I had the desire to look like Simeon Panda or prime Dwayne Johnson.

I simply don't have the genetics to become a physical specimen of that caliber.

But having some sort of muscle mass and staying leaner than the average?

That alone has skyrocketed my health, energy, and mental clarity. It’s a sense of commitment that has paved the way for me to commit to various interests which help me grow mentally.

Forget the 6-day splits.

3-4 solid workouts a week will give you more gains than chasing perfection.

Why?

Because you’ll actually recover, stay consistent, and want to keep showing up. There are days when I thought grinding hard would equal faster gains, but the fatigue led to various issues that affected how I worked outside of fitness.

I found out the hard way by pushing my body past its limits that it leads to burnout.

Now I train smarter. That means:

• Working certain body parts on certain days so I have an even split, making sure I have a gap of 1-2 days for each muscle worked.

• If I have football one day, I’ll give myself at least a 1-2 day gap so my whole body has time to rest and perform well in the next game.

• Prioritizing stretching before and after games and lifts, even if it’s 5 minutes is something that makes a big difference.

• Eating right to fuel recovery before and after sessions.

• Cold showers and ice packs are utilised to improve circulation and aid with soreness.

Muscle-building is painfully simple.

You repeat a few movements (squat, press, pull, lunge) for 60–90 mins.

Then you go home.

It's really like that. But you’ll see people spend hours there or act like spending more time there means they’re in a better position than you. It’s all about using your time wisely.

As I’ve gotten older, I understand now that there’s no need for the fancy movements or flashy equipment.

It's best to keep it simple; the results will still be the same. You just have to show up, put yourself through a bit of pain and level up weekly.

The hardest part? Nutrition.

Not too little.

Not too much.

Dial in your meals just enough and focus on protein. However, protein alone won't make the changes.

• Cut the sugar.

• Add healthy fats and fibers.

• Consume greens.

It all sounds simple but it’s all about balance. My struggle with nutrition means I knew what I needed to cut out and consume more of.

I still eat crap at times, but as long as my week consists of 80% healthy foods, then I’m good. I’m talking fruits in the morning, proteins like chicken, beef and eggs, fibers for gut health and greens of different shades.

There’s so much to utilise so we're aiming for a healthy lifestyle alongside gain season.

What worked for me

It’s not about one or the other. They do say that a large part of making physical changes comes from the kitchen. So essentially what you eat is important, but if you’re not eating enough, moving enough, or getting enough sleep then you’re missing out on serious potential.

Do this like I do:

• 3-4 days of weightlifting, focusing on one body part with progressive overloads.

• Low intensity - 10k+ steps daily.

• High intensity - Football

• Simple tracking of meals (nothing obsessive).

• 7–9 hours of sleep with an optimum room temperature.

I don’t live in the gym.

I work full-time.

I play football.

I learn French & Arabic.

And I’m still building my body. It’s all about knowing what methods work for you and what you enjoy.

I didn’t build muscle and shred fat doing the things I hated. That’s burnout and boredom pending. Like anything it takes time to refine and see what works and what you like so that it’s easy to maintain long-term.

You want to build a lifestyle that’s slow, steady, and achievable with intention.

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The bottom line

I’m all about trust and leading by example.

While I might not be the biggest or fastest, I’ve been able to make noticeable changes to the point where I can tell you what should be prioritized. Your health matters.

Nobody would trust my nutrition advice if I ate crap all the time. That’s why I show you that I eat relatively healthy, but I indulge here and there when I want to.

Nobody would take me seriously if I had no self-control. It’s about knowing when it’s time to put the bad stuff down and pick up good habits for longevity.

Nobody would trust my discipline if I was out of shape. But I’m accustomed to the physical grind where changes are bound to happen.

Your challenge for this week: There’s always something that can be done more of or scaled back.

• Check your fitness; what could you add to improve your physical health?

• You might put in the work, but is your routine a reflection of that?

• What could you eat more of, e.g., protein?

• What could you scale back on, e.g sugar or snacks?

Some basic stuff, but until you do certain things for a period of time you don’t know what you were missing out on.

When I cut out fizzy drinks and snacking, I was able to cut weight like nothing.

When I added different variations of protein to my diet, I was providing myself with more vitamins and nutrients.

It’s the changes that seem easy that are difficult to maintain, but you’ll always feel better for them in the long term.

Chase that longevity.

If you want to discuss this further, feel free to reach out on Instagram @liftlangleon.

Till next time, peace.