"MINING" THE HUMAN BODY

By George F. Jowett

Reprinted with permission from the A.O.B.S Newsletter. (Join the AOBS, see resource section).

Many years ago western prairie farmers, following their urge to get rich quickly from bumper wheat crops, year after year forced the soil to yield crops beyond the capacity of its fertility. Year after year they harvested the wheat crops without putting anything back into the soil, until the soil became so depleted of its fertility that it became valueless. This method was termed "mining" the land. Taking all out of it, and putting nothing back. Finally, the government stepped in and stopped the mining process of greedy, thoughtless farmers.

Burning Up Energy

Many body builders parallel this same condition in their enthusiastic urge to develop their bodies to their fullest within as short a time as possible. They burn up their energies almost fanatically in order to perform a miracle in muscular development. these are the body builders who rarely ever achieve success. Like the thoughtless farmer, the thoughtless body builder "mines" his body without any thought of the part nature plays in the process. It just cannot be done, that's all.

The Law of Life

The law of life is growth, but growth is controlled by the law of replenishment and conservation. What is taken out of the body, by way of breakage of old tissue cells, must be replaced in greater proportion, and these gains are only increased by the true conservation of the natural resources of the human body. To ignore the law of conservation is to defeat the law of replenishment, from which source comes growth.

Youth, in its ardent zeal to acquire premature development, is most prone to this fault. It is fired by enthusiasm but defeated from lack of understanding of nature's law as it governs the human body. Also, too frequently, young people lack the proper instruction to guide them in their training. Yet if they would only stop to think, the human body, like Rome, cannot be built in a day. A slapstick house can be erected in a very short time, but the more magnificent the house is designed to be, the longer it takes to build.

Our bodies are fashioned by the greatest of all architects. He designed them to be the most magnificent of all creations. He made growth the perpetual existence of our lives, and gave each of us the mental ability to fashion it in truly Adamic form. Ignorance, which defeats all purposes, alone prevented success in physical perfection, in most cases where success has failed to be achieved. Those who have succeeded have been the patient, painstaking individuals who were willing to climb one step at a time. They built under them and into themselves a foundation so sound and solid that success could not be defeated. Forced methods never got anyone anywhere and never will. Forced methods are of the mining variety, and those who recommend them to the body builder advocate false precepts or are totally regardless of the other's welfare.

Wonderful Nature

Nature is a wonderful mother. She loves to see her sons and daughters grandly fashioned and radiant with healthful vigor, but she is ever our master. When one goes beyond her dictates, transcending her laws, a penalty will be imposed by her refraining more powerful than the law of any other government. She will not permit you to mine the resources she gave you, but she can be coaxed to give abundantly when intelligence and common sense are used -- yes, to an extent that may surprise you.

Therefore, in your urge to acquire vigorous health and physical perfection, realize that everybody has certain limits and possibilities. It is not wise to strive to go beyond them. Learn first the functions of the human body, and you will better understand yourself. With this knowledge you will live right and train your body right. There will then never be any danger of a mining tendency, with the result each year throughout your life you will enjoy the harvest of health, strength, and fitness that only true body building methods can give to you.