Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha (11 page)

 

SHIT YOU NEED TO KNOW

You don't need to be the smartest guy in the room to make an impact, but you never want to be the dumbest guy either. Here are some things you need to know. And tell your friends while you're at it. These facts dispel some of the worst myths that, simply put, need to die. We won't bother addressing these mistruths in detail because they've been discussed so often. But we realize many people reading this might be new to fitness, and that isn't a crime. So here are the facts that will steer you away from BS advice and keep you sounding smart and acting smarter:

•  Fat doesn't make you fat. It's necessary for hormonal balance.

•  Heavy weights don't make you bulky. Don't fear them; they are your friend.

•  Yoga is not just for girls. Yeah, we said it.

•  The bench press is not the king of all chest exercises (try the push-up).

•  There are muscles in your legs. Work them—especially your hamstrings and glutes.

•  Muscle does not weigh more than fat. But fat does take up a lot more space than muscle.

 

 

PART 2

REBIRTH

“WHAT YOU REALLY FEAR IS INSIDE YOURSELF. YOU FEAR YOUR OWN POWER. YOU FEAR YOUR ANGER, THE DRIVE TO DO GREAT OR TERRIBLE THINGS.”

—HENRI DUCARD,
BATMAN BEGINS

CHAPTER 4

The Call to Adventure

HOW THIRTY WHITE POLO SHIRTS CHANGED ROMAN'S LIFE

“Some people can't believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first.”

—
GOOD WILL HUNTING

“N
ice to meet you, Roman,”
the lady said over the phone. “I'm in a bit of a rush, so I hope you can help. I'm going to need thirty white polo shirts, in different sizes. Mostly medium and large, with some small and extra large. Probably just one or two extra small. I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

It was a very strange request, on a strange day, in a strange time in my life. It was May of 2001. I was nineteen years old, and in the summers between semesters, I worked at my old high school job. The worst job I've ever had. I was working—of all places—at the Gap. I was the jean-folding drone rocking the big smile at the register. Not exactly my preferred job description, but it was my reality. I had been home from school for nearly two weeks and was unfortunately slated to be home for quite a long time. In fact, I had transferred to a local school for what my transcript says were “personal reasons.”
^*

While my grades didn't take a huge dip, my motivation and confidence did. I had no idea what I wanted to do and no desire to pay $40,000 to figure it out. It seemed logical, but two weeks into Gap slavery, I was regretting my decision. Local schooling meant corporate servitude, and low-level corporate servitude, at that. My prospects looked grim. I was twenty-five pounds overweight, pissed off at the world, and desperate to change something, anything,
everything
in my life.

And if dealing with anger, depression, confusion, a gut, and a healthy dose of teenage angst wasn't enough, now I had this lady sending me down to the fucking basement of the fucking Gap to search for thirty white fucking polo shirts.

It took me twelve minutes to find them all, even though we only had twenty-seven. Emerging from the cool, dark depths of the stock room laden with my perfectly folded cargo, I found the lady from the phone waiting for me at the counter.

A short Italian woman with an infectious laugh, Marie—as I would later learn was her name—made it nearly impossible for me to remain grumpy. After all, anyone who reminds me of my own mother can put a smile on my face.

I rang up the shirts, and I asked the obvious question: “Soooo, um, what does one need thirty—er, twenty-seven—white polo shirts for?”

Turns out, her husband was opening up a gym. And after further questioning, I found out that it was merely five minutes away from my house.

None of this would have seemed bizarre except for the fact that earlier that day, I'd mentioned to my best friend that we should join a gym and get in shape. With a swipe of her American Express and a friendly wave good-bye, she was gone and I was left with my thoughts.

Two days later I walked into that gym, and in many respects I have never walked out.

 

DISCOVERING YOUR MENTOR

Marie's husband was a man named Alvin. Good-looking and exceptionally well built, he was the first man over forty I had ever met who lifted weights seriously. Alvin shook my hand and showed me around the gym. As we passed the bench press, I mentioned that I held the school record from my high school football days. He gestured to the bench, “Show me what you got.”

Perhaps that was a sales tactic of his. And perhaps my acquiescence was some innate need to impress him. I pumped out 225 for three reps while Alvin spotted me for the first time—but certainly not the last. He patted me on the shoulder, took care of my paperwork, and I was now a member of his gym. But more importantly, he was now a member of my life.

Three weeks later, Alvin offered me a job, and all of a sudden I was working at the gym in one of those crisp white polo shirts, cleaning equipment and selling memberships. It wasn't the most glamorous work, but it was better than the fucking Gap.

That very day, Alvin would become my Obi-Wan, my Mr. Miyagi. He was my first mentor. He gave me books, taught me lessons, and paid for my first personal training certification. He introduced me to magazines I would later go on to write for. He encouraged me and pushed me.

I worked at that gym for many years, first part-time between semesters and then, when I finished school, as a full-time trainer. I learned more there than at any other place in my life. I learned about training and how to work with clients. I learned sales and how to deal with people professionally. I discovered how to manage a staff, and started my first business there. Finally, when I was ready, I eventually left to start a new venture that led to this point.

 

THE CALL

It wasn't until years later, when I was writing a blog on Campbell, that I realized my life had changed because of thirty white polo shirts. That phone call, however strange, set into motion a series of events that pulled me from my depression, changed my body, and shaped my life.

That phone call introduced me to a place and an industry where I would find a home. And it helped me create a skill set that I could use to help others for years to come. In some ways, this book is because of that phone call.

Are you ready for your call?

In every person's life, there are calls. Some are literal—like mine—and others are figurative. Perhaps it's not quite as obvious as Princess Leia's plea for the aid of a Jedi Master, but it doesn't matter. Your job is to be aware that such calls exist. And when they arrive, you must rise up to the challenge and listen to the opportunity. I heard the Call to Adventure in that very moment in the Gap, and responding to it changed my life in every way possible.

Now it's time for you to hear yours—and to accept the challenge. We're here to make sure that you won't miss out on the greatest journey of your life—and that you make the decision that can change everything.

 

MAKE MORE MONEY, HAVE MORE SEX, AND BE FUCKING AWESOME

The Call to Adventure is a nebulous thing. It can be loud. It can be soft. It can be obvious—but it is usually not. And because it is not usually obvious, it can be missed.

The call is different for everyone because it's dependent on reaching a breaking point and coming to a realization that you want to make a change. In terms of improving your body, it can be something subtle, an external motivator, like seeing Arnold materialize in
The Terminator
. For others, it might be the internal desire to get on a field and play a sport. For a good many of our clients, it was the moment when they looked at a picture of themselves on vacation and realized “how bad it had gotten.” And for others, the call comes in the form of a slap in the face (hopefully verbal) from their doctor.

All these signs have one thing in common: there's no turning back after that moment.

In
The Writer's Journey
,
^*
Christopher Vogler says, “The Call to Adventure establishes the stakes of the game.” For people who have heard the call, that seems obvious.

The sad truth, however, is that the majority of people live their entire life without ever seeing the sign or hearing the call. And as a result, they never realize what's at stake.

We recognize that for many people, this book may serve as the Call to Adventure. And in this way, we fulfill the role of the herald; it's a responsibility we don't take lightly. If by now we have not made it abundantly clear, let us explain in plain English what you stand to gain by accepting the call.

See Your Abs

Let's just get this out of the way first: having abs is awesome. Sure, it's a superficial goal. It doesn't make you stronger or better or smarter. But abs are the hallmark of a good body. And having them gives you unparalleled confidence. After working with clients for more than ten years, we've learned that most people don't actually consider themselves in great shape until they have abs. So we're going to help you get them.

You might think that your body isn't made for abs. That's not true. Or you might have heard that seeing your six-pack emphasizes form over function. That makes no sense. We believe that every muscle has a function. Fuck the haters who say that having abs is useless. It doesn't matter if the form of your abs is to help fight diabetes (more on that soon) or if the function is helping you get laid. Either way, having abs has served a function in your life that is important to
you
. Which is exactly why seeing your abs is part of the plan and why you'll be happier when you can. End of story.

Build Muscle

Many people typically over- or underreact to the idea of building muscle. We're not here to sell you on the idea of looking like a bodybuilder or an athlete. Your goals are up to you, and we respect that. Whether you want to be jacked or just lean like a surfer, you need to build muscle. Here's why: muscle is your armor. It protects you from disease, it protects you from obesity, and it protects you from insecurities that undercut your confidence and can strangle success.

And that is why having a muscular body is important. By balancing your hormones, all these problems can be avoided and your specific goals for how you want to look can be achieved. If you have more testosterone, it's easier to have a hard body. And by increasing GH, you potentiate your testosterone growth for better results. Add in improved insulin sensitivity, and you'll find that as you add muscle, you also can burn more fat and look leaner.

Remember, whether you want to gain two pounds or twenty doesn't matter. What does is appreciating that muscle is directly tied to your health and your goal appearance. Everything is relative to what you want, so if you're not looking to get huge, remember that all of this advice still applies to you. And if you are looking to pack on some serious mass, this program will also do the trick—and you might want to repeat it a few times for optimal results.

If you want to find out how, flip to part 3 and you'll see the workouts from this program that make this happen. But we still suggest patience because understanding what's at stake will allow you to take full advantage of our program. Remember, this isn't just about blindly following some awesome workouts and a diet plan. It's about becoming the Alpha, learning why and how to become better, and being able to pay it forward to help others. And that's impossible if you don't see the entire picture.