Success is born of a solid set of constructive habits. How many times have you encountered the guy who, despite all the smarts and potential in the world, never seems to reach the top? It can happen to any of us:
- A man can possess as much intellect, ingenuity and skill as he likes …if these qualities do not rest firmly on the bedrock of excellent daily habits, he will crumble.
If you’re the caliber of person this website usually attracts, you will likely find many of these habits to be already a part of your daily routine. Nevertheless, view this as a reminder to never overlook a single point. Each daily habit you ignore represents a crack in your general structure — which is the last thing you need in a competitive world where weaknesses are routinely exploited.
So, let’s kick off the series: “10 Things a Real Man Does Every Single Day,” with the first daily habit every real man should solidify:
Thing #1 - Get Your “Diesel” On.
Load your cannons, feed your pythons — whatever you like to call it …tomorrow morning, before anything else: get your diesel on.
Strength training (not to be confused with bodybuilding) simply isn’t an optional matter in the life of a real man. There are too many benefits to gain from doing it, and too many negative results from avoiding it. Do you run? Cycle? Climb stadium stairs? Hike? …that’s fantastic — cardio is another essential. But, if you’re not lifting heavy weights at least 3 times a week, you are cheating yourself (and your family. …more on this in a minute).
Here’s a quick list of benefits you can reflect on while arming your nukes tomorrow morning (consult a physician first, if you haven’t recently been cleared for exercise):
- greater mental clarity
- increased stamina to get through your day
- loss of body fat
- less joint and back pain
- a more optimistic outlook
- less often depressed
- greater self-confidence
- an increase in natural charisma and magnetism
- better athletic performance
- better in bed
- a longer, more enjoyable time on planet earth…
As your body responds, some additional perks will include:
- instant respect from perfect strangers (strange, but true)
- better service in shops and restaurants (strange, but true)
- that “2nd glance” from the hot chicks (not so strange!)…
There are a myriad more benefits, but here’s the one to remember:
- If for no other reason than wanting to live long enough (and be strong enough) to play football with your kids, and maybe even chase grandchildren around in your old age — get your strength training done tomorrow morning.
Studies have shown that lifting heavy weights is a key factor in staying healthy over time — if you’re 30 years old, you need it more today than you did when you were 24. Heavy resistance training has even been shown by the American College of Sports Medicine to have a profound positive effect on people over 65! Look, if a 65 year-old guy can benefit from lifting heavy weights, what will it do for you?
Beyond you, do it for your family. If you haven’t started a family yet, do it for the family you will start one day. Frequently remind yourself that every time you strength train, you’re investing for their future. As you’ve probably noticed, the world is a crazy, unpredictable place — and it isn’t becoming any easier a place to live. Your family is going to need you. The stronger and more fit you are, the more likely it is that you will be around to protect and guide them, and be the patriarch they need, in the years they’ll need you the most.
Why the morning?
Ever notice how difficult it is to control your day, once it’s been launched? The right phone call, text message or other interruption can send your day in a completely different direction. Firing your pistons first thing in the morning simply reduces the likelihood that something unexpected will cancel your session.
Granted, there are studies indicating that we may lift a little heavier, later in the day. If you have one of those rare schedules where nothing ever interrupts your midday or end-of-day workout plans — by all means, stay with it. However, if you have a schedule that is prone to surprises (like most of us), there is no better choice than first thing in the morning. Your health is too important to leave to chance. Wake up early tomorrow morning, and hit it! Every real man knows that steel is part of a complete breakfast!
Go easy.
Now, if it’s been more than a few weeks since you’ve done any strength training — listen up. Just getting yourself out of bed and to your workout space can result in a great feeling of euphoria. “Yesss! I’m back on track!” you might exclaim to yourself tomorrow morning, while reaching for the 60-pound dumbbells. This euphoria is a well-deserved feeling because, as you know, relatively few men have the cojones to get up and take care of this bit of morning business.
Nonetheless, the cautionary thing to remember is: You are not Chuck Norris. Do not try lifting the same weight, sets and reps you’ve done in the past. Doing so is a sure way to kill your strength training program before it ever gets off the ground. If you’ve ever returned to the gym after a long hiatus, you know exactly how it goes:
- Day 1, you’re excited. you work your *entire* body, lifting the hhheaviest weights you can lift
- …after your workout, you find a mirror to see if you’ve suddenly turned into Jay Cutler
- Day 2, the soreness sets in…
- by Day 3, you’re disabled. Your arms won’t open past a 90-degree angle, and it hurts to move anything, let alone get back in the gym. You decide (wisely) to take another couple of days off to recover (Days 4 and 5).
- by Day 6, inertia has beaten you. You’ve become reacquainted with the snooze button. Your strength training program = dead. Again.
Tomorrow morning, do not “go heavy.” Do not go light, even. Go easy. For the next few weeks you’ll concentrate on reintroducing your muscles to the range of motion and the mechanics of the exercises you will be doing. With this in mind, work only a few muscle groups at a time, with only one set of each exercise. For example, if you’ve decided that tomorrow is a “chest and arms” day, you might do one set of:
- bench press, 12 reps
- barbell curls, 12 reps
- overhead triceps extensions, 12 reps
- incline dumbbell press, 12 reps
- incline dumbbell curls, 12 reps
- skull crushers, 12 reps
- cable pushdowns, 12 reps
…and you’re done. Very light weight on each exercise. “Light,” meaning, when you finish 12 reps, you should feel like you could do 12 more. Take a day off to recover. Then, on “leg” day, you might do one set of:
- squats (regular or Smith machine), 12 reps
- lying leg curls, 12 reps
- seated leg press, 12 reps
- seated leg curls, 12 reps
- leg extensions, 12 reps
- seated calf raises, 12 reps
- standing calf raises, 12 reps
…and you’re done. Again, light weights. Take another day off to recover. Then, on “back and shoulders” day, you might do one set of:
- standing barbell press, 12 reps
- lat pulldowns, 12 reps
- seated dumbell press, 12 reps
- side raises, 12 reps
- bent rows, 12 reps
…take 2 days off to recover …and you’ve finished your 1st week!
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. Easing yourself into the process builds a strong foundation for your program. You may have to conquer the urge to out-perform the guy (or girl!) working out near you, but mind them not. Give your body time to adjust, and give yourself a chance to start enjoying your workout, first. Cruise at this altitude for the first 2 or 3 weeks — your body will tell you when it’s ready for more …and that’s when the real fun begins (see list of benefits above).
One more thing…
Don’t worry if you don’t have machines or weights available to you right now. Although strength training is most effective with weights, they’re not mandatory. There are many, many strength training exercises requiring no weights or machines, all searchable on the web under the phrase: “weightless workouts.” You can always work toward gaining access to equipment later.
The important thing is that you start tomorrow morning with what you have, and that you approach it in a way that will allow you to keep going — and fully experience the dramatic boost in quality of life you’ve got coming to you. ~ Steve Thompson