Walking into Shape

Generally speaking the modern day American Man is in crisis, 20% of men claim to not have a single close friend. Not even One Friend.

The American Man in 2023 is probably suicidal, depressed, and is borderline losing hope that things will get better.

I am here to say to whoever is listening on the internet, that perhaps this is a little bit of an exaggeration. In life as time goes on most of the time life improves for people. But let’s take a little historical time travel and think of the American Man and his story.

The average American Man in history has been poor, there are hundreds of millions of men who have lived in the USA in her history and only a few have become historical figures in history books and wealthy tycoons of business. The average American Man in history is just a guy trying his best to build a better life for himself.

Here is a statistic, about 8% of the population are millionaires or more, and 10% of the population own about 70% of the wealth. So the 45% or so of the population are American men who are not millionaires who are clawing for as much of that 30% of wealth they can get. They also have to compete with the women.

In the process of building a better life for themselves they built a fucking great country. But they did it off the sweat of their own back, through hard work, determination, entrepreneurship, risk taking, and sometimes delusional confidence of going out into the unknown.

I watched an old Ken Burns Series called “The Story of Us” and I thought about the average American Man in history as I was watching it. The average soldier at Valley Forge probably couldn’t find France or Britain on a map, and didn’t really care about politics, but they didn’t like being told how to live by someone else, and that was worth fighting and dying for.

Then after they defeated the British, they ventured into the unknown landscape of the USA westward. Much of it untouched by modern technology for thousands of years. Just think of Napoleon selling the Louisiana Territory to the USA. Why did he do that?

Well think of this land from a European perspective, Europe had Rome about 1800 years earlier, and the Romans built towns and outposts and cities all across Western Europe. They also had the Greeks and Ottomans do the same all over the continent. When 1800 came around there were major cities like London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Barcelona that were around for hundreds of years, there were businesses, artisans, colleges, etc etc.

The Louisiana Territory had absolutely none of that. It took 1800 years for Europe to get to that point, but the landscape of the USA at the time might as well have been like Ancient Greece or Cave Man days of Europe. A wild landscape full of trees, rivers, more trees, and random Native Americans running around with bows and arrows ready to fight you.

There were no towns, no cities, not schools, no businesses, no nothing. Just a bunch of trees and wilderness untouched by modern tools or technology. Imagine Napoleon who needed money immediately and going “Well there are no cities, no towns, no businesses, no artisans, no nothing, and if we were to settle this place it would take what…. 500 years? Just sell to these guys who started this thing called a Democracy, I’m ready to fight the British.”

Sound Logic if you ask me for my opinion.

But the American Man in about 50 years, took what was a massive landscape of wild animals ready to eat you like bears, native Americans ready to fight you, a rainforest that rivaled that of Brazil today, (literally everything east of the Mississippi was a forest before people started showing up on the shores of Plymouth and Jamestown) Crossed the Rocky Mountains which rivals that of any in Europe, then crossed the Sierra Nevada, and settled California which at the time of 1800, was just a few hundred thousand Native Americans and a few dozen Spanish Missionaries and Russians hunting Seals off the Sonoma Coast.

The average American Man crammed 1800 years of knowledge and built a country that rivaled the entire continent of Europe. Here is an example of one of these average guys born on the same day as Charles Darwin.

Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin we all know this. But what we may not have been taught in school was that the log cabin was almost a homeless level of poverty. Abraham Lincoln’s Father, went out into the woods with hardly any money, because he couldn’t afford a home in a city, and went into the woods. He built a home with just knowledge and an axe, and then cut down more trees to plant a garden to feed his family, and began selling lumber for the cities. This was what many poor average men did in the early 1800’s. They went and forged a life for themselves in the wilderness.

Abraham Lincoln grew up chopping wood with an axe and battled depression and poverty, but managed to get out of the woods and into a law school. Eventually he married up and as luck would have it became one of America’s greatest President’s of all time.

That story repeated itself in different ways over and over and over again until the American Man is still seen internationally as one of the biggest achievements in history. We are the modern day Romans who conquered the known world and became a model for everyone else to follow.

Just look at Europe, which for centuries (about 1776 years) was ruled by Emperors, kings, queens, aristocracy, wealthy elites. And now today in just a few remain, and Europe is full of modern day democracies that came from the ideas set in Philadelphia. The average European wants American culture, rather it be Levi’s, the iPhone, Jazz music, or burgers and fries.

So there really is not much to be depressed about if you are an American man. Just set your personal problems and depression aside for 10 minutes, and be thankful this is not 1800 any more and we don’t have to cut down trees in the middle of a forest to build a home. We have the internet, which is better. I also find it good to take pride in American exceptionalism and the fact that this country full of somewhat apathetic, somewhat dumb, sometimes really dumb, people, are also part of an experiment that is revered and honored by people around the world for what we have accomplished.

The American man is impulsive, emotional, probably doesn’t think that much before taking action, but at the end of the day the American Man is a man of risk taking, and taking action. Doing something everyday to improve your life.

Which is why I have restarted some older habits I once had but with a renewed vigor and determination.

My work out routine for the last 4 weeks is as follows:

1: 10 reps at 30 lbs: Bench Press

2: 10 reps at 30 lbs: Bicep Curls

3: 10 reps of leg lifts

4: 25 reps of ab crunches.

I do this once in the morning and once at night 5 days a week.

But I also have a secret.

What you just read is a lie hidden in truth, or as former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would probably joke “It’s a True Lie” (one of my favorite comedies of all time)

I count my reps as follows..

One for me…..

One for her….

Eventually I hope I am not the only one who enjoys my muscles and healthy lifestyle. There is a woman out there in the world who one day will enjoy grabbing them and feeling how stronger they are getting as well. (I am also adding in some tricep extensions lately, nobody likes big biceps and flabby triceps)

So my real work out per day is.

1: 40 reps at 30 lbs: Bench Press

2: 40 reps at 30 lbs: Bicep Curls

3: 40 reps of leg lifts

4: 100 reps of ab crunches.

Over a week that is.

1: 200 reps at 30 lbs: Bench Press

2: 200 reps at 30 lbs: Bicep Curls

3: 200 reps of leg lifts

4: 500 reps of ab crunches.

I also restarted my walking 10,000 steps a day habit which I had for several years before Covid. I have walked about 18,000 steps per day everyday of September. I set my calorie burn goal everyday on my  watch to 1,000 and have not missed closing a ring yet this month. I make sure to do at least a 60 minute walk before having breakfast.

In the three and a half weeks of me beginning this routine I have noticed noticable changes in my everyday mood. I do get irritated and frustrated sometimes, and my thoughts may at times be angry, but that’s just the testosterone talking, my overall mental health has never been better.

I have lost about 10 pounds of fat and have the beginnings of abs coming in.

The time is now, there is no need to start any journey when society wants you to. The whole “New Year, New Me” thing is overdone.

By the time the New Year comes, I want to be a New Me again. And by the time everyone quits their habits by Valentines Day I want to be in the absolute best shape of my life, feeling fucking fantastic for my first trip to Italy when I visit Rome on Leap Day.

Life waits for no Man.

Go Live, Go be a man, be happy, forget the bullshit from society.

And it is all bullshit.

So do your best to do what the cowboys did when they came across manure out on the open range… Don’t step in it, and just continue working hard to become the very best average man who built the greatest country on earth you can be.

Weight Lifting

1. Muscle Growth: Regular resistance training leads to hypertrophy, or the growth and increase of the size of muscle cells. This results in increased muscle mass, which is often a goal for many men.
2. Increased Metabolism: Muscle tissue is metabolically active. More muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate, which means you'll burn more calories even when you're not working out.
3. Improved Bone Density: Weight lifting helps increase bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in later life.
4. Boosted Testosterone: Resistance training has been shown to increase levels of testosterone in men, which plays a vital role in muscle growth, fat loss, and overall health.
5. Mental Health Benefits: Lifting weights can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. It also boosts self-esteem and body image.
6. Improved Cardiovascular Health: Regular resistance training can reduce the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure.
7. Better Posture & Reduced Risk of Injury: Building strength, especially in the core, can lead to better posture. Stronger muscles also provide better support to joints, reducing the risk of injuries.
8. Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Weight lifting can improve insulin sensitivity, which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
9. Functionality in Daily Life: Strength acquired from weight lifting translates to better functionality in everyday tasks, from lifting groceries to playing with kids or performing house chores.

Walking

1. Cardiovascular Benefits: Walking regularly can improve heart health, reducing the risk of heart diseases.
2. Weight Management: Even a brisk walk can help in burning calories and aiding in weight loss or maintenance.
3. Joint Health: Unlike some high-impact exercises, walking is gentle on the joints and can actually improve joint health by promoting circulation and strengthening the muscles around the joints.
4. Mental Health Boost: Walking, especially in nature, can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. It also aids in the release of endorphins, which are natural mood elevators.
5. Improved Sleep: Regular walkers often report better quality of sleep.
6. Blood Pressure: Regular walking can help lower high blood pressure.
7. Strengthened Bones: It can reduce the risk of bone diseases like osteoporosis.
8. Improved Balance and Coordination: Walking requires coordination of multiple muscle groups and helps improve balance, reducing the risk of falls in older age.
9. Social Connection: Walking can be a social activity if done in groups or with friends, promoting better emotional well-being.

Incorporating both weight lifting and walking into a daily routine provides a holistic approach to fitness that targets muscular strength, cardiovascular health, flexibility, and mental well-being. While these benefits apply to men, it's worth noting that they are universal and can benefit everyone regardless of gender. Regular medical check-ups and consulting with fitness professionals can help tailor these activities to individual needs and goals.