Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha

can see what happens when you make a gamble on the only investment that always pays out: yourself.

    BACK TO THE GAME: ARE YOU ALL IN?
    The pot was now at just under three grand. Could be a good haul. But now that Adam had brought me back into the debate, I was focused on Campbell.
    “I think,” I began, just as the dealer laid out the next card, “it’s relatable if you explain it correctly. It’s not just about myths. It’s about being a hero, being more than you are. Evolving. It’s about—”
    “Becoming the Alpha,” Adam finished with a smile. “It’s to you, by the way.”
    The action was to me, that is. Another card had appeared on the board; Trucker Hat had checked, passing the action.
    I watched him, sitting in a state of anticipation and self-satisfaction. It’s funny, sometimes, watching people. You learn a lot at a poker table. I glanced down at the final card to have hit the board—a two of hearts. It didn’t change anything.
    Shrugging, I pushed my remaining chips toward the center of the table, totaling $6,680. “All in.” Sometimes you have to give them what they want.
    Trucker Hat jumped out of his chair and called, pushing his chips in without hesitation. In poker, this is known as snapcalling or instacalling. His chips brought the pot to $10,300ish.
    Adam took a deep breath and asked, “So what part of the Hero’s Journey are we at right now?”
    “This would be the Ordeal—the climax, the big showdown. The lightsaber battle on the Death Star. Stage eight, I believe.”
    “I was kidding. Only you could think about the monomyth with 10K on the line,” said Adam with a chuckle.
    Trucker Hat turned over his cards to show two eights. “I got a set of eights,” he declared triumphantly. Strong hand.
    I looked at Trucker Hat, then at Adam. “Apotheosis.”
    Turning over my cards to show a jack and a nine, completing a straight. I had the nuts, or the best possible hand. * Trucker Hat was not pleased. Adam was.
    “Apotheosis, huh?”
    “Yeah. That’s stage nine, a moment of enlightenment or inspiration. Now, on to stage ten. Time to put this money to some good use. Let’s grab a steak.”

    E NGINEERING THE A LPHA
    S UBJECT: Ian Estabrook
    T HE O RDINARY W ORLD
    At the start of my transformation, I weighed 206 pounds and was a little over 15 percent body fat (measured via calipers). I was one of those guys that looked fit, but really had much to be desired. I wanted more from my body and life, but wasn’t sure if I could actually reach the levels of success I imagined.
    A CCEPTING THE C ALL
    When someone is thinking of finding a mentor or hiring a coach, they usually consider the cost, and then review a list of their success stories, philosophies on training and nutrition, and training certifications. In my search for a coach, I kept all of these qualities in mind, but I was also looking for something more: “How will this person improve my quality of life?” It takes a special flair to make changes that dramatic. I did my research and stumbled upon Roman’s blog. I read every blog post, and I knew I had found my coach. John Romaniello fit the bill perfectly and would be the guy to offer something different—new ideas and results.

    A LPHA S TATUS
    After the program, my body weight dropped as low as 192 pounds at 8 percent body fat. Once I had “reset” my body, Roman geared my training toward gaining muscle mass. To my amazement, I ended my transformation weighing 206 pounds and still 8 percent body fat. This is the biggest and leanest I have ever been simultaneously, hands down. Despite not being my primary goal, Roman also got me much, much stronger.
    It’s hard to put into perspective how much Roman has done for me with his program. He freed me from the confines of conventional thinking and broadened my training horizons by encouraging me to not always follow the most worn path. I’ll never look at training or eating the same way again, and that’s a great thing. Roman’s selflessness, dedication, and attention to detail has done more than just change my body—it’s changed my life.

CHAPTER 3
    The Truth About the Truth
    BREAKING BARRIERS, AVOIDING STAGNATION, AND THE FORCES ALLIED AGAINST YOU
    “The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue.”
    — ANTISTHENES, GREEK PHILOSOPHER OF ATHENS, DISCIPLE OF SOCRATES, 445–365 BC
    H ere’s the question every guy should be asking right now: When I try to change my body, why