Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha

to my frame; it signified a new chapter of my life.

    A LPHA S TATUS
    Radically changing my physique has solidified my shift as a man. My body now represents what I am capable of achieving and is my foundation for success and growth. After the program, I gained the courage to move across the country alone to further my education and improve my environment, started my own business, radically increased my level of confidence, and started going after my lifelong dreams. The looks, smiles, and groping from women are all positives, even for a guy that didn’t have much trouble with the vixens. The skill of critical thinking and trying to improve myself to better the world is one of the most valuable and life-changing lessons I’ll ever receive.

    HOW TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE
    Once you start to execute control with any level of regularity, you no longer have time to focus on the things you can’t control. Once you get into the habit of making sure you have your umbrella, you stop worrying if it’s going to rain. This clears your mind. This allows you to make decisions more clearly, which helps you make better decisions. Your field of vision narrows, your focus improves, and your mind will be like water . *
    Remember, success is a learned habit. So once you get in the habit of trusting your decisions, it becomes easier to make decisions more clearly. So how do you start the process?
    It starts with the gym. It might sound ridiculous, shallow, and superficial. And on some level, it is. But there are few things in life that you can directly influence as much as your performance in the gym. It’s superficial to think that squats, deadlifts, and pull-ups can bring you to a place where you feel happy; but it’s not that far out of reach. Cornell University researchers established that the more control you feel in your life, the more likely you are to be happy. And in the gym, you are in control. It doesn’t matter where you start, what you look like, or your ultimate goal. You control whether you do the work or not and whether you eat the right foods at the right times—you possess the power to turn your body into an object of desire and a beacon of confidence.
    And while we are the ones guiding you, you’re still the one making the decision to act. You’re the one visiting the gym. You’re the one following the diet. You’re the one making the decision to be productive. And ultimately, you’ll become the hero and be able to walk on your own with success in your back pocket.
    As Henry Rollins said, “There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength.”
    So start with that decision: to learn control over your body and your mind. Then you’ll experience the control and the resulting happiness that inevitably comes when you make the right choice consistently . That’s the key. Success isn’t meant to be an aberration. Anyone can have success once—and rarely are those people happy. Happiness is a state of being, not a temporary goal or a fleeting desire.
    So you must practice the habits we share in this book as a routine. All of this will become much clearer once you start the actual routine. We feel that understanding the why of engineering the Alpha is the most important element that will allow you to see the program to the end and experience all the benefits of becoming the Alpha. And don’t worry, there’s much more flexibility than you might think in this program. But your decisions—specifically the choice to commit—are what will allow you to feel better about yourself.
    Your hormones will be optimized, and your brain will function better. Your body will function at a higher level than you thought possible. And suddenly you’ll be more confident in your ability to create change.
    That’s when you can start translating your control to other areas of life. The workplace is a great example. Optimizing your hormones will make you smarter and more competent. You’ll think clearer and become more efficient. But the biggest difference will be the confidence in yourself and the decisions you make. Scaling the corporate ladder is not about being the smartest guy in the room; it’s about making the best decisions. And those better decisions will occur with better confidence, more focus and clarity, and less self-doubt—all of which derives from other areas of your life.
    The Man’s Guide to Nutrition
    W ARNING: Read this carefully . We have crammed in a lot of information about the types of