We've all seen them.
The human that just doesn't belong.

The breed of man that seems to be cut from a different cloth.
The physical specimen. The Freak.

The well-muscled, powerful, ripped, terrifying, and yet… inspiring.
The physique that is carved out of a predator mindset, good nutrition, and thousands of hours of grueling physical exertion.

A developed physique is a testament of human willpower, discipline, and a status symbol. Health benefits aside, muscle will aid in every activity that you partake in during your day.

Here’s an example:
About a year ago, I applied for an entry-level position in corporate banking. I have spent majority of my working years as a personal trainer, therefore the suit-n-tie dress code was brand new to me, and fairly intimidating (most likely due to the fact that I was wearing my Dad’s dress shirt that was 2 sizes too big for the interview, but that’s a story for another time).
As you can imagine, my resume did not make me a good candidate for the position, but I gave it a shot regardless.
After sitting in the lobby for what felt like a decade, the manager came out to greet me.

“Hello, you must be Endi” he said.
“Yes sir, pleasure to meet you” was my response.
“Step into my office whenever you’re ready” he replied, as he walked back into his office.
“Certainly, be right there.” I said, arising from my puddle of nervous cold sweat.
As I walked in, I closed the door behind me, and the interview had officially begun.
“Man look at those muscles! You’re in great shape! How long have you been working out?” he greeted me with enthusiasm.
“About 6 years sir, I’m a personal trainer” I replied.
“That’s awesome. We need some big guys to scare off the criminals are here” he could barely contain his excitement.

Fast forward 20 minutes, I got the job.
Just like that. I was prepared to answer what my 5/10-year plan with the company was, why I chose this bank over it’s competitors, blah blah blah.

Having control over your domain, shows to the outside world that you have control over your life. It shows that you value yourself, your longevity, and that you’re reliable.

If you want to improve your success with women, why not let your body give you a fantastic first impression and do the talking for you?

Highly competitive job interview? Stand out from the mere mortals with your towering traps and wide lats.

If anxiety, stress, or depression make constant appearances in your life, why not combat them permanently by physical exertion? You’d be surprised at how good a 30 minute run is for alleviating stress and all correlating symptoms.

Where do we go from here?
Most people are not comfortable with exercise and never begin because there exists an irrational fear of being judged,as well as the desire for instant results.
The thing is, if fitness was easy, everyone would be walking around with a ripped six-pack. That’s what makes it so desirable and attractive. Achieving a great physique takes time, discipline, and hard work.

Lots of fucking hard work.

It’s not enough to go to the gym, surf the internet and do 20 minutes on the elliptical. You have to challenge your muscles. You have to make them work.
And likewise, a few push-ups at home might give you some short-term results, but you will never build a dense, striated, and powerful physique by doing 100’s of crunches before bed, or whatever the latest “six pack shortcut” is.

Step 1: Join a gym.
Step 2: Stick to a routine.
Step 3: Monitor your calories.
Step 4: Adjust accordingly to body composition goals.
Step 5: Train hard, rest harder.

Side note:
You will have more success sticking to a “bad” routine than you will jumping from routine to routine every 4 weeks. Not only does this build the discipline that you can see something all the way through, but the gains you will make come at an exponential rate based on how long you’ve been following a program.

Side note #2:
There is no “one diet” that you can follow for the rest of your life. Our bodies are dynamic, therefore our diets should always be changing based on our bodies, metabolic rate, and goals. A competitive bodybuilder will have a different nutrition protocol when it comes to fat loss vs. the Average Joe who wants to lose just “that little bit”.

The takeaway message from this article is that your health and fitness are two of the most important attributes when it comes to living a happy, and successful life that most people grossly undervalue in the pursuit of money, status, and power.
Build your body, and all those things will come.

In the wise words of ma boy Socrates, I leave you with this quote:

Yours Truly,
Apex

Reach Your Apex

As a personal trainer, I know that fitness is a catalyst to success, that is accessible to all. I have released a training routine that can be done by anyone at any fitness level.

Get the training routine here!