This blog was contributed by Corbitt Chandler, a very good friend of mine from www.bigdogwods.com. Check his site it out you want to know how to train like a real man.
Here's a cool picture of the author, a modern day barbarian...who obviously uses Instagram.
(I added pictures to the blog because I have a hard time concentrating on a blog without pictures)
OK, if you’re hippy that’s cool or whatever. Your respect and appreciation for “Mother Earth” is something to be admired. I have a friend who’s a “hippy.” He’s hiked the A.T. (Google it) and majority of the P.C.T. He has respect for the Earth and has actually experienced it. Thing is, the dude is a former Marine, worked for Blackwater and could snap your neck in the blink of an eye. He’s a 200lb plus hippy with a big beard and not to be reckoned with. That guy talks the talk and walks it (literally). Most guys just play the hippy card because they like to do drugs and go to week long rock festivals. Yeah, it works to pull skirt, but most of the skirt they’re pulling I wouldn't touch with my worst enemy’s piece of hardware.
To be honest, I don’t consider those types men. I don’t consider hipsters men. I don’t consider a guy that can’t move his body weight with ease or weighs as much as his girlfriend a man. I feel manliness has been lost in our society today. Guys like my friend I mentioned are few and far between. They’re slowly taking a back seat to skinny jeans, tolerance, weird meaningless tattoos and drinking strange cocktails from mixology bars. I mean whatever happened to the man’s man? I’m not that old, but I can remember hearing it 10 to 15 years ago, “oh, Tom’s a man’s man” or “that guy’s a man’s man.” Now, it’s, “he’s got style” or “he’s metro” or whatever else is the latest and greatest. Things like this sadden me to my deepest most inner being.
So, I decided to pull together some simple tips. Tips to help those who might need help getting back on track, have lost their way or would like to join the ranks of men. These tips can also serve as a reminder to those of us striving to be a “man’s man” and help us not lose our way in the B.S. that is this ever changing climate of what Ah-nold would call, “girly men.” No specific order here so here we go:
Tip 1: Believe in Something
It’s really that simple. I can’t tell you what to believe in, but have something to stand by and stand for. Too many men these days don’t have anything at their core. They’re swayed by public opinion, peer pressure, talking heads or whatever else may come their way. WAY back in the day, being “open minded” was literally comparative to when we tell someone they’re being an airhead. The point is without belief you’re pretty hollow on the inside. Now let’s not get this confused, I’m not saying you should be a pretentious asshole about your beliefs. Just don’t be ashamed of them, keep them at your core… You’ll know when and if the time comes to speak up and share them.
Tip 2: The Knight’s Code
You can Google this if you want the long version, but in one word – chivalry. A man’s man isn't too big to lend a helping hand. Be there for others and not just your friends. We can’t save the world, but help those that you can. Unfortunately, they haven’t figured out how to alter our genes like they do in comic books, but you can still be the superhero of your own world. You never know the life-altering effect you might have on someone.
Tip 3: Be Strong
So, to kind of tie in the point above, Knights weren't only expected to help others, but to be physically able to do so when the time called for it. They were called to defend the weak and you can only do that if you’re keeping yourself prepared. Do this by training often in different modalities – lift heavy weights, move your own bodyweight and never allow your training to become “comfortable.” A man’s man should always have butterflies before he trains and do things that pull him out of his comfort zone. This will help him in life might any situation arise.
Tip 4: Run like the Wind Blows
I have to admit I sometimes go for a long jog. They’re great for meditation, but as a daily practice this isn't a man’s man’s cup of tea. Actually, while I've met a few endurance athletes who were pretty manly most are the antithesis of what I’m trying to describe. Yes, they’re mentally tough, but they also; shave their entire bodies, probably can’t pick up anything that weighs any more than their own bodyweight and train in a sport that replicates “flight” in our natural fight or flight response. A man’s man needs to sprint, run hills and train to be explosive. This is us in attack mode - our most basic primal response.
Tip 5: Be a Lion
In everything you do, big or small, significant or insignificant, be a lion. Lions are efficient… Lions are aggressive... Lions can work alone or in teams… Lions know when to rest… Lions know when to play… Lions are kings of their domain… Lions are ______. You get the point. Learn from them.
Tip 6: Eat Meat
I've never met a vegetarian I liked… Actually that statement’s a lie. I've liked plenty of vegetarians. They’re great seasoned, marinated and washed down with a cold one. Point is, we’re where we are as a species today because we began eating meat. Our ancestors formed tools and sacrificed a lot more than you and I ever will to eat meat. There’s a reason for that. I get that there are some bad practices out there with the way livestock is treated and believe it or not I’m actually not cool with that. I think you should look at the sources your meat comes from and if you can afford it buy better quality, organic, grass fed, etc. This industry is NEVER going away so the only way to help encourage change is with your wallet. Anyways, men eat meat.
Tip 7: Love the right Woman
It’s easy to get caught up in the jungle of silicone, surgically enhanced, self-absorbed women that are out there these days. It’s easy to get caught up with the chick that likes the guy in the band. When it comes to the opposite sex it’s just plain easy to get caught up, but these above examples are not the woman of a man’s man. At the end of the day, a beast needs his beauty so what is she? The woman of a man’s man is beautiful from the inside out. She’s someone who can hang with him in any environment be it; hill sprints in 100 degree weather or at the bar with his buddies. She’s sophisticated, tough, selfless and loyal. She is like the women of Sparta – born to love her man, but trained for battle. These women are the true diamonds in the rough. Find her and hold on for dear life.
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