Being strong is right, period.
We’ve all heard a thousand excuses why people choose not to go to the gym and work out. “I’m happy with my body”, “I don’t have the time”, “I don’t see the point”, “It’s too hard”, “I can’t go because of X medical condition”, etc. Ninety nine percent of the time, that’s complete and utter bullshit. I’m not here to make you feel good, I’m here to help you become a better man, and that requires being uncomfortable from time to time. Laziness, fear, and weakness is the real reason why people don’t go to the gym. Yes, even you. Don’t ever forget that. And the curious thing is that most people actually know deep inside that they have to go work out, but find the most baffling excuses to justify their own lack of willpower. In case you are unsure of the reasons why you should train in the weight room, here are three to help you finally take that step and stop making excuses.
Increased testosterone
Testosterone: the magical hormone that makes a man a man. It is literally the essence of masculinity, the substance that determines the physical and physiological characteristics prominent in men. And not only is testosterone useful for growing a beard, but it is also, more importantly, the hormone that will explode your drive and your masculine energy to the stratosphere.
It has been proven that lifting weights increases testosterone levels massively. You will literally feel more masculine, and it’s awesome. There is not a single man who can tell you with a straight face, after working out hard and consistently for a couple of months, that they have not experienced massive benefits regarding the way they feel when it comes to confidence, motivation and overall drive. Work hard and reap the benefits of achieving a higher mental state, while becoming stronger, bigger, and better looking.
Overcoming adversity
The world we live in has made us too used to comfort and softness. When our daily life consists of a quiet routine with no major events and no major challenges, any adversity we may encounter will take us by surprise and affect us way more than it should. To learn how to cope with hurtful, difficult events, we must first learn to overcome small challenges.
These challenges can be physical, mental, or emotional, and ideally you should experience all types to be better prepared for when something truly devastating happens to you. Weight training provides the first two types of challenges. Weight training, if you think about it, is nothing more than overcoming small adversities, about fighting through the pain consistently and constantly. It’s all about your ability to withstand actual physical pain. You’ll learn to be comfortable when your body hurts, and you’ll learn to control your mind when it wants to stop and quit. You’ll start overcoming small adversities every day, which will in turn prepare you for the absolute insanity that is the real world.
Strength is practical
There is absolutely no scenario in which anyone with an ounce of self-respect and self-awareness would prefer weakness over strength.
The favorite argument of anyone that wants to smugly save himself from working out is that strength isn’t useful nowadays. I respectfully disagree with that statement. Strength is as useful today as it has always been. Maybe we are not fighting lions or whatever, and maybe most jobs don’t require you to be able to carry heavy things, but strength is still practical and useful for a man today. Apart from the other reasons I’m discussing in this post, which are byproducts of the pursuit of strength, there is intrinsic value in being a strong man. Who can deny that being strong is objectively better than being weak? There is absolutely no scenario in which anyone with an ounce of self-respect and self-awareness would prefer weakness over strength. Being strong is right, period.
Additionally, and if you somehow need more reasons, when a conflict arises, everyone will look for a strong man for protection. And conflicts will arise, at some point in your life. You do not want to be the harmless little man that needs someone to save him. Don’t think that because we live in a “civilized” society you can delegate your protection to the state or the police. You are still responsible for protecting yourself and your loved ones.
Because of that, you should make damn sure that you are at least a little bit capable to exert strength as a form of protection, if it comes to that. Additionally, strength also works as a tool for avoiding conflicts, and commanding respect. Say whatever you want, but people are more likely to respect you if they know that you are a strong, capable man. People will respect you more, and bad people that want to harm others will also most likely avoid getting into a conflict with you and choose a different, weaker looking target.
Being strong is your safety net, and also a way to avoid unwanted (not only physical) conflicts. No more excuses. Go out and become strong, as a a man should.