This is part 2 of a 3 Part series. If you haven’t already- go back and read Training Manifesto Part 1 to get up to speed.

Being Your Own Advocate

I started lifting weights in 2003, I was 19 years old.  For those that don’t know, I do not have an athletic background.  I played little league and other kids sports and activities, but by the time I was 13, I was done with all that.

Partly because the coach of my favorite sport (baseball) was a complete dick, partly because I was a year younger than everyone else in my grade, and the size difference as other dudes hit puberty had caught up to me.

Regardless, at 19 years old I was skinny, weak and ready to do something about it.

I bought a product online called Gaining Mass by a guy named Anthony Ellis.  It was a complete set: A nutrition guide, a textbook about lifting weights, a guide to tracking your progress, and a 12 week training program/journal.

What was so amazing about this was that he didn’t just tell you what to do…he gave the “Why” behind it.

In other words…you received clear, concise directions about exactly what to do, as well as, the principles from which these directions were derived.

Every person who bought this product had the opportunity to be their own advocate.  He empowered his readers.

And that is exactly what I want for you.  That is the intention of everything I write and every coach program that I offer.

I’m going to lay out foundational Philosophies and Principles, and then show you what they look like in application.

This way…you’re not dependent on me or any other industry professionals- you’ll be your own advocate.

Most programs just tell you “What” to do.  Which is fine in the short term, but you never learn anything.  Without knowing “How” the program works and “Why” it’s put together the way it is, you’re left unable to modify it for your own needs.  Not very empowering.

Here’s the Hierarchy you need to know:

Philosophies

Principles

Strategies

Tactics

Tools

The overall Philosophy informs the Principles

The Principles Inform the Strategy

The Strategy informs the Tactics

The Tactics inform the Tools

So many people start from the bottom.  They are focused on the Tools (like kettlebells or bands) or maybe the Tactics (like HIIT) or maybe completely sold on a Strategy (like Crossfit)...

All without ever being aware of the Philosophies and Principles that actually drive the result.

This is a myopic view.  I’m not against Kettlebells, HIIT or Crossfit…they all have their place.

But I am completely against taking any action without being grounded in Philosophies and Principles.

It’s a personal bias of mine- I hate random action.  I need to know WHY I’m doing something before I do it.

And in this case, you get to benefit from my personal bias in that I’m going to keep you from doing a bunch of random shit and wasting a bunch of energy.

All that to say:

Occasionally I will share my Strategies, Tactics and Tools here

This allows you to quickly apply the information.

But I’ll never give you a program without also explaining the Philosophies and Principles behind it, because doing so wouldn’t be setting you up to be your own advocate.

As Ralph Waldo Emmerson said: "As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few.  The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”

Now Let’s get dive into Philosophy and Principles.

Philosophy

The overarching Philosophy here is that we are using fitness to add to our lives, not become our whole Identity.

Of course, “adding to our life” is kind of vague, so let’s go ahead and define that.

Adding to my life comes down to 3 Main Categories:

Longevity is more than just “surviving as long as possible.”  When I talk about longevity, I am specifically referencing being able to partake in all the physical activities I want to, for as long as possible.  I don’t want to spend my last several decades sitting on the sidelines, unable to participate in life. I want to be in the game for as long as possible.

In a perfect world…I’m lifting, running, playing with kids and grandkids, writing, speaking, even doing jiu jitsu until the moment I roll over and die.

Long story short…I want to be around a long time AND maintain the ability to actively participate in life for as long as possible.  That’s Longevity to me.

Performance is an interesting one- there are actually two parts to it.

The first part is the functional aspect- I want to use my gym time to make me more effective at performing all the roles and duties that I have in life.  At the very least, I don’t want my gym time to detract from my ability to be a Father, Friend or Business owner.

With that being said…I’m not a pro athlete.  I don’t need to be able to run a 20 minute 5K or do 15 pull-ups or deadlift twice my bodyweight.

Yet…there’s this little yearning in the masculine soul that cries out for us to push ourselves…to see what we’re made of, to conquer.

This isn’t a pragmatic pursuit…no one in the business world gives a shit how much you can deadlift.

This is a passion pursuit.  This is about feeling powerful and ALIVE.  That’s why we push ourselves.

Socrates, the teacher of Plato (whose quote started this series) said:

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

I agree with him.  It is in our nature to see what we’re capable of.  I don’t need any further justification.

And then there are Aesthetics.  When you look better, you feel better.  When you feel better, people treat you better. 

No one wants to admit this.  As humans, we hate the fact that more attractive people get preferential treatment.

But it’s true.  And we can either shake our fist at the sky and curse God for this shallow side of humanity, or we can stack the deck in our favor.

There is no reason that we shouldn’t train to be more lean and muscular.  It is fun, you’ll love the way you look in pictures AND it gives you an advantage in nearly every realm where first impressions or snap judgements take place.  

Not saying that it has to be our entire pursuit, but it is definitely worth throwing into the mix.

These are pictured as a Venn Diagram because there is overlap between the 3, but also, if you go far in any one direction, it will detract from the other two.

For example…if I went ALL IN on aesthetics and wanted to look like  a modern bodybuilder…

I would lose some performance (harder to have endurance and flexibility with that much muscle)

And the drugs I’d have to take to get there would decrease my Longevity.

Don’t get me wrong…I’m not knocking bodybuilding…I’m just explaining. 

The same could be true if I pursued Performance…like say an ultramarathon.  I would certainly lose muscle and pick up nagging injuries along the way, affecting both my aesthetics and longevity.

Based on where you are in your life…you may decide to go all in on your aesthetics for a season, knowing full well you’re going to come out of that season and want to emphasize Longevity and/or Performance.

There is no right or wrong here…there is just making informed choices.

Now that you understand this Philosophy, you’ll better understand MetaPhysique programming

It is designed to balance these three areas OVER TIME.

Not every program will be dead center of this venn diagram.  Some seasons will emphasize Performance, some will emphasize Aesthetics, or Longevity for a month or two.  But over the course of the year(s), we will be seeking to balance these three out.

The most important takeaway here is to get clear on what is important to you, in the short term and long term.  When you’re clear on that, you focus on pulling the right levers, i.e. applying the right principles.  Doing so ensures you get what you want, faster and with less wasted effort.

In Part 3 of the Training Manifesto Series, we’ll dive into the Principles that support this training Philosophy, and the how it looks to put a Strategy Together.