It’s interesting how you can “learn” something and logically know it, but it might not be until decades later that you really start getting it…
T’was 15 years ago I really dove full into WEALTH DYNAMICS, an ‘entrepreneurial profiling system’ based in the ancient wisdom of the I Ching (that had an immense well of priceless knowledge beyond just the profiles themselves, exploring, as the name suggests, the dynamics of wealth creation.) I was practically a fan-boy of its creator, Roger James Hamilton, as was in awe of the genius insight he consistently taught/shared. Commonly weaving rich wisdom into simple fables & metaphors, there was one story in particular he used to convey the power of LEVERAGE…
He had been on a rowing team at Cambridge(?), and it was in the sport of rowing where the power of leverage really dawned on him - speaking to the realization along the lines of, ’it’s the time with the oars out of the water that counts the most.’ Of course, he went on to articulate the details of how it pertained to the act of rowing specifically, but also the rest of life. How equally, efficiency & effectiveness in creating any kind of results depends not just on the focused, direct action itself, but how we establish the conditions to maximize it through our time in rest.
I am a “Mechanic” profile - introverted, tending towards details rather than people; and naturally more creative, “head in the clouds,” rather than “feet on the ground” and tuned into timing - with an inclination towards systems thinking. And throughout those years, I definitely did dive into learning and getting my hands on alot of different systems… in which the concept of LEVERAGE constantly reappears. In business & entrepreneurship especially. Consider Tim Ferris’ “The Four-Hour Work Week” - the whole premise, establishing systems to create leverage to minimize personal time input needed while maximizing results.
For all the study and dabbling I did back then, I can’t say I particularly applied the knowledge all that effectively. Whether my first “trial-and-error” phase as a 6/2 or the (then-undiagnosed) ADHD contributing to the ceaseless jumping from one thing to the next, I never really stuck with anything long enough to establish much leverage in line with all the theory. Perhaps it did all sink in, eventually ruminating as a foundation that’d serve later. Though, it’s been recently that I’ve implemented and seen a particularly potent example of LEVERAGE serving to optimize process & results… exercise, diet and muscle growth.
(And it’d be a shame not to share it.)
5-6 years ago, I started seeing Facebook ads for the X3 Variable-Resistance Training Program… and bought it. The simple premise appealed: a science-based approach to working out that’d deliver 3x the results in a third of the time.
Well, true to the dynamics of Human Design, my Manifesting Generator ass rushed through and skipped steps. (Only for like the 683,427th time in life. Ha.)
I hadn’t been consistent. And well, I hadn’t even slowed down enough to ensure I was doing it 100% properly. Perhaps consequential of that, or maybe related to something else I was or wasn’t doing, I occasionally reactivated pinched nerve in back/shoulder that disrupted routine, rationalizing more inconsistency. Oh, and there was no fucking way at all I was eating enough protein to get results, even if I had been doing the exercises properly. So, no shit I really hadn’t been seeing much results.
Then about a year ago, I started getting more consistent, and feeling some results. But. I still wasn’t fully on top of the diet part, not yet processing the reality of protein needs and meeting them. Nor had I slowed down enough to go back, “start from scratch,” and ensure I was actually doing things correctly.
A few months ago, I finally did. And as should probably come as no surprise, I actually really started feeling & seeing results. After 4-5 years practically wasted, having half-assed it, the investment in this system has begun producing a return. And, I’m seeing the concept of LEVERAGE in a whole different light.
Though I understood the general premise of the system’s science from the start and grasped bits more occasionally seeing posts in the users group on Facebook, I also started reading it’s creator’s book, which goes more thoroughly into the details - which I actually would recommend to anyone who may be interested in losing fat & building muscle in a far more effective, efficient way than most approach it:
“Weightlifting Is A Waste Of Time” by Dr. John Jaquish
Though to attempt a tl:dr…
Conventional weightlighting isn’t all that effective, for a couple main reasons: A) there is maximum force applied only at the end of a full range of motion during exercises, with muscles not getting full engagement & corresponding muscle-building benefits throughout the entire rest of the range of motion. B) due to that (and a few other factors), the hormonal responses aren’t optimized to produce testosterone, growth hormone, and a few other key chemicals that contribute to maximizing/optimizing muscle growth…
With variable-resistance training, however, both these problems are solved as the applied force changes to ensure full muscle engagement throughout the entire range of motion - and gets the body to produce more of the hormones responsible for muscle growth & fat loss. Not to mention, a drastically reduced probability of injury due to reduced stress on joints.
Simple. Yet effective. Very effective.
But of course, ya gotta do it correctly. Slow, with proper form, pushing to complete fatigue at every point in the diminishing ranges with every repetition. And getting adequate protein. No rushing. No concern of getting to the heavier bands faster. Just ensuring the system is followed, completing to exhaustion, maximizing output throughout the diminishing range(s) of motion, and giving the body what it needs to rebuild muscle. Four exercises per day, six days a week. Maybe 10 minutes a day total.
LEVERAGE in action.
It took me 5+ fucking years to slow down and do this shit properly. LOL.
But the results can be felt & seen.
(I ain’t all that keen on sharing before & after publicly… at least yet. Not into sending half-nude pics to anybody, let alone a bunch of dudes - likely the majority of my readership here on Hive… although upon sharing the book recommendation with an aquaintence whose been on the fitness-coaching tip for a while and ending up chatting, did send him a couple upon request - and was reassuring to get some external feedback that am on the right track. We’ll see the results in a year from now, after doing everything properly, and maybe share here then.)
One other key leverage point in this equation: diet.
Returning to watch the system’s videos, I was kinda stoked to see one on fasting - wherein the doc actually recommended 16/8 fasting (16 hours without food, eating within the other 8 hour window), given there are benefits to fasting that start coming around the 12-14 hour mark. Something about it resonated, as I’ve kinda naturally gravitated towards eating only one meal a day even before, later in the days. So I gave it a shot - but going for more like 19/5 to 20/2. And while I hadn’t been able to manage that prior due to getting hungry, the video also revealed an obviously simple solution/hack: more essential amino acids.
One of the products the doc put together - (it’s almost kinda weird calling him a doctor, considering how ripped the motherfucker is, lol!) - is an essential amino acids supplement. I first tried it maybe 3 years ago, but ended up continuing to get mine from Bulk Supplements instead, as it’s literally about 10% of the price. I’d figured out that about 10g in the morning and 10g before bed worked well (and saw some results over the last year with that much), and discovered that an extra 1-3 doses throughout the day perfectly kept hunger away before/after that one meal a day. Easy fucking peasy.
And it’s worth noting here also just how big another leverage point the essential amino acids are.
Consensus is, carnivore diet is really optimal if someone’s looking for maximal/optimal results, as animal protein (beef, specifically) is allegedly the best source. But bear in mind, the reason we need protein is because it gets broken down into essential amino acids. So why not ‘skip the middle man.’ It’d probably cost somewhere between $10-20 for a steak (from the grocery store) to get a proper amount of protein; then then time to cook it, eat it… or take a scoop of EEAs in glass of water that costs a quarter or two. The fucking leverage, man.
And not to overlook in this whole conversation: the leverage of knowledge.
No one could have put any of this into practice without the knowledge of it.
No wonder it’s taken over 5 years to actually get/see some results, as there were gaps in my knowledge - both in awareness & application. And there’s always some “new” bit of knowledge that can be brought into the mix to optimize and increase leverage.
(i.e. I only learned in the last few days that even in spite of upping my EEA intake the last couple months, I probably wasn’t getting the full benefit out of them, as the body needs 2-3g of leucine to turn on muscle protein synthesis. Oh, and that I also not only wasted on my $$ on BCAAs given they really don't serve any purpose EEAs don't but also probably reduced their effectiveness as using both at the same time mess up the EEA ratios. Nice. I often wasn’t even doing a full 10g of EEAs at a time, and with them having only 22.2% leucine, may not have been hitting that target to initiate MSP even if I was taking 10g doses! So, a new experiment begins: 13g EEA doses, 3 or 4 times a day. This tweak to ‘the system’ alone could end up being a gamechanger.)
Leverage of systems in business. Leverage of knowledge & protocols with health. (Future potential applications of leverage in finance - opting out of ugly tax bills for crypto sold with the strategic use of collateralized loans instead… perhaps the answers to my stresses there are already blatantly obvious, as it took all of one sentence to articulate.)
Surely, leverage of routine may be another here - “time management systems…”
One of the reasons I’d ‘struggled’ exercising consistency with X3 prior was due to lack of routine. I hadn’t been able to settle into any specific routine where it seemed to consistently fit. And I couldn’t force it. Attempting to force a workout when the body wasn’t onboard… uh uh. Didn’t go well. In fact, that was probably where the pinched nerve came back into the picture, the body’s backlash for mind & ego attempting to exert their will in absence of the body’s vote. It was inconsistent as fuck as to when the waves of energy to work out actually came. What the fuck could I do. There wasn’t a whole lot, but to flow with it. And thankfully, things finally did flow together once I got back into my own space, found a groove, and a somewhat flexible routine forming unto its own.
I still can’t force music to fit the routines, the creative waves their own untameable beast. But whether going out to a cafe in the morning or staying in to do music or kinda just laze about, something has clicked into place allowing the window from 3-5pm to be the time where the waves for doing those four X3 exercises can be found.
And here, it loops back to that metaphor/example of Roger’s with the rowing. That it’s the time out of the water that counts even more than the brief time in it.
I spent nearly five years trying to force this, following the conditioned ideas of “discipline,” struggling with how to manage my energy & time so could be consistent. And what turned out to work: waiting on the shore, resting, taking it easy (on myself, first & foremost) - eventually figuring out what time the waves roll in each day, maximizing the relaxation the rest of the time to seize those moments, establishing the conditions to paddle out at that time with maximum focus & strength and give my 100% to a system intentionally, conscientiously designed for maximum leverage. Not brute force like an army charging in full throttle, but more like mercenary samurai sniper style - in & out, quick yet potently effective with the utmost precision.
There are (many) times I question if I’ve gone too extreme in my current hermitude, often never even leaving my place many days. I repeatedly doubt whether I’m being “lazy,” seeking “shortcuts” or “hacks” by relying on this system rather than following conventional exercise advice emphasizing the need for x hours of cardio each week. But in spite of all that, I’m finally actually getting & seeing results.
And I don’t mean just in regards to looks. But equally if not more important, the inner results. The self-respect of actually putting the system to work. The confidence inevitable from transforming habits of half-assed inconsistency to commitment & follow-through. The satisfaction of getting clear on why this matters and actually bringing my full presence to doing it. (And does the body itself ever feel good after workouts, too.)
Which brings spotlight to another key leverage point I hadn’t even considered until writing the last paragraph: that of the inner game. Values. Attitudes. Mindset. Belief. Etc, etc.
Coulda been a business system, exercise & diet system, time management system, or whatever… woulda been spayed/neutered without that inner recalibration. It took that refinement of values & commitment to unlock the awareness & knowledge to level-up. (And will require their maintainence to sustain results.)
(Perhaps what’s missing from many approaches aiming to increase leverage is that multi-dimensionality - overemphasis on outer systems without tuning the inner for the required leverage that needs to come from inside; and/or imbalance towards the inner with psychology, self-help & spirituality that neglect key leverage points in the external systems of our lives. Granted, one-size-fits-all solutions usually fail - sometimes it is a matter of trial-and-error, throwing ourselves into different fields of knowledge & practices, learning from many different teachers, fusing elements together from disparate domains in order to custom-tailor the creation of unique ‘systems’ that’ll allow each of us to activate & optimize the revealing & development of our individual potentials.)
Yada, yada, yada.
My wife an I bought a total gym a while ago. I use it more consistently than my wife, but I have definitely seen results after prolonged use. I like the fact that like resistance training it uses your own weight as the basis for the system and not weights or things like that. We also have some resistance tubing that we bought, but I was never able to find the right circuit of exercises to enjoy doing that. Sadly I messed up my rotator cuff playing disc golf this summer and I haven't been able to use the total gym like I was.