Rugged manliness is on the downswing today, as evidenced by declining average testosterone levels and a growing population of soft, sedentary beta males. What alpha male traits do you think you have, and how can you make the best of them? Guys, you can know right now whether you’re a victim of the downward spiral of American virility or a rugged survivor ready to redefine what it means to be your “True Alpha” physical best. Adapted from our revolutionary MaleScale™, it only takes a few minutes and all you’ll need are a pencil, tape measure, watch with a second hand, and piece of chalk. Are you ready to see how you measure up?
Remember, don’t push yourself too hard, you don’t want to hurt yourself so only do what you are comfortable with. Once you get used to doing these types of exercises then you can push yourself. If you are worried that you aren’t doing enough, then why not get yourself a Fitbit (take a look at Mobile Mob for more information on this), and you can surprise yourself when you see how much exercise you can actually manage to do! Anyway, here are the workout suggestions…
1) Flexed Biceps Circumference
HOW TO DO IT: Using a cloth or vinyl tape measure, measure your flexed upper arm straight around, making sure that the tape measure is taut.
WHY WE DO IT: The benchmark of male muscularity has long been the upper arm. In a poll of Cosmopolitan readers, one out of five women confessed that nice, large biceps on a man makes them “absolutely melt.”
My flexed biceps circumference is _____ inches.
2) Chest-to-Waist Differential
HOW TO DO IT: Using a tape measure, take a deep breath, expand your chest, spread your lats, and measure your chest around the largest part, just under your armpits. Then inhale and measure your waist at the thinnest part.
WHY WE DO IT: This is a simple way to assess your body composition without calipers. Research shows that the bigger the difference between a guy’s chest and his waist the more the likely he is to be found attractive by potential romantic partners.
My expanded chest circumference is ____ inches.
My waist circumference is ______ inches.
The difference (chest minus waist) is ______ inches.
3) Vertical Jump
HOW TO DO IT: You’ll need to do this where your ceiling is high enough. Rub a bit of chalk on the tip of the long finger of your dominant hand. Stand about 6 inches from the wall facing sideways. Reach as high as possible with feet flat on the ground, marking your highest reach with your chalked fingertip. Now put a little more chalk on your finger, bring your arms backward, flex the knees and hips, and explode upward as high as you can. At peak height, tap the wall with your chalked finger. Measure the vertical distance in inches between the two chalk marks with a tape measure (record the best of three attempts).
WHY WE DO IT: The Vertical Jump is a marker used in many sports because it indicates power and correlates with on-field performance, athleticism, and speed.
My Vertical Jump height is ____ inches.
4) Pushup Max
HOW TO DO IT: With your body straight from shoulders to ankles, palms flat on the floor, perform as many pushups as can you without stopping at the top or bottom. Descend until your chest is about 2 inches off the floor, and don’t lock your elbows at the top.
WHY WE DO IT: Inspired by the martial arts and sometimes used as a training test for black belt status, the Pushup Max is a terrific measure of functional upper body strength.
The number of repetitions performed is _____ reps.
5) Squat Thrust
HOW TO DO IT: Standing straight with feet hip width apart, quickly squat down until you can plant the palms of your hands flat on the floor near your feet. With straight/rigid arms supporting you, powerfully thrust your legs back behind you (assuming a “plank” position). Immediately pull your legs back in. Your hands should now be back in the pre-leg thrust, squatted position. Now quickly stand back up. That’s one repetition. Perform as many fast and fluid repetitions as you can in 60 seconds. Tip: Be smart and first practice a few reps very slowly.
WHY WE DO IT: The 60 seconds required by this test provides an endurance component, but the Squat Thrust also factors in a level of agility that makes the all-around athlete.
The number of repetitions performed is _________ reps.
Scoring: Add up your points based on the charts below.
Flexed Biceps Circumference
| > 17 inches | 10 points |
| 16.5 to 17 inches | 9 points |
| 16 to 16.4 inches | 8 points |
| 15.5 to 15.9 inches | 7 points |
| 15 to 15.4 inches | 6 points |
| 14.5 to 14.9 inches | 5 points |
| 14 to 14.4 inches | 4 points |
| 13.5 to 13.9 inches | 3 points |
| 13 to 13.4 inches | 2 points |
| < 13 inches | 1 point |
Your score: ______.
Chest-to-Waist Differential
| 15 inches+ | 10 points |
| 13 to 15 inches | 9 points |
| 11 to 13 inches | 8 points |
| 9 to 11 inches | 7 points |
| 7 to 9 inches | 6 points |
| 5 to 7 inches | 5 points |
| 3 to 5 inches | 4 points |
| 1 to 3 inches | 3 points |
| -3 to 1 inches | 2 points |
| Less than -3 inches | 1 point |
Your score: ______.
Vertical Jump
| 27.5 inches+ | 10 points |
| 26 up to 27.5 inches | 9 points |
| 24.5 up to 26 inches | 8 points |
| 23 up to 24.5 inches | 7 points |
| 21.5 up to 23 inches | 6 points |
| 20 up to 21.5 inches | 5 points |
| 18.5 up to 20 inches | 4 points |
| 16.5 up to 18.5 inches | 3 points |
| 14.5 up to 16.5 inches | 2 points |
| Less than 14.5 inches | 1 point |
Your score: ______.
Pushup Max
| More than 44 reps | 10 points |
| 40 to 44 | 9 points |
| 35 to 39 | 8 points |
| 30 to 34 | 7 points |
| 25 to 29 | 6 points |
| 20 to 24 | 5 points |
| 15 to 19 | 4 points |
| 10 to 14 | 3 points |
| 5 to 9 | 2 points |
| Less than 5 | 1 point |
Your score: ______.
Squat Thrust
| More than 36 reps | 10 points |
| 33 to 36 | 9 points |
| 29 to 32 | 8 points |
| 25 to 28 | 7 points |
| 21 to 24 | 6 points |
| 17 to 20 | 5 points |
| 13 to 16 | 4 points |
| 9 to 12 | 3 points |
| 5 to 8 | 2 points |
| Less than 5 | 1 point |
Your score: ______.
Congratulations! How did you score? If your total score is above 35 points, you’re in awesome shape and should be training at an advanced level (Level A in “Alpha Male Challenge“) to reach even greater fitness. If your score is between 20 and 35, you’re in the average range (Level B in the book). Work hard to bring up your weaker attributes to be better overall. If your score is below 20, it’s time to get serious about claiming or reclaiming your physical edge! Take your score as inspiration to tackle your fitness goals with renewed vigor. And if you are struggling to reach your fitness goals, then you might want to visit http://www.acommunityofthehorse.com/five-easy-tips-for-achieving-your-fitness-goals-in-2021/ for some advice. Work hard to improve!
Want to take your fitness to the next level? Check out www.alphamalechallenge.com where you can take the full MaleScale online – for free – and record your score. To be “True Alpha” is to meet the ideal of contemporary excellence. The blueprint for building that kind of man is the structure of “Alpha Male Challenge” – a book for men who want to dramatically improve their fitness, health and confidence. Our brutally effective Alpha Wave Basic Training program is designed for men who not only want to quickly build muscle and burn body fat, but to improve strength, endurance and explosive power. The time-efficient 10-week plan includes 27 unique workouts designed within a package that can get you in the best shape of your life (get the companion custom Workouts log-book here!). Isn’t it time to finally be your very best?