Back in the late 1980s, I watched a British television series called Combat. It was a game show of sorts where various regiments of the British army were pitted against each other in a number of different scenarios. The show didn’t run for long and was soon axed, but it captured my imagination. The maroon beret of the winning Parachute Regiment is etched into my memory.
Some years later, I met a retired Para who told me the story of the battle at Goose Green (28–29 May 1982) during the Falklands conflict. The story was epic; harsh terrain, a 13-mile advance to battle on foot, aggression, extreme physicality, the taking of Argentitian trenches. Exhaustion. Gunfire. Adrenaline.
I am fortunate to be friends with another ex-Para and steadfast Odinist. He once showed me a picture of him and his army comrades during active service. They were solid, chiselled, muscular, fit and steely-eyed. But they were mostly around the weight of a super-middleweight boxer.
Which brings me to the boxer. At 12st (168lbs) and around 5’10” tall, the super-middleweight boxer is the perfect fighting machine. Lean, explosive and fit. I would watch this division in awe during the 1990s on terrestrial TV before the days of pay-per-view.
5’10” is the average male height in Britain. But the physique of most Western men is certainly not that of the super-middleweight boxer.
Young men who do desire a great body often trade functionality for aesthetics. And take all manner of horrible substances to increase their gains. Should the fitness fairy turn up at the local gym, most men would opt for the body of an in-his-prime Schwarzenegger. That kind of physique is without doubt epic, but this brings me to the question posed by this article – what are you training for?
I am not going to answer this question for you. However, it is one you must ask yourself.
Certainly you will want to gain and hold onto muscle mass, especially as you get older. But while 16” arms look great, if they are matched with a 40” waist, then this is not good. You absolutely must reduce that visceral fat and ensure you have enough explosive fitness to run a brisk mile and be ready for war at the end.
Why is this important? Look at the world around you. Russia and Ukraine. Riots in France. The chaotic nature of the world today.
Being professionally fit like the pro-boxer or the infantry soldier is a big ask for any civilian. But the politically aware, fully prepared, red-pilled man of action must view his training through the red pill lens also.
I recall doing a 5×5 weight-lifting routine and worked my way up to a squat of 155kg (340lbs). My form was a little off but I shifted the weight. During that time, I walked a 23-mile stretch of the Offa’s Dyke path which forms the border of England and Wales. It is hilly terrain with steep climbs over the entire section. During the hike my thighs cramped up severely, shaking and causing me huge discomfort and I had to stop repeatedly. My low-rep strength training felt good and looked good but it did not enable me to cover ground quickly, to run or sprint with any effectiveness. I was able to pick up something heavy, but could I have chased down a robber or run away from a life-threatening situation?
Today my weight routine still consists of compound movements, but I do a high rep warm-up, some low rep heavier sets, then do a HIIT run around the field (sprint, jog, sprint, jog).
An ex-doorman friend suggested a good self-defence exercise – run hard for a minute or two until breathing heavily then immediately square up to your punch bag, adopt a defensive (passive) guard stance (called ‘the fence’ by some) and talk calmly to the bag before administering a pre-emptive strike. This simulates a stressful encounter and the control required to bring down the breathing and heart rate.
Front-line military personnel are desensitised to extreme violence during their training. You will have to be creative in order to design your own methods, but certainly a top priority should be given to the kind of situations you may have to deal with in today’s chaotic environment.
And if you are lucky enough to be able to live in peace, that extra muscle, low body fat and decent cardio-vascular fitness will ensure your health and vitality is good enough for you to keep pace with your children and grandchildren.
Moderate or exclude alcohol from your life, swap some of those carbs for protein, don’t take weird substances for quick gains and your body will thank you for it later.
Waes thu Hael!
