I didn’t think that physical strength was a big part of manhood when I initially started the Art of Manliness. Character strength, yes, but physical strength was more of an afterthought. Perhaps it was because I founded AoM in part to avoid the excessive fetishization of being ripped that other men’s publications had and still promoted. Perhaps it was because, at the time, I wasn’t in good physical form. We frequently define what it is to be a man by what best fits ourselves, and I’m definitely not above this temptation! I was a football player in high school, but I stopped playing the sport and started working out irregularly after moving to college. During law school, this was particularly true. But, working out—and lifting weights in particular—has taken on a significant role in my life during the past several years. It all began with my 90-day testosterone experiment, during which I began a regular exercise regimen to observe the impact on my T levels. The behavior persisted after the official experiment was over. I used to be really uninterested in working out, but now I look forward to it as my favorite time of day. And I discovered that developing my body had an impact on how I felt and behaved as a guy. Simultaneously, my investigation into the essence of masculinity provided me with a theoretical comprehension of the function of strength within the age-old, global code of manhood.
