21 Year Old, 5'6, 140 lbs

Training
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2912×2344 3.7 MB

Advice is spot on in here.

Just to add, you’re probably watching too many YouTube videos or reading too many internet articles and your perception of what a man is, is very warped.
As mentioned, big muscles, beards, or whatever don’t make you a man despite the shit you may read here on T-Nation or anywhere else. Think about the men from World War 2 era-- the whole tanned bodybuilder look was not in existence.

Men didn’t give a shit about their test levels. They drank whiskey, smoked cigarettes, and did what they had to in their time. Not saying it was smart or healthy, but they were some pretty burly hard men despite surely having below “optimal” test levels. I bet they nailed every girl at a sea port they pulled up to. Harder and manlier than I will ever be. As a Marine, I am partial to them-- but check out this photo of young Marines in the pacific theatre. No jacked physiques or beards-- but I consider these guys badass.

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[quote]Evolv wrote:
As a Marine, I am partial to them-- but check out this photo of young Marines in the pacific theatre. No jacked physiques or beards-- but I consider these guys badass.[/quote]

Badassery, or in the case of the marines in the Pacific Theater of WWII a combination of savagery and endurance, is a mindset.

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[quote]Evolv wrote:
Advice is spot on in here.

Just to add, you’re probably watching too many YouTube videos or reading too many internet articles and your perception of what a man is, is very warped.
As mentioned, big muscles, beards, or whatever don’t make you a man despite the shit you may read here on T-Nation or anywhere else. Think about the men from World War 2 era-- the whole tanned bodybuilder look was not in existence.

Men didn’t give a shit about their test levels. They drank whiskey, smoked cigarettes, and did what they had to in their time. Not saying it was smart or healthy, but they were some pretty burly hard men despite surely having below “optimal” test levels. I bet they nailed every girl at a sea port they pulled up to. Harder and manlier than I will ever be. As a Marine, I am partial to them-- but check out this photo of young Marines in the pacific theatre. No jacked physiques or beards-- but I consider these guys badass.[/quote]

x2, A stint in the military would probably do the OP a world of good

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[quote]dave670 wrote:

  1. Am I satisfied with my life?

No. Very much no.

  1. Am I making progress towards getting what I want at a reasonable rate?

No, because I don’t know how.

  1. What’s holding me back?

Puberty.

  1. Why is it holding me back?

Because people don’t take someone who lacks facial hair and secondary sexual characteristics seriously. Seriously, I look about 15 or 16.

  1. What can I do to fix that?

???

  1. Why am I not doing that?

You can’t do what you don’t know. [/quote]

You think people know what they’re doing when they start something new?
You think other people’s perceptions are holding you back??

Continue making excuses and asking questions. You’re just chasing your own tail.

If you want to change, you have to actively decide to change yourself. And you can’t expect awards and respect right away. You have to be willing to stand up to the opposition that will try to stop you from changing (inside and outside opposition).

The creativity to envision where you want to be. The audacity to jump not knowing where you will land. The courage to fail in spite of everything. You lack all of it.

Again, stop asking questions and making excuses. They’re keeping you in your nest. Jump out.

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I fucking hate shaving everyday, hate it hate it hate it.

The other day my barber cut a hair off my nose, right off the top(fucker almost binded up the clippers) . No one walked up to me and told me how manly that hair was.

Son squat, go out into the world and own that motherfucker. Dont ask how, do.

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Ok, ok. Here’s what I’m going to do.

I’m not going to worry about testosterone as long as I still can build muscle, get horny and have the sexytime. Fretting about the number vs the functional aspects of the hormone will probably drive me crazy. By the way, on that topic, getting a girlfriend or partner would probably be a good idea for me to step outside of myself and build confidence.

But along with that, I need to start acting more assertive as well. I’m going to start applying for jobs that put me in a position outside of my comfort zone, and going out to bars and clubs regardless of the fact I look young. That’s balls right? Putting myself in tough circumstances intentionally in order to forge a thicker skin.

You’re right, I could still have high testosterone but be a beta, pretty-boy bodybuilder who doesn’t have guts. I know a bodybuilder who is obsessive about health habits, his testosterone level and his body fat percentage. Doesn’t make a shit of difference, he’s still beta and you can tell just by interacting with him.

I need to do what matters - do ass-kicking workouts like sprints and heavy lifting, eat my red meat and veggies, and do things that take guts in my life. Not fret about looking a couple years younger or that I don’t have a beard yet.

Does this plan sound good?

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[quote]dave670 wrote:
By the way, on that topic, getting a girlfriend or partner would probably be a good idea for me to step outside of myself and build confidence.

But along with that, I need to start acting more assertive as well. I’m going to start applying for jobs that put me in a position outside of my comfort zone, and going out to bars and clubs regardless of the fact I look young. That’s balls right? Putting myself in tough circumstances intentionally in order to forge a thicker skin.
[/quote]

Dude, don’t go out with girls because it will help your confidence, don’t make career decisions based on how “uncomfortable” they are. Don’t go to a club because it seems like the “ballsy” thing to do. Do what’s right for you, do what you want to do, that’s how an alpha would act.

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[quote]dave670 wrote:
Ok, ok. Here’s what I’m going to do.

I’m not going to worry about testosterone as long as I still can build muscle, get horny and have the sexytime. Fretting about the number vs the functional aspects of the hormone will probably drive me crazy. By the way, on that topic, getting a girlfriend or partner would probably be a good idea for me to step outside of myself and build confidence. [/quote]

exactly. If your hormone levels aren’t actually causing a dysfunction then there’s nothing to worry about. We’ve already heard from posters with lower T than you who are big and strong so that should settle that.

[quote]dave670 wrote:
But along with that, I need to start acting more assertive as well. I’m going to start applying for jobs that put me in a position outside of my comfort zone, and going out to bars and clubs regardless of the fact I look young. That’s balls right? Putting myself in tough circumstances intentionally in order to forge a thicker skin. [/quote]

Oh yeah. Being 21 and going to bars really takes “balls.”

[quote]dave670 wrote:
You’re right, I could still have high testosterone but be a beta, pretty-boy bodybuilder who doesn’t have guts. I know a bodybuilder who is obsessive about health habits, his testosterone level and his body fat percentage. Doesn’t make a shit of difference, he’s still beta and you can tell just by interacting with him. [/quote]

I hope the irony of this isn’t lost on you. Funny how the people most concerned with acting “alpha” or whatever are always the most insecure. You want to not be “beta”? Then stop giving a shit about some perceived notion about what constitutes alpha, beta, omega, gamma, delta or whatever.

[quote]dave670 wrote:
I need to do what matters - do ass-kicking workouts like sprints and heavy lifting, eat my red meat and veggies, and do things that take guts in my life. Not fret about looking a couple years younger or that I don’t have a beard yet.

Does this plan sound good? [/quote]

well yes, that’d be a start.

Pretty sure this is a troll thread.

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[quote]dagill2 wrote:

[quote]dave670 wrote:
By the way, on that topic, getting a girlfriend or partner would probably be a good idea for me to step outside of myself and build confidence.

But along with that, I need to start acting more assertive as well. I’m going to start applying for jobs that put me in a position outside of my comfort zone, and going out to bars and clubs regardless of the fact I look young. That’s balls right? Putting myself in tough circumstances intentionally in order to forge a thicker skin.
[/quote]

Dude, don’t go out with girls because it will help your confidence, don’t make career decisions based on how “uncomfortable” they are. Don’t go to a club because it seems like the “ballsy” thing to do. Do what’s right for you, do what you want to do, that’s how an alpha would act.[/quote]

lol, that’s what I was trying to say! Haha

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[quote]Yogi wrote:

Oh yeah. Being 21 and going to bars really takes “balls.”

[/quote]
It does when you look 15 or 16. Don’t be a smartass.

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[quote]dave670 wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:

Oh yeah. Being 21 and going to bars really takes “balls.”

[/quote]
It does when you look 15 or 16. Don’t be a smartass.
[/quote]
I don’t want to be an arsehole, so take this as a genuinely serious question: why is it scary? What are you scared is going to happen?

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[quote]dave670 wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:

Oh yeah. Being 21 and going to bars really takes “balls.”

[/quote]
It does when you look 15 or 16. Don’t be a smartass.
[/quote]

no it doesn’t you enormous pussy. Some people, baby faced or not, actually think it’s fun.

It’s not like bars are chock full of 250lb, bearded lumberjacks punching out bears, riding porn stars and smoking cigars.

Quit being such a snivelling little pansy.

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Ok then, what will save me from being a pussy? You can’t just bitch and bitch and not provide solutions here.

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[quote]dave670 wrote:

It does when you look 15 or 16. Don’t be a smartass.
[/quote]

No it doesn’t.

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[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]dave670 wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:

Oh yeah. Being 21 and going to bars really takes “balls.”

[/quote]
It does when you look 15 or 16. Don’t be a smartass.
[/quote]

no it doesn’t you enormous pussy. Some people, baby faced or not, actually think it’s fun.

It’s not like bars are chock full of 250lb, bearded lumberjacks punching out bears, riding porn stars and smoking cigars.

Quit being such a snivelling little pansy.[/quote]

HAHAHAHA

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[quote]dave670 wrote:
Ok then, what will save me from being a pussy? You can’t just bitch and bitch and not provide solutions here. [/quote]

you realise you’ve had three pages of solutions so far, yes?

Eventually you’ll just have to do it.

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Grow a mullet.

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[quote]dave670 wrote:
Ok then, what will save me from being a pussy? You can’t just bitch and bitch and not provide solutions here. [/quote]

As cliche as it may sound, the only solution comes from within you.

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What about Brahmacharya or strict celibacy?

There’s a spiritual idea that would definitely source a lot of confidence from within. Perhaps by holding all that masculine energy inside myself I would automatically gain confidence and assertiveness.

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(srs)