How to be the Alpha Male

Now is a more important time than ever to step up your game and become the man you were meant to be for yourself, your loved ones, and the world at large. We are living in challenging times and the more you can be true to yourself, and your manhood, the more likely you’ll be to persevere with composure. There’s a whole world of men out there, but not many are of alpha nature. Men aren’t born alpha, they must commit to the intention of becoming alpha and put in the time, energy, and work every day required to maintain it. Let’s explore this topic further by first defining what it means to be an alpha male and then discover the ways in which to become one.

What is an Alpha Male?

There are many misconceptions about what it means to be an alpha male, so a redefining of these words is important. When you consider this term, you may think of stereotypes like the handsome and successful businessman who thinks very highly of himself or the big and buff warrior who shows no sign of weakness. These are stereotypes created by social media and entertainment, the concept of masculinity is much more multidimensional than this. Here are some common examples of misconceptions of being alpha male: 

Alpha males are often defined as being dominant, which is often associated with ego, control, and aggression. A true alpha male is humble, generous, and compassionate. 

Alpha males are often defined as being emotionally repressed, but author Jake Woodard says that “if a man is disconnected from his emotions and numbs himself, he will struggle to be a safe space for a woman’s [or a man’s] feminine energy.” A true alpha male is in tune with his emotions and can therefore hold healthier and more secure relationships.

Alpha males are often defined as being genetically gifted in physique, however men come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. A true alpha male works to enhance his unique body to look and function at full capacity.

Alpha males are often defined as being superior, which is often associated with feeling and acting better than others. A true alpha male is a role model who shares his wisdom of success with other men.

Cognitive psychologist, Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., has shown in his research that the most attractive male is a blend of characteristics, including assertiveness, confidence, kindness, altruism, cultivated skills, and a genuine sense of value in this world. He states that men should strive to become the prestigious alpha man, which means developing a skill that brings value to society and cultivates a stable sense of identity. In doing so, the man gains both achievement in any area of his life as well as self-satisfaction. So now that we’ve redefined what it means to be an alpha male, let’s look at how to become one. 

Dr. Phan, ND explains how each of the following 5 areas of a man’s life must be fulfilled for him to manifest his inner alpha male: mindset, health, freedom, energy, and purpose. You need the mindset and purpose to drive all your endeavors, the energy and health to sustain them, and the freedom to create the life you want to live; a life worth living. Part of being an alpha male means being in a state of constant growth because there is always room for improvement. However, it’s not uncommon to become stagnant in certain areas of our life, at which point we stop improving and start adapting to a less than optimal state of being. We forget how much better we can feel and be. So, how do you know where there’s room for improvement in your life? 

You can start by asking yourself the following questions, based on Dr. Phan’s top performance indicators for men:

How do I feel about my physical fitness?

How well do I recover?

How much energy and vitality do I have?

How satisfied am I with my sexual performance?

How able am I to make high level decisions and execute tasks? 

How healthy are my relationships?

How satisfied am I with myself and where I am in in my life?

If any of your answers were anything less than great, or even good, then you know there is room for improvement. This is not a bad thing; you can only rise from here. Now you know where you need to improve. So now the question is, how do you improve? Part of being an alpha male means knowing what you want and having a strategic plan to make it happen. This entails designing a high-performance plan for yourself so that you can optimize all areas of your life. Let’s focus on the area of health and wellness, since this is your foundation for greatness. 

We can’t have a conversation about men’s health and wellness without speaking to the notorious, testosterone. Testosterone is at the core of how a man performs and functions and it can be affected in many, many ways. Testosterone naturally declines with age but maintaining normal and healthy levels throughout life really comes down to staying healthy; working out regularly, eating nutritious foods, having healthy sex and intimacy, managing stress levels, balancing circadian rhythms, the list goes on. However, if your level of testosterone, or other health markers, have become imbalanced, additional therapeutics may be indicated. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you get your bloodwork done with a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) to establish your baseline health. The ND can then help you understand what the results mean (aka what’s going on inside your body) and come up with a plan to bring your levels back into balance based on your goals, with the use of natural and lifestyle-based approaches. 

ND’s can also take you through the process of hormone replacement therapy or peptide therapy to support hormone levels, if needed. Knowing what your testosterone levels are, and at what level you feel the most optimal (this varies between men) can help motivate your actions and guide your decisions in living a life that best supports your health. Maintaining awareness of these levels by getting regular blood work is a crucial part of men’s wellness. If you’re ready to get started, you can set up an appointment at LIVV via phone or online for a 30- or 60-minutes consultation or ask about one of our packages. 

Another core piece of men’s health and wellness is the topic of energy, because energy is what will give you the strength, vitality, and stamina to perform in daily life. Energy will come naturally from maintaining good baseline health, especially good sleep quality. However, in today’s high-stress society, our energy reserves are easily and quickly depleted. Giving ourselves the basic time and resources to replete is essential, but for high performance we also need to find ways to give us that extra edge; ways to speed recovery, boost energy and enhance mental power.

Saturating the cells with nutritional IV’s and injectables are a great option for accomplishing this. This is why at LIVV, we provide specialized IV’s and shots with specialized formulations of nutrients to promote increased energy, recovery, neurological health, sleep, and detoxification. In particular, IV or injectable NAD at LIVV is a very powerful way to supercharge your mitochondria (the component in cells that gives you energy) and repair your body at the cellular level (especially in the brain!). For advanced recovery, we also provide PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections (for healing of joints and connective tissues). Give us a call today to schedule an appointment or find out more information about how these services can serve you.

Being a true alpha male means becoming your best self; knowing your purpose, deciding on your goals, and taking the necessary steps to accomplish them. Managing your health and life goals with an ND is a great way to get started and to maintain. As you can see, we have built in many services into our practice to support you in this journey. You do not have to be ill or have something wrong to work on your health. Alpha males don’t just settle for good health, they strive for optimal health. Remember that your health is an investment, not an expense. Alpha males ensure they are in their best shape now to prevent illness later. It is never too late to start, this is a continuous process; never stop trying to become greater than you are. We’ve provided important components to tackle in this post, but for more further guidance we recommend scheduling an appointment at LIVV and exploring the resources below.

Written by Jordan Valdez, RDN

Stay inspired from other men who have found their own inner alpha, here are some books we recommend:

The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida

No more Mr. Nice Guy by Robert Glover

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Influence by Robert B. Cialdini 

Primal Leadership by Daniel Golman

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Franki 

The Mask of Masculinity by Lewis Howes

Own the Day Own your Life by Aubrey Marcus 

So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport 

Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz 

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

The Art of Exceptional Living by Jim Roan 

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy 

The Success Principled by Jack Canfield 

Models by Mark Manson 

Psychology of High Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden 

Science of Self-Confidence by Brian Tracy 

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey 

Power vs. Force by David Hawkins 

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday 

The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz