Level Up Gents

Does this look like you?  Shoulders rolled in, neck plunged forward, upper back hunched?  Not a good look.  Bad posture is incredibly noticeable and reflects badly how you carry yourself.  One of the definitions of posture is “one’s image as perceived by the public.”  Every time I see someone with really bad posture I just want to stick my foot in the middle of their back and grab their arms at the elbow and pull their shoulders back.  Do you know anyone with charisma, confidence, and power with a hunched back?  I didn’t think so.

Bad habits are hard to break but this is an important one to work on.  Get an ergo assessment at your workplace.  They should be offered in the workplace where they set up your workstation correctly.  Some good ways to break the bad posture habits is sit on a yoga ball instead of a regular office chair.  You can’t really slump on a ball and it keeps you active and works on your core.  I highly recommend doing yoga just once a week to keep you flexible but it also helps with your posture.  Plus you get to check out a class of hot chicks that can bend in all sorts of ways.

A friend introduced me to John Bridges How to be a Gentleman: A Contemporary Guide to Common Courtesy.  The book offers practical advice on being a gentleman in the 21st century.  Easy quick read with tips worth reading.  I pulled some of my favorites in personal care:

“A gentleman clips his nose hairs and the unsightly hair in his ears.  As he grows older, he may need to trim his eyebrows.”

“If there is no polish involved, a gentleman occasionally has a manicure.”

“A gentleman washes his hair regularly, and he makes every effort to prevent dandruff.”

“A gentleman never colors his hair.”

“A gentleman never runs out of toilet paper.”

I am going to let the secret out.  Because I’ve had someone accuse my race of keeping this a hidden secret from the white man.  This is how we keep ourselves so soft and clean- the jjimjilbang.  Derived from the words meaning heated bath-jjimjilbang is a large gender-segregated bathhouse furnished with hot tubs, showers, and massage tables.  And no it’s not that kind of massage parlor that ends with a happy ending.  You can pay a flat fee to get access to their facilities or get one of their services.  I highly recommend a body scrub and massage which is around $90 for 90 min (what a deal!).  I like to describe it as getting your body detailed- getting at every nook and cranny.  You’ll pretty much be disgusted with yourself after the body scrub as you see hundreds if not thousands of what look like eraser shavings get rubbed off your body and wonder how you never did this before.  There are a couple locations within the bay area which I recommend:

• Imperial Spa in San Francisco which is a bit more crowded and a smaller facility
• PSY Health Town in San Leandro which is a bit of a better value and much larger faciltiy

Women are expected to tame their body hair and so should guys.  Overall body hair is one thing but you should keep your bush down there nice and tidy.  It will profit your personal hygiene, appearance, and likely your sex life.  The best way to deal with it is scissors or a beard trimmer.  Don’t shave it which will only leave it spiky.  Plus they say it makes your junk look bigger in proportion, right?  It only makes sense.  Ask yourself this: do you prefer when your girl’s bush is groomed or when it’s unkempt and hairy?  She doesn’t want to be fishing out your curly q’s from her mouth later.

I am a strong believer in the hotness factor of plastic frames on a guy.  I prefer the rectangular but I can go for a round frame.  The year ain’t 1993 so replace those coke bottle lenses in round wire frames for some thinner lens, sophisticated, tortoise shell, rectangular frames.  Most people tend to gravitate toward black frames which can be harsh on the face and are a statement maker.  Try shades of brown or tortoise shell.  You’ll get me to do a double take.

For all you Asian fellas out there you probably shouldn’t be growing out any facial hair anytime soon.  If you can’t grow a full thick beard/mustache don’t do it!  First off it will probably take you months and it will just end up looking like pubes on your chin.  Just be happy you don’t have to shave every morning and deal with razor burn.  No girl is digging it.  None.

This probably took him 3 months to grow and he still looks like a baby.

No, I don’t mean 3 days worth of supplies.  I’m talking about getting fit!  I’ve recently taken big steps towards being healthy and getting fit.  Reasons being –not for preventative care or management of my diabetes– but in preparation for Armageddon.  Because I mean really, we all know the big one is coming and I plan on surviving and saving a few babies along the way.  For me, it’s all or nothing baby.  That is why I got involved with BootcampSF.  And no- they don’t scream in your face and make you do pushups till you cry.  Everyone has to start somewhere, right?  There are those that are more advanced, as well as the beginners.  Because it’s a group thang, it pushes yourself to do your best and not wimp out.  They have locations all over the city, with sessions both in the AM and evenings.  Check them out!  I love it.  BootCampSF

Another option for those extremist is CrossFit which is a strength and conditioning brand that combines weightlifting, sprinting, gymnastics, powerlifting, kettlebell training, plyometrics, rowing and medicine ball training.  Affiliated gyms are all over the bay area.   Sessions typically include a warm-up, a skill development segment, and a high-intensity workout that lasts around ten to twenty minutes. Each day is a new workout called the “Workout of the Day” or “WOD”.  If you want to get ripped- do it.  I’ve witnessed peoples transformations.  It’s no joke!