There are very good reasons why RP starts with lifting. Yes, the mental shifts you go through with reading the sidebar, practicing holding your frame and ridding yourself of covert contracts are all supremely important. Lifting, however, is just as important. If you're unplugging and you haven't hit the gym enough to see visible results yet, then please don't ask, "Why isn't it working?" This is because of the psychological effects that lifting has on yourself and your partner.

WHY?

Muscle - RP says to lift and gain muscle vs run and slim down or do cross-fit and tone. Why? Because cave girls needed a caveman that could make her feel "safe" against all kinds of enemies. Safety is the key word. Women are different for men in that we're crazy, adventure-seeking hunters by evolution while they're more apt to seek safety. Hence, they seek out a partner than makes them feel safe (lust driven dopamine rush, aside of course). My SO overheard her female friend talking about her very fit husband, "I like that's he's fit, but I like his muscly brother's body better." What a slap in the face to a guy that works out more than 99% of Americans! Guys with runners-body's are not intimidating, not commanding and not alpha. Their inner-cavegirls crave big muscles that make them feel safe.

For You - I love looking at myself in the mirror now. I'm in the best shape of my life. It's not over b/c you're past your 20's prime. Men can have darn near whatever body they want in nearly any stage of life. You have the choice of how good you want to look. I get to feel, "Wow, you're fucking sexy!" every time I look in the mirror and that confidence lasts all day. That sense of pride in your achievements will boost you up to achieve more in other areas, especially those that may not be as noticeable.

For Her - I'm getting more compliments from my SO about how much she misses me and how in love she is now that my body rocking. Her inner cavegirl feels safe so she responds with feeling of "love." It's so great to feel her wrap around my arms and nuzzle into my shoulder because she feels safe. Bulk up and be her safe spot. Your fat Beta body made her feel, "I'm on my own. I create my own safety." Your muscular body will make her feel, "I cant trust him to protect me. I feel safe with him. I love him." If you try the asshole Alpha moves before you build your physique, then you will probably not get the same fantastic results.

For Women - Dread is an important concept in our version of RP. A ripped male body instills it's own dread without you doing anything. You just need to play at the park or swimming pool shirtless and let some other women check you out while your SO is around. Your physique will do the talking for you. Women are WAY more perceptive to other women checking you out than you are. They sense it and it triggers their defenses. Plus, you don't mind the extra attention do you?

HOW?

Lift - Duh! If you're brand new to it, then do some research but also get a personal trainer. The last thing you want to do is hurt yourself by being cocky and dumb. If you've got some history, then google some new routines that work for your level. I started with a 1hr total body routine for the first month, then moved back into 2 routines x 3 days a week. Make sure you workout every major muscle group. Never skip leg day! Don't just focus on your biceps and pecs then walk away proud; you want the total body. Perfecting the mechanics will help you avoid a catastrophic injury.

Diet - Your diet is not discussed in RP, but I firmly believe that managing your diet will dramatically affect your physical and mental results. Lifting heavy while still living on Doritos and Mountain Dew, is a sure way to stall your progress. Clean up your food intake. You are what you eat! I'm a big fan of Paleo and other low-carb diets. RP says to fuck like a caveman; I say eat like one, too! Spend at least a week with a good diet tracking app to learn about what you're putting into your body. MyFitnessPal is a fantastic app. Get a kitchen scale and a bunch of ziplock bags, portion out your food, and see where your nutrition levels really are. Some rules say that if you're lifting hard, then you want daily protein to be between 80-120% in grams of your bodyweight. That's a lot! You're probably drinking less water and consuming way more sodium than you think. Just like everything else eye-opening in RP, open your eyes to what you're really put in your body.

Balance - At the same time, you don't want muscles hiding under layers of Dorito-based fat. You want them visible with outlines and curves. Just as guy that's too skinny doesn't look like he can handle himself, a guy that's muscles but too fat is not the ideal physique to her evolutionary lust. I was at a pool party with new friends, ready to rock my new, hard-earned physique. 90% of the guys were pudgy of course. There were a few guys with way bigger muscles, but they also rocked big guts. The big gut displays a loss in discipline and loses the "total package" sex appeal. I can tell you that the reactions were very clear with my SO (and with other ladies) that my physique won. You do NOT need the biggest muscles. What you need is the right balance of big muscles and low fat.

Track - You need daily motivation to keep up anything worth while. Get a lifting app on your phone and track your progress. I'm admittedly a data guy, so seeing my progress in graph form is just as appealing as seeing it in the mirror. A good app will keep you on path in your routine, time your rest breaks automatically and help you figure out how many calories you're actually burning.

Goal - Give yourself a goal to aim for. Many studies show that people with clear goals achieve more than those without. Wanting to get fit and have more sex is not a measurable goal. Figure out what weight, body fat % and max weight goals you want to earn. RP has rocked your world forever, but you need to keep the motivation on to achieve greatness. Clip pictures of the body you're going for. Set weight lifting max goals. Measure your muscle growth and body fat decrease. Register for fun races or body-building contests months from now. Give yourself a reason to go when it would otherwise be easy to skip.

To the senior RP'ers - How does lifting affect your success in RP life? What simple lessons improved your lifting results?

TL;DR: Lifting has been the cornerstone of my RP success because of the fast and visible results. My SO, other women and I can all see the results. Lifting properly, getting the right diet, tracking your progress and setting goals are keys to success in this area.