How to Become a Dominator

Hey Steve,

I have a question. For people who are not born dominators like you are, do you think it is possible to become one and what are some tips to do so?

Thanks a lot!


Aleksandr Karelin. Steven Hawking. What do these men have in common? At first glance, absolutely nothing. Aleksandr Karelin is a giant, who's very appearance is enough to inspire fear in the average man. He is also possibly the most dominant wrestler to ever take the mat. Steven Hawking is a bag of smashed assholes strapped into an electric chair. He has also completely dominated the world of nerdy smart shit for decades. So, the common factor in these two men, who could not be more different in body and personality, is the dominator gene.

Dominator Gene

The dominator gene is not so much a physical attribute, but an element of will. And it exists, to some degree, in all of us. But, and it's a big but, the degree to which it exists is the key. The "X Factor," if you will. The dominator gene will lay dormant unless it is activated by the will. And, whether it is the will to annihilate and terrify every elite wrestler at your weight on the planet for nearly 20 years, or the will to stare at a chalkboard full of numbers until you figure out things that would make most people's brains explode, it is the same act of will that makes both possible.

And Then There Was One

Take a group of five high school kids who join a gym together. At first, all five will basically do the same things and spend the same amount of time lifting each week. Now, fast forward one year. There are now three kids left of the original five and one is about to fade into mediocrity because his girlfriend wants him to work at Applebee's with her so they can spend more time together. And then there were two. Lifter A is a hard worker and really enjoys lifting. He will continue to workout hard for the rest of his life and make good gains. He will never win anything. He will never even be the strongest guy in most gyms he walks into. His dominator gene will never be activated to its fullest potential. And, he's fine with that. Now take lifter B. From the beginning, it has been obvious that lifter B is different from the others. First, he is naturally much stronger than the other four. He also goes at his workouts with 10 times the intensity. While the others look at the powerlifters and strongmen in the gym with awe and respect, lifter B feels only hate and shame. Every day that he is unable to do what those men do, he becomes more furious and focused. And, he has a belief that is not necessarily based on anything he can prove that he can and will out do all of them. He knows. And, the thought has not entered his mind, as it has with the other four, that what he wants might not be possible. And that is where he unknowingly unlocked his dominator gene.

Unlocking the Gene

Lifting, wrestling, space math shit, NASCAR driving, real estate, televangelism...it doesn't matter. The profession usually finds the individual. But, the individual has to unlock the dominator gene. And, the dominator gene is not unlocked by talking or dreaming. It is unlocked by doing. John Rambo did not dominate most of Southeast Asia and part of Afghanistan by talking. Vin Diesel did not dominate the world of dramatic acting by dreaming. It is done by a head first rush that ends in death and failure or total dominance. It happens every day, all over the world. It happens in a thousand small endeavors that are not all as glorious and defeating the Russian army with nothing but a quiver full of exploding arrows and some blue glow sticks. It is purely a talker/doer scenario and without the attitude and force of will required to unlock the dominator potential, the dominator gene will lay dormant and wither away like a priest's ball bag. Like Aleksandr Karelin said, "I have trained harder every day of my life than anyone else has ever trained on his best day." And like Steven Hawking said, "I am so fucking smart you would shit your pants and go insane if you could look into my brain for one second." Of course, I am paraphrasing that last one.