Photo Courtesy of MCT Campus

Demand for the X-Factor is increasing rapidly as we close in on beach season.

If you look towards the back of the building, through the thick haze of creatine powder and rampant testosterone, you’ll see it. If you close your eyes and listen to the churning treadmills and lifting grunts that would drown out Maria Sharapova, you’ll hear it. Step through the daunting plexiglass doors of 1163 Milwaukee Avenue and immediately you’ll feel immersed by it: the X Factor.

Now the question inevitably arises: what is the X Factor? It’s intangible, a swagger and confidence that is not inherited, but rather spawned from hours upon hours spent at Libertyville’s X-Sport. The atmosphere at X-Sport is not one of pompousness, but a fraternity characterized by self-approval and encouragement. Similar to the way Boy Scouts earn their badges over the years, people with the X-Factor earn their swollen triceps and defined stomachs.

With summer approaching quickly, demand for the X-Factor is higher than ever before. To help its readers out just in time for beach season, Drops of Ink has included below a three-step guide to how to achieve the X-Factor that’s as easy as A(rms), B(ack), C(hest).

Working Out

In an age where cardio, CrossFit, and other total-body workouts are revered, people with the X-Factor travel back in time to the classic gym rat exercises. Bench press is the staple, a lift that works the upper body and is, literally, a bench mark to see how far along X-Sport disciples are on their path to complete development. To see anyone benching less than their body weight is a crime; the punishment is general disapproval and loosely fitted t-shirts.

The golden rule for those aspiring for the X-Factor is simple: anything below the waist is utterly useless. If it’s not visible while wearing a swimsuit, why bother? Then again, every rule has an exception. About once every month, someone with the X-Factor may load up the bar with a backbreaking (literally) amount of weight and perform a deadlift. Yes, I said “a” deadlift; after the first rep, people with the X-Factor feel so broken that they fully comprehend the name of the lift.

Clothes

While having a disproportionately jacked physique is important, it’s only part of the equation to achieve the X-Factor. The threads that cover, and, in most cases, squeeze said physique is equally as important. Size is the most important thing to consider when shopping for new clothes. Taking whatever size you normally are and subtracting two is standard shopping procedure for somebody with the X-Factor. For example, I fit comfortably into a medium. Anything bigger than a youth large t-shirt for me would be simply unacceptable.

As for brands, there aren’t any strict rules about what to buy. Many people with the X-Factor gravitate towards brands of extreme sports, even though most don’t have time for such activities between trips to the gym and meals of meat and protein powder. Ask a person with the X-Factor what an extreme sport even is, and they’ll probably start bench pressing a waverunner.

The Swagger

People with the X-Factor are workout fanatics, put simply. By pushing themselves to pristine physical condition, they earn a lot. Perhaps their greatest treasure from hours upon hours of rowing and planking is the right to carry themselves with confidence and swagger. The X-Factor develops from the outside in, starting with the physically imposing exterior and working its way into the person’s increasingly confident interior. Let me be clear on one thing: people with the X-Factor are not ill-intentioned, condescending people. Similarly to Andrew Carnegie’s concept of the Gospel of Wealth during the Industrial Revolution, people with the X-Factor want others to experience physical prowess that they possess. They’re leading by example, donning undersized shirts and oversized pecs every day, encouraging others to join their newfound Gospel of Health.