What is true failure?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, I read an email from a Brother at Wendell Lodge No. 565 in North Carolina who shares his perspective on failure, effort, strength training, and why failure can be a good thing when it is understood and used correctly.

He also introduces a workout system built from his own little lizard brain: Solomon Sets.

Brother Cole takes Masonic language, discipline, and symbolism and applies it to training the body. Is “Masonicisms” a real word? Maybe not. But the idea works.

This episode solves one Masonic Muscle problem:

How can Masons stop fearing failure and start using it as a tool to build strength, discipline, and character?

We discuss:

• a listener email from Wendell Lodge No. 565
• Brother Cole’s view of failure
• why failure has a negative reputation
• how failure can become useful
• Solomon Sets
• Masonic symbolism applied to workouts
• real effort in training
• keeping the body and mind strong
• parallels between fitness and Freemasonry
• King Solomon, seven steps, cardio, legs, and calves
• goofy intro music and whether it works
• fortifying the body, mind, and soul every day
• Failure is not the enemy.

  False effort is.

  A man who never reaches failure may never find out what he is capable of. But a man who fails with discipline, learns from it, recovers, and comes back stronger is doing real work.

  That applies in the gym.

  That applies in lodge.

  That applies in life.

  We must fortify the body, mind, and soul every day in the process of becoming better men.

  Stay tuned.

  Stay strong.

Have an origin theory, Masonic question, old document, book recommendation, lodge problem, fitness transformation story, or training idea?

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Where is Freemasonry headed?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, I sit down with Past Master George Whitmore, Past Assistant Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of California, for a direct conversation about Freemasonry, leadership, ritual, moral decline, lodge standards, and the future of the Craft.

Brother Whitmore shares what he has seen through years of service, what his research suggests about the origins of Freemasonry, and how serving as an Assistant Grand Lecturer changed his perspective on how the Craft should be practiced.

This episode solves one Masonic problem:

How can Masons improve the Craft if they are unwilling to shut up, listen, receive counsel, and apply what they are taught?

We discuss:

• George Whitmore’s Masonic experience
• serving as Assistant Grand Lecturer
• where Freemasonry may be headed
• research into the origins of Freemasonry
• ritual, standards, and proper practice
• whispering good counsel in a Brother’s ear
• whether lodges sometimes need stronger correction
• young men looking for role models
• society’s decline in moral behavior
• the human desire for order
• religion as a value system
• challenges of being handicapped
• fellowship, guidance, integrity, merit, and leadership

Brother Whitmore makes several strong observations:

“There is a decline in moral behavior in our society.”

“People have a desire for order.”

“Young men coming to Freemasonry are looking for role models.”

Those are not small statements.

If young men are coming to Freemasonry looking for order, guidance, and role models, then lodges need to stop treating the Craft like a casual hobby. Masons need to listen better, lead better, practice better ritual, and become the kind of men worth following.

Freemasonry does not need louder men.

It needs better men.

Men who can listen.
Men who can lead.
Men who can receive correction.
Men who can whisper good counsel.
Men who can live the ritual, not just perform it.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Masonic Muscle, share it with one Brother, and give the podcast a strong review.

Have a Masonic question, lodge problem, origin theory, old document, fitness transformation story, or want to come on the show?

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How should a Masonic lodge guard the West Gate?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, I sit down with Past Master Dago Rodriguez of South Pasadena Lodge No. 290 for a serious discussion about lodge standards, Observant Masonry, candidate education, Masonic education, and what it takes to build a stronger lodge culture.

We talk about his time in the East, the process South Pasadena Lodge went through to register as an Observant Lodge, his pet peeves with Freemasonry, and the education system happening inside his lodge — from candidate education all the way to the Illumination Series.

Then we bring it back to the physical side of Masonic Muscle: South Pasadena Lodge has an actual gym, and newly obligated Brother Fernando Laguna wants to clean it up so Brothers can strengthen their Masonic Muscle in the lodge and in life.

This episode solves one Masonic problem:

How can a lodge raise its standards, educate candidates properly, and build men who are stronger inside and outside the lodge?

We discuss:

• Guarding the West Gate
• Observant Masonry
• South Pasadena Lodge No. 290
• candidate education
• Masonic education
• the Illumination Series
• lodge standards and pet peeves
• Masonic fitness and the lodge gym
• building better men one degree at a time

Masonic Muscle is dedicated to exploring the mysterious origins, history, traditions, and symbols of the Craft while encouraging Masons to increase their level of fitness one degree at a time — becoming pillars of strength in the lodge, at home, and in the world.

We give you more light, but no light weights.

Have an origin theory, Masonic question, old document, book recommendation, lodge problem, or research lead?

Write to me at:
[email protected]

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@masonicmuscle

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Subscribe to Masonic Muscle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or wherever you listen.

Share this episode with one Brother who cares about Masonic education, lodge standards, and building stronger men.

Is the Spring Equinox connected to Freemasonry?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, we look at the Spring Equinox as a symbol of renewal, balance, light, growth, and new life. Spring has always carried the sense that something is beginning again — but does that seasonal rhythm have any connection to Masonic symbolism?

We also explore the Four Cardinal Virtues and ask whether astronomical knowledge, temple symbolism, the point within a circle, the compass, the arc, and the movement of the sun may help us think more deeply about the symbolic structure of the Masonic Temple.

Then we bring it back to the body with the 5 Pillars of a Successful Fitness Program.

This episode solves one Masonic Muscle problem:

How can Masons connect symbolic renewal, moral discipline, and physical training into one system of self-improvement?

We discuss:

• the Spring Equinox
• renewal, balance, light, and growth
• Freemasonry and astronomical symbolism
• the Four Cardinal Virtues
• the Masonic Temple
• the point within a circle
• the compass, arc, sun, and seasonal cycles
• whether there is merit to equinox symbolism in Freemasonry
• the 5 Pillars of a Successful Fitness Program
• nutrition, cardiovascular training, strength training, consistency, and patience

Spring is not just a season.

It is a reminder.

If life can begin growing again around you, then you can begin growing again inside yourself.

But renewal does not happen by wishing.

You need discipline.
You need structure.
You need patience.
You need consistency.
You need the willingness to put in the work.

Freemasonry gives us virtues to build the man.

Fitness gives us principles to build the body.

The serious Mason should be working on both.

Have an origin theory, Masonic question, old document, book recommendation, lodge problem, fitness transformation story, or research lead?

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How old is the Masonic Installation of Officers?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, I talk about Palm Springs Lodge No. 693 holding its 75th Installation of Officers on February 26, 2022, while lodges across the country continue this important tradition of passing leadership from one group of officers to the next.

But what does installation really mean?

Is it just a ceremony?
Is it a transfer of titles?
Is it a public event?
Or is it a reminder that leadership in Freemasonry requires work, memory, discipline, fellowship, and responsibility?

This episode solves one Masonic Muscle problem:

How can Masons understand installation as more than pageantry and begin treating it as a serious transfer of responsibility?

We discuss:

• Palm Springs Lodge No. 693’s 75th Installation of Officers
• what Masonic installation means
• the age and history of installation ceremonies
• lodge leadership and officer responsibility
• A Short History of Freemasonry to 1730 by Knoop and Jones
• why serious Masons need serious books
• how much we actually know about early Freemasonry
• Bill Hinbern on dealing with aches and pains
• Brooks Kubik’s Gray Hair and Black Iron
• training, aging, discipline, and hard work

Then we bring it back to the body.

If you train long enough, you will deal with aches and pains. If you serve the lodge long enough, you will deal with pressure, responsibility, frustration, and fatigue.

The answer is not to quit.

The answer is to train smarter, study harder, lead better, and keep showing up.

Yeah buddy.

Light weight.

Have an origin theory, Masonic question, old document, book recommendation, lodge problem, fitness transformation story, or research lead?

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[email protected]

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@masonicmuscle

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How does a lodge actually rebuild?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, I sit down with Past Master Jeff Bayer, the original Curmudgeon Supreme and Wolverine’s Grandpappy, for Part 1 of a strong conversation about his 30 years in Freemasonry, his rise through the chairs at Palm Springs Lodge No. 693, and what he observed about how Freemasonry was practiced in earlier years.

Brother Jeff talks about his journey to the East, what happens when two lodges have to consolidate, and what he learned from watching lodge culture change over time.

This episode solves one Masonic problem:

How can a struggling lodge rebuild if it does not understand its own culture, leadership, education, and standards?

We discuss:

• Jeff Bayer’s 30 years in Freemasonry
• Palm Springs Lodge No. 693
• moving through the officer chairs
• becoming Worshipful Master
• what Freemasonry looked like in earlier years
• lodge consolidation
• the 8 Steps to Excellence
• Masonic education at every meeting
• the Trivium Discussion Group / Socrates Café
• how the Trivium opened Jeff’s eyes
• Brothers returning to Palm Springs Lodge to rebuild it
• lodge culture, fellowship, engagement, and guarding the West Gate

This is not just nostalgia.

This is a case study.

A lodge does not rebuild because somebody says, “We need more members.”

A lodge rebuilds when Brothers show up, raise standards, educate consistently, guard the West Gate, create real fellowship, and put in the work.

Strong discussions, Brethren.

If you like what you’re hearing, subscribe to Masonic Muscle and give the podcast a Third Degree review.

Have a Masonic question, lodge problem, old document, origin theory, book recommendation, or personal experience in Masonry?

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What are Masons supposed to speculate on?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, Brother Steve writes in, and we explore what it actually means to be Speculative Masons.

Are we supposed to speculate on symbols?
Morality?
Conduct?
Architecture?
The origins of Freemasonry?
The working tools?
The builders who came before us?
The age of the Craft?

We also ask the hard historical question:

How old is Freemasonry, and do we have proof that it goes back further than 1717?

This episode solves one Masonic Muscle problem:

How can Masons speculate responsibly without drifting into fantasy, weak history, or lazy thinking?

We discuss:

• what Speculative Masonry means
• Brother Steve’s listener email
• the age of Freemasonry
• whether Freemasonry can be proven before 1717
• symbols, builders, ethics, and conduct
• the Square, Plumb, and Level
• Masonic ornaments and working tools
• moral code and personal discipline
• time, patience, and perseverance
• Bill Hinbern on aches, pains, and recovery
• overtraining, balance, and training smarter

Then we bring it back to the body.

I read another article from Bill Hinbern about pain, recovery, and exercise. Because if a man trains long enough, he will deal with aches, pains, setbacks, and the need to recover intelligently.

That applies to Masonry too.

A lodge does not get strong overnight.
A Mason does not become better overnight.
A body does not get rebuilt overnight.

Time, patience, and perseverance will accomplish all things.

Have an origin theory, Masonic question, old document, book recommendation, lodge problem, fitness transformation story, or research lead?

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[email protected]

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@masonicmuscle

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Share this episode with one Brother who needs to think harder and train smarter.

What freedoms should Freemasons and American citizens defend?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, I read another email from a Brother back east, then turn to a 1948 article by Charles G. Reigner, M.P.S., written in May of that year. Even though the article was written decades ago, its message still hits hard today.

Reigner wrote about the essential freedoms that matter to Americans: liberty, free speech, religious freedom, equality, fraternity, and the responsibility citizens have to understand what freedom actually requires.

This episode solves one Masonic Muscle problem:

How can Masons talk about freedom, citizenship, and responsibility without reducing them to slogans?

We discuss:

• essential freedoms of Freemasons and American citizens
• liberty, equality, and fraternity
• free speech and religious freedom
• democracy, communism, and political pressure
• why old Masonic articles still matter
• what freedom meant in 1948
• why those same questions still matter today
• the responsibility of Masons as citizens
• a listener email from a Brother back east
• Brooks Kubik on music while exercising
• focus, training, and discipline in the gym

Then we shift to the iron and read from the original Dino himself, Brooks Kubik, on the question:

Music or no music when you exercise?

That may sound like a small question, but it is really about focus.

Can you train without distraction?
Can you think without being programmed?
Can you stand for freedom without being lazy?
Can you govern yourself before demanding better government from others?

A Mason should not just talk about liberty.

He should become the kind of man who can handle liberty.

Have an origin theory, Masonic question, old document, book recommendation, lodge problem, fitness transformation story, or research lead?

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Share this episode with one Brother who still believes freedom requires discipline.

What can Masonic history teach us?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, I read an email from a Fellow Craft Mason at Wendell Lodge No. 565 in North Carolina, who shares part of his health journey and some Masonic connections.

Then we move into Masonic history.

I read from an article written in 1948 by Dr. Ross Hepburn, M.P.S., of Christchurch, New Zealand, titled “Notes on Masonic History.” We also connect the discussion to Knoop and Jones’ Short History of Freemasonry to 1730 and Brother Lionel Vibert’s paper “Vestiges of Early Dams,” published in the Transactions of the Manchester Association for Masonic Research, Volume 16.

Then we bring it back to the iron.

I read about the origin of the dumbbell — and you may be surprised how old this piece of exercise equipment really is.

This episode solves one Masonic Muscle problem:

How can Masons connect serious historical study with real physical self-improvement instead of treating education and fitness like separate lives?

We discuss:

• a listener email from a Fellow Craft Mason
• Wendell Lodge No. 565 in North Carolina
• health, balance, and personal improvement
• Dr. Ross Hepburn’s “Notes on Masonic History”
• Knoop and Jones’ Short History of Freemasonry to 1730
• Brother Lionel Vibert and early Masonic research
• early Freemasonry before 1730
• legends, tracing boards, ritual, and historical development
• Egyptian mysteries, Rosicrucians, Kabbalah, Gothic influences, and Hermeticists
• the origin of the dumbbell
• physical culture and Masonic Muscle

Masonic history is not just a pile of dates.

It is a discipline.

And fitness is not just moving weight.

It is also discipline.

The serious Mason should strengthen both: his knowledge of the Craft and his body. Read the old documents. Study the historians. Listen to the Brothers. Then get out there and train.

Because a weak body and a lazy mind are both working against you.

Have an origin theory, Masonic question, old document, book recommendation, lodge problem, fitness transformation story, or research lead?

Write to me at:
[email protected]

Follow Masonic Muscle on Instagram:
@masonicmuscle

Follow Masonic Muscle on Facebook.

Subscribe and follow Masonic Muscle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Share this episode with one Brother who needs to read more and train harder.

How do the 24-Inch Gauge and Common Gavel apply to daily discipline?

In this episode of Masonic Muscle, I use my little lizard brain and work through how two of the most familiar Masonic working tools can be applied to a workout, daily structure, self-mastery, and the work of becoming a better man.

I also look at what W. L. Wilmshurst had to say about these two working tools and their deeper meaning.

This episode solves one Masonic Muscle problem:

How can a Mason move beyond memorizing the working tools and actually apply them to his body, mind, time, habits, and daily life?

We discuss:

• the 24-Inch Gauge
• the Common Gavel
• Masonic working tools
• daily discipline
• time management
• cutting away bad habits
• applying Masonic tools to a workout
• W. L. Wilmshurst’s interpretation
• fitness, nutrition, and consistency
• the body-mind connection
• self-knowledge and self-mastery
• how Freemasonry can become practical instead of decorative

The 24-Inch Gauge teaches a Mason to measure and divide his time.

The Common Gavel teaches him to break off the rough and unnecessary parts of himself.

That applies directly to training.

If you do not measure your time, your day owns you.
If you do not break off bad habits, your appetites own you.
If you do not train consistently, your body declines.
If you do not discipline your mind, every distraction becomes your master.

A Mason should not only know what the tools mean.

He should use them.

In the lodge.
In the gym.
At work.
At home.

nside his own head.

That is how Masonic knowledge becomes Masonic Muscle.

Have an origin theory, Masonic question, old document, book recommendation, lodge problem, fitness transformation story, or research lead?

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[email protected]

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@masonicmuscle

Follow Masonic Muscle on Facebook.

Subscribe and follow Masonic Muscle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Share this episode with one Brother who needs to stop admiring the tools and start using them.