Many men think they know everything there is about training and nutrition. You might be one of them. You put in consistent effort, you have a certain level of comfort with your eating, and you know that eating can be a big challenge. But you eat the right foods, use proper portions, and have some idea of what you’re doing. And you’re getting pretty good results. In fact, if you really think about it, especially as you get older, just six months of focusing on your fitness probably puts you in better shape than 80% of men your age. The challenge is twofold:
Most men our age don’t put any effort into their eating and training. So, it’s relatively easy to get into that top 20%.
But here’s the kicker: That’s not good enough for you. You didn’t go this far just to get this far.
If you’ve been putting in that effort with basic training consistency, even without perfect nutrition, you’re already doing well. But to reach the next level, to break into that top 5%, you need to understand a bit of nuance.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟮𝟬% 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟱%
If you’ve been doing this for six months, a year, or even longer, you might look in the mirror and say, “I do look better than 80% of men my age.” And you’re right. But if you want more than that, if you want to be in the top 5% of older men, you need to refine your approach.
Now, to go from the top 20% to the top 5%, you need to really know what you’re doing. After 36 years of training, making it to 62 years old, watching thousands of videos, producing thousands of videos, and conducting thousands of hours of one-on-one coaching, I’ve seen where men slip up and what’s preventing them from reaching the next level.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟯𝘅𝟭𝟬 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸
Let’s talk about training. What most men do in the gym is follow what I call the “3×10 mentality.” They’ll pick out five different exercises for a body part, do three sets of 10 reps for each exercise, and call it a day. But that’s not how it works if you want to build serious muscle.
You need to understand that only one set truly matters—the set where you push to your limits. It’s not just about the reps; it’s about the weight, form, feeling, and execution. You can’t coast through 15 sets, stopping at 10 reps when you could do more. You need to look at weight training as a way to build muscle, not just lose fat or improve mobility.
Most men don’t even understand the whole point of weight training. If you’re consistent, you’re going to look pretty good, but you’ll be stuck in that top 20% forever unless you change your mindset.
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿
Another mistake men make is thinking that more is better. They’ll do more sets, more exercises, and more workouts, thinking this will lead to better results. But it’s not about volume; it’s about intensity and efficiency. Once you warm up and get going, every set needs to be at maximum intensity. You don’t need to duplicate exercises or do endless sets to build muscle.
More reps and more sets aren’t better—they just wear out your joints. At our age, we don’t have the luxury of wasting time or energy. You need to cut out unnecessary sets and focus on the ones that matter.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Now, let’s talk about eating. Most men will admit that nutrition is their biggest challenge. But there’s a price to pay for success, and the price tag for eating right isn’t as high as most men think. Most men hover around 20% to 25% body fat. They look like they work out, they look good with their shirts on, but they’d never take their shirts off and feel great about it. Why? Because they don’t understand that the journey from “looking good with a shirt on” to “looking amazing with a shirt off” involves losing 20, 30, or even more pounds of fat.
Most men don’t want to believe they need to drop that much weight to achieve their desired look. But let me tell you, that’s the reality. If you want to break into the top 5%, you have to drop that body fat. You may think you only need to lose 7 or 10 pounds, but it could be as much as 30.
𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
One of the biggest mistakes men make is not understanding their caloric intake. Many think the quality of food matters more than the quantity. But what really matters is whether you’re eating enough to support muscle growth while also creating a calorie deficit to lose fat.
Most men are eating way too little—often around 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day. This may help them lose weight initially, but it’s not enough to get them to the next level. You need to eat more to fuel your body and maintain muscle while losing fat. If you don’t know how many calories you’re eating, how can you improve?
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟱%
To get from the top 20% to the top 5% of men your age, you need to be willing to do what most men won’t. You need to understand the nuances of training and nutrition. You need to focus on intensity, not volume, in your workouts. You need to understand that building muscle isn’t about endless reps or sets, but about pushing your body to its limits with every single set. You need to know exactly how much you’re eating, not just what you’re eating.
Most men don’t want to hear this. But if you’re serious about breaking into that top 5%, this is the path you need to take. It’s not easy, but nothing worth having ever is. Start refining your approach today and see the results that most men never will.
𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼 𝗗𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝗗𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁!
Text or call me today about getting one-on-one coaching time with me at 925-352-4366.
At this age, how much more time do you have to waste trying to figure this out?
