Look Better.
The Four Levers Everyman Must Understand
Every man I train between, 25 and 55, eventually circles back to the same honest desire:
I want to look better.
They might say it in different ways:
“I want to see my abs again.”
“I want my arms to fill out a shirt.”
“I want to look like I actually train.”
“I want to look athletic again.”
And physiologically, “looking better” means two things:
Decrease body fat percentage (get rid of what’s hiding the muscle that’s already there)
Maintain or increase muscle mass (have something to show)
Regardless of whether it’s secure or insecure fuel driving the desire, the body only understands physiology.
And the physiology to these outcomes runs on four simple levers:
Caloric Intake
Protein Intake
Training Volume & Intensity
Caloric Expenditure
These four levers determine your body composition.
But before we touch any of them, we have to clarify something most men never slow down to consider:
What do you actually mean by “look better”?
Because there are two very different goals hidden inside that one phrase.
And each requires a different path.
Path 1: “Look Better” = Lose Body Fat While Maintaining Muscle
(Lean out → reveal what’s already there)
This is the right path if:
You’re 10–30 lbs heavier than you want to be
You feel inflamed, sluggish, or disconnected
You haven’t trained consistently in months or years
You want to see noticeable changes in the next 8–12 weeks
You want to reveal muscle you already have
This is the classic “trim down and look more athletic” path.
Here’s how the levers shift:
Caloric Intake:
Moderate deficit — enough to lose fat without losing muscle.
Protein Intake:
High (0.7–1.0 g/lb ideal bodyweight) to protect and maintain muscle.
Training Volume & Intensity:
Slightly lower volume, high intensity.
Your body needs the message: We still need this muscle.
Caloric Expenditure:
Helpful but not mandatory.
Just enough to support the deficit and maintain overall work capacity.
This path makes you look tighter, leaner, and sharper quickly.
Path 2: “Look Better” = Build Muscle First, THEN Lose Body Fat
(Build → then strategically lean out)
This is the right path if:
You’re “lean enough” but not muscular
You look thin in clothes but soft without them
You’ve been under-eating for years
You want a dramatic, long-term physique change
You don’t yet have the muscle mass you want to reveal
This is the “look like you actually train” path.
Here’s how the levers shift:
Caloric Intake:
Maintenance or slight surplus — enough fuel to grow.
Protein Intake:
Still high. Muscle needs signal and materials.
Training Volume & Intensity:
Higher volume, structured progression, more total work.
Intensity matters, so that stays high too.
Caloric Expenditure:
Minimal.
Just enough to stay healthy — not enough to steal recovery resources.
This path isn’t fast.
But it produces the biggest transformation.
It’s how you build shoulders that cap, arms that fill shirts, legs that look athletic, and a physique you’re proud to reveal when you cut later.
The Mistake Most Men Make
Most men try to chase both paths simultaneously:
Eat less AND build muscle
Do more conditioning AND lift heavier
Cut fat AND grow arms
Train like a bodybuilder AND recover like a busy father with a full-time job
This creates stalled progress, frustration, and the belief that “nothing works for me.”
But nothing is supposed to work when the levers point in opposite directions.
“Looking better” becomes simple when you define what you actually want:
Do you want to look leaner now? → Path 1
Do you want to look more muscular later? → Path 2
Once the aim is clear, the levers fall into place.
The Four Levers, Simplified
Regardless of the path, these are the tools:
1. Caloric Intake
Fat loss = deficit
Muscle gain = maintenance/surplus
2. Protein Intake
0.7–1.0 g/lb ideal body weight
A litte lower when cutting, a little higher when building
3. Training Volume + Intensity
A little lower when cutting (due to less available energy)
More when building (due to more available energy)
4. Caloric Expenditure
Increased when cutting
Decreased when building
That’s the entire physiological process.
Not glamorous.
Not complicated.
Just precise.
Why This Matters for Men 35–55
Because most men at this age aren’t lacking effort — they’re lacking clarity.
They’re pulling levers in opposite directions.
They’re trying to build and burn at the same time.
Or they’re training hard but fueling like someone who doesn’t want muscle.
Your body isn’t confused.
Your strategy is.
But when you understand the process…
everything becomes predictable.
Look Better = Identify your path
→ Set the levers correctly
→ Stay consistent
→ Adjust with intention
→ Lead yourself through resistance
This isn’t motivation.
It’s leadership — Internal Leadership — applied to physiology:
Recognition → Ownership → Direction → Execution → Integration.
Want Help Running the Process?
Enrollment for the 8-Week LFP Group is now open.
Inside the program, you’ll get:
A custom nutrition plan matched precisely to your path (fat loss or muscle building)
A training program built for your goals, schedule, and body
Weekly coaching to keep your levers aligned
A group of 10 other men rebuilding their bodies — and their internal leadership — from the inside out
If you want to look better, feel better, and train with a system that actually works…