Last week, I wrote about a specific kind of insecurity—the one that whispers:
“How strong should I be?”
“How fast?”
“How fit is fit enough to feel confident in my body?”

I shared how those questions keep us stuck—because they’re rooted in external validation.

And how the way forward isn’t about chasing the next impressive number…

It’s about becoming someone you respect.

That resonated with a lot of you. But it also sparked a fair question:

So that’s what I want to show you today.

The Real Problem Isn’t Information—It’s Integration

Most men don’t need more tips.

They need a way to put those tips to work.

They’ve got tactics—HIIT, dropsets, intermittent fasting—you name it.

They’ve got tools—kettlebells, TRX straps, cold plunges, apps that track everything.

What they don’t have is a system that actually fits their life and allows for consistent execution.

And that’s because they’ve started in the wrong spot.

The best tool or tactic won’t do a thing if it’s not part of a strategy.

And a strategy won’t work if it isn’t rooted in principles.

When your plan lacks alignment, you'll be perpetually frustrated.

You’ll be putting in work, but never feeling like you get traction.

And when that happens… consistency goes out the window.

That’s why I build everything top-down:
Philosophy → Principles → Strategy → Tactics → Tools

Let me break that down real quick:

• Philosophy is the big picture—your identity, your mission, your purpose.

• Principles are the rules that uphold that philosophy—the things that always work, and always matter.

• Strategy is how you apply those principles in your real life.

• Tactics are the specific methods—training splits, meal timing, cardio protocols.

• Tools are the support pieces—apps, supplements, wearables, tracking systems.

But here’s the thing…

When you’re deep in day-to-day life—business, family, fatigue—you don’t always have time to zoom out and run the full model.

Sometimes, you just need a compass.

That’s where this comes in:

• WHO = Philosophy
  Who are you becoming? Understanding the kind of person that you want to grow into sets the overall direction.

• WHAT = Principles
  What do you need to do to align with that identity? What milestones will prove that you're moving in the right direction?

• HOW = Strategy → Tactics → Tools
  How do you make it real in a way that fits your actual life?

It’s not a separate system. It’s a shortcut to make sure your daily choices support the big picture.

Here’s how I run the WHO–WHAT–HOW in my own life and training.

WHO

Here's what I know: I want to be a well-rounded person—confident, compassionate, engaged in life.

And I want that well-roundedness to spill over into my fitness, too. I want fitness to be a part of my bigger identity, not my entire identity.

I want to be jacked, strong, athletic, and capable…but also…

I'm not super competitive. I don't have the drive to be the best at any one thing.

I simply want to be confident in my capabilities and look the part.

WHAT

We can take that well-roundedness and break it down into several categories, assigning KPIs to each.

Knowing where I stand allows me to track my progress—and shows me where to put in more effort if I’m lagging.

Jacked:

• I’ll measure shoulder-to-waist ratio.

• If this ratio is moving toward 1.61, I’m on track.

• We could get more specific, but this is my primary KPI.

Strong:
I don’t need powerlifter numbers. If I can hit the following, I’ll be strong enough for life:

• Deadlift 2× my bodyweight

• Bench press 1.5× my bodyweight

• 30 consecutive push-ups

• 10 dead-hang pull-ups

Athletic:
Harder to define, but I break it into mobility and power.

Mobility Benchmarks:

• Squat until hamstrings touch calves

• Touch my toes from standing

• Reach between my shoulder blades with both hands

Power Benchmarks:

• Clean a pair of 32kg kettlebells

• Box jump to a height near half my body height

• Broad jump my own height

• Sprint 50 yards for multiple rounds without hurting myself

HOW

For this section, I’m talking strategy, not specific tools (that’s a job for another day, or perhaps a podcast).

I break the year into 12–16 week phases.

Each phase emphasizes 1–2 qualities while maintaining the rest.

Phase 1 – Athleticism

Focus: Joint mobility, stability, coordination, and power.

I may spend up to 30 minutes per session here.

The rest of the session is minimum-effective work to maintain strength, size, and aerobic health.

Phase 2 – Getting JACKED

Whether I’m building size or getting lean, I train for hypertrophy—maximum muscle growth.

This takes volume—lots of sets per muscle group.

• Start with 3 hypertrophy sessions/week and increase to 4 as needed.

• Cardio drops to 2–3 easy walks/week to maintain aerobic base.

• “Primers” (my warm-ups) maintain movement quality.

• Strength holds steady from hard lifting, just in higher rep ranges (8+ instead of 3–5).

Phase 3 – Strength

This phase is all about intensity—more weight, fewer sets.

• 3 lifting sessions/week focusing on deadlift, bench, squat, pull-ups.

• 2–3 easy cardio sessions won't interfere with recovery.

• Primers keep my athleticism sharp.

Phase 4 – Endurance

Building endurance takes time and volume.

• Lifting drops to the bare minimum for maintenance.

• More time goes to running, biking, or swimming.

• Mobility and power are maintained via warm-ups on lifting and cardio days.

Why It Works

The plan matches what I want.

I’m no longer trying to keep up with anyone else’s standards.

I work on what matters to me, at a level that reflects the vision I have for my life.

Want Help?

If you’re tired of trying to retrofit someone else’s plan into your already full life…

And you’re ready to build something that reflects your values, schedule, and goals—

Just hit reply.
I’ll help you get clear on your WHO, define your WHAT, and design a HOW that actually works.

Talk soon,
Paul