Do looks matter? Good Question.
There is a mediocre way of thinking especially in the west that accepts the following idea; “Looks dont matter, it's what's inside that is important”
Yes, I get it, what's inside is important. But what's on the outside is also important.
It matters a lot.
Contrary to popular belief it's very important how you present yourself to the world.
In the modern west, there is a widespread loser attitude about looking good.
In the west, there is a war against excellence.
And a war against beauty.
Importance Of Looks
My first real understanding of how important looks really are was when I was living in South Korea.
The Koreans have a near obsession with how you present yourself to the world.
As a westerner, I was first puzzled by it all but then it started rubbing off on me.
OK, maybe it had something to do with all the beautiful women in South Korea.
So I wanted to look good so I could date more hot women but that part of Korean culture never left me.
Korea will always have a special place in my heart for 3 reasons.
First I started doing JiuJitsu there, second all the beautiful women, and I learned how to dress well and take care of my appearance.
They say you become who you surround yourself with, well I was surrounded by millions of Koreans that let you have it if you looked like shit.
I remember a coworker once told me I looked like a bum.
This was after I got to work unshaven and wearing an old shirt.
He told me in Korean, so at first, I didn't understand what he was saying.
Then I finally translated what he said and figured out it wasn't good.
First I was kind of pissed off but then I realized he was right.
I would never be the same again.
Since then, I transformed not only my style but also my body, health, and mind.
But I have also transformed the way I dress and present myself to the world.
When I went back home for the first time after a few years people didn't recognize me.
The reality for me back then was I was out of shape, my mind was weak, I was dressing like a bum and I was just generally playing way below my potential.
There is a reason why Koreans take looks seriously.
First, it tells them what is going on inside.
And second, they love beauty.
They love beautiful things in general.
They love life and make it a pleasant experience while they are on this planet so they figured you might as well look good while you are alive.
The New Culture
In the west, we don't have a culture of calling people out of they look like shit.
In fact, we now have a culture that rewards mediocrity and embraces ugliness.
They put fat and unhealthy people on the covers of magazines and celebrate them.
This website is not one of those places.
The west now has a culture where they want everyone to be equal.
So they put fat people on the cover of magazines and pretend it's cool.
They have terms like “fat-shaming”.
Apparently, this means that you are not allowed to call out a slob.
So if someone is eating themselves to death we are supposed to encourage that?
This is the sad state of affairs.
Luckily here at Masculine Mindset, we still call out bullshit.
We still appreciate excellence.
We still appreciate hard work.
We still appreciate beautiful things and beautiful people.
Now before we continue.
You don't need to be an absolute stud to look good.
Although being a stud helps.
However, you can transform yourself into someone that is hard not to notice.
I know people who are genetically gifted and look like shit.
But I also know average-looking people who look great because they work with what they have and transform into the best version of themselves.
The reality is that standards are so low right now that if you just do a bit of work you will look better than most other men out there.
To dress like a man means focusing on simplicity, quality, and cool.
Express who you are with the way you dress.
But if you have no idea what dressing well means then I suggest you get some help.
Don't dress like a clown and think you look good.
Just follow the golden rule.
Less is always better.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
We need to start at the beginning.
I mentioned already that we have limited time on this planet so you might as well look good while you are here.
This means 2 things:
You will feel better about yourself and others will feel better being around you.
But let's go back to the beginning.
So I mentioned why the Koreans take their appearances so seriously.
But could there be another reason? Well, yes, enter the Halo Effect.
The Halo Effect
So what is the Halo effect: ” The halo effect is a cognitive bias that occurs when an initial positive judgment about a person unconsciously colors the perception of the individual as a whole.”
What does this mean?
Well in simple terms if you look good then people treat you better unconsciously.
They let you do things that they would others not allow to do. You get treated better.
Whether this is good or bad is irrelevant. This is the world we live in so might as well use it to our advantage.
But let's start talking about how we can actually start from the beginning and change our appearance for the better.
It doesn't just take one thing to look better.
You need a solid foundation and build on top of that.
So let's get started.
Looks Transformation (looks maxing)
Lift Weights
The fastest and best way for a man to transform his body is lifting weights. You need to lift weights every week.
This will make you lose fat, and increase your testosterone levels.
You will not just look stronger but also get stronger.
Get a lifting program that focuses on traditional compound exercises.
There is nothing that gives you as much return on investment as pumping iron regularly.
You don't just look better, you feel better and sleep better. It's a 360-degree win.
Bodyweight Training
If you dont want to go to the gym or can't go to the gym at the moment then you also have no excuses.
You can start doing bodyweight training.
Keep it simple.
Start building a foundation by doing the following exercises at your home or in the park:
Push-ups: 3 sets x 20 reps
Air squats: 3 sets x 20 reps
Burpees:2 sets x 30 reps
IF you are a beginner take a 1-minute break between sets.
Yoga
Another option for training at your home without a gym is to start doing Yoga.
You can order a cheap yoga mat online and start training.
There are many free yoga videos on youtube to start out with.
Yoga is a powerful way to strengthen your body and expose your weaknesses.
I do weight training but also do yoga twice a week to work on my flexibility and balance.
There are different types of Yoga that will help you with whatever your goals are.
The added benefit of Yoga is that it's a great form of moving meditation because it forces you to focus on just the movement and your breath.
Cardio
Another important part of staying healthy is to start doing some kind of cardio training at least 3 times a week.
You dont have to make this your focus but you need to build your endurance and strengthen your cardiovascular health.
Remember everything is connected.
You dont even have to run if you dont like running or have injuries.
You can start by walking in the park or on the treadmill.
Walk for an hour at a reasonable pace for 1 hour a day or if you dont have time, do interval training 3 times a week after your weight training or bodyweight training.
If you dont like running or walking then get into the pool and swim.
There are no excuses, find a way to do your cardio.
Your main focus should be your weight training or bodyweight training, but you need to add cardiovascular training to complete your physical training.
Remember we want to look good and be healthy, but more importantly, we want to be able to jump, run and lift as men.
Food
You become what you consistently eat.
So if this is true then we can use logic to figure out that if you eat shit you will look like shit.
And if you eat good, you will look good.
It really is that simple.
Real food is key.
Nothing processed.
Reduce alcohol.
And if you do drink stop drinking beer.
There is too much estrogen in beer.
Rather drink Gin or red wine if you have to drink.
Junk food must be removed from your lifestyle and only used as a cheat meal once a week.
For example, if you work hard 5 days of the week and you feel like something tasty then order a pizza as a cheat meal one day a week.
Eat good quality meat like Beef or Elk.Supplement with the best grass fed whey protein.
To get your basic carbohydrates, eat white rice with your steak after lifting.
Cook all your meat in real butter.
Reduce sugar and drink your coffee black.
Supplements
Supplements are a great boost to get you playing at a higher level sooner.
But if you can't afford supplements it's not absolutely necessary.
Focus on the best supplements for men and you will start seeing the effects if you stay consistent and use them every day.
Supplements become useless if you are inconsistent.
So be disciplined.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting is one of the things that will transform your body the fastest.
It's also one of the things most people find most challenging.
And that is because most people don't have any self-discipline.
But if you can show some discipline you will find the benefits of Intermittent fasting to be massive.
It's not just the obvious benefit of weight loss, but also a mental clarity that comes after fasting that is something that will surprise you.
Grooming
Basic Grooming
Grooming should be disciplined and consistent.
This means consistently cutting and cleaning your nails.
Also, be consistent with trimming your hair in your nose and ears so you don't look like you were on a castaway island.
Hair
Your hairstyle is your choice. I keep mine simple. Usually, my hair is shaved or very short.
But my advice is to work with your strengths.
If you are losing your hair and trying to hide it then my advice to you is to shave it.
If you are trying to hide your boldness with a weird hairstyle it looks worse.
A lot of guys go bold in their 20s, 30s, or 40s and feel self-conscious about it.
Rather embrace it than be insecure about it.
The best looks for bald men are very simple: shave it.
Skin
Take care of your skin.
Use a good moisturizer after a shower and a shave. It's all about maintenance.
If you do lots of physical activities like JiuJitsu and Swimming it's even more important to take care of your skin.
Shower at least twice a day and scrub your body with good soap. Be clean and presentable at all times.
I use Tactical Soap from Grondyle Soap Company, which is in my opinion the best organic soap for men.
What makes this soap special is that all the ingredients are natural and one of the ingredients is pheromones.
So the smart thing about this soap is that when you get close to a woman you are exposing her to pheromones that she finds attractive.
So it's a win-win for you.
You stay fresh and clean, but you also get more attention from women.
Deodorant
I recommend you use a natural deodorant or no deodorant at all.
Deodorants became popular because marketers convinced us our natural scent is bad.
One of the biggest tools of marketers is to shame men into believing that they smell bad.
The reality is that if you shower twice a day with a good natural soap and you eat well then your body won't smell like a sweat factory.
One of the biggest reasons I don't use deodorants is the toxic cocktail of chemicals in most deodorants.
For example, a chemical like Triclosan is known to give your hormones problems.
If you use deodorant then look for a natural organic deodorant.
Dress Well
With clothes, I focus on quality over quantity.
I prefer to buy good quality jeans, shirts and shoes.
Quality clothing lasts longer and always fits better.
Some people say you just pay for the name.
I disagree.
Those names usually produce higher quality products and therefore they charge higher prices.
Shoes are important so buy a few pairs of good quality shoes.
You don't need hundreds of pairs of shoes so don't blow all your money on brand clothing and shoes.
Again. Quality over quantity.
Starting with 2 pairs of good quality shoes is all you need.
If you can't afford good quality then go to stores like Zara or Uniqlo that sell quality clothing at reasonable prices.
You won't be buying famous brands there but you will still look good.
Accessories
Again, keep it simple. A Good watch and good sunglasses,that's it.
Classic design for the watch and glasses.
Buy a good watch and a high-quality pair of sunglasses.
Again the focus is quality over quantity.
Buy good brands if you can afford it, or go to Zara.
Body Language
Your body language tells the world everything they need to know.
If you have bad posture then you need to do the work and improve it.
If you improve your looks but you have bad body language then you are not going to get the results you want.
So you need to work on this part of your game if you want to transform your life.
Start by standing up straight with your shoulders slightly pulled back.
Meditation
The last part of building your confidence is meditation.
Improving your mental health will change the way you walk through the world.
It will help you stay calm, focused and confident.
I like a guided mediation.
It's simple and effective.
All I do is put on my headphones and listen to the beats and I go into a deep meditative state.
When you are feeling mentally good it will show in your body and energy.
What we think we become.
Conclusion
That's the basics, my friends. Like with all things of value be consistent and the results will come.
However, I want to warn you about 2 potential mistakes you can make that will limit or destroy your results.
Mistake 1:
The first mistake is men who do the work for a few months and get good results but then think it's OK to back to their old lifestyle.
Then they lose all their positive results and say “See, I told you it would work.Remember looks maxing demands consistency.
Mistake 2:
The second mistake some men make is to dabble with change.
So they do it for a few weeks or a month and don't get the results they want, so they quit.
They also go back and tell everyone “I tried it, it doesn't work.”
The Reality
For both these mistakes, my advice is simple:
You must make a healthy lifestyle part of who you are to get long-term results.
It's not something you dabble with and walk away from.
You cannot get good results if you just put one foot in the water.
You must commit and jump into the water and immerse yourself in the process.
Then you will get the long-term positive result you are looking for.
Most men fail because the reality of doing the work is too much for them.
Don't be one of those men who are a complainer.
Do the work and start living the life you dreamed about by transforming the way you look and feel.
You can do this if you commit, stay disciplined and make this part of who you are.
Make it a lifestyle.
Until next time!
Talk to you soon my friends….
