The 5 Numbers every Man must Track for Long-term Health, Strength & Energy
We’re entering a new era of men’s health, one where your wearable knows more about your body than your doctor sees in a standard check-up. And the men who thrive over the next decade won’t be the ones who “train harder.”
They’ll be the ones who track what matters.
Because most men are still guessing. Still hoping. Still training blind.
I know, because I did too, until life forced me to level up.
As I got older, and life became fuller, business, marriage, responsibilities, pressure, I realised something most men discover too late:
Looking fit is not enough. Training hard is not enough. Motivation is definitely not enough.
If you want long-term strength, health, and energy…
you need a dashboard.
You wouldn’t fly a plane without instruments. You wouldn’t drive at night without headlights. So why are so many men trying to “wing it” with their body?
Because here’s the truth:
You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your metrics.
And that’s why these five numbers matter.
I call this the Strong Body Dashboard, and it forms the foundation of my Core Four Method.
Why this matters for Men Over 30
As I moved into my 30s, I noticed the gap widening between two types of men:
Those who age powerfully
Those who decline early
And the difference rarely comes down to genetics. It comes down to awareness.
Awareness becomes clarity. Clarity becomes progress. Progress becomes confidence.
And that starts with these five metrics.
But first, the moment that changed everything for me…
My Turning Point
A few years ago, I was standing in the bathroom after a huge week, shoulders tight, lower back aching, mentally foggy.
I was training hard. But I was feeling awful.
I looked in the mirror and realised:
“I’m doing all this work…but I have no idea if it’s actually working.”
No clarity. No indicators. No feedback loop.
That day triggered the creation of the Strong Body Dashboard and it’s completely changed the way I train, recover, age and perform.
Let’s dive into the five numbers.
Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
Your recovery baseline. Your body’s idling speed. A strong predictor of long-term health.
Typical ranges for men:
Average: 60-70 bpm
Good: 55-60
Great: 50-55
Elite: 45-50
If your RHR jumps 8+ beats above your baseline, something is off: stress, inflammation, poor sleep, or sickness.
This single number alone can save you from weeks of burnout.
2. Heart Rate Variablity (HRV)
HRV measures nervous system resilience, your ability to handle stress and recover.
Men 30-40:
Average: 45-70
Good: 60-90
Great: 90-110
Elite: 110+
HRV drops sharply with:
Poor sleep
Mental overload
Stress
Alcohol
Overtraining
This is the bridge between Strong Body and Calm Mind.
3. Sleep (Quality + Quantity)
Sleep is the multiplier of everything else.
Targets for men:
7-9 hours total
1-1.5 hours deep sleep
1.5-2 hours REM
Without good sleep, nothing works the way it should, not your metabolism, recovery, mindset, or discipline.
Most men try to out-train poor sleep. You can’t. You will lose that battle every time.
4. Training Load / Weekly Volum
Most men either:
Undertrain into softness, or
Overtrain into injury
Your training load tells you whether you’re doing enough, consistently.
Weekly volume guidelines:
Minimum: 150 minutes
Good: 180-240
Athletic: 300-450
High performance: 450-600
Strength: 2-5 days/week Cardio: 2-3 sessions/week
Consistency beats intensity.
If I’m not training for a specific event. I structure my programming like this.
5. VO₂ Max (Your Longevity Score)
VO₂ Max is one of the most powerful predictors of a man’s long-term health and vitality.
Men 30–40:
Good: 42–45
Excellent: 46–52
Superior: 52+
A higher VO₂ Max means a longer, stronger, more capable life.
It determines how you’ll feel and perform decades from now.
Bonus Metric : The Strength Standard
Strength is one of the strongest predictors of independence and longevity.
Pick one benchmark:
10 strict pull-ups
Bodyweight deadlift × 10
90-second farmer carry with your bodyweight
You don’t need all three.
You just need one — consistently maintained.
Strong men age well.
Weak men age quickly.
The Mini Diagnostic : Where do you sit?
Here’s your quick audit:
If 3 or more of your 5 numbers are off…
you’re under-recovered, under-performing, or overstressed.
If 4 or more are off…
you’re in the “red zone,” even if you look fit.
This is where awareness becomes power.
How to use the Dashboard
A simple system:
1. Track these numbers daily or weekly
(Whoop, Garmin, Apple Watch, or Oura)
2. Establish a 7-day baseline
Don’t change anything yet.
3. Set your standards
Pick realistic improvements.
4. Review weekly
Small adjustments > big heroic bursts.
5. Watch your energy, strength and confidence rise
Your numbers become your roadmap.
Why this is Core Four Quadrant One
Strong Body is first for a reason:
Because when your Strong Body improves…
Your Calm Mind stabilises
Your Clear Purpose sharpens
Your Confident Life expands
Energy is the gateway to every other improvement in your life.
If you want a strong life… start with a strong body.
Evaluate yourself across all four quadrants:
Strong Body, Calm Mind, Clear Purpose, Confident Life.
👉 Take the Scorecard here : https://lachlan-p0moailx.scoreapp.com/
