The #1 Step to Reclaim Your Health, Hormones, and Longevity”
By Dr. Andreas Boettcher
The #1 Step to Optimizing Your Health, Hormones, and Longevity
Every man says he “wants to be around for his family.”
But let’s get brutally honest — do you want to exist longer or live better?
There’s a difference — and that difference is everything.
Lifespan is how long you live.
Healthspan is how long you live with strength, clarity, mobility, testosterone, purpose and power.
Most men say, “I just want to live a long life.”
That’s not the goal.
Because right now in the United States, men aren’t even guaranteed that anymore. Male life expectancy has actually fallen in recent years and still sits in the mid-70s. That means the system is not working.
So let’s stop pretending “the system is working.”
We’re not just struggling with lifespan. We’re bleeding out healthspan.
We have more pills, more clinics, more specialists, more “men’s health centers,” and yet:
We’re fatter.
We’re weaker.
We’re more inflamed.
We’re more exhausted.
We’re more dependent.
This is not aging.
This is a standard problem.
The Real Epidemic: Lowered Standards
Every practice, every clinician, every program works off a standard.
And today, the standard for men over 40 is embarrassingly low.
You’re being told:
Gaining 20-30 pounds around the waist is “normal.”
Needing a nap at 2 pm is “normal.”
No drive, no edge, no libido is “just aging.”
Brain fog, irritability, anxiety, no patience, no resilience — “Hey, man, that’s just part of life.”
Let me be clear: That story is the boldest lie being sold to men today.
Here’s what’s actually happening in modern men:
Obesity: Around 42% of U.S. adults are now classified as obese. Among men over 40, estimates push above 70% carrying overweight or obesity.
This doesn’t even account for the large number of men who fall into the “skinny fat” category—men who appear lean in clothes but lack true muscle tone and strength.
Beneath the surface, they carry excess body fat, especially the dangerous kind known as visceral fat—the fat that wraps around vital organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines. Unlike subcutaneous fat that sits just under the skin, visceral fat is metabolically active and toxic.
It fuels chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, hormonal imbalances, and significantly increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even low testosterone.
Being “skinny fat” isn’t a sign of health—it’s a silent warning. You may look normal on the outside, but internally your body is under stress and aging faster than it should.
Metabolic dysfunction: About 1 in 6 American adults now has diabetes (diagnosed or undiagnosed), up from under 10% around the year 2000.
Low testosterone symptoms: In obese men, up to 40-50% show clinical signs of testosterone deficiency — low energy, low libido, poor recovery, depressed mood — even without a classic hormonal disorder.
Fatigue & brain fog: Chronic low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance drive brain fog, irritability, mood swings, poor focus, and that “I just don’t feel like myself anymore” feeling. That’s not “you getting older.” That’s metabolic dysfunction.
So what happens next?
If that broken baseline becomes the “standard,” then of course the only path you’re given is:
Another weekly injection.
Another orange prescription bottle.
Another stimulant to wake up and another sedative to fall asleep.
And what are you told through all of this?
“It’s not your fault. You’re just a victim. You’re a victim of your age. You’re a victim of stress. You’re a victim of ‘hormones changing.’ You’re a victim of environmental chemicals.”
That is convenient for the system.
That is profitable for the system.
But it is not the truth.
You’re not broken.
The standard is broken.
A Look Back at the Real Standard
Let’s rewind a few generations — the 1950s and 1960s.
Were men perfect back then? No.
Were there other risks? Of course.
But look at the data and you’ll see one thing crystal-clear: our baseline has collapsed.
Obesity then vs now: In the early 1960s only about 13% of American adults were obese. Today it’s around 42%, and severe (morbid) obesity— which was under 1% in the 1960s — is now close to 10%.
Diabetes then vs now: In 1960–62 the percentage of adults with diagnosed diabetes was under 2%. By 1999–2000 it had already shot to nearly 6%, and by the 2020s we’re talking about roughly 1 in 6 adults living with diabetes.
Cardiometabolic strain: Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity now travel together earlier, in what used to be considered prime working years. Today, men in their 40s are showing risk profiles that used to show up in their 60s.
And now we add in the hormone gap:
Research shows that age-matched men today have significantly lower testosterone levels compared to generations prior. For example: in a study of Danish men, serum testosterone levels decreased in age-matched cohorts (more recently born men) compared to older cohorts. [^1]
Another example, in a Massachusetts-based longitudinal study, researchers found a substantial age-independent decline in total testosterone over time in American men (1)(2).
Another analysis noted that the average testosterone level of a 60-year-old man in 1987 was approximately 505 ng/dL, compared to about 433 ng/dL by 2002(3).
That’s a drop of nearly 14% in just 15 years— and this trend continues today.
In plain English:your grandfather at 60 likely had higher testosterone than you will at 60 — and probably even earlier in life.
Here’s the point:
Men weren’t walking around in 1962 with 38-inch waists, no libido, pre-diabetes at 45, falling asleep at their desk by 2 pm, saying “Well, I guess that’s just getting old.”
No. They moved more. They carried more lean tissue relative to fat. They didn’t outsource all their health to a bottle. The bar for “normal male health” was simply higher.
That was the standard.
Today’s average?
Isn’t “normal.”
It’s sick.
The First Step: Raise Your Standards
So what’s step one to optimizing your health, your hormones, and your longevity?
It’s not a supplement.
It’s not a shot.
It’s not a hack.
Step one is this: Raise. Your. Standards.
Raise the standard for:
How you show up for yourself.
How you show up for your partner.
How you show up for your kids.
How you show up in your business.
Because whether you want to accept it or not, your physiology drives your psychology.
When your blood sugar is unstable, your patience is shorter.
When your inflammation is high, your mood tanks.
When your testosterone is low, your drive, your certainty, and your conviction disappear.
When your body fat is high, your energy is low.
This is not “mental toughness.” This is biochemistry.
You cannot lead at a high level if your body is operating at a low level.
That’s why at It’s Only Halftime, we don’t accept the normal modern baseline.
The IOH Standard for Men
We believe men are meant to be:
Lean
Strong
Capable
Focused
Dangerous to their excuses
We set the benchmark at sub-15% body fat.
Why that number?
Because at sub-15%:
Insulin sensitivity improves. Your body handles carbohydrates better and keeps blood sugar under control instead of storing everything in your gut. This is one of the most powerful levers in preventing diabetes and keeping inflammation down.
Chronic low-grade inflammation drops. Less inflammation = less joint pain, less brain fog, less “I’m just exhausted all the time.”
Testosterone signaling improves. Adipose tissue (especially visceral belly fat) is metabolically active — it increases aromatization, raises estrogen relative to testosterone, and drags down your anabolic signal. Leaner men simply carry stronger hormonal chemistry.
Confidence returns. And let’s talk about this honestly: When a man starts to respect his own reflection again, his standards in every other area of life jump to match.
This is not about chasing a cover-model physique. This is about metabolic freedom.
It’s about waking up clear, powerful, pain-free, and mobile at 45, 50, 55+ — and not being dependent on a pharmacy to get through the day.
Because it doesn’t matter how successful you are in business if your body is quietly collapsing.
It All Starts in the Fitness Room
People like to say, “It starts in the kitchen.”
And yes — nutrition matters.
But I’ll tell you where transformation actually begins for most men:
It begins in the fitness room.
Because training is not just about biceps and abs.
Training — done correctly — is how you:
Reclaim muscle mass (your metabolic engine).
Improve glucose control and insulin sensitivity.
Up-regulate mitochondrial function and cellular energy.
Stabilize mood and sharpen focus.
Rewrite your identity from “I’m broken” to “I’m back.”
Our entire philosophy of core muscular conditioning is built on this.
You don’t need a Hollywood trainer. You don’t need 2 hours a day.
You need intelligent strength work that protects joints, builds functional muscle, and restores metabolic control.
Because muscle is not vanity.
Muscle is protection.
Muscle is resilience.
Muscle is longevity.
If you want to understand exactly how we structure this inside our Peak Performance Protocol — including how we condition the core, stabilize the spine, protect the low back, and build powerful, usable strength — explore our core muscular conditioning philosophy here.
Doing the Work
Let me be very clear about who we are — and who we are not.
We are not a fad.
We are not a “30-day shred.”
We are not a weekly injection clinic.
We are not another row of orange bottles in your bathroom cabinet.
And we’re not selling you a magic “biohack” that lets you sit still and somehow call that “health.”
We believe in doing the work.
Because it’s the work that makes you healthy.
And that’s exactly why so many men are in trouble right now:
They’ve been taught to outsource effort instead of build capacity.
They’ve been told:
“Don’t train hard, just inject this.”
“Don’t change nutrition, just take this pill.”
“Don’t raise your standards, lower your expectations.”
No.
That ends here.
Raising the Bar — and Refusing Average
In a world that is lowering the standard on men’s health, It’s Only Halftime is raising it.
Not because we think you’re weak.
Because we know you’re capable of more.
Your second half is not a slow decline into medication management.
Your second half can be your best half — if you choose it, if you build it, and if you hold the line on your standards.
As I always say, "Aging is inevitable BUT how you age...now that's a choice!"
If this message hits you in the gut — good.
Follow this blog. Stay plugged in. Surround yourself with men who are not negotiating with their own decline.
And if you’re ready to build your own Peak Performance Protocol — driven by lab analysis, genetic testing, customized nutrition, targeted supplementation, and intelligent training — then it’s time.
Because we’re not here to extend your life while you’re suffering.
We’re here to extend the part of your life where you’re dangerous, capable, clear, and fully alive.
That’s healthspan.
That’s the mission.
And that is the standard.
⚡️ Ready to Raise Your Standards?
If you’d like to go deeper — to uncover the root causes behind your energy, hormones, metabolism, and performance — I invite you to book a complimentary consultation.
Together, we’ll review your lab analysis, genetics, and lifestyle data to create a personalized Peak Performance Protocol designed to help you reclaim your edge — naturally.
👉Click here to schedule your complimentary consultation.
To learn more about our approach and success stories, visit www.itsonlyhalftime.com— where we help men like you turn your second half into your best half.
Finish Strong,
Dr. Andreas
References
Christensen, K., Jørgensen, N., “Secular trends in testosterone – findings from a large state-mandated care provider.”PMC. 2019.
Travison, T.G., Araujo, A.B., O’Donnell, A.B., et al. “A population-level decline in serum testosterone levels in American men.”J Clin Endocrinol Metab.2007;92(1):196–202.
Medichecks blog, “Why are men’s testosterone levels decreasing?” 2023.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not replace professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen or lifestyle.
