What does it mean to be a man in today’s world?
Search “how to be more masculine” and you’ll find everything from gym-bro clichés to feel-good advice that doesn’t deliver.
Masculinity isn’t about PEDs or being ‘nice’. It’s about strength, status, dominance, and mental power.
At The Power Moves we’ve helped thousands of men rediscover their masculine edge and achieve their goals.
This guide cuts through the noise with proven, practical steps to build real masculinity—backed by psychology, biology, and real-world power dynamics.
Contents
1. Unleash Your Inner Warrior
Ambition, Aggression, and Will to Power are the masculine trinity.
Call them the ‘warrior spirit’.
They can power heroes and build civilizations.
Or they can destroy civilization.
Unleash your inner warrior, yoke it with win-win, and you’re the ultimate masculine hero.
🙋♂️Lucio’s Experience: Run to win the race of life
Lucio:
My first 10k race highlighted the warrior spirit vs. ‘most men’.
I couldn’t believe people stopped for water. Stopping for water? In a race?? 🤯
When the road bent, some runners ahead of us smiled and waved.
My prosocial half loved the festivity. But my inner warrior saw taunts to be avenged with my performance.
Left with no overtaking space in the last stretch, I horned in between two guys, their elbows hitting my arms.
They looked incredulous. My prosocial shell apologized—it was a bold move. But my inner warrior gritted ‘Get the f*ck out of my way‘.
At the end, it seemed like I was the only one spent. Was I the exception for having given his all?
Deep down, I couldn’t help but think, ‘No wonder I achieve my goals, while most people dream’.
2. Pursue Ambitious Goals
Effective men pursue and achieve ambitious goals.
Ambition without goals and hard work is called entitlement.
Don’t be that guy. Masculine self-respect is earned, not claimed. Earned with the hard work that moves you forward.
Stay stedfast to those goals
Emotional steadfastness underpins behavioral steadfastness.
Stay resilient from criticism and bounce back from losses: both are more strongly associated with masculinity (Brizendine, 2006; Gard et al., 2007; Johnson & Helgeson, 2002).
| Non-masculine | High-power Masculinity |
|---|---|
| Fluctuating self-esteem, based on external events | Constant self-esteem, high in victory or defeat |
| Undisciplined, start and stop | Stick to plan, day in/day out |
| Fickle, constantly changing one’s mind | Decisive, changing one’s mind only with evidence |
Think of masculinity like a river: despite the bends and rocks, it never stops moving towards the sea.
3. Develop High Self-Esteem
Believing in yourself is a top priority.
A weak mind is like a weak foundation. No amount of muscle or money can fix a self-doubting mind.
The true foundation of confdience is self-esteem, also shown to be more resilient in men (Helgeson, 2020 for an overview).
Here’s a good primer on higher self-esteem:
Lucio: Start from the basics of self-love and self-respect, then work your way up
5. Be More Dominant
Dominance, status, and power are the base currencies of masculinity.
Masculinity is not just about how you look; In large part, masculinity is about behavioral masculinity.
Behavioral masculinity boosts relationship satisfaction and loyalty. Write French in the Cambridge Handbook of Female Adaptations:
women whose partners are more (versus less) symmetrical or behaviorally masculine report increased attraction to and satisfaction with their partners near peak fertility (Gangestad, Thornhill, & Garver-Apgar, 2005; Meltzer, 2017)
Some tips:
- Speak with confidence, see here
- Lower your pitch within your natural range
- Speak clearly, don’t mumble
- Never rush, or you sound nervous
- Behave more dominant, see here and dating dominance
The off-the-charts masculine/feminine polarity is instructive (not necessarily advising you do the same)
5.2. Adopt Masculine Body Language
Masculine body language is confident body language.
- Take up space, arms on armrests, feet apart
- Comfortable posture
- Open up: straight spine, shoulders back
P.S.:
Avoid ‘power posing’. It’s pop-psychology, and screams of unmasculine overcompensation
Check out:
- ✅ Masculine body language
- ❌ Feminine body language to avoid
Display Strength and Stoicism
Lean towards under-reacting.
Lower reactiveness, including in facial expressions, are associated with masculinity.
Most of all, banish drama and hysterics.
| Unmasculine | Masculine |
|---|---|
| Ouch | 🗿 |
| Oh my Goood! 😮 | WTF is that! |
| HELP!! Can anyone please help! I lost my dog, HELP! <– Emotional and dramatic | Have you seen a black pitbull roaming around <– Factual and collected |
6. Develop A Masculine Body
Physical formidability is masculine.
- Lift Weights and train. It helps with looking masculine, and boosts testosterone
- Healthy diet: Rich in protein and vegetables. Avoid deep-fried, and ‘junk food’
- Rest and recover: Sleep deprivation impacts testosterone and mental sharpness. 4am alarms don’t boost masculinity
- Stay lean: Lower body fat is associated with higher testosterone and masculinity
Balance: health and fitness, no obsession
Healthy mind in a healthy body. Body dysmorphia is the opposite of healthy masculinity. And obsessing over carbs, sugar, or a drink isn’t top masculinity either.
🔎 Example: Quit Diet Fads & Optimization Porn
The masculine man mindset around fads and ‘over-optimization’:
Alex: This has to sink in (…) I get the same questions (…) what’s the new marketing trick what’s the new hack.
(…) It’s like the gal who’s like ‘hey is it keto is it intermittent fasting’. It’s how you sound like
Top 1% masculine men look down on ‘biohacking’ fads—they focus on timeless, high ROI fundamentals.
Dress Masculine
- Masculine accessories, like a metal watch or a leather strap for younger men. Less is more
- Boots are masculine, and so are leather and dress shoes. Avoid overdoing trainers
- Beard is masculine. Stubble for younger men, beard up until middle age. Then shave more often
👉🏼 Tip: develop a small wardrobe of sharp basics that suit your body type. Shopaholism is not masculine
8. Be A Leader
Leaders are high power and intrinsically top status.
And leadership is associated with masculinity.
True leadership goes beyond a title; it’s about embodying the key mindsets of a masculine leader, such as ownership of your deliverables, of your life, and looking out for the people around.
🙋♂️Lucio’s Take: The Sigma male way to leadership
Lucio:
I’m not interested in leading others.
It requires commitment and often comes with status games and politics.
But I am even less interested in being led. I’m fiercely protective of my freedom.
Instead, I think of myself as leading my own life.
And I lead my life the way I want.
9. Be Sexually Confident
Sexual confidence is masculine.
And despite the changing times, expectations of men being initiators and leaders persist.
If you’re single, take action on your desires and respectfully but confidently approach the girl you like.
Lovers are a masculine archetype (Gilmore, 1990). And the proof is in the pu…dding: women’s choice. Women prefer high-value men for uncommitted dating.
9.2. Retain Power to Be Masculine In Relationships
To remain masculine in relationships:
- Ensure she wants you, not just your provisioning
- Keep high-priority goals outside the relationship
- You chase goals > she chases quality time. That’s the masculine/feminine dynamic
- Prioritize respect, if you lose respect, you lose masculinity and attraction
Example of the type of disrespect you may have to check:
Also read:
- How women control relationships, and how to maintain your masculine edge
- How to maintain masculine power in relationships
10. Stay Honorable: The ‘Masculine Code’
An ‘unwritten male code’ combines power and honor.
And it glues masculinity, respect, and status (prestige-type of status).
Lack of social and mental power lead to dishonorable sneakiness
The ‘unwritten male code’ includes:
- Assertive direct talk over passive aggression
- Man-to-man conflict resolution over sneaky tactics
- Hierarchy-skills
- Respecting higher-ups
- Stronger boundaries from below (lower status)
- Not bothering higher-ups for small stuff
- Team spirit, playing to win for the team, channeling anger into fuel for performance
- Self-reliance, attempting to solve one’s problems before crying for help
Avoid B*tch Moves
The ‘b*tch’ is the worst spot in the masculine quadrant of honor and power:
Nobody teaches this unspoken code. Some power-aware men naturally understand it. But some men are struggle to gain other men’s respect because they’re oblivious to it.
Some examples of masculine faux pas:
| Code | Unmasculine | Masculine |
|---|---|---|
| Man-to-man | 🗨️ “I’d like a supervisor” <— 📣🟰 Skips assertiveness, seeks fake corporate kid-glove | Demand proper service first. Only after you escalate |
| Self-reliance | 🗨️ “Hey boss-of-my-boss, I want to complain about my boss” <— 📣🟰 Adult equivalent of calling daddy. | Find own solutions |
| Competitive | 🗨️“Ooow! You went in too hard 😢 <— 📣🟰 Expects nice playing, instead of playing to win | Play tougher next time |
| Directness | 🗨️ “Dear, let’s go. We’ll leave a bad review” <— 📣🟰 Indirect aggression as revenge | Calls waiter to complain |
Since this is crucial for men, we dig deeper in PU.
The man’s code of honor starts from childhood.
Here’s a good example:
Lucio: We were having a 1:1, man to man disagreement. Suddenly he turns around and seeks support from another guy.
Even as a kid I felt it broke the ‘man code of honor’. Immediate respect loss
TPM Special Tips
Logic Over Woo-Woo
Men tend to believe less in ‘supernatural forces’.
Here’s how you can use that polarity to spike attraction:
Girlfriend: You don’t believe in horoscopes at all?
Lucio: No. As if I’d let horoscopes tell me what’s in store for me. I make my reality <— Immediate attraction spike
🙋♂️Lucio’s Take: Woo-woo is the fastest way to lose my respect
Lucio: Masculine men run the world because they focus on active action, rather than ‘passive attraction’
Be Strategic
Just like strategies beat dominance, strategic masculinity always beats rigid masculinity.
Own Your Shortcomings: Penis & Masculinity
Physical size, including penis size, can influence perceptions of masculinity.
In dating, men make it a bigger deal than women. Men are less satisfied with their penis size than their women are (55% vs. 85%).
And studies shows it impacts men’s self-esteem.
Some men may feel powerless over less malleable traits like height or penis size.
But there is much you can do.
🙋♂️Lucio’s Take: Locker room confidence as a ‘grower’
Lucio:
As a ‘grower’, I wasn’t always comfortable in locker rooms and showers.
That changed with mindsets, results, and expanding self-esteem.
More details here.
Quit watching masculinity videos
Learn if you must learn.
But don’t stay stuck in learning forever.
It’s demeaning to be an adult, eternally schooled on how to be a man
👉🏼 Solution: Rediscover your nature, then do ‘masculine’ in your own way and move on.
FAQs
What causes low masculinity
Common causes include: low testosterone or health issues; overprotective parenting or overly shielded childhood; cultural discouragement of assertiveness; absence of male role models or mentorship; fear of conflict or rejection; low ambition and underdeveloped confidence. Most of these can be addressed through training, experience, and lifestyle changes, helping men regain status and agency.
The Power Moves we provide frameworks for building status, confidence, and real-world masculine effectiveness.
Can I become more masculine?
Yes, anyone can become more masculine by building mental resilience, physical strength, confidence, and other traits associated with masculinity.
Start by lifting weights to boost testosterone and increase muscle mass, practice assertiveness in daily interactions, and own your space. Masculinity is a skill set you can develop.
How to be more masculine in a relationship
To be more masculine in a relationship, lead with confidence by making decisions, setting boundaries, and protecting your partner without being controlling.
Communicate directly and honestly, expect and demand the same back, and handle conflicts calmly, but resolutely. Finally, build emotional independence to avoid neediness, and maintain your own pursuits to keep the relationship balanced and remain attractive.
How to be more masculine in bed
Being more masculine in bed means taking charge with confident, dominant energy—initiate boldly, guide the pace, and focus on her pleasure while owning yours. Build physical stamina with cardio, and practice lasting longer. Embrace raw passion, avoid overthinking, and lead the experience.
Your Next Masculine Move
This masculine guide gives you a solid overview.
But real masculinity isn’t learned from articles — it’s lived. Power University is the definitive program for men ready to master the art of power, masculinity, and leadership.
