The free chapter
Out of Tune: a hormone playbook for men 35 to 55
Short answer
Most men over 40 who feel like their hormones are off are not broken. They are out of tune. Sleep, strength training, protein, steps and a daily stress downshift move testosterone, cortisol and insulin more reliably than any supplement, and they are where to start before testing.
Dai Manuel · Coach Moose · Vancouver
By Dai Manuel, CrossFit L2, HYROX L2, Precision Nutrition, NeuroChange Practitioner. Last reviewed 4 October 2026.
The 72-hour reset
Before testing anything, give your body three days of the basics. Most men feel a difference by the third morning.
- Sleep, three nights in a row. Pick one action and keep it: a fixed wake time, screens off an hour before bed, or no caffeine after noon.
- Move. One strength session, or two walks of 20 to 30 minutes.
- Protein at two or three meals. A palm or two at each.
- Three minutes of slow breathing once a day, to bring stress down on purpose.
The five profiles
Most men who feel out of tune fit one of these better than the rest. Find yours, and start with the habit in the last column.
| Profile | How he shows up | Do this first |
|---|---|---|
| The sleep-deprived grinder | Short nights, a bedtime that moves around, running on coffee and willpower. | A fixed wake time every day and screens off an hour before bed. |
| The wired but tired | Exhausted all day, then lying in bed with his mind running. | Three minutes of slow breathing twice a day and no caffeine after noon. |
| The overtrained achiever | Trains hard, stays sore for days, and his numbers are going backwards. | Cut lifting volume by 30 to 40% for a week and add two easy walks. |
| The blood sugar rollercoaster | Afternoon crashes, sugar and coffee to get through, energy that swings with every meal. | A protein-forward breakfast and a short walk after meals. |
| The low drive, low mood | Less drive, less interest in sex, and nothing sounds fun any more. | Morning daylight, strength training twice a week and daily steps. |
The 2% check-in
Once a day, two minutes. Write these down and the pattern shows itself within a week.
- Hours slept
- Steps
- Moved for 15 minutes, yes or no
- Protein at two or three meals, yes or no
- Ten minutes of daylight, yes or no
- Three-minute downshift, yes or no
- Day rating, 1 to 10
- One sentence: today's win
Questions men ask
Do men need estrogen?
Yes. Men make estrogen from testosterone, and it matters for bone, the brain, libido and heart health. The problem is rarely estrogen itself but the balance, which is why a blocker should only ever come from a clinician who has tested you.
How should testosterone be tested?
With a morning blood draw, ideally before 10am, repeated on a second morning if the first result is low. Ask your GP for total testosterone, and free testosterone or SHBG if total is borderline, and go in after a normal night's sleep.
Can I get a testosterone test in BC?
Yes. Your GP or a nurse practitioner can order it, and it is usually covered when there are symptoms that justify it. Without that, private labs in BC offer it for a fee, but take the result back to your doctor rather than reading it alone.
Are peptides safe?
Most peptides sold online are not approved by Health Canada for this use, and quality and dosing are unregulated. Talk to your GP before taking anything, and fix sleep, training and food first, because they are safer and they work.
What blood tests should a man over 40 ask for?
A reasonable starting list to discuss with your GP: a lipid panel, fasting glucose and HbA1c, a complete blood count, thyroid (TSH), vitamin D and morning testosterone. Your doctor decides what fits your history; the list is a starting conversation, not a prescription.
Go further
The playbook
Out of Tune
$27 CAD
Twelve chapters, a 28-day program, a Canadian testing guide and a glossary.
The bundle
Out of Tune: The Bundle
$47 CAD
The playbook plus the toolkit, the chat and a DadBody 28 credit.
Coaching, not medical advice. Read the health notice.