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Morning, Greg here!

Welcome to Midlife Male, the fastest-growing, #1 newsletter and lifestyle brand for men 40+. Hundreds of readers are joining us every day for actionable, relatable columns, exclusive interviews and stories you’ll find nowhere else to help you maximize the rest of your life. If a fellow MLM reader shared this with you, subscribe here:

In Today’s Issue of Midlife Male:

• MLM’s State of Masculinity: Our Rebuttal to GQ

• A 10-Second Life Lesson that Never Fails: Wisdom from Working Construction

• How NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman Sees It: New Routines, Finding Fulfillment, and Seeking Challenges

• 6Fs: Time Over Talk, The Navy Sweater Upgrade You Need, Terminal List: Dark Wolf, & More

Let’s get to it!

MLM’s State of Masculinity: Our Rebuttal to GQ

By Greg Scheinman

Here we are in 2025 and GQ is back at it with another “State of Masculinity” survey. This time it’s Glen Powell on the cover in a muscle suit (Hollywood’s idea of strength), because the same magazine that bent the knee to woke culture and told us to soften up in 2019 (and put Pharrell on the cover in a yellow dress) now thinks flexing and putting a jacked guy on the cover having fun will sell ads because the cultural winds have shifted back. What wimps. 

It was about pandering in 2019, and it’s about pandering today. GQ has no spine. They aren’t leading the conversation, they’re chasing the money. Real “masculinity” for a magazine that calls itself “Gentleman’s Quarterly” would have been putting a fit guy on the cover in 2019 with a headline saying: “Strength is good. Men are here to stay. Masculinity isn’t toxic.”

But here’s the thing: I don’t give a shit about GQ’s take on masculinity and neither should you…

A 10-Second Life Lesson that Never Fails: Wisdom from Working Construction

By Jon Finkel

Back in high school, I took a summer job working construction.

When I arrived for my first day, the guy who hired me nearly fired me on the spot. Boom. Done. Goodbye.

Why?

Because of a life lesson I didn't know at the time, but one I still use to this day. 

Let me tell you about Big Jim:

Big Jim was a grizzly bear of a man. Every old school construction site in the 80s and 90s had one of these guys. Doesn’t matter if you were building houses, strip malls, or high schools. This guy was a beast:

He stood about 6’2”. Huge beard. Hair slicked back. Never wore sleeves. Never flinched. Never stepped foot in a gym but was the strongest guy I've ever seen.

He could pick up 3 panels of sheetrock one-handed (if you know, you know). 

He flipped broken cinder blocks into dumpsters like they were pennies.

I once saw him bound over to the side of a house and push back scaffolding that was about to tip sideways like he was putting a book on a shelf. Oh, and there were two dudes installing a window on the scaffolding.

Badass. 

At 18 years old, I admired him and was intimidated by him. I was also terrified of letting him down on the jobsite after he hired me. So the afternoon before my first day on the job I go out and do something I think is really smart and shows initiative, but I could not have been more wrong. Here’s how it went down. (I swear, read this story and tell me if this rule hasn’t proven true nearly 100% of the time throughout your life):

How NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman Sees It: New Routines, Finding Fulfillment, and Seeking Challenges

By Greg Scheinman

As we kick off another NFL season, it feels like the perfect time to revisit my two-hour conversation with NFL Hall of Famer, three-time Super Bowl Champion, and Monday Night Football host, Troy Aikman.

Troy shared knowledge, wisdom, and experience that go far beyond the field. In fact, we went back and pulled even more from that interview, because he had so much to say about family, fitness, finance, food, fashion, and fun; the 6Fs at the heart of Midlife Male, that we wanted to share with you and not leave on the cutting room floor.

If you missed our first feature, you can read it here. If you haven’t listened to the full podcast, you can tune in here. And now, you get something brand new: deeper insights into how Troy sees life today in this part two. 

It’s not just timely because football is back. It’s timely because the state of masculinity is back in the headlines; thanks to GQ’s recent exposé and my VIEWPOINT on it in today's issue. 

Troy represents a version of masculinity that resonates with me, and I suspect with many of you as well. Strong, steady, humble, improving with age, embracing failures as well as successes, and putting his heart and passion into everything he does.

On the field, Troy is a Hall of Famer. Off the field, he’s building a brand with EIGHT Elite Light Lager, and being a great dad, staying fit, showing up for his family, and continuing to raise the bar for himself.

That’s why I’m excited to share this expanded conversation with him. It’s about more than football, it’s about how to maximize midlife, one play at a time.

Time Over Talk

A lot of guys say family is their number one priority, but when you ask what they’re actually doing with their families—not for them—the answer gets thin. Here’s the truth: your kids won’t remember how much time you spent at work, but they’ll never forget all the good times you’ve had hanging out. If you need a wake-up call, check the fatherhood stats here: https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic

Chill Out, Level Up

We’re cold plungers here at MLM. Not every day. Not so extreme that it becomes a battle. We use it as a sustainable tool for recovery, blood flow, lactic acid reduction, and mental clarity. Keep the temp at 50 degrees, stay in 2 minutes, anytime of day, pre or post workout. We recommend PLUNGE.com, the original and the best. Their new ALL-IN model is next level: sleek, app-controlled, whisper quiet, with the chiller built right in. Greg just got his this week with a personal setup from founder Ryan Duey. Use code MidlifeMale at checkout for an exclusive discount.

Wealth Is What You Keep

Making money matters, but keeping it and making it grow matters more. We’re not about flashy plays or chasing the latest get-rich-quick trend. Midlife Male wealth is built on discipline, consistency, and aligning your money with your values. Smart moves compound. Dumb ones cost decades.

The Real Dog and Kraut

Sauerkraut for gut health? We’re in. Cleveland Kitchen makes the best ‘kraut in the game with a variety of flavors. Our go-to: an all-beef organic hot dog on a sourdough bun, topped with warm sauerkraut and Gulden’s spicy brown mustard. Life’s too short for cheap ballpark dogs, unless, of course, you’re at the ballpark, where they somehow taste amazing with an ice cold beer or soda.

The Navy Sweater Upgrade You Need

Every guy has a navy sweater (except, apparently, our Editor in Chief Jon Finkel, who should have one). Almost none of them are worth a damn. This one is. Todd Snyder’s elevated V-neck is 70% off right now. Cotton yarn, breathable, cable and seed stitch texture, and a fit that works solo or layered over an Oxford. The difference is in the details. Check it out here.

Dark Wolf Is Must-See

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf has everything we want in a series. It’s an elevated espionage thriller that follows Ben Edwards from Navy SEAL to CIA operator, diving deep into the darker side of warfare and the human cost that comes with it. We’re big fans of author Jack Carr and the original with Chris Pratt. Both stream on Amazon. Queue them up.

Read Our MOST POPULAR Cover Stories:

Troy Aikman on Reinvention, Wrestling Demons and What Success Looks Like

Laird Hamilton’s Blueprint for Ageless Living and Unstoppable Energy

15 Pieces of Wisdom from Chef Robert Irvine

MLM Founder: Greg Scheinman / Follow Greg on Instagram & LinkedIn

Love Greg’s Viewpoint column? Visit the full Viewpoint Vault HERE where he shares his personal insights, experiences and perspectives on everything affecting midlife.

MLM Editor-in-Chief: Jon Finkel / Follow Jon on Twitter/X and Instagram

Love Jon’s Manologue column? Check out the full Manologue Archive HERE where he writes about pop culture, parenthood, sports, nostalgia & everything in between.

P.S. If all this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of in real life, I’ve got great news. 

The first MLM Excellent Adventure is in Miami next month!

Sunrise rucks, beach workouts, stone crabs at Joe’s, pizza at Lucali, saunas, plunges, and late-night conversations that matter. The kind of weekend we all talk about but never actually make happen. Well, we’re making it happen. Want in? Use the link HERE.

In November, I’ll be at the EUDEMONIA Summit in Palm Beach with Rich Roll, Andrew Huberman, Dr. Mark Hyman, and more. It’s the premier health and wellness weekend, not hacks, not fads, but real conversations, real wisdom, real fun, and the real work that makes midlife better. Save $50 off any badge with code gscheinman HERE.

And December? I’ll strap on a 20-pound ruck and march a full 26.2-mile marathon for the XPT Expedition at Cathedral Rock in Sedona. Not for a medal, but because midlife demands we keep doing hard things. The minute we stop, we start shrinking. Use code MIDLIFEXPT for $300 off HERE.

Man to man, friend to friend: this isn’t about optics. It’s about ownership. Stop waiting. Stop wishing. Join me. Ruck with me. Read with me. Talk with me. Whatever it is—pick something and go all in. That’s what maximizing midlife looks like.