PUA advice represent a very limited point of view. I mean, it is designed to get casual sex (about pick up, but not about maintain). An as self reported, has a success rate of 20%, which is low.

The reason is simple. Women have their own wants and needs and act accordingly. They can identify PUA tactics like negging, the light touch when they met, the "playfull" insults and all the other manipulation tactics. They play along if they are interested on a one night stand. People who want casual sex usually value more physical attraction, since they aren't going to talk that much anyway. That is the 20% success from your 80/20 rule.

But then you have the 80%. That 80% includes both the women who aren't attracted and the ones who want a relationship but since they know that PUA's want just sex, discard them for that. That idea that if you tell a woman that "sure, I'm open to a relationship but lets go to bed" they would believe you is quite naive. Many won't, but instead telling the PUA that they know that they are lying and end in a pointless argument, they just reject him. He can claim that it wasn't about women being more demanding or wanting physical perfection or whatever, but it was about them knowing that they are lying.

I mean, when a guy buy you a drink, you do know that their aim is to get you drunk so he can have an easier time getting you to bed. It is not rocket science. When he tries negging with you, you identify the insult meant to lower your self steem and make you vulnerable/in need of approval.

Since all those tactics are meant to get casual sex, and people who want casual sex doesn't want a relationship, if you want a relationship, you'll reject the guy. Simple. Sure, he might be attractive, but he is not what you want/need. So he would be rejected even if initially he was attractive.

Or in my case, the second they try negging or any other thing meant to "lower my value" or whatever, I become annoyed and stop being attracted.

Because physicall attraction is not enough, being attracted to personality is also important. For casual sex women might look only for "fun, safe and hot". For a relationship, there are a lot more factors and physical attraction won't cut it. Personality and getting along are also needed.

So yes to go to the gym, take care of yourself and groom yourself. But you also need to take care of your mind and make people be comfortable around you. Otherwise, not even looking like Chris Hemsword is going to work. And remember, many women do love Benedict Cumberbatch, so physicall attraction might include different body types. Hell, many women find "dad bods" attractive.

So my suggestion is to try to listen to more advice than the one on PUA forums, then discriminate which advice works for you and which won't. Because 80/20 rule means only 20% success and that is low. And plenty of men have met their wives while doing the opposite of what PUA's say. Cherrypick the advice that works for you.