There is no hormone known to man that gets more attention than testosterone and for good reason. Research has shown that your testosterone levels can have an immense impact on your health, longevity, athletic performance, muscle mass, body composition, and health. Simply put: If your testosterone levels are not right, there will be consequences, and they can sometimes be severe – even life-threatening. And here comes the spooky part: Low testosterone levels are now common. Men are simply not as manly as they used to be. Exactly why this is the case is subject to investigation, but some cases have been identified, and we’ll discuss them here. We’ll look at how you can increase testosterone levels naturally, something that should be of interest to all athletes, and bodybuilders in particular.
I’ve tried to make this article the most comprehensive of its kind in order to give you the best guide possible on how to increase testosterone levels naturally and safely. To make it an easy read, I’ve used bullet points throughout and refrained from getting too deep into the scientific basis of things – because we’ll get into that in later articles anyway if you’re interested. This article is meant to be a guide that you can start using straight away – not some theoretical discussion that could leave you with more questions than answers. See it as a comprehensive list of tips if you like. And note: Most readers of this blog are men, but while an article like this is going to cater mostly to a male audience, most of the tips here can be used by women too. Just don’t expect the same results. Anyway, let’s get started on how to increase your testosterone levels:
You need to stress less. Stress is a major testosterone killer. Decide to kill stress today by identifying all the crap that is stressing you out on a regular basis and dealing with it now. Get on top of things. Eliminate stuff that really isn’t contributing to your life but only taking up time and energy. Learn relaxation techniques and methods to combat stress (The Sedona Method is highly recommended). Start taking care of yourself in new ways, like getting a massage every Friday afternoon, or going swimming on Sundays. Learn to truly wind down.
Stress is a major testosterone killer. Decide to kill stress today by identifying all the crap that is stressing you out on a regular basis and dealing with it now. Get on top of things. Eliminate stuff that really isn’t contributing to your life but only taking up time and energy. Learn relaxation techniques and methods to combat stress (The Sedona Method is highly recommended). Start taking care of yourself in new ways, like getting a massage every Friday afternoon, or going swimming on Sundays. Learn to truly wind down. Get enough sleep. This could be mentioned as part of “stressing less” but since sleep is so important it deserves a mention of its own. Sleep is absolutely crucial to testosterone production. Learn how to sleep well, and sleep for as long as you need. Personally, unless I’m catching an early flight or something, I never rely on an alarm clock. I simply get up when I’ve finished sleeping – which is what we should all do.
This could be mentioned as part of “stressing less” but since sleep is so important it deserves a mention of its own. Sleep is absolutely crucial to testosterone production. Learn how to sleep well, and sleep for as long as you need. Personally, unless I’m catching an early flight or something, I never rely on an alarm clock. I simply get up when I’ve finished sleeping – which is what we should all do. Get plenty of zinc. If you don’t get enough zinc, you won’t have enough testosterone. It’s as simple as that. Personally, I err on the side of caution with this one and consume a little more zinc than I think I need – usually in the form of a ZMA supplement.
If you don’t get enough zinc, you won’t have enough testosterone. It’s as simple as that. Personally, I err on the side of caution with this one and consume a little more zinc than I think I need – usually in the form of a ZMA supplement. Take it easy on the alcohol. They say alcoholics never go bald. Guess why: Too much alcohol can have a seriously detrimental effect on your testosterone levels. Drink enough and you’ll be less of a man than you can be.
They say alcoholics never go bald. Guess why: Too much alcohol can have a seriously detrimental effect on your testosterone levels. Drink enough and you’ll be less of a man than you can be. Have sex. One of the easiest and most fun ways to make sure your testosterone levels are up to scratch is to have sex. Studies have even shown that just the expectation of sex can boost testosterone.
One of the easiest and most fun ways to make sure your testosterone levels are up to scratch is to have sex. Studies have even shown that just the expectation of sex can boost testosterone. Increase your EFA (essential fatty acids) intake. Get your flaxseed oil, fish oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, and oily fish like wild salmon on a regular basis. These substances are named “essential” for a reason – if you don’t get enough of them you could be in trouble, and not just with regards to your testosterone levels.
Get your flaxseed oil, fish oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, and oily fish like wild salmon on a regular basis. These substances are named “essential” for a reason – if you don’t get enough of them you could be in trouble, and not just with regards to your testosterone levels. Eat coconuts. There isn’t much scientific evidence supporting a link between coconut consumption and increased testosterone levels [yet], but do consider the fact that coconuts have been known to replenish male sexual energy in many different cultures around the world. This could be due to nothing more than the high-fat content, but I’ve personally experienced what I would call, well, interesting effects from eating lots of coconuts, and would not hesitate to recommend anyone do the same if they were looking to boost their testosterone levels.
There isn’t much scientific evidence supporting a link between coconut consumption and increased testosterone levels [yet], but do consider the fact that coconuts have been known to replenish male sexual energy in many different cultures around the world. This could be due to nothing more than the high-fat content, but I’ve personally experienced what I would call, well, interesting effects from eating lots of coconuts, and would not hesitate to recommend anyone do the same if they were looking to boost their testosterone levels. Do the right stuff in the gym: Use big compound exercises (which I consider being the most important exercises for bodybuilders), use heavy resistance (85%-95% of your 1RM), use a moderate to high volume (no 1 set to failure stuff here), and fairly short rest intervals (even as little as one minute or less). And train hard.
Use big compound exercises (which I consider being the most important exercises for bodybuilders), use heavy resistance (85%-95% of your 1RM), use a moderate to high volume (no 1 set to failure stuff here), and fairly short rest intervals (even as little as one minute or less). And train hard. Lay off the soy. Soy can increase estrogen levels, which in essence is what you want if you’re aiming to become more womanlike. Increased estrogen will also decrease testosterone. Personally, I don’t think anyone should eat a whole lot of soy as I don’t consider soy to be very healthy at all, but men have an extra reason to stay far away from the stuff – especially men who are looking to optimize their testosterone levels.
Soy can increase estrogen levels, which in essence is what you want if you’re aiming to become more womanlike. Increased estrogen will also decrease testosterone. Personally, I don’t think anyone should eat a whole lot of soy as I don’t consider soy to be very healthy at all, but men have an extra reason to stay far away from the stuff – especially men who are looking to optimize their testosterone levels. Don’t get fat. Large deposits of body fat are another enemy of testosterone, just like low testosterone can result in higher body fat. In other words, do not get fat as this could send you right into a vicious cycle where your fat decreases your testosterone levels, which in turn adds more fat and so on. Stay relatively lean all year round, and if your body fat percentage gets much higher than 15% start doing something about it.
Large deposits of body fat are another enemy of testosterone, just like low testosterone can result in higher body fat. In other words, do not get fat as this could send you right into a vicious cycle where your fat decreases your testosterone levels, which in turn adds more fat and so on. Stay relatively lean all year round, and if your body fat percentage gets much higher than 15% start doing something about it. Get your magnesium. Some studies show increased testosterone from magnesium supplementation alone. Make sure you get plenty of the stuff, and not just from supplements: Your primary source should be foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, and unrefined grains.
Some studies show increased testosterone from magnesium supplementation alone. Make sure you get plenty of the stuff, and not just from supplements: Your primary source should be foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, and unrefined grains. Make sure you get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D is currently the big star of the vitamin world, and deservedly so. Getting enough vitamin D is vital to several aspects of your health, including your testosterone levels. Personally, while I make sure I never get sunburned, I do try to have a bit of a tan all year round so that I maintain adequate vitamin D levels. I also use a human growth hormone gnc supplement and increase dosages if the weather is bad or the winter is long.
Vitamin D is currently the big star of the vitamin world, and deservedly so. Getting enough vitamin D is vital to several aspects of your health, including your testosterone levels. Personally, while I make sure I never get sunburned, I do try to have a bit of a tan all year round so that I maintain adequate vitamin D levels. I also use a supplement and increase dosages if the weather is bad or the winter is long. Consider using a testosterone boosting supplement. Tribulus (or a supplement like Universal Nutrition’s Animal Stak, which contains Tribulus along with other testosterone boosting compounds) can be beneficial for some people. Don’t expect miracles, though, and don’t use a supplement like that for months on end with no break, as this could have detrimental long-term effects on endogenous testosterone production.
Tribulus (or a supplement like Universal Nutrition’s Animal Stak, which contains Tribulus along with other testosterone boosting compounds) can be beneficial for some people. Don’t expect miracles, though, and don’t use a supplement like that for months on end with no break, as this could have detrimental long-term effects on endogenous testosterone production. Be a Winner. Studies have repeatedly shown that winning increases testosterone levels. After a fight, the winning boxer will experience a boost in testosterone, while his defeated opponent experiences a drop. And don’t think you have to get into super manly stuff like boxing to get this effect; the same thing even applies to chess players. You don’t even need to compete yourself: one study showed that British soccer supporters had elevated testosterone levels after attending a soccer match that their team won.
So there you have it. These are some of the keys to increase and maintain an optimal (read: high) testosterone level that will not only ensure you get better muscular gains, but could even improve your health, general well being and quality of life. Use them responsibly!
